procrastistamper: September 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013

Christmas Card Club Session 1 Cards

Over the weekend I held my first session of Christmas Card Club here at my place in Colorado Springs, where we make 10 cards (2 each of 5 designs). I am holding 5 sessions this year, for a total of 50 cards. You walk away with the cards and the envelopes, ready to be mailed--and the cards are designed so they should not take any extra postage! Below is a collage of the cards we made, you can click on it to see the full-size image. I will also be featuring each card individually, so don't stress too much if you like a particular one and want to know more about it...just stay tuned :-) If you are not already, you might want to click HERE to Subscribe to my Blog by Email, so you don't miss any posts.

Christmas Star Card Instructions
Jolly Santa Card Instructions
Joyful Tidings Card Instructions
Ornament Wishes Card Instructions
Oh What Fun Card Instructions

As you can see from the picture, I am holding my Christmas Card Club Session 2 on Friday, October 18th, and again on Saturday, October 19th. The same 10 cards will be made each of those days, they are just offered at two separate times for your scheduling convenience. Check my Events Calendar for the dates of the other 3 Christmas Card Club Sessions. Each class is $20, but if you sign up and prepay for the remaining 4 Sessions no later than October 19th, you get a $5 discount, plus some special BONUSES at each Session!!!

UPDATE: I have added about 14 more names to the blog list, so if you are a winner in the US you could get OVER $150 in FREE Stampin' Up! Product of your choice, when you enter the LNS 2013 Fall Treasure Hunt. Hey--you could make a LOT of Christmas Cards with that haul!!! And don't stop looking at the blogs once you have compiled your 50 answers, because many of the blogs on the list (like mine) are offering their own individual prizes on their Clue post :-)

~Kimberley Morris Colorado Springs, CO
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
procrastistamper@gmail.com
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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Bitty Butterfly & Elegant Butterfly Punch Bats

There has been an idea running around about how to use the Bitty Butterfly Punch and the Elegant Butterfly Punch to make bats. However, I have only seen it done using additional punches. So, I am going to share a quick tip on how to make the bats using only each butterfly punch itself. That's how I made the bats on the card below--this is literally a two minute card, very easy:

The rest is just some pictures, showing how to do this. I basically just punched out a butterfly, then put a dab of SNAIL adhesive of the back, tacked that to the edge of some scratch paper, and punched parts off the bottom of the punched pieces. Check out the pictures below to see where to line up your punch to take the "bite" out of the punched piece. If you don't punch enough, no worries--just slide it back down into the punch and "bite" off a little more :-)

You can see on the butterfly above, you actually want to cut up into the upper wing area just a little bit. For the butterfly below, you'll want to come in just right under the wings. Remember, take another "bite" with the punch if you didn't trim off quite enough the first time. I actually took a second tiny bite with this smaller butterfly to get the look I wanted.

DON'T FORGET...you can get the Bitty Butterfly Punch at 15% OFF through September 30, 2013 when you order it bundled with the Papillion Potpourri stamp set (get the bundle with either the wood-mount stamp set or the clear-mount stamp set).

Monday, September 23, 2013

September Workshop of the Week #1 Projects

If you have been following my blog for a little while, you may remember that in July, I excitedly announced a new program I called Workshop of the Week. Not long after that announcement, my computer and my internet service made it clear that they were unwilling participants. I believe I have finally met the computer's demands, and the internet gods (that's what they act like they are, anyway) have committed to bestow favor upon us, starting Wednesday night. That's my way of saying that my original plans for ~~world domination~~ weekly workshop videos, should finally come together in time to start anew in October! YAYYY!!!

I do believe I should have a Workshop Video up for you after Wednesday, but in the meantime, I want to show you pictures of the projects we made at my FREE Open Workshop last week. My Workshops are always free, and if you check my Event Calendar, you'll see I do my best to offer at least one in my Colorado Springs home every month. If you are local, I can bring the Workshop to YOUR home, if that's more convenient for you and your guests! I try to show 3 to 4 projects at each Workshop, and the first one is usually some kind of 3D project like the Happy Lollipop Cover below. This sample features the Apothecary Accents Framelits and the Yippee-Skippee stamp set (available in wood-mount or clear-mount). To give you an idea of size, it covers a Caramel Apple Lollipop:

Inks used are 2013-15 In Color Marker Assortment + VersaMark Pad

Below is another project I demonstrated. Guests got to make this card and take it home with an envelope...FREE...and ready to mail :-) It features the Papillion Potpourri stamp set and the Bitty Butterfly Punch, which are 15% OFF when purchased together through September 30, 2013 (BUNDLE available with wood-mount stamp set, or clear-mount stamp set). FYI: the Elegant Butterfly Punch coordinates with the larger butterflies in the set, and I have a trick to show you with that punch tomorrow, so you are going to need that one, too (trust me)!

Inks are Coastal Cabana, Crisp Canteloupe, and Baked Brown Sugar, on Naturals White CS

The project below was also one which I demonstrated, and then allowed guests to make and take home. It features the Timeless Talk stamp set (available in wood-mount or clear-mount), Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper, and the Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder. You will want to make sure you have some Stampin' Sponges, and the Marina Mist Stampin' Pad, to get your Soft Sky card stock to the right shade, which will draw the entire card together.

Basic Gray and Marina Mist are the only two inks needed for this one!

This last project below is my favorite, and is made super simple through the coordination of the Autumn Accents Bigz Die and the Wonderfall stamp set (wood-mount or clear-mount). For the sake of time, this project was another one that I just demonstrated for show, like the lollipop cover. I used the Woodgrain background stamp (wood-mount or clear-mount) on this project, though you could substitute the Woodgrain Embossing Folder (either inked or uninked) if you prefer more physical texture in the background.

I am in LOVE with these colors: Raspberry Ripple, Cajun Craze, and Soft Suede, on Crumb Cake CS

For the month of September 2013, when you place an Online Order using my HOSTESS CODE PN6D3BM3, your purchases* can qualify you for the following:

September 2013 Hostess Code Benefits:

BONUS for a $50 Order using the monthly Hostess Code (PDFs with Supplies and Instructions for ALL 4 Workshop Projects)
BONUS for a $75 Order using the monthly Hostess Code (PDFs + one finished sample of each Workshop Project--mailed flat)
BONUS for a $100 Order using the Monthly Hostess Code (PDFs + finished samples + project prep pieces for each Workshop Project)
BONUS for a $150+ Order using the Monthly Hostess Code (all of the above + $25 in FREE PRODUCT of your Choice!)
*Bonuses are based on purchase amounts of product only, prior to tax or shipping.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

September 2013 Paper Pumpkin Deadline: September 10th

Yep, it's Paper Pumpkin time again! My cat Gizmo is pawing my leg again to get me to remind you that if you don't get signed up by 11:59pm MT on September 10th, you are gonna miss out for September!!! (yes, I am milking this picture for all it's worth...mostly because Gizmo usually runs away when I point a camera at her, and this picture looks like she actually posed for it!)

Your Paper Pumpkin Kit comes with everything you need to make your projects, except glue...and many of the pieces are self-adhesive. The first month, you will get the Welcome Kit, which includes the acrylic block you'll use for the stamps that come in each kit. You may be interested to know that I've been growing a Paper Pumpkin Pinterest Board for you, to show you the fun alternate layouts and projects you might like to create with your kit(s)! I try to focus on samples which use only the contents of the kit(s), or very few extras.

Just hop on over to MyPaperPumpkin.com to see more FAQs about the program itself, and/or to JOIN. It's only $19.95 per month including shipping, and you can skip any month you want, or cancel at any time--no contract, no obligation. (FYI: you will always get the Welcome Kit the first month you take shipment of a kit, but if you let me know by 10pm MT on the ordering deadline on the 10th, you can purchase the unique monthly kit from me in addition to your Welcome Kit!!!)

And don't forget to check HERE to see my personal bonuses and offers, when you choose me (Kimberley Morris, Colorado Springs, CO) as your Paper Pumpkin Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!

Friday, September 6, 2013

UNDEFINED Stamp Carving Kit by Stampin' Up!

Wow, last weekend was a crazy weekend--we took the kids, and one of their mattresses on the roof of the van (just the mattress on the roof, no kids) and drove them over to college. The drive usually takes about 6 hours, but I'm pretty sure it took us at least 8 hours this time. Along the way we go through two mountain passes, and I was convinced the mattress was going to fly off the top of the van, into a car behind us, until we battened down the hatches with an extra 100 feet of cord, plus a tarp for good measure, at about the halfway point (distance-wise) of the trip. The last half of the distance of the trip took WAYYYYY less time than the first half, because we weren't stopping every 15 minutes because of my flying mattress paranoia! I had also taken my laptop along, thinking that I'd be able to post over the weekend, but the kids kept us plenty busy...so here I am, better late than never ;-)

First, I regret to inform you that I failed to take a picture of my UNDEFINED Stamp Carving Kit before I used it. What can I say? When inspiration strikes, sometimes it's like a freight train that you better just jump aboard because it will run you over if you try to stop and hold it til later. So, here is a picture of the "guts" of the kit, courtesy of my ONLINE STORE. The kit comes in a gender neutral lovely heavy-duty black box, which is perfect for storage, but also makes this product ideal for gift-giving! At the top left of this pic is the inside of the box top, which shows the little pocket that holds an illustrated instruction booklet. This pocket also holds the 3 postcards you see just below that, as well as the sample image template sheet you see in the lower right corner of the pic. The image to the right of the postcards is simply the outside of the box top. At the top right, you will see the marker that is included in the kit, just above the 3"x4" gray sheet of carving rubber, and the 3"x4" sheet of self-adhesive mounting foam in the kit. At the bottom left, the four wood blocks in the kit are pictured, and to the right of them, you'll see the two carving tools (one narrow tip, one wide tip):

Before we go too much further, I want to make sure you know that you can also get the UNDEFINED Refill Kit, which contains only the rubber, foam, and the 4 wood blocks. So, make sure you get the UNDEFINED Stamp Carving Kit *first* so you will have the tools, then get the UNDEFINED Refill Kit when you are ready to make more stamps :-) My computer video card is failing, so for now I will share Stampin' Up!'s video of the carving demonstration from our 2013 Convention in July, instead of sharing one of my own. There is definitely a little bit more finesse needed for carving more complicated images, but it's still the same simple process:

Like I said, I got a creative wild hair and just dug right in, making a set of 4 coordinating stamps at my first sitting. I created them expressly for the purpose of using them alongside the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set (available in wood-mount or clear-mount). My very first project was a card I made for my daughter's 19th birthday, on August 29th. She actually took the card to college with her, so I had to try and recreate it from memory. You will see my set of 4 hand-carved stamps around her card in the picture below.

I could not resist using the skull design from the Witches' Brew Washi Tape set, and writing a note inside to mock her for being SOOOO old now ;-) Yikes, I guess that makes me a dinosaur :-O And I thought the gray-striped design from the Epic Day Washi Tape set was the perfect complement to the skulls, and the informal "painted" design of the card. Of course, after this past weekend, I now have an idea for a hand-carved change of address stamp set...involving a van and a mattress flailing around on top...!

COPYRIGHTS & FINE PRINT

Please respect the time and effort put into the creation of this blog and the stamping ideas therein, by refraining from copyright abuse of the images or text. All of the rubber stamp images are copyrighted to Stampin' Up!®, all of the photos and scans are copyrighted to me, and all of the hand stamped art is my creation, unless marked otherwise. Please do not pass off this work as your own, or copy and disseminate it for your own personal gain, such as submission for contests or publication, or fee-based classes. If you would like to share a post from my blog, please email your friends a link directly to the post you're excited about. (You can do this by clicking the envelope icon under any post.) And last but not least, if you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me!