Stamp Review Crew: SAB January-February 2023

Posted on Monday, January 30, 2023 by Debra Burgin

Hello from snowy and bitter cold north-central Illinois! I am pleased to be participating in the third Stamp Review Crew blog hop of January, when we celebrate all things Sale-A-Bration! (You can look forward to another SAB hop on January 20.)

Have you hopped with us before? We are an international group of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators who get together on the first and third Monday of each month to bring you all kinds of fabulous inspiration on a single stamp set — or in this case, our choice of product from the January-February 2023 Sale-A-Bration catalog. Of course, with an extra Monday this month, we can’t resist squeezing in another hop!

The blogger on the hop before me is Heidi Baks at Running w/ Scissors Stamper — I hope you love her work as much as I do! (Remember that you can click on the banner at the top of this post to see a list of all hop participants.)

Like many other stampers, I have fallen in love with the Adorable Owls on page 4:

And then if I had to pick one other product I use quite a bit, it would be the Dandy Designs 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper on page 14:

All those happy colors and prints are perfect right now, so I created this:

Adorable Owls | Dandy Designs | Stamp Review Crew | Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

This DSP makes it so easy to mix patterns. Note the coordinating strip inside.

Adorable Owls | Dandy Designs | Stamp Review Crew | Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I used a Color Lifter with short strokes to simulate feathers on this Smoky Slate owl, then added a light outline of the Early Espresso Watercolor Pencil to give some dimension to the image. Now if only we had a pre-schooler in our family I could send this to!

And now you’re on to see what Holly Krautkremer at Rubber Redneck has created for you — enjoy!
Posted in 2023 Jan-Feb Sale-A-Bration, Blog hop, Kids, Stamp Review Crew | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Love for You: Dandy Designs

Posted on Friday, January 13, 2023 by Debra Burgin

Are you in the middle of that time of year when all is gray and soggy and cold? If so, or if you just need some sunshine in your heart, I have something that might help. The Dandy Designs 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper pack can be earned FREE during Sale-A-Bration when your product order reaches at least $100. This pack has 48 double-sided sheets (four of each design), with colors like Balmy Blue, Calypso Coral, Fresh Freesia, Granny Apple Green, Mango Melody, and Petal Pink. Look here:

Dandy Designs Designer Series Paper (#160836). Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

These fresh and playful patterns can be used in a variety of ways. You’ve seen them in this post and this one, and although the patterns I used in those examples were more conservative, here’s just how fun these Dandy Designs can be:

Love for You | Dandy Designs | How's this for fun? Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

There’s something very appealing about these two-step flowers in Love for You, and they’re simple to fussy cut if you don’t want to spend time getting the dies in perfect position. Each of the flowers is stamped in a single color — the darker image first, then the larger image of that flower after inking up and stamping off. I simply scribbled an oval in the center of each flower with a Stampin’ Blends marker, although there is a tiny stamp for that purpose.

Love for You | Dandy Designs | How's this for fun? Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

And speaking of the Love for You dies, they’re pretty remarkable. Here I stamped on a scrap of Basic White, then used what I call the “bubble outline” die. That gave plenty of white space to create some breathing room on the card front. However, there are also tighter outline dies for the words and dies of the words themselves. I suggest backing your cardstock with a piece of Adhesive Sheet before cutting the delicate words — it makes positioning (and repositioning) the die cut so much easier!

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!

Love For You Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)
[160398]
Love For You Bundle (English)
[160406]
Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Pad
[147103]
Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad
[155611]
Mango Melody Classic Stampin' Pad
[147093]
Gray Granite Stampin' Blends Combo Pack
[154886]
Highland Heather 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[146986]
Dandy Designs 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
[160836]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[159276]
Love For You Dies (English)
[160403]
Posted in 2023 Jan-April Mini, 2023 Jan-Feb Sale-A-Bration, Friend | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Love for You: Dandy Designs

Decorative Borders: Happy Birthday version C

Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 by Debra Burgin

And now the last card from the Go-To Greetings blog hop with the Stamp Review Crew. When creating these cards, I started with this one because I love the size and style of this sentiment — perfect for this Decorative Borders image.

| Go-To Greetings | Decorative Borders | I just had to go a bit romantic with this wonderful sentiment! Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I think it’s easier to see the clear embossing over Classic Ink on this card (I wrote about this technique in yesterday’s post). To keep the two images straight and centered, I stamped the sentiment first since it is a cling (rubber) stamp and I didn’t need to see exactly where I was stamping. Then I drew a light pencil line parallel to the base of the lowercase letters; stamping the floral border (in Basic Gray) was then a cinch because of the horizontal lines on either side. I used my quilting ruler and rotary cutter to trim down the panel until I liked the way it looked.

| Go-To Greetings | Decorative Borders | I just had to go a bit romantic with this wonderful sentiment! Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I have heard from others of you who shared my surprise at just how gorgeous this Quatrefoil Tile embossing folder is in real life. (BTW, it is estimated that it will be unavailable until next week.) The picture in the 2022-2023 Annual Catalog (page 177) just doesn’t do it justice. Of course, it’s not the first time I haven’t been crazy about a product right away, and before too long I hope to share a card using another product I just didn’t “get” immediately.

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!

Decorative Borders Photopolymer Stamp Set
[160513]
Go To Greetings Cling Stamp Set (English)
[158763]
Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad
[149165]
Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad
[147092]
Fresh Freesia Stampin' Blends Combo Pack
[155518]
Highland Heather Stampin' Blends Combo Pack
[154887]
Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack
[154892]
Mossy Meadow Stampin' Blends Combo Pack
[154890]
Blackberry Bliss 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[133675]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[159276]
Quatrefoil Tile Embossing Folder
[158655]
Basics Embossing Powders
[155554]
Heat Tool (Us And Canada)
[129053]
Posted in 2023 Jan-April Mini, Birthday | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Decorative Borders: Happy Birthday version C

Decorative Borders: Happy Birthday version B

Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 by Debra Burgin

My second card for last week’s Stamp Review Crew blog hop was this card for my SIL’s birthday in early February. Along with the featured set, Go-To Greetings, I used Decorative Borders, a set I received at November’s Stampin’ Up! OnStage gathering in Indianapolis. That was the first in-person event in three years, and how I missed it! Although my head nearly exploded with all the ideas presented, I’m a little ashamed to say I have yet to look at the notes I took throughout the day!

I actually began this card by choosing this fetching pattern from the Dandy Designs 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper pack — a FREE Sale-A-Bration choice when your product order reaches at least $100. With 48 double-sided sheets (four of each design), this is a great deal!

Go-To Greetings | Decorative Borders | Thank goodness for photopolymer stamps that make it easier to line up these two corner images! Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I used one of my favorite techniques for the sentiment strip, but it’s unlikely you can actually see it here. In order to give more weight to an image without using a darker color, stamp it in Classic Ink and quickly (run!) pour clear embossing over it before the ink dries; heat to melt the powder, as usual. Not only does the image become raised, it also becomes somewhat darker.

There’s no big trick to the flagged banner that runs behind the sentiment, except that there isn’t a die that long. So I cut it in two and used my Grid Paper to make sure the ends were straight and even.

Go-To Greetings | Decorative Borders | Thank goodness for photopolymer stamps that make it easier to line up these two corner images! Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

The floral image is a corner, so of course I had to stamp it twice to get a continuous border. Because this set is photopolymer and I used Basic Gray ink (instead of a lighter color), it was actually pretty easy to stamp the second image so that the dots at each end matched the ones already stamped. Of course, I was also clenching my teeth, which probably helped.

I used assorted Stampin’ Blends markers to color these two corners but haven’t included them in the product list. Use your favorites!

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!

Decorative Borders Photopolymer Stamp Set
[160513]
Go To Greetings Cling Stamp Set (English)
[158763]
Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad
[149165]
Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Pad
[147103]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock
[159229]
Dandy Designs 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
[160836]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[159276]
Highland Heather 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[146986]
Basics Embossing Powders
[155554]
Heat Tool (Us And Canada)
[129053]
Stylish Shapes Dies
[159183]
Posted in 2023 Jan-April Mini, 2023 Jan-Feb Sale-A-Bration | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Decorative Borders: Happy Birthday version A

Posted on Thursday, January 5, 2023 by Debra Burgin

This was the first card I showed in my Stamp Review Crew blog hop post earlier this week. Before I posted it, I wanted to make sure you could find items from the brand-new January-April 2023 Mini Catalog and January-February 2023 Sale-A-Bration Brochure. Unfortunately, I cannot use the TAMS app to add them to the product list, so I’ll do it by hand.

This is a pretty simple card, but the repetitive stamping of the art deco image presented a challenge. Lucky for me, the photopolymer stamp and pencil lines drawn at the left and right side of the first image I stamped meant I got it right the first time! I stamped enough to fill the tag, then die-cut it. This is the smaller of the two tag dies in the excellent Something Fancy bundle.

Decorative Borders | Go-To Greetings | I repeated the art deco image for a distinctive tag. Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

In the Mini, the image for this stamp is shown up instead of the way I stamped it, but I thought I might want to take advantage of the part that looks like a heart, coloring it in lightly. You can see I changed my mind!

Decorative Borders | Go-To Greetings | I repeated the art deco image for a distinctive tag. Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I hope you take a close look at the Designer Series Paper offered during Sale-A-Bration. The background of this stamp is from Dandy Designs 12″ x 12″ DSP (page 14), available free with $100 in product (before tax and shipping). So many fun and pretty patterns!

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

Posted in 2023 Jan-April Mini, 2023 Jan-Feb Sale-A-Bration, Birthday | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Stamp Review Crew: Go-To Greetings

Posted on Monday, January 2, 2023 by Debra Burgin

Happy New Year and welcome to the first Stamp Review Crew blog hop of 2023! What a great way to start the year: with you, fellow stampers; with other SRC bloggers; and with inspiring and beautiful products from Stampin’ Up! Today we are focusing on a practical stamp set from the 2022-2023 Annual Catalog; Go-To Greetings gives you four sentiments in three fonts:

Stampin' Up! Go-To Greetings #158763

Don’t forget that a Stamp Review Crew blog hop is posted on the first and third Mondays of each month (as well as an occasional bonus hop), typically featuring a single stamp set. As you visit a blog, you’ll find a link to the next blog; you can see all participating blogs here or by clicking the banner at the top of this post. And so you may have arrived here via Nikki Spencer’s blog, My Sandbox. Nikki does beautiful work, and I always look forward to seeing what she has created.

My strategy for using Go-To Greetings was to limit myself to the three versions of Happy Birthday. To give a common denominator to my three cards, I also used a set from the January-April 2023 Mini Catalog, Decorative Borders. (So that you don’t spend too long here, I’ll be talking about each of these cards in future Heartfelt Inkspiration posts this week beginning when the mini goes live on January 5.)

My first card uses the smallest Happy Birthday on a tag repeatedly stamped with a sort of art deco image. I think this is suitable for a guy; I’ll file it away.

Go-To Greetings | Decorative Borders | Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

Next is the slightly larger greeting layered on a floral border. The Designer Series Paper for this card and the previous one is from the Sale-A-Bration Dandy Designs pack. This card is for my SIL’s birthday early next month.

Go-To Greetings | Decorative Borders | Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

Finally, this card (in the mail to my sister) uses the beautiful largest version of happy birthday. As you can see, I am currently loving purple!

Go-To Greetings | Decorative Borders | Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

It was fun to combine tailored elements with curvy ones and to do some precision stamping. Don’t forget to check back this week for posts with product lists and construction details for these cards. I love comments and questions!

Now it’s time to see what Mike Funke has created on his blog, Stampin’ Style. Enjoy!
Posted in 2023 Jan-April Mini, Birthday, Blog hop, Stamp Review Crew | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Framed Florets: You are Loved

Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2022 by Debra Burgin

I designed this card for the Heartfelt Inkspiration team gathering earlier this month. My inspiration was a birthday card one of my team members sent to me, although she admitted later she couldn’t remember what the card looked like when I asked if she minded if I copied hers. As it turned out, mine was almost nothing like hers!

At the meeting, we had a lively discussion about how (or if) you keep track of the cards you send. I mean, I know people who send hundreds of cards each year — excluding Christmas cards! What is your strategy, if any?

Framed Florets | There is something pleasing about an oval, I think! Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

There’s something pleasing about an oval, I think. It’s graceful and sweet, especially with this border of cut-out hearts.

Framed Florets | There is something pleasing about an oval, I think! Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

It doesn’t appear so, but the base of this card is Thick Basic White. Behind the embossed and die-cut panel, peeking through the hearts and oval, is a piece of Petal Pink. The flowers (cut using the new ) are also Petal Pink, pounced with a bit of Calypso Coral for contrast.

The patterned paper oval is from the Country Floral Lane Designer Series Paper pack. The patterns are wonderful, and you will notice that some images on the paper can be cut out with the coordinating Country Bouquet punch. These products, from the Country Floral Lane Suite Collection, will appear in the upcoming January-April 2023 Mini Catalog, as will the Petal Park Builder punch I used for the flowers. Can you tell I’m excited about this Mini? If you will not be getting a hard copy, visit this blog on January 5 to see a widget (graphic link) to the pdf version.

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!

Framed Florets Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)
[161815]
Framed Florets Bundle (English)
[162407]
Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad
[147111]
Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad
[147101]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock
[159229]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[159276]
Petal Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[146985]
Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[138337]
Framed Florets Dies
[160623]
Quatrefoil Tile Embossing Folder
[158655]
Stylish Shapes Dies
[159183]
Sponge Daubers
[133773]
Pearl Basic Jewels
[144219]
Posted in 2023 Jan-April Mini, Birthday, Friend, Valentine | Tagged , | Comments Off on Framed Florets: You are Loved

Christmas Season: Thanks

Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 by Debra Burgin

I don’t think I’ve ever had a quieter holiday season. (At least the holiday season to date.) Much of that had to do with things outside our control but upsetting nonetheless. I tried to take advantage of the free time with some stamping, including a bunch of thank-you cards similar to this one:

Christmas Season | Happier than Happy | Simple stamping -- please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

We have received many beautiful Christmas cards this year, so my husband suggested putting them on every available surface of the piano in our dining room. We are enjoying having breakfast amongst this artwork! (I light the candles on the table, too.) This card design was inspired by some of the hand-stamped greetings and uses one of my favorite sets, Christmas Season.

Christmas Season | Happier than Happy | Simple stamping -- please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

Most of the TYs I sent were note cards; this one is a full-sized card. I had a wonderful day narrowing down my design options until I could make many of these. The little sliver of gold foil was just enough.

Although I didn’t keep one of these for myself, I believe my supply list is correct, but note the retired embossing folder and circle punch.

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!

Christmas Season Photopolymer Stamp Set
[156293]
Happier Than Happy Cling Stamp Set (English)
[158944]
Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad
[147115]
Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad
[147116]
Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad
[147090]
Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad
[147111]
Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad
[147083]
Cherry Cobbler 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[119685]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[159276]
Gold Foil Sheets
[132622]
Tasteful Textile 3 D Embossing Folder
[152718]
1" (2.5 Cm) Circle Punch
1″ (2.5 Cm) Circle Punch
[119868]
Layering Circles Dies
[151770]
Posted in Christmas, Thank You | Tagged , | Comments Off on Christmas Season: Thanks

Stamp Review Crew: Merriest Moments

Posted on Monday, December 19, 2022 by Debra Burgin

Here it is, the final Stamp Review Crew blog hop of 2022! The Crew is a group of international bloggers who may choose to participate in a hop or two each month (the first and third Monday) to focus on one stamp set. Today’s hop looks at Merriest Moments, a “returning fave” that you’ll find on page 23 of the Stampin’ Up! July-December 2023 Mini Catalog. Regrettably, both the stamp set and the coordinating Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing Folder (with 16 dies) are both retired and sold out.

Did you come here via Rubber Redneck, the blog of Holly Krautkremer? Holly coordinates the Stamp Review Crew blog hops — and there’s much coordinating to do. Thank you, Holly, for everything you do!

The Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing Folder was the first folder of this kind I bought. I couldn’t believe you could cut and emboss at the same time. So I didn’t — until recently, and now I am a huge fan of these products! Although it seems that using a die inside an embossing folder would damage it, it doesn’t.

Merriest Moments | Merriest Frames | This Christmas card owes its frostiness to an embossed vellum frame and poinsettia and leaf images stamp on Fine Shimmer paper. Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

I wanted a sort of frothy, romantic look to this card, so I began with a frame of Vellum Cardstock. I needed some shimmer for the poinsettias and leaves, so I started experimenting.

Merriest Moments | Merriest Frames | This Christmas card owes its frostiness to an embossed vellum frame and poinsettia and leaf images stamp on Fine Shimmer paper. Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

Because I have been so crazy about the Fine Shimmer 12″ x 12″ Paper Pack from the upcoming January-April 2023 Mini Catalog, I decided to see whether I could stamp on it. (I’ve been hearing that some of you have received your Mini already; you can find this product on page 15.) I was pretty sure the ink wouldn’t dry quickly (or at all) on the shimmery surface, so I planned to emboss the image with clear powder immediately after stamping.

Merriest Moments | Merriest Frames | This Christmas card owes its frostiness to an embossed vellum frame and poinsettia and leaf images stamp on Fine Shimmer paper. Please click to read more! | Stampin' Up! | HeartfeltInkspiration.com | Debra Burgin

For the flowers, I stamped in Cherry Cobbler and Merry Merlot ink on the gold paper. I couldn’t believe how pale they turned out! The leaves were stamped in Evening Evergreen on the Soft Succulent paper. I decided to proceed using the results. Choosing a card base was a challenge, but my favorite was this Cherry Cobbler version. While I had the embossing powder out, I stamped the front sentiment in Evening Evergreen ink and embossed it. The pearl flower centers are from my (ancient) stash. (All products except the Fine Shimmer paper are listed at the end of this post.)

Next on the hop, you’ll be inspired by the creations of Cindy Elam at Heart’s Delight Cards. Enjoy her beautiful work, and I’ll see you again in early 2023!
Merriest Moments Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)
[156353]
Merriest Moments Bundle (English)
[156783]
Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad
[147083]
Merry Merlot Classic Stampin' Pad
[147112]
Evening Evergreen Classic Stampin' Pad
[155576]
Cherry Cobbler 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[119685]
Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[101856]
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock
[159276]
Basics Embossing Powders
[155554]
Heat Tool (Us And Canada)
[129053]
Merriest Frames Hybrid Embossing Folder
[156385]
Posted in 2022 July-December Mini, 2023 Jan-April Mini, Blog hop, Christmas, Stamp Review Crew | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Free shipping Thursday only!

Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 by Debra Burgin

What to my wondering eyes should appear, but an announcement yesterday from Stampin’ Up! that on Thursday, December 15, orders subtotalling $75 (i.e., before tax) qualify for FREE standard shipping! Here’s what you need to know:

  • If you’d like to place an order with me, here is my online storefront.
  • This incredible deal lasts for 24 hours only, and your order must be started and submitted on December 15.
  • December incentive:  Use my Host Code RPGFPVUN on your order of $75 (before S/H and tax) and I’ll send you the Three Twine Combo Pack (#160597) from the upcoming January-April 2023 Mini Catalog as my thank-you gift to you.  I will send you this item as soon as I can order sufficient quantities.
  • With the exception of month-to-month Paper Pumpkin subscriptions, all Stampin’ Up! products qualify for the promotion.
  • Prepaid Paper Pumpkin subscriptions are eligible for FREE shipping under the same rules as all other Stampin’ Up! items during the promotion.
  • The free shipping promotion does not cover the additional cost for expedited shipping.
  • Due to increased shipping times and possible shipping delays during the month of December, we can’t guarantee delivery before Christmas.

Some of you may have heard me say just a few days ago that I would not be placing another order for myself in December. But to save 11% on shipping, I think it’s worth taking an inventory of my paper. And adhesive. And envelopes. OK, sure, I’ll take another look at my wish list. How about you?

Posted in Stampin' Up! Promotion | Tagged | Comments Off on Free shipping Thursday only!