I got back from a short trip to Florida last week and when I got back to Illinois it was cold and rainy and the river that usually sits 250 yards behind my house was now just 1 or 2 yards from my house. It wasn't fun but we kept the water out of the house this time!
2 days after I got back I had the pleasure of stamping with some of my favorite stampers and show them how to watercolor with the stamp set Waterfront. This stamp set was designed by Connie Heisey who has sold over 1 Million dollars with Stampin' Up! I love the set she designed its so versatile.
When I posted my projects to Instagram and my business facebook page over at Create With M.E. (follow me on either of these social medias by clicking on the links here to see more watercoloring projects) I had several ladies mention that they would like to know how I completed the projects I showed. Also a few of the ladies were unable to attend our club and want to see how it was accomplished so I made a video to show you how. After the video you can click on any of the links below to purchase your set or supplies to make your watercolor card using the Waterfront Stamp Set.
Let's just be transparent for a minute. I LOVE what I do. I LOVE making cards. Do I LOVE mailing them? Not so much. It's not that I really don't love doing it I just don't do it. Okay! Not really okay but I am just stating a fact. I always feel like I am running in circles doing something and it just doesn't get done. So today I am finally trying to do some unwinding on a vacation (near the beach hence the shells in my picture) but I have two beautiful nieces back "home" that have birthday's. So Alicia and Josie here is your virtual birthday card just know I am thinking of you and LOVE you more than you will EVER know. But now I need to tell these good people who took time out of their day to visit my blog some tricks I did on your virtual card. :)
This was one of the cards we did in my Forget-Me-Not Card Keeper class at the first of the month. We focused on Birthday cards to get restocked for the beginning of the year. This card uses the Birthday Blast Bundle which means it's a stamp set and a die set together and the best part, at a discount! Yep 10% off. #144716 if you like clear mount or #144715 wood mount. You can click on the links below to buy it right away.
I have a tip for you so that when you go to make this card it's perfect. It is a pretty quick and easy card but getting the cardstock piece you cut with the Star Blast Edgelit die is a little non-intuitive. I had a friend say she messed around for a couple hours trying to figure it out. I never want you to have to do that! So here is the secret. The Whisper White layer is 3 3/4" wide. even though I want the edgelit piece to be the same size I cut the Cucumber Crush Green cardstock piece at 4 1/4" so that when I went to layer it on top of my stamped image from the Birthday Blast set I could layer exactly where I wanted so I did not have to use a stamp position-er such as a Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp I could just do my usual "eye-ball" stamping and then lay the cardstock cut out over it and adhere with some Tombo liquid adhesive and trim to match the Whisper White layer! Perfect!
I love this card it's bright and just screams "Let's Celebrate Your Birthday!" It could be good for a youth or an adult, male or female with very few changes. Maybe just a minor color change from Melon Mambo to maybe Pacific Point or Dapper Denim. Both of those would be good choices for the boy's or men in your life.
So Happy Birthday to two of my very special Nieces from Aunt Mary who is posting this card for you! I LOVE you to the Moon and Back!
The Stampin' Up! Catalog is chock full of wonderful ideas. This is why it's called the IDEA BOOK! The card I am showcasing today is pulled right from this great IDEA BOOK without any changes.
I love everything about it. The colors are fun and bright. The stamp is perfect for fall and it's super easy to put together. Why change it? Hence the term CASE (Copy And Share Everything!) I've also heard it as Copy and Steal everything but I'm not really stealing it since Stampin' Up! encourages us to CASE ideas from their IDEA BOOK all the time. I have always, always been someone who rather give than receive. I love to share, I always have and that is what I love MOST about my job. So I will go with Copy And Share Everything. The people I tend to surround myself with are so free and willing to share just like I am! If this was a cut throat, kill or be killed job I wouldn't be doing it. Not my thAng! Not in my make-up!
One of the tips you can view in my video below is how to make a stamping, or better yet, a punch template for the Acorn Builders Punch. Check it out, it's less than 2 minutes! Lots of time to practice making your own template.
All products used are in the Product List below, feel free to click on each product to get more details or to order. I will be releasing a new Shop with M.E. FREE Product Incentive Program soon but you can take advantage now. Here are the basics, If you place a $40.00 online order using the hostess code: QJDHHVMK You will receive FREE product at the end of the month mailed to your home along with some great project kits. Full details coming soon but you can still take advantage of this offer for October. When you use this code when checking out you can order anything you like and it will ship directly to your home. The FREE product and Project Kits will ship to you from M.E. at the end of the month. The amount of FREE product is determined by the number of orders placed using this code. Make sure you allow me to contact you (do not click on NO contact or I will not have your mailing information and can not send you your FREE items. Thank You for Shopping with M.E. today.
What I really love about Stamping is how easy it allows me to watercolor and it looks so good. It's not because of me, it's because of the stamp! I know a lot of folks say "OH NO, I can not watercolor" but with Stampin' Up! the stamps tell you where to watercolor. Seriously the stamps speak to you. No, I am not a stamp whisperer! Anyone can do this! Read on...
The stamped images (at least the ones I lean toward) have hashmarks right on the stamp so you know where to make it darker. Look at this image below to see what I am talking about. Not only does the concept artist show where on the basket should be darker they also show where the basket will be casting a shadow so you can know where your light source is coming from.
Then if you want to step it up to the next level keep reading. This is fun, but totally not necessary, to have success. If you imagine light coming in a window and shining on your image whatever it may be (a barrel in my case) then you know where to keep the coloring light. Think of anywhere something hangs over something else then it will be shadowing hence darker color is needed.
Give it a try I believe anyone can be successful watercoloring using Stampin' Up! stamps. If you want to order the Basket of Wishes the supply list is below. If you already own it and just want to see what colors I used check out the product guide to see all the supplies used.
Again I have a "Quickie Create With M.E." video for you to watch. It's only 2 minutes which remember, gives you more time to create, play and stamp!
Deer season has started in our other home business. My family and I own and run a deer processing business here in Central Illinois. River Bend Wild Game & Sausage Co. We have been in business for almost 25 years and I do love the hunters they are so awesome and you get used to the deer, you really do but I seriously love them on this card much, much more. Who wouldn't right?! We have a mother and her twins in our back woods almost every summer and I LOVE watching them. They are beautiful animals so I really enjoyed coloring this card. So, on with the card and it's details
This card uses a simple mask cut with the Layering Oval Framelits. Stamp your images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I love this black ink and use it almost exclusively as my all around favorite black. It works great with the blender pen and various inks, not to mention it gives a nice crisp black line when stamping.
I like using the blender pen when I need to make things a little more precise and a little lighter/softer in color than using the Stampin' Write markers directly. I like to pick up the ink from the lids of my ink pads. You can see this in the video below. Check back Monday to see how to use the Aqua Painter to give a different look to your coloring. I will be showing a Basket of Wishes card and video.
I love this easy making technique when you just want to highlight something and using the sponging gives it a layered look without the bulk layers of paper.
Take a look at this Quickie Create With M.E. video showing how to put this card together and remember this fun fast video is just 2 minutes which leaves you more time to stamp. If you have questions on how I did something or need more clarification please feel free to contact me.
Take advantage of this paper special this month click on the image above to shop now. Get ready for your Christmas cards! Use hostess code: QJDHHVMK when checking out and I will send you a goodie in the mail. Please do not use the hostess code if you order is $150 or more so you can get your hostess benefits. Make sure you do not click on the No Contact or I won't know where to send your goodies.
Click on the links below the video to see the products used on the "In the Meadow" card and to place your order.
Monday was our first annual Ultimate Pink Blog Hop in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. I participated with this fun project. I was so inspired by so many of the blog hoppers. This one in particular stood out to me by Jennifer Blomquist and I knew I wanted to show the versatility of this fun Christmas set. Here are the cards I designed.
I just love this little bear. I found out that He/She really looks best if you do not punch him with the cookie cutter punch. You can but you lose a little of the bigger face so I like just stamping it without punching it out.
We did this cards in class tonight. The ladies agreed that these cards really didn't need to be for a baby. A young child or even an adult would like this card. Who doesn't love a teddy bear? I know I still have my favorite!
Here is each card individually for a better look. I also did a quickie video for you.
This one uses Melon Mambo and Blushing Bride.
This one uses Marina Mist and Soft Sky for the color palette.
Click on the links below to see the products used and to place your order.
Use hostess code: QJDHHVMK when checking out and I will send you a goodie in the mail. Please do not use the hostess code if you order is $150 or more so you can get your hostess benefits. Make sure you do not click on the No Contact or I won't know where to send your goodies.
Time for our annual paper stock up sale. Click on the Image to shop
I will preface this post with the fact that I was not the designer of this card, the minute I saw it I absolutely loved it. You see I am a big bird lover! Just look at my blog header to see how I love the birds. I feed the birds and I love to watch the birds so this card was love at first sight. The design credit goes to Jo Anne Hewins over at Luv 2 Create. Thanks Jo Anne for sharing your talent with all of us!
Look at how cute that little red bird is showing off how she has decorated her home for the holidays! He He
We love to decorate for the holidays and she (my little red birdie) is no different.
I just love this little bird from the Birds & Blooms thinlits it was on my very first New Catalog order. No Questions about it.
I have made a fun quickie video again so you don't to waste too much time watching and that means more time creating. It will give a fun way to see how it's put together. I would love to get your feedback on what you think of this holiday card. Leave M.E. some love in the comment section!
If you are reading this in your email click on this link to view the video: Click Here. If you want to know how to get this in your email click on my subscribe button and get a notification when i post to my blog. Don't miss a thing and remember I would love to get your feedback in the comments.
All the Products I used are listed below my video. Click on the pictures to get more details or to order. Thank you for coming to Create With M.E. today!
When I saw this card idea from my friend Susie Wood I totally fell in love with it! Such a clever idea on how it's assembled so I thought I would share with you the details on how it all comes together.
There are a few different cuts on this card so here are my measurements:
Use the Stampin' Trimmer to make perfect cuts every time.
Cardstock pieces are as follows:
Real Red: (1) 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (1) 11" x 2 1/8" (1) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Whisper White: (1) 2" x 5 1/4", (1) 2" circle
Crumb Cake: (1) 1 3/4" x 5 1/4", (1) 2 1/4" x 2 1/4"
Designer Series Paper: (1) 2" x 5 1/4"
Scrap of Garden Green for stamping bow and punching out.
It's fun how it opens up just half of the card with a fun "diamond" shaped piece on the front for your message and design. All the products I used to create this card are listed below.
You can view my video for a quick "how to" for assembly. Click here to view video if you are reading in your email. (Subscribe on my blog to get my posts delivered to your inbox so you never miss a thing!)
The minute I saw this card that The Pampered Stamper created for one of her classes I knew I had to recreate it and I knew others would want it too so that is when I decided that my biweekly Coffee Class was the perfect place to have others create it. It was a huge hit! Thanks Jackie for sharing your design with us.
Here is my version:
So much fun to put together. I am totally in love with the Thoughtful Branches Bundle. I am so sad that it's only available while supplies last so if you have not gotten it yet I am not sure why but click on the links below to purchase yours before they are gone then come back to finish reading about this card!
Phew OK so you have gotten your bundle now lets talk about how to complete this card. I made my hedgehog on an oval body cut from Crumb Cake Paper and the Layered Oval Framelits. I punched my ears from the Festive Flower Builders punch I used the medium size "petal" and cut it in half for the ears. I attached them to the oval and then layered the branchy part of the Thoughtful branches (I trimmed off the trunk of the tree) I popped it up on Dimensionals. I layered all of that on a sponged Circle that I cut from the Layered Circle Framelits.
Punch a heart from Crumb Cake for the "hogs" face and layer it upside down. Punch eyes from the Owl punch and decorate with the Chalk marker. add the nose and voila you have your "hog" ready to mount on the card. Just cut your 1/2" circle in half and attach them as shown for your feet. Aw isn't he/she adorable?! Mine is a boy. Just Sayin'
If you needed to see the full instructions and see how easy it was before picking up your supplies then now is the time to make a few purchases to show your love to me and to all those recipients of this awesome card you too are going to recreate! Shoo-Shoo, go shop, be happy, but most of all...
Thoughtful Branches, not to be confused with Thoughtful Banners, is a new set/bundle from Stampin' Up! that was just released August 2nd and only available while supplies last or the end of August whichever comes first. Did you hear that? Less than 30 days to pick yours up!
I can not get enough of this bundle. It seriously meets so many of my creative seasonal needs. Fall, Winter, Christmas and yes even summer! I have created beautiful, colorful hydrangeas all the way to Christmas Trees and winter branches.
I was recently in a few swaps where I received some really beautiful ideas using this set. Here is a collage showing just a few cards but what I wanted to showcase was the variety of this bundle. I give credit to the designers. Terri Gaines, Kim Peck, Deb Snyder and LIsa Lange. Thank you ladies for sharing your talents.
You NEED this Set and Dies! Click on the pictures below to get more details or to order now. I will be sharing more ideas this month so get your set so you can be ready for all the ideas that will be coming.
My name is Mary Ellen (M.E.) Stites, I LOVE what I do and I LOVE sharing it with others at classes, in-home workshops, and online.
I have been married for 33 years to my best friend Chuck. I am the mother of 4 wonderful children. 2 boys and 2 girls 30, 26, 24, and 18 years old.
I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator since 2003 and have no plans to stop! Stampin' Up! is cutting edge in the Memory Keeping and Stamping industry and I only want to present the best to my customers!
Stamp Woman
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