DogGone Delightful Stampin'

Mix-It Up Mondays . . . Key to My Heart Wall Art

Hello Fellow Stampers ~

Happy Monday!  It was a waaaaaay to fast weekend.  We got hit with a fast and furious snowstorm on Friday afternoon.  So I cozied in at Mike's house on Friday night and Saturday, and we spent time moving, sorting and unpacking items from my house to his house.  This is going to be a HUGE process - yuck!  BUT . . .  we are purging a lot of stuff we don't need anymore!  So that's always good!  LOL

 

So I did bury myself in the Studio for awhile yesterday; and then I cooked a wonderful meal last night - a bunch of Pioneer Woman recipes I've been wanting to try!  Lots' of spiciness to our meal last night - LOL  But so fun!  I enjoy cooking and trying new things.

 

So let's "Mix-It Up!" a bit today, and show you a fun piece of "artwork" for either your desk, table, dresser, wall - or wherever you'd love to have it!  This one is really easy but so pretty!

 

This fun little piece is created by using the Large Letters Framelits combined with the new Be Mine Stitched Framelits to create a sweet and pretty little piece of framed artwork.

 

This frame was purchased at Michael's.  It is part of a 5-Pack for $20.  It's a good deal - that makes them $4 each - Fabulous!!!  It's a 5" x 7" inside the beveled mat, so it's perfect for what I wanted to do here.  I used the beveled mat to my benefit, placing the piece of dotted diagonal stripe designer series paper from the All My Love Designer Series Paper on the backside of the mat so it shows through the opening.

 

I cut the letters and the heart from Shimmery White paper.

Then stamped the letters with the pretty rose image in the Meant to Be stamp set in Lovely Lipstick.

I drew a very light pencil line in with a ruler where I wanted it on the DSP so I could line up my letters just right! (you can erase it later if you want - mine isn't showing up that much so I haven't messed with it)

Then it's finished off with a sweet little bow from the 1/2" White-stitched Lovely Lipstick ribbon - and just the perfect finishing touch of a little key from the Classic Garage Metal Elements hung from the bow with some Whisper White Baker's Twine -

It's meant to tell your love that they have the "key to your heart" - how cute is that!! 

 

Did you notice that when you cut the intricate heart out, that a little tiny heart pops out of the bottom?  I used it over between the "V" and the "E".

 

 

Finally I finished off the piece with two Lovely Lipstick heart cutouts (once again from the Be Mine Stitched Framelits Dies), attached to the corner and outer edge of the frame itself.

Technique Tip: Stack two dimensionals together underneath the top heart to lift it to the same level as the edge of the frame where the other heart is attached.

Create a pretty bow by pulling apart the strands of the new Whisper White 5/8" Flax Ribbon.  So pretty!

 

This pretty little project will be taught in my Valentine's Class this coming Saturday!

Everyone gets to take home a fun piece of artwork!

And you can make one too!!  Don't be "scared" - LOL

 

I hope you have enjoyed "mixing things up" a bit this Monday!  We love to think outside the box and not always make cards here at DDS Studios.  Have a wonderful day and week!

Until Next Time . . .

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Spotlight - My Favorite Things!

Hello Fellow Stampers ~~

We're changing things up a bit and introducing a new Wednesday feature - the Wednesday Spotlight!  Sometimes this will be a tip, sometimes a video, sometimes we'll just do the "normal" thing and feature a product and play with paper, stamps and ink!  I'm looking forward to sharing with you and hope you will join me as we are getting back into the swing of things here at DDS Studios.

 

 

Today it is time for "My Favorite Things" from the new 2019 Spring Occasions Catalog!  Oh my!!  This one is not easy!  Why?  Because I literally LOVE pretty much everything in this new catalog.  There are probably only a small handful of stamps (maybe about six) that I will be passing up this cycle.  The rest are already here, or will be here soon!  My work room is full of fun!!

So, I am going to "attempt" to pick out for your my very top picks from this catalog.  And maybe "enable" your Wish List along the way too!!  LOL

 

TOP DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PICK

Floral Romance Specialty Designer Series Paper

This paper blows it out of the park - it's the gorgeous Vellum in this pack!  You don't want to miss this!!

 

TOP TEXTURED IMPRESSIONS EMBOSS FOLDER PICK

Lace Dynamic TIEF

This newest addition to our embossing folder family is truly "dynamic" - LOL

There's a reason I'm giving this one as my DDS Perk for January!!

 

TOP BUNDLE PICK

Beauty Abounds

When you just want "pretty" all over - this is the one!!  And the butterflies -- oh the butterflies!!

 

Well Said

When you just "want it all" this is definitely the bundle!

Between the stamp set and the die cut words - you can create combinations to your heart's content!!

 

TOP DIE PICK

Rectangle Stitched Framelit Dies

These are looooonnng overdue!  So kudos to Stampin' Up! for finally getting it right!!

This set of rectangle dies are absolutely fabulous, and they add a stitched edge on both the outside edge and the inside edge.

 

TOP PUNCH PICK

Butterfly Duet Punch

It was hard to choose - but I picked this punch because you get "2 for the price of 1" on this punch

Both a large and a small butterfly - perfect!!

And the stamp set that goes with this punch isn't anything to sneeze at either -- LOL

(It's a "top pick bundle" in my book!)

 

TOP STAMP PICK

Let It Ride

What a thrill for me to see a beautiful "pencil drawn" horse set back in the mix again.

We haven't had a set like this in several years!

I'm over the moon and hope you will be too!!

 

Flowering Desert

I have been attracted to this stamp set from the moment I saw it.

It's truly "awesome" - you can really play with this one - so get it!!  LOL

 

Itty Bitty Birthdays

How absolutely adorable that we got an "Itty Bitty" Birthday sentiment set to go with our "Itty Bitty" Greetings sentiment set in the Annual Catalog.

I have always loved our "Itty Bitty" sentiment sets - they are Perfect for so many card designs - and when you just want to find the perfect little words to fit in the smallest spot.

Snap it up!!

 

TOP RIBBON PICK

Petal Pink/Whisper White 5/8" Variegated Ribbon

Oh my!!!  You just have to touch to even believe it!!

Some of the most gorgeous ribbon since our seam binding.

 

TOP EMBELLISHMENT PICK

Classic Garage Metal Elements

Cuteness in mini metal shapes!

Even that manly man is gonna like these!!  LOL

 

Like I said - there is so much to love in this catalog this year!  I'm having trouble with this one! LOL  I hope you love it all as much as I do!!  Start working your way through those Wish Lists in my Online Store!  You can shop any time from the comfort of your couch!!

Until Next Time . . .

 

 

 

 

The BEST Way to Enjoy Sale-a-Bration!!

 

There is nothing like a new Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalog and Sale-A-Bration to get your creative wheels turning. I’m swimming in creativity heaven with all the new dies, stamps, paper and embellishments that have been arriving at DDS Studios.  If you are passionate about paper, stamps and ink, it’s a fantastic time to purchase a starter kit, join Stampin’ Up! (risk-free with no further obligation) and enjoy those new products at a minimum of 20% off.

 

THE ULTIMATE STAMPIN’ UP! BUNDLE ($99 Starter Kit) IS EVEN BETTER!  These TWO 2019 Sale-A-Bration $99 Starter Kit offers are hard to resist!  The kits are the best bundles and value of Stampin’ Up! products you can get! AND the best offer I've seen in several years!!

AVAILABLE ONLY DURING SALE-A-BRATION JAN. 3 – MAR. 31

DURING SALE-A-BRATION (Jan. 3 – March 31), there are two ways to purchase the Starter Kit and join Stampin’ Up!

Option A ($50 product  bonus):  Pay $99, receive your choice of $175 in Stampin’ Up! products (that’s $76 in FREE products) and it ships FREE for another 10% savings.

Option B ($50 product bonus & craft tote): Pay $129, receive $175 in your choice of Stampin’ Up! products and it ships FREE for another 10% savings.  AND you get the brand new beautiful Craft & Carry Tote Bag valued at $50.  You save $20 on the tote as part of the kit and also get $76 in FREE products. 

You’ll love it for crafting on the go!  Get a close up look at the Craft & Carry Tote Bag here.

 

 

AND THERE’S MORE . . . DISCOUNTS AND BENEFITS OF JOINING:

• Create your own kit!  Choose ANY Stampin’ Up! products (including bundles) to fill your kit.  Host sets and Sale-A-Bration gifts are excluded.
• Happy shopping & SAVINGS!  Purchase the starter kit in January and receive a 20% discount (25% if you reach $1800 in rolling 12 month sales) on additional demonstrator purchases thru a minimum of July 31, 2019.  This window of time includes enjoying your discount on the 2019-2020 annual catalog pre-order products (May) and launch (June)!
• Perfect timing!  You will have the same amount of time (through July 31, 2019) to reach your first $300 sales minimum and renew for the Stampin’ Up! July – September quarter.  Renew with $300 in sales and/or personal purchases for each additional quarter.
• Test drive demonstrator discounts and benefits with no risk and no penalty to drop.
• Be first!  View new catalogs and pre-order products a month (or more) before their release (and at a discount) – one of my favorite benefits. 
• A good fit! I welcome hobby stampers to my Paper Pups!
• Do it just for YOU!  There’s no obligation to host workshops or parties, sell products to others or personally purchase anything beyond the kit!

 

BE PART OF STAMPIN’ UP! & MY PAPER PUPS COMMUNITY!

• Purchasing the starter kit and joining Stampin’ Up! includes access to exclusive Stampin’ Up! ideas and resources that you’ll love.
• Purchasing the starter kit and joining through me includes access to my Paper Pups private Facebook community - AND access into the Stampin' Pretty Pals community - this cannot be beat!!  Participate as much or as little as you want!  Our small community is a "family" and we're to support each other!!  Learn more about becoming a Paper Pup here.

 

I'm all about community, creativity, and collaboration!

I'm Love My Paper Pups! - and my Customers!!

Join Me Today!

 

 

 

 

 

Mix-It Up Mondays . . . Love Actually!

 

 

Hello Fellow Stampers ~~

 

Is anyone else having as hard a time as I am getting back into the swing of things this New Year??  Whew!  I'm feeling very distracted and scattered; maybe it's the new ring on my finger - LOL  There is so much to do and think about between now and September, that I'm finding it hard to pull it all together.  I need to just hide in my Studio for awhile -- and I hope to be gravitating that way more in the next couple of weeks!

 

 

After spending all day Saturday sorting and putting together all the Product Share orders and getting them ready to go out the door, I was exhausted - LOL!!  But I did squeeze in a little fun time late on Sunday; and I'm back in the Studio today (while watching The Bachelor - LOL), so that's a blessing in itself!  Too much too do; too little time!  That's what I say.

 

 

I am "in love" with this new catalog; everything about it!!  My card design uses elements from 3 different stamp sets, and 2 different die sets!  That doesn't even count the embellishments, paper, and just plain fun!  It's 'love actually' - LOL

 

 

This card showcases all sorts of new products that you have to admit are just beautiful - the All My Love designer series paper, the brand new (and long overdue) Rectangle Stitched Framelits (a Must Have!),  a fabulous image out of the Beauty Abounds stamp set, and the wonderful Be Mine Stitched Framelits dies.  I adore the Soft Sea Foam and Flirty Flamingo colors together.  It feels so soft and "shabby chic."

 

The card base is cut from Thick Whisper white, and scored at 4-1/4", with the fold to the top.  There is a Soft Sea Foam background mat cut 4-1/8" x 5-3/8".  The a lovely piece of designer paper cut 3-7/8" x 5-1/8".   This layered set is wrapped with a piece of 1/8" Flirty Flamingo ribbon from the All My Love Ribbon Combo Pack, and using a glue dot on the right side, tie a lovely bow!! The middle top layer is cut using the 3rd largest Rectangle Stitched Framelits from Whisper White cardstock; and stamped with the two "bokeh" circle images in the Beauty Abounds stamp set. I stamped in Soft Sea Foam and Flirty Flamingo.  These images are part of the new "Dist-Ink-tive stamp style created by Stampin' Up! and are wonderful!!  The hearts are cut out of the designer series paper using the corresponding framelit from the Be Mine Stitched framelits, and a Soft Sea Foam heart too!! 

Now if you've played with these framelits, you know that largest heart in the picture actually cuts out both the heart and the little scalloped edge frame around it separately.  So how did I get those to line up and stay together since the whole thing is "popped" up with dimensionals?  Technique Tip:  Flip the to pieces over (face side down), and align them together; then using Mini Dimensionals, hold the two pieces together by setting the dimensionals all along the outside edges. overlapping the cut line.  It holds the two pieces together perfectly and then you can pop it up like one piece together!!  Since the rectangle is also popped with dimensionals, how do you keep the heart at the same level?  Another Technique Tip: Stack two dimensionals together at the bottom point of the heart so it sits at the right level across the card.  I stamped the "love you" sentiment from the Forever Lovely stamp set so it nestles right in the curve of the hearts.  Then popped the whole piece on the front of the card with dimensionals.  It's finished off with Gingham Gala Adhesive-backed Sequins, and a pearl popped in the center of each one!  It's so pretty!! 

 

Can't have a pretty front of the card without a pretty inside!!

What do you think??

 

Well, I'm  off to bed; and back to playing with all the fun in the catalog later tomorrow!!  We're trying to get back into a routine around here!  It's been a little strange, as Mike and I start talking about how to consolidate our two households together.  I had no idea I had so much stuff!!!  LOL  It's going to be an interest 2019, with lots of changes.  I've been sorting china, crystal, and fancy glassware out of my dining room and kitchen and starting to move some things to Mike's home.  It feels a little overwhelming!!  I have lived in my townhome for over 14 years now.  So this is going to be a big change!!  Yikes!  LOL  So if I get distracted, hopefully you'll be patient!!

 

Have a Wonderful Week Everyone -- be back soon!!!

Until Next Time . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

"From the Heart" ~ January 2019 Stampin' Pretty Pals Blog Hop

Good Morning Fellow Stampers ~

Happy New Year!!  I cannot believe 2018 is over!  And I was just looking at the calendar the other day and totally caught off guard that our January Blog Hop had arrived!  Wow!  Time is flying . . . and there is so much to do!  Welcome to the Pals January 2019 Blog Hop.  We’re so glad you’re here! January is all about making “Art from the Heart,” featuring projects for Valentines Day, Thinking of You, Get Well, or Sympathy.  You may be starting the hop here or you may have just arrived from Debbie Mageed at Secrets to Stamping.  Either way, you’ve come to the right place!  A little later on, you’ll find the the full Blog Hop Line-up below, which will help you “hop” along from Pal to Pal.

 

And now it's time to share a little Valentine inspiration with you . . . or maybe just a "sweet" gift for someone special in your life!  I've been so excited about all the new goodies in the new 2019 Spring Occasions Catalog that I've had a hard time knowing where to start.  Valentine's is always a good place; and I've been starting to cut paper, and ink up stamps over this past week!  It's so much fun!  All of today's projects use products from the brand new All My Love suite in the new catalog (with a few retired items snuck in - we'll talk about that in a minute!)

 

Today's project is a combination of a "candy holder" and a card - all coordinated to go together;

 

 

Or, if you so desire, make a bunch of these fun little "postal boxes" to hand out candies to your friends and co-workers this next month!!

 

I'm in love with this adorable mail box - it holds 2 Ferrero Rocher candies perfectly (and I'm sure you could put other sweet treats in that you preferred).

It is so easy to make, and I find that I can whip these out lickity split!

There are quite a few versions of this cute treat box floating around out there.  The dimensions for this one are as follows:

Dimensions

Cardstock Base - 4-1/8″ x 5-5/8″
Score in portrait @ 1-3/8″ & 2-6/8″ (along the short end)
Score in landscape @ 1-3/8″ & 4-1/4 (along the long side)

Designer Series paper – 6″ x 2-7/8
Score in landscape (along the long side at 3/4″ and 5-1/4″

Bottom pieces (the base) – 1 1/2″ x 2 7/8″ (x2) 

1/4" x 3" cardstock strip for "flag"

 

This is simple to do.

Cut and score your base as noted above.  Cut/snip the side score lines on each end and fold then glue together.

I used my 1/2" Circle Punch to punch a "slot" in the front for an easy finger pull out.

The DSP is folded on the score lines and glued to the "base" noted above (the base should be on the "inside" butted up against the score line on each side).  Then glue a second base on the outside to give a finished look.

I cut the cute Heart's with the new Be Mine Stitched Framelits Dies (need 2) and I used glue dots to attach to the 1/4" strip and then to the side of the mail box.

Adorable!!!

 

I wanted to point out something in the new All My Love DSP that everyone may have missed!

Take a real good close look at this pattern if you have this paper on your table.

Notice something familiar about the "lighter" color in the pattern?

Yessiree . . .  Stampin' Up! pulled a fast one on us; that is Sweet Sugarplum if I ever saw it.

And sure enough - I pulled out my stash and it matches perfectly.

So you will notice that the matting in this card and the corresponding mail box is Sweet Sugarplum.  Looks pretty good with that Lovely Lipstick, doesn't it ;-)

 

 

The inside of this card uses the Forever Lovely stamp set - and I pulled out my Sweet Sugarplum ink pad to go with the Lovely Lipstick.

 

I hope you have found inspiration in today's project - and that you're ready to whip together some sweet Valentine's of your own!!

 

More inspiration awaits! Use the Blog Hop Line-up below to visit the rest of this month’s Design Team. My fellow Pals are excited to show you what they’ve created!  Don’t forget to show us some love by commenting on our creations.  Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 13, 2019 when our Hoppin’ Pals share their “It’s Time to Sale-A-Brate” projects.  Don’t miss the fun!

Until Next Time . . . Puppy Hugs,

 

Pals Blog Hop Line-up:  

1. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
2. Denise Hoepfner at The Mountain Magpie
3. Jackie Beers at Blue Line Stamping
4. Terri George at Stamp Me Crafty
5. Linda Suarez at All Night Stamping
6. Sara Stuart at Sentiments by Sara
7. Leah O'Brien at Stamping by the Bay
8. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
9. Pamela Sadler at Stampin Pink Rose
10. Su Mohr at Aromas and Art
11. Rae Harper-Burnet at Wild West Paper Arts
12. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
13. Peggy Noe at Prettypapercards
14. Jeanie Stark at Just Stampin'
15. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
16. Debbie Mageed at Secrets to Stamping
17. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin'
18. Lori Pinto at LollyPop Paper and Ink
19. Tricia Chuba at ButterDish Designs
20. Mary Hanson at Up North Stampin'
21. Jennifer Michalski at Stamping Serenity
22. Stesha Bloodhart at Stampin' Hoot!
23. Patti MacLeith at Paper Crafts by Patti
24. Karen Hallam at Karen's Stamping Habit