gifts of the season

November 14, 2019 By Mary Haugen

It’s a good day. It has been ridiculously cold here. Yesterday it snowed. (UGH) . But today I get to escape it all and head to Las Vegas for Stampin’ Up!’s On Stage event! WooHoo. Sun, warmth, stamping friends and NEW goodies! Bring. It. On! Check back next week, I will be sharing some of the cards I made to swap over the weekend. And, maybe some sneak peeks of goodies from the upcoming Mini and Sale-a-Bration catalogs!

Right now, Stampin’ up! has a fun product suite ONLY available until the end of November – Christmas Time Is Here. I decided to branch out and use the stamp set and dies with a different color combo. (I’m just not ready to admit it’s winter yet.) This is a great color combo for fall, but also works for a non-traditional Christmas.

Colors are Terracotta Tile, Seaside Spray and Gray Granite. I LOVE these colors together. The sentiment is embossed in white on Early Espresso. And I adore the woodgrain print from the Gather Together DSP! I need more of that for sure!

Check out all the great products in the Christmastime Is Here Suite:

You can order items individually or get the entire suite. there is even a beautiful bracelet! Don’t delay – order yours today!

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stamp review crew: Cup of Christmas

November 3, 2019 By Mary Haugen

Hey, crafty friends! So glad you decided to stop by today. You are in for a treat, today is the Stamp Review Crew blog hop featuring the Cup of Christmas stamp set from the 2019 Holiday catalog. This is a great set for lovers of coffee, tea or hot cocoa.

The really fun thing about this stamp set is the two mug images are reversible! Check out a great product video Stampin’ Up! has showing this new type of stamp HERE. But, come back. I have two awesome cards to share with you!

My first card I took advantage of the reversible feature so I could have mug handles going both directions.

Mugs stamped in Coastal Cabana on Coastal Cabana card stock and a little bit of Let It Snow Specialty Designer Series Paper make for a fun non-traditional Christmas color combo. I stayed with this same color scheme for my second card as well.

Combine the Cup of Christmas stamp set with the coordinating Cup of Cheer dies for a great Christmas wish for your favorite coffee (or hot cocoa) lover!

Thanks for stopping by! Continue the blog hop by clicking the NEXT button to go to the talented Chalet or the PREVIOUS button to go back to the creative Holly.

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comfort & joy

October 17, 2019 By Mary Haugen

I am a summer girl, through and through. But, living in Minnesota, snow and cold is just part of the deal. I have accepted that. But, COME ON! Snow on OCTOBER 11 is just too much for me. I am really NOT ready for winter weather yet.

In the spirit of the first snowfall, I guess it is only right that I share a Christmas card with you. I used some new products from the Stampin’ Up! 2019 Holiday catalog: Most Wonderful Time stamp set, Wrapped in Plaid Specialty Designer Series Paper, and Snowfall Accents Puff Paint.

Check out the puff paint detail! It reminds me of a Christmas tree farm after a snowfall. But, not yet. Please… wait a month… or two…I’ll keep my snowfall on paper thank you.

I do have some fun FALL cards coming to share. I’m not skipping the season, even if the weather is. I hope you will come back for more inspiration! Join me again to shine a spotlight on creativity!

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it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

October 14, 2019 By Mary Haugen

Last weekend, Oct. 11 and 12, was the monthly Creative Class at Stamp-n-Storage. Please note the dates: OCTOBER 11 AND 12. We were making Christmas cards. AND IT SNOWED!!! Seriously, IT’S THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER!! Now, I appreciate the ambiance it gave for our class…but, I could have done with just playing Christmas music (which I did.)

Here are the cards we made at the class:

Each design is great for mass producing. I think the one with the red and black buffalo plaid star is my favorite. I love the rustic feel.

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stamp review crew: first frost

November 18, 2018 By Mary Haugen

Welcome to another Stamp Review Crew blog hop! *The Stamp Review Crew is a group of International Stampin’ Up! demonstrators who want to show you how much you can do with ONE stamp set. Each edition the SR Crew will showcase a new featured stamp set. Each stop along the hop will show you a different idea, or ideas using that set!* Today we are hopping to bring you some inspiration for the beautiful First Frost stamp set. This set is part of the gorgeous Frosted Floral Suite in the 2018 Holiday Catalog. It is perfect for occasions year round. If you have already started the hop, you have come here from Nikki and her beautiful creation.

My first card pairs this set with the stunning Frosted Floral specialty dsp/ . This paper has a beautiful pearlized frosted look. Trust me. The picture doesn’t capture its true beauty.

I cut a slightly smaller square of vellum to soften the dsp and layered a small Crumb Cake square that I ran through the Corrugated Textured Embossing Folder.I stamped the flowers and stems on Shimmer White card stock to carry over the shimmer. The dark stem is actually cut from Copper foil and there is a bit of Copper Thread peeking behind the large flower. The sentiment is stamped on vellum which is only adhered behind the flower. The edges of the card base were stamped with an image from the Timeless Textures set to give it a distressed look.

For my second card I had to pair this with what else but the Wood Textures dsp. I seriously don’t know what I am going to do when this stuff retires. I better start hoarding it soon! (Who am I kidding, I have already been hoarding it!)

I stamped the flower in Flirty Flamingo and the leaves in Lemon Lime twist and Tranquil Tide and cut them out with the coordinating Frosted Bouquet Framelits. I added some Champagne Shimmer Paint on the berries of the vellum sprig. The sentiment label is wrapped with Linen Thread and layered on a Pool Party panel.

Thanks for stopping by! I am sending you over to Holly for some more gorgeous inspiration! Enjoy the hop and join me again to shine a spotlight on creativity!

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stamp review crew: farm house Christmas

November 4, 2018 By Mary Haugen

The Stamp Review Crew is starting off November with a fun holiday set: Farmhouse Christmas! This set is loaded with possibilities! Make sure you go through all of the stops on the blog hop. You don’t want to miss any of the amazing creations we have in store for you! As always, you can find the full blog hop list on the Stamp Review Crew page.

Growing up in northern Minnesota, this set brings back a lot of great holiday memories. My three cards today draw from those memories. For my first card, I wanted to feature the coordinating Festive Farmhouse DSP.

Of course, this set and DSP pairs wonderfully with the Wood Textures DSP. (Then again, what doesn’t!?) The card base and stitched circle are Pear Pizazz. I took a couple of leaves off of one of the Boxwood Wreath embellishments and three of the red rhinestones to create the holly. I think it is the perfect little embellishment.

For this next card, I wanted to feature the fantastic little truck. And again I went with the Festive Farmhouse and Wood Textures DSP’s. What can I say. When it works, it works! I colored the truck with Mint Macron and the tree with Shaded Spruce Stampin’ Blends.

This last card is all about texture with embossing folders and framelits. The Crumb Cake card base is embossed with the Pinewood Planks and the Pool Party panel is embossed with the Subtle embossing folder. I cut a piece of Sparkle Glimmer Paper with the snow mound die in the coordinating Farmhouse Framelits and layered it behind the fence cut from Wood Textures DSP. The tree is cut out and colored with Stampin’ Blends. Don’t you just love those tiny little red bows? There is a die in the Farmhouse Framelits that cuts out six off them at once! So much fun!

Did these projects stir up any nostalgic holiday memories for you? Leave me a comment, I’d love to know! Now for some more creative inspiration, I am sending you over to Holly and her fantastic creations! or you can always go back to Stesha and her amazing creativity.

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snow is glistening

November 2, 2018 By Mary Haugen

Stampin’ Up! has a fantastic new Suite of products: Snowflake Showcase – that is available for a LIMITED TIME. You only have until the end of November to snatch this awesome group of products. You won’t want to miss out! There are two stamp sets. One is perfect for Christmas and one is for year round fun. Plus some awesome coordinating dies and fabulous embellishments: white flocked paper and snowflake trinkets! I LOVE IT ALL!!

I love the snowflakes in the Snow is Glistening set. I decided to recreate a card I previously made with this new set.

I started with a Pool Party card base that I embossed with the Pinewood Planks 3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I stamped the snowflakes in Pool Party, Tranquil Tide and Crumb Cake on a pice the Wood Textures DSP which is layered on a Tranquil Tide panel. The Joy sentiment is stamped in Whisper White on Tranquil Tide and wrapped with Linen Thread. It is a quick and easy card with a wow look.

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inky friends: dc 11

October 26, 2018 By Mary Haugen

It is time for another design challenge with My Inky Friends! This one is based on a card layout on page 122 of the 2018-19 Stampin’ Up! catalog. Here is my creation.

I used Dashing Deer and Detailed Deer Thinlits. I think this is my favorite Christmas bundle in the Holiday Catalog. The Crumb Cake card base has a Crumb Cake layer that I ran through the Corrugated Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. The sentiment is from Merry Christmas to All. I colored it and the swag with Cherry Cobbler, Mossy Meadow and Crumb Cake markers to get the multi color images. It is hard to see in the photo, but the Cherry Cobbler circle was stamped with the Burlap background stamp before I cut it out with the Stitched Shapes circle. I finished off with a few strips of Festive Farmhouse designer series paper and some Linen Thread.

Make sure to check out what the rest of the design team has created for this challenge and then play along! Make your own creation based on the sketch and share it by linking it to the My Inky Friends page.

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a season of good cheer

October 19, 2018 By Mary Haugen

Hello crafty friends! I have a quick and easy card to share with you today. The Joyous Noel designer series paper does the work to give this card a wow. Don’t you just love those copper accents? They really make this card POP!

The DSP has a layer of Basic Black card stock underneath it to help give it a bit more depth. I cut a Stitched Shapes circle out of Crumb Cake and punched out the leaf punch on the edge of the circle. I put a circle of Tranquil Tide dots pattern from the 2017- 19 In Colors DSP stack behind the leaf outline. The sentiment is stamped in Memento Black Ink. I took one of the Galvanized Buttons and covered it with Copper Shimmer Paint. Once dry, i threaded it with Linen Thread and adhered it to the stitched circle.

That’s a wrap for today. Join me again to put a spotlight on creativity!

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stamp review crew: dashing deer

October 14, 2018 By Mary Haugen

Welcome to another Stamp Review Crew blog hop! This time we are featuring the fantastic Dashing Deer stamp set! I have been having a lot of fun creating with this set. And to think, I almost didn’t get it. What was I thinking?! I am so glad I came to my senses and ordered it right away. I LOVE it! I have featured it on two previous blog post that you can find here and here. For today’s spotlight, I decided to showcase two different looks for the set. The first is a very deep, rich card pairing Dashing Deer with the Joyous Noel Designer Series Paper.

I started with a Crumb Cake card base. I embossed the Tranquil Tide panel with the Pinewood Planks Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and used my Layering Circles Framelits to cut out a circle in the panel. I backed this with some of the Joyous Noel DSP. I stamped the little deer in Soft Suede and cut him out with the coordinating Detailed Deer Thinlit. I added a few dots of Copper Shimmer Paint for some extra detail. I cut out the twig spray from the Frosted Bouquet Thinlits in copper foil paper and adhered it poking out of the circle. The sentiment is embossed in White on Merry Merlot card stock with a smaller strip at the top of the card with a True Gentleman button tied with Linen Thread. My second card has a much lighter color scheme.

For this card I wanted a winter white woods look. The white panel is embossed with the Woodland embossing folder. I stamped the large deer with Gray Granite ink on Sahara Sand card stock. The smaller deer is stamped with Sahara Sand ink on Sahara Sand card stock. I added some Frost White Shimmer Paint dots on the smaller deer. The sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso ink on Sahara Sand card stock with Linen Thread wrapped on the ends. I love these two deer together.

I am now going to send you over to the wonderfully creative Tanya. Wait until you see what she can do with this great set! Or you can go back to Lou and her beautiful projects. Either way, make sure to go all the way through the blog hop – you won’t want to miss any of the inspiration for the gorgeous stamp set! You can find the full blog hop order on the Stamp Review Crew page.

That’s a wrap for me. Join me again to put a spotlight on creativity!

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