Be Creative Stamping

Headed to Salt Lake City!

I'm headed to Salt Lake City tomorrow for the Stampin' Up! Convention.  I can't wait until I see all my stamping friends!!  We have a total of 17 women in our group--The Simply INKcredible Sisters that will be attending!  We have so many wonderful things planned for the week--picking up the Convention Bag and Pen, Swapping/Trading Cards, wonderful Make & Takes and stamp sets (Yes, we do stamp!), Convention surprises, a Sneak Peak at the Holiday Mini (coming September 1st!), Relaxing dinners, and a little Salt Lake City shopping!

Over the next few days, I'm going to be sharing my Swaps, Bag Tags, Pillow Gifts, and 3D items that I'll be giving to my fellow stampers and friends.  I will do my best to update you once convention gets underway on Wednesday, so be sure to check back. I'll try to give you a "taste" of what's going on...especially Memento Mall!!!  For those of you who don't know what Memento Mall is...it's Stampin' Up! heaven.  Wonderful Stampin' Up! items like...a sterling charm to add to my Stampin' Up! charm bracelet, sometimes a rubber stamp or two, pens and pencils, keychains, you get the idea! Please keep in mind, that my posts will probably be brief due to exhaustion!  They do keep us busy from early in the morning until evening.

Today's post features 3 different swaps that I'm trading.  Perhaps you've seen similar cards on my blog in the past month or so. Stamp sets include...Fabulous Florets, Sail Away, and Happy Greetings...all from the Summer Mini.

 

Convention Special for this week only (July 11-17):  Place any Online Order and your name will be put into a drawing for the Birthday Bakery Stamp Set (wood mount only), Stampin' Up! Keychain (one of last year's Memento Mall items), and the handmade post-it note holder!  PLUS, I'll bring back one other surprise from Memento Mall to add to this Blog Candy.  Get started!  Click the Order Online button at the top of my blog!

I hope you find time to Be Creative today!

Last Chance List ends Today!

Today is the very LAST DAY to purchase retiring stamp sets, accessories, and Decor Elements! Here are the links to take one last look at the Stampin' Up! products that are retiring tonight at midnight.

Retiring Clear Mount Stamp Sets

Retiring Wood Mount Stamp Sets

Retiring Accessories

Retiring Decor Elements

In today's post, I'm using the Wonderful Favorites Stamp Set which will retire today.  It's available in wood mount only and has 23 family-related words in the set, such as sister, mother, and cousin. 

 Wonderful Favorites Card Recipe

Stamp Sets:  Wonderful Favorites (wood mount only #115114), Sail Away (Summer Mini, wood mount only #123013)

Ink:  Early Espresso, Marina Mist, So Saffron

Paper:  Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper (Retiring #117163)

Adhesive:  SNAIL

Punches:  Word Window (#119857), Modern Label (#119849)

Click the Order Online button at the top of my blog to order your favorite retiring Stampin' Up! products.  You'll receive a hand stamped set of my Be Creative Cards of the month.

Want a 2011-2012 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog?  Drop me an email and I'll put one in the mail to you!  For all my customers who placed an order with me this month, your catalog is in the mail!! You should receive it in a day or two.

Take Time for Yourself Today and Be Creative!

The Open Sea

By now, you're probably tired of seeing The Open Sea cards that I have been making.  I have just fallen in love with this stamp set and the coordinating Nautical Expedition Designer Series Paper!  The sailboat is one of Stampin' Up!'s a la carte stamps, Sail Away.  It's featured in the Summer Mini on page 11. Also, the Word Play stamp set works very nicely with the The Open Sea and Sail Away and seems to be appropriate for this time of year--graduation and Father's Day.

The Open Sea Card Recipe

Stamp Sets:  The Open Sea (wood mount #$123030, clear mount #123032), Sail Away (wood mount #123013), Word Play (wood mount #120308, clear mount #120651)

Ink:  Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake, Whisper White

Embellishments: Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine (#123125), Crumb Cake Seam Binding (#122332), Beveled Windowpanes (#121881)

Adhesives:  SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots

Punches:  1/16" Handheld Punch (#101227)

Big Shot:  Top Note Die (#113463)

Tips & Tidbits

• Ink the ship log (the largest stamp in the set) in Not Quite Navy and stamp the Not Quite Navy card base to create a background.
• Using Crumb Cake cardstock, roll the Top Note die through the Big Shot.  Trim the end of the Top Note shape.
• Stamp the sail boat in Early Espresso.  Using the 1/16" handheld punch, punch a hole in the top of the sail.
• Thread the Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine through the hole.  Attach Baker's Twine on the back with adhesive, so it doesn't come all the way through the hole.
• Adhere the Crumb Cake top note to the base of the Not Quite Navy base.
• Then, ink the stamp in Early Espresso again and stamp on whisper White cardstock.  Using paper snips, cut the "sails" out and attach with Stampin' Dimensionals.
• On Whisper White paper, stamp the globe in Crumb Cake and "Imagine" in Cherry Cobbler.  Adhere the stamped image to the card.
• Thread the Crumb Cake Seam Binding through the Beveled Windowpane holes.  Attach the large Beveled Windowpane (to the stamped image) with a Mini Glue Dot in each corner.
• Once adhered, take the Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine and tie little bows at each end.

Have you made your Last Chance List of must-haves?  It's not too late.  Scroll down the right sidebar and click "Specials". Then, you can click the desired image and begin browsing! Jean and I are still in North Carolina stamping with Martha and Liz.  I promise to share when I return!

I hope you'll take time to Be Creative today!