I can’t believe it’s finally here!  I’ve been waiting for this day for quite awhile so I could share the wonderful new products found in the new Annual Catalog.  I am going to make an order yet today (not that I’m excited!  Eek!)  But first, I wanted to give you some important information and a look at a fun new bundle.

Important Info first!  If you don’t go any further than this in my post, you need to know that if you do order this month with a total order of over $50 in product, please use this Host Code in order to get a FREE GIFT from me!  That gift will be a choice of ANY of the embellishments on p. 197 of your catalog.  You MUST use the Host Code, and then email me with your FREE GIFT CHOICE!  I can’t wait to see what you order!  Host Code:  QECNQGTF

Next:  If you haven’t received a catalog yet, and you’d like to, just email me at marya2hanson@gmail.com.  I’ll get you one right away!  Here’s a pdf of the catalog so you can start shopping immediately! PDF Version of Annual Catalog

To SHOP NOW  for any of the products you see here, just click on this link!  Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog!

AND Watch this fun video for a peek at some new products!

The Abstract Impressions bundle caught my eye from the first time I saw it.  Its artistic images make it easy to create all kinds of floral bouquets and vignettes.

This card is built on one of the new colors that was an old favorite a few years ago:  Coastal Cabana.  I used Coastal Cabana ink to stamp the stripes across the background, using the abstract stripe stamp in the stamp set.  I used a panel of Lemon Lime Twist cardstock to make a larger banner, cut to 3″ wide and whatever length you prefer.  I used Whisper White Thick cardstock cut to 2 3/4″ by 4″, and stamped the little garden of abstract flowers.  I used Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green (another new color!) to make the stems and then stamped with Balmy Blue on the round part of the flowers and Coastal Cabana ink to accent.

I cut an intricate corner die from the bundle in Coastal Cabana cardstock and cut it in half, positioning both pieces so they would stick out a little on the sides.

I stamped out the sentiment from the stamp set in Coastal Cabana and then punched it out with the Tailored Tag Punch.  I added a strip of Whisper White 3/8″ Classic Ribbon in a loop, and then embellished the bouquet with some rhinestone embellishments.  Done!  And so cute!!  I love these colors together!

I posted this dragonfly card earlier in May.  Here’s another example of the way the florals can mix together in endless combinations.  Add in all our beautiful new colors, and the possibilities are endless!

Product List for Top Card:

Abstract Impressions Photopolymer Bundle [148348] $49.50	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin’ Pad [147097] $7.50	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin’ Pad [144086] $6.50	Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Pad [147095] $7.50	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin’ Pad [147105] $7.50
Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00	Coastal Cabana 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock [131297] $6.95	Lemon Lime Twist 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [144245] $8.00	Tailored Tag Punch [145667] $18.00	Rhinestone Basic Jewels [144220] $5.00
Whisper White 3/8″ Classic Weave Ribbon [144159] $7.00	Stampin’ Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332] $7.00

Just let me know if you need anything from me, and ENJOY the new catalog.  I know you’re going to love it!

Mary

Rooted In Nature “You Are Wonderful” Card

Did you know that the longest running Stampin’ Up! stamp set is the classic Lovely As A Tree set? The brand new “Rooted In Nature” stamp set and “Nature’s Roots” Framelits are beautiful compliments to this versatile, best-selling set! I predict that this new bundle will be an instant classic, as well!

This a large bundle—16 fantastic images with 12 coordinating dies!  The lovely trees, leaves, and sentiments will be the foundation for all kinds of cards, from thinking of you to thank you, birthday to sympathy, even Christmas cards…the elements combine to create an outdoorsy, natural look. They’ll be fun to use for a variety of techniques, too!  This is a must-have for your new catalog Wish List!

Background Basics—Nature’s Poem Designer Series Paper pack has gorgeous leafy patterns that make excellent backgrounds for the Rooted In Nature elements. I adhered a 4″ x 5-1/4″ panel of the Tranquil Tide linen and leaf pattern to a Crumb Cake card base. Can I just say that this color combination is AMAZING!  Love it!

Wonderful Wood—The base of this collage focal point starts by stamping the dissected tree trunk image in Soft Suede ink onto Whisper White cardstock cut to 3″ x 4.”  I stamped two leaves of different sizes onto a scrap of Mint Macaron and the new Mango melody in their coordinating ink colors.  I used the Big Shot to cut those leaf shapes out.  I used a 1″ strip of a coordinating DSP in the striped pattern and punched a banner end to it with the Banner Triple Punch.

Leaf Loveliness— One special thing about this bundle is the Coordinating Embossing Dies.  Yes, you heard me right — embossing dies.  You can cut the leaf shapes out and then run through again to create beautiful textured leaf patterns ON the leaves.

Finishing Touches—I stamped the Rooted In Nature sentiment in Tranquil ink onto a 3-1/2″ x 1″ piece of Whisper White cardstock and then popped it up with Dimensionals.  I adorned the sentiment with a 1/4″ Copper Trim bow attached with a Glue Dot, then added a couple of buttons from the True Gentleman’s buttons set.  Lastly, I added a couple of Mint Macaron Faceted Dots — you will LOVE these!

Don’t forget the Retiring Items and the Upcoming Safari!  I can’t wait!

Product List

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!  Today I am giving you a sneak peek at a bundle from the brand new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog called “Varied Vases,” inspired and co-designed by my wonderful upline, Mary Fish.

The card is constructed with a card base of Thick Whisper White card stock and then a panel from the beautiful “Share What You Love” Designer Series Papers, available now in the “Gotta Have It All” bundle.  Click HERE to see more info on all three levels of bundles!  Did you know these special papers are not only beautifully pearlized, but are as thick as regular cardstock?  This extra thickness gives us even more versatility with the papers.  Consider using it as your card base, all by itself, so the receiver can see both sides of this beautiful paper!

I used Black Memento ink to stamp a ‘still shot’ of the three vases and flowers.  This stamp set will give you so many options!  Did you know there’s a PUNCH to go along with this cute stamp set?  All will be available June 1.  Get it on your Wish List now!

I shaded in the flowers and vases using my aqua painter pen and So Saffron, Lemon Lime Twist, Coastal Cabana, and Powder Pink ink pads.

I stamped and punched a single vase to give my card even more ‘pop!’  The new (returning) color of Coastal Cabana is already becoming one of my favorites.  I set my vase panel off-kilter against a panel of Coastal Cabana card stock.  I finished the card with some Basic Rhinestone embellishments.

I wish all you wonderful mothers a beautiful day!!  Click on the “Let’s Go Shopping” button above to get yourself a little extra treat!

Mary

Product List

Varied Vases Photopolymer Bundle [148381] $39.50	Share What You Love Specialty Designer Series Paper [146926] $27.00	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin’ Pad [147097] $7.50	Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00	Coastal Cabana 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock [131297] $6.95
Powder Pink Classic Stampin’ Pad [144084] $6.50	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin’ Pad [144086] $6.50	So Saffron Classic Stampin’ Pad [126957] $6.50	Aqua Painters [103954] $17.00	Stampin’ Dimensionals [104430] $4.00
SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332] $7.00

Oh, how I loved this Petal Passion Designer Series Paper from the 2018 Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalog. I’ve loved working with it, but it’s now onto the Stampin’ Up! Retiring Products List, and only available while stocks last through May 31st.

The three main reasons I loved it, were:

• It is a great neutral paper as a black and white, but this one for me was particularly useful because the contrast of the black was toned down quite a bit by the sketch look of the images, so there is actually quite a lot of softer grey in there too;
• It has a floral / nature theme which is my favorite paper themes;
• It was FABULOUS to color with Stampin’ Blends ( 11 fabulous new colors in light and dark are coming June 1st!)
• It coordinates beautifully with the Petal Palette bundle (carrying over to the 2018-2019 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog, but only available at the 10%  bundle price until May 31st.

So as you can see, it is super versatile. Here are a couple of cards I made with this beautiful paper.  For this card, I have just used different colors of the Stampin’ Blends to color flowers on the paper.

And here’s another:

It’s so fun to see what a different background card stock and ribbon will do.  It brings an entirely different feel to it.

With this one, I only colored some of the paper and left the rest in black and white.

Finally, I made some cards using the black and white Designer Series Paper AS IS!

Check out the links at the end of this post, and don’t miss out on the beautiful Petal Passion paper pack, along with the coordinating embellishments and Memories and More pack (only available while stocks last or May 31st) and bundle pricing on the Petal Palette bundle (ends May 21st).

If you shop online with me with an order over $50, don’t forget to use the May Hostess Code ( FZ2DPNTR) for a free gift in June from the brand new catalog! Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a fabulous Saturday.

Mary

I had a lot of fun focusing on a lovely stamp set with coordinating thinlits dies that is soon retiring.  This set is a keeper, and I want to make sure you get your hands on it before it becomes unavailable.

Butterfly Basics is a lovely set with a fern and flower stamp, the patterned butterfly stamp, and couple of textured stamps.  The coordinating dies include a large and small intricate butterfly, as well as an outline butterfly.   

The Designer Series Paper comes from the “Share What You Love”: bundle, and is coordinated in this card with the new Grapefruit Grove ink and the classic Tranquil Tide ink.  The sentiment comes from the Hold On To Hope stamp set that is carrying over into the new Annual Catalog.  Shop any of these products by simply clicking below.  DO NOT let Butterfly Basics slip through your fingers, because it is a classic, and it’ll be an expensive set to find later, once it retires!

Product List

Butterfly Basics Photopolymer Stamp Set [137154] $24.00	Hold On To Hope Clear-Mount Stamp Set [145780] $21.00	Grapefruit Grove Classic Stampin’ Pad [147142] $7.50	Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin’ Pad [144085] $6.50	Share What You Love Specialty Designer Series Paper [146926] $27.00
Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00	Tranquil Tide 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [144246] $8.00	Grapefruit Grove 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [146972] $8.50	Banner Triple Punch [138292] $23.00	Share What You Love Artisan Pearls [146927] $6.00
Stampin’ Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive Refill [104331] $4.50

Welcome to our Pals Blog Hop, May 2018. This month we’ll be “Stepping Up with Textures or Techniques.” What’s that? Projects that are “stepped up” by using textures or fun techniques. Who knows, maybe both! Join us in the fun while we inspire you to step up your creations.

You may be starting the hop here or coming from a previous Pal’s blog. Either way, you’ve come to the right place. You’ll find the full line-up below to help you move, or “hop” along from Pal to Pal.

Living in Northern Minnesota, and especially after our recent looooong winter and late spring, you can imagine our delight when the beautiful lilac bushes start to bloom.  Their fragrance literally fills the air!  My card today is in tribute to the lilacs.

I’m using two techniques to create ‘extra’ texture today:  a watercolor technique I used on both the bouquet and the white background that combines layers of color to create depth, and an embossed background on which to build the bouquet.

I started with a card base of Whisper White thick cardstock cut at 4 1/4″ x 11″, folded at 5 1/2″.  I cut a 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ panel of basic black cardstock and mounted it on the white card base.  I then took a 5 1/4″ x 4″ panel of Sweet Sugarplum cardstock and embossed it using the Garden Trellis Textured Impressions embossing folder.

On a panel of watercolor paper, I stamped the stems of the bouquet using the single stem from the Beautiful Bouquet Photopolymer bundle using watercolor paper.  This versatile bundle allows you to create all kinds of bouquets, whether it be a monochromatic bunch of lilacs, like me, or a profusion of different colors in a mixed bouquet.

I then stamped some small bunches of flowers in Wisteria Wonder and a couple in Sweet Sugarplum.  I spritzed the bouquet with water to soften the images and let it dry.

The ‘stepped up’ bouquet was created by cutting out bunches of tiny flowers with two dies from the Beautiful Bouquet bundle.  Once the little bunches were cut out using the Big Shot, I used an aqua painter and first ‘colored’ the tiny flowers with Sweet Sugarplum ink.  Then I came back and created little stripes using the Wisteria Wonder ink.  I went back and forth between the colors, adding depth and color until I got the effect I wanted.

I used SNAIL adhesive and then Stampin’ Dimensionals to start ‘building’ up the bouquet to create lots of dimension and texture.   I finished off the card with a sentiment from Beautiful Bouquet and a Garden Green 3/8″ grosgrain ribbon bow, along with some tiny seed pearls.

Thanks to Canadian Stamper Sandi MacIver for her inspirational video to help with this watercolor technique. 

Now it’s time to see how the rest of the Pals are Stepping up with Textures or Techniques. Please use the Blog Hop Line-Up below to move from blog to blog. Don’t forget to show us some love by commenting on our creations.

Mark your calendars for June 13, 2018, when we feature projects for Babies, Birthdays and Brides. You’ll probably even see products from Stampin’ Up!s new 2018-2019 Annual Catalog. Don’t miss it!

Blog Hop  Line-up:

1. Mary Fish at Stampin’ Pretty
2. Peggy Noe at Pretty Paper Cards
3. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
4. Su Mohr at Aromas and Art
5. Linda Suarez at All Night Stamping
6. Debbie Mageed at Secrets to Stamping
7. Stesha Bloodhart at Stampin’ Hoot!
8. Leah O’Brien at Stamp by the Bay
9. Jackie Beers at Blue Line Stamping
10. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
11. Pamela Sadler at Stampin’ Pink Rose
12. Mary Hanson at Up North Stampin’
13. Nina King at Ink Paper Sequins
14. Karen Hallam at Karen’s Stamping Habit
15. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin’
16. Jennifer Michalski at Stamping Serenity

Product List

I’m still discovering more beautiful ways to use the “Share What You Love” products available this month!

To create this gorgeous card, I started with a card base of Whisper White cardstock at 11″ x 8 1/2″, folded in half.  I cut a panel of Rich Razzleberry cardstock to 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″.  I spritzed the paper every so lightly, and then ran that panel through the Big Shot using the brand new Lovely Floral Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I then affixed it to the Whisper White card base.

I cut a strip of the “Share What You Love” Designer Series Paper to 2 1/2″ x 4 1/8″.  I cut a strip of Old Olive cardstock to 2 5/8″ x 4 1/8″ and adhered the DSP to the Old Olive, and then both to the Rich Razzleberry embossed piece.

The sentiment comes from the “Share What You Love” stamp set.  Don’t you love the font?  The little laser-cut tag is one of the little ‘treats’ in the Share What You Love Embellishment kit. It is FREE with two of the bundles you can now order.  So fun!

I seriously can’t say enough about these beautiful papers!  Their beautiful patterns and colors are only surpassed by the gorgeous pearlized accents.  You really have to see them to believe them!  You could take the same-sized panel of any of these lovely papers and create this card in any number of color combinations.

Here is the lovely stamp set:

Go HERE to see my post with all the details about each level of “Share What You Love” Bundle.  Below are some more sample projects I have made.

Click HERE to start shopping with me!  Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed by this beautiful line of products!

Product List

This bundle introduces one of the beautiful new In Colors, Grapefruit Grove. Here is a project made using this bundle.

Use the May Host Code for an additional free gift from the new catalog from me!  FZ2DPNTR

Thanks so much, and please let me know if you need anything from me!

Mary

I love it when the thought process is taken right out of stamping, and all I have to do is have fun!  With this layout, all you have to do is grab your favorite Designer Series Paper and a stamp set or two, and you can get all your occasions covered!  Take a look at what I did with the Tutti Frutti DSP:

Thanks to Susan Itell, fellow stamper, for this great layout idea!  These cards all start with a 5 1/2  x 8 1/2″ card base, scored at 4 1/4″.  Then take a piece of DSP, your choice, and cut it to 5 1/2 x 4 1/8″.  Cut out a white panel (to stamp on) measuring 5 1/2 ” x 2 1/4″.  Then cut a cardstock panel that you will mount the white panel onto, measuring 5 1/2 x 2 3/8″.   That’s the hardest part, and it isn’t even hard!

Your next step is to have fun stamping a sentiment or other objects onto the white cardstock. The first card is a wine glass from Half Full with a sentiment from Colorful Seasons.  The “Happy Birthday” sentiment is from the Perennial Birthday stamp set.   The “Thank You” stamp is from the Color Me Happy stamp set, and the “Celebrate” sentiment is from the Picture Perfect stamp set.  The lanterns are also from the Color Me Happy stamp set, with one lantern punch-out from the Color Me Happy kit.

There’s no doubt that a fool-proof layout will save you time, and a lot of deliberating about WHAT TO MAKE. I hope this layout comes in handy for you as well!

Product List

Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set [143726] $27.00	Color Me Happy Clear-Mount Stamp Set [144069] $19.00	Half Full Clear-Mount Stamp Set [144999] $22.00	Perennial Birthday Clear-Mount Stamp Set [145760] $22.00	Love What You Do Photopolymer Stamp Set [148042] $21.00
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin’ Pad [126975] $6.50	So Saffron Classic Stampin’ Pad [126957] $6.50	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin’ Pad [144086] $6.50	Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends Markers Combo Pack [144599] $9.00
Pool Party Stampin’ Blends Markers Combo Pack [144605] $9.00	Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends Markers Combo Pack [144603] $9.00	Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00	Bermuda Bay 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock [131197] $8.00	So Saffron 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock [105118] $8.00
Lemon Lime Twist 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock [144245] $8.00	Lemon Lime Twist 1/2″ Finely Woven Ribbon [144135] $7.00	Tutti-Frutti Adhesive-Backed Sequins [145609] $7.00	Rhinestone Basic Jewels [144220] $5.00	Linen Thread [104199] $4.50
SNAIL Permanent Adhesive Refill [104331] $4.50	Stampin’ Dimensionals [104430] $4.00