Welcome, Julia

I've been so fortunate to add several terrific women to my From the Heart Stampers team over the past couple of months, and Julia Hill is no exception!  I got to spend some time with Julia at our weekend retreat in April; she had so much fun that she decided to join with Ruth Petrovich in June!  I've made this card to welcome Julia to our team.

This card is an example of accidents being a great part of designing!  I cut the butterflies from the Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine and the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die using a piece of Whisper White card stock that was stamped with the Extreme Elements stamp set and Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Delight Classic Ink.  This piece of paper was a "reject"  lying on my crafting table from another project.  I was going to use it as a background piece but had changed my mind and couldn't bring myself to toss it.  It was the perfect touch for this card!  Next, I wanted to stamp the base of the card stock with a stamp set and found out that I had loaned it to another stamper!  Not to worry!  I hadn't used my brand new Decor Stencils Elegant Trio Set or my Frost White Shimmer Paint!  Just dab on the shimmer paint over the stencil using a Sponge Dauber and in a few seconds, you have a fabulous background!  So when you don't think you have what you want for creating your cards, look around you–you might be really surprised what you come up with!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 118262 Elegant Trio Stencil Set $9.95
Item No. 102982 Sponge Daubers (12) $10.95
Item No. 116854 Frost White Shimmer Paint $5.95
Item No. 113439 Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine $99.95
Item No. 114507 Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die $21.95
Item No. 115181 Extreme Elements stamp set $26.95
Item No. 119254 Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon $5.95

Don't Forget!

• To spend a minimum of $50 with me and be entered into a drawing to win!  Cick HERE for details!

Welcome, Gladys

And here's the card I made for Gladys Garcia, the newest member of the From The Heart Stampers Team!  I kind of liked how the "recruit-er and the recruit-ee" cards coordinate (see blog post HERE)!  Too corny?  Maybe!  The card starts off with Daffodil Delight, then a piece of Pear Pizzazz card stock, then a piece of Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper.  The stamp is the Stampin' Up! Statement of the Heart, which I love to send to each new person joining because it really embodies why we are so attracted to this business.  This is bordered by Pumpkin Pie card stock, punched on the bottom edge with the Scallop Trim Border Punch and mounted to the card front with Dimensionals.  The flower corner motif is created using the Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine with the Simple Flower Embosslits Die and Little Leaves Sizzlits Die.  The center of the flower is Daffodil Delight card stock punched out with 3/4" Circle Punch.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 113439 Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine $99.95
Item No. 114511 Little Leaves Sizzlits Die $5.50
Item No. 114514 Simple Flower Embosslits Die $11.95
Item No. 118402 Scallop Trim Border Punch $15.95
Item No. 119873 3/4" Circle Medium Punch $10.95
Item No. 117167 Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper $9.95

Don't Forget!

• To sign up for the Ribbon Share!  Click HERE for more info!

A Fresh, Fun Look

I've been congratulating Ruth Petrovich a lot lately, and rightly so!  Ruth joined my Stampin' Up! team of demonstrators, the From the Heart Stampers, at the end of February and is going strong!  Ruth just recruited her second person, and I made this card for her.  It's fun, summery look with Daffodil Delight (new Brights Core Color), Pumpkin Pie and Pear Pizzazz (new In Color) and some designer paper from Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper.  I used the Eyelet Border Punch to create the sweet white edging and some Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon for a little accent.  The main image is from Charming stamp set stamped in Early Espresso Classic Ink with pieces cut from the Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine using Little Leaves Sizzlits Die and Birds &  Blooms Sizzlits 4-Pack Dies for the flower.  A small Clear Rhinestone Brad decorates the center.  Once completed, this card needed a little something in the bottom right corner.   I had planned to stamp a "congrats" greeting but it just didn't fit.  So I accordion folded the corner and added a piece of Whisper White card stock to the back to peek through.  Love this touch!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 116519 Charming $19.95
Item No. 113439 Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine $99.95
Item No. 114511 Little Leaves Sizzlits Die $5.50
Item No. 113485 Birds & Blooms Sizzlits 4-Pack Dies $21.95
Item No. 119254 Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon $5.95
Item No. 117167 Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper $9.95
Item No. 113144 Clear Rhinestone Brads $10.95
Item No. 119853 Eyelet Border Punch $15.95

Don't Forget!. 

• To sign up for the Stampin' Summer Bash!  Just one more day left to register!  Click HERE for more info!

Order Stampin' Up! products online 24/7 — click HERE!

Congratulations to my Team Members

I've begun sending a hand-stamped card to each of the top three sales people for the month.  A sincere "From the Heart Stampers" congratulations goes out to:

Ruth Petrovich
Lanette Swarthout and
Pam Kane

for their May sales.  Great job, ladies!

Here's the card I designed especially for them:

A beautiful color combination of Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, So Saffron and Old Olive make this simple card a hit!  I used Pretty Petals background stamp and my Stampin' Write Markers to achieve the multi-colored background.  A 3-D butterfly comes from Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die and the Big Shot.  Notice the cute little button accent?  That comes from a trio of wonderfully coordinating products–Itty Bitty Bits stamp set, Bitty Buttons and Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  Stamp one of 9 images, punch it out with one of three different punches and adhere it behind one of four different clear little buttons!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:

Item No. 111008 Pretty Petals $17.95
Item No. 118138 Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die $11.95
Item No. 117056 Itty Bitty Bits wood mount $11.95 OR
Item No. 120060 Itty Bitty Bits clear mount $8.95
Item No. 118761 Bitty Buttons $4.95
Item No. 118309 Itty Bitty Shapes $16.95

Don't Forget!

• To sign up for the June Scrapbooking class!  Deadline is June 8th! Click HERE for details. 
  
• To purchase all of the retiring color products you need!  They're going fast!  Click HERE to order.
• To check out the Last Chance Stamp Set List! Click Here to View!
  
• To check out the Last Chance Accessories List! Click Here to View!
  
• To check out the Last Chance Decor Elements List! Click Here to View!
  
• To purchase the Mini Starter Kit for just $99! CLICK HERE for kit contents. Click HERE to learn more about the From the Heart Stampers Team and The Heartfelt Stampers Team.

Order Stampin' Up! products online 24/7 — click HERE!

Team Time Project and Ribbon Roses

I shared a couple of my projects using ribbon roses HERE and HERE and was asked to teach my team mates how to make them.  Because we have a short amount of time and the rose itself takes a bit of time, I wanted to keep the stamping to a minimum.  I grabbed the chance to use Watercolor Trio again to coordinate with the flower theme.  The background–again–is the new Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (I'll try to stop–really I will!) and on Pink Pirouette card stock!  Yes, Pink Pirouette is making its return (round of applause, please!) on July 1st to join the new Color Collection called the Subtles Collection.  I love it paired with Real Red and Old Olive here.  The main image is stamped on Whisper White card stock cut with the Top Note Die and Big Shot, but I trimmed away about 1" off one side.  I stamped each image once then moved the stamp slightly to one side without reinking it and stamped again.  This creates depth for the flower scene.

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 117050 Watercolor Trio wood mount  $22.95 OR
Item No. 120084 Watercolor Trio clear mount $16.95
Item No. 117285 Real Red 5/8" Satin Ribbon $8.95
Item No. 117292 Old Olive 5/8" Satin Ribbon $8.95
Item No. 119976 Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder $7.95
Item No. 113463 Top Note Bigz Die $21.95

Don't Forget!

–To sign up for the Dots & Designs Card Kit Class!  Click HERE for details.
–To purchase your May Card Kit of the Month!  Click HERE for details. 

Order Stampin' Up! products online 24/7 — click HERE!

Get Well Wishes for Sumana

A brave little girl is having surgery today.  I made this card for Sumana Holman, daughter of a friend and team member Cheryl Holman, to let her know I'm thinking of her. 

This card is the first I've made that is a larger greeting card size.  I folded a piece of 8-1/2"x11" Pink Passion card stock in half to create a card that measures 5-1/2"x8-1/2".  I wanted my color scheme to be bright, fun and little girl-friendly, so my palette also included Green Galore, Lovely Lilac, Pumpkin Pie and a piece of designer paper (Chocolate Chip and white polka dot) from the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Stack.  I used the embosslits called Cherry Blossom to die cut the flowers using my Big Shot, and the centers of the flowers contain Green Bead Duo beads held in place with Crystal Effects.  The sentiment is from Wellness Wishes stamp set, which you can earn for free during Sale-A-Bration with a $50 purchase.  Click HERE for more details on that promotion.  I used the Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch from the new Occasions Mini Catalog to make the leaves.  What, you say?  There are no leaves that look like that on the punch?  I just used the bird's wing to make my leaves! 

Here's a close-up:  

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Item No. 114516 Cherry Blossom Embosslits Die  $11.95
Item No. 117191 Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch   $15.95
Item No. 117161 Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Stack   $24.95
Item No. 115356 Wellness Wishes stamp set   $14.95
Item No. 101055 Crystal Effects   $6.25
Item No. 110754 Green Bead Duo   $9.95

More from Leadership Conference 2010

Did you know that the Big Shot and all of the Bigz dies will cut through 50 different materials?  We were in for a real treat at Leadership Conference when Jill Olson displayed her incredible quilts.  Fabric was cut for all of her quilts using the Big Shot!  Here are some of Jill's beautiful creations:

At the end of the Conference, EVERYONE at the conference got to take home her own handmade quilt square — all 1000 attendees!  They were made at the Stampin' Up! home office.  Everyone brought in their own sewing machine and created these just for us!  I'll be bringing my quilt square to each of my workshops to show.

Okay, so have I piqued your interest yet?  There are so many things you can do with the Big Shot die and fabric!  Interested in hearing more?  If you live in the Finger Lakes area of New York State, give me a call or email me, and I'll be glad to come to your home for a private fabric and quilting class!  You can reach me at 585-554-4479 or krisshuels@gmail.com. 

Don't Forget!   

• To register for the Valentines (and more!) Class — click HERE!  Registration is due by January 22nd.

More from The Heartfelt Stampers

Here are two more cards from The Heartfelt Stampers team swap for Valentine's Day card ideas.

This card comes from Jacki Wrubel from Churchville, NY.  She used the Love You Much stamp set along with the Big Shot Swirls Scribbles Sizzlits Die to create this fun card. 

This next card was created by Patty Braun.  Patty used Pick a Petal stamp set for this "not so typical" Valentine's Day card.  Notice the fun ribbon center on her card; I'll be showing you how to make this great accent in upcoming workshops and posts.

Valentine’s Day cards from The Heartfelt Stampers

I'm very fortunate to have wonderful team members who give me lots of creative ideas for stamping!  Here are just a few.

The first card is from Jen Rios-Raner of Penn Yan, NY.  Jen always has such detail in her cards!  Notice the paper piercing in the top corner, the multiple layers of circled around the "E" and textured background on the red card stock.  I love her use of the 1-1/4"Wide Striped Grosgrain Ribbon in Basic Black.  The sentiment comes from Always stamp set and the "E" is from Lovely Letters Alphabet stamp set.  Colors are Barely Banana, Real Red and Basic Black.

This next card is from Debbie Rought of Middlesex, NY.  This picture doesn't do Debbie's beautiful card justice — I had a hard time photographing the great texture that she got using the Elegant Bouquet Textured Embossing Folder with the Big Shot.  Debbie kept it simple with a red and white palette with a hint of bling using a red rhinestone brad from the Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad package.  The hearts were quick and easy using the Stampin' Up! heart punches, and the saying is from Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  I love that Debbie used a Stampin' Write Marker in Real Red to color in the centers of the embossed flowers.  Wonderful touch!  Stay tuned for more great cards from the Team!

Don't Forget!   

Last day to order from the Holiday Mini Catalog is January 4th!  You'll want to check out some of the great items for Valentine's Day.  Some of the top sellers from the catalog are listed below.  Remember, these items might not be available again!

• Sweet Centers Stamp Set (116521, pp. 6 – 7).  Don't forget the coordinating 1 3/4" Circle Punch (112004, p. 7) and Sweet Treat Cups (116802, p. 7)
• Autumn Splendor Stamp Set (116503, pp. 12 – 13) and coordinating Autumn Meadows Designer Series Paper (116769, p. 13)
• Cold and Cuddly Stamp Set (116523, p. 18)
• Petals-A-Plenty Textured Impressions Folder (116820, p. 21)
• Delightful Decorations Stamp Set (116517, pp. 24 – 25) and coordinating Ornament Punch (116794, p. 25)
• Serene Snowflakes Stamp Set (115438, pp. 26 – 27).

To order your retiring stamp sets before they're gone forever on January 4th – click HERE for the listing!

To register for the Winter Scrapbooking Class  – click HERE!  Registration is due by January 4th.

To register for the More than Valentines Class — click HERE!  Registration is due by January 22nd.

Christmas Cards

I'm beginning to receive such terrific hand-stamped Christmas cards in the mail!  It's so much fun to see what my friends have created!  Here's one using A Cardinal Christmas stamp set, along with the Top Note Die for the Big Shot, as well as the Scallop Oval Punch.  This  beauty was designed and created by Jeanne Gage of Naples, NY.

This next card is from Fern Legters of Bloomfield, NY.  Fern used the wonderful stamp set, Winter Post, to create her card.  I love the vintage feel of this card, and the color scheme is just perfect for that look.

Don't Forget!

    * To order your retiring stamp sets before they're gone forever on January 4th – click HERE for the listing!
    * To register for the Birthday Card Class – click HERE!  Registration is due by December 27th.