A Tisket, a Tasket, an Easter Basket

Happy Easter! I am spending today with family--easter egg hunts, dinner, laughter, and games. I hope you are spending some fun family time. I made these at the retreat in a couple of hours:

Stamps: A Little Bit of Spring
Paper: Crumb Cake, Tea for Two Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla
Ink: Basic Black"
Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Petite Purse Bigz Die, 3/8" Striped Organdy Melon Mambo Ribbon, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack Flower Punch






I cut out the middle of the petite purse diecut and then scored the purse flap at 1" and tucked it inside for the bottom. I put it together upside down. Voila! a great basket!


 Happy Stamping!

 

Happy Easter!

Those bunnies from It's Spring needed to be inked up again:

Stamps: A Little Bit of Spring, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Watercolor Paper, Calypso Coral, Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: SU! Markers, Aquapainter, Sycamore Street Embellishment Pack, Finishing Edges Edgelit, Oval Framelits, Big Shot

I love watercoloring on Watercolor paper. You can really make the colors light and watery without ruining your paper. Other than that, the card is pretty straightforward- layers, layers, and layers.

Happy Stamping!


 

My Paper Pumpkin is here!

I love happy mail. I always have. Tuesday, I was surprised to find my mailbox empty. What a bummer. However, this was waiting for me in the kitchen:

My Paper Pumpkin Kit!

I needed it. A surprise, just like a birthday present, during a long week right before our only spring vacation. Middle school kids during the Ides of March. Need I go into detail? I opened the box to reveal:

What a cute note! I felt all special inside. I'm sure was squealing and smiling.

Then, the packaging--blue tissue paper with a a cute sticker to seal it!

Then, I revealed the goodness inside:

A full kit---directions, papers, die cuts, buttons, stamps, ink and a Clear Block D!! I immediately started stamping. I couldn't resist. Here's my final products:

 I plan to send them out. I just can't part with them yet. I wasn't finished with my getaway time yet. I had to organize:

I used a blank case for this stamp with the little note for a label. I hope to add more stamps to this collection as the months go on! I will certainly use it in my other projects.

Want your own?  Sign up by April 10th to get April's Kit! Go to mypaperpumpkin.com and choose me, Sara Mattson-Blume, as your demonstrator to be invited to my Paper Pumpkin Pals get together! We can stamp the projects together with some coffee, perhaps! I'll also bring supplies for a new project featuring products from the kit to extend the life of your kit!


Happy Stamping!

 

Fabric Frenzy, This and That, Spring Surprise, and Simply Sent App

ouble post today, because Stampin' Up! has four big announcements for me to share with you!
 
 All fabric is on sale until March 31. Quantities are limited, so when a fabric runs out, it will no longer be on sale! Check out this video for some great ideas:

This and That!
 
Smash books are a fun, quick way to document your life. Stampin' Up! is debuting it's new line of Smashbook products with a special bundle March 23-April 30. All products are 

131268	Epic Day This and That Journal	$10.95
130814	Epic Day This and That Designer Series Paper	$10.95
130133	Remember This and That Rotary Stamp	$5.95
131271	Epic Day This and That Designer Stickers	$4.95
131269	Epic Day This and That Designer Washi Tape	$4.95
133350	Epic Day This and That Bundle Includes the five This and That products listed above. Only available in a bundle until April 30.	$32.08 15% Off Retail Value!

As a personal special from me, buy this bundle and we'll make time to work together on it with treats! 

 Spring Surprise!






Dates: March 15 - May 30, 2013

Price	Description	Item #
$23.95	Spring Surprise Bundle* (English; clear)	133899
	Spring Surprise Bundle (Spanish; clear)	133897
	Spring Surprise Bundle (French; clear)	133898

What if you or your customers already have the punch? Don't fret! Just buy the set!

Price	Description	Item #
$14.95	A Round Array Stamp Set* (English; clear)	129090
	Variedades Stamp Set (Spanish; clear)	131682
	Médallions séduction Stamp Set (French; clear)	131616

You can now download the Simply Sent app from itunes for iphone and Google Play for Android.  I downloaded the iphone one and can send cute emails to my family! Very cool to have an on the design piece everywhere I go from Stampin' Up!

Be sure to mark me as your demonstrator on any online orders! That way, I know what tips to send you!  or email me at lilyinkpad@yahoo.com. I am placing an order Friday, March 29th at 6pm if you need anything!

Happy Stamping!

Bag o' Fun!

One more share today from the pillow presents:

Inside the bag is a single stamp, a highlighter, a pen, and a little post-it key chain clip. I used a decorated paper clip for the bag tie.

I used the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper for my papers as I did on the rest. I love the colors. and just kept making things match!

To make the post-it note holder, I figured out how much paper could go around the pad and then scored it. Pretty easy. I then used my crop-a-dile to cut through layers of the post-it notes in little sections. The rest, I just layered on paper, butterfly punches, and scallops. Ribbon to tie it off!

The clips were easy, also, I cut strips of 3/8" paper and then modge podged them onto the clip. I finished it off by sanding the edges with a sanding block. For the bottle cap, I simply smushed them with my Big Shot. It's pretty cool. I just put them on a regular sandwich and ran them through.  The insides use a 1" punch, 7/8" scallop punch, and 3/4" Circle Punch. I stuck with DPS so that the Crystal Effects would be shiny, not clouded with ink residue.

Happy Stamping!

 

Pretty Drink Pouches

I wanted to give a treat, but a healthier option as my retreat group has dietary restrictions here and there, so when I saw a pouch like this, I had to make my own:

Stamps: Itty Bitty Banners
Paper: Pool Party, Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper, Island Indigo
Ink: Island Indigo
Accessories: Pinwheel Sizzlet, Petal Cone Die, Delicate Doilies, Brights Brads, Vine Street Embossing Folder, 2 3/8" Scallop Punch

I used the Petal Cone Die for the base, ran it through the Big Shot to emboss it and added some bling. Super fun, super cute.


Happy Stamping!

 

Monogram Do Dads

I love the bottle cap craze, so "had" to make some charms with them for bag tags. I printed 1/2" letters on my computer onto Whisper White, added some other layers and Voila!

Stamps: None
Paper: Pool Party, Rich Razzlberry, Island Indigo, Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper, Whisper White
Ink: printer
Accessories: Bottle Caps, Big Shot, Pool Party Ribbon, 7/8" Scallop Punch,  1/2" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Crystal Effects

I also added a tea time charm to them when I added them to the bags. To make the bottle caps cuter, I flattened them by placing them in a normal sandwich on my Big Shot. I just turned the crank and Yee Haw, they looked cuter than before.

Happy Stamping!

 

BINGO!

Speaking of MDS, here is a project I created for the Retreat last weekend. The girls had a great time with it and loved my prizes of free stamping products. It added a fun way for my retreat goers to try some new things and expand their goals. Their "creative" interpretation of things like paper piercing, coloring an image, or starting over, were a bit outrageous. I planned it that way, so it was fun that they ran with the fun part!

I used the BINGO stamp and colored it. Then, I added text boxes of things that could happen over the weekend. I then, cloned the page, and rearranged the order for each person.

I also made signs that I glued onto a clothespin so I could identify the types of prizes in my baskets.

Happy Stamping!

 

Big News about MDS!

Great news today from Stampin' Up!


MDS2 is now MDS, again! and it's more affordable at $19.95! The amazing new features from MDS are there, just the name changed. Awesome-sauce, as my kids would say!

Plus, the MDS2 Upgrade will be free. The catalog numbers have been turned off, but soon you can update for free from the original MDS.

If you have just purchased MDS2 (since March 1), contact me and we will make sure you get a download package worth your money.

WHY I LOVE MDS:

I can create anything I want digitally--cards, scrapbook pages, posters, flyers, web pages, buttons, tags---anything.

I can send my stuff to a professional printer at reasonable prices or I can print at home.

I can edit pictures, text, stamps, papers, embellishments and more!

Stampin' Up! becomes portable.

I own everything I download in my files.

I'm sure there are more reasons, but those are my top 5.






 Happy Stamping!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you wearing green? Drinking a green drink? Listening to Irish music?

Stamps: Lucky
Paper: Wild Wasabi, Gumball Green, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Wild Wasabi Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Vine Street Embossing Folder, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 2 1/2" circle punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch

I love this single stamp and needed a background to go with. I love the quilted embossing technique, so whipped this out and it was a hit!

Happy Birthday!

 

Pillow Gifts

Miss me? I got a little crazy last week working on my treats for the Lily Ink Pad Retreat and school that I ran out of blogging time. Time management is my nemesis this year! Here are the pillow gifts I made for my retreat goers:

  

Those are just the bags--I have more items inside, of course. Those will come in future posts this week, or next :) I used some craft bags I had around and then added the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper, the flower punch, and the Delicate Doilies. Check out that little tag:

I just had some some on the bags-- the contents will be revealed later. Happy Stamping!

 

You are My Sunshine

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine" One of the greatest love songs ever written, and now on a single stamp from Stampin' Up!

Here was non-crafty Mary Chris's version--not bad, I'd say:

Stamps: You are My Sunshine
Paper: Pool Pool Party, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Sycamore Street Speciality Paper
Ink: Island Indigo
Accessories: Stampin' Up! Markers, Sycamore Street Ribbon and Button Bundle

I found this quick, easy, and fun.  You can order it from my online store at my website--www.lilyinkpad.stampinup.net.

Happy Stamping!

 

Minnie Birthday Follow-up

Clare had a fabulous birthday:

Nathan and I made this banner:

 She said, "Just for me?"
Stamps: none
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, Polka Dot Parade
Ink: none
Accessories: Simply Scored, Sticky Strip, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Heart Punch, Petite Label Punch

I used 2" strips of paper scored at 1/2" for the lollies. The bases are 4" x 6" flags. I used red curly ribbon to match the rest of the decorations to string the banner. The Letters are printed in Disney Font I downloaded and printed on Whisper White.
Here are her cupcakes:

and her before

and after:

All photos by my husband, M.Bubba Blume at Insomniac Designs Photography.



Happy Stamping!
 

Masculine, Maybe?

Feeling sentimental seems like a good set to make masculine-type birthday cards. Does this one make the grade?

Stamps: Feeling Sentimental
Paper: Newsprint Designer Series Paper
Ink: Basic Black, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Stampin' Up! Simply Scored, Sponge Daubers, Hemp Twine, Silver Basics Designer Buttons

I stamped my image, crumpled the paper, and then sponged it antiquey. I also cut the card in a fun way, scoring in a different location to make a top down joy fold. I scored at 3" and 2 1/2". This idea came from a card I saw somewhere online, but I have no idea where anymore. If anyone knows, let me know.



Happy Stamping!

 

Best of Flowers!

In all my excitement yesterday about the photo-polymer stamps, I forgot to post about the Best of stamp set for March!
Here it is:

Beautiful choices! I love that the daisy-ish one fits the 1 1/4" Scallop Punch. You can get this or the other Best of 25 years stamps on any order. Save your Proof of Purchase so you can earn free stamps when you purchase 6 or all 12!

Happy Stamping!