Stamp Review Crew: Kindest Expressions

Hi there, and welcome to another Stamp Review Crew blog hop! Today we’re sharing what we’ve done with Kindest Expressions, a set I got only recently. A set of just four red rubber cling stamps, Kindest Expressions has big, bold sentiments. For me, that means I need card backgrounds that can stand up to them!

Stampin' Up! 161415 Kindest Expressions

There are only four of us on this hop, but I know you’ll see some great ideas from around the world. If you’re hopping in order, you just came from Australia (!) and the blog of Ellen Woodbridge. (Remember that the complete list of bloggers for this hop is here, or the banner at the top of this post.)

I have been busy getting ready for a stamp-a-stack later this week, so I took advantage of the simple-but-striking sentiments in this set to make a sympathy card for my file and a birthday card for mid-April. I’d rather not make a sympathy card that’s grim and depressing; my goal is to provide something lovely that will make the recipient feel a bit better. Flowers that look like spring seem appropriate. I always assumed I had lots of floral stamp sets on my shelf, but of course not the right one (can you relate?), so I created this slight variation of a note card I did last year using Petal Park:

Kindest Expressions | A card for the Stamp Review Crew blog hop.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

The sympathy sentiment is the smallest of the four images, so I used a stronger background for this birthday card for our neighbor next door. It’s a simple layout, just three 1″ x 5″ strips of coordinating patterned paper and a tag or other shape for the bold sentiment:

Kindest Expressions | A card for the Stamp Review Crew blog hop.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

Now I am back to my SAS prep so I have plenty of time later today to re-format and post (tomorrow) the Last Chance retiring lists from the 2023-2024 Annual Catalog and January-April 2024 Mini Catalog. When that’s done, I’ll take a quick look at the next Annual Catalog!

Next up inspiring you is Holly Krautkremer of Rubber Redneck. Enjoy!





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So what’s a “stamp-a-stack,” anyway?

I’ve been holding “stamp-a-stack” events for over 12 years, both Jingle Jumps for holiday cards and All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stacks for general cards. Yes, at these events you do stamp a “stack” of cards to help keep you supplied with handmade cards.

Here’s how a stamp-a-stack works:

  • Register for the session you want (there are three of them) and pay $22 to make 10 cards.
  • Bring your own adhesive and scissors. I’ll provide everything else you need to make your cards, including Grid Paper, stamps, ink, pre-cut paper, scraps for punching or die-cutting, and Stampin’ Dimensionals. Oh, and music to stamp by!
  • When you arrive at my house, walk right in through the garage and come downstairs (follow the noise!). There are railings on each side of the stairway.
  • Downstairs, hang up your coat, or throw it on the bed with anything else you don’t need to keep with you. Pick up the bag with your name on it and put the 10 card packs you want to make (there are six designs to choose from). You can make extra cards for $2 each.
  • In your bag, you’ll find a small booklet with basic instructions for the day, a picture and notes for each card design, details for upcoming events, and information on a limited-time ordering promotion available only to participants.
  • Find an empty chair and begin stamping! Usually, cards will take only about 10 minutes each to complete, but sometimes I might have a design that’s a bit more involved. You’ll work at your own pace — there’s no hurry.
  • When you’re done with one design, move to another station until your 10 cards are done.
  • I love to answer questions and offer assistance. That’s what I am there for!
  • Leave with a sense of satisfaction for a time of creativity and fellowship — and your stack of cards!

The next All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stack is scheduled for March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. The deadline to register is next Tuesday, March 12. To read all the details and register online, click HERE.

Posted in All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stack, Event, Jingle Jump, Stamp-a-Stack | Tagged | Leave a comment

New Online Exclusives products today!

Online Exclusives

It’s kind of exciting to see new things once in a while, right?  That’s why I love it when Stampin’ Up! adds new products to the Online Exclusives area.  Those items are not in any catalog and (don’t forget this!) are only available while they last.

Well, today is the day you can check out just why I’ve been looking forward to sharing the brand-new products that have been added. In truth, I’ve had some of them in my hands for a few weeks (it’s one of the advantages of being a demonstrator), so I am ready to show them off at the All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stack later this month.

Click here to see the new Online Exclusives in my online storefront (the newest products are at the top of the list), and watch this SU! corporate video to see why I’m so excited:

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Stamp Review Crew: Inked & Tiled

Stamp Review Crew

We have a teeny tiny blog hop for you today, but I am confident you will find inspiration from those bloggers who are participating! Today we are featuring the beautiful Ink & Tiled stamp set, which debuted in the 2023-2024 Annual Catalog:

Before me on the hop list is Holly Krautkremer’s blog, Rubber Redneck. Because I am writing this way before the posting deadline (which is 5:00 a.m. in my time zone!), I have no idea what Holly is showing off — but I know it is wonderful!

I thought the Stamp Review Crew had already used this set for a hop, but if so, I was not a part of it. You can see other cards I have made with this set HERE and HERE. Today I focused on just one of the images and sentiments, and all-over, random stamping. Note that I will be posting my cards individually this week so I can give you some additional information and share the product lists.

“The end is near” for the 2022-2024 In Colors, so I thought I would revisit two of them before they are gone for good. Although it was difficult for me to capture the colors correctly, the card base here is Starry Sky and the stamped panels are Orchid Oasis.

Inked & Tiled | One of my   Stamp Review Crew blog hop cards.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I reversed the layout and the colors (more or less) for this next card:

Inked & Tiled | One of my   Stamp Review Crew blog hop cards.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I enjoyed myself so much with all the random stamping, I thought I’d revisit an old technique: Faux Crushed Silk. Here the stamping is done on tissue paper. (I’ll describe the technique in more detail later this week and give you a closeup of the result.) Demonstrator Mary Knabe was my inspiration for this card.

Inked & Tiled | One of my   Stamp Review Crew blog hop cards.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

Again, please come back to heartfeltinkspiration.com this week to read more about these two cards. Now, off you go to Jay Soriano’s blog, Mitosu Crafts. Have fun!





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Softly Sophisticated: 105

This is my second Softly Sophisticated card for the Stamp Review Blog Hop earlier this week. If yesterday’s card was simple, this birthday card was much more involved.

I knew I wanted to create a custom background with this pretty two-step image, but I didn’t want to stamp a random pattern. So I took a more measured approach — literally! — making sure the repeat was pleasing to the eye. I used my Stamparatus and the “hinge-step” technique to stamp the leaf image and then the flower image three times. Then I moved the panel over for the next three sets. You better know I practiced on some scratch paper so I was sure it would work out on the size panel I was using. (Although Stampin’ Up! no longer carries the Stamparatus, this SU! video demonstrates the hinge-step technique.)

Softly Sophisticated | A fabulous stamp set and beautiful embossing folder -- FREE during January-February 2024 Sale-A-Bration!  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I was surprised and pleased with the results (and my husband made quite a fuss over it). My mistake? Only making one of these backgrounds before I cleaned and removed the stamps from the Stamparatus plates. The stamping inside the cards was done “by hand,” the old-fashioned way.

Softly Sophisticated | A fabulous stamp set and beautiful embossing folder -- FREE during January-February 2024 Sale-A-Bration!  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I cut the numbers from a piece of retired Rainbow Glimmer paper, after applying an Adhesive Sheet to the back. Adhering the die cuts to the Vellum panel was a cinch; I used my Glass Mat to make sure the numbers were straight and centered, easily repositioning them as needed. Once I was happy with them, I burnished the back of the Vellum to make sure they wouldn’t move in the mail.

Happy 105th birthday, Florence!

Click the images below to add current products for this card to your cart in my Stampin’ Up! online store. Disclosure: I get a commission for purchases made through these links, at no additional charge to you. Thank you!

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Softly Sophisticated: Hello

For this Stamp Review Crew blog hop card, I used a fun Pecan Pie background to contrast the sweet flowers. Although the colors suggest autumn, I wanted something totally different than my other hop card (details tomorrow). It’s good to know there are many options for stamps, ink, and paper — and all the other products Stampin’ Up! offers, like these versatile dies. I make a big mess when designing a new card, trying one idea, and then discarding it and the supplies I used. Eventually, I am satisfied and things get cleaned and put away. I love the process. Except when it is torture, that is.

Softly Sophisticated | A simple floral image with a fun background.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

To get these custom pearls, I colored some gold Festive Pearls with a Stampin’ Blends marker in Pecan Pie. I love the pearls because they are not too big or have too high of a profile, meaning no extra postage!

Softly Sophisticated | A simple floral image with a fun background.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I sometimes forget how fun two-step stamping can be! This particular image is easy to align, thanks in part to the photopolymer stamps. The tiny dots on the flowers were added with the Pecan Pie marker.

Click the images below to add current products for this card to your cart in my Stampin’ Up! online store. Disclosure: I get a commission for purchases made through these links, at no additional charge to you. Thank you!

Posted in 2024 Jan-Feb Sale-A-Bration, Note card, Tip | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Final days of Sale-A-Bration!

2024 SAB

What a fun couple of months this has been! This year’s Sale-A-Bration will soon come to an end; Thursday, February 29, is the last day! There are three ways to earn:

SHOP:  For every $50 you spend (before tax and shipping), you earn a FREE Sale-A-Bration product.  Choose from stamp sets, Designer Series Paper, and embellishments — even bigger SAB items are available with $100 in product purchase.  That makes Sale-A-Bration the perfect time to purchase items on your wish list while earning more products for free.  (And don’t forget that you’ll be earning Burgin Bucks as well!)  Don’t miss the items coordinating with products from the Annual Catalog or current Mini Catalog!  My favorite?  The Softly Stippled 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper (#162975) on page 8. See the Sale-A-Bration brochure here, and the additional items recently added here. When you’re ready to shop, I would appreciate being your demonstrator; start shopping with me here!

HOST:  Host a workshop with at least $300 in sales during Sale-A-Bration and you’ll earn an additional $30 in free products of your choice!  Hold a book party or place an order of your own — either of those can earn you more!

JOIN:  When you sign up as a demonstrator for just $99, you can choose $125 worth of Stampin’ Up! product, and the kit ships for free!  But during Sale-A-Bration, you have two options for more free things. Option 1 is the Stampin’ Glass Mat Studio (a $60 value) for free. Option 2 is an additional $30 in free products to add to your starter kit. I can talk with you about this opportunity to join the Heartfelt Inkspiration team and get you started.  Whatever your reasons for joining — the discount, the business opportunity, or the Starter Kit alone — Stampin’ Up! loves and supports its demonstrators!

Want to see what I’ve been creating using Sale-A-Bration products?

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Stamp Review Crew: Bonus Hop SAB #2

Hello and welcome to this Stamp Review Crew bonus blog hop! Normally, you can expect to find us on the first and third Mondays each month, but today we are exceptional — for the second month in a row! Sale-A-Bration ends Thursday, February 29, so we are sharing projects using favorite SAB products. (Click the banner above — or here — to see the bloggers participating today. Although it is not necessary to hop in order, you may have arrived here from My Stamp Vault, the blog of Terri Tank.)

Unlike prior years, I only got two stamp sets from this Sale-A-Bration offering because I found the Designer Series Paper selections so wonderful. Still, I couldn’t resist the Softly Sophisticated bundle, with its sweet images and lovely embossing folder:

Stampin' Up! 162947 Softly Sophisticated

Note that I will be posting my cards individually this week so I can give you some additional information and share the product lists. My first project is a simple note card for stampers participating in the Burgin Bucks program. These note cards are usually pretty generic and blank inside so they can be reused as needed. I send out a fair number of these, so I make them up before I need them. This hop was the perfect motivation to add to the pile!

Softly Sophisticated | One of my cards for a Stamp Review Crew blog hop.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I’m 100% sure I’m the only person on today’s hop who is featuring a birthday card for someone turning 105! My neighbor asked me to make a card she could send to her church friend and specifically asked that I include the number of years. Here is just why I rarely get rid of my alphanumeric dies; you never know when you’ll need them …

Softly Sophisticated | One of my cards for a Stamp Review Crew blog hop.  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

Again, please come back to heartfeltinkspiration.com this week to read more about these two cards. Now, it’s time to move on to see what Ellen Woodbridge has for you at her blog. Enjoy!






Posted in 2024 Jan-Feb Sale-A-Bration, Blog hop, Stamp Review Crew | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Notes of Nature: Thanks

This is my second (and final) didn’t-quite-make-it-to-the-hop card using Notes of Nature. I love to use a tag on a card, and I’m not ashamed to say it out loud! I appreciate that Stampin’ Up! has given us so many variations on the tag theme. I took advantage of a die with a curvy top edge and echoed it with the vellum.

Notes of Nature | That sweet little flower could be the least-used image of this set!  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

That sweet little flower could be the least-used image of this set! But you can’t go wrong with a series of three somethings, especially when they are so petite and simple to color.

Notes of Nature | That sweet little flower could be the least-used image of this set!  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I was surprised at how crooked I had cut the plaid panel — how did I not see that? — but then I remembered that this print is more of an imperfect, hand-drawn design. Whew!

Click the images below to add current products for this card to your cart in my Stampin’ Up! online store. Disclosure: I get a commission for purchases made through these links, at no additional charge to you. Thank you!

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Notes of Nature: Hello Tag

I had every intention of including this card in the Stamp Review Crew blog hop on Notes of Nature the other day, but circumstances conspired against me. I was able to take advantage of some quiet time to finish this (and some other projects).

Notes of Nature | Tags are my favorite!  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

It’s always difficult for me to judge how “easy” or “quick” a card is; I fuss so much over the smallest details, like how to get that bow tied so it lays properly (usually I tie it with the card upside-down; I can’t explain that). But this card was easy enough that I’ve created a version for it for next month’s All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stack. (Are you registered yet?)

I’m looking ahead to the transition to the 2024-2025 Annual Catalog; the retirement list will be out way before I’m ready! I just hope this Distressed Gold 12″ x 12″ Specialty Paper is not on that list. I love it!

Notes of Nature | Tags are my favorite!  Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I’ve said before how valuable a “speckle” image is to have in a set, and this is a perfect one. I use it when the background is just too plain (see this Notes of Nature card for an example) or, here, for a touch of bling. Don’t overthink where these dots are going to be, just stamp them!

Click the images below to add current products for this card to your cart in my Stampin’ Up! online store. Disclosure: I get a commission for purchases made through these links, at no additional charge to you. Thank you!

Posted in 2024 Jan-April Mini, Friend, Hello | Tagged , | Comments Off on Notes of Nature: Hello Tag