While I’ll be sharing lots of our convention ideas and projects later on, I wanted to let you see that we didn’t spend ALL of our time with just STAMPIN’ UP!.  There are other things to take in and do in Salt Lake City, for instance …

You would think that this being my fifth year to attend the STAMPIN’ UP! Convention in Salt Lake  that we’d have scouted out most all shopping venues! . . .NOT SO!!!  Salt Lake is one of those places that likes to hide, little small enclaves of great shopping boutiques amidst the outer edges of its’ urban areas.  But as my up-line Dawn Derrick and I discovered there are sweet gems to be uncovered!

One day we took a cab out to Piper’s Quilt Shop…and all I can say is W-O-W, what a fabulous quilt shop it is!

Housed in a quaint little wood slat bungalow (probably dating back to the ’30′s I’d guess) Piper’s Quilt Shop  is one of the most amazing quilt, fabric, and nick knacks shop I’ve ever been in.  Along with the most amazing quilt patterns and uniquely different fabrics she also has a wonderful supply of alternative fabric crafting items, like aprons, purses, baby clothes, smocking, knitting, wall hangings, and it goes on and on and on!  We were wishing we could spend lots more time there, but as it so happened, (and probably better for our pocketbooks!) we had arranged to meet up with the remainder of our gal group.  We did enough damage as it was…let’s just say that our ‘boxes’ that we shipped because we knew it wouldn’t fit in the suitcase, will be arriving later this week! WOO HOO!!and ROFL!!!

Dare I say that Piper’s Quilt Shop will be a regular stop for us in the future.  If you are ever fortunate enough to be in the Salt Lake City area and are brave enough to venture into this little establishment, you will be glad you did!

Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to come back for more great Stampin’ UP! ideas and convention news!

Have a wonderful week!  Katherine

With the exit of our marketing gal at the beginning of the summer I have been called upon to “pull-up-the-slack” so to speak.  (I keep telling Larry & the gals that “I am NOT (emphasis on NOT) the marketing person”…Don’t ask me!  Yet, time and again here I am.  As a way to get our new doc into the referral offices around town I decided to give him a little gift of goodies to deliver to get him in the door!  I further personalized it by adding a custom photo label to the jar lid.

Originally, I had envisioned using a CD label, but they were too large for the 4 1/4″ diameter of the lid.  I chose to use a full sheet 8 1/2 x 11 label, getting two photo labels out of each one.

Using my Stampin’ UP! Circle Scissors Plus to quickly and effortlessly cut the desired label circles.

You can see through the guide so there’s no guess work when cutting.

I was able to put together 99 decorated jars for Dr. Beck to deliver in just one afternoon; thanks to the helping hands of two very capable teens (i.e. Colin & his sweetie Katie) who tied ribbons for me while I cut and pasted the photo stickers!

We enjoyed one of those great ‘together’ moments that afternoon and using Stampin’ UP! My Digital Studio to create the custom photo stickers was a fabulous idea.  Now imagine yourself needing gifts for the holiday’s and you want to personalize them, but you’re crunched for time…or maybe it’s the end-of-year school party and you have party favors to come up with…a wedding anniversary party or a birthday celebration whatever the occasion there might just be a chance that  using  Stampin’ UP! My Digital Studio could help make your next event more celebratory and personal.

Stampin’ UP! gives you the ease and flexibility to shop on-line 24/7 or you can call or email me and I’ll help you with your next creative endeavor!

Thanks again for taking a look at my blog, I appreciate your support it helps to keep those creative juices flowing!

Katherine

Sue  C. called me the NEXT DAY and left a voice message on my cell phone:  “Katherine, I’m so sorry that you’re not there to answer your phone, because if you were, you could hear the excitement in my voice.  I love this program!  It’s the easiest thing I’ve ever seen and you know I’ve used several others.  I want to get three more copies of it for my two daughters-in-law and one for Lacey too.  Please give me a call when you can.” . . . FOR REAL! I was elated!

Sue C. is like me, neither one of us would ever consider ourselves ‘computer savvy’ or computer geeks.  We like things simple and straightforward.  Fellow homeschooling moms for more years than we can count, we’re really creative gals so we get along nicely around most creative venues.  She  had gone home that afternoon and played with her program and discovered what all My Digital Studio has to offer.  Literally hundreds of stamps with the ability to re-size them,  all the fabulous color choices from the Stampin’ UP! color ensembles and the ability to match other colors to expand the color palate;  all the marvelous designer series papers, scrapbook templates, embellishments, to just click and drag into place, punches, and so, so easy to select and add pictures. . .ALL coordinating with the wonderful  Stampin’ UP!’ products.  I’m pretty sure she even said that she’d created 5 or 6   12 x 12   scrapbook pages while at it.

How wonderful I felt to, once again, “Share what you love”! It’s what we call the “WOW” factor. Stampin’ UP! may not have been the FIRST on the scene when it came to creative digital programs, but  let me tell you ladies, they certainly have the BEST! At a very modest price tag of only $79.95 it can’t be beat.

We’ve hit that mid point in summer and I hope yours is going as planned, or well,  maybe at least as good as you expected!  I’m off to Salt Lake City for the annual STAMPIN’ UP! CONVENTION week so picture me with a HUGE smile on my face most of the time!  Have a good week and keep those creative juices flowing…Katherine

Inside:  (1st floor powder room)

Outside: (hubby’s work shed) 

Inside: (Kitchen hutch)

Outside: (View of back elevation)

Inside: (Kitchen cabinetry)

The appealing symmetry and abundant use of window panes was not an intentional decision, but a subtle design element that has appeared and reappeared throughout our home.  Note that our previous home of 20+ years, situated on 20 AC adjacent to our existing home has no window lights at all in any of the glass work or decor!  Hmmmmm ? I don’t know when this transition took place but it is a taste we are attracted to and much more than just a trend or preference.

This brings me to the latest project I just completed for my kitchen counter greeting.  The piece incorporates a myriad of Stampin’ UP! resources to highlight the Galatians 5:22 Fruits of the Spirit scripture verse.  Among them are the Stampin’ UP! Sizzix Big Shot dies, my new Stampin UP! Artistic Etchings Clear Mount Stamp Set (a ‘So Shelli’ exclusive design!) and the fabulous Stampin’ UP! Newsprint Designer Series Paper:

The original design was created by a fellow Stampin’ UP! demonstrator and was in a 12″ x 16″ vertical frame using 3″ x 3″ squares.  I don’t have the wall space in my home for such  a huge  piece so as usual, I started thinking of how I could adapt and make it work on a smaller scale.  Two years ago I created another piece in this frame and decided to ‘give it a rest’ and reuse the frame! Voila!  The frame accommodates a 4 1/2″ x 11 1/2″ piece and was just perfect for the scripture verse.  The results are an inspiring combination using the appealing window pane design element within a collage style effect.

Stampin’ UP! elements employed in the piece are:

Stampin’ UP! Sizzix Big Shot Timeless Type Alphabet Medium Sizzlits Dies; Birds & Bloom Sizzlits 4-Pack Die

Stampin’ UP! Punches: Word Window, Curly Label, Modern Label, Heart to Heart (small heart), 1 3/8″ x 5/8″ Oval, 1/2″ Circle Small

Stampin’ UP! Build-a-Brad Pewter Brad

Stampin UP! Stamp Sets:  Define Your Life; Typeset Alphabet Upper & Lower Case (retired); Simple Serif Alphabet(retired)

Stampin’ UP! Real Red and Basic Black Classic Stampin’ Ink Pads

CLASS SCHEDULED:

“FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT” Workshop

Cost of workshop is $25.00 (frame included)

Come and create your “FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT” word frame!

I’ll have everything you need and even have some of the work done beforehand to help make it quick and easy for you to complete! Call to reserve your spot because attendance will be limited for this workshop.

Dates and times:  Daytime workshop:  Tuesday August 17th 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Evening workshop:  Tuesday August 17th 6:30- 8:30 p.m.

For reservations call: 254-848-5173 or email kpritchard@hot.rr.com

]]> http://mybluebonnetcottage.com/blog/2010/07/12/inspirations-with-stampin-up/feed/ 0 http://mybluebonnetcottage.com/blog/2010/07/12/birthday-celebrations/ http://mybluebonnetcottage.com/blog/2010/07/12/birthday-celebrations/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:00:12 +0000 Katherine Pritchard http://mybluebonnetcottage.com/blog/?p=1952 [Continue Reading]]]> If you stopped by the other day you got to see the great Happy Birthday card that was created with my awesome Stampin’ UP! punches.  The card was created for our son Brandon who turned 24 on July 2nd!

Happy Birthday Brandon!!!

Here he is with his sweetie Janelle! And here we are wishing him a wonderful birthday!

We had a lovely dinner at Outback Restaurant .  I had another picture of Brandon, Colin and his girlfriend Katie but for some reason when I was editing it and ‘saving it for web’ something happened and it got deleted.  No joke!  I was so mad at my computer because I’d already erased it from the flash card on the camera and now it’s gone, gone, gone!  Why do things like that happen, just a split second wrong key stroke and poof! Too bad, it’s history now…well, I guess we’ll just have to schedule a re-do!  I’m always up for dinner at Outback and maybe next time everybody will be able to get in on the picture.

Thanks again for stopping by, I appreciate how busy your schedules are in the summer!  Have a great weekend!

Katherine

P.S.  Eight days till I leave for CONVENTION!! Salt Lake City. . .Look out, here we come!! WOOHOO!!

Ruff is ready to party! Constructed by using ‘altered’ punches he’s just adorable.  And so quick thanks to the awesome and easy to use  STAMPIN’ UP! Punches.

He is not my original creation but one that I got from fellow Stampin’ UP! Demonstrator Ellen Kemper, the unofficial ‘Punch Queen’ as I like to think of her.  Here’s a quick link to her blog:

http://blinkthinkink.blogspot.com/

Ellen is a true Punch Art aficionado and you will be inspired by her artwork so drop by her blog and see what awesome things she creates with her wonderful Stampin’ UP! punches.

Punches used in Ruff were (from top to bottom):

Photo Corners with tattering on edges for ears

Butterfly Extra-large with one wing trimmed and the nose is the Ticket Corner Small punch

1 3/8″ x 5/8″ Oval for chin

1 3/4″ x 7/8″ Oval front chest

2″ x 1 3/8″ Oval hind quarters

Altered Inside negative from Photo Corner punches

1/2″ Circle Cut in half

The bone was made from a diagonal piece of the Curly Label punch

Facial features were drawn with the Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker

I think you’ll have tons of fun using your Stampin’ UP! punches in this altered art form to add a touch of personality and charm to your creations.

Remember, if there is anyway I can help you with your creativity just drop me a line, meanwhile I hope you’re enjoying your summer this year!

Thanks for stopping by,

Katherine

Here I have created a trio of Bashful Blue Stars using the recently discontinued Small Star Punch as a background for one of the Itty Bitty Bits images and the Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain Ribbon tied in a square knot to say a sweet hello to a new arrival!  I have added a touch of Stampin’ UP! Crystal Effects to the center images before adhering them with Stampin’ dimensionals to give them that shiny glassy look.  The card is then mounted on a standard size Bashful Blue     4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card.

Next I have created a cute little gift tag:

Using the Stampin’ UP! Bitty Punch Pack images to create a Tic Tac Toe design on this little gift tag adds a touch of whimsy to your gift wrapping.  The striking contrast of the Real Red and Basic Black is a favorite and is sure to draw your attention.

The tag inside has a simple greeting.

One last flash of inspiration before I leave you was a Happy Valentines Day card…

The possibilities are endless!

I hope you have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July weekend!

Happy Stamping!  Katherine

The clean lines and precious little designs are fresh and fun to work with.  Once again, Stampin’ UP! has brought together both form and function in creating a Punch Pack of 3 great mini punches in their sleek new locking and flat design, and a package of 64 clear Bitty Buttons to coordinate perfectly with the Itty Bitty Bits Stamp Set.

The tinniest white border around the stamped images, when punched, give a 3-D effect when mounted on color coordinated dots created using the 1/2″ Circle Punch.  Add a bit of ribbon and a greeting and it’s “easy peasy” and stinkin’ cute to boot!

Ink Colors:  Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay, Only Orange, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo.

Card stock colors: Same as above, Whisper White

Stamp Sets featured:  Itty Bitty Bits and Great Friend (‘for you’ greeting)

Embellishments used:  Melon Mambo, Polk-a-Dot ribbon, Bitty Bit Buttons, Mini Glue Dots, Tombow Multi Purpose Glue and misc. white embroidery thread

I hope you are enjoying your summer!  Thanks for stopping by. . .

Katherine

Stampin’ UP! has the best line of creative punches in the paper crafting market today in case you didn’t know.   Here’s a great example of how to put together a summer breezy Thank You card using several of my Stampin’ UP! punches:

Paired with the exclusively Stampin’ UP! Sizzix bigz daisy die from the Alphabet Simple Numbers and the Polka Dot pattern also from the exclusively Stampin’ UP! Sizzix Texturz Plate this Thank You card comes together nicely.

Punches used:  Scallop Circle, 5-Petal Flower, Boho Blossoms, and the retired Snowflake

Cardstock:  YoYo Yellow, Garden Green, Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, and a 6×6 sheet from the Patterns Pack Designer Series Paper.

Embellishments: Earth Elements Brad in More Mustard, Rhinestone Brads from Circle Fire, Corduroy Button in Pretty in Pink, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive, Cutter Kit tool.

Design elements that give this Thank You Card a ‘WOW’ factor:

1.) Distressing edges of the grassy hills (which were cut freehand)  using the Stampin’ UP! Cutter Tool Kit.

2.) The breezy Thanks A Bunch banner is created by adhering the end of the banner flat against the card face and layering two Stampin’ dimensionals in the hump to support the hump.

3.) Over sized flower heads give the card a modish appearance.

4.) Use of the pok-a-dot pattern in the sky draws interest to an otherwise blank background.

5.) To customize the scallop circle and achieve the daisy appearance I first scored the scallop and then trimmed inward to 2/3 of the center.

6.)  The 5-Petal flower is double layered

7.) The Snowflake punch in the YoYo Yellow takes on a funky spikey daisy appearance with the large center.

I hope you have enjoyed visiting and remember to put your punches to work…go have some fun and create something today!

The pattern is from Ewe & Eye & Friends and is Leaping Rabbit Scissor Companion #123

It is stitched  over one,  on a sweet piece of 32 count;  something or other I can’t find what I cut it out of ! (I chose it for the soft color)

I used Gentle Arts Sampler Threads in Tarnished Gold to stitch the piece.

It is framed with an alternating block border of offset cross stitches and the edges are highlighted with Mill Hill Glass Seed Beads #02011.

The pattern does not come with a back item to stitch and thinking my little rabbit looked kind of  hungry I drew and stitched him a carrot!

I thought the fob would look nice with my  Sajour Hare Scissors that were looking rather lonely in my stash.

I love stitching small pieces in between continuing work on larger ones, it gives you a sense of completion, and it’s nice to get something done!

Summer’s in full swing around here and hope yours is off to a great start as well.

Blessings on your upcoming weekend! Katherine