Another New Company for Stamped Designs - La-La Land Stamps

We have picked up another new stamp company here at the CHA show. La-La Land Stamps! These are character images that work wonderfully with Copics. In fact, they work so well that the demonstrators in the Copic booth were using these images for demos. The card shown is a sample that was on display in their booth at the show. They are great images and for those of you that prefer mouths on your little people images, these stamps might be for you. I have seen them on some of the popular blogs out there and I think that they will make some wonderful cards. Designed and made in the USA - we should have faster shipping!

We are actually leaving LA a day early due to the snowstorm that is bearing down on the midwest and northeast. Made for a very busy day trying to drop off orders and check with some vendors as to how long the show specials last, so I can write some orders after returning to New Hampshire.

Thanks for paying us a visit today!
Jeannette

New Penny Black Images...

These are some cards that were on display in the Penny Black booth showing off some of the new "non-cute" images that are in the new supplement. Very elegant and classy. We'll be doing a class with these - likely in April, as the March calendar is already set. They should be in the store by the end of February. These designs are of the same style as some that were introduced about a year ago that we made some wonderful cards with.

Stay tuned for more updates...

Jeannette

New Company Coming to Stamped Designs - Stampavie!

Several people have asked me about picking up this stamp company - the images come from France. They are great image for "tween" kids - the ones ages 7-ish through early teens. Not saying that you cannot use them for older ones, but I know a lot of folks are looking for cards for children and grandchildren in that age group. The card pictured here is one that was on display in their booth - gives you a good idea of they style of their designs. They have several artists and I think I have some images coming from each artist, so there should be a pretty good cross-section of designs. If the company was telling the truth, they should be shipping very soon and we should have them in the store within 2 weeks!

Thanks for checking out the blog today!

Jeannette

Fresh from a Class with Ranger!

I took a class this morning with Ranger. It was a marathon - we did 4 projects in 2 hours. Fortunately, they did a TON of prep work so we could actually complete the projects on time. This canvas is one of the projects we completed. It is using products from the Studio 40 line from Wendy Vecchi. The canvas was pre-prepped and we sprayed it with Ranger Colorwash, then brushed that out with a piece of Cut 'n Dry Foam to give it a washed out look. The edges were distressed a bit - the brown dots were pre-stamped for us. The "Art Parts" frame was pre-stamped with the screen mesh image and we added a little ink to distress it up. The artist words piece was glued behind the frame. We sprayed a couple more Arts Parts pieces with green Colorwash and attached them to the frame. The flower was made with this amazing product called Clearly for Art. It is a plastic that comes in clear, white and black. In this case, we used the clear and applied Denim Alcohol Ink with Pearl Metallic Mixatives on both sides. Then we stamped a word stamp with Archival Ink. Next is the fun part. You heat the plastic and it softens and allows you to bend it and shape it. Then it re-hardens. Don't like the way you bent it? Not a problem! Simply re-heat and fix! Amazing stuff.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jeannette

It's TRUE - Lacey Ovals are Coming!!!!

It was not part of the Spellbinders New release Blog Frenzy, but some of you noticed a card on a blog that used a Lacey Ovals die. I just spoke to Spellbinders and it is TRUE!!! Lacey Ovals are REAL and should be shipping in March! I don't know about you, but I am SO EXCITED!!!! I love ovals and the Lacey Ovals are GORGEOUS!!! There are a handful of other new die sets that were not part of the blog frenzy, more on those this weekend! But, some of you also saw a card online and immediately asked me about it. I had no confirmation until today, but just wanted to let you know that they ARE coming!

Keep checking the blog for other new items being released and pictures from the show!

Jeannette

Have a Sweet Day!

This card was made with an "A La Mode" stamp from My Favorite Things. I have had these stamps in the store for a while - and just made a couple cards from this line and they are WONDERFUL! Now I wished I had picked them up sooner! These are great designs and can be used for young and old alike. I really like the fresh style and think that they would be great for teens and young adults - a group we always have a hard time coming up with designs for them! This image was colored with Copics and I did some fun layering. To perk up her dress, I added some white dots with a white opaque pen after coloring. It really changes the look - and is simple to do!

Sorry for the delay in posting! Been crazy getting ready for the show. Be on the lookout for updates. Thanks for stopping in!

Jeannette

Stamping Baby Gifts...

I was invited to a baby shower where you are supposed to bring a decorated onesie to the shower for the mother-to-be to try to guess who made each onesie. Well, of course I was going to stamp something! I used some animal images from a Stampendous clear baby set. I used VersaCraft ink from Tsukineko and heat set the ink with an iron. I placed a Cuttlebug B plate with a piece of white cardstock on top in the middle of the onesie to create a good stamping surface and catch the marker ink after it soaked through the fabric. Then I colored the design with Copic markers. It is a little tricky, as the markers like to move quickly in the fabric. What I discovered worked best was to color a small area, then quickly iron over it (I placed a clean sheet of paper between the iron and the onesie) to dry the ink quickly and keep it from running.

I also made a quick card using a fun Noah's Ark image, colored with watercolor pencils and cut out and layered with a couple Spellbinders dies. Lacey Circles is one of my favorites! The border punch is an EK Success punch and I added a white satin bow wrapped around the layer.

Thanks for checking out the blog today!

Jeannette

February Calendar Cats...

As we get close to February, time to show the February cat calendar page! This is almost a silhouette of the girls looking out the back window. The picture was then cut out with a Spellbinders heart die. Yes, cats do get into Valentine's day! Don't forget your sweetie on February 14th!

Make something creative today!
Jeannette

Think Spring with Tulips!

If you live in the northeast, you are probably really tired of snow and cold. I know I am! In my former life, when I was a skier, I welcomed snow. Now it just becomes something that has to be cleaned up! So, to get into the Spring spirit, I am going to show a springy card!

This is a Hero Arts tulip stamp - colored with watercolor pencils and a blender pen. I used a Sissix 3-dot embossing folder on the front of the card and some ribbon, pearls and DP for embellishment. A little pink in the middle of winter is a good thing!

Thanks for popping in today!

Jeannette

New Ranger Distress Stain!

This is one of the new introductions from Ranger - Distress Stain! Reportedly good for covering large areas quickly and will likely color Grungeboard, chipboard and other mediums. It is water-based, vice alcohol based, so it will be interesting to see what Tim does with it at the show. It is being introduced in 12 colors.

If you're in the northeast - stay warm this weekend - it's going to be brutal!

Jeannette

The Last Monster Card...

This is the 3rd monster card we did in the monster class. I stamped this fun monster by Inky Antics, colored him with Copics (or is it a her?) and cut him out (that was the hardest part of the card). The big words stamp was stamped on a light blue piece of Bazzill cardstock and colored with Copic markers. I cut out a circle from a dotted DP and layered it to a black scallop circle. The card base is a red card layered with some Bazzill swiss dots cardstock. The pieces simply get layered and a couple black dew drops added for embellishment!

Thanks for visiting today!
Jeannette

Happy Birthday Ideas!

I used this cute monkey from Stampendous to make a simple and fun birthday card. Stamped and colored with Staedtler watercolor pencils and a Dove blender pen. I scatter stamped a random dot image from Printworks on front of the card and added a couple strips of a lined DP. I layered the colored image over the top and added some words to the bottom of the card. This card was done in blues and greens but I have also done it in pinks and greens in a more girly style.

Enjoy your day!
Jeannette

Quill You Forgive Me?

This is a fun little stamp from Inky Antics and a very simple card. The porcupine is stamped with Versafine ink and colored with Prismacolor pencils. The words are stamped on a circle and layered to a corresponding scallop circle. The DP is some old paper from K&Company. It's a cute little card that is quick and gets to the point!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jeannette

Spellbinders New Release Frenzy Day #8

This is the 2nd to last day of the Spellbinders New Release frenzy! Hard to believe it is almost over, but the dies have been amazing! "To die for!" you could say! Today's showing is no exception, starting right off with the first one!


All I can say is "Wow!" Think about the amazing possibilities with this one! It is gorgeous and will be phenomenal for card making! This one might be my favorite so far! Maybe!

These grommet tags are also wonderful! You could attach them with brads - or, simply attach them with adhesive, then add pearls or bling for pop! Lots of possibilities here!

And finally, another new Grand Nestie set!

And last, but certainly not least, a new set of ribbon tags. You all know how we LOVE ribbon at Stamped Designs and have a huge selection of gorgeous ribbon! You can bet I will be using these in upcoming classes as soon as I get my hands on them!

Reportedly only one more day to see new stuff. A sort of sad thought, but what it does mean is that the show is getting closer when I can actually ORDER them and find out when to expect them arriving in the store!

Have a GREAT day!

Jeannette

And now back to our regular programming...

My plan was to upload a card every day during all the information on the new items coming out at CHA. Hmmmmm....did not quite work out that way. So, we're going to sneak one in today. Who can resist a hedgie in heart underwear? Holding a heart balloon no less! This is another great image from Penny Black. I stamped the hedgie on a piece of card stock a little shorter than the size of the stamp. Then I stamped the balloon part of the image on a scrap of cardstock, cut it out and colored it. It was layered to a Spellbinders scalloped square and some designer paper. The words are stamped on a petite oval Spellbinders die, layered to a scalloped oval. I used a couple little "gold pearls" on either side of words. The balloon is put on with foam tape for a little pop. Just a fun little card that will certainly make someone laugh!

Thanks for coming by the blog today!
Jeannette

Spellbinders New Release Frenzy Day #7

Happy Day #8 of the Spellbinders New Release Frenzy! Today there are 2 new labels die sets to show.



Labels Twenty is very elegant and will work well with floral images and images requiring a more refined look. Layering these cut-outs with some of the more frilly design elements will look wonderful!

Labels Twenty-One is a very interesting shape and one that is very different from the other labels shapes currently available. I can see using this with some of the more masculine images and looks like it will work well in both orientations.

Enjoy your day and make a card to make someone smile!

Jeannette

Spellbinders New Release Frenzy - Day #6

We are in the home stretch of the new release frenzy from Spellbinders! Only a few more days to go! Today there are 4 new dies, including the first new "grand" die that we have seen!
First up is a new Blossom die. This one looks a little different than their other blossom dies, as it does not appear to be perfectly circular in shape - looks a little more oblong. I can't wait to see this one and what the design team comes up with!

And another set of leaves! These look like they will work wonderfully with the blossom series of dies for flower pieces!

And the first new Grand die - the original large labels. I think when Spellbinders started out with the labels series, they did not realize how many of designs of this line they would be creating! Their popularity is unprecedented!

The only way to describe this set is GORGEOUS! Either to set off words or a small image - or to use as decorative elements on a project - this set is amazing! A great addition to the collection.

It's the big winter sale at the store today - pulled LOTS of old merchandise and used stamped to make room for all the new items that will be coming in from CHA!

Thanks for coming by today!
Jeannette

New from BoBunny!

We all love the BoBunny Double Dot cardstock! I just got some pre-show information and they are coming out with "Double Dot Designs" cardstock - in 4 different patterns! I cannot wait to see the actual product - let alone start designing cards with it!

They look positively luscious! And, knowing BoBunny's reputation for quality, I am sure that they will be wonderful to work with!

Keep checking the blog for more updates as I get them!

Jeannette

Spellbinders New Release Frenzy - Day #5

Dive into Day #5 of the Spellbinders new release frenzy! 3 more great dies to show you.

Banners seem to be all the rage right now. What I like about this one is that it is a little different from the ones that are already out there. We've seen a lot of the "pendant style" banner pieces, but nothing like this.

This is another great set of accent pieces. Very elegant and it will be fun to see what the stamping community comes up with for all the different uses of this die!

These coordinate with the 2nd die in this release and also create a beautiful circle border (in 3 sizes) - I LOVE IT!

Enjoy the sneak peek!

Jeannette

New Copic Colors - Visual

A couple days ago I reported that Copic is introducing 12 new colors in Sketch markers. At the time, I only had a list of the color names. Today I got some more info - including a graphic that shows the colors. And we all like visuals! So, without further ado:

We will all impatiently wait for them to be shipped! They are saying March 1st! Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

Jeannette

Spellbinders New Release Frenzy Day #4!

We are 4 days into the Spellbinders new products release frenzy and there are 3 great die sets to show today!

Can you picture these heart circles on an elegant wedding card or scrapbook page? I can. I don't think we will have them for Valentine's Day - this year! But they certainly will be great for next year!

The foliage set adds a nice missing shape from their collection. To date, the only one we had to work with was the long border one - this gives us some smaller pieces to add to our work!

And another great nestie! This will work wonderfully with some "girlie" images and be great for layering with other dies!

Thanks for checking out the blog today!
Jeannette

MFT Winter Gifting!

Given our current weather pattern in NH, I figured this was a good time to show this card. This is another cute image from the Pure Innocence collection from My Favorite Things. I colored her with Copics and cut her out. I used an edger punch on the designer paper and a solid piece of Bazzill cardstock. I used a May Arts double-face satin ribbon on the top of layered piece for embellishment. The wording stamp is from Hero Arts.

Enjoy your day!

Jeannette

Yeah, we got some snow!

Well, in NH we dodged a bullet on the December storm, but were not so lucky today. This one dumped at least a foot in most places and some places got almost 2 feet! It has turned the area into a winter wonderland. Good weather to hunker down and do some stamping!

Jeannette

Spellbinders new release Day 3!

It's day #3 and, once again, Spellbinders did not disappoint! The first 2 dies will be wonderful additions to elegant cards and projects!

Look at that gorgeous border piece! Can't wait to use that one!

Remember my comment yesterday about hanging banners from the new die? Guess what? I was not the only one with that thought!

We have a snowstorm bearing down on us in the east, so we're all ready for that!

Have a great stamping day!
Jeannette

New Copic Sketch Colors!

Copic has announced that there are going to be 12 new colors in the Sketch line! The colors were tested and are designed to fill in some of the "color gaps" in the line. I know, you're thinking, "How can you have a color gap with 334 colors?" Well...you can! And now we have 346 colors to play with! They are reportedly going to be available in March. Of course, we're going to order plenty! I will also be running a special deal if you want all 12 when they come in. More on that later!

Start dreaming about those new colors!

Jeannette

Spellbinders New Release Frenzy - Day #2

It's Day #2 of the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy showcasing some of their new releases and today there are 3 new die sets to show you! Look at the first one - isn't it GREAT? It's kinda like a "double-lacey"!

This will be so great for card making, I cannot wait to get one in my hands!

It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like this is a smaller version of the already-known Labels 4. LOTS of cool stuff can be done with some smaller pieces!

I was thinking about all the interesting ways to use this die in cardmaking. Can you picture hanging a little banner or pennant with words like "Happy Birthday" from it? I can! It would also make great faux closures or binding wraps on books or card fronts. Not to mention just the decorative effects.

Have a wonderful day!
Jeannette

Blue Monster Card

This is another card made with the fun monster stamps from Art Gone Wild. I did this little guy in blues - also colored with Copic markers. The zig-zag layers are done with an EK Success border punch. The paper is a thinner paper (vice a cardstock) and it sometime gets caught up in the punch. What I did to combat that was to put the paper on top of the piece of black cardstock and cut both of them at once. This gave the punch something to grip on and the paper did not get mangled in the punch. I added a couple black dew drops as an embellishment.

Have a great day!
Jeannette

Spellbinders Blog Hop Release Day #1

It's Day #1 of the Spellbinders Blog Frenzy and they released *SIX* new die sets on day #1! WOW! Some great designs! Included are a new labels set and some wonderful shape dies. I can certainly picture using the ribbon banners and 2 flower shapes on cards! They are all shown below! Remember, if you decide that you definitely want one when they are released, please let me know, so I can be sure to order enough in the initial order and will hold one for you when they arrive!
These tabs will be wonderful for those of you who make hand-made books and scrapbooking!

I can picture these Rose Creations flowers on cards and other projects. Now you can coordinate the colors of your flowers with your project! The possibilities are endless!

Another great floral shape to add to your projects!

I know that they call these "book pages," but I can certainly picture then on card fronts as layers! Can't wait to see these in the shop!

Just what we've been waiting for! Another label release! The labels line have been one of the greatest things for card makers and Spellbinders does not disappoint with this one!

Ribbon banners! What a great idea! Just imagine the great words we can stamp onto these for birthdays and other special events!

Be sure to check daily for all the new releases!

Jeannette