Another retiring set!

I made this quick and cute card WEEKS ago for a sketch challenge over on Mary Jo Price's blog and never got around to posting it.

what a beautiful and simple layout! I'm so going to miss this set which is ALSO retiring! I've really been working out those retiring stamp sets! This was another design at my $2 card event and this one sold out! :D

Fairly straight forward, I cut my designer paper to 3 1/2" square, then stamped the sentiment in poppy parade. I took a strip of poppy cardstock and punched a border for the bottom of the DSP. Next, I added some leftover ribbon to the top left. I like that little addition.

Do you end up with tiny pieces of ribbon leftover? This is a great way to use those pieces up!

I punched the scalloped circle out of poppy cardstock and stamped my focal point on whisper white.

My friends are always asking me how it is I'm able to cut things out so straight.
I take my time.
I try and move the paper when cutting and not the scissors.
I try to leave a nice white border. (It's so forgiving, and adds maturity to the design, don't cha think?).

This is the beginning of club week for me! I have lots of friends coming (30 wonderful ladies in all). We're playing with the new stuff this week! So exciting! :D

See you soon!
Selene Kempton

Saying goodbye to "cheers to you"

Good Evening Friends!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Here's another cute card that we made at my $2 event last week.

We'll be saying goodbye to this cute set on Thursday too! A few of my friends that came painted theirs with crystal effects and will be picking up the cards this week during club.

First, we stamped the image in stazon ink. I really favor that ink when watercoloring, because it doesnt move. Next, we squeezed the ink pad and picked up the rose red color for the drink and the straw and strawberry with an aqua painter and filled it in.. So darn easy!

If you look at the center piece of designer paper, the cloud pattern on top, is the back side of the printed pattern on the bottom. So I cut a piece of 12 x 12 down to 3x4, then cut again so I had a 2 inch strip and a 1 inch strip. I ran a ribbon/bow across the center panel. The layer beneath that is cut 4 1/4" x 3 1/4", to form the 1/8" border all the way around the centered DSP. If you take a piece of regular 8 1/2 x 11" and cut it on the 8 1/2" side first at 4 1/4" then you get six pieces from one sheet! I love no waste. In addition, I punched the label underneath the cheers to you sentiment, from the little pieces of rose red leftover.

the base is 11 x 4 1/4" and I pre-embossed those pieces to help the class go a little more quickly. Such a cool stampset! Although when stamps retire I do try and sell my personal stock, there are some that I will never part with. I can't imagine ever selling this set. I mean, what would I do on st patty's day without making a "green beer" card?

If you do not already have a demonstrator and would like to place a Stampin' supplies order through me, you may do so at my online store anytime. Thanks in advance!

That's it for tonight!
Rubbah hugs,
Selene Kempton

Baby Steps ~ Boy card and SNEAK PEEK

Good Evening Friends!

Tonight I have a quick and cute card share for you. I have been CRAZY busy trying to earn enough for the first tuition payment of the year, and I did pretty good. I came to within $25 of what I need for this coming Friday (the July 1st payment). Thanks to all of you and my local customers who came out for the $2 card event last week and to a few friends who placed orders and/or asked me to make them some cards to participate long distance.

So here I have something old, something new, and of course something blue! On Friday, my friend Michelle, who was the last one here for the $2 card event, asked me about other uses for her sanding blocks. She purchased them last month so that she could condition her stamps, meaning taking the film off the stamps that comes from the manufacturing process. If you've ever had a bold stamp set that doesn't seem to be accepting your ink, you may need to condition your stamps and you can check out the tutorial at the link above.

Anyway, I showed Michelle how after embossing polka dots on designer paper, that a sanding block will make those dots pop! :D So, just run the paper through your big shot with your favorite embossing folder, then gently take a sanding block to the top. Note: if you try this with regular Stampin' Up cardstock, the paper will not show white as the SU! cardstock is dyed all the way through. However, it will appear to be slightly lighter due to distressing that layer or roughing it up! :D

So that piece of designer paper was sitting on the table looking at me in my eye on Friday. :D I did have one hole in the card selection last week, and that was baby boy. I promised my good friend Barbie that I would make her a baby boy card... well here it is! I just ran out of time around the event last week. There were 10 different designs that featured retiring stamp sets, with cool embellishments that may or may not still be current. The cards were gorgeous!

I'll try and share some more this week. This stamp, which is a stamp that is sold by itself is called Babysteps and will no longer be available for purchase after THIS Thursday. Gosh ~ I love how the polkadots in the elephant's ear tie right into the ribbon and sanded embossing. I went through my stamps tonight and there are SO many of my sets retiring, I want to say at least 60 sets this time!

So how about some measurements:
Base: So saffron 8 1/2 x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half at 4 1/4"
Layer 2: 5 1/8" x 3 7/8" (note: this is only 1/8" larger on two sides than layer 3.
Layer 3: 5 x 3 3/4", DSP, embossed and lightly sanded.
Layer 4: Chocolate chip polka dot ribbon.. here is the sneak peek! Isn't that ribbon GORGEOUS??
Layer 5 3 1/8" x 2 1/8" chocolate
Layer 5: 3x2" whisper white, inked and stamped with markers in turquoise, chocolate and real red.

Pretty easy and straight forward... just my speed.

Being the end of the year, I just want to thank those of you who continually do business with me. I know that you have choices of who you do business with. For those of you who made me your "stamp girl," I want you to know that I really appreciate your business. My stamping business is currently my only source of income to help out my family and I feel completely blessed to have made so many life long friends as a result of my little business. If you do not already have a demonstrator and would like to place an order through me, you may do so at my online store anytime.

In addition, I will mail a brand new FREE catalog to anyone who places an order that is $75 (before tax and shipping).


Thanks for visiting today and every day.

Rubbah hugs,
Selene Kempton

Saturday Sketch Challenge 209

Good Evening Friends,

What a gorgeous sketch this week from operator Gretchen Barron! I just love a good sketch and she never seems to disappoint! :D

This week is a little bittersweet for us over in the Stamping 411 group. Our long time operator Kerin has decided to step away from the group, so that she can put first things first, her family. She is an EXTREMELY talented artist, and we are so going to miss a BIG part of our Stamping 411 team/family. I'm happy for her that she is going to put her family first and take some time for herself (hopefully) and them. Sending love and support for your decision your way GF.

Moving on to this week's project. First, I punched a 2 1/2" circle out of watercolor paper, and tried Kerin Sylvester's technique from a few weeks ago, which I am digging! First, you stamp the image in stazon (so the ink wont move). Then, you color with markers and blend the color with a blender pen. It's such an easy and relaxing technique. I could color all day that way. :D I stamped the thinking of you crooked on my card, so I stamped another and covered the evidence. When stamping this card with my customers this week, I suggested they move the square down, to break the plain of the circle a bit. It's still really pretty! :D The button is an old turquoise retired button I had a ton of, and I'm using up the old stuff to make room for the new on July 1st! :D I sponged the edges with turquoise as well to add a little pop!

The measurements for this one are a bit tricky, and I'm pretty SURE I made it harder than it needs to be.. :D I just cut some scraps until I got the perfect measurement I liked. :D

Base: Crumb Cake 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half at at 4 1/4"
Layer 2: Poppy Parade 5" x 3 3/4"
Layer 3 ~ Blocked cardstock (the bottom) Poppy Floral Piece: 3 5/8 x 1 3/4"
Layer 4 ~ Blocked cardstock Peach Floral Piece (top left) 3 1/8" x 1"
Layer 5 ~ Blocked Cardstock White Floral (top right) 3 1/8" x 2 5/8"
Again ~ layer 6 is just a 2 1/2" punched circle, from watercolor paper

Well that's it for this week, I hope you have some time to play along with this AWESOME sketch. So many of my friends/clients say that they play along and don't upload... That's okay too! We're here for fun and for sharing ideas. I hope you at least send them to your demo with the camera on your phone! :D

If you have some time, pop over to Kerin's blog and wish her well ~ especially with the family illness happening for her right now.

Thanks so much for playing along every week!
Rubbah hugs,
Selene Kempton

Mojo Monday ~ Birthday Greetings!

Just a quick card share today! It's crunch time! I'm getting ready for my $2 shoebox card event, and this is one of the TEN designs I've already prepped and got ready!

I'm using up all of my retiring supplies and at the same time trying to raise a few bucks for the tuition payment due at the end of the month.

When I saw how SIMPLE the sketch was over at mojo Monday I knew I wanted to get this little guy down on watercolor paper. I used Kerin Sylvester's technique from stamping 411 a few weeks ago and used markers with a blender pen.. this is such an easy peasy card, but would be great for a kid birthday. I love how the birthday Greetings stamp finishes it off.. Great sketch! Have a great day!

Selene

Saturday Sketch Challenge 208

Good Evening Friends and TGIF!!

Happy Fathers day to all the special dad's out there. My dad has been gone for many years... if you still have your dad, give him a hug!

Saying goodbye to another awesome stamp set... My baby girl card is kinda masculine.. That's strange and unexpected.. :D

I'm not sure how many times I've actually inked this stamp set up! I think that this is a really pretty baby card, without it being too foo foo... Talk to me... what do you think?

I started with the designer paper which is retiring and added the pink taffeta.. you guessed it! Gone... will not be available after June 30th, so you may want to get some on order from your demonstrator today! So how about some measurements?

Base: So saffron 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored and folded in half at 4 1/4"
Layer 2: Whisper white 4 x 5 1/4" stamped with "congratulations" from the stamp set curly cute in regal rose classic ink.
Layer 3: Early Espresso 4 1/4" x 3 1/4... so I cut an 8 1/2" piece of paper down the middle at 4 1/4" then flipped it and cut those pieces at 3 1/4", getting six pieces from one sheet.
layer 4: Designer paper cut 4' x 3", yielding 12 pieces from one sheet. Isnt that cool?

Layer 6: (yes I skipped one).. I measured the block of my stamp and it was 2 x 3" so that was what I cut my focal point to,
Layer 5: I made 1/8" bigger. so 2 1/8" x 3 1/8"

Please check out what my girlfriends are up to this week on 411, you wont be sorry!

Easy peasy sketch this week and they've all got something cool for you.
Have a great weekend.

Rubbah hugs,
Selene Kempton

Mojo Monday 191

It's SO dark in my studio today! It rained all weekend and the lighting is so dark for photographs, but, it is what it is! :D

I'm really happy to be playing along with the gang at mojo monday today. It's been WEEKS since I've been able to play.

Today's card is already addressed for mailing to one very special lady!

Measurements:
Base 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored and folded in half at 4 1/4"
Layer 2: Whisper white 4 x 5 1/4"
Layer 3: 5 1/4" strip, cut with the lace ribbon border punch 122362 (available July 1st)
Layer 4: Scalloped circle (big shot)
Layer 5: 3" circle (big shot) cut from the new Flirtations Specialty paper 122360 available July 1st
Layers 6-9: Butterfly cut from the big shot (i used the flip side of the purple pattern for the butterfly.

I {heart} the new wisteria wonder color that is coming July 1st paired with regal rose ~ so pretty! I got this paper in a preorder for demonstrators. :D I used the new lace ribbon border punch for the center panel and then embossed the white panel over it. I added 3 buttons and a tiny strip of the purple paper in the center to look like a stitch. I cut the butterfly out of the flip side of the purple dsp you see for the 3" circle, and then just added layers! For the butterfly body, I used rhinestones. :D

I finished the inside with a strip of the lace ribbon border again.. boy it really finishes the card! So pretty and regal looking!

It's really nice to be in the studio and creating. I'll have plenty more to share over the week including projects from my team meeting last night. Have a wonderful week!

Selene Kempton

Saturday Sketch Challenge 207

Good Evening Friends!

TGIF! Okay.. you can sort of tell that this sketch is mine.. it's clean and simple and easy to reproduce.. That's just what I like!

Measurements:
Base: Very Vanilla 11 x 4 1/4", scored and folded in half at 5 1/2"
Layer 2: Espresso 5 1/8 x 3 7/8"
Layer 3: Sweet and Sour specialty paper.. 5" x 3 3/4"~ I'm not sure the photo does it justice.. the design really shines!!
7" of espresso Grosgrain ribbon 5/8" (note ~ all the 5/8" grosgrain is going away, so order some from your demonstrator today!)
For the focal point I used very vanilla cardstock and inked the sentiment up with markers to get the two colors on there. The image is from the soon to be retired Birthday Bliss stamp set. I punched it with a 1 1/4" square punch, then another layer of espresso using the scalloped square punch.
The candle was punched from the cupcake punch out of our red shimmer paper... The button was laced with espresso paper cut with the stampin up paper trimmer, to a very fine measurement (maybe 1/16th" of an inch?)

That's all for tonight!
Rubbah hugs!
Selene Kempton

Saturday Sketch Challenge 206

Good Evening Friends!

So do I still have vacation on the brain? Absolutely! I got home last Saturday morning, and had to get right back to work for my stamp club (which goes all week long). Then yesterday, I booked a party for this coming Sunday, where the guests are making 9 cards each (3 designs) and the hostess has 10 people coming! Yikes!!

So ~ I've been a little busy, but that's a good thing!

I got to see some of my best friends over the week in Alaska, and I've been sharing oodles of pictures on facebook. If you're on FB and you want to see, just friend me.. (e.selene@verizon.net). :D

I'll have more photos going up tonight of the Tracy Arm Fjord and maybe next week I'll show my EAGLE pictures.. I got some GORGEOUS shots of a bald eagle that are frame worthy! :D He was posing for me! :D

So moving on to tonight's card.. I used it for my stamp club this week. it's super uber simple, but really cool. When I prep for my card club I make 40 packets to accommodate all my club members. Sometimes I find that I have to purchase two packs of Designer paper, just for one design so everyone can have the same, or I used two different designs from the same pack. Of course everyone wants the one like my original sample.. do you run into that? Well... I had a really great idea last month after purchasing the strength and hope downloads. We dont actually SELL that paper, it's only available as a download for My Digital Studio, or if you dont own MDS, I'm told you can use the downloads with any program that will accept .jpg images. So I had 4 sheets printed of this blue pattern. Originally, I thought it was baja, but when I put it up against marina mist, it "popped for me" so that's what I used, marina mist and certainly celery (a color I tend to neglect).

I love the smooth finish of the professionally printed paper, and the fact that I didnt have to buy a whole pack. 3 pieces of 12 x 12 was enough to make 54 packets. (so I had some leftover)

Measurements:
Base: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half at 4 1/4", Marina Mist
Layer 2: 4 x 5 1/4", whisper white, then embossed with the vintage wallpaper embossing folder
Layer 3: 2 1/2" x 4, I used the scalloped border punch (which cuts off 1/4")
Layer 4: 2 x 4 (of the MDS, designer paper)
Layer 5: 2 3/4" x 3 1/4", Marina mist
Layer 6: 2 1/2" x 3", whisper white
Layer 7: Scalloped oval punch, certainly celery
Layer 8: Large oval punch, whisper white paper, with a marina mist and celery markered sentiment

That's about it.. This easy card has a few layers to it, but it went together in minutes! I hope you enjoy it and that you have time to play along with me and my girlfriends over on stamping 411. Either way, please go check it out and see what they made. They are so darn talented!

Rubbah hugs to you,
Selene Kempton