August Club

This month we did the Chalkboard Technique.  This technique is all over the web - you tube - Pinterest -and more.  And it seems like each person has their own way of doing the technique - which is cool - you can find the way you like best.  But no matter what way you do - it looks great!

Below is some doodling showing the difference if you use a gel pen vs SU's new chalk marker - they booth look good - just a little different.  The gel pen is darker - but the chalk marker definitely looks more like chalk - so choose the look you like!

Stop back soon to see the greeting card we made with this technique.  ~Maureen

Club Gift Bag

Today I'm going to share the 3D project we made at club this month.  My club is a technique club so we always do that - but then we also do a 3rd project that usually does not use the technique - it's just fun.  So this time we made little gift bags out of our wonderful DSP. I used the bag on page 88 of the current SU Idea Book and Catalog as my inspiration. 

We took a 6" x 11 1/2" piece of DSP and laying it horizontally on the Simply Scored we scored it at 1 1/2", 5 1/2", 7" and 11".  Then turn the piece vertically and score at 1/2" and at 4 1/2".  Turn sheet horizontally again, and as if making a box you cut in on the folds from the bottom to the horizontal fold and the same from the top to the horizontal fold.  I punched two holes evenly spaced just below the 1/2 " score line - on each of the larger panels - fed ribbon (7") through each of the holes - outside to inside and using sticky tape taped the ribbons down with the 1/2" folded portion of the DSP.  Added embellishments and voila - a cute little gift bag.  See you soon!! -Maureen

Card Using Vellum Image Technique

Here is the lovely card we made at club this month using the Vellum Image Technique - I saw a very similar card on Pinterest (of course) and so it stuck in my mind when it came time for club.  You can see the actual technique card with instructions for this in yesterday's post.

We embossed the flowers, cut them out and then colored them from the backside using markers - then added matching colors of our new Candy Dots adhesive embellishments for the centers. 

We also  dry embossed the beautiful lacy image along the bottom using the Big Shot.  Just look how beautiful and deep the images are in the photo below.  Just a lovely card for just about any occasion.

See you soon!!! ~Maureen

Come join my club - come have some fun!!

~*~*~*~*~Come Join my Stamping Club~*~*~*~*~

I'm currently taking sign-ups for my next round of Stampers Club that will begin meeting in June - with the start of the NEW catalog year.   If you join, you’ll have a $22 purchase commitment per month for 10 months and for that commitment you get a FREE Idea Book and Catalog; FREE seasonal catalogs for the next year; 10 workshops to attend where you'll make three projects (a 6x6 technique/project page, and a greeting card and another project at least one of them using that technique) at each workshop and you'll get to see all the newest products as they become available; PLUS one month to be the hostess where you'll get a hostess gift and all the hostess benefits (a hand stamped gift from me;  a minimum of $15 FREE merchandise of your choice); an invitation to my annual Hostess Appreciation Event (with make and take and door-prizes) - plus you get to stamp on a regular basis with friends - what could be better! 

(Samples of one club projects.  
Goodbye to Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper)

All workshops are held at my home - usually the 3rd Friday evening of the month - so you don't even have to clean.  As hostess your month - you'll need to bring beverages, snacks and paper-goods - that's it!

This is a great way to stay up to date on what Stampin’ Up! has to offer; learn all about stamping products and techniques; spend time with other friendly stampers; and build your stamping supplies little by little.   I hope you’ll consider joining us!

~*~*~*~*~

SPECIAL OFFER - For 2013-14 Club Members!

Five FREE 6x6" page protectors (that will hold up to 10 technique/project pages.)  ($7.50 value)  Plus I'll offer a couple other surprises as the year goes on :)  Sign-up by May 31 and you will receive them at our first Stampers Club meeting in June.  Sign up by May 24th and pick up your brand new CATALOG on May 25th :)  Let me know if you'd like more information.

Stampingly, Maureen

Collage - bookmark

Here's the beautiful bookmark we made at Club using last month's technique - collage.  This project used one of my favorite Stampin' Up! nature sets "Nature Walk."  We softened the look by using lighter colors - Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery and Perfect Plum.  The bird is stamped, colored, cut out and popped up on dimensionals.  Added a lace trim ruffled along the bottom and a tassle at the top.

This bookmark (the perfect size to tuck into a card) would also make a lovely gift tag on a gifr for a special friend.  Thanks for stopping by.  ~Maureen

Spritz Technique and Roses

Today I want to share our technique from my technique club this month.  We did Homemade Smooch Spritz - this stuff is great and you can make it in any color you like - even add some glitter for sparkle.

It's great for spritzing on cards, but for one of our projects I used it to spritz the new SU ribbon roses and it looked lovely. 

Below is a close-up of the roses after they dried - if you look closely you can see a little of that shimmer paint we added for shimmer.

See you soon!  ~Maureen

Faux Torn Edge Technique

Each month the members of my current club learn a new technique - this month it was the faux torn edge.  We do a technique card to put in our binders and then have them to refer to whenever we're in the card making mood (which is just about all the time for me :). 

So for our card this month we used the technique to make the snow drifts on the picture.  First we placed the the mask on the lower drift and sponged.  Then placed another mask for the upper drift and sponged.  Then without lifting the mask we stamped the tree from "Lovely as a Tree" several times (without re-inking to get the different shades) on the upper level, removed the top mask and repeated with the second mask on, then removed that mask and stamped the last tree to the left.  It looks like different levels of snow drifts with trees at each level - how cool is that.  Stop back tomorrow to see the card we made using this technique in a different way.  Thanks, Maureen

Technique Club

Today I want to share the latest technique we did in my Technique Club.  It's call the Acrylic Block Blocking technique.  It makes an amazing backdrop for bold or silhouette stamps - I have to admit I really love it and it is so simple to do.  In case you cannot read the instructions - they are right after this picture.

Acrylic Block Blocking -

Acrylic blocks in sizes you want

Ink pads

Cardstock

Stamps with silhouette or bold image

Stamp your block down onto you stamp pad - usually just the edges pick up on the block which is what you want.  Stamp this onto your cardstock to form a background or blocking for your image.  If the stamped block image is too dark, try stamping off once before stamping on your cardstock.  

Try this technique - send me a picture and I'll post with a link to your blog if you have one.  Stop back tomorrow to see the card we did using this technique.   ~Maureen

Hostess Gift for Club Hostess

Today I wanted to share the Hostess Gift I made for this month's Club Hostess - Tamara.  I found these great frames at a local craft store, added some lined paper, some pretty paper flower and ribbon, and threw in a green dry erase marker.  I love the orange flowers for this fall season.

Thanks Tamara, for a great workshop!! ~Maureen

Bleach technique Christmas Card

At my Stamp Club this month we made this beautiful Christmas card.  The poinsettia was stamped with versamark, embossed in gold, bleached out the inside of the flower (I use my worn out blender pens to do this) and colored it with a real red marker.  If we hadn't bleached it, it would still have looked good, but by bleaching out the darker cardstock first you get more of the Real Red color.  Not bleaching it makes it more burgundy, and it really looked lovely just bleached and not even colored - kinda like the pink verigated poinsettias you can buy.  So just a little difference in how the finished card comes out.  It's fun to try and see the differences you'll get.

Here's the card finished.  I love the gold embossed on gold at the bottom front of this card.  So elegant.

Added the Rose Red to the inside of the card and stamped our sentiment and mistletoe (to match the envie).

Stop back tomorrow to see the technique card we made, and the other little project we did.  ~Maureen