Gretchen Barron

Super Bowl Sunday Sale-a-Bration Kick-Off!

 

It's that time of year again!

Super Bowl Sunday!!!

While everyone else in your family is cheering on their favorite team, why not do something for yourself? Go Shopping for Stampin' Up! supplies and sets. Receive Sale-a-bration benefits beginning February 1st (free Sale-a-bration stamp set or product package with every $50 in merchandise you order -- see the brochure here).

But on Super Bowl Sunday (February 1st) receive even more super perks with your order!

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Here's how it works: Place an order for $50 or more ONLINE ON MY WEBSITE (click on "shop now" at the top of the page) this Sunday, February 1st and get: A FREE Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog (a $10 Value!)* A FREE Sale-a-bration item for each $50 you spend! A FREE Detailed Tutorial for this Valentine Project will be e-mailed to you! And it gets even better! I'll also be having a PRIZE DRAWING for everyone participating in this SuperBowl Special! One winner will be drawn at random after the game to receive a FREE STAMP SET and 6x6" pack of Double-Sided Designer Papers! Place an order up to $50 =1 ticket Product order $51 - $100 = 2 tickets Product order $101 or more = 3 tickets Product order of $150 or more = 4 tickets plus a FREE Level 1 Hostess set and $15 in hostess credits (regular hostess benefits) Refer a friend who places an order = 2 tickets (you must notify me by e-mail of your friend's name) Schedule a Sale-a-Bration workshop for February or March = 4 tickets *To receive the FREE Summer/Spring Idea Book & Catalog, orders must be placed online on My Stampin' Up Website (click on "shop now" at the top of the page -- Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted)

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The New Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog is HERE!

Don't have a BIG Stampin' UP catalog at hand? Just click on the picture of the catalog here or in the right hand side-bar of this blog!

Or shop directly from the catalog online by clicking here....

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There are 3 ways to order:

• Order online at: MY STAMPIN' UP WEBSITE
  To receive the FREE Summer/Spring Idea Book & Catalog, orders must be placed online on My Stampin' Up Website (Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted)
• Email me at: gbarron56@comcast.net
• Call me at: 217-872-1130

If you call in your order and I don't answer, please leave your order on my voice mail and I will call you back with a total.

The SuperBowl Special ends at midnight, Sunday night (Feb. 1st).

Happy Stamping and Happy SuperBowl!

Blessings, Gretchen

Today's Featured Designer Series Paper -- Parisian Breeze Specialty

Look at this gorgeous paper! Doesn't it just want to make you want to say "Oh la la!" Parisian Breeze Specialty DSP is one of Stampin' Up!'s new lines of paper that's printed on textured, cover-weight card stock. Just like all the DSP that you know and love, the new Specialty lines are double-sided so you get twelve delicious choices of high-quality, irresistible paper! Because it's heavyweight, it is perfect to use for boxes and other 3-D items, which is what I did with this first project today. This is the darling little box that's made out of four of the Scallop Envelope Die Cuts that you use with your Big Shot Die Cut Machine. These little boxes are quick and fun to put together and now with this Specialty Designer Paper, they are even easier because you don't need to cut the box out of Cardstock and then decorate with DSP -- it's all done with one quick pass through the machine. All I did to make this box was to cut 4 of the Scallop Envelope Dies using the DSP with the Baja Breeze and White Polka Dots on one side and the Chocolate Chip Brocade pattern on the other side. I fastened the four sides of the box together using Sticky Strip. I folded down just the front flap, running a length of 1" Stitched Baja Breeze Grosgrain ribbon underneath and securing with Sticky Strip, bringing the ends to the front and tying a simple bow. The only stamping was done on the tiny Love stamp from Dreams du Jour. I mounted it on a Scallop Square punched from Chocolate Chip cardstock. To keep the box square and make it even more sturdy, I cut a square of contrasting DSP and placed it in the bottom of the box. Now a box this cute would be great all by itself, but when you add chocolate ... who could resist! Who do you know that would LOVE to receive one of these little treasures!

Although the heavier weight of the Specialty papers makes them great for making sturdy 3-D items, they can, of course, also be used for cards and scrapbook pages! For this beautiful card, I used two different patterns of DSP, along with Dreams du Jour and Flower Fancy Stamp sets. The beautiful lacy border on the bottom is from the new Eyelet Border Punch. I also used 3/8" Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon and a couple of Felt Flowers and a Rhinestone Brad. The flower and Butterfly are attached using Stampin' Dimensionals!

One last card today, this time using my new Thoughts and Prayers Stamp set. I stamped the floral image and sentiment on a Top Note Die Cut. I stamped the entire image in Baja Breeze ink and then applied Chocolate Chip Marker over the stems and leaves. When using this technique, you always want to ink up your stamp using the lightest color ink first! The slot for the ribbon was punched using the Horizontal Slot Punch twice, side-by-side. I passed a bit of the 1" Baja Breeze Stitched Grosgrain ribbon through the slot and then gathered and tied it with a bit of Linen Thread. The edges of the Top Note Die Cut and the DSP are inked with Chocolate Chip ink and a sponge. I love the way this card turned out -- so pretty and delicate!

Well, that gives you a peek at the wonderful new Specialty papers from Stampin' Up! Of course, you know how addicted I am to papers, so rest assured, I will be bringing you more ideas and featuring more of the new paper sets on my blog soon. If your favorite hasn't appeared yet, keep checking back, it will soon!

If you would like to order any of the stamp sets, papers and supplies that you see presented on my blog, and don't currently have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator to assist you, I will be glad to help you with that. To order, you can e-mail me or call me and place your order directly with me or you can order directly from my Stampin' Up website here. Just click on "shop now" at the top of the page. Your order will be shipped direct to your door!

Don't forget to check out my DSP samplers. I'm currently taking orders for these through February 1st. You get a BIG 6x12" sheet of each of the DSP papers in each sampler, enough to make dozens of cards and scrapbook pages, without the expense of purchasing entire packs of each collection. You can check out all my DSP samplers here or by clicking on my Online Store Window in the left side-bar.

I hope you stop by again soon for more ideas and inspiration!

Until then, blessings to you! -- Gretchen

Good Morning Sunshine is Today's Featured Designer Series Paper!

I must say, the Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper takes me right back to the late 1960's (yes I know, I'm dating myself). I'm thinking the Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, polyester pantsuits and flower power, baby! It is fun to work with and it's such a bright, cheery sight for dark, snowy, cold winter days!

My first project is a set of 4 cards in a darling little card box. I used On Board So Tweet Chipboard (fabulous and so much fun -- literally dozens of projects can be made from one package). Cardstock colors include Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Summer Sun and Chocolate Chip. Other embellishments include Jumbo Eyelets, Rhinestone Brads, 5/8" Striped Kiwi Kiss Grosgrain Ribbon, the Big Shot and Flower Layers and Build a Flower Dies and the Best Wishes & More Stamp set! Look at the eyes on this owl! Aren't they fabulous?

Click here for a Tutorial on how to make the box and lid!

For a change of pace, how about this spunky little gift tag? Isn't it darling? I again used the On Board So Tweet Chipboard pack and Best Wishes & More stamp set. The flowers and leaves were cut using the Birds & Blooms Sizzlet and the Big Shot. Here's a neat little trick for cutting the wavy edges -- use the Stampin' Up! Cutter Kit-- it has a cutting wheel, scoring wheel, perforating wheel and distressing tool all in one great kit! You will want to use it with your self-healing cutting mat!

One more project today using this fun new DSP! This time I used the new Good Friend stamp set. The cardbase is Chocolate Chip with a layer of Summer Sun on Top. I applied a narrow strip of DSP to the bottom of the card and then some 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon. I used the Big Shot and Top Note Bigz Die with Whisper White cardstock and stamped the bird and flowers in all the colors of the DSP. The sentiment is from Wow Flowers, stamped on Whisper White. I used 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches and the Scallop Circle Punch.

I hope you've enjoyed this peek at the Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Papers as much as I have. And I hope you'll try your own projects using this fresh, fun set of DSP!

Don't forget to check out my DSP samplers. I'm currently taking orders for these until February 1st. You get a BIG 6x12" sheet of each of the DSP papers in each sampler, enough to make dozens of cards and scrapbook pages, without the expense of purchasing entire packs of each collection. You can check out all my DSP samplers here or by clicking on my Online Store Window in the left side-bar.

Thanks for stopping by today. Check back often for more Inspiration in Action! 

Blessings, Gretchen

Inspiration That Falls Off the Shelf and Hits You in the Head!

Okay, I'll admit I can be a little dense at times but this takes the cake! Recently while cleaning and sorting in the basement, this pot lid rack fell off a shelf 3 times, the last time hitting me in the head. Just as I was about to throw it in the trash bag, I realized it might make a great storage system for my Big Shot Sizzix Dies! Here it is sitting on the counter in my stamping room. It works perfectly for me. My dies are visible, easily accessable, the labels can be read instantly and the dies can be grabbed with one hand. This is an idea that literally hit me in the head! Hope it's one you might be able to use as well! These can be purchased very inexpensively at discount stores and possibly even Dollar stores!

Don't forget to check out my DSP samplers. I'm currently taking orders for these until February 1st. You get a BIG 6x12" sheet of each of the DSP papers in each sampler, enough to make dozens of cards and scrapbook pages, without the expense of purchasing entire packs of each collection. You can check out all my DSP samplers here or by clicking on my Online Store Window in the left side-bar.

Hope you have a great day (with no surprises hitting you in the head)! Blessings, Gretchen

Today's Fatured Designer Series Paper -- Bella Birds!

I was amazed when I opened up this new package of Designer Series Paper. It is so beautiful and delicate, almost lacy in appearance. Bella Birds DSP coordinates beautifully with Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue and So Saffron cardstocks, inks, ribbons and other embellishments.

You can click on the images to see larger pictures. As always, Bella Birds has 12 different patterns on Double-sided paper.

So, are you ready for the cards I've created using this beautiful new DSP? This first card uses the beautiful new Level 1 Hostess Set, God's Beauty. Isn't this butterfly just gorgeous? I began with a card base of Bordering Blue and a 2nd layer of So Saffron. I added a 2 1/2" piece of DSP on the bottom and finished it off with 3/8" White Taffeta Ribbon. The leaf image was stamped with Mellow Moss ink on Whisper White cardstock and the sentiment was added, stamped in Black Stazon. I tore the edge and mounted this on another layer of Bordering Blue, again with the bottom edge torn. The butterfly was stamped with Black Stazon Ink on Whisper White cardstock and then trimmed carefully around the edges. I colored in with So Saffron and Bordering Blue markers and then sponged more Bordering Blue on the wing tips. I gently curled the wings up (using the Bone Folder) to give it some dimension and then attached the butterfly to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals (click on the photo to see it larger). I think this turned out just lovely!

This next card is pure luxury!  Again using a new Hostess set, Echoes of Kindness (Level 2), I stamped using Black Stazon ink on a Whisper White Oval (cut out with the new Big Shot Oval Die). I lightly colored in the flower with Bordering Blue and Mellow Moss inks and Blender pens and sponged Bordering Blue around the edges. The card base is Pink Pirouette, with layers of bordering Blue and DSP and all corners were rounded with the Corner Rounder Punch and the DSP edges were sponged with Bordering Blue ink. I added the fabulous wide (1 1/4") Pink Pirouette Grosgrain Ribbon and tied a bow and then secured it with a Hat Pin and Pearls from the Pretties Kit! How Beautiful!

Ok, have I convinced you yet how beautiful this DSP is? If not, I have one more project for you today, this one with a little bit of whimsy, using the sets Doodle This and Elegant Cheer. The card base is Chocolate Chip with a layer of DSP on top. The Top Note Bigz Die and Big Shot were used to cut the Top Note in both Chocolate Chip and Whisper White. The Whisper white layer was trimmed inside the stitch marks and the edges sponged with Chocolate Chip Ink. I stamped the corner flourish and sentiment in Chocolate Chip ink. The flower was created by stamping the image twice, once on Chocolate Chip cardstock and again on one of the DSP patterns. I applied Clear Micro Beads to the top flower, using Tombo Adhesive. I placed a Build A Brad in the center. Again, curl the flower petals just a bit, using your Bone Folder, to give them a little dimension. The inside of the card was again stamped and sponged. I don't know about you, but I would LOVE to receive this card for my birthday!

If you're in love with the new Designer Series Papers, you may want to check out my samplers. I'm currently taking orders for these until February 1st. You get a BIG 6x12" sheet of each of the DSP papers in each sampler, enough to make dozens of cards and scrapbook pages, without the expense of purchasing entire packs of each collection. You can check out all my DSP samplers here or by clicking on my Online Store Window in the left side-bar.

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping. I hope you enjoyed your visit and that you'll stop back soon!

Until then, Blessings -- Gretchen

Birthday Tag Set

 

Never be without a Birthday Tag again when you make this bright and colorful set of jumbo tags that I created for this week's Late Night Stamper's Tag Challenge. The tags are even large enough they could be put in an envelope and used as cards! They are perfect for kids (of all ages) with their bright, festive colors and fun images. The larger tags measure 3 1/2 x 5" and the smaller ones are 2 1/2" 4". Stamp sets include: Crazy for Cupcakes, Party Hearty, Simple Birthday Thanks and Hugs & Wishes.

The colors are mostly from the Bold Brights family -- Green Galore, Yo Yo Yellow, Only Orange, Real Red, Pink Passion and Ballet Blue (Rich Regals).

I used the Tag Corner and Horizontal Slot Punches and lots of colorful ribbons. Many of the tags have shimmery Crystal Effects touches (the cherry on the cupcake and balloons) and some have Dazzling Diamonds glitter. The striped DSP is from Rainbow Sherbet.

Tags are a great way to use up small scraps of cardstock. Wouldn't this little set make a great Hostess Gift or incentive. Or just a fabulous thing to have on hand and use when you need a quick tag for a birthday gift!

 

 

 

Don't forget, I'm currently taking orders for the Designer Series Paper Samplers until February 1st. You get a BIG 6x12" sheet of each of the DSP papers in each sampler, enough to make dozens of cards and scrapbook pages, without the expense of purchasing entire packs of each collection. You can check out all my DSP samplers here or by clicking on my Online Store Window in the left side-bar.

Thanks for stopping by today and I do hope you'll come back again soon for more ideas and inspiration! Later this week I will be featuring another Designer Series Paper Collection. Humm ... which one will I choose?

Until then, Blessings -- Gretchen

Today's Featured Designer Series Paper -- Rockabilly (continued)

As I said yesterday, I am in LOVE with this new Designer Series Specialty Paper. Rockabilly is one of the new Specialty papers because some of the designs have a printed gloss finish (kind of like heat embossing). It is GORGEOUS!!! Another great thing about Rockabilly DSP is it's versatility -- it can be fun and playful (even downright funky) or bold and elegant, depending on which designs you choose.

My first card today uses the new Eyelet Border Punch to make this delightful medallion and a perfect frame for the "love" stamp from Dreams du Jour! I've included a couple Tutorial photos here so you can see how I did this. Just click on the photos to view a larger image. Begin with a 2 3/4" square of cardstock and center the square in the Eyelet Border Punch. Punch each of the 4 sides. Don't continue the punching to the edges unless you don't want the square "frame" around the piece (of course, you could snip the corners that are holding the frame together and get an entirely different look). I applied my 5/8" Double Striped Kiwi Kiss Ribbon to the back of the punched-out frame and then threaded the ribbon through to the front before adhering the piece to my card front with SNAIL adhesive. I tied a Faux Bow onto the ribbon. The lovely Rockabilly Specialty paper makes your work easy on this card -- the scallop border is already done for you. I simply mounted in on a layer of Basic Black and then on the Kiwi Kiss card base. The Love-floral image was stamped with Black Stazon Ink onto Whisper White cardstock and colored with a Blender Pen and Kiwi Kiss ink. I rounded the corners before adhering it down. The butterfly was stamped with Black Stazon onto Kiwi Kiss cardstock and adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals!

My second card today was so much fun to create! It begins with a base of Kiwi Kiss and layers of Basic Black and Real Red. Another 2" strip of Rockabilly Specialty DSP was attached and a narrow strip of the Cherry print from the DSP pack was punched with the Eyelet Border Punch and applied with SNAIL. 1/4" Black Grosgrain ribbon hides the seam and a Faux Bow was tied on. The sentiment from Smarty Pants was stamped using Black Stazon Ink. The cherry image from Tart N' Tangy was stamped after color was applied directly to the stamp with Markers. This was punched out with 1 1/4" Circle punch and layered on a 1 3/8" circle of Real Red and a Scallop Circle of Basic Black. White Dots were applied using a White Signo Gel Pen. The circle was adhered to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

If you're in love with the new Designer Series Papers, you may want to check out my samplers. I'm currently taking orders for these until February 1st. You get a BIG 6x12" sheet of each of the DSP papers in each sampler, enough to make dozens of cards and scrapbook pages, without the expense of purchasing entire packs of each collection. You can check out all my DSP samplers here or by clicking on my Online Store Window in the left side-bar.

I do hope you'll stop back again soon. I promise more inspiration and later this week will be featuring another Designer Series Paper Collection.

Until then, Blessings -- Gretchen

Today's Featured Designer Series Paper -- Rockabilly!

Oh my gosh, I can't tell you how much I LOVE this new Designer Series Specialty Paper. Rockabilly is one of the new Specialty papers because some of the designs have a printed gloss finish (kind of like heat embossing). It is GORGEOUS!!! Another great thing about Rockabilly DSP is it's versatility -- it can be fun and playful (even downright funky) or bold and elegant, depending on which designs you use. I'll try to show you a bit of both in the projects I've created today!

This first card is on the elegant side, if I do say so myself. I love how this turned out -- so rich and romantic! The bottom stripe piece is some of the glossy finish paper -- a beautiful, rich, black-on-black. I punched the bottom edge with the new Eyelet Border Punch (a MUST have), and tied a length of 1/4" Black Grosgrain ribbon across. The card base is Basic Black and Real Red cardstock forms the 2nd layer. The hearts from the Always Stamp Set are stamped with Black Craft Ink and embossed with Clear Embossing Powder and the Heat Tool. After cutting them out, I attached them using Stampin' Dimensionals. The "bow" was made using the Frayed Ribbon Technique which you can read more about here. When you use this technique, make sure you don't skimp on the ribbon. I cut a long piece to make the bow (probably about 8" (twice what I would normally use for a bow), and then left about 1" of it unfrayed while I passed the strands under the ribbon strip already attached to the card and tied it (see the photo for a close-up of this process). Once it was tied, I trimmed the ends, cutting off the piece that had not yet been fringed! I think the Fringed Ribbon adds a perfect touch of something special to this beautiful card. To finish it off, I added a layer of Whisper White Cardstock to the inside of the card, stamped the bird image from Always, again with Black Craft Ink and embossed it for a glossy element on the inside of the card as well!

Well, from elegant to downright fun, I created this next card by CASEing one that I saw on Taylor VanBruggen's website here. The card base is Basic Black and the second layer is Summer Sun. I used one of the new Stampin' Up! Backgrounds Texturz Plates for the dotted swiss texture. I also followed someone's advise about lightly misting your cardstock with rubbing alcohol before running it through the Big Shot to apply the texture. IT WORKS! It really does create a much more defined texture in the cardstock (you could also mist with water but the alcohol will dry faster). The large dot DSP is from Rockabilly. The stamp set is Just Buzzin' By. I added some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter on the little bee wings! The corners were punched with the Ticket Corner Punch. I made Faux Brads by punching out 1/4" circles of Summer Sun, gluing them on with 2-way glue and then "dropping" a few drops of Crystal Effects on each one for a raised effect. This photo shows you a little more of the dimension from both the Texturz Plate and the Crystal Effects. Make sure you allow plenty of time for the Crystal Effects to dry. I attached the image layer to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals! and added some Black Gingham ribbon. And of course, I needed to decorate the inside of the card as well with a little bee and flower! Too cute, don't you think?

I've got some more great projects featuring Rockabilly Specialty Designer Series Paper that will be revealed tomorrow on this blog, so be sure and stop by again! Did I mention that I LOVE this paper???

One of my DSP Sampler Kits features Rockabilly as well as the other 3 Specialty Papers. By ordering a sampler, you get a BIG 6x12" sheet of each of the 24 Specialty DSP papers, enough to make dozens of cards and scrapbook pages, without the expense of purchasing entire packs of each collection. You can check out all my DSP samplers here or by clicking on my Online Store Window in the left side-bar.

Remember to stop by tomorrow for more great projects from the Rockabilly Specialty Designer Series Paper!

I hope to see you then! Blessings, Gretchen

A Bugs and Kisses Valentine

It's understandable, especially when the novelty has not yet worn off a new and beautiful catalog, that we sometimes forget there are other stamp sets available. Stampin' Up! maintains what they call a Dormant List -- a list of beautiful Stamp Sets that are not in the large catalog but are still available for purchase. This year's Dormant list has 36 Stamp sets on it, many of our favorites from the past catalog. So, if you're looking for something you can't find, don't forget to check the Dormant list to see if it's still available. Click here to view and download the 2009 Spring and Summer Dormant List.

Today's card uses Bugs & Kisses. Yes, you guessed it! This is one of the great sets from the Dormant List! Perfect for kids occasions of all kinds, I thought it also worked well here for Valentine's Day.

Also used on this card are all three elements of the Love You Much Bundle, available for purchase for 20% off until January 31st! The bundle includes the Love You Much Stamp Set, Heart to Heart Punch and Candy Lane Designer Series Paper. The sale price is like getting the Designer Series Paper Pack for FREE! Click to learn more.

Materials used are:

Stamp Sets: Bugs & Kisses, Love You Much, Holiday & Wishes

Cardstock and Paper: Candy Lane DSP, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Close to Cocoa. Black Stazon

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Large and Small Tag punches, Linen Thread, Heart to Heart Punch

Remember, I am selling 6x12 Samplers of all the Designer Series Papers in the new catalog! This is a great way to get a lot of DSP without purchasing entire packs. Click here for more information or visit my Online Store Window in the left side-bar! I'll be taking orders for the Samplers until February 1st.

That's it for today! Please stop back soon for more ideas and inspiration!

Blessings, Gretchen

Candy Lane Thank You's!

  Candy Lane Designer Series Paper isn't just for Valentines! As you can see, this beautiful paper, in hues of Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa and Very Vanilla, is quite versatile and can be used for all occasions! Today, I made some elegant Thank-You cards using Candy Lane DSP, Baroque Motifs and Lovely Labels. The card base is Riding Hood Red (you can see another version using Pirouette Pink below). Accessories include the 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch and 3/8" Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon.

Candy Lane DSP can be purchased from the new Spring and Summer Idea Book & Catalog and is also included in the Love You Much Bundle (Candy Lane DSP, Heart to Heart Punch and Love You Much Stamp Set), available through January 31st at a 20% discount.

Remember, I am selling 6x12 Samplers of all the Designer Series Papers in the new catalog! This is a great way to get a lot of DSP without purchasing entire packs. Click here for more information!