Holiday Home

This is one of my FAVOURITE stamp sets from the Holiday Catalogue. I just love little houses :-)

This next card was cased from Cindy Schuster, who is a member of this years Stampin'Up! artisan design team.

I just love the simplicity of the card. I did change the greeting on the card to a Good Greetings Hostess set greeting,

This next card was inspired by a card by Ann Bower. The windows were created by stamping the houses with Early Espresso on So Saffron CardStock and cut out. The other colours on this card are Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Whisper White.

Digital Scrapbooking Day!

Visit my online store for more details on Digital Scrapbooking Day!

 

What is Digital Scrapbooking Day?
Digital Scrapbooking Day is officially celebrated the first Saturday in November. It was designed to remind people to set time aside to document their personal history digitally. To celebrate, Stampin’ Up! will be giving away free My Digital Studio downloads to anyone who wants them!

How will you get their free downloads?
Customers can get their downloads from your DBWS store or the Stampin’ Up! Online Store from October 29–November 5, 2012. To access the downloads they’ll need to create an online customer account if they don’t already have one.


Free 30-day trial of My Digital Studio 2

Try the MDS 2 software for FREE with the 30-day trial version. Available through my Stampin'Up! Online store.

 Why Digital?

Most of us wish we would have time to do those beautiful scrapbooks that some people do.

With Digital Scrapbooking you create everything on your computer - you add your digital photos to the pages, you can embellish them with stamps, punches, and other embellishments. Then it's up to you if you want to have them professionally printed or share them electronically! You can download individual pages on jpeg-form (most popular digital photo format) and share them with your family and friends via email.

Interested? Why not try the 30-day free trial - no obligation to continue after the trial period. Just remember to save (share) any pages you have created in JPEG form before your trial ends :-)

And you could create your own family Christmas card and either have it printed (yes, you can use the jpeg-file and print them at Staples or other similar printing place), or share them via email!

Contact me for details!

 

SPOOKTACULAR SALE - Monday October 29th! ONE DAY ONLY!

I am so excited! Stampin’ Up! is doing a one-day sale on almost all of our stamp sets! All stamps are 15% off, on Monday ONLY. Look through our catalog and let me know which sets you need for Holiday projects, or any sets that have been on your wish list. Now is the time to order them!

Here are the details:

• Starting at 12:00 AM (MT) and ending at 11:50 PM (MT), almost every stamp we sell will be 15 percent off.

This means all stamps in our current catalogues including

• Background stamps
• Personalized name stamps
• Incentive stamp sets from the supply list
• Cookie press stamps
• Single stamps

This DOES NOT include

o    Hostess sets

o    Bundled stamp sets

o    Digital stamp brush sets

 There is no minimum purchase, and no limit to the number of stamps you can order.

Stamp prices in the Online Store will be changed for October 29 only to reflect the 15 percent discount.

You can place your order through my online store or if you are from Ottawa, you can also email me your order by 8pm that evening.

New stamps added to Single Stamps - promotion!

 

MOJO Monday 264

So my 2nd digital MOJO Monday card. I have to say that creating cards digitally seems to take longer than on paper... Partly due to technical issues and partly due to the lack of stamps and DSP available on MDS2.

The base is Very Vanilla with some opaque River Rock splatters. And the 3rd colour is Bravo Burgundy.

And I haven't figured out yet if I can do textured paper.... I think I need to research this more but I find the digital cards a bit "flat". This one I tried to use more shadows to give some depth, but it's not enough. And it was extra difficult to create the banner! It works, if you have a solid background (just punch out a square and colour the punch the same colour as the back ground. But when you have paterned or various back grounds... holy smokes! I guess it took me easily 30 minutes to make the banner cut... no more banners on digital cards for me :)

So I'll still be researching and studying the MDS2, but I think I'll keep it more as a tool for my blog desing and maybe digital scrapbooking.

Halloween Card #2

This is the 2nd card we made this past Monday at the Halloween Card class.

It was also one card for my Halloween Card Buffet (so I had to keep it a secret until it was done :-)

I love the "Button Buddies" stamp set - it has a stamp for every possible occasion and you can include a button, or you can leave without.

Here is the entire set.

It's one of the set's I can warmly recommend if you are looking to buy your first set - it covers birthdays, Thanksgiving and Halloween, Christmas / Winter, Baby-cards and everything in between. Add a set of sentiments like "Teeny Tiny Wishes" or "Curly Cutes" and you are good to go.

New Items at Clearance Rack!

Stampin'Up! has added some new items to the Clearance Rack

MOJO Monday # 263

So here is the sample for this weeks MOJO. I knew even before I saw the sample, that I'd do this weeks card with MDS2 (My Digital Studio 2).

I had the first version of MDS, but had some technical issues with it and was not able to print anything - I guess something went wrong with the initial download and I never bothered to reload it.

So when Stampin'Up! was offering the free 30 day trial for the new MDS2, I went and tried it. What a great program!

I have since purchased it, used it to create my blog headers. This Halloween version is my second attempt - and I have already done a winter and Xmas ones - wait until you see the Xmas version  - it's super cool -even if I say so myself :)

So here is my MOJO263 done with My Digital Studio 2:

 

The base is Crumb Cake and the stamps and embellishments are from a designer set called "Sophisticated Spook". This set is only in Digital form.

 

I tried some different things like using two different coloured stitchings to create some pattern paper (I didn't care for any of the existing ones). I love that "stamp" of the witches profile. It's done in the similar style as the "Frightening Feline" in the Holiday Catalogue.

Halloween Card #1

Here is one of the cards we made on my this weeks Halloween class.

I used Tangerine Tango as my card stock and Gumball Green and Basic Gray for other colours.

I embossed the Spider Web and then sponged it with basic black ink.

MOJO Monday 262

Better late than never  - eh?

Here is the sketch for this weeks MOJO card.

When I saw this Storytime Designer Series Paper from Stampin'Up! I just had to have it (and I don't have any kids!). But since I've had it... I've actually stuggled to use it - I think I'm thinking it too much as a scrapbooking paper than card paper. So I challanged this week to use this paper in my MOJO card.

And I'm pretty happy with the result!

The base is Pool Party and I have also used Basic Gray in my matting. All the other papers are from Storytime Designer Series Paper set. Even the image is a part of the paper, so I didn't use a single stamp with this card!

The rosette is made with a 1" circle punch, which I covered with Sticky Strip and then I adhered Pool Party Seam Binding around it. The brad is actually 2 pieces mounted on top of each other. Base is a Designer Ribbon Slide (from Holiday Catalogue) and the top is 3/8" Designer Printed Brad (Pool Party).

Halloween card class on Monday October 15th

Here are the samples for the Halloween card class on Monday October 15th (at 7pm)
 
You'll get to make 4 cards (15 CAD), but the class (and the cards) are free, if you place an order of 20 CAD (before tax + s/h) from the current Stampin'Up! catalogues!

I'm also doing a Halloween Card Buffet (together with Birthday Card Buffet) on Saturday October 20th, starting at 1pm, if you cannot make the Monday class.

I'll probably have these 4 cards available to make also on Saturday, but also other cards.

And you can mix the 2 cards on Saturday (so make both Birthday and Halloween cards). You have 4 hours to craft and the cost is 25 cad for 10 cards.

RSVP for Monday's card class is Saturday, Oct 13th and for the Saturdays Card Buffet event I'd like to get RSVP's by Wednesday October 17th (so that I have time to prepare enough supplies).

Single Stamps now available!!!

Exiting news from Stampin'Up! this week!

And note, this offer is only valid until January 3rd, 2013!!!

They now offer individual stamps from current sentiment sets!

This is great news for you who always look at the sentiment sets, and think that there is only 1-2 stamps in the set that you'd use, and cannot justify to purchase the whole set.

So the 3 sets that are now also available in individual stamps (CLEAR MOUNT ONLY!) are:

• Word Play (p. 135 in Annual Catalogue)
• Seasonal Saying (p. 34 in Holiday Catalogue)
• Perfectly Penned (p. 132 in Annual Catalogue)

Visit my web-site (promotions) for details

It doesn't matter where you go. It's who's beside you that matters!

I just love to create Shadow Boxes!

This one is a Valentine's Day gift for my dear husband. It has pictures from the time we were dating, our "official" engagement picture from 1889 :-) and pictures from our wedding.

I used Stampin'Up! papers (then current, now retired) and some non-SU! embellishments and the display tray is from 7Gypsies (they have the BEST display trays in the industry :-)

This second one is my most recent. I used a non-Stampin'Up! background paper, but you could easily create this with Stampin'Up! products (I just happened to have a leftover piece that fitted the style of the box perfectly.

If you'd want to make this embossed look yourself - you could take a Very Vanilla Card Stock, stamp it with Versa Mark and your choise of stamp (preferably a background stamp or floral/swirly stamp) and heat emboss it with Clear Embossing powder.

So that's what my background paper was  - then I just rubbed Crumb Cake Classic Ink on it with a sponge. The darker ink you choose, the more visible will your embossing become. I wanted to keep the tone fairly light to mach the clay hearts my mom had made for us.

the story behind the hearts is this:
My mom made us these hearts (Tom & Tanja) and we were supposed to tie them together with a lock and throw the key behind the church in Tonda (Tuscany), where we got married. Well.. unfortunately one of the hearts got broken before our wedding, so we scratched that plan. Eventually my mom made us new hearts, but since I thought they were too pretty, I just wanted to put them on a display.

So I tied them together with a chain and decorated the chain with a decorative lock and key.
I mounted the hearts and lock on top of Stampin'Up! Crumb Cake Scalloped Tulle Ribbon (available on the Holiday Catalogue UNTIL January 2nd 2013)

I mounted the black&white photo on Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake Card Stock and added the metal plaque, which says "It doesn't matter where you go. It's who's beside you that matters"

Great new products available now from Stampin'Up!

CORE'DINATIONS ARE HERE!

80 lb. sandable card stock to create an antiqued, distressed, colourpopping look. Outside layers are exclusive Stampin’ Up!® colours—one side textured, one side smooth. Inside layer is a monochromatic colour. Reveal inside layer by sanding, tearing, or distressing.

NOTE! The paper is fairly fragile, so use NO tabs on your Big Shot when embossing and sand them with very light hand!
The available colours are: Early Espresso, Gumball Green (one of the new in-colours!) and Cherry Cobbler. Wonderful tones for the fall and holiday season. Try the Early Espresso with the new woodgrain embossing folder to create wood-like-texture and the Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler to mimic fall leaves!

You can find them from the current Holiday Catalogue - come try them at my September 10th Thanksgiving card class!!!

I will be using them throughout the fall - also in my Christmas classes!

MDS offer extended until September 14th

Photo by Stampin'Up!

The great offer for 31% discount on selected digital items has been continued until September 14th.

Also remember that you can download a FREE trial for the MDS 2 until the same date! Try it out and see how easy it is to create digital scrapbooks.

Check out Stampin'Up! tutorials at Youtube

You can have them printed professionally by Stampin'Up! or any other printing facitilty or you can email/save them in electronic form.

Do you ever wish that a particular stamp would be smaller or larger? with MDS 2 you can accomplish that - just print the image on the cardstock at the size you want and embellish your card like you would any other card.

visit my web-site for further information and free download for the new MDS 2!

Halloween - the strangest holiday ever...

I find Halloween always very strage time. Maybe I should explain why. Well, first of all, I don't like ghost stories or horror movies so to me the whole idea of tomb stones on our front yard seems very strage (and I won't put anything else than pumpkins and all sweet things in our yard!). Second, I'm from FInland - we don't do halloween in Finland, well, I don't think we do it in the entire European continent :-)
Actually, I have heard that some teen agers in Finland have started to have "halloween parties" but in my youth we did not do that.
What we did (and still do) is have Easter Wiches during the easter holidays. That's when kids dress up as easter wiches and go from door to door with decorated willow brances and wish good luck to the house and are given treats or money as a reward - kind of what your trick or treating in North America.

So for me to do Halloween crafts is very strange. Every year I'm getting a bit better and this year I'm determined to send out my first Halloween cards :-)

I was so excited designing my cards! I cannot wait to hear what you think of my samples
We are using these also in my Spooky Halloween card class on Monday, October 3rd (7pm - 9pm)

Fall Classes, starting with Thanks Giving and fall

I love fall!!! The cool mornings, the colours in the trees! And I LOVE crafting with fall colours. All the different yellows, oranges, greens and browns!

And crafting with Stampin' Up! colours is even better - they have so creative and tasty names :-) like: "Pumpkin Pie", Lucky Limeade", "Tangerine Tango" and you cannot live without "Crumb Cake".

For my fall class "Falling leaves and giving thanks" I wanted to use my basic fall colours "More Mustard", "Chocholate Chip", "Crumb Cake" and I had to add a bit of the InColours like "Pool Party".

In each catalogue Stampin'Up! has managed to come up with something (a paper, ribbon, fabric) that I just HAVE to have :-)
This fall's Holiday Mini has one that I just LOVE and I want to use it on everything: "Spice Cake" both the paper and the fabrics are just to die for! They carry all my favourite fall colours and they are very retro, but still very classic in style.

The Classes Are Here! The Classes Are Here!

My August Class samples

Well, I actually posted this already earlier in August on my Stampin'Up! Demonstrator web-site, but as I decided to start a separate blog and feed it to the Stampin'Up! Demonstrator Web-site, all my old posts sort of vanished :)

So, you can see my class schedule at www.tanja.stampinup.net



The way I run my classes is this:

In average, the cost of the class is 20 cad (usually 4 cards, or 2 scrapbook pages AND 2 cards). Sometimes a class might involve more work/supplies and the cost would be higher (not over 30 cad). You don't have to sign up for a set of classes, you can take the ones you like.

Here is the twist: The class (and the samples) are FREE, if you place an order of 25 cad from the current Stampin' Up! catalogues the same night! This way you don't only get the class and samples free, but also get to build on your own supplies! However, if you don't want to place an order, you pay for the regular fee.

 

 

Also, bring a new friend to class, and you get to do a second set FREE!!

So here is the schedule:

• Monday, September 12th (7pm - 9pm): Falling Leaves and Giving Thanks
• Monday, October 3rd (7pm - 9pm): Spooky Halloween!
• Monday, Noveber 7th (7pm - 9pm): Xmas Cards
• Monday, December 5th (7pm - 9pm): Last minute Christmas Gifts

Email me for details (RSVP by previous Friday!) Tanja.Neuvonen@gmail.com

 

 

Falling Leaves and Giving Thanks class teaser

So where did it all start and how did I end up with Stampin'Up!



This was my 1st Stampin'Up! card

Well, I have always been interested in all kinds of crafts, but specially in paper crafts. We did Christmas cards with my mom and we used techniques like heat embossing and stamping.


When I moved to Ottawa in 2003, I wanted to do some scrapbooking (this was something new to me then) and started by buying various card stocks and a ton of stickers. Don't get me wrong, the pages turned out great, but it was SO expensive to keep buying those stickers (and I still buy stickers!).



Then a colleague of mine asked, if I'd like to come to a "Stampin'Up!" -party. Well, why not, cannot hurt me - right?



One of my most recent projects

And that's when it all started. I LOVED the fact that the company has everything coordinated! Although it took me few parties before I really figured what I needed to get. First I bought some stamps, well... then I needed the inks, the papers, the word stamps.... you get the point :-)

But I just love how everything coordinates: shapes, colours, ribbons, buttons....

It makes it so easy but at the same time SO versitale!

So I got totally hooked on Stampin'Up! So much so, that I ended up becoming a demonstrator myself in 2010. I have been watching Stampin'Up! develop and grow these past years and I love all the new ideas and colours they come up with!. And eventhough I'm doing mostly cards, I have seen SO many beautiful scrapbook pages, mixed media projects and fabric creations done with Stampin'Up! products. You just have to let your creativity flow and most wonderful things can happen. And if you don't always get that inspiration on you own, there are so many beautiful creations and ideas on the Stampin'Up! Idea Book and Catalogue. I cannot throw the old ones out just because of that!