Thank You Card Blog Hop with the Bertucci's - July 2023

 Can you believe we're half way through the Year!  That's right, we have made it through half of 2023.  I can tell 2024 is racing forward as I already see 2024 calendars, day planners, and 18 month calendar books on store shelves.  Go into any craft location and you'll probably see not just sales on Spring, Summer, and Patriotic items, but Fall and Halloween items are on the shelves and priced at 40% off!  (As a big craft fair person, I actually like seeing the sales and are anxiously awaiting all Holiday items to be on the shelves!)

To help with the preparation for the next few months, I am looking over the items in my stash, shown on Clearance Rack (recently refreshed), and the new items from the Online Exclusives.  There are some great values.  For example, last month I really took advantage of the Designer Paper Sale.  One pack I've used on a few posts, the Delightfully Eclectic pack, I grabbed another pack and I'm using another page for my submission for this month's Blog Hop with Kylie and Bruno Bertucci.

Stampin' Up!©  Demonstrators from around the world participate in the Bertucci's Demonstrator Training Program Blog Hop. We, Demonstrators, learn from the training program provided by the Bertucci's to help us build a successful Stampin' Up! business and to reach some goals we have set for ourselves. 

You are invited to visit over 30 Stampin' Up! Demonstrator blogs which are showcasing "Thank You" cards they've created.  You can start here with my blog post and then jump on the links (below) to travel around the world and see the gorgeous cards created by the talented Demonstrators.  Have fun and enjoy the HOP!

As mentioned, I am using one of the sheets from the group of beautiful papers from the Delightfully Eclectic Designer Series paper pack.  I've chose the paper that looks like it's lemons with pink stripes.  I love the fresh and tangy look of this paper and using the Garden Green and Crushed Curry card stock provides the feeling of Summer.

The card is actually an angled fold card I saw on a video by Stamp with Lorraine.  The cutting is a little tricky (as in I used five sheets of card stock making the card base before it clicked!  Luckily, I love the card stock colors and know the scraps can easily be used on future projects.)

After mastering the cuts on the card base, I moved onto conquering the cuts on the DSP to make the cards correctly. It's easy to trim off where needed to make them fit.  

Beside stamping the sentiment, I decided to add a "belly" band.  A band not only helps to keep the sides flat, it also provides a place to decorate or add a sentiment. I used the So Refreshing Stamp set for the sentiment and stamped the lemon and leaves from the same set.  Finally, I added a few gems from my stash to the center of the lemon as well as a couple on the card.

Once I made a few, I realized that creating this card really wasn't difficult and gave the card a modern-design look.  I've listed the paper cuts below, if you want to give it a try.  If you'd like some cutting tips, you can contact me by leaving your email in the comments section below or by signing up for my newsletter and requesting the info.

Thanks for visiting my blog and please continue through the Blog Hop.  You'll find ideas from over 30 demonstrators from around the world.  Just click on one of the links below.  Thanks again and Keep Creating!

.. Janice

News and Specials for July 2023

THE SUMMER IS HEATING UP WITH SPECIALS FROM STAMPIN' UP! 

Before I go into all the News and Specials for July, I thought you might want to know about my travels these last six weeks.

My husband graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point (New York) in 1973.  The picture below is of Washington Hall and some of the Baracks which line the parade fields.  The area is beautiful and sits right along the Hudson River.  The 50th Graduation Reunion for my Husband's class was held at West Point towards the end of June.  We traveled there to see many of his classmates and their families.  And of course, to see how the Academy grounds have changed...expanding to not only include more cadets but also to provide more technical studies.  

We had a wonderful time and loved visiting old friends that we haven't seen in over 10 years.  They are the type of friends that you can not be with for a long time, but when you meet again, it's as if you saw them yesterday and just continue the conversations.   The few days passed too quickly and we said our farewells, knowing that we're all much older, but plan to meet for the 60th reunion.

Upon our return home, we immediately began the next celebratory occasion, our 50th Wedding Anniversary and our Disney Cruise Celebration with our kids and grandkids.  There would be 11 of us sailing for short 4 day cruise in the Bahamas.

To say the trip was glorious is an understatement.  We wanted to celebrate with family but knowing our grandchildren, the days needed to be packed with activities and it sure was! We promised to meet each night for dinner and share our day.  Until I saw some of the pictures, I didn't know all that they did!  My Husband, Wayne, and I apparently go at a much slower pace...much slower!  But the trip was all that we had hoped...memories to last a life-time for everyone.

It's been almost a week since we've returned and we're still exhausted!  So when I saw all the News and Specials being offered from Stampin' Up!© I realized that there was no slowing down.  And from what you'll see happening beginning July 6th, you'll understand.  

From July 6 to July 31, you can earn bonus rewards of $5 for every $50 you spend (not including shipping and taxes).  These bonus rewards will be sent to you via email in the form of special codes.  DON"T LOSE the Codes!  You'll be able to use them in August against whatever you purchase during that month.  So if you spend $100 during July, you'll receive 2 reward numbers for a total of $10 to spend on anything you order in August!  And what could you buy in July?  NEW ONLINE EXCLUSIVES. There's even some introductory Holiday items included.  (Giving us a taste of the Holiday Mini being released in September!)

The list just keeps growing...we have some items from the last release that are still available, but don't expect some of these new released products to last long.  Remember the Exclusives have a limited inventory and when sold out, they may not be replaced.  So even though the holidays are still months away, you'll want to order TODAY!  After all, it is Christmas in July! or at least the Holiday Movie channels are telling us (LOL). And can you really start on Holiday projects too early?

Check out the new truck and accessories including a PUNCH.  It's sure to be one of those favorites.

If all of that wasn't enough, there's a CLEARANCE RACK REFRESH!  Starting July 6th, new items are added to the Clearance Rack.  And you know how items fly off the list from there!  So make sure to check it out.

And lastly, Paper Pumpkin has a 2-day sale on their past kits and supplies.  You must be a current subscriber to participate in the sale, but you can join with just a one-month purchase and be a subscriber.  But as we all know, the holidays are coming and the September/October/November Paper Pumpkins are usually the best of the year...at least they're usually sold out well before the close day of the 10th of the month.  So why not take out a subscription?  Remember, you can postpone the kits being sent to you each month by notifying Paper Pumpkin that you're opting out for the month.  You must indicate each month that you want to opt out, but be sure to be set up to receive the September-November kits!  

And of course, there's an adorable Summer Time Paper Pumpkin kit now available through July 10th.  (See below.)

Stampin' Up! also has a new kit available, check in out on line where the Stampin' Up! kits are available.

So you can see, July is off to a great start.  So many new products, ways to save money...and speaking of saving money...

Dont'f forget you can JOIN MY TEAM as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and begin saving 20% on whatever you purchase.  There's no selling or parties required.  You simply join by paying for your Starter Kit (where you start the savings...getting more of whatever you want to fill your kit, a paper pumpkin kit and FREE SHIPPING!) then you start saving 20% thereafter.  Contact me for details regarding this month's starter kit offer and to have your questions answered.  Join the fun...get great ideas from Stampin' Up! Representatives from around the world, and SAVE 20%. PLUS -- you'll get to see the new Holiday Mini Catalog the end of July and be able to purchase in August!  The release will be in September for non-Demonstrators.  Talk about getting a jump on Holiday crafting!

So have a great July...stay in the a/c and CRAFT!

--  Janice

Thank You Card Blog Hop with the Bertucci's - June 2023

 JUNE AND THE WEATHER IS HOT!

Living in Florida has many benefits...like beautiful coasts which provide gorgeous sunsets, varieties of animals...yes, we have alligators....but we have wild boar, cougars, Red cardinals year-round, flowers that bloom in December, fish to give any fisherman the best day fishing ever, lobsters, and the list goes on.

But in June, July, August, and even part of September, the weather is just plain HOT! I remember when we first moved here (30+ years ago), I was amazed when the weatherman said that the temperature outside at 11:00 pm was 92 degrees! I was used to warm weather, but a night the coolness would provide some relieve.

So what do Floridians do during the summer...stay inside and enjoy air conditioning! And I am enjoying crafting inside.  Luckily, Stampin' Up!© has provided some beautiful Designer Paper for us to "play".  And they must have known we needed MORE papers than normal as they provided us with a 15% OFF SALE!  I am using some of the most unique, gorgeous colors, texture galore paper I've seen in years, the MASTERFULLY MADE paper collection.  A couple of the sheets from this paper pack is central for my submission for this month's Blog Hop provided by Kylie and Bruno Bertucci. 

Stampin' Up!©  Demonstrators from around the world participate in the Bertucci's Demonstrator Training Program Blog Hop. We, Demonstrators, learn from the training program provided by the Bertucci's to help us build a successful Stampin' Up! business and to reach some goals we have set for ourselves. 

You are invited to visit over 30 Stampin' Up! Demonstrator blogs which are showcasing "Thank You" cards they've created.  You can start here with my blog post and then jump on the links (below) to travel around the world and see the gorgeous cards created by the talented Demonstrators.  Have fun and enjoy the HOP!

The Masterfully Made paper pack includes colors Azure Afternoon, Berry Burst, Crushed Curry, Fresh Freesia, Lemon Lime Twist, Lemon Lolly, Lost Lagoon, Melon Mambo, Night of Navy, Pretty Peacock, Pumpkin Pie, and Sweet Sorbet.  What an abundance of color!  Some of the papers are small bits of colors that resemble pieces of flowers while others have strips of texture that resemble torn cloth from fabrics found around the world. Yes, they are definitely Masterfully Created!

For my cards, I used the new Berry Burst and the returning Pretty Peacock and Fresh Freesia colors.  But I could have used any of the colors listed above.  I chose a simple "Thanks" from the Biggest Wish stamp set.  It's used so often by many of we Demonstrators for its clarity and font style. And in attempting to focus on the beauty of the Designer Papers, I used a simple card design.  

Even the ribbon used is simple Basic White no to conflict with the abundance of colors in the paper.  Although discontinued, I used it to provided the addition of more texture which can actually be felt.  

Don't the flowers just look like they were randomly thrown in a simple pile. Or are part of a garden overwhelmed with tiny blooms.  Don't you feel like you can just reach out and feel their softness?

I used the 2023 - 2024 In Color Dots to the card top to had some color to the top of the stark white card.  But even those can't compete with the colors in the paper.

Guess by now, you know that I really like this paper pack.  But when I was going through the catalog, and I looked at the papers and they really didn't interest me.  It wasn't until I ordered a pack and opened it, that I fell in love with the pack. 

I hope that when my customers receive these cards as a Thanks for selecting me as their Stampin' Up! Demonstrator that they love the papers too. 

To see the cards made by Demonstrators around the world and their favorite papers and designs, just continue through the Blog Hop by choosing the links below.  

Enjoy and keep creating!

Thank You Card Blog Hop with the Bertucci's - May 2023

 It's marvelous May...the weather is perfect and the flowers are in bloom...

and it's time for this month's blog hop provided by Kylie and Bruno Bertucci.  Stampin' Up!©  Demonstrators from around the world participate in the Bertucci's Demonstrator Training Program Blog Hop. We, Demonstrators, use the training program provided by the Bertucci's to help us build a successful Stampin' Up! business and to reach some goals we have set for ourselves. 

You are invited to visit over 30 Stampin' Up! Demonstrator blogs which are showcasing "Thank You" cards they've created.  You can start here with my blog post and then jump on the links (below) to travel around the world and see the gorgeous cards created by the talented Demonstrators.  Have fun and enjoy the HOP!

Using the "Countryside Corners" dies from the newly released, Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog for 2023 -2034 (pages 62-63) I created several cards. The dies are part of the Countryside Inn Suite Collection.  The Collection includes the stamp set and dies (and bundle), but also gorgeous Designer Paper, along with beautiful Boho Blue (new color) ribbon.  The collection can be easily purchased with one order code; or the stamp set and dies can be purchased separately or as a bundle (saving 10%).

For my cards shown below, I did not use the DSP from the collection.  However I did use the unbelievable oval dies.  These dies separate to make several layers of solid ovals and thin strip ovals which can be used together or individually.  Cutting card stock in various colors, can help you create unique and unusual cards.  

Instead of the DSP that's part of the Collection, I opted to pull out a few sheets from the Delightfully Eclectic Designer Series Paper found on Page 129 of the new catalog. The package contains 48 sheets of paper (4 sheets of 12 double sided papers).  I used the Pretty Peacock paper which has bright pink and yellow flowers for the background. I chose the new color BUBBLE BATH (a pale pink) and an old staple, CRUSHED CURRY (a rich gold-yellow) to cut the ovals.  An additional sheet from this DSP pack containing dozens of cream flowers with black centers were fussy cut to be later added to the cards.

The sentiment "Thank You" is from the stamp set Good Feelings which is a stamp set carried over from a previous catalog and is now found on Page 33 of the new 2023-2034 Annual Catalog.  I love the simple yet fun looking font -- perfect for the dies and designer paper. 

In creating the cards, I started with Basic White card stock and stamped the sentiment slightly to the left with black ink, leaving room for flowers. Then I placed the center oval die over the sentiment and cut out the oval using my die cutting machine. 

The card base is a 5 1/2" X 4 1/4" piece of Basic White Thick card stock.  A piece of the flowered DSP size 5 1/4" X 4" was cut and glued onto the outside of the card base leaving 1/8 " white card stock showing around the edge.

Sets of the Bubble Bath ovals and sets of the Crushed Curry were cut using my cutting and embossing machine. I used the center oval and two surrounding ovals for each set. (Extra pieces can be used in the future with other cards.)

To create the card with two color ovals, I moved pieces of the thin ovals along with the center onto a silicone craft sheet (found on page 138 of the 2023  - 2024 Annual Catalog) and then glued them in place.  The craft sheet is perfect for gluing as the glue easily rubs off.  

If the card used the center oval and only one thin oval, I first glued the stamped oval onto the DSP and then glued the larger single thin oval around it.  

Fussy cut flowers were placed on the space created when stamping.  Dimensionals held the flowers onto the card. Finally, various gems from my stash were placed at various places on the cards to provide a little sparkle.

Please note that the dies are a little tricky to use.  As they are very thin, they can move easily and change the spacing so be sure to use tape to hold the dies in place.  Here's a couple more tips:  

* If you use several colors in your design, cut a set of dies in one color, then a second color, a third color, etc.  You can pull one of the slim ovals from each set to create your design. Be careful with the cut ovals.    

* Use a ruler to measure the space between each thin oval piece to assure they are equally spaced apart.  Otherwise you can have ovals that are wider/thinner on one side.

* Use removable tape or something similar to hold the die pieces in their place when moving the dies and card stock to the cutting machine.

* Once you try the dies, you'll find it's very easy to cut them.  The ovals can be layered in several ways and even cut into half or quarters to make fantastic and unusual designs.

Hope you like my cards and leave a comment below.  If you have any questions about my cards or how to place an order for the Stampin' Up! products, please email me at: creatingtreasures123@gmail.com. 

To continue to another Demonstrator's blog, use the links provided below: