Stationary Card Class

So I loved the card folder that I made for the teachers and the last club meeting so much that I had to try it with the new hostess exclusive stamp set called "because I care".

When I love something so much, I have to share it so I will be holding a class if you want to learn how to make it. The class will be on Wed. July 21st at 7:30. Cost: $10.

Contact me if you would like to attend. genevieve.ko@sympatico.ca

draw prize winners

I had a great time at my hostess appreciation event Friday night and open house on Saturday. I feel so blessed to be able to enjoy time with friends while hubby took the three kids away for the whole weekend. (yes! He is the best husband in the world!)
I just realized that I should have taken pictures so you could see all the smiling faces and different experiences. Some people just studied the new catalogue, while others jumped right into the make and takes and others just sat and chatted. It was great. I always hope that when people walk through my door they can feel at home.
When I get more time, I will post pictures of the make and take projects we did. In the meantime, I wanted to post the names of the winners of the various draw prizes.
Grand Prize: Ramona H.
Door prize 1: Lucy L.
Door prize 2: Gail T.
Door prize 3: Cristina S
Hostess exclusive prize: Pei Pei T.

Congratulations ladies and I will be in touch to get your prizes to you.

old and new

So I'm thinking out with the old, in with the new! Time to re-organize my paper and inks into the new colour families that will be starting in the new catalogue. It was pretty painless. I hardly blinked as I put my retiring colour ink pads into a cupboard. Then I reorganized my stampin' pad caddy. It'll take a few days to get used to having old olive and pumpkin pie in the brights family. My caddy is now a bit lopsided since I have hardly any pads in the regals family but I have almost everything in the neutral family. What really stopped me in my tracks was reorganizing my markers. I poured them all out and took away all the retiring colours. Seeing all those retiring colours in one pile really shocked me. I don't think I fully realized all the colours that were retiring. The truth is I rarely used a lot of the colours that are leaving but to see them all in one big pile, the colours so vibrant and beautiful, I actually felt a little bewildered.
Fortunately my shipment of new things arrived and I was able to replace my retiring markers with the new colour markers. This eased my dismay somewhat. :-)
I can't wait to show you all how great the new colours are. I'm having fun putting colours together using my new colour coach too. Make sure to drop by my open house to see the new things and say hi!

#1 Dad

So here's what I made for hubby for father's day. I used the manly travel journal paper from the summer mini catalogue to cover two sides of the block. Another two sides were covered with pictures of the kids and another two sides were painted with that silver shimmer paint released in the holiday mini. The letters were done using the big shot and the go go boots alphabet dies. The blocks are smooth. No need to sand them. They are available for purchase as a set of four. I had kind of imagined that I would use the blocks to make Christmas decorations...I could have covered it in great Christmas dsp and put some shimmer on...

Anyway, Kevin liked the blocks. The only problem was that when my dear daughter was helping me, she spilled half of my shimmer paint on the tablecloth. I was a bit alarmed as the shimmer paint looked good on the blocks but not so good as a blob on my tablecloth. Thank goodness for amaze laundry detergent. I am happy to say that the blob is no longer on my tablecloth and I believe that the splatters of log cabin smooch spritz were also removed in the process.

comeback colour

With the new colour renovation, some past in colours are coming back to stay. Hooray! Here's a card I received from a friend using River Rock, chocolate chip, and kraft. These neutral colours together give a really calm feeling.

These three colours will be a part of the new neutral family in the new catalogue. River rock is a returning in colour and kraft will now have its own ink pad and marker and other accessories. It's about time!

Happy Wednesday everyone. Just a few more days until the weekend!

vive la stamping!

Having three children has forced me to to multi-task. I can cook dinner and talk on the phone at the same time. I take a shower while drilling an 8 year old on his multiplication tables. I can pursue my love of stamping while planning a club project and creating an end of the year teacher gift at the same time!

This is a card folder.

You open it up and there are pockets to hold the cards and matching stamped envelopes.

Here is the close up of the card. It uses the fleur de lis stencil from the elegant trio stencil set. Yes ladies, stencilling is not just for walls and decor items. The card base is kraft paper and the matte is soft suede. I did the fleur de lis stencil with a sponge dauber and soft suede ink. The flourish is from the new GORGEOUS Elements of Style stamp set in the summer mini. I used bermuda bay ink colour. I never thought bermuda bay and soft suede would work together but I saw it on the stampin' up demo site and had to try it myself. It might be hard to see but I used the colour spritzer tool with my soft suede marker to add some softness/interest.

Now of course the trick is to make 3 more for the rest of my kids teachers. It's actually very easy to make but I also have to get cracking on daddy's father's day gift. Boy, I"m going to be very happy the next few days with all this stampin' I have to do. :-)

easy priceless card

Here's a super easy card you can make with almost any stamp set that has a flower/circle type motif. I used the flower from my all time favourite priceless set. I punched them out with the five petal flower punch and put punched out 1 3/8" circles behind.

These three colours were so saffron, old olive and regal rose.

I love the simplicity of this card and can not wait to try it using the new colours that will be released in the new catalogue. I am desperate to break out my new colours and play but I have been so busy with end of the year things that my new colours and stamp sets are still in the ups box!!!!! I have restrained myself from looking at everything because I know once I dig into my box of new things, time will be lost to me. I might forget to feed and clothe my children because I will be busy trying out all sorts of new colour combos using the new colours. Just joking!

My open house is coming up in just a couple of weeks and so if you can make it, you will see all these new things in action. I'll have new stamp sets, new colours, new paper and I just picked up a "new to me" big shot die for which I already have a card idea in my mind.

Come out and play! You deserve it! Open house: June 26th 9:30-1:30pm. RSVP to me so I can cut paper for you.

bold birthday

My friend Clara showed me this cute card design using the retiring bold bright colours of only orange and brilliant blue. The polka dot embossing folder for use with the big shot gives the card some easy texture. I used the look who's turning stamp set for the motif since my son is going to a birthday party in 25 minutes.

Break in a basket

I really should be snoozing now but tonight I really wanted to make something for a friend. I felt she might need a little treat/break. My break in a basket included a candle, card/teabag holder and some home baked brownies. As all of you know, I love creating things with a handmade touch and I especially love giving them away to people as a way to bless and encourage them.

I used the colours rich razzleberry and old olive and the one of a kind stamp set to tie it all together. (I think I forgot about that one of a kind stamp set until I saw it on the retiring list and then remembered how much I loved that big flower) Make sure you click on the image if you want to see the project in more detail.

If you haven't customized a candle before, let me tell you it is so easy. I don't mean kind of easy, I mean really really easy. I might be compelled to make a few more to have on hand for those summer get togethers where I need a small thank you/hostess gift or maybe I"ll give candles to the teachers this year instead of my usual "ko"sters.

If someone has been on your mind lately, take a moment to make something for them. It's worth the time.

scrapbooking video

Okay, so I'm a bit late posting a Stampin' Up video on Scrapbooking...(yes, national scrapbooking month was last month so the promotion is no longer valid but I still like the video and the ideas.)
Enjoy the video and I hope you feel inspired.
Check out the video

Envelope Tricks

Last night for club I showed off 4 different card/gift card holders that can be made using envelopes. Here's a sampling:

This is the Stampin' Up open end envelope, sealed and the top cut off. The bottom was rolled through the crimping tool which made it narrower so it slides into the top part of the envelope. A perfect and fast money holder card. Here is my finished version using the retiring enjoy every moment set. As you know, manly projects are my nemisis...I'm pretty happy with this one: I used really rust ink and pumpkin pie. Some log cabin smooch spritz and a small library clip. I think I"ll use this as a gift card holder for my father in law.
This card also uses the Stampin' Up open end envelope. I stamped all over the envelope with enfrancais background stamp and vintage vogue. I then folded up the bottom and it made a super easy pocket card. I mounted a 3X3 medallion decorated cardstock on the envelope flap just to dress it up and hide the fact that it was really just an envelope.


This next one is another super easy one using Stampin' Up's medium size sealed envelope. Just turn the envelope longways punch out the sides using the large tag punch and ta-dah, a little basket shaped holder that you could stick a gift card and treats into. This one is decorated using the retiring one of a kind stamp set. Do you notice I"m getting ready for the new catalogue by using that beautiful returning in-colour baja breeze. I love that colour. It's not as soft as bashful blue but not as bold as tempting turquoise. Just right with certainly celery and rose red.

I have more things to share but I really should do some of my O.T. work now. Now that I'm working in the school health sector, I only have a few more weeks to see my "kids" and so things are very busy. It doesn't help that I'm trying to gather things together for my professional audit as well. Did you know I have to hand out surveys to 15 past clients so they can comment on my O.T. service? I'm pulling up the list of past clients and before I went into school health I was mostly doing geriatrics and palliative. Well, so many have passed away or have memory problems...doesn't it seem just horribly impolite to call them and ask them to complete a survey? Oh well, just part of the process. It is a good thing that I'm part of a regulated health profession and that there are measures in place to make sure we're competant at what we do. I'm looking forward to summer as I won't be working and hopefully I'll pass the audit and it will be behind me. I plan to set aside time to catch up on my scrapbooking.

more sweet scoops

The warm summer like weather is inspiring more sweet scoop cards. This one uses orchid opulence card stock: one of the retiring colours. Sweet and simple.

presto bling

Another fast and easy card using the presto paper. I used the big shot to cut out a scallop circle

with sticky sheet and poured glitter all over. Our whole family is glittery now.

Priceless is not retiring!

Correct me if I am wrong but I didn't see PRICELESS on the retiring list which means I can continue to use it and enjoy it and share it with everyone without causing distress.

Here is a cute and easy project which is perfect to make as a teacher gift at the end of the year. I slipped a tea bag in but you could easily put a square of chocolate and a gift card. This was a club project. Yes, if you want to get new ideas and make cute projects, you need to join a club! Talk to me for all the details. Clubs are one of my favourite parts of being a stampin' up demo.