My Weblog

Project: Altered Journals!

I am stuck on the idea of transformations!  I spent today altering three notebooks into journals.  This one is my favorite.

I used Stampin' Up!'s Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (available until March 31, 2012 for FREE with a $50 order!), Fresh Vintage stamp set (also part of Sale-a-bration!), Stampin' Up! Exclusive Beautiful Butterflies Big Shot Die (pg.222), Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack (Yes... another FREE Sale-a-bration product!), Corner Rounder Punch (pg.212), Stampin' Dimensionals, Pool Party card stock and ink, Calypso Coral card stock and ink, Confetti White card stock, Lucky Limeade ink and Stampin' Write Markers.

You can view another of the altered journals on my facebook page - Country Crafts and More.  You'll have to come to the Zumba Dance event at the Aurora Resort & Spa in Tumon, Guam this Saturday evening if you want to see the third one.  :O)

Place a $50 (or more) order today to earn your FREE Everyday Enchantment products!  Just click on the Order Online image in the upper right corner and start shopping now.

Happy Stamping!

Mia

Project: Mini Notepad Transformation!

I just LOVE using Stampin' Up!'s wonderful products to transform the ordinary into something beautiful!  The containers from Crystal Light (shown here!) are one example.  This is another!

 

 

 

Who would believe that this mini notepad used to look like this?!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call or email me NOW to see how you can start making creations like these!!!

Happy Stamping~

Mia

Project: Fruit & Flowers Berry Blossoms!

Today's project is a collection of Love Notes that were quick and easy to create... especially the "You're a Gem" card!    It was also a nice break from all the Valentine projects I have been making.  These 3x3 cards are perfect for gift enclosures... or to tuck in a packaged lunch for a nice surprise.

To make your own set you will need:

Stamp sets: Fruit & Flowers (pg.99), You're a Gem (pg.156) and Pennant Parade (pg.69)

Inks:  Calypso Coral, Jet Black StazOn

Card Stock:  Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Accessories:  Berry Blossoms DSP (pg.185), Stampin' Write Markers, Rhinestone Jewels (pg.198), Dazzling Details, Everyday Enchantment Brads (Sale-a-bration Brochure, pg.7)

Happy Stamping~

Mia

Promotion: Sale-A-Bration (SAB) Has Begun!

Stampin' Up!'s annual Sale-A-Bration promotion has begun!

What does that mean for you as my customer, my hostess or as a new recruit?  It means that from January 24 - March 31, 2012 you will earn FREE product with every order of $50 or more... and additional gifts for hostessing a workshop or joining our family during the promotion period.  Click here to find out more about the benefits of placing an order, hostessing a workshop or joining the Stampin' Up! family during Sale-A-Bration!  Then make the time to view the SAB brochure.  I know that you will LOVE what you see!  To further inspire you....

Here are two cards I made using some of the SAB products!  Both cards were made using the FREE Outline Occasions stamp set. 

I made this "Congratulations" card as a birthday card for my upline.  I used Whisper White and Peach Parfait card stock.  The DSP (Designer Series Paper) is from Everyday Enchantment - another SAB product that you can get for FREE!  The ribbon is Stampin' Up!'s 1/2" Peach Parfait Stitched-Poly Ribbon (pg.194) and the card was colored with Stampin' Write Markers (pg.202). 

This "Thanks" card was for a good friend who treated to me to a lunch out a couple of weeks ago.  The card stock is Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush - since purple is her favorite color!  I also used Berry Blossoms DSP (pg.185), the Modern Label Punch (pg.209), Mini Brads (pg.199), Stampin' Dimensionals (pg.206) and Stampin' Write Markers to color.

This posting also serves as a sneak preview because the Congratulations card is one of the cards those attending my next class will be making... but you will have the option of using any of the sayings from the FREE Outlined Occasions SAB stamp set.  Be watching for more details within the next day or two.

Meanwhile..... feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Happy Stamping~

Mia

Project: Paper Doily Tiara/Crown!

This isn't the project I had intended to share today, but when a fellow demonstrator asked for ideas for a very special tiara or crown for one of her customers I immediately thought about our brand new Paper Doily Sizzlet (Occasions Mini, pg.7) and I just had to pull it... and the Big Shot... out and make one.  I was so happy with the results that I just had to share it with you right away!

To recreate the tiara/crown you will need:  The Big Shot (pg.215), Paper Doily Sizzlet (Occasions Mini, pg.7), Brushed Gold card stock (pg.181), Rhinestone Jewels (pg.198), Rhinestone Brads (pg.198), Multipurpose Liquid Glue (pg.206)

I was amazed by how quick and easy it was to make.  Most of the time was spent placing all the Rhinestone Jewels.

Who wants to be my Stampin' Up! "Queen for Day" today?!?

Note:  I'll share a tutorial for the tiara/crown later on this week

Happy Stamping~

Mia

Guest Stamper: Lisa Santiago!

Today I am featuring cards made by one of my customers... Lisa Santiago!  She is thrilled to be my guest stamper today, but she is also camera shy so I don't have a photo of her to share.  However, here are her cards...

She made this cute birthday card for one of her friends and co-workers.  Don't you love the way she used Stampin' Up!'s wonderful Designer Series Paper for the gift packages?!?  These are from the now retired Razzle Dazzle collection... but any of our DSPs would work just as well for this quick to make card.

Lisa has introduced several of her coworkers to Stampin' Up! by sharing her projects with them... and even holding a quick demonstration during her lunch hour.  This next card was made to show them one of the many ways they can use brads in their stamping.  (Be watching for a few more examples later this week!)

I love how she cut into the Scallop Circle to give her flowers more of a petal-like look!

Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your creative cards with me... and giving me permission to share them with my readers.  I look forward to seeing your future projects as well.

If you have enjoyed Lisa's cards as much as I have, then please leave a comment of encourangement below for her.

Happy Stamping~

Mia

Merry Christmas to all!

Taking a quick moment to share my Christmas greeting with you....

Inside....

More details after the weekend!

Happy Stamping~

Mia

Project: Tic-Tac-Toe!

I've been making a lot of new projects over the past few weeks.... months... to share in my displays downtown.  These Tic-Tac-Toe games were among those projects.  They are a nice gift for people of all ages!

I used metal DVD tins for the base... and covered them with an assortment of retired Designer Series Papers (although any of current ones would be just as lovely! Pgs.183-186)) and card stock.  The letters were cut using the Big Shot (pg.215) and Stampin' Up!'s Alphabet Simple Letters Bigz Die set (pg.223).  I used coordinating papers for the inside as well.  The place markers are retired Designer Buttons with Designer Series Paper accents... and Crystal Effects (pg.206).  Magnetic backings hold them in place making them a wonderful travel game... especially for those long flights to Honolulu, Japan, the Philippines, etcetra!

The hardest part of making these was choosing which of our Designer Papers to use and then waiting for the Crystal Effects to dry so that I could test the pieces by playing the game myself!

Note:  The sets of Designer Series Buttons are currently being sold in the Clearance Rack.  Click on the Order Online logo in the upper right to order them NOW because they are only available while supplies last!

Happy Stamping~

Mia

Project: Stitched Stockings!

I held a Christmas Card Class last Saturday.  Here is one of the four designs that we made.  We used:

Stamp Sets:  Gift Givers (Holiday Mini, pg.39)

Card Stock:  Early Espresso, Confetti Cream/Confetti White, Cherry Cobbler

Inks:  Jet Black StazOn

Accessories:  Platinum Shimmer Paint (pg.203), Stocking Builder Punch (Holiday Mini, pg.34), Holly Berry Bouquet Designer Series Paper (Holiday Mini, pg.20), Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper (pg.185), 1/8" Real Red Taffeta Ribbon (pg.195), Brights Brads (pg.199), Stampin' Dimensionals (pg.206), 1/16" Circle Punch (pg.212), Stampin' Write Markers for coloring

There was one person in the class who decided to make her cards "her own"... so she changed them up a bit.  (I love it when someone in my class does that!  Sometimes they come up with ideas that I hadn't thought about myself.)  She made one like the card shown above.  Here are the other two...

Her variations inspired me to explain that one reason I love stamping is because we don't have to follow "the rules".  It is in not following the rules that we come up with some great ideas!  The card on the right gave me opportunity to introduce them to Mica Flakes (Holiday Mini, pg.21).

Tomorrow I will share another card from the class... and a variation on it that uses/used Mica Flakes!

Don't forget to stop by and see me at the Sea Grill Restaurant in Tumon, Guam for a chance to hand stamp a greeting card of your own!  They will be hosting a delicious holiday buffet lunch... complete with a fashion show and several vendors!  Come see some of the gift ideas I have to share... and you may win a FREE stamp set!  If you remember to tell me to "Have a wonderful Stampin' Up! Christmas!" then you will receive a FREE gift from me!

Happy Stamping~

Mia

Project: "Go Green" with Scraps!

The most recent issue of the magazine sent to Stampin' Up! demonstrators covers a topic that is near and dear to my heart.... "Go Green"!  The article suggests ways to use up all the bits and pieces of card stock, patterned papers and embellishments that most crafters accumulate while enjoying their creative side.  It inspired me to make another "Strip Quilt" card using the tiny curled pieces of Designer Series Papers from having made pad and pen sets for my recent craft displays.  (If you haven't seen these sets yet, then you can view them here!)  Here is the resulting card:

I admit to using one of our retired colors for the card base - and some of the paper scraps - but Rich Razzleberry would look just as nice for the base... probably even better!  Some of the other supplies I used are:  Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set (pg.67), Classic Ink Pads - Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Soft Suede and Riding Hood Red (pgs.177-180) - for the watercoloring, Log Cabin and Gold Smooch Spritzes (pg.203) and Dazzling Details (Holiday Mini, pg.41).  I couldn't resist adding a sparkle of Dazzling Details to the cherries.  I absolutely love how the Log Cabin Smooch Spritz shows through the watercolored image giving the cupcakes some added texture and making the cake stand look like stoneware.

When using scraps like the ones I've used here, be sure to watercolor some touches here and there - especially where they are wrinkly and/or torn - to give them a vintage look... as seen in the close-up below.  It makes such a big difference in the overall appearance of the card.  (Note:  Click on the images for a larger view of them.)

I have been playing so much with Autumn and Christmas colors recently, that playing with all these other bright Spring/Summer colors has been such a nice change!

Now to get back to prepping for Saturday's Christmas Card Class!  It is being held in Yigo, Guam on Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 2:00-5:00 pm.  We'll be making a total of 12 Christmas Cards (3 each of 4 different designs).  Fee is $25.00 pre-paid.  I still have a few seats available, so contact me (maria@stampingwithmia.com) if you are interested in joining the fun!   Hope to see you there!

Happy Stamping~

Mia