A New Ink on Life

Artisan Design Team January Blog Hop - Meant To Be

Hello and welcome to the first Blog Hop with the 2019 Artisan Design Team! I am beyond thrilled to be working with the amazingly talented creatives that make up the 2019 Artisan Team. We are a group of 16 Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from around the world, that have been chosen to represent Stampin' Up! over the course of the year, through blog hops, Facebook posts and corporate blog posts.

For those of you new to my blog I am so happy to have you here and hope you will enjoy and find inspiration in my posts. I live in beautiful British Columbia Canada and I am so humbled honoured to be the only Canadian on the team this year, and one of four from North America. (you can read a little more about my Stampin' up journey HERE)

 

This month's hop focuses on the new Occasions Catalogue and the All My Love Suite of products. I created both a card and cute little box with the Meant to Be Bundle and gorgeous All My Love Designer Series Paper. 

I started with a card base of Thick Whisper White card stock then layered on one of my favourite patterns from the DSP pack. To add some texture I took a piece of Soft Sea Foam card stock and embossed it with the Subtle Textured Impression Folder. By attaching it to the card on an angle it as creates visual interest. Little strips of different patterns of DSP  it great way to add some pattern mixing and use up scraps.

When die cutting intricate framelit dies the Big Shot Adhesive Sheets are a must have. They made it easy to attach the delicate stitched heart outline and flourish. For the main heart image and sentiment I used VersaMark Ink and then heat embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder. Then using an Aqua Painter and some ink pads I added a little watercolouring.

I love creating creating cute packaging, but I will be honest math is not my strong point. So when I found THIS VIDEO from Stampin' Up! I was sure to bookmark it. I still refer to it from time to time. It shows you how to create boxes of any size with a simple formula. This adorable little box measures 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches and is the perfect size to hold some sweet treats.

Thank you for stopping by and joining us on our first blog hop of 2019! Next on the hop is the amazingly talented Kaylee van Es, she is sure to wow you with her projects. Below you can find a list of all of the Artisan's blogs and put a face to the names:)

2019 Artisan Team Blog Roll 

Angela Meiritz-Reid ( New Zealand)

Ashley Van Camp (United States)

Aurelie Fabre (France)

Emma Goddard (United Kingdom)

Jackie Aitken (Australia)

Jennifer Picard (Canada)

Kaylee van Es (Netherlands)

Lauren Alarid (United States)

Maike Beimler (Germany)

Manuela Geiswinkler (Austria)

Mikaela Titheridge (United Kingdom)

Narella Farrugia (Australia)

Rochelle Blok (Australia)

Stesha Bloodhart (United States)

Sylwia Schreck (Germany)

Tanya Rees (Australia)

 

As always you can find the products used for today's project below. Please contact me with any questions and remember it is Sale a Bration time! Receive a free item from the Sale a Bration Catalogue for FREE with every $60 (CA) purchase.  

 

Part Of My Story

Well here we go with my first blog post of 2019! Not going to lie, 2018 was a year of challenges, health issues and some trying times for our family, so we gladly welcomed in the new year with a positive mind set and are looking forward to some positive changes. 

Speaking of the New Year and new beginnings, I get to finally share a project with my brand new Stampin' Up! Artisan Team Watermark!!! I apologize in advance for the excess usage of exclamation marks in this post.

The new Sale-A-Bration stamp set Part of My Story is a must have. I literally squealed when it was reveal at on OnStage in November and as luck would have it, I won it during Prize Patrol! (this happens through out the day at the convention where different new stamps sets and products are given away).

It's been quite some time since I have shared my Stampin' Up! story, so what better time then now as I am going into 2019 with big crafty goals and full of excitement! 

My journey into papercrafting started in the fall of 2007 when attended my very first Stampin’ Up! workshop that a friend was having. I had never done any stamping or cardmaking before and honestly just went to be polite. After that first encounter with ink, paper, and stamps, I was hooked and wanted everything in the catalogue! I remember very clearly how I cut my paper wrong for the make and take, stamped the image and sentiment crooked, but still was so pleased with what I created. What was a girl to do but to sign up right there and then?! (just to get the discount, of course;) I quickly added scrapbooking to my newfound obsession. I try to remember and share this part of my story every time I stamp with a new friend, hold a class or especially when someone says to me that they aren't creative or could never do what I do. I believe everyone is creative and just needs the right opportunity to bring it out.  

I have met some of the most incredible people over the years, some who I can't even imagine where I would be without them. I have also had many amazing opportunities. In 2011, I had the honour of being chosen as an Artisan Award winner, literally a dream come true. It paved the way for other exciting paper crafting opportunities, but my heart always belonged to Stampin’ Up! After taking a break from being a demonstrator in 2012, I signed back up in 2016. I found my tribe again and I have no intention to ever lose it. I love being able share my passion with others and help them bring out their own creativity. To be named part of of the 2019 Stampin' Up! Design Team, well there are not enough words to describe how very excited I am to work with this group of phenomenally creative women.

So that is my SU! story and I am so lucky to have so many people be part of it. That was my thought when creating this card. As I mentioned earlier the sentiment comes from the Part of My Story stamp set that you can earn for FREE with a minimum $60 (Canadian) purchase. It is full of unique sentiments to let some one know you care.

I started with a Thick Whisper White card base then added a matted layer of one of the papers from the gorgeous Tea Room Designer Series Paper Packs and popped it up with Dimensionals. For the focal point I created a cluster of embellishments using the Starburst Punch, some Linen Thread, Sequins and the Butterfly Elements (another SAB item that can be earned for FREE) I also used the beautiful Butterfly Gala that includes the stamp set and coordinating punch. The sentiment was stamped on a die cut stitched rectangle (another must have) that had been stamped with a butterfly. The adorable little butterfly was stamped and punched out then adorn with a few pearls.

All the products I used for this project you will find below with a direct link to my online store if you would like to check anything out further or purchase. Remember there are some incredible items you can earn for FREE with Sale A Bration! Check out the SAB Catalogue HERE 

Fancy Friday - My Christmas Cards

Welcome back to the Fancy Friday Blog Hop! We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators that have been or are currently on the Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team. We love sharing our passion for creating with all of you and hope to inspire along the way. We also have some more Fancy ladies joining us this month, so be prepared for some amazing inspiration! 

 

This month's challenge is for us to share our Christmas cards that we plan to send out this year. This was tough for me because I have a hard time mass producing any design I come up with. Also a tough challenge because I am terrible at actually sending cards! Awful, I know. However I came up with this design that is reasonably easy to recreate so I will most likely create 10 and then move on to another design:) I did though specifically purchase the Dashing Deer Bundle to make my Christmas cards this year.

The Dashing Deer Bundle in the Holiday Catalogue was a must have as soon as I saw it, I knew that was what I wanted to create my personal Christmas cards with. Of course it is now the end of November and I am just getting started! I absolutely love the mix of woodgrain and plaid together, so the Festive Farmhouse DSP was perfect to use on my card as well. 

I started with a Grey Granite Card stock base, I stamped the deer image on Shimmer White Card stock then cut it out with the coordinating die. The edges of the woodgrain DSP was sponge with Soft Suede Ink. One of my absolute favourite punches is the Starburst Punch. I love using it as a laying piece, here I punched it out of Vellum Card stock. Some tiny Metallic Gold Pearls and Vanilla Lace Trim were added for a little bling and texture.

And no Christmas card would be complete without the inside decorated as well. I used a Shimmer White piece and stamped the sentiment and images.

 

Be sure to click through to the unbelievably talented Rochelle Blok, so happy she is joining us! 

A Fancy Friday - Christmas

 

Welcome back to the Fancy Friday Blog Hop! We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators that have been or are currently on the Artisan Design Team. We love sharing our passion for creating with all of you and hope to inspire along the way.

 

This month we have a theme challenge - create anything with a Christmas-y feel! Now that it is the beginning of November the pressure is on to start creating some Christmas cards. Stampin' Up! has created so many amazing stamps, papers and bundles that at times it is hard to choose what to start with first, lol. So, I made two cards both using the stunning Joyous Noel Designer Series Paper and then chose the coordinating Peaceful Noel stamp set. Also for the month of November there is a special release called Snowflake Showcase, I just had to use the beautiful snowflake dies on one of the cards.

 

This card is full of sparkle and shine. The DSP is simply stunning with it's copper foil accents and makes it easy to use a a focal point on any project.

One of my favourite products from the 2018 Holiday Catalogue has to be the Shimmer Paints. I love their versatility, as you can see here I have used them two ways on the stitched die cut. By mixing a few drops of the Vegas Gold paint with Rubbing Alcohol in a Stampin' Spritzer I created a gorgeous shimmer mist.  Then using an Aqua Painter and the Bright Copper paint I flicked little splatters of paint on and left to dry. I think this is the perfect time of year for project with a little extra shine.

 

After making my first card I naturally had to carry on with some more sparkle and glitter. The Joyous Noel Glimmer Paper comes in a pack of 3 colours that coordinate perfectly with the DSP and keep with my chosen colours I used the Copper one again. The new snowflake dies are so detailed, intricate and look fabulous cut from the glimmer paper.

In the close up here you can really see how beautiful the Glimmer paper look with the Copper Shimmer paint. I also sponged the paint very lightly on the tips of the white snowflake. Too make this card have even more of a wow factor I added in the Merry Merlot and Copper reversible ribbon, it is so pretty in person.

 

Now be sure to check out all the projects on the hop! Next up is the fabulous Marisa Gunn 

 

 

Fancy Friday - Colour Challenge

Welcome back to the Fancy Friday Blog Hop! We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators that have been or are currently on the Artisan Design Team. We love sharing our passion for creating with all of you and hope to inspire along the way.

 

This month with have a picture inspiration with a unique and inspiring colour combination. The challenge is to use the color combo of Mango Melody, Powder Pink, Pacific Point, Smoky Slate, Rich Razzleberry and Whisper White. You do not have to use ALL of the colors but I challenge you to try, it's always fun to step a little out of your comfort zone;)

 

I somehow managed to use all of the colours and took my inspiration from both the inspiration photos and colours themselves.

 

A lot of firsts for me on this card, one of the reasons I love these challenges so much, is that they help me try new things and think a little outside of the box:) Would you believe I had never used SU! embossing paste?! I have had it since it first came out last year but had't taken the plunge and use it before. I mixed it with some Pacific Point reinker and using a pallet knife spread some out on Whisper White card stock. This was also the first time inking up the Country Home stamp set. The set wasn't on my radar at first, but after seeing so many gorgeous samples online it became a must have. The new Galvanized Metallic Paper and Tin Tile Dynamic Embossing Folder also came out to play for the first time. I added a little Mango Melody ink to the embossed paper as well. 

I created a lot of layering and texture on this card by using patterned papers, embossing and ribbon and twine. Inspired by the photo I made a tiny tassel using Whisper White Baker's Twine and nestled it in under the Shimmer Powder Pink.

The front card panel was also randomly stamped full strength and stamped off with Powder Pink Classic Ink. I love the eclectic feel it helps bring to the card. After not stamping for over 3 weeks, it sure felt good to get inky again!

Next up on the hop is the extremely talented Krista Frattin. I just love everything she creates and I am sure you will too!

As always please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Listed below are all supplies used for today's card with links to my online store:

 

OnStage Orlando Display Stamper Application

Last week I registered for Stampin' Up's OnStage Convention. To say I am excited to be in Orlando in November would be an understatement, I can't wait to soak in all of the amazing creativity and see some of my favourite people:) One of the hilights of Convention is checking out all of the fabulous display samples created by fellow demonstrators, showcasing new and upcoming products. This year I thought I would apply to be one of those stampers (fingers crossed). 

To apply I need to showcase my work with 3 cards, 2 3D items and a scrapbook page. These are the projects I am putting forward for my application.

This card showcase the petal Promenade DSP and Dragonfly Dreams stamp set and coordinating dies. I just like the photo realistic floral in this patterned paper pack, so pretty.

 

A soft pretty watercolour wash on Shimmery White Card stock create a back drop for the die cut floral from the Petal Palette stamp set. 

 

This card proves that some times all you need is paper, ink and a gorgeous stamp set to create a pretty card. The Healing Hugs stamp set is a must have and and pairs perfectly with this little label from the Stitched Labels Framelits. 

Stampin' Up! has these adorable little kraft pillow boxes that are just perfect for decorating, just the right size to tuck in a small chocolate treat or gift card. The holly images were watercoloured, the stamps and die cuts are from the current Colour Your Season Bundle Promotion. 

Another cute little box that Stampin Up! has available to purchase are these white mini pizza boxes. You can colour the box with a sponge and ink or decorate it here like I did with card stock, die cuts and DSP. 

This is one of my favourite recent scrapbook pages. The DSP is retired now but I think the layout is so versatile and I plan on creating another page soon based on it.  

Well there you have it, 5 projects that I am using to apply to be a display stamper, wish me luck:)

Jenn

Fancy Friday - Tropical Vibe

Welcome back to the Fancy Friday Blog Hop! We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators that have been or are currently on the Artisan Design Team. We love sharing our passion for creating with all of you and hope to inspire along the way.

 

This month we are being inspired by the Tropics! Our challenge was to create a project that has a tropical vibe to it.

I completely took this challenge literally and used the amazing Tropical Escape Suite from the current annual catalogue. This challenge totally inspired me to start tackling a project that should have been done five years ago! My husband and I went on our first vacation ever with out children in 2013 for a glorious 8 days in Maui. 

One of my favourite things about Stampin' Up! is that with their coordinating products you can totally customize any project to suit your needs. I decorated the front of the album using the Large Letters Framelits to create the word "Maui". The letters were first cut from thin chipboard then layered some DSP on top.

I made my own 3x4 cards to fit inside the pocket page using cardstock, DSP and die cuts. I tried to mimick the colours of the gorgeous sunsets we saw using Brushso on Watercolour Paper.

Here is a look at the full spread. For the 6x8 full page I wanted to create a BW page that would help to make the stunning photo stand out even more. I added a pop of colour with the die cut leaf outline that perfectly layers of the stamped leaves.

Now that I have two pages completed in the Album  am hoping that it will help motivate me to actually finish it;)

I was also inspired to create a card using the Suite as well. I am just loving how fresh and fun the products are and love the happy colours.

Granny Apple Green is such a bright sunny colour. I don't often used coloured card bases, but it was the perfect choice for this card. The stamped leaf was inked using Granny Apple Green first, then the outside edges rolled on Shaded Spruce. I then took a Sponge Dauber and  blended the two colours together inward to create a soft graduation of colour. The large Whisper White layer was embossed with the Subtle Dynamic Folder, creating some added texture.

Be sure to check out the next stop on the hop, the amazing and talented Jeanna Bohanon. I am sure you will just love what she has to share!

 

As always you can find the products used for these projects below and if you have any questions please feel free to message me. 

Fancy Friday - Color Refresh

Welcome back to the Fancy Friday Blog Hop! We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators that have been or are currently on the Artisan Design Team. We love sharing our passion for creating with all of you and hope to inspire along the way.

With the new Catalogue there was an amazing core colour refresh and the Stampin' Up! colour families were changed and some fantastic new colours were added as well as the return of some old favourites. So for our challenge this month we were to use NEW or RETURNING colour favorites from the Colour Refresh.

For my colour palette I chose the returning In Colour Blackberry Bliss from a few years ago, as well the new 2018-2020 In Colour Grapefruit Grove, new core colour Soft Sea Foam and an old favourite Soft Suede. When I sat down to make my projects for this month I had no idea what colour combo I would end up with! It all started with a photo of my youngest when she was only 3 years old.

So cute right? I had spent the better half of a week cleaning up and purging my craft room and came across this printed 5x7 photo, sigh they grow up so fast, don't they? I just knew I had to scrap it so I pulled out various packs of DSP and decided on Tranquil Textures. I also wanted to use the Memories and More Delightfully Detailed Card Pack. I just love how versatile this product line is, perfect for pocket pages and traditional scrapping.

  

I used a lot of layering of papers and patterns for my layout. The base is a piece of 12x12 Whisper White card stock then I added an 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 piece of DSP. Soft Sea Foam is definitely one of my new favourite colours. I stamped directly onto the DSP along the bottom of the page using one of my all time top favourite stamp sets; Dandelion Wishes. The journaling reads " My wish for you is that you always remember you have wings and were born to fly".

I added 2 3x4 cards from the Memories and More card pack to the page and layered several piece of DSP behind the photo. The banner flag is also a card from the pack that I cut up.

The butterfly was die cut from watercolour paper and lightly coloured with the following inks; Blackberry Bliss, Soft Sea Foam, Soft Suede, Grapefruit Grove using an Auquapainter. 

Now since I had so many supplies pulled out from making the scrapbook page I decided the make a card using the same elements.

The card was super easy to put together as I used one of the 4x6 cards from the Memories and More pack as well as the awesome new Memories and More note cards and envelopes. 

The "thanks" as well as the cute little label are part of the card pack sticker sheets. There is a vellum butterfly behind the label, again lots of layering. I also used my Clear Wink of Stella pen and flicked the brush tip several times over the card to create a glittery splatter.

Well that it from me, be sure to go the the next blog on the hop. I am sure the amazingly talented Cathy Caines will wow you with what she has to share!

As always you can find the products used for these projects below and if you have any questions please feel free to message me. 

Serene Garden

One of the great things about paper crafting is the amazing online community of people sharing their work, whether it be through blogs, facebook, instagram etc. there are so many inspiring projects out there. This also means I see many items that I may have over looked the first several times I flipped through the new Stampin' Up! Catalogue; such as the Serene Garden Stamp set and coordinating Framelits.

It became a must have after seeing so many beautiful samples online. This one in particular by the talented Jen Timko made me push the order button,lol. 

It is also the perfect set to use the Stampin' Blends alcohol markers with. They blend so beautifully and make it easy to look like and artist:)

The card itself was really quite quick and easy to make. i started with a Pool Party base then layered on a piece of Whisper White card stock that had been embossed with the Layered Leave Impressions Folder. I used the debossed side to create a different look. The image was stamped using Memento Ink on Thick Whisper White then coloured with the Blends. I added a little touch of Clear Wink of Stella to the blooms and butterfly. It was hard to capture in the photo but it is so pretty in person. 

So I urge to give your catalogue a second look through (let's be honest more like a tenth look through,lol) and see what you may have missed. If you don't have a current catalogue please feel free to contact me so I can get one sent your way!

Below are the list of products used in today's project, click on the image to be taken to my online store.

 

Just a Note to Say....Thank you with Rooted in Nature

Thank you notes are something that I can never have too many on hand, especially this time of year. I was excited to see the theme challenge this week for Global Design Project is "Just a Note to Say..." and even more excited when I realized I could actually get a card done before the challenge deadline.

 

Soft Suede

Mint Macaron

Cajun Craze

Crumb Cake

Whisper White

There are only a few more days until the new Annual Stampin' Up! Catalogue launches on June 1st and one of my "must have" items would have to be the Nature's Poem Suite of products. This includes beautiful coordinating Designer Series paper, the Rooted in Nature Stamp set and the Nature's Roots coordinating metal dies, that not only die cut but the are also embossing dies as well.

 

I started with a Mint Macaron card base then layered on a piece of Whisper White that had been stamped repeatedly with a leafy image in Crumb Cake. I stamped the image of first, to create a softer colour and effect. Next I layered on a few strips of DSP and some Burlap Ribbon (one of my favourite products). The main image was stamped using Soft Suede ink on a die cut stitched circle shape. Next I layered on the die cut leaves, one was stamped and die cut, the other embossed then die cut out. A sentiment word strip was then popped on top using Mini Dimensionals.

This stamp set has so many fabulous sentiments and phrases and I love that this one has a second part to stamp inside the card. Another great thing about this suite of products it that they are perfect for creating cards with a masculine feel as well. Personally I have a lot of floral stamp sets and papers so this was number one on my list:) 

 

 A few of the items I used are available now, but most will be launching in the new Idaea Book and Catalogue on June 1st. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if you would like a copy of the new catalogue sent to you.