DogGone Delightful Stampin'

Mix-It Up Mondays ~~ Hearts Come Home at Christmas

Hello Fellow Stampers :-)

 

Welcome to Monday!  It was a busy "short weekend" for me - and with only 4 days of work ahead, I am definitely counting the hours and minutes now until I can start my holiday break!!  So excited to have some time at home and to relax (after the holidays of course - LOL). 

I finally got the Christmas decorating pretty much done - just need to fuss with my little village a little more.  And my honey and I kicked off the season with a wonderful Mannheim Steamroller concert at the Performing Arts Center downtown Saturday night.   I just love Mannheim Steamroller; and their concert is always spectacular!!

 

Speaking of "villages" . . . today's project is one I've had in the planning for a little bit now; and finally carved some time out for it yesterday.  So much fun!!  It's time "mix things up" a little bit this Monday, so here we go!!

 

One of the members of my group posted to me a while back how much she would like to make one of these.  It uses our Hometown Greetings and Hearts Come Home bundle - and I fell in love with the project immediately!!   I set about investigating and discovered that a wonderful demo out of the UK had posted up this project on my of my private facebook demo groups .   Have you ever noticed how creative those UK demos are??  Sigh . . .  LOL    Everyone was over the moon and asked her to give the details.  She did a short little video "how to" series and I studied it closely -- LOL .  Actually, I didn't think making this cute shadowbox was too difficult; it just took some time was all.  I found my cute little 6" x 6" shadow box at Michael's for a decent sale price.  The little battery operated lights I bought on Amazon.  Everything else is Stampin' Up!

 

I created the background for my village using a piece of 6" x 6" Shimmery White cardstock, then stamping it with the "snowy" image from the Christmas Pines stamp set using Versamark and then embossing with White embossing powder.  After being heat set, I stamped the santa sleigh image in Archival Basic Black and embossed it with clear embossing powder (hint: have your embossing powder at the ready and move really quickly to get the powder on as Archival is not a "wet" ink and won't stay wet long enough to hold your powder).  Then I did an emboss resist by sponging ink across the sheet to create my sky.  I used a combination of Soft Sky, Bermuda Bay and Dapper Denim to make a lovely colored sky.

The houses are cut from sheets of 6" x 5", 6" x 4", and 6" x 3" Thick Whisper White cardstock; but then I did some additional trimming as I layered them to get things lined up just where I wanted.  I probably spent the most time coloring my houses using stampin' write markers - Basic Gray and some Crumb Cake for my roofs, and various colors for the house themselves.  Notice that I drew "lines" on my church to make stone or brick.  I also laid vellum on the back of the church and then using various colored markers created "stained glass" in the windows.  If you wanted, you could lay a piece of vellum on the back of each house and color yellow to make it look like lights from inside the house - I just didn't take the extra time to do them all.  What you don't see in this picture is the "heavy hand" of Clear Wink of Stella that I laid on roofs, and along the snow lines - the piece just sparkles!! LOL  I also considered doing a glue and Dazzling Diamonds technique, but may try that on my next project!  Yes, I think I'm going to make another one of these -- this is going to make a fabulous gift!!!

 

Now if I could remember this lovely lady's name, I'd give it to you so you could just go watch her little videos - grrrrr (memory isn't what it used to be)

By popping each layer with dimensionals, it allows you to lay your lights inbetween (use glue dots stampers!!)

This project is to adorable in person - and I'm like over the moon for it!!  I'll be heading out to find a couple more frames this next week I think - LOL

Yup - so much to do for Christmas, so little time!!

I think this is a fabulous present for someone special.  If you have questions, or need more guidance, just let me know.

 

THEY DID IT AGAIN!!  FREE SHIPPING UNTIL MIDNIGHT!!

 

REALLY? FREE SHIPPING today too? Stampin' Up! surprises us!

Remember...any size order is free shipping! Stock up on adhesive and card stock as well!

Stampin' Up! has announced ONE DAY ONLY, Monday, December 11th
FREE SHIPPING off ANY SIZE ORDER, all day until midnight MST.

Don't Miss this opportunity to save the shipping costs -- order as much and as many times as you want today -- and get FREE SHIPPING on all of it!!

 

 

Until Next Time . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Merry Christmas Surprise Announcement!!

Oh Me! Oh My!!

Boy, did we get the surprise from Santa today!!

 

With no warning, Stampin' Up! surprised us this morning with an announcement that tomorrow - Monday, December 11th - they will be once again offering 24 hours of FREE SHIPPING!!! WOW!!  I nearly fell over in a faint -- LOL

 

So if you have an order ready, if you were gathering an order, if you were considering ordering…place it in my online store from 12:00 AM, December 11 to 11:59 PM (MT).

What to get?

• Consider gifts for Christmas.
• Consider saving even more with bundles or with the items on sale in the Clearance Rack or in the Year End Sale, consider retiring items from the Holiday 2017 Catalog.
• Consider stocking up on consumables (adhesives, papers, embellishments, etc.)
• Consider surprising a fellow crafter with just a little something.

 

 

 

Remember, FREE SHIPPINg is from 12:00 am MST to 11:59 pm MST ONLY!!

Contact me if you have questions or need help placing your order.

 

3-Way Fridays (3 Cards 3 Ways) ~ Trim Your Stocking Beautifully!

Hello Fellow Stampers ~

 

Whoo Hooo!!  Friday at last!!!  And I STILL don't have all the Christmas decorating done!!  LOL --  we did however enjoy our first company Christmas dinner last night at the local Los Dos Potrillos.  It was pretty fun actually and nice to just sit down with folks you work with outside of the office setting and enjoy getting to know each other.

 

My only complaint . . . it's been bitterly cold here the past several days, with NO SNOW!!!!  Grrrrr . . . I mean if we're going to have to freeze to death anyway, it could at least spit some white stuff on us -- LOL  Sigh, hopefully soon!!

 

Time for some fun today . . . and we are NOT playing with card designs today!!  LOL  The thing I love about this bundle however, is the many uses it has; tags, something fun for on a package, and it can even hold small chocolates or a gift card and just be used as cute gift packaging.  Let's go play with the Trim You Stocking bundle today.  What an adorable set!!  And all the wonderful pieces in the die set let you really play and be creative!!

 

These adorable stockings are so much fun and everything you need to decorate them are all in the same die set ~ the cuffs, trimmings, toe and heel pads, all of it!!  Coordinated with the cut stamp set, you have a lot of options. 

 

 

This was my "elegant" stock -- white with lots of Gold, and glimmer and shimmer.  The bells are my favorite in this set I think; and don't be confused ~~ that cute little "strip" in the die set is an accent for on your bells.

The snowflake die in this set is also beautiful!!  We had so many gorgeous snowflake cut outs in all our different die sets this year . . . did you notice?!  Wonderful!

 

  

This guy is my "non-traditional" stocking made from Kraft cardstock and Lemon Lime Twist, with Champagne Foil stars.

And yes - the tag is also in the die set.  I stamped the stripes on the one side in Soft Suede (in the stamp set), and a "To . . From" on the other side.  It is attached to the stocking with a piece of Jute twine (the strands were separated apart for a rustic look).

The sentiment was stamped right on the stocking with Soft Suede ink also - and then I added the cute little seed pearls in a pattern across the stamped dots!! Cute!

 

 

Here's a closer look at the flip side of the tag; and you can see when you lift the pillow box flaps how nicely a gift card fits inside.

 

  

This is our "traditional" stocking which I created into an "ornament" - simply by keeping the top flap open, and punching a hole with the 1/8" Handheld Circle Punch, and putting some gold cording through it.

 I also added a little Clear Wink of Stella here and there to add some shimmer.  The large pearls were colored with Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends.

 

I was very sad to see that this set / bundle will not be carrying forward.  You do not want to miss this set; it is a "must have" to keep in your stash for the years ahead.  Order yours today in my Online Store before it is gone for good!! 

As always, I'm only an email away if you need anything.  And be sure to pop into my Online Store for any of the supplies you need for today's project! 

 

Until Next Time . . .

  

 

 

Case-Out Thursdays - A Merry Quilted Christmas

 

Good Morning Fellow Stampers ~

Happy Thursday!  The end of the week is looming, and we head off to our first company dinner this evening.  The holiday frenzy officially begins -- LOL

 

It's time for a CASE-Out Thursday project . . . Today we're CASEing from the Christmas Quilt Suite, and I'm trying to figure out why it has taken me so long to ink up this set!!  Eeeeeek, I'm so in love; especially with the die set.  I started playing around the other evening, and couldn't stop -- LOL  This is a really fun bundle; and everything that goes with it.  Especially if you are a quilter like me.

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Quilt Bundle -

Pg. 4 - 5 - Holiday Occasions Catalog 2017

Today we are CASEing the sample on the lower left-hand side of the picture on page 4 of your Holiday Occasions catalog.  I may end up doing all of the cute samples on this page - I'm just having way too much fun!!!  LOL

 

This really is a "simple" card that is made fabulous with the cute little spools and other details.  I changed how much doily is peaking, and that was about it.  I will note, however, that my eye believes the sample on the page is a "notecard" size, not a full A2 like I'm creating here today.

 

Design Colorology

 

Garden Green

Real Red

Pool Party

Whisper White

 

 

 

Stamps, and Ink, and Paper . . . Oh, My! 

 

Stamps: Christmas Quilt** [#144793 - photopolymer]
Paper:   Real Red (8-1/2" x 5-1/2" - cardbase; scrap to cut spools); Whisper White (4" x 4" scrap piece to cut square); Quilted Christmas 6" x 6" DSP (4" x 5-1/4" red w/holly berry stitching for background; 4" x 2" green stripe for banner); Champagne Foil (scrap to cut needle)
Inks:  Garden Green Craft Stampin' Ink [Item #126973]
Other: Quilt Builder Framelits Dies** [Item #144673]; Banner Triple Punch [Item #138292]; Stitched Shapes Framelits [Item #141708]; Delicate White Doilies [Item #141701]; Pool Party Solid Baker's Twine [Item #144353]; Whisper White Baker's Twine [Item #124262]

**Buy this in the Bundle [Item #146026] and save 10%

 

 

"CASE-Out" Design Guide

1. Score your Real Red cardstock base at 4-1/4", and fold [Reminder:  Fold "inward" on your bump - bump goes to the inside - to get that nice clean professional look].  Use your bone folder gently so as not to "crack" your cardstock. 

2.  Cut the designer series paper at 4" x 5-1/4" and SNAIL to the card base front for the background.  The sample uses the Real Red with the cute holly berry pattern "stitched" all over it.

3.  Cut a piece of designer series paper (green with "stitched" stripes), at 2" x about 4" (maybe a smidge more to allow for the banner punch).  Note your lines on the paper, and make sure you cut correctly so they are going the right direction.  Punch with the Banner Triple Punch.

 

 

4.  We're going to create a little "centerpiece" layered stack that will then be "popped" with dimensionals.  Start by placing a Detailed White Doily on the center of your banner (a little SNAIL in the center of the doily is all you need to adhere it to the banner).  If you don't want doily sticking out all sides like my sample, cut the edges off and just have the top and the bottom showing like in the SU! sample.

5.  Cut your Whisper White cardstock with the largest Stitched Shapes framelits square.  Stamp it near the bottom with the sentiment from the stamp set in Garden Green in.  (CUTE!!)

 

6.  Now we're going to make "spools"  LOL  How fun!!  Cut three "spools" using the framelits dies from a piece of Real Red cardstock.  Then using Pool Party and Whisper White Baker's Twine, wind twine around each spool - 2 in Pool Party; 1 in Whisper White.  Tip:  Attach the end of the twine on the back of your "spool" with a little bit of regular scotch tape to hold it in place.  Then when you've wound as much twine as you want, tuck the tail in the wound strands on the back of the spool and snip.  This is an easy way to hide and "tie off".  Note:  I discovered I didn't have the current Pool Party and Whisper White baker's twines on hand (what on earth??!! sheesh), so I used some hoarded leftovers I had of Soft Sky and Whisper White twines from a couple Spring catalogs ago - the really soft "flower" twine we had; so this looks a little "bulkier" than it might normally be.

7.  Cut a "needle" using the framelits dies and a scrap piece of Champagne Foil (perfect color for a needle I think).  Using another piece of Whisper White Baker's Twine, tie around your white spool, and then tie the needle in place as you make the bow.  Cute, Cute, Cute!!!

7.  Attach your spools centered across the top of your Whisper White square using a combination of Fast Fuse and Glue Dots to ensure a strong hold.

8.  Attach your Whisper White square to the center of your doily banner stack using SNAIL.  Then attach the entire piece to the front of the card using dimensionals to "pop" it in place.

9.  Cut a piece of Whisper White cardstock (4" x 5-1/4") for the inside of your card; then sit back and admire your handiwork!! 

 

 

 

Now seriously, isn't that just the cutest?  I've been playing with the other pieces of this set, and OMG!  I still can't figure out why I've waited so long to start playing with this adorable set.  Don't be shocked if you see more if from me in the days ahead!!  LOL. Now sadly, this set is on the "chopping block" in our retiring Year-End Sale, so if you haven't snapped it up yet, don't wait!!  It's a must have, especially if you're a quilter!!  You can buy yours in my Online Store today. 

Let me know if you have questions about today's design, or need help!  I'm here to support your creativity!!

Until Next Time . . .

 

 

Terrific Tuesdays Roundup . . . Make Merry this Season

 

Good Morning Fellow Stampers !

 

Here we are at Tuesday again.  I hope you are having a fabulous week, and getting lots of your "to do" lists accomplished.  With the holidays staring us in the face, I know I have a lot on my "to do" list as well.  I'm planning a break from blogging tomorrow (Wednesday); so be sure to join me again on Thursday for some CASE-Out fun, and we'll hopefully have a 3-Way Friday for Friday's segment (at least my plan says that -- LOL). 

Before we launch into today's "round-up" I just want to take a moment and share something with all of you.  I know that we are a diverse group - that is what America is all about after all, correct?  That means we each come from different backgrounds, beliefs, traditions, and political realms.  I try very hard not to bring my viewpoints (especially politically) to this blog and to our stamping world.  Here I want you all to feel that we can share our creativity and what we love in a safe environment.  Whether or not we agree with each other on any particular topic, I work hard to "leave that at the door" each day and bring us all together with one common love - stamping and the creating of cards and gifts.  Each of you is very important to me.  When you are upset, it upsets me.  If you have an issue, I encourage you to email me and chat with me about it.  I am very open to any discussion.  I also am here to support you, care for you, encourage you - whatever it is you need.  I know we are walking through a very difficult time in our country and there are so many hot buttons - politically, racially, etc.  My heart is burdened regarding all of this; but mostly that there may be people around me that may feel offended or are struggling through each day because they don't feel their voice is heard.  At DDS Studios, we care about everyone, no matter your situation, stance, beliefs, or anything else.  So please - do not feel offended . . . just talk to me!!  Okay?  You are all important to me!!  So Big Hugs from me and Sadie Ann today!! 

 

Let's jump in and see what's going on this month!

 

 

5,4,3,2 . . . WONDERFUL!!  THE YEAR END SALES EVENT IS HERE!

Stampin’ Up! is wishing 2017 a fond farewell by throwing a Year-End Sales Event in its honor!  The Year-End Sales Event is SU!'s chance to do a little inventory cleaning  —  and your opportunity to take advantage of special year-end deals on retiring and surplus items.

 

The Year-End Sales Event will run from December 1, 2017, to January 2, 2018.  But hurry, some supplies are limited.

Here are the details:

• No minimum purchase required.
• Discounts apply to select items only.
• Retiring items from the 2017 holiday catalog are available while supplies last.
• Excess items from 2017 annual catalog are available in limited quantities at the promotional price.
• Host sets can be purchased using only Stampin’ Rewards from a qualifying party.
• Due to high demand for retiring stamps, retiring stamps will be available until December 21 (not accessories—accessories are only while supplies last).

Although this sale continues through January 2, 2018, items are not guaranteed through that date!  The online store will be updated as items sell out.  If there was something in the Holiday Occasions Catalog you were dreaming of having . . . now is the time to snap it up!!

 

You can see the list HERE  (or click on the image below) . . . you can head right on over to my Online Store and browse with pictures!  But whatever you decide to do, don’t be disappointed…order today!

 

 

PRE-ORDER WINDOW OPEN FOR THE FABULOUS STAMPARATUS!!

I have some wonderful news for everyone today on the incredible fabulous Stamparatus!  Our second Pre-Order Window opens today, and this time around . . . instead of a set number of units available for this window, there will be no limit.  This window will stay open until December 30th, and all orders put in will be taken!  That means, you don't have to worry about Stampin' Up! "running out" and shutting down the window.  So get in there -- place that Pre-Order!  Remember, your credit card will not be billed until the product ships to you next March.  So you don't need "budget" right now today.  You just need the credit card # in the order to hold your product.  See all the details about the Stamparatus HERE -- and let me know if you have questions!!

 

 

THE PERFECT GIFT

A Paper Pumpkin pre-paid subscription is the Perfect Gift for that special crafter in your life.  From beginners to advanced, this monthly subscription kit is the perfect "crafting break" that we all need!  You can learn more about Paper Pumpkin HERE.  The graphic below gives you all the options for Paper Pumpkin subscriptions.  I would strongly recommend this as the Perfect Gift for Christmas!!

 

 

You can buy a prepaid subscription and give it as a gift. Just purchase the prepaid subscription and when you receive the redemption code, share it with the recipient of your choice who can redeem the subscription at PaperPumpkin.com .

 

I can even help you out by preparing a "PP Gift Card" for you to slip into a cute envelope and give under the tree.

 

Contact me today with questions or for assistance!!

 

SPEAKING OF GIFT CERTIFICATES . . .

It's that time of year.  And for the hard to shop for Crafter or Stamper, the best solution is a Stampin' Up! Gift Certificate with your local Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  I offer 5 basic purchase levels/options to choose from.  If you would like something more or slightly different from my Paypal options, please feel free to contact me directly and I'll be happy to work with you.  See the details HERE.  Don't wait to get those Christmas gift certificates wrapped up!!

 

 

NEW SPRING OCCASIONS CATALOG ON THE HORIZON!! 

The new 2018 Spring Occasions Catalog is in Demonstrators' hands, and I know you've already been seeing sneak peaks around the internet on some of the fabulous new products coming your way on January 3, 2018.  Sale-a-Bration kicks off with the new catalog in January, and I'm so excited about what is coming!!  If you are a regular customer, I will be sending you your catalog package personally this next month.  If you are not a regular customer, and would like to be included on the catalog mailing list, click on the "request catalog" link on the right-hand side of my blog, and I'll be sure to include you!!

 

NEW SPRING PRODUCTS SHARES ARE AVAILABLE!! 

With a new catalog, comes a whole new collection of new designer papers, ribbons, and embellishments!  I'm so excited every time we get a new release!  The new Spring Product Shares Program has been posted.  Just click on the Catalog Shares link to see what the new catalog offerings are and get signed up early!!

 

MAKE MERRY THIS SEASON!

Yesterday we showcased the beautiful Be Merry Ornament kit.  This is our product focus this week.  Could this be any cuter? The Be Merry Kit produces beautiful rosettes with all materials included in the kit to create 12 ornaments. You will adore this kit and the ease with which you can make ornaments, gift tags, décor, and more.  See the picture above for more ideas with these adorable "rosettes."  I LOVE them!  And you will too!!  I encourage you to order more than one kit and use them for gifts, tags, decor and so much more this holiday season.  You can purchase your Be Merry Kit in my Online Store today!!

 

Until Next Time My Friends . . .