Going, Going, Going...Don't miss out!

 There are still a few days left to order from the Occasions Mini catalog.  April 30th is the deadline, so click on the link in the right margin to check it out.

The following swing card was created using Occasions Mini products such as Twitterpated DSP, the Apothecary Art set, Labels Collection framelits, as well as Blushing Bride cs, which will retire June 1st.

 The next card uses the Mixed Bunch set from the mini, along with the coordinating Blossom Punch.  It also uses the greeting set, Short & Sweet, which is retiring from the main catalog.

Yes, the list of Retiring stamp sets and accessories has been published.  You can access it by clicking on the link in the right margin.  The flowers in the next card (from the Flower Fest set) are retiring, as well as the Pear Pizzazz Stitched-Poly ribbon and Blushing Bride cs.  The card, itself, was cased (copy and share everything) from fellow demonstrator, Karen Barber.

The following 2 cards were made using the retiring set, Plant Hope.  They are also inspired by a Beginner Brayer class I took with Michelle Zindorf last weekend.  She's such a great teacher!  Thanks Michelle!

So, don't miss out...place your Occasions Mini catalog orders by April 30th (that's Monday), and your retiring products order before June 1st.  But remember, the sooner, the better, because once the inventory runs out, that's it!

Happy Stamping!

Marge

New Occasions Mini and Sale-A-Bration!

I've been having lots of fun playing with some of the great new products in Stampin'Up!'s new Occasions Mini Catalog.  You can view it online from the link in my sidebar.

AND Tuesday, January 24th, is the first day of Stampin'Up!'s biggest promotion of the year....SALE-A-BRATION (SAB)!!!  Check back here to view the SAB mini catalog online.  There are so many great products that you can get FREE...1 item for every $50 (net) that you spend!  What a great time to host a workshop since everyone can get FREE stuff!!!  There's even a special bundle available to hostesses whose workshop sales reach $400 or more (in addition to all the regular great hostess benefits).  AND get a super-cute Stampin'Up! tote bag with an order of at least $150.

Love stamping so much that you want to get a discount on your stamping products?  Join the Stampin'Up! family of demonstrators during SAB for ONLY $125....AND get a FREE paper pack or digital download every month for the rest of the year!

Scroll down to see some great projects that we made at the last Tons of Techniques class using products from the new Occasions Mini and Sale-a-bration (sneak peak!).  If you live in or around the Morris County, NJ, area and would like to join me, my next class is scheduled for this Thursday evening, January 26th, and Friday morning, January 27th.  Or check the link to my class schedule.  Space is limited so let me know asap.

The focal point on this card is created using the Frosted Window technique.  The set, Bordering on Romance comes from the Occasions Mini and coordinates with the new Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies and Textured Impressions Embossing Folders.  The frame was made with the new Framelits Dies - Labels Collection that coordinates with the Apothecary Art stamp set.  Other Mini caty products used here are Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon and Twitterpated DSP.  I love the color combo in that new DSP!

Sale-a-Bration Sneak Peak -- The stamp set used here is Fresh Vintage from the SAB mini.  Other SAB products used here...Everyday Enchantment DSP and the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack.  These 3 products make up the special bundle available to hostesses whose workshop reach $400!!  The border under the greeting was made with the Labels Framelits Die.  Thank you to Patty Bennett for the idea.

This is a hybrid card (that means that part of the card is made using digital elements).  In this case, the medallion was made using elements from the stamp brush version of P.S. I love you (also available as a stamp set in the Occasions Mini) in MDS (My Digital Studio) printed on our Whisper White card stock.  The advantage of digital stamps...you can make them any size you want!  The background was made by spraying the Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz (from the Occasions Mini) over a stencil made with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch.  A piece of that stencil was used as the border on this card...it ends up with a beautiful shimmer.  Got this idea from the Stampin'Up! demonstrator website video technique area...one of the perks of being an SU demo!  It's hard to see from this photo, but I used Crystal Effects on the chocolate dipped part of the strawberry and Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details (another Occasions Mini product) on the scallops of the medallion.

I often look at lots of samples online to get inspired to create class samples, and sometimes it's difficult to remember who's creations inspired me the most.  I rarely CASE (copy and share everything) a project exactly, but if any of these projects appear to have been cased from a project on your blog, let me know, so I can give you credit.  

Happy Stamping!

Marge Thuen

Tons of Techniques

Our last "Tons of Techniques" class was a lot of fun. Here are the projects we made. We used sets from the Occasions Mini and Sale-a-bration Mini. The first card was made with the Create a Cupcake set and coordinating punch. The fun texture of the icing was created by embossing the Tombow multi-purpose glue!

The next card uses the Clearly for You set. The focal point uses the Faux Silk technique, and the background was made with a technique called Texture Plate Smoosh (from the Technique Junkie newsletter).
The next 2 cards are examples of Embedded Embossing. Class participants were given a choice between these cards.....no one could choose, so we made both! The first card uses images from the Sale-a-bration set, Punch Bunch. The technique used on the focal point of both cards is called Neutral Shadows (from the Technique Junkie newsletter).
The second card uses the Plane & Simple set from the Occasions Mini. Each card uses the same technique for the background just a little differently.

Be sure to sign up for the next Tons of Techniques class, scheduled for Thurs., April 28th, 6:30 p.m. or Fri., April 29th, 10 a.m. Space is limited, so contact me today at the e-mail address above to reserve your spot.

Let's have cake.....cupcakes, that is!

Our next class, Create a cupcake, is this Thursday, March 10th, 6:30 p.m. and Friday, March 11th, 10 a.m. We will make cards that use the "Create a Cupcake" set and the coordinating Build a Cupcake punch from the Occasions Mini Catalog. We won't necessarily be making cupcakes! Rsvp by Wednesday, March 9th.

The following cards were projects from our last "Tons of Techniques" class which focused on watercoloring. The first card is from the Occasions Mini Hostess set "Slice of Life". We used Stampin'Up!'s Stampin-write markers scribbled on an acrylic block, and picked up the color w/ a blender pen to apply.

The next card is made using the "A Flower for All Seasons" set, which is one of the sets you can choose as your Sale-a-bration Freebie! It also uses the Ice Cream parlor DSP and a button from the Ice Cream Parlor ribbon and buttons pack; also SAB Freebies! We colored using SU's watercolor pencils and Sans Odor Oil w/ blending stumps.

Our 3rd project used the "Peace Within" set. We colored using SU's watercolor crayons and a mix of blender pens and aquapainter.

If you are interested in taking a class, but can't make the scheduled date, contact me to arrange a class at a time more convenient for you.

Nature Walk

Our last class was based on the Nature Walk stamp set available in the new Occasions Mini Catalog. Here are the cards we made...all inspired and/or CASEd (copy and share everything) from other SU demonstrators' ideas.

This card was inspired by a card created by demonstrator, Cherie Franklin. I made only minor changes, although the Designer Series Paper (DSP) I used for the stamped panel in the center of this project was actually printed from My Digital Studio (MDS) onto Whisper White cs. The advantage....everyone in the class can have the same piece of DSP. The maroonish piece of DSP, punched with the border punch was also printed on WWcs from MDS. The Framed Tulips embossing folder is available in the Occasions Mini Catalog.

I CASEd this card from a card by demonstrator, Kay Kalthoff. The shadow stamp behind the images in this card was actually made with a clear acrylic block.

This card was inspired by a card created by demonstrator, Holly Krautkremer, and posted on stampinaddicts.com/gallery. This card requires very little stamping and is accented with basic pearls (get 150 in a pkg for $4.95).

This card was CASEd from a card by demonstrator, Jodi Kutz. The first 3 projects went so quickly that we picked this card out and made it as a bonus. That's the advantage of coming to class...all your supplies are already cut a ready to stamp and assemble!

Check out my Stampin'Up! website for the schedule of future classes. (www.stampinwithmarge.stampinup.net)

Happy Stamping,

Marge

Petal Cone Bigz L Die

The Petal Cone Bigz L Die is new in the current Occasions Mini Catalog which you can see by clicking on the link on this page. I've seen many adorable samples created with this die used in so many different ways. This was my valentine to my husband (and a similar one for my daughter--filled, of course, with chocolate!), inspired by a number of different samples I found, but mostly, thank you to Andrea Walford and the Paper Crafters Library for your video tutorial with great tips on how to use this die.

The decorative band is embossed using the Big Shot and SU's Finial Press embossing folder, sponged with Cherry Cobler die ink, and then the pad was scraped across the top of the embossed image. Even the half scallop under the flap and the banner are part of this die. The LOVE note was created using My Digital Studio (MDS) with the "Filled with Love" download, and printed on my Brother inkjet printer on Whisper White cs.

As I get time, I will be playing with this die and posting some new projects.

Happy Stamping,

Marge