Convention Quality Swap--My Fave!

#stampinup   I stumbled upon Lyssa Zwolanek's "Convention Quality Swap" at my first convention and I'm super glad I did. This is a very popular swap because the cards are divine!! I'm always nervous about this swap because I'm never quite sure if my cards are quite up to the standard. I'm particularly worried this year because my card is so clean and simple.

I'm in love with the "Birthday Blossoms" stamp set. I just can't get enough of all the floral designs and sentiments. For some reason, I'm always thinking "blue" when I see these flowers. I decided that my colors for the card would be Soft Sky, Basic Black, and Whisper White. I think these colors are really fresh.

I stamped the flower cascade stamp at the left top and right bottom of a Whisper White panel with Stazon Jet Black ink. Using my Stamp-a-ma-Jig, I aligned the sentiment and stamped it in Soft Sky ink.

Next, I dropped several drops from the Soft Sky reinker into the lid of the stamp pad and picked up some color with a Blender Pen. I randomly colored the flowers--I did a few petals of one then moved to another then to another. I wanted to spread the color saturation around. I worked quickly and tried not to be too precise and to leave a tiny bit of white space on some flowers. Coloring is not my forte, but I think the watercolor wash effect looks really pretty here.

I thought I was finished, but the card was just too plain. After all, this is a convention quality swap--and I hadn't used one embellishment! So out came my trusty Basic Black Stitched Satin ribbon, which, if you hadn't notice, I LOVE!! I'm already on my second spool! I think the card is really soft and pretty. I hope the other CQS stampers agree.

tams# 3849

Product List

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig [101049] $12.00	Basic Black 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon [138430] $9.00	Blender Pens [102845] $10.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $7.00	Soft Sky 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131203] $7.00	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [131161] $3.25	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad [131181] $6.50
Jet Black Stazon Ink Pad [101406] $8.00	Birthday Blossoms Wood-Mount Stamp Set [139167] $27.00

Christmas in July

#stampinup   Last year's Stampin' Up Idea Book and Catalog didn't have any Christmas stamps. The company loaded it Holiday Mini Catalog with those stamps. Stampers the world over complained about commented on this, and Stampin' Up listened! This year there are several Christmas sets in the main catalog, one of which is the "Every Blessing" stamp set.

There's a Christmas swap at the Stampin' Up convention this year. I wanted to join because I'm hosting a 4-session Christmas card stamp-a-stack and I can always use some ideas. I can't wait to see what I get!!

I stamped the shepherds and lambs in Cherry Cobbler onto a Very Vanilla panel. I used my Stamp-a-ma-Jig to line up the sentiment and stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black.

I cut a 1.5" strip of striped DSP from the Typset Specialty Series Papers and flagged it with the Banner Triple Punch. I cut a 1" strip of Gold Foil and flagged it, too. I adhered the gold banner to the striped banner and tied a length of Basic Black Stitched Satin Ribbon around them both before adhering this to the card.

I layered this onto a Basic Black mat and then onto a Cherry Cobbler card base. I used a glue dot to adhere a Gold Foil star punched with the star from the Itty Bitty Accents Punch pack.

tams# 3848

Product List

Every Blessing Clear-Mount Stamp Set [139919] $16.00	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad [126966] $6.50	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101650] $8.50
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $7.00	Cherry Cobbler 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119685] $7.00	Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper [133704] $13.00	Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $4.00
Banner Triple Punch [138292] $23.00	Basic Black 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon [138430] $9.00	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack [133787] $17.00	Glue Dots [103683] $5.25
Stamp-A-Ma-Jig [101049] $12.00

Black & White with a POP of Red

#stampinup   I'm all about black and white and red. Ever since the 1980s, this has been my go-to color combination. I try to branch out to other colors, but something about black and white and a pop of red really speaks to me.

So, when I saw the opportunity to participate in the Black & White with a Pop of Color swap at the Stampin' Up convention, I jumped on it. I knew right away that I'd be ordering some wonderful Everyday Chic DSP for my design.

I stamped the I {heart} You sentiment from the "Pictogram Punches" stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black onto a Whisper White panel. I used my Stamp-a-ma-Jig to position it just so. I adhered this panel to a Basic Black card base.

Next, I cut a 1" strip of Everyday Chic DSP and adhered this to a 1-1/8" strip of Basic Black. I tied some Basic Black Stitched Satin Ribbon around the strip and adhered the strip to the card.

I punched a heart from Red Glimmer Paper with the heart punch from the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack. I adhered this to the {heart} on the stamped sentiment with a half Stampin' Dimensional.

Finally, I colored one of the hearts on the DSP with a Real Red Stampin' Write Marker. So cute!!

tams# 3847

Product List

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig [101049] $12.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Real Red Stampin' Write Marker [100052] $3.50	Basic Black 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon [138430] $9.00
Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack [133787] $17.00	Red Glimmer Paper [121790] $5.00	Everyday Chic Designer Series Paper [138445] $11.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $7.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Pictogram Punches Clear-Mount Stamp Set [134264] $17.00

Sensational Single Stamps

#stampinup   While I'm having the time of my life at the Stampin' Up Convention in Salt Lake City, I thought I'd share the cards I made for the organized swaps. Stampers swap cards all over SLC--at the airport, at hotels, in restaurants, and at convention. There are "general" swaps where you just swap with anyone and everyone and there are organized swaps. Someone hosts a swap around a certain theme, we sign up for the swap and agree to make a set number of cards according to the swap rules. I'm participating in 4 organized swaps.

The first swap is called Denise's Sensational Single Stamp Swap. The rules have us choose one of the many single stamps in the catalog. That's it. I like simple rules. I chose the "Get Well Soup" set.

I started with a Pacific Point card base and embossed it with the Large Polka Dot Embossing folder.

I stamped the "Get Well Soup" stamp in Night of Navy onto Whisper White and cut it out with an oval from the Ovals Collection Framelits. I stamped the bowl in Night of Navy onto a piece of Bohemian Designer series paper and fussy cut it. I adhered this to the bowl.

I also cut a piece of Night of Navy card stock with the largest Deco Label Framelit and adhered it to the card base with Stampin' Dimensionals. I then adhered the oval to the card with Dimensionals.

Finally, I cut a heart from Silver Glimmer paper with one of the framelits from the Circle Card Thinlit and adhered it to the card with, you guessed it, a Dimensional.

I'll post some of my favorite swap cards when I come home from convention. I'm always inspired by what I receive in return for my swaps--I know you will be, too! 

tams# 3843

Product List

Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Circle Card Thinlits Die [133480] $33.00	Ovals Collection Framelits Die [129381] $27.00	Deco Labels Framelits Die [130102] $25.00
Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133739] $7.50	Silver Glimmer Paper [135314] $5.00	Bohemian Designer Series Paper [138446] $11.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50
Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100867] $7.00	Pacific Point 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [111350] $7.00	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [126970] $6.50	Get Well Soup Wood-Mount Stamp Set [138768] $13.00