New Toys

Happy Monday everyone! I just got another Stampin' Up! package in the mail today with lots of fun new toys! I am in the holiday spirit trying to get ready for Saturday. So be on the lookout in the new next couple weeks for how to use non-Christmas stamps for your Christmas cards, and how to use your Christmas stamps outside of the holiday season. I'm all about getting more bang for your buck so I love finding new ways to use the same thing. Getting bored with your stamp set? Leave a comment with the name of your stamp set and let's see if we can't find some new ways to use it!

Online Spectacular!

I just wanted to let everyone know about an amazing shopping opportunity coming up! Each year, Stampin' Up! has what the call their Online Spectacular! To be honest, I haven't exactly heard a lot about it. Apparently they have some amazing sales and deals online for one day only. Nobody knows (not even us demonstrators) what is going to happen until that day. So prepare yourselves for November 22 and go check out what all the buzz is about!

Christmas Shopping Party

One of the challenges of living on a small base overseas is the lack of merchandise available. Other than a small selection at our BX, the majority of our shopping is done online. That is especially true come Christmas time. Some very clever ladies here on base though have put together a wonderful event that I am so glad I get to be a part of! Check out a clipping of our invite below:

Tired of doing all your Christmas shopping online and not being able to touch anything or ask any questions?  Come check out our party where we’ll have seven different vendors set up with sample merchandise and available to provide answers.  We will even have wish lists for you to fill out complete with ordering instructions you can take home to make Christmas shopping easier for your spouse.   Enter your name into our drawing and be one of our lucky prize winners.  We’ll be drawing a winner every 15 minutes!!! 

This is going to be a great event. So if you are in the Incirlik area, come on by! It will be
Saturday, November 13th from 2:30-5:00 at the Community Center.

At my table you will not only be able to look through catalogs and products, but you will also be able to sit down and make a quick and easy project like one of these three cards below!

 

If you're lucky enough to win one my door prize drawings your can expect to win a couple of the goodies below plus more!

Place an order as part of my Holiday Shopping Spree Workshop and get a free goody bag, perfect for stocking stuffers! Can't make it to workshop but still want to place an order? Contact me at adrienneadams@ymail.com and I'll walk you through the process! Happy Holidays everyone!!

Tempting Turquoise Trio

I love this color so much that I wanted to make a couple cards that really featured it well. I love using black and white or other neutral colors to really make my solo color pop.  Have a favorite color? Try letting it be the star like this Tempting Turquoise Trio below.

Supplies Used:
Paper: basic black, whisper white, and tempting turquoise cardstock,
            tempting turquoise designer series paper

Stamp Sets: Always, Afterthoughts

Ink: basic black, tempting turquoise

Other: Two Step Bird Punch, tempting turquoise brads (black brad from my own stash),
             basic black 3/8" taffeta ribbon

What Inspires You

One of the comments I hear the most in my classes is "I'm just not creative enough." Well I just don't believe it. We all have areas of creativity. For some it is painting; for others it is gardening. You may be a creative baker or have a creative parenting style. We are each inspired by different things. So if card-making or scrapbooking is something you'd like to do, but you fear you're not creative enough....go ahead and try it. You may surprise yourself. Just channel what inspires you into your project. If you love to paint, you may love to try filling in our stamped images with our watercolor crayons. If nature inspires you, play around with the colors of your garden or the fall foliage of the trees. If the kitchen is where your creativity flies, try creating some cute little boxes and bags to hand out your cookies and cupcakes in. Let your kids be your inspiration by scarpbooking that cherished photo of them. Inspiration is all around us, let that guide your creativity. And if all else fails, then do what I do when I hit a creative block.....CASE a project! CASE stands for Copy And Share Everything! There are so many talented artists out there who love to share what they do as much as I do. If you see a project you like, go ahead and copy it! Tweak it to fit your personal style. Use your favorite colors or go with a cupcake theme instead of flowers. It's up to you! Just don't let your fear keep you from trying something new that you may end up loving! And for all my personal customers out there, I'm here to help you too! Can only think of one way to use that favorite stamp set or punch you have? Let me know and I'll send you more ideas and help you find some inspirations of your own. So what inspires you? I want to know!

Two-Step, Too Easy!

Here's a little something I made long ago at one of my mom's clubs. It features a little of that two-step stampin' I showed you yesterday. 

 

And in case you need a little more inspirations check out these cards by some very talented stampers.

by Carrie Arsenault

by Lisa Martz

Let me know what your favorite stamp set for two-step stampin' is in the comment section below!

Two-Step Stampin'

 No, that's not a dance. 

It's what's going to be featured today in my first ever

Technique Tuesday! 

For the first Tuesday of every month I will show you a new technique. 

Eventually I these will be video techniques, but baby steps people....baby steps. 

So for today I will show you one of the first techniques I learned many many years ago. It is so simple! 

I lifted the instructions and pictures for this right off the Stampin' Up! website. Maybe tomorrow I will show you a project that I made myself using this same technique, but I ran out of time today.

So here it goes: Two-Step Stampin'

Technique A: Two-Step Stampin'
1]   Stamp the base image.
2]   Position and stamp the overlay or adjoining image.

 Technique B: Repetition (Stamping Off)
1]   Ink a stamp.
2]   Stamp the image.
3]   Restamp the image one or more times without re-inking it. This technique is a great way to get several shades of color from a single ink pad.


 


 QUICK TIP
Use lighter ink for the base image and darker ink for the overlying image.

NaBloPoMo

So apparently November is National Blog Posting Month. I am going to do my best to post a little something everyday, even if it is just to say hi. I do have some exciting things planed for this month, like video technique demonstrations, a top 5 or top 10 list every Thursday, and Friday's Feature where I show off, answer questions, and demonstrate one particular tool, stamp set, accessory, etc.  (Wow, that was a very long run-on.) So keep checking back in! I'll be showcasing lots of cards and decor to get us ready for the holidays!