This morning I realised that we only have 11 days until Valentine’s Day – then the realization hit me that I havent made ANYTHING for heart day – yikes!!!

Figuring that I am not alone and that many of you are likely in the same boat, I decided to put together a clean & simple card to show to you today…

This card will literally take you 10 minutes to put together and you can make a bunch of them very quickly – AND you still have plenty of time to order your supplies, receive them and make all the cards that you need to…

You are welcome to use my design which will mean your Valentine card making is what it is supposed to be – stress free & fun – and to make it easy to order supplies, I have a ‘Shopping List’ for you at the end of this post…here is my card…

My card uses the core colors of Riding Hood Red and Whisper White – and what a dramatic contrast that gives…

I cut my card base from Riding Hood Red and then layered on a piece of Whisper White cardstock – cut to be 4″ x 5 1/4″…

I then cut another layer to be sized 3 3/4″ x 5″ and added this on top, using Dimensionals to make it pop out to give a framed look – I used Textured White Cardstock but you can easily substitute flat.

And then for the really fun and easy bit – have you seen the brand new Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die?

You can find it on pg 35 of the Occasions Mini Catalog and I used it to cut all those hearts in ONE very easy step…

Wondering what an Embosslits Die is?

It embosses AND cuts at the same time – it’s like magic – and with this die it saves you so much time since it embosses & cuts 5 hearts all together – meaning that you can make a bunch of this card quickly & easily.

This is what it looks like - the top picture shows it closed – and in the bottom picture you can see it opened up – there you can see those embossing & cutting plates…click on the photo for a closer look…

And this is what it looks like once you have run it through your Big Shot and opened it back up – check out those beautifully patterned hearts…

Then you simply push each out and attach to your card or project – which I did using Dimensionals to make them really stand out from the card base…

Finally I decided to add a sentiment - I used a stamp from the new set Sweet Cake that you can find on pg 33 of the Occasions Mini and stamped it using Early Espresso Ink…

I then punched it out using my Modern Label Punch (pg 209) and decided it didnt stand out quite enough…so I punched out another Modern Label shape from Riding Hood Red, cut it in half and adhered it behind my sentiment at each end…

Want to make some of these fun, quick & easy cards?

To make it easy for you to order what you need, here are all the items you will need along with their ordering details…

And to make it even easier I have linked each to it’s online store location – simply click on the item you want to order and then add to your shopping bag – easy, fast, done!

Clean & Simple Valentine Card Basic Shopping List:

111348   Riding Hood Red 8 1/2 x 11 Cardstock – 24 sheets – $6.95

100730  Whisper White 8 1/2 x 11 Cardstock – 40 sheets – $8.50

125596  Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die - $11.95

104430  Stampin Dimensionals – pack of 300 – $3.95

Want the stamp set Sweet Cake?

125492  Sweet Cake Clear Mount – $14.95

125490  Sweet Cake Wood Mount – $18.95

Want the Punch?

119849  Modern Label Punch – $16.95

Need Envelopes?

107301  Medium Whisper White Envelopes – 40 – $6.50

Got Questions? Email them to me by clicking HERE

That’s right – from today you can try this amazing software package – My Digital Studio Express – FOR FREE FOR ONE WHOLE MONTH!

No strings…no obligation…try it absolutely free – I can hardly believe this amazing opportunity – can you say wow?!

My Digital Studio is perfect for everyone - no matter your skill level or experience – because you can start from a blank canvas or use designer templates for inspiration.

How do you get your FREE ONE MONTH trial?

Click HERE to get yours now!

Want to know more about it before you download it?

Click HERE to visit www.MyDigitalStudio.net – where you will find out all about it along with hints, tips, galleries and forums to give you instant online help, ideas & support!

Also take a peek at my Commonly Asked Questions & their Answers at the bottom of this post.

With the FREE 30-day trial, you’ll get:

• Full access to the full software at NO COST for 30 days
• Full design functionality
• Exclusive artwork that comes with My Digital Studio Express—that’s $50 worth of content!
• It is Windows and Mac compatible

And it’s downloadable meaning:

You get it INSTANTLY!!!  You get to play with it as soon as you have downloaded it!

It includes over $50 worth of content:

• 12 Designer Series paper patterns
• One 9-piece stamp brush set
• 81 embellishments
• 26 punches
• Five designer templates (24-page 11″ x 8-1/2″ photobook, 7″ x 5″ postcard, 5″ x 7″ postcard, 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ greeting card, 4″ x 9-1/4″ trifold card)

You also get:

• Opportunity to purchase additional downloads from designer templates to stamp brush sets–and everything in between
• Click HERE to view the Catalog of all available downloads
• Access to professional print services

If you come to love it then after 30 days you simply purchase My Digital Studio Express for JUST $39.95 or the My Digital Studio disc version.

YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE – TRY THIS FABULOUS DESIGN SOFTWARE FOR 30 DAYS FOR FREE NOW!

Click HERE to get yours!

Commonly Asked Questions and their Answers:

Q – What is the difference between My Digital Studio Express and My Digital Studio?

A – My Digital Studio Express is software that you download directly to your computer or laptop – you get it instantly.

My Digital Studio comes on CDs – disks – that are shipped in the mail to you from Stampin Up.

Q – Is the trial version of My Digital Studio Express different from the one that you pay for?

A – NO – when you order the 30 day free trial version you receive the EXACT SAME FULL version – it works exactly the same – the only difference is that you can only use it for 30 days.

Q – How do I install My Digital Studio Express once I’ve ordered it?

A – You access the trial download through the Downloads section of your Stampin Up account – be sure to select Mac or Windows – and the installation wizards will walk you through the easy process.

Q – What are the system requirements for My Digital Studio Express?

A – Click HERE to see them

Q – I see that My Digital Studio Express comes with $50 of digital content – can I purchase more downloads to use with it?

A – Absolutely YES.

Q – What happens when the 30 day trial period is over?

A -After your 30 days is up, you will be asked to enter a ‘product key’ – you will not be able to use it again until you do so – you can get a ‘product key’ by purchasing My Digital Studio or My Digital Studio Express

Q – Will I lose the projects that I have been working on during the 30 days?

A – NO – you will still have them on your computer but you will not be able to edit any of them – if you purchase the software then YES you will be able to access & edit them.  Stampin Up recommends that you save them as .jpg files so that you will be able to use them just like you use other .jpg files you have.

Q – What happens to the Digital Downloads that I purchased?

A – You will still have them on your computer and will be able to use them with your paid-for version of My Digital Studio Express OR you can use them with most other digital design software packages too.

Q – After 30 days how do I purchase a copy?

A – You can order it via the online ordering system HERE – you can purchase either:

• My Digital Studio Express – item no. 124483 – you will not need to re-install the software and your ‘product key’ will be emailed to you
• My Digital Studio – item no. 118108 – which is in the form of disks which will be shipped to you via UPS

Q – If after 30 days I decide that I do not wish to purchase the software, what do I do?

A – you can uninstall the software anytime.

When you join Stampin’ Up! now during Sale-a-bration they are giving you the Starter Kit at a fabulous price PLUS your choice of a FREE Pack of Designer Series Paper or Digital Download EVERY MONTH FOR THE REST OF 2012!

And when you Join my Team I will give you some BEAUTIFUL goodies TOO  – YOUR choice of a Welcome Pack PLUS YOUR choice of a FREE Stamp Set too – WHICH WELCOME PACK BELOW WILL YOU CHOOSE?

Right now it is an amazing deal – when you join NOW Stampin Up will give you:

• the customizable Starter Kit for the BARGAIN price of JUST $125 – that is a $50 OFF the regular price – with FREE shipping!
• a FREE pack of Designer Series Paper or Digital Download of your choice EVERY MONTH FOR THE REST OF 2012!!!

BUT think about this – Join NOW in January (JUST 2 DAYS LEFT!) and you are going to get 11 FREE packs of Designer Series Papers or Digital Downloads – join in March and you will only get 9 – because of this, it makes sense to join NOW IN JANUARY rather than at the end of Sale-a-bration, in March!

And on top of that, when you Join Stampin with me right now I will give you:

• a FREE Stamp Set of your choice valued up to $29.95 & a FREE themed Welcome Pack containing…
• a beautiful covered Monogrammed  Notebook made using patterned papers & ribbons
• a hand-made Welcome Card
• a Card Kit containing all the supplies that you need to make 10 Cards complete with envelopes
• a completed card so you can see in your hands how to assemble your Card Kit cards

I have FIVE different Welcome Packs for you to choose from – whether your style is Floral, Shabby Chic, Modern, Bold or Homely, there is something for everyone…you can view them all inditividually below – and you can click on each photo for a closer view

*** BUT HURRY – FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED – I ONLY HAVE ONE OF EACH PACK AVAILABLE – JOIN MY TEAM FAST TO GET THE ONE YOU WANT!***

HOW DO YOU JOIN STAMPIN’ UP! & MY TEAM?

• Click HERE to join INSTANTLY online!

Want to know more information?

Scroll down this post past the photos and you will find all the details you need to know there.

SOOO – WHICH ONE WILL YOU CHOOSE?

Will you choose the Elegant Floral Welcome Pack?

The blank circles on the notebooks are where I monogram them – where YOUR intial could be! (the one above has been monogrammed just for demonstration purposes – it is changeable & still available!)

OR the Shabby Chic one?

Or perhaps the Modern one?

Or maybe the Domestic Goddess one?

Or the Bright one?

THE CHOICE IS YOURS – BUT HURRY TO GET THE ONE THAT YOU WANT – I ONLY HAVE ONE OF EACH!

GOT QUESTIONS?  Email them to me by clicking HERE!

THE BENEFITS OF JOINING STAMPIN’ UP!:

• Demonstrators get ALL Hostess & Sale-a-bration Benefits on their own orders, just like you do right now as a customer
• Demonstrators also get the chance to earn extra freebies during Sale-a-bration
• Once you have joined you get 30% off of your first Demonstrator order of $150+ – and you would get all Hostess & Sale-a-bration benefits on that order including the beautiful Free Tote!
  

There is NO obligation for you to sell or purchase anything else – you can join simply to get this great deal and you are NOT obligated to purchase anything else ever again – you get to keep your Starter Kit regardless!

STARTER KIT:

• you get a BARGAIN priced Starter Kit for just $125 with free shipping
• you have a choice of 2 Kits – the Standard and the Digital
• you get to customise LOTS of items in your kit – for example in the Standard Kit you can choose your 4 Stamp Sets, Wheel & color of ink cartridge, ink pad colors, marker colors, ribbon color, Punch…
• and you can substitute a Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in place of the Always Bird Décor Elements if you wish to do so
• to substitute items simply click ‘edit’ on the starter kit form and put in the number of the item you want
• click HERE to find out more about what is included in the kits on the Stampin Up website

IF YOU USED TO BE A DEMONSTRATOR BUT DROPPED, CAN YOU RE-JOIN & TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS FABULOUS OFFER?

Absolutely, YES!

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS & THEIR ANSWERS:

Q – how much do I have to buy/sell to remain a demonstrator?

A – you have to buy/sell $300 worth of products each quarter

Q – what are Stampin’ Up!’s quarters?

A – they run Jan-Feb, Mar-Jun, July-Sept, Oct-Dec – and the quarter that you sign up in is waived, for example when you sign up in January – NOW - then you do not have to meet your quarterly minimum of $300 until June 30th 2012

Q – do my own orders count towards the $300 minimums?

A – YES – and because of your discount when you spend $300 in merchandise it will actually only cost you $240 per quarter to be a demonstrator – got to love demo math!

Q – do my own orders qualify for hostess benefits?

A – yes – all of your own orders over $150 qualify for hostess benefits AND SALE-A-BRATION FREEBIES TOO!

Q – what is my discount?

A – you get 20% off of all merchandise – AND you get a special extra 10% off one order when you join – meaning you get 30% off of your first order of $150+ placed within the first 45 days of your demonstratorship – and yes, you will get all hostess benefits on that order too!

Q – can I earn more income?

A – yes, if you decide to sell to others then you also receive Volume Rebates based on your monthly sales

Q – what if I decide to not continue as a demonstrator – are there any penalties?

A – NO penalties at all!  If after purchasing your starter kit you do not want to order anything, you do not have to – you keep everything in your kit – and when you do not meet your quarterly minimum you simply ‘drop’ – simple as that!  You are not obligated to purchase anything.

Q – will I be pressured to sell anything?

A – absolutely not – Stampin’ Up! does not put any pressure on any demonstrator to do anything ever – it is a wonderful company to be a part of – you can join simply to get a fabulous discount on your favorite crafting supplies

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

Click HERE to visit my Join my Team page or email me with your questions

CLICK HERE TO JOIN STAMPIN UP & MY TEAM TODAY!

& your Welcome Pack will be in the mail to you tomorrow!

Sooo you saw my Razzleberry-themed Mini Chocolate Flower Vase that I made yesterday using those beautiful Die Cut Flowers from Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit…

Well today I am showing you the other Vase that I made using that pack of papers that you can get for FREE with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration – that pack is called Everyday Enchantment DSP and you can find it on pg 7 of the Sale-a-bration Catalog and in it are just GORGEOUS papers…

This is my second Mini Chocolate Flower Vase using some of those papers…

I started out with Baja Breeze colored die cut flowers from Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit and for their centers, punched out circles of DSP from Everyday Enchantment…I added a Pearl to the center of one of them for a bit of an elegant look.

I made my flower vase base and covered using another piece of DSP from Everyday Enchantment and added a piece of the beautiful Baja Breeze Pleated Satin Ribbon around the top – this ribbon comes in 4 colors and you can find it on pg 12 of the Occasions Mini Catalog – I tied around a knot for a feature on the front…

For the tag I stamped the ‘thanks’ using a stamp from the set Fabulous Phrases (pg 163) onto a piece of Textured Very Vanilla cardstock.  I then punched it out using my 1 1/4″ Circle Punch and attached it to my ribbon using a piece of Linen Thread.

For a finishing touch I added a flower that I punched out of Everyday Enchantment DSP using my Boho Blossoms Punch – I added it to the tag and popped on a cute Pearl to make the flower center.

I LOVE how this Baja themed Mini Chocolate Vase turned out – you can find the other one that I made yesterday in the post below – and if you want to make one of your own…

HERE IS THE LINK TO MY FREE PRINTABLE TUTORIAL SHOWING YOU HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MINI CHOCOLATE FLOWER VASE – Click HERE to find it!

Here are swatches of the GORGEOUS patterned papers in that pack of Everyday Enchantment DSP…

You get 12 double sided sheets of 12×12 paper in that pack and it is hands down my favorite pack of DSP that Stampin Up have ever produced!

Not got a copy of the Sale-a-bration Catalog? You can view it by clicking on the picture of it below…

If you prefer to have a paper copy and do not currently have a Demonstrator, please email me by clicking HERE and I will get one out in the mail to you along with some cute samples.

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! ORDER DIRECTLY ONLINE!

As soon as I saw the Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit in the Occasions Mini Catalog I just knew that the printed die cut flowers in there would be perfect for making a fabulous Mini Chocolate Vase…

You can find the Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit on pg 18 of the Occasions Mini Catalog and in just ONE KIT you get enough flowers & Rhinestones to make at least EIGHT Mini Chocolate Flower Vases making it a fabulous deal at just $9.95…

This would be a beautiful treat to make for teachers, friends & family for Valentine’s Day and is fun to make…I have a free printable tutorial showing you step-by-step how to make one of your own – please read on for the details…

This turned out sooo cute – it’s hard to see from the photo that it is much smaller than previous Chocolate Flower Vases that I have made – but to give you an idea, this Mini one measures just 8″ high by 2 1/2″ wide.

You can see that in my Vase above I used the Razzleberry colored flowers from the Kit – what I love about these flowers is that they are printed with patterns on one side, but are plain colored on the reverse so you get the choice of 2 sides to use for each…

They also have a beautiful texture to them and you can embellish them with the included Pink Rhinestone Jewels – you can see that I used two of those Pink Jewels for flower centers above…

And for my big flower I punched out a 1 1/2″ Circle from a piece of patterned paper from Twitterpated DSP that you can find on pg 13 of the Occasions Mini…

The stems? They are simply wooden skewers that I painted using a light green acrylic paint and attached to the back of each flower using a piece of tape – I then trimmed the sticks to size using some wire cutters.

The leaves? I used my 5-Petal Flower Punch to punch flower shapes out of Certainly Celery cardstock and used my paper snips to trim petals out and adhered them to the sticks using Mini Glue Dots – to hide those dots, simply roll each between your fingers to make a sausage shape and voila – hidden adhesive…

The label? In the Blossom Builders Kit you also receive 12 label die cuts – I simply stamped my sentiment using a stamp from the set Tea Shoppe (pg 10 of the Occasions Mini), added a small Pink Rhinestone Jewel to the top and popped it into the Vase…click on the photo below for a closer look…

And check out the stamped image – the texture of the label makes the stamped words look a little rustic which is a perfect gardening themed touch…

The Vase? Made using Early Espresso Cardstock and covered with a piece of patterned paper from Pocketful of Posies DSP (pg 184) – I love how this DSP color co-ordinates beautifully with the flowers…

I made a top trim using my Scallop Trim Border Punch and Very Vanilla cardstock – and check out that ribbon…it is the GORGEOUS Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon that you can find on pg 12 of the Occasions Mini Catalog – what a beautiful addition to any project this makes…

I used my Large Lace Ribbon Border Punch (pg 211)to make that beautiful border around the center and there is one CUTE Vase.

OK so where is the Chocolate? It is inside the vase – there are 4 Ghiradelli Chocolate Squares that the flower stems nestle between and those squares just slide right out so that the recipient can eat them…again, click on the photo below for a closer look…you can also see that beautiful Pleated Ribbon…isn’t it gorgeous?

I am going to make another Mini Chocolate Vase later this evening using the Baja Breeze flowers, Pleated Satin Ribbons and papers from the fabulous Everyday Enchantment DSP that you can find in the Sale-a-bration Catalog – I hope to post it tomorrow so be sure to come back and see it…

WANT MY FREE PRINTABLE TUTORIAL SHOWING YOU HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MINI CHOCOLATE FLOWER VASE?  Click HERE to find it!

Here are the Printed Die Cuts & Rhinestone Jewels that you get in Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit – LOTS of them – they are die cut meaning you simply gently push them out to use them and those Rhinestones are self-adhesive too!

Click on the picture below to view this Kit in the online store…

PURCHASE YOUR BLOSSOM BUILDERS DESIGNER PRINTED KIT FOR JUST $9.95 BY CLICKING HERE!

THAT’S RIGHT – THE STAMPIN UP EVENT OF THE YEAR – SALE-A-BRATION – IS HERE bringing with it FREE Stamp Sets, Ribbons & Brads, MDS CDs, Designer Series Papers, Cardstocks & more!

What is Sale-a-bration?

DURING SALE-A-BRATION YOU GET TO CHOOSE ONE FREE ITEM FOR EVERY $50 THAT YOU SPEND…

Sale-a-bration is THE best time to stock up on all your basic supplies such as papers, ink pads, card stocks, ribbons, refills & envelopes that you know you are going to use during the year PLUS it’s a great time to get those things on your wish list from the new Occasions Mini Catalog or to treat yourself to a larger purchase such as a Big Shot or those Markers…

*** SARAH’S INK SPOT SALE-A-BRATION EXTRA PERK ***

During Sale-a-bration when you place your order directly online with me – I am going to mail you a bubble mailer containing a selection of loose stamps, ribbons & embellishments along with a hand made card by myself – the bigger your order, the more your bubble mailer will be stuffed with freebies!

How does Sale-a-bration work?

During Sale-a-Bration you get to choose one FREE item from the Sale-a-Bration Brochure for EVERY $50 that you spend – it doesn’t matter what you buy – paper, ink, markers, dies, embellishments, stamp sets, décor elements, a Big Shot etc – EVERYTHING that you purchase from ANY Stampin’ Up! catalog counts…

Where can you find the Sale-a-bration Brochure?

Click on the picture of it below…if you prefer to have a paper copy and do not currently have a Demonstrator, please email me by clicking HERE and I will get one out in the mail to you along with some cute samples…

And there are no limits:

• when you spend $100 you get to choose 2 items…
• spend $150 and you get to choose 3 items…
• spend $200 and you get to choose 4 items…
• and so on – there is no limit to the freebies you get!

And it gets even better:

When you spend OVER $150 you get to choose:

• 3 Free Sale-a-bration items
• PLUS you also get Hostess Benefits – $25 in Hostess Dollars
• PLUS you get a special FREE Sale-a-bration Tote too with your order too – it’s cute – here it is:

And there’s even another level:

When you spend over $400 you get to choose:

• 8 Free Sale-a-bration items
• PLUS you get Hostess Benefits – $65 in Hostess Dollars
• PLUS you get to purchase one item at 50% off (could be that Big Shot, MDS or set of Markers you’ve had your eye on!)
• PLUS that Free Sale-a-bration Tote
• PLUS a Free Hostess Bundle worth $45 too
• WOW!!!

What FREE Sale-a-bration items can you choose from?

You can choose from ANY of the 20 items featured in the Sale-a-bration Catalog – included are:

• 8 Limited Edition items ONLY available during Sale-a-bration – featuring a pack of BEAUTIFUL Designer Series Papers, a pack of Ribbons & Brads, 4 Stamp Sets, Décor Element and MDS Digital CD
• AND let me tell you – those Designer Series Papers are GORGEOUS…check out the piccy of them below…
• 12 other items from the main Catalog – featuring 5 Stamp Sets, Designer Buttons, Fabric, a Simply Sent Kit, Embossing Folders, a pack of Assorted Cardstock and an MDS Digital CD

Here are those beautiful papers featured in Everyday Enchantment DSP pack…STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS…AND FREE with a $50 order!

HOW DO YOU PLACE YOUR SALE-A-BRATION ORDERS?

You can place your orders of less than $150 directly online by CLICKING HERE or by emailing them to me

For orders of $150+ you MUST email your order to me to get that extra Free Tote & for larger orders that extra Free Hostess Bundle worth $45 – that is not available on orders placed directly online by yourself – CLICK HERE TO EMAIL IT TO ME

Enjoy your Sale-a-bration freebies – and if you have any questions, just let me know!

OK so I am just LOVING the new toys in the Sale-a-bration Catalog…especially that beautiful stamp set Fresh Vintage and the Designer Series Paper pack Everyday Enchantment…hehehe…I can’t stop playing with them…and what’s even better is that I got them for FREE!

And today I wanted to show you a very simple but sweet card that I made using both of these items along with the Sale-a-bration Organdy Ribbon…

I designed this card as a make ‘n take kit for my customers – all Sale-a-bration Catalogs are out in the mail on their way to my customers along with some samples of ribbon, papers & brads from it AND this sweet Card Kit so that they can get their hands on & play with these beautiful new items…

My sweet card is sized 3″ x 3″and you can get envelopes that these cards fit into perfectly – they are Mini Square Envelopes and you can find them on pg 182 of the Catalog.

My card base is Calypso Coral and I added a strip of white that I stamped my sentiment on to – I used the ‘Just for You’ sentiment from the new stamp set Tea Shoppe that you can find on pg 19 of the Occasions Mini Catalog…

I then added a piece of patterned paper from Everyday Enchantment DSP that you can find on pg 7 of the Sale-a-bration Catalog and wrapped around a piece of Organdy Ribbon from the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack, also on that page of the Catalog…

That image? Stamped using one of the beautiful stamps featured in the Fresh Vintage stamp set that you can find on pg 6 of the Sale-a-bration Catalog…

I stamped the image using Soft Suede Ink onto Whisper White cardstock and then simply punched it out using the Postage Stamp Punch (pg 212) which is a perfect fit for this stamped image.

I added it to my card using Dimensionals so that it pops out and voila – there you have one sweet card…

I am going to make a batch so that I have some to hand as I love how they turned out – and I hope my customers enjoy putting theirs together too…

ONLY ONE WEEK UNTIL SALE-A-BRATION BEGINS – have you started your wish list yet?

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! ORDER ONLINE!

As soon as I saw the Sale-a-bration Catalog I just fell in love with the pack of Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Papers featured in it…

It’s just one of the items that you can choose for free with a $50 purchase from January 24th and features lots of beautiful soft feminine designs – and like all packs of DSP you get 12 double sided sheets in each pack – but this one is better because it’s FREE!!!

I decided to make a card to showcase to you some of these patterns and what better way than to feature them on a Top Note Quilt Card…

LOVE it – the designs are floral, feminine, shabby chic…just delicious!

Onto my card…the base is Pool Party onto which I layered a piece of Textured Very Vanilla…

I then made my Top Note Quilt…not made one of these before?  Super easy with gorgeous results…

I chose 4 different designs of DSP and used my 1 1/4″ Square Punch to punch out 12 squares.  I then cut a piece of scrap cardstock to measure 5″ x 3 3/4″ and adhered the squares to it.

I find the easiest way to do this is to start at a top corner and work along one edge and then down the side – that way you have 2 straight edges – and then fill in until your cardstock is full…

You then run this piece of cardstock through your Big Shot using the Top Note Die – and this is what you get…

I then added a piece of the brand new and gorgeous Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon - this is just beautiful ribbon featuring stitching and comes in 4 colors – and you can find it on pg 12 of the Occasions Mini Catalog.

Onto my sentiment…I stamped it using a stamp from the set Trendy Trees (pg 108) and punched it out using the Large Oval Punch (pg 212) – I adhered this to another piece of DSP from Everyday Enchantment that I punched out using the Decorative Label Punch (pg 209) and added it to my card…

See that cute brad? Yet another freebie on offer to you after January 24th – it is featured along with 4 other designs in the Sale-a-bration Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack - and that pack contains 2 spools of Organdy Ribbon & a pot of 30 of these gorgeous brads that co-ordinate perfectly with this pack of DSP!

Click on the photo below for a closer look at some of the gorgeous papers featured in Everyday Enchantment DSP…

I just can’t wait to get my hands on more of this delicious paper on January 24th…how many packs will you get?

PRINT IT OUT TO KEEP – I have a free printable tutorial showing you how to make a Top Note Quilt which you can find by clicking HERE

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! ORDER ONLINE!

Today I wanted to show you a sneak peak of a brand new Stamp Set that you will be able to get for FREE during Sale-a-bration which begins on January 24th…

It is called Fresh Vintage and it features the most beautiful floral designs – and I am using a stamp from it to show you a very cool effect you can get when you stamp onto Textured Cardstock.

The card featured below turned out beautifully – it is a card that my Monthly Club Members will each be receiving in their January Gift Packs AND those Members of my Ink Spot Stampers Team who achieved sales targets during December will also receive a Card Kit containing all the supplies needed to make 10 of these beautiful cards with envelopes…

What do you think?  I LOVE how it turned out – just so elegant looking…and do you notice something else about it?  Yep – I just can’t stop using those beautiful Framelits Dies LOL – I tried oh-so-hard not to use them on this card but I just couldn’t help myself…they are just so irresistable!

Sooo my card base is Soft Suede onto which I layered a piece of Very Vanilla – check out that gorgeous embossed frame – SO easy to do – you just run the cardstock through your Big Shot using the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder (pg 218) and voila – one gorgeous frame!

I then simply trimmed the edges down a little and adhered it to my card base.  Now for the centerpiece of the card…

I used one of my Labels Collection Framelits to die cut out a piece of Soft Suede cardstock and then I textured it using my Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder – I added it to my card using Dimensionals.

Now for my favorite bit – check out that stamped image…click on the photo below for a closer look…

Isn’t that a cool effect? It looks just like a painting on a canvas – and again, SO easy to do – I simply inked up my stamp using Markers and stamped it down onto the Textured cardstock for this amazing look – I added one cute little Pearl on a blue flower to give an added feature.

Not used Markers to color your rubber stamp before?  It is very easy – I used the colors Lucky Limeade, Real Red & Pool Party – and used each Marker to color the relevant part of my stamp.  Once colored in, I like to breathe on the stamp to moisten the inks and then stamp your image.

Sarah’s tip - the first time you color your rubber stamp take alot of time and care to get it fully covered – I like to think of this as ‘priming’ the rubber – and then stamp.  When you have done this, I find that it is much quicker to color the stamp again to make multiple images, because there is some residual ink left on the stamp so you don’t have to be so perfect about it.

I then used a smaller Framelit in my Labels Collection to die cut out my shape and added it to my first framelit layer again using Dimensionals.

Now for my sentiment – I decided to use a stamp from the Hostess set Precious Butterflies (pg 15) and punched it out using my 1 1/4″ Circle Punch and added it to my card…

And there is one beautiful card that I hope both my Club Members & my Ink Spot Stampers enjoy…

A NOTE FOR MY CUSTOMERS – your Sale-a-bration Catalogs will be mailed out to you on Friday so be sure to keep an eye out for them – included in the envelope will be some samples for you to enjoy and a little something for you to make too…enjoy!

Sale-a-bration begins on January 24th -  come back tomorrow for a sneak peak of the unbelievably gorgeous Designer Series Paper pack featured in this years Sale-a-bration Catalog – it co-ordinates perfectly with this stamp set and I guarantee you’ll want more than one pack of it!!!

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! ORDER ONLINE!

I was on the fence about ordering the Framelits Dies from the Occasions Mini Catalog because I wasnt sure if I would use them very much…

And let me tell you that I have used them on EVERYTHING I have made the last couple of days!!!  And to think I nearly didn’t order them!!!  Oh my…they are so EASY to use and give such amazing results and have become such a go-to item that I dont know what I did before I had them!

I wanted to show you a card that I have mailed out to all my lovely Monthly Club ladies along with their December Club gifts…this card uses a Framelit die from the Labels Collection…

My card uses the colors Soft Suede, Pool Party & Very Vanilla – I love the beautiful, soft & elegant look that you get when you combine these three colors – and features Stamps, Designer Series Paper and a Framelits Die from the Occasions Mini Catalog.

This is such a simple card to make – the card base is Soft Suede onto which I layered a piece of Textured Pool Party…this makes a very quick & easy backdrop.

I then cut a strip of patterned paper from Attic Boutique DSP (pg 23) to be sized 5 1/2″ x 2 1/4″ and adhered it to my card front – making a fast, easy but beautiful back drop.

I then took a stamp from the brand new set Apothecary Art (pgs 24 & 25) and stamped it using Soft Suede Ink onto a piece of Textured Very Vanilla cardstock – I then ran this through my Big Shot using a Framelit die from the Labels Collection whose size co-ordinates perfectly with that stamp – in the Labels Framelits collection there are dies to co-ordinate with each framed stamp in that set…

And voila – there is one quick & easy accent that has such a professional look to it!

I used my Stampin’ Markers to color in the flowers and added this accent to my card front using Dimensionals…please click on the photo below for a closer look…

I stamped a sentiment from the set Apothecary Art and punched it out using my Modern Label Punch, adding it to my accent piece with Dimensionals…

And for an elegant finishing touch, I added a Pearl at each end…I just love how this card turned out and I think I’m going to be making quite a few more of them too!

Find these brand new products in the Occasions Mini Catalog – click on the picture of it below to view it now online…

If you DO NOT currently have a Demonstrator and would like a paper copy of the Occasions Mini Catalog including a FREE card kit and some samples, please email me by clicking HERE and I will get a package out in the mail to you.

If you DO have a Demonstrator, please contact them for your copy of this fabulous Mini Catalog.

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR STAMPIN’ UP! ORDER ONLINE!