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:

Hey, What's Goin' On? ... What's goin' on?

 What's been goin' on?  

A new catalog and tons of new colors! That's what's been going on!

It's true, the new Annual Catalog for 2023 -2024 was released on May 2nd.  The five new InColors were released along with several new colors.  To make room for all these new colors, some of the older colors were retired.  

The new InColors are: Copper Clay, Wild Wheat, Boho Blue, Moody Mauve, and Pebbled Path.

The new Brights colors are: Lemon Lime Twist and Berry Burst (both returning) and Azure Afternoon (new).

The new Neutrals colors are: Misty Moonlight (returning) and Pecan Pie (new).

The new Regals colors are: Pretty Peacock and Blueberry Bushel (both returning).

The new Subtles colors are: Lost Lagoon and Fresh Freesia (both returning) and Lemon Lime and Bubble Bath (both are new).

The New catalog contains several stamp sets and bundles that were carried over from the previous Annual and Mini catalogs.  One of my favorites is the Playing in the Rain stamp set (Page 60 Annual Catalog 2023-2034).  Below I've used this stamp set along with some of the new InColors to create the card below:

To create the "Happy" words I used a stamp from the Biggest Wish stamp set (Page  53 Annual Catalog 2023-2034) with the colors: Moody Mauve, Boho Blue, Lemon Lime, and Copper Clay.  The word "birthday" is from the same stamp set using Early Espresso ink. The Happy Rabbit is from the Playing in the Rain stamp set.  The card is a great combination of the old Annual Catalog and the New one!

Some of the other cards I made using this same stamp set and the Designer Series Paper (now discontinued) are below:

I have a few packages of the Playing in the Rain Designer Paper so for those who purchase the Playing in the Rain stamp set from me during the month of May, I will send you a FREE set of 6" X 6" sheets from the DSP pack, as a Thank You! (They will be given until supply is no longer unavailable. Place your order ASAP!)

Another card I completed uses the returning Lemon Lime ink and card stock along with the "Sweet Citrus" stamp set and dies (also carried over from the previous mini catalog).

The new Annual Catalog brings introduces several new crafting supplies for us to use...but we can still use the ones on our shelves.  Share with me your ideas of blending the old and new in creating something new!  Post them on my Facebook page, Creating Treasures with Janice, and you'll receive a special gift from me as a Thank you.

Remember you can earn free products when using the month's Hostess Code: G4D4XRXG (also shown above) when placing your May online order.  This month's gift will be a package of the Basic White Jewels.  These are perfect for every card, especially when you color them with your Stampin' Up!© Markers!  Please remember that Customer Service can help you with placing on line orders and with using Hostess Codes.

Remember to ask me about joining my TEAM!  It's a great way to not only receive great products as part of your Starter Kit, but also to receive 20% off all your future orders.  There's no requirements for selling, parties, or even purchasing more after your Starter Kit.  You can email me at: CreatingTreasures123@gmail.com for more information.

--  Janice

Thank You Card Blog With the Bertucci's -- March 2023

 SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

Doesn't it seem we were just celebrating a new year arrival and now it's SPRING!

Of course there's some of you that are still feeling the effects of winter, but here on the Florida's Gulf Coast, it's definitely Spring...temps in the 80's most days.  Although I've lived here over 35 years, I still am never ready to see the cool weather leave and the hot weather return.  So I'm enjoying SPRING!

I do love seeing all the flowers blooming gorgeous colors and the green leaves on our trees.  And I am excited to create cards showing off the lovely Spring colors and flowers.  I'm sure there are many examples throughout this blog hop.  

This Blog Hop is created through the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Training Program provided by Bruno and Kylie Bertucci.  We, Demonstrators, participate in 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.  We really appreciate your support. The blog hop presents beautiful stamping ideas and creative inspiration from over 30 Stampin' Up! International Demonstrators.

In this blog hop, you will see cards made using not only the products in our 2022 - 2023 Annual Catalog and January - April 2023 Mini Catalog, but also cards showcasing new products just released at the beginning of March such as the new Bundle: Irresistible Florals and products from our new ONLINE Exclusive Collection.

Below you will see my card using the Irresistible Florals Bundle.  If you would like instructions for the Book Card, please sign up for my newsletter. Everyone signed up by March 30 will receive an email with the instructions.

The card above includes the circle formed with the die from the Irresistible Florals Bundle.  I just love the tiny circles that are placed on the thin circle lines.  This special cut adds interest to any paper that is placed underneath.  In this case, I used some floral paper that coordinates with the card stock.  The "book card fold" style focuses on the beautiful colors of the flowers.  The beautiful simplicity of the die provides unlimited uses including birthday, thank you, holiday, or wedding, etc.

The card below was made using the same bundle!  The stamp set includes beautiful flowers which can be stamped and then cut out with the dies.  And there's coordinating Designer Paper which includes the green leaves one shown below.  And if that's not enough, there's flower paper which can be fussy cut (as I did in creating the card below) or cut you can use the dies! So many options!

Thank you for visiting my blog. Make sure you check the new stamps and dies that were released at the beginning of March.   

For more beautiful cards using various products from Stampin' Up!©, be sure to visit the blogs listed below.  And please leave comments, we Demonstrators appreciate them.