Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Stylish Stems Birthday

Hello all! Today is the last day of the 2016-2017 catalog. Tomorrow is the big day that our new annual catalog will go live! I'm sure you've seen some sneak peeks that have gotten you excited and tomorrow you will finally be able to order everything you want! I wonder if you also might be bummed that some of your favorite products are retiring? I'll definitely miss some products but honestly, I'm so excited for all of the new and amazing things the new catalog has to offer that I can feel good about letting go of the old stuff! I pretty much need all of the new ribbon (and I'm not even a ribbon person) and there are some great new embellishments and the Glossy Paper! Well, I'll get to the glossy paper tomorrow. In fact, I've got a big surprise for you tomorrow so please be sure to come back and visit me. Tomorrow is the debut of a new design team that I am part of. It is called Creating Kindness and we will be launching something pretty special. So come back tomorrow please!

Today, I'm saying goodbye to Stylish Stems... a set I "loved" and never used... Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. The trouble is that I'm just not that good at layering up the pieces when it comes to sets like this. I did my best though. 

I used all In Colors on these flowers except for the Daffodil Delight. I love the way colors go so well together.

Something fun that I want to point out is the embossed "Happy Birthday" sentiment. It's embossed in the new Berry Burst and I love the bold look of it. First, I stamped onto the Versamark Ink Pad. Then I stamped onto the Berry Burst pad. I quickly stamped onto my cardstock and then heat embossed using Clear Embossing Powder. This is an awesome way to be able to heat emboss in ANY color!

Well, that's it for today. So long, farewell to you Stylish Stems... you will soon be replaced with Flirty Flowers from the new catalog because they are flirty and fun and want me to color them. 

I'm signing off with a few questions today... Are you sad to see any product in particular going away? What are you most excited about in the new catalog? Have you ever tried the heat embossing technique that I shared today? 

Ok, that's really it! Have an amazing day today and please come back tomorrow for something new and very exciting!

Bye!
Maria.



Need more stamps now? Never fear! I've got you covered!
Let me know if you have any questions!


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited (possibly way too enthusiastic... No! That's not possible!) Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!


Monday, May 29, 2017

So Many Shells: Brighter Days

Happy Tuesday everybody! Today I've got another So Many Shells card for you. This one is totally different from any of the other shell cards I've shared. It's really a simple idea but all of that gold embossing is very eye catching in person.

After embossing the background I layered a gold foil doily, a vellum banner, a Tranquil Tide tassel and some beautiful  baker's twine from the Carousel embellishment pack. The baker's twine has a strand of gold running through it and was a perfect match for this card. I stamped the sentiment (from Weather Together) on to some Pool Party cardstock in Tranquil Tide ink and then I wrapped it with gold metallic thread.

For such a fancy card this came together quickly and easily. I just love when that happens!

Hey, guess what? I've got some big news... I'm on a new design team called Creating Kindness and we are making our debut on Thursday, June 1st with a blog hop featuring some of our favorite new products from the new catalog which also launches on Thursday. You won't want to miss it so please do come back to visit on Thursday!

Have an amazing day!
Maria.


Need more stamps now? Never fear! I've got you covered!
Let me know if you have any questions!


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited (possibly way too enthusiastic... No! That's not possible!) Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!


Flourishing Sympathy

Hi Everybody! Well, I had planned to get this card on my blog quite some time ago but got busy and never wrote the post. I haven't made sympathy cards for a while and this one came together quickly and using a fun technique called Emboss Resist.

I used the Flourishing Phrases set to stamp the background in versamark ink onto water color paper. Then I heat embossed it in clear embossing powder. After that I picked some subtle colors to watercolor with and settled on Wisteria Wonder, Pear Pizazz, Pink Pirouette, and Soft Sky.



I stamped the sentiment in Basic Gray Archival and die cut it with my stitched framelits oval. This card is so soft and subtle that I wanted to add some texture it. A combination of lace and linen thread did the trick and kept the card neutral (I don't like making sympathy cards too bright or gaudy).

It's been a long time since I've used this technique but it sure is pretty. If you haven't ever tried it before then give it a go. One of the cool things about it is that the embossed images act as barriers and help you to keep your colors within the lines (if that's what you're going for).

That's it for today folks! I'm working on a big project right now and I'd better get back to it!
Have an amazing day!

Maria.

SUPPLY LIST:







Need more stamps now? Never fear! I've got you covered!
Let me know if you have any questions!


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited (possibly way too enthusiastic... No! That's not possible!) Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!


Monday, May 22, 2017

So Many Shells: Seas the Day

Hi everybody! I'm back with another So Many Shells card. This one is soft and bold and shimmery all at the same time. It's got lots of soft and shiny layers and a bold layer of some new Night of Navy ribbon that you will be able to get your hands on when the new catalog comes out on June first.

My favorite part of this card is the sentiment piece. I stamped the largest shell from the set in Pink Pirouette then I used a spritzer to spray it with a mixture of water and Island Indigo ink. I love that it looks like ocean spray! I stamped the sentiment in Basic Black archival ink and then splattered a healthy amount of clear Wink of Stella  over the top. A couple of pearls topped off the look.

Behind the sentiment piece I've got layers of silver foil doily, doily,fancy foil acetate and two different pieces of ribbon.

So, now I'm wondering if you've got this set on your wish list for June 1st when the new catalog items are available...? If I didn't already have it, it would certainly be on mine! If you don't have a new catalog yet and you don't already have a demonstrator please let me know. I would love to send you a catalog!

That's it for now! Thanks for stopping by today and I hope to see you all back here soon.
Have an amazing day! ... Seas the Day! ... Sorry, I couldn't help saying that.

-Maria.



Sunday, May 21, 2017

So Many Shells-Sweet and Simple!

Happy Monday! Today I'm back with another one of my Display Board cards... Yes, it's pretty ridiculous that I haven't shared them all with you yet. Well, hang on to your pants because I've got quite a few left and I'm aiming to share them all before the new catalog launches on June 1st!

This card features So Many Shells and was quick and easy to put together.

I used my Stitched Shapes framelits and my Tags & Labels framelits to cut out my sentiment piece and a little background piece. They are both sponged and spattered with Crumb Cake ink to match the card base. The sentiment is stamped in Crumb Cake ink as well and then I used my fine tip glue to trace over the sentiment giving it raised and glossy look. Yes, it would have been a good idea to clear emboss the sentiment from the start but this was an after thought that thankfully turned out well.

I stamped the background repeatedly in Crumb Cake with the same pretty shell. Then I sponged the edges with Crumb Cake. I wanted to add some texture to the card so I added some linen thread. Last, but not least, I popped my sentiment and background pieces up on dimensionals and called it good.

The last little detail of this card that you can't see was done after I took my pictures. When I created this card for my display board it was only a card "face." Stampin' Up! requests that samples for display boards only be card faces because full cards open on the boards and are hard to view/photograph at the event. This meant that when I came home with my samples I needed to finish making them into cards. I decided to put this card face onto a Pool Party card base with a Very Vanilla insert. It came out really lovely with the contrast between Crumb Cake and Pool Party. I just wanted you to know in case you plan to make something similar at home.

Alright, I'm off! It's a scorching hot day here in California and I really should go water my plants. I hope you all have an amazing day and thank you for dropping by!
-Maria.


PRODUCT SUPPLY LIST:



Need more stamps now? Never fear! I've got you covered!
Let me know if you have any questions!


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited (possibly way too enthusiastic... No! That's not possible!) Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Thursday, May 18, 2017

You're Priceless!

Hello, hello! Happy Thursday and thanks for stopping by today. I've got something fun to share with you. Do you remember the card I shared yesterday? It had a tribal background and was bright and bold? Well, today I want to share a card that I made using the same set that is completely different. I used You're Priceless (soon to be released) and this time I featured the huge diamond from the set. 


I watercolored this card with two colors... and I think I used Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo. I'm sure of the turquoise but not a hundred percent sure of the pink (sorry!). Anyhow, at the top of the card I did a TT background and at the bottom I used MM. I used the same colors to watercolor the diamonds but made sure that they would contrast with the background. I love the way the colors blended together on the diamonds.

I added a ton of Clear Wink of Stella to the diamonds and popped my watercolored piece up on silver foil, Tempting Turquiose and then on some embossed Basic Black. A sentiment on vellum, some black metallic thread and rhinestones finished this baby off.

It's such a different card from yesterday. That's something that I love about stamping-the possibilities are pretty endless! 

Well, I'm on break at work right now so I better get back to it!
Have an amazing day y'all! See you soon!!
-Maria
iv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Need more stamps now? Never fear! I've got you covered!
Let me know if you have any questions!


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited (possibly way too enthusiastic... No! That's not possible!) Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Kylie's International Blog Highlight

Hello Everybody and happy day to ya! Today I'm joining in with Kylie Bertucci's International Blog Highlight and this month the theme is Masculine Cards! If you've never visited my blog before I am glad to have you here! My name is Maria Willis and I am a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator from California, USA. I've been stamping for just over three years now and I absolutely love it. Enough about me (bo-ring), now onto my card!

I think "masculine theme" is a word combo that strikes fear into the hearts of many a talented stamper. Truth be told, I love making all different kinds of cards for all different kinds of people both male and female alike. I don't care for the term "masculine" in relation to cards because I think it forces us to think inside the box of what masculine is "supposed" to be... and also implies that women might not care as much for these cards (unless of course they aren't very feminine? Hmmm.). I guess it's just the idea of gender-specific cards that I don't resonate with. After all, I know men who like flowers and birds, and, women who love insects (ahem, me!). Anyhow, that's a mental debate that I always have when this topic comes up, and perhaps it's best left for another time.

So, now we're really onto my card, and I've used a stamp set from the new annual catalog called You're Priceless (Page: 160/ Product #: 143760/ Available June 1st, 2017).

 I received this set in my Display Stamper box a while back and wanted to find some different ways to use the set instead of featuring the diamonds. I decided to use one of the stamps that is supposed to be a shadow for the facets of the big diamond in the set to create a tribal looking background piece for my card. 

Then I added a bold "Happy" that was embossed using one of the Celebrations Duo embossing folders and stamped over it in white Craft ink using a triangle from the coordinating Happy Celebrations stamp set.



Finally, I added the rest of the sentiment and some fun embellishments to finish of my card. The black dots are just White Perfect Accents that I colored with a black Sharpie.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I hope you liked my card. If you did, please head on over to Kylie's Blog where you can check out all of the other masculine themed cards and you can even vote for your favorites! I'd love to have your vote if my card made it into your top picks on the highlight. 

See you all soon and have an amazing day!
Maria.


PRODUCT LIST:



Need more stamps now? Never fear! I've got you covered!
Let me know if you have any questions!


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited (possibly way too enthusiastic... No! That's not possible!) Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!


Thursday, May 11, 2017

OSAT Blog Hop - Clean and Simple

Hey Everybody! Guess what day it is...Yep! It's the second Thursday of the month and that means it's time for another fabulous OSAT Blog Hop! This month the theme is Clean & Simple and I can't wait to see the cards and projects that the rest of the design team has made to share with us!


Believe it or not, Clean & Simple, is soooo hard for me. I always want to be adding more layers and more ink and more everything. Well, that's not allowed today so here's what I came up with...

I heat embossed my sentiment in Copper onto some Pink Pirouette that I cut out with a Stitched Framelits Circle. Then I added half a doily and a vellum butterfly. Look, no sponging! I almost couldn't resist but I'm happy with the clean look of my sentiment.

I dry embossed my background with the Fluttering EF put the sentiment on top of a vellum banner wrapped with Metallic Copper Thread. Last of all I added some White Enamel dots and pearls to finish my card off. 



For my Clean & Simple Project I made an easy treat pouch using the Eastern Elegance DSP. When you do a simple project like this it's really nice when you have some wild DSP to do all the talking for you. I think it's saying, "Look at me, look at me! I'm so fancy!" And, of course, it is so fancy (psst, it's coming out in the new catalog but it's available to buy now as an early release-woohoo!)! 

I dressed it up just a little by adding a banner and layering some shapes under my sentiment. The beautiful ribbon that I used will be available in June with the new catalog. I got it in my Display Stamper box and absolutely love it! FYI: It ties really well and can hold a cut edge without fraying immediately. 

That's it for me today folks! I cannot wait to check out the rest of this blog hop and I hope that you will join me by clicking on the next button to head over to Rick's blog, or, by following the blog roll below. Have an amazing day and I'll see you back here soon!
-Maria.



BLOG ROLL:



CARD SUPPLY LIST:



PRODUCT SUPPLY LIST:




Need more stamps now? Never fear! I've got you covered!
Let me know if you have any questions!


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited (possibly way too enthusiastic... No! That's not possible!) Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!


Wednesday, May 10, 2017

So Many Shells

Hi Everybody! I'm sorry that I've been MIA again when I still have so much to share with you. The last couple of weeks have been filled with Drama... Not bad drama! "Drama," as in the, "theater." My son is in high school and is part of the Drama program. For the last two week they have been performing Grease four times a week and we've been getting home really late (after 10pm on school nights-Yikes!)! So, between work, the school play and then my son getting sick there was nary a time to blog (I just said "nary." I'm killing myself). Hopefully, I'm back now (but this weekend is Mother's Day and my son turns fifteen on Mother's Day too so don't blame me if I disappear again over the weekend). 

I'm really excited to be sharing this card today. It's one of my favorites from my Display Board at OnStage. I've used two new sets here. The obvious one is So Many Shells (pg. 38 of new catalog: 143695). The not so obvious one... You're Priceless (pg. 160 of New Catalog: 143760). 


I absolutely love the both the shells and the sentiments in this set! To get this look I stamped the shell on Shimmery White in Island Indigo. Then I hit it with my aquapainter just to blend it a little. After that I spritzed it with a mixture of Island Indigo and water. A coating of Wink of Stella added the final touch. Check out the new mini sequins and the beautiful tassel in Tranquil Tide. This upcoming catalog really has some beautiful new accessories and these are two of my favorites. Did you notice the new Pretty Label Punch in the background? What about that new ribbon with the gold trim? It's all amazing I tell ya!

The sentiments in the So Many Shells set are really lovely. I heat embossed this one in gold after finishing up the background. If you're wondering how in the world I used the You're Priceless diamond set on this card this is it-the background! I sponged the background in Pool Party and Bermuda Bay. Then I used the splotchy stamp from You're Priceless with some White Craft Ink to create a background that I hope looks like ocean spray. Using the splotchy stamp made it incredibly easy!

I added some gold embossing and some pearls to the background to finish my card off. 

I hope you liked my card today. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Have an awesome day!
-Maria.



Need more stamps now? Never fear! I've got you covered!
Let me know if you have any questions!


Want a great discount on Stampin' Up! Products and to have a fun new stamping family? Join me on this fun adventure! I can't wait to be your super excited (possibly way too enthusiastic... No! That's not possible!) Stampin' Up! side kick and support lady! In case you didn't know, you can join Stampin' Up! just for the discount and never sell a single product. If you want to know the details just let me know. If you're looking for a discount on your favorite hobby (stamping and paper crafting with Stampin' Up! products) and want to earn money doing it... let me know! I'd love to talk with you whatever your interest might be! If you want to see a little more info go ahead and click the button below. Looking forward to hearing from you!


01 09 10