Category: tools & product details

July 25, 2014

Blendabilities LOVE and How Perfectionism Can Ruin Your Creativity

Maybe you’ve noticed I’ve been absent from this space for far too long!!! And I’ve missed it. A lot. I love having a reason to get up and create everyday. And I’ve missed you. You’re amazing, and you keep coming back, and you continue to order from me. Thank you!!

So what’s with the title? Perfectionism is the reason I’ve been absent. Now I could say it is grandbabies and moving and school and volunteer work and, and, and, but truthfully, it’s perfectionism. See, if I couldn’t do blog everyday, with all the bells and whistles I wanted to add, then I just couldn’t do it. Which is ri-di-cu-lous!

In fact, right now I want to change everything about my website. And I mean everything! I want a different layout, a different color scheme and a different header, etc., etc. But I’m going to embrace the here and now, and remember Rome wasn’t built in a day, for heaven’s sake. I’m sure you would rather for me to post three or four imperfect blog posts every week on my imperfect blog than just disappear. Am I right? Well, I hope I’m right, because that is my new No-More-Perfectionism Manifesto.

How has perfectionism stopped you this year? Join me and embrace your imperfections and enjoy your creativity!! Don’t let perfectionism ruin your creativity!

I am in love!!! Yes, it’s true! My new, true loves are the Stampin’ Up! Blendabilities markers!!! Oh My Goodness!!!!!!!! Seriously, folks, FUN, FUN, FUN! I love coloring. Ask my grandkids. I can color Ariel, Barbie and Scooby Doo like nobody’s business. So give me a new tool for coloring and I’m in heaven. Love, love, love!

But patience is NOT my strong suit. If you look closely at the flower above you’ll notice that it is not perfectly blended. (Yep, there’s that perfect word again.) If you’ve used alcohol-based markers, like Copics before or you’ve seen a demonstration, you know that working in small areas is ideal because it allows the color to blend together while it’s still damp or something very scientific like that. But I, on the other hand, do not like the idea of using four different markers on one petal before moving on to the next one. People, that’s seriously time consuming!

Each color comes in a three pack. Brilliant! No blending guess work. My approach on this flower was to start with the darkest color of the Cherry Cobbler assortment, coloring in the shadows of the petals. Then I used the medium Cherry Cobbler marker and pulled the darker color out a little further. And finally coloring with the lightest shade, I blend out to the petal edges. I love the look of white spaces in watercoloring so I left some small white spaces. I then went in with the lightest Pumpkin Pie shade and blended into the white spaces for some additional color interest and depth.

I used the Daffodil Delight Blendabilities markers for the flower center. I then added a few of the tiniest pearls. Be sure to use the Memento stamp pad with your blendabilities. The Memento stamp pad and Whisper White card stock are a perfect pair for “blendabiliting”. Yep, I made that up. “Blendabiliting.” I think I will be doing a lot of that. I hope you like my very first blendabilities project. There are many more to come!

This card also features other great, new products: the Something to Say stamp set, the Moonlight Designer Series Paper stack and the Hello Honey Stitched Satin Ribbon.

(All supplies are Stampin’ Up! and can be ordered through my online store. Thank you! I love my customers! <3 )Stamps: Blended Bloom wood-mount #135906, Something to Say wood-mount #134177 or clear-mount #134180

Ink: Momento Stamp Pad #132708

Paper: Whisper White cardstock #100730, So Safron cardstock #126957, Moonlight Designer Series Paper stack #133701

Extras: Big Shot Die-cutting Machine #113439, cuddlebug embossing folder (the Lovely Lace ef #133737 would make a great substitute), Hello Honey Stitched Satin Ribbon #133671, Corner Punch #135346, Dimensionals #104430

Quick Links:

Shop Stamping Julie Stampin’ Up! store .
Subscribe to monthly My Paper Pumpkin craft kit. You’ll love getting these kits in your box each month. Sign up now and get 50% off your first two months!! Yay!
Weekly Deals! Check out this week’s deals.
Buy 3 Designer Series Paper packs and get one FREE

Enjoy! Julie

June 7, 2013

New Catalog Tour and Resources You Are Going to Love!

Check out this video and the great tips on features and savings in the new catalog. And below are some wonderful resources you are going to love! I promise!

If you’ve seen my craft room tour you know that I store my cardstock in file folders on stacked paper trays. On the wall above the stack I keep a chart of the color collections for a reference. Each color collection is stored in three trays and the colors are alphabetized within the collection. The chart on the wall helps me to quickly locate the folder I’m looking for. So the first two resources include a new color chart (with bonus hex and RGB codes) and folder labels.

1. This new color chart includes the HTML (hex codes) and RGB color codes for the new color collections. This is the new chart that will go up on my wall above my cardstock storage.

2013-14 Stampin' Up! Color Collection Chart — 2013-14 Stampin’ Up! Color Collection Chart
with Hex Codes & RGB Codes

2013-14 RGB HTML Color Codes Chart pdf file

2. New 2013-14 color collection labels for the for your cardstock files.

2013-14 Stampin’ Up! Cardstock Color Collection Labels pdf file

2013-14 Stampin’ Up! Cardstock Color Collection Labels word doc

3. Wouldn’t you just love an index of the accessories in the new catalog?! Here it is!

2013-14 Stampin’ Up! Catalog Accessories Index pdf file

One of the advantages of being a part of my Stampin’ Up! family is having access to wonderful resources like these that you can use and share. Thank you, Gail Emmons, and my SU friends for sharing these fabulous creations with me. Would you love more ideas, resources, free stamps, and discounts? You can join the fun for just $99 and receive $125 in products with no shipping fees and gain immediate access to new ideas!

I’m super excited about some new crafting inspiration that I have received from my group that I will be sharing with you in the next couple of weeks. Some of these new ideas will be exclusive to newsletter subscribers so if you are not already on that list, subscribe now.

I love the new catalog and the new color collections. I hope these resources above help you get organized and enjoy your Stampin’ Up! crafting adventures even more!

Enjoy! Julie

May 20, 2013

Wood-mount VS. Clear-mount and Why I Converted

clear-mount-stamps-w-glue2 Stampin’ Up! traditionally was a wood-mounted-stamp-producing company. Their wood block stamps were and are the very best in the business with high-quality wood shaped for comfortable stamping. What makes Stampin’ Up!’s stamps so very special is not the quality and shape of the wood but the high quality, deeply etched rubber for a fabulous stamped image every time. And the wonderful artistry is unmatched in the stamping world!

bloomin' marvelous block stamping

The exceptional experience and art produced by using Stampin’ Up! stamps is the same whether you use wood-mounted stamps or clear-mounted stamps because the deeply etched rubber and artwork is the same on both.

Summer Silhouettes Stamp Set

I was stamping with a new stamper recently and I realized that when you are new you don’t know what wood-mount and clear-mount stamps are. Wood-mount stamps are permanently mounted to a wood block and stored in a plastic case. Clear-mount stamps are stored separately from the block and are specially made to cling to an acrylic block. So you will attach your stamp to an acrylic block each time you use it.

Collage Curios bee mine card acrylic block

Collage Curios bee mine card block

I was a die-hard wood-mount fan. I loved the convenience of having the stamps mounted on a wood block.

So what made me convert to clear-mount?

cost: after the initial investment of purchasing a few acrylic blocks, I save money ordering the less expensive clear-mount stamps, which means I get to buy more stamps!
storage space: clear-mount stamps are come in a DVD case for easy storage that takes up very little space on my shelf (which also means I can have more!)
positioning: because the rubber is mounted on a clear block it’s easy to see where you’re stamping
versatility: I can include more than one stamp on a block and stamp all at the same time (great for stamping words or collages)
clear-block: yep, that’s right, the Stampin’ Up! clear acrylic blocks are AWESOME and have the same comfortable shape as the wood blocks
clear-block storage: I discovered if I would leave the handful of my clear blocks I use all the time right on my stamping desk it was quick and easy to get to stamping right away

Here’s some more on acrylic blocks including samples and videos:

What is your choice in stamps, clear-mount or wood-mount? Whether you choose clear-mount or wood-mount, order your favorite retiring stamps today before they are no longer available. Only 10 days remain to order from the retiring list or the spring catalog.

Enjoy! Julie

March 30, 2013

Clear Mount Stamp Set Sticker Solution

clear mount stamps with 2-way glue I’ve been meaning to share this tip with you for a few weeks. Here’s a picture I took a month ago shortly after adding 2-way glue to the stickers on my Stampin’ Up! clear-mount stamps. Maybe you have noticed too that the cling on the stamps is not as strong with sticker on.

And maybe you have wondered what 2-way means on the 2-way glue. Well, 2-way glue is a permanent adhesive when you adhere glitter (my favorite use for this glue) while the glue is wet but if you apply it and let it dry, it acts much like a sticky note and the bond is temporary.

clear mount stamps with 2-way glue

So if you love using the stickers on your Stampin’ Up! clear-mount stamps and wishing for more cling, rub some 2-way glue on the stickers and let it dry completely and you can have your stickers and your cling too!!

Enjoy! Julie

March 4, 2013

Stampin’ Up! New Totally Clear Stamps!

Stampin’ Up! just announced a new totally clear stamp set – Designer Typeset Stamp Set. It’s made with photopolymer and looks fabulous. I’ve already ordered mine and can’t wait for it to get here. It’s 57 pieces for only $13.95. What a deal! (Above you see a couple of sample gift cards made by Lisa W. at Stampin’ Up!)

Click here to look at the pdf flyer.

Click here to view the product page AND the funny introductory video.

MORE DETAILS FROM STAMPIN’ UP!:

We’ve searched long and hard for just the right material to be able to introduce completely clear stamping. And we’ve found it. We’re excited to announce that we now have wood-mount, clear-mount AND photopolymer stamps! The new photopolymer will be an addition to our stamp line. Our top-quality photopolymer has just enough give to create a perfectly stamped image every time and with the introduction of our firm-foam pads, let’s just say they’re meant for each other!

What makes them so great?

They’re entirely transparent for perfect placement every time!
They are durable. The photopolymer material is designed to last.
Can you say sticky? (Don’t worry; in a good way.) These stamps stick amazingly well to our clear blocks.
They’re age tested. They won’t yellow or cloud up over time.
They use FDA, food-safe material. How far can you stretch your stamping creativity?
We could go on, but we’ll let you try them for yourself.

This stamp set is offered on a trial basis and there will be other photopolymer stamp sets available in the future. All photopolymer sets will be packaged in cello bag w/insert, but don’t forget you can store them in our clear cases.

Features:

Use this exclusive photopolymer alphabet set (with extras!) for titles or embellishments on scrapbook pages, cards, or any type of project.
We recommend clear block sizes A, B, G, F, and I (not included in the set).
Our photopolymer stamps offer a versatile all-clear stamping option.
Our top-quality photopolymer stamps give a perfectly stamped image every time.
Best of all, you get to enjoy tons of images for a great price! (In fact, I’m getting two so I can spell out “miss you”, “get well”, “happy birthday” on one block! Perfect!)

And, check it out, they are pliable too!

Order your totally clear Stampin’ Up! Designer Type stamp set today and start creating original messages and titles for your cards and scrapbook pages.

Enjoy! Julie