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Beat the Heat!

The temperatures outside are over-the-top hot, making it a great time to stay inside and make fun paper crafts.  To help you beat the heat, I’m offering a sweet deal!

 

When you place a personal or online order with me from July 18 thru July 31 using HOSTESS CODE WVTXESB9 and your order reaches the $50, $75, $100 or $125 or more (before tax and shipping) I will send you the following gift(s) as a thank-you.

 

      • $50 Purchase = FREE Rhinestone Basic Jewels
      • $75 Purchase = FREE Rhinestone Basic Jewels & Pearlized Doilies
      • $100 Purchase = FREE Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Pearlized Doilies and a Simply Shammy with case.
      • $125 Purchase = FREE Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Pearlized Doilies, Simply Shammy with case and your choice of one Memories & More Card Pack

 

 

You must use HOSTESS CODE WVTXESB9 when placing your order to receive these fabulous FREE products from me.  I will order them on August 1st and ship them out to you with a special handmade thank you card as soon as received.

 

Click on the Shop Now button below to place your online order or email your contact information to me at Leslie@theplaidpoodle.com  and I will be happy to call you personally and assist you with your order.

The New Stampin’ Up! Color Collection

The 2018-2019 Annual Catalog and Idea Book from Stampin’ Up! is here with lots of awesome new products to help make our paper crafting projects more stunning than ever!  One of the things that I’m most excited about is the color revamp with the addition of brand-new, up-to-date colors.

Choice of color is significant in our paper crafting projects.  Colors can make us feel calm and sedate or, depending on what colors we work with, they can help us to feel joyful and enthusiastic, or tranquil and reflective.

The new colors from Stampin’ Up! are the freshest colors available.  They encourage confidence that my card making, scrapbooking and home decor projects are on-trend and I can gift them to my family and friends with confidence and pride.

Have a look then leave a comment below with a list of your favorites.

New Colors

In Color Collections

As always, the annual catalog brings in five new In-Colors and this year’s new In-Colors do not disappoint.

 

Core Color Collections

Stampin’ Up! has out done themselves by doing a complete color revamp this year and I’m thrilled to share with you the new Core Color Collections!   There are several new, never-seen before colors as well as a few returning favorites from the past.

I’m crazy over this color collection and can’t wait to start working with the coordinating papers, inks and embellishments!  The new Subtles collection makes me feel cool and calm and will create soft, serene cards perfect for wedding, baby, birthday, sympathy and shower cards or scrapbook pages.

The Brights Collection reminds me of summer and makes me feel happy, glad and cheerful.  They are bright and vibrant and will work great with florals.  The Regals Collection are stately and rich; lots of great colors for the autumn and winter holidays.  And did you notice that there is some color thrown into the Neutrals Collection?  Similar to black and white, colors like Mossy Meadow, Night of Navy and Merry Merlot are neutral enough to be paired with many colors.

Leave a comment below with a list of any colors that caught your eye and that you would like to see a project made with.  Check back here often for new projects made using these fantastic colors.

Embellished Spool

Customers who place an order with me during the month of April using Host Code 7FWD6RED will receive three lovely handmade cards plus three yards of beautiful ribbon.  I wanted to dress up the ribbon a little so they will receive it on a pretty embellished wooden spool.

For this spool of sparkly Bermuda Bay ribbon I used a scrap of paper from the Petal Garden Designer Series Paper Stack to wrap around the spool and then punched a couple circles from the DSP to cover the bottom and the top of the spool.  Multipurpose Liquid Glue worked great to adhere the DSP to the wooden spool

I had the lovely rhinestone flower embellishment in my stash of retired products and thought it worked perfectly for the vintage feel of the spool so I tied it onto the spool using a double length of Linen Thread.  To top it all off, I tied a knot with a length of Very Vanilla Lace Trim and adhered it to the spool with a Mini Glue Dot.

Product List

Other Products Used:

  • Wooden Spool
  • White Craft Paint
  • Retired floral embellishment

I would love to send an embellished spool to you!  Just place an online order of any amount with me using Host Code 7FWD6RED and I will mail the spool with ribbon along with three handmade cards to you.

Amazing You Card

I love that the hand made card I’m sharing with you today can be used for so many occasions.  Birthday, Graduation, Congratulations, Encouragement or simply a card to let someone know you are thinking of them and think they are pretty amazing!  This is the final week of Stampin’ Up!’s Sale-a-Bration promotion so I wanted to showcase the Amazing You stamp set and the Celebrate You Thinlit Dies before they go away for good on March 31, 2018.

I’m aching for warmer weather to arrive here in Kansas City and think it influenced my choice of ink colors.  The subtle Calypso Coral, Pool Party and So Saffron inks remind me of Springtime.  A great tip to adhering finely detailed die-cuts to your paper crafting projects without having liquid adhesive “smoosh out” is to use Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets.  The adhesive sheets turn anything into a sticker and make adhering tiny, detailed pieces of card stock a breeze! I used them to adhere the Amazing die-cut to the card front.

Because the final week of Sale-a-Bration coincides with my birthday week, I’m sending a FREE Mini Gable Box Kit to everyone who places a minimum $50 order with me using the Hostess Code YQ4K6AAQ.  This offer is valid starting Monday, March 26, 2018 and expires at midnight on Saturday, March 31, 2018.

Your kit will include everything you need to create this adorable mini gable box except the stamps and ink:

  • 1 Mini Gable Box
  • Designer Series Paper
  • Starburst Die-cut
  • Circle Die-cut
  • Banner
  • Shimmer Ribbon
  • Rhinestones

TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE GIFT PLACE YOUR ORDER HERE NOW:

 

Video Tutorial

Card Recipe:

  • Card Base = 8-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ piece of Whisper White card stock scored at 4-1/4″
  • Layer One = 5-1/4″ x 4″ piece of Calypso Coral card stock
  • Stamped Layer = 3-3/4″ x 5″ piece of Whisper White card stock
  • “Amazing” die-cut = 2″ x 4″ piece of Calypso Coral card stock
  • “YOU” die cut = 2″ x 2″ piece of Pool Party card stock

Product List

Truly Tailored Card

I needed a masculine birthday card to go out in today’s mail, so I whipped up this quick and easy card that I cased from the Stampin’ Up! 2018 Occasions Catalog.  The card uses products from the True Gentlemen Suite.  No special tools were required; just a Stampin’ Trimmer and adhesives.  It’s the perfect type of card if you are a beginning card maker or are short on time like I was today.

Here is the card from the catalog:

My dimensions are probably not exactly the same as the one shown in the catalog and I couldn’t resist adding a length of the Corduroy Ribbon to mine, but you get the idea.

There are loads of ideas in the Stampin’ Up! catalogs to copy exactly or to use as a spring-board to make your own creations.  You can view .pdf copies of the Stampin’ Up! catalogs HERE.  If you don’t have an Occasions Catalog, and live in the United States, I would be happy to ship one to you.  Just email your request with your name and address to Leslie@theplaidpoodle.com

Have a great day!

Heartfelt Blooms Thinking of You Card

This is such a pretty card with layers, bits of ribbon and sparkle!  The softness of the water color makes a sweet background for the intricate floral dies and the shimmery ribbon and gems add just enough dazzle.
If you want to step-up your paper crafting game, a die-cutting machine such as the Big Shot used to cut the floral dies from the Flourish Thinlits is a must.  Using the right tools and a few fun techniques make creating this fancy card a breeze.

When you place an order with me of $50 or more (before tax and shipping) using Hostess Code 3SDF7H9F before midnight tonight, Friday, February 23, 2018. I will send you a FREE pack of Clear Faceted Gems.  Place a $100 order and I will send you packages of both the Clear and Gold Faceted Gems.  This offer is my personal gift* to you and will be in addition to the FREE Sale-a-Bration gift(s) that your $50 or $100 order will qualify for with Stampin’ Up!  Read about the wonder that is Sale-a-Bration and view all the great stamp sets and other freebie choices by clicking on the brochure images below.
*Gems will ship from me on March 2nd

Ice Ice Baby FREE Faceted Gems

We are in the middle of day two of ice storms here in my home town of Kansas City.  All this ice has inspired me to offer a FREE pack of icy Clear Faceted Gems when you place an order with me of $50 or more using Hostess Code 3SDF7H9F.  Place a $100 order and I will send both the Clear and Gold Faceted Gems.
This offer is my personal gift* to you and will be in addition to the FREE Sale-a-Bration gift(s) that your $50 or $100 order will qualify for.  To view all the great stamp sets and other Sale-a-Bration freebie choices just click on the brochure images below.
But hurry, just like the ice is not going to be around for long, this offer is a 36- hour sale and will end on Friday, February 23rd at midnight CST.  You must use Hostess Code 3SDF7H9F to receive your FREE gems.  I would be happy to help you with your order so contact me today!
Email me at Leslie@theplaidpoodle.com
*Gems will ship from me on March 2nd

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Stampin’ Up! Epic Celebrations

Make things Epic! 

We’re almost half-way through Stampin’ Up!’s most epic sale of the year!  During Sale-A-Bration you can earn exclusive free products with every qualifying purchase. Read all about Sale-a-Bration HERE.

The Sale-A-Bration product I’m sharing with you today is the Epic Celebrations Stamp Set, a set you can have for FREE with a $50 Stampin’ Up! purchase.  This fun and youthful line-art set is just waiting for you to add color.  There are many options for color customization.  Every crafter needs the basics:  stamps, ink and paper.  But oh, the things you can do when you use coloring tools.  Blend. Fade. Distress. Water color.  With the right tools and your favorite ink, you can get any look you want.

Check out this video and see for yourself just how easy it is to create cute cute cards to impress your family and friends with by using three different techniques for adding color.

•Stampin’ Blends

Say hello to a world of colorful creativity with Stampin’ Up!’s premier alcohol markers. These high-quality, dual-tip markers come in 12 exclusive Stampin’ Up! colors, each with a light and dark shade.  Not an artist?  You are now!  These markers make it so easy to blend colors and create lovely works of art.

Create the Stampin’ Blends sample card from the video below using these products:

Product List

Epic Celebrations Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$0.00

Epic Celebrations Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$0.00

Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes

$6.00

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$9.00

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$6.00

Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

$9.00

Stampin' Blends Color Lifter

$4.50

Silver Glimmer Paper

$5.00

1-3/8" Circle Punch

$16.00

2-1/4" (5.7 Cm) Circle Punch

$18.00

Twine Baker's Whisper White

$3.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.00

 

•Aqua Painters

No need for a brush and cup–Aqua Painters hold liquid for easy water coloring. Two painters; one medium brush tip and one large brush tip.  Use with Stampin’ Up! ink pads, ink refills and water color pencils.

Create the Aqua Painter sample card from the video below using these products:

Product List

Epic Celebrations Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$0.00

Epic Celebrations Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$0.00

Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes

$6.00

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$9.00

Silver Glimmer Paper

$5.00

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

$7.00

Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad

$6.50

Aqua Painters

$17.00

1-3/8" Circle Punch

$16.00

2-1/4" (5.7 Cm) Circle Punch

$18.00

Twine Baker's Whisper White

$3.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.00

•Watercolor Pencils

High-quality, smooth color pencils. Perfect for water coloring stamped images. Use with Aqua Painters, Blender Pens, or alone.
13 acid and lignin free pencils in Stampin’ Up! colors: Basic Black, Basic Gray, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Rich Razzleberry, and Whisper White.

Create the watercolor pencil card sample in the video below using these products:
Product List

Epic Celebrations Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$0.00

Epic Celebrations Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$0.00

Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes

$6.00

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$9.00

Silver Glimmer Paper

$5.00

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

$7.00

Watercolor Pencils

$16.00

1-3/8" Circle Punch

$16.00

2-1/4" (5.7 Cm) Circle Punch

$18.00

Twine Baker's Whisper White

$3.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.00

Sale-a-Brate the New Year!

What is Sale-A-Bration?

The biggest sale of the year! You can earn free, exclusive products with every qualifying order.

 Sale-A-Bration Dates:  January 3 – March 31, 2018

SHOP!

For every $50  you spend, you will receive a free Sale-A-Bration product. For anyone who has enjoyed Sale-A-Bration in the past, Stampin’ Up! has an exciting new announcement for this year: They now have a new reward level, giving you more flexibility and options for your free items.

Let’s break it down:

  • If you spend $50, you get one free level 1 product.
  • If you spend $100 you get one free level 2 product, OR, you can choose two level 1 items.
  • If you spend $150 USD you have the option to choose three level 1 items or one level 1 item and one level 2 item.

This new option allows you to create a personalized Sale-A-Bration experience and there are no limits – the more you purchase, the more FREE items you earn!

HOST!

When you hold a qualifying party or make an individual purchase with at least $250 in sales during Sale-A-Bration, you will earn $25 more in Stampin’ Rewards! These rewards can even be applied towards a Starter Kit, allowing you to also join and become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

JOIN!

In addition to hosting,  joining as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration comes with great benefits. Joining at this time gives a new demonstrator their starter kit at $99, along with the choice of TWO additional stamp sets for their kit—any stamp set, any price. (Excludes bundles and Sale-A-Bration sets.) Plus, the kit ships for free!

NEW CATALOGS!

2018 Sale-a-Bration Brochure

2018 Occasions Catalog

Stampin’ Up! Clearance Rack Refresh!

What a deal!  The Clearance rack has been updated with new AWESOME products! Lots of Big Shot framelits and embossing folders, card stock, ribbons and more! This is the best time to shop and pick up some. Prices are up to 70% OFF!

Stock up on any of your last minute Christmas Card supplies, or look for gifts that you can pick up for the crafty people in your life!

Hug in a Mug Christmas Note Card

The card I’m sharing in today’s post is a holiday themed thank-you card.  I sent these out to customers who placed orders with me in November.  Plaid is everywhere right now and the plaid pattern paper from the Christmas Around the World Designer Series paper collection from Stampin’ Up! is one of my favorites.

I used a die from the Popcorn Box Framelit Dies to create the sweet scallop edge and the Holly Builder Punch to create the Holly.  I wrapped a small length of Linen Thread around the Designer Series Paper and tied it up in a bow.  The Rhinestone Basic Jewels were colored with a Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Blend Marker.

The sentiment comes from the Hug in a Mug stamp set.  While the set is great for a Christmas card, it is not specific to Christmas.   Hug in a Mug offers a lot of versatility and can be used all winter long for many occasions.


Product List

Quilted Christmas Tree

Deck your halls by creating this whimsical Christmas Tree using the Quilted Christmas Designer Series Paper by Stampin’ Up!  I recently participated in a craft fair and made several of these adorable cork trees for my booth.  Someone mentioned they reminded her of the movie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey.  The little drooping star reminds me of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  Here is a quick video demonstrating the project:


Besides the corks, which I ordered from Amazon, you will need a glue gun and 18-gauge stem wire along with the products listed below.  The Quilted Christmas Designer Series Paper and the Trim Your Stockings Thinlit Dies are on the Stampin’ Up! Retirement List and are available thru the end of December while supplies last only.  Visit my on-line store here to see all the retiring favorites and discounted items. 

Product List

To check out the complete list of discounted and retiring favorite products click on the link below.

 

My 5 Top Gift-Giving Picks

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here so I thought I would share with you my top five gift-giving picks this season.

#1 – All Inclusive Project Kits

All-inclusive kits are perfect for beginning and seasoned crafters alike, especially since all the supplies you need to complete the kit are included.  An added perk to these all inclusive kits from Stampin’ Up! is that they come beautifully boxed and would look great wrapped up with a ribbon.

#2 – Love Today Planner Kit

Planners are all the rage and this planner will help keep the recipient on schedule and can also give a creative outlet too!  This all-inclusive kit has everything you need to create a customizable yearly planner.

 

#3 – Photo Album, Pocket Pages and a Memories & More Card Pack

One of my favorite gifts to give!  I collect a few photos – sometimes I have to sneak them from someone’s Facebook page – then I box them up with an album, a pack of pocket pages and a Memories & More Card Pack and Journaling Pens.

#4 – Paper Pumpkin

A Paper Pumpkin subscription is a creative escape in a box that comes right to your door.  You receive all the stamps, ink, and paper you need to make a fun paper-crafting project. Absolutely no prep work; everything is pre-cut and ready to go!

#5 – Just Add Color Specialty Designer Series Paper with Stampin’ Write Markers, Stampin’ Blends or Watercolor Pencils

Adult coloring is a big trend right now and the Just Add Color paper with it’s open designs printed on heavyweight paper is perfect for coloring or watercoloring.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by my little piece of blog real estate.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my Five Fav’s for gift giving.  I would be happy to assist you with your gift-giving needs this holiday.  Contact me today or visit my online store at the link below.

 

Cyber Monday FREE Shipping

During Online Extravaganza this past week, Stampin’ Up! has offered some great deals on a select group of stamps and products, but they are not done yet.  To close out Online Extravaganza with a bang, Stampin’ Up! is offering FREE shipping on all orders during Cyber Monday!  FREE shipping begins at midnight MT Sunday night and ends at 11:59 pm MT on Monday, November 27.

In addition to FREE Shipping, when you place an online order of $50 or more with me and use Hostess Code PVVSMT9T, I will send a package of these beautiful Foil Snowflakes to you.

Take a peek at these projects made with the gorgeous metallic foil snowflakes and other products from the Year of Cheer Product Suite.

To get your gift from me don’t forget to insert Host Code PVVSMT9T here when shopping with me at my online store (do not use the Host Code if your order is over $150 – you will qualify for Host Rewards and will receive the Foil Snowflakes from me automatically):

Colorful Seasons

The “Fancy” option in my Fun & Fancy Stamp Class this month was this sweet Embellished Mason Jar Candle:

I purchased the cinnamon bun scented candles from Dollar Tree then dressed them up with some ribbon, trim and die-cuts. The colors in the Painted Autumn Designer Series Paper coordinated perfectly with the cinnamon color of the candle and the detailed Copper Foil leaf paired with a strand of mini sequin trim adds just enough sparkle to the project. I am so excited to gift these to my Thanksgiving Day guests!

Project Details:

  • Stamps: Colorful Seasons Photopolymer, September 2017 Paper Pumpkin Kit
  • Ink: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso
  • Cardstock: Painted Autumn Designer Series Paper 3″ x 3″, Cajun Craze Cardstock 3″ x 3″, 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″, Gold Foil 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″, Very Vanilla 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″
  • Accessories: Stitched Shapes Framelits, Layering Circles Framelits, Seasonal Layers Thinlits, Coffee Cups Framelits, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Crushed Curry 3/8″ Mini-Chevron Ribbon, Gold Mini Sequin Trim, Linen Thread, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Directions:

  1. Cut circle from 3″ x 3″ piece of Cajun Craze card stock with die from the Stitched Shapes Framelits using the Big Shot.
  2. Cut circle from 3″ x 3″ piece of Designer Series Paper with die from the Layering Circles Framelits using the Big Shot. Adhere circle to Cajun Craze circle using adhesive. Adhere both to jar lid using adhesive.
  3. Wrap Crushed Curry ribbon around jar and tie in bow. Thread 6″ length of sequin trim under bow and tie in knot.
  4. Stamp leaf image onto 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ piece of Cajun Craze card stock using Cajun Craze ink. Cut out with die from the Seasonal Layers Thinlits using the Big Shot.
  5. Cut detailed leaf from 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ piece of Copper Foil with die from the Seasonal Layers Thinlits using the Big Shot. Adhere to Cajun Craze leaf using Mini Glue Dot.
  6. Stamp sentiment onto 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″ piece of Very Vanilla card stock with Early Espresso ink. Cut out with oval die from the Coffee Cups Framelits using the Big Shot. Adhere oval to leaves using Mini Glue Dot.
  7. Tie bow with Linen thread. Adhere bow to top of sentiment with dot of Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue.
  8. Adhere tag to jar front using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Product List

Big Shot

$110.00

Linen Thread

$4.50

Glue Dots

$5.25