Winter Sparkle

I've stepped out of my home to some beautiful January Wisconsin mornings. These sites were the inspiration for my holiday thank you notes this year. 

It's a bit difficult to see the embossed layer of "snow".

Wink of Stella to the rescue! 

The layered bit of red in the tag comes from an envelope/card I received many years ago. It has a velvety texture; I just couldn't throw it away!

When looking out my craft room window, this image is a common site - including the cardinal!

Happy stamping!
 

Celebrate Sunflowers and Live Stamping!

I am so excited about welcoming stampers back to my table! We're keeping the the groups to three plus me to allow space between us. I've missed catching up with everyone!

We're creating with the Celebrate Sunflowers bundle.

I started making samples to share and have gone a bit crazy with this bundle. From traditional fall colors to Whisper White to Mango Melody, you can dress up this bundle in all kinds of color!

Here is a sample card I cased from fellow Pal, Peggy Noe. Unfortunately, I have a need for sympathy cards. The good news is this bundle is perfect for the job.

We'll be making three different cards. I had difficulty choosing which designs we'll be creating - I love them all!

If you're in the West Bend area and would like to learn to stamp or to enjoy an evening of stamping with new friends, be sure to contact me.

October 1-31st, 2020

www.RnRStamping.com

 

24 Hour Stamp Sale!

SAVE THE DATE

Starting this Wednesday, September 23rd

for 24 hours ONLY!

The biggest stamp sale 

on selected stamp sets

15% off!

For the list of stamp sets

Click HERE

 Click to shop RnR Stamping

The Holiday Mini Catalog is LIVE!

Pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy the 

2020 Holiday Mini Catalog!

Click HERE to view a pdf of the catalog

When you go to my online store to shop, you'll notice the site has been redesigned!

Here are some key features of our new online store:

• Designed to work seamlessly on desktops, tablets, and mobile phones
• New and improved store navigation
• Larger imagery
• New sorting and filtering options allowing you to find things more easily
• Inventory status information so you can make an informed purchase decision
• Create and share up to 10 personalized wish lists 
• New ‘Quick Shop’ feature makes it easy to add items to your cart
• Simplified checkout process

Ready to check out the new online store and shop? Click the button below to shop with me!

PLEASE NOTE: If you created a customer profile in the old site, your account information and password still work with the new site! If you rely on your browser to remember your login information, it won’t recognize the new site, so you’ll need to type in your password. If you’ve forgotten your password, you can click the “Forgot Password” link on the new online store’s sign-in page and follow the steps to reset your password. The reset password email will come from noreply@info.stampinup.com. If you still have trouble accessing your account, please call Stampin’ Up! at 800-STAMP-UP (800-782-6787).

I hope you enjoy the new Mini Catalog and Online Store! 

Donut Get Older

Donut Get Older. That was the theme for Neva Grace's 3rd birthday party. Gracey is little sister to one of my fans, Mila, who you may have read about in this blog.

When I learned the party theme, I made a quick trip to Pinterest - really, it was quick! There are lots of creative donut lovers out there!

This is my final project:

I started with a 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" piece of Blushing Bride cardstock and scored it at 4 1/4".

Years back, SU! had a circle die cut that would have worked for this project; I think I gave that set of dies to my sister. I dug through my stash and found a tool from early in the century that I used for scrapbooking (makes me sound kinda old...) to make the circle. You could use a plate, a lid from a container, a bowl. Look around your house for something that's 4"-ish round.

Draw the circle onto the folded cardstock. Be sure to go off of the folded edge a bit; this will create the fold for your card. Cut out your circle. The edges don't have to be perfect - it's a donut!

Using the smallest circle from the Layering Circles die set, cut the middle of the donut.

On a 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" piece of Flirty Flamingo, cut another circle, the same size as the base. Free cut this piece with a goal of wavy, uneven edges. Think dripping frosting, yum!

Cut a hole in the center of the frosting using the same small circle die. Use your snips to cut around the center, again with a goal of an imperfect cut. This is your opportunity! Imperfect cuts - woo hoo! 

I used a scalloped punch for the "bite" and trimmed the frosting around it with my snips.

Layer your frosting on the donut, I used Tombow, and trim if needed.

Cut 1/8" pieces of Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo and Pool Party, then cut them to sprinkle size.

To adhere the sprinkles, I picked up each piece with my Take Your Pick Tool. I squeezed a bit of Tombow glue onto my Silicone Craft Sheet, dipped each spinkle into the glue and adhered it to the frosting.

The sentiment came from a retired SAB set, Hello Cupcake. The Triple Banner punch made the flags and I popped it up with dimensionals.

Best thing about this donut?? No calories!!

___________________________

Have you been holding off on placing your order from the new catalog? SU! is offering a special deal in the month of July. For each $50 purchase, you will receive a $5 coupon to use in August. HINT: The holiday mini catalog premiers in August. It has lots of new products and ideas for you.

SHOP HERE

___________________________

Need a catalog? Let me know. I'll pop one in the mail to you.

Let's Celebrate You

A while back, I posted a card featuring the new in colors using a technique from Bruno Bertucci. As I was cleaning up my stamping area, I found a few DSP scraps that I was going to toss, but thought, I can make another scrap card!

This time I remembered to take a few photos to show you the process.

I cut a 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" card base, one 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" and one 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" piece of card stock and a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" piece of whisper white for the inside.

Step 1:

I had 6 x 6 scraps and cut them at a slant - no measuring, just cut away!

Step 2:

Using liquid glue, add the scraps to the 5.5" x 4.25" piece of cardstock

Step 3:

This is what it looks like from the back. At this point, trim this panel. For this card, I trimmed the panel to 5 1/8" x 3 7/8". The in color card I trimmed the feature panel to 5 1/4" x 4".

Step 3:

I mounted the feature panel to the 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" piece of card stock, added some dimensionals and adhered it to the card base.

Final touch:

On a 1" strip of card stock, I used the triple banner punch to flag the end. I embossed the sentiment from Celebrate Sunflowers and added a few retired embellishments.

Embossing tip:

How did I emboss in Night of Navy? You can emboss in any color! Apply Versamark ink to your stamp, then apply the ink color of your choice, use an embossing buddy on your card stock, stamp onto your card stock, add embossing powder and heat. 

Try this technique. A great way to use scraps and lots of fun too!

Meet the 2020-2021 In Colors

I finally had a play with the new in colors.

Cinnamon Cider, Just Jade, Bumblebee, Magenta Madness, Misty Moonlight

I thought this technique was a great way to show off these great new colors!

Hope your day is a good one!

Double Concertina Fun Fold

I was having a COVID-19 afternoon - read, feeling stuck at home so went to my craft room. I had the time and wish to create a special project. 

I LOVE folds. I am always amazed at what designers create out of paper, adhesive, stamps and ink. I came across this Double Concertina fold on mixedupcraft.com. It did take a good part of my afternoon to create this, but the outcome was well worth my time.

I chose the Poppies collection for my project and pulled out my stitched rectangle framelits. The cover sentiment is from the retired Watercolor Wings. The base is Rich Razzleberry, layered with Blackberry Bliss that was run through the Subtles embossing folder and the DSP is part of the Poppies collection. The panel on the right is popped up with dimensionals.

Now for the WOW!

Now you can see why this took the better part of an afternoon. The center white piece used 12 x 12 cardstock, but the directions included an 11" version.

Here is a view from the top.

My finished card size is 5" x 6" and is on the thick side. How to present this card?

An envelope using coordinating DSP and the envelope punch board along with measurements provided by the Crafty Owl's Envelope Expert tool! The envelope was a perfect fit!

I'm looking forward to the near future when we can gather together to enjoy some stamping time. If you're in the West Bend, WI area and would like to join one of my groups, leave a comment or contact me.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

The New Catalog is LIVE!

Let the shopping begin!

You are now able to order from the new SU! catalog. I've provided a link to the catty in the event you don't yet have one. I'm happy to send a copy to you if you don't have one yet. Send me a quick note and I'll send it off to you.

Read on for some great June specials and FREE products!

DOWNLOAD PDF

PLEASE NOTE: The Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machines (and accessories) are not yet available to order. Stay tuned for additional information!

Along with the catalog launch, there are two fantastic opportunities to earn additional FREE product! Keep reading to learn more!

 ANNUAL CATALOG KICKOFF CELEBRATION

From June 3-30, earn an additional $25 in Stampin’ Rewards on orders of $250 or more! Grab your friends to go in on a large order or shop big for yourself and enjoy the extra rewards!

 PICK A FREE BUNDLE STARTER KIT PROMOTION

From June 3-30, when you purchase a Starter Kit, you can select ONE stamp and punch bundle (p. 168–169) or ONE stamp and die bundle (p. 173-179) from the 2020–2021 Annual Catalog in addition to $125 of product for only $99! That’s up to $185.25 in product if you pick the Blossoms in Bloom Bundle! Below is a handy flyer for reference:

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OF THE BUNDLES

The Stampin' Up! 2020-2021 Catalog is Ready for Your Viewing Pleasure!

The big day is here! The new catalog is here and filled with amazing new products, beautiful samples and unlimited creativity.

If you don't have a catalog, contact me and I'll send one your way.

Happy shopping!

Click here to browse!

Rainbow Birthday for Mila

My bestie's grandaughter, Mila is turning 5 in June. The theme this year is rainbows. It took me awhile to come up with a design special enough for a 5th birthday party.

I used layered oval framelits to create the rainblow. I mimicked the rainbow colors with coordinating inks and an aqua painter.

It's been a long time since I've made a shaker card. I certainly hope Miss Mila enjoys the rainbow!

Mila is quite the card maker herself! She sent my son a college graduation card complete with an amazing drawing of Bucky Badger! He LOVED it!

Creativity is ageless and truly adorable when it comes from littles!

Until next time, happy stamping.

Graduation Day!

Despite COVID-19, we celebrated my son Michael's college graduation from the University of Wisconsin Madison on Saturday. I rented a party room at a downtown hotel for the 10 of us. We viewed the streamed ceremony and listened to thoughts shared by the Chancellor and James Patterson, the guest speaker; both were great! The ceremony highlight was the special guest commencement speaker, Uncle Dream - not a dry eye in the house after that!

We broke quarantine and went with tradition, Michael in cap and gown as we took photos at campus landmarks. There were other students and families doing the same. It was refreshingly normal and people were cognizant of distancing.

Alumni Bucky and Old Abe were a couple of the stops we made.

The photo highlights were taken inside the football stadium. Michael worked with the team this year as a videographer and got permission to go into the stadium. We were the only people in the stadium; it was quite a special experience! My boy has attended Badger football games starting in 2nd grade with his dad who is a season ticket holder. His dream was to graduate as a Badger and he did it!!! I'm one proud momma!

I really couldn't have asked for a better day!! 

Hope you are doing well!

Z-Fold Mystery Card

I've really missed stamping with friends so I took a huge leap - for me - and hosted a Mystery Card meeting on Zoom with 5 supportive stamping friends!

It took about 15 minutes to get everyone in the Zoom Room and then the camera that was showing my hands conked out. 😕 But other than that, we had a great time and everyone completed their cards! Woo Hoo!!!!

For those of you who've not heard of mystery cards, here's how it works. After deciding on a card, and for this session I cased a fabulous Z-fold card from Susan Campfield, I sent a list of needed materials to each participant. I provided the cardstock/dsp sizes for them to cut, the size of stamp they'd need and any tools, adhesives and embellishments required to complete the project.

Once we were all in one place, we worked our way through 5 clues to complete the project. The most fun was seeing 6 different cards using the same layout. We had a great time!

                               

I've got some work to do on finessing to do on my technical skills, but I'll definitely do it again. Next time, I'll ask everyone to send a photo of their card so you can see the variety.
Let me know if you'd be interested in a Mystery Stamping session. I'd love to have you join the fun!

Sending Spring Cheer

Greetings,

I'm working from home and have become calendar challenged. What day is it?? Yeesh!

I thought I'd share a win-win project with you today. I pulled out another pack of retired dsp and went to work creating. Here is a sample of some of the cards I made.

I ended up making 40 cards! I placed 4 cards and envelopes in an Acetate Card Box along with a note and left them in neighbor's mailboxes. I had fun making the cards. The neighbors enjoyed receiving them and I'm sure the recipients enjoyed reading the notes. I guess that made it a win-win-win!

Share your talents and help spread some cheer!

Happy stamping!

Greetings all,

I hope this finds you and your family safe and healthy. What a whirlwind this has been. In the work world, I am a human resources professional. I've spend the past days talking with employees about work reductions, communicating benefits information and settling into my home office, aka my dining room. This is crazy stuff!

As the name of my blog suggests, I get my rest and relaxation from stamping. I have a quick share today of a CASE of a Mary Fish card. These were sent, and unfortunately I need to make more, to employees who were laid off from work. I figured they could use a bright spot in their day.

The Poppies suite did all the work for these cards, DSP, thinlits and sentiment, I was good to go. For the card bases I pulled coordinating cardstock colors that are listed on the DSP pack.

Hope you take a few moments to brighten someone's day by sending a hand crafted card. I know it would be appreciated.

Take care and stay well!

Scrap by Scrap, Bloom by Bloom

Greetings!

I hope this finds you and yours well. This certainly is a crazy time for our world. My son is coming home tonight for I don't know how long. He is a senior at UW Madison and his fridge is empty😋 I feel so bad for all that he is missing in the coming weeks. His time for "adulting" arrived a bit prematurely!

On Sunday, I was talking with Beth, my friend and fellow stamper. We each agreed that being confined to home and our "happy places", alias the craft space, wouldn't be such an awful way to spend time. We then got into a conversation about DSP. You know the one, hate to cut into it, have too much of it (is that possible?), just like to look at it. After we hung up, I was inspired to pull out a package of retired Happiness Blooms DSP odds and ends, the coordinating Bloom by Bloom stamp set and get to work.

I had one full sheet of dsp, so started with a purse.

I perused Pinterest for card ideas and layouts.

Note: same layout, different orientation

When working with smaller scraps, a great place for inspiration is One Sheet Wonders. There are lots of ideas on how to cut up one sheet of paper to use on multiple cards. You will use your dsp down to the last scrap!

I still have a way to go!

I'll share my filled purse and the rest of my cards when they're completed. 

I challenge you to get creative with your dsp - even the last scrap!

Have fun stamping and stay well!

Friend Like You

Greetings stampers!

I always ask my class participants for requests or ideas for projects they'd like to make. For class this week, Deb requested a project using Pigment Sprinkles or Brusho (the watercolor crystal product from the last annual catalog)

I found some wonderful ideas using the Friend Like You stamp set and coordinating Friendly Silhouettes Dies. I wanted the watercolor art to be the focal point and this set is perfect!

With any watercolor project, no two items will be the same. Because I was creating for a class, I needed to create a background that others could mimic.

The first background I made by giving my watercolor paper multiple spritzes of water to get it wet. My project uses the Brusho crystals. I added the colors one at a time starting with the lightest color, sprinkling the the colored crystals onto the damp watercolor paper. I used a Stamping Spritzer to disperse the color crystals and push them around the paper. I repeated the process with the second and third colors. It took some time for me to get enough red into my sunset. The spritzing water was hard to control! I also found that some of the crystals blew off of my work area and I had a bit of a mess by the time I was finished. I love the final project, but need something a bit cleaner for class!

My second card uses the same three colors, but instead of pushing the color with the spritzer, I used an aqua painter - much cleaner! I wet the watercolor paper, sprinkled the colored crystals onto the paper and moved them around with the aqua painter. The look is much more blended than the first project.

* I used Thick Whisper White for the base cut at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4"

* Basic Black is cut at 4 7/8" x 3 5/8"

* Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper is cut at 4 3/4" x 3 1/2"

* I used the Stamperatus for the sentiment. The Watercolor Paper is more textured than  

  the card stock and I wanted to assure a solid, bold impression.

* The Friendly Silhouette was cropped in Basic Black card stock

The colored crystals are fun to play with. I'm amazed at the variety of looks I could get using different tools and techniques. The Pigment Sprinkles come in Stampin' Up! colors and coordinate perfectly with other SU! products.

So, please leave a comment - which card do you prefer? The first or the second? I'd love to get your opinion!

Perrenial Essence

Greetings!

When looking for a simple WOW card, I often look for ways to use Stampin' Up designer series paper. The papers are so beautiful, they can easily take center stage. I also tend to be a bit of a dsp hoarder, so like to find layouts that use dsp and encourage me to take a trimmer to my paper!

I found a card by Jeanne Ciolli that I absolutely love! At first glance, I thought it would be a great card to create at one of my classes  - NOT! I am not a carpenter nor a mathemetician; it sometimes is trial and error until I get all the cuts correct. This one was a bit of a challenge for me, but well worth the effort.

Is that gorgeous or what!! 

I started with a 4 1/2" x 3 3/4" piece of Perrenial Essence dsp. On the 4 1/2" side cut at 3 3/4", 3", 1 3/4", 3/4".

Lay the pieces in order. I didn't trim the middle piece. Based on your dsp, trim a bit off the top and bottom of each of the pieces to create panels. The coordinating mats were cut 1/8" larger than the dsp.

I heat embossed the sentiment, first inking the stamp with Versamark, then Blackberry Bliss. A few pearl accents completed the project and off it went to my bestie!

Pull out your dsp and give a go!

Base: Petal Pink 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", score at 4 1/4", 5 1/2" x 4" - this piece I embossed with the Subtle 3D embossing folder
Mat: Blackberry Bliss
Stamp Set: Peaceful Moments

Peaceful Poppies

Greetings all,

Yipes! It's been a while since I've posted anything. That sure doesn't mean I've not been crafting.

As a hobby demo, I get lost in my world of paper, glue and ink. I've been having lots of fun with the Peaceful Poppies Suite. I'm drawn to floral designs and this one had me hook, line and sinker from the time I saw it.

I stamp to relax (RnR - is what it's about!). At the end of a work day, I often don't have the energy to create something new, so I often CASE other people's projects. My project today came from SuzyStamps. 

I love Suzy's project, but after a long day, it took me a bit to get the measurements right - it was a long day! So you can enjoy making this beautiful card without having to think too hard, I'll share my measurements (in inches). Have fun!

Base: Flirty Flamingo cut at 4 1/4 x 11, score at 5 1/2

Layer: Old Olive cut at 4 2 10 1/2, score at 2 5/8 and 5 1/4 

DSP: 3 3/4 x 5 and 3 3/4 x 2 3/8

Scraps: Whisper White, Old Olive

Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Poppy Parade, Momento Black, Mossy Meadow
Stamps/Dies: Painted Poppies Bundle and Peaceful Moments Bundle 
Accessories: Whisper White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic                         Jewels

The 2019 Holiday Catalog is Now LIVE!

Place your holiday catalog order now!

Click HERE to view the catalog online

You can now order from the Stampin' Up! holiday catalog! There's no time like the present to start creating your Halloween, Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas and holiday projects.

Need a catalog? Send me a note and I'll get one in the mail to you.

Click HERE for flyer of available selections

Lots of new items added to the Clearance Rack! Be sure to check it out HERE.

Welcome Stampers!
If you or someone you know would like to join one of my stamping groups, contact me for more information. We make 3 projects per class using a variety of products and techniques and have lots of RnR while creating.

Come join us!

My Pinecone Rewards

What are Pinecone Rewards? Pinecone Rewards are my way of thanking you for being a frequent shopper at RnR Stamping. You earn a pinecone for every $25 increment you spend on Stampin’ Up! Products through me and can redeem for a FREE stamp set of your choice from any current catalog when you reach 20 pinecones. HOW TO EARN PINECONES Earn a pinecone for every $25 you spend with me (before tax and shipping). Example: A product order of $24 would not qualify for a pinecone. A product order of $51 would qualify for two pinecones ($25 x 2). Separate orders cannot be combined to reach a pinecone YOU are responsible for tracking your orders and pinecones. Click here for a handy pinecone tracking sheet. Earn 20 pinecones and redeem for a FREE stamp set of your choice from any current catalog. Shipping and tax are on me! Submit your qualifying pinecone orders and choice of stamp set by emailing me at rnrstamping@gmail.com and attaching your pinecone tracking form. I’ll confirm your qualifying customer orders and order your stamp set. Pinecone rewards can only be used for stamp sets. Rewards are based on merchandise total before shipping and tax. Pinecone Rewards expire two years from their order purchase date. Pinecone Rewards are only valid on Stampin’ Up! Orders through Sue Becker. Refer a friend Do you have friends who enjoy stamping or who may want to get their fingers inky and give stamping a try? Please ask them to join you at an upcoming class or to choose me as their demonstrator. When your friend purchases $50 or more, you'll get a gift and so will your friend!