Open Stamp Night Saturday 2/26

I am having an Open Stamp Night tomorrow Saturday 2/26 from 7-10pm.

I will be working on my swaps for the upcoming Regional event in CT. So I will be making at least 30 of the same card and I will trade with 30 other Stampin' Up! demonstrators. That way I come home with 30 different ideas. How much fun - I can't wait!

Let me know if you would like to stop by. Email me at handmadebychristine@mail.com or give me a call 978-273-0978

Big Shot Die Tip

I saw a fabulous idea on Kay Kalthoff's blog a few weeks ago. She shared how she put sticker paper on her Big Shot dies. I immediately knew I wanted to try this myself. You see the Big Shot dies are black on black so they are kind of hard to see. I don't like to waste my cardstock or DSP so I always double or triple check that I have the die covered 100%.

Adding the sticker paper fixes this problem. I ended up buying sticker paper at a local craft store since I had a gift card and coupon. I am pretty sure you can also find some at an office supply store. I think this is a super helpful tip.

Pictured here is my Top Note Die from Stampin' Up for the Big Shot.

You can now find me on Facebook! Just search for Christine Miscia Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and 'Like' my page.

Sale-A-Bration Note Card

Here is a little 3 x 3 note card I put together over the weekend. I like to have a few little cards on hand to put in my mini catalog packets. I used two items from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. The Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper and the stamp set Punch Bunch. Did you know that you can earn these products for free?

From now until March 31st is Stampin' Up!'s annual Sale-A-Bration. For every $50 order or $300 workshop you can pick an item from the Sale-A-Bration catalog for free. Contact me if you want to pick a date for a workshop for your friends & family.

Supplies:
Stamps: Punch Bunch
Ink: Melon Mambo marker
Paper: Ice Cream Parlor DSP & Whisper White cardstock
Other: Whisper White 3/8 taffeta ribbon, Basic Rhinestones, Scallop circle punch

Introducing My Digital Studio

What is My Digital Studio?

My Digital Studio is an intuitive digital design software featuring Stampin' Up!'s exclusive art, designs and colors. Be your own digital designer and create an array of interactive digital scrapbooks, cards, calendars and more - which you can then print using Stampin' Up's professional print services, or save to DVD, email or upload to the Internet.

Software

• The My Digital Studio boxed version includes nearly 2,000 elements - stamp brushes, embellishments, pre-designed templates, punches, Designer Series Papers, cardstock, and more. That's an over $500 value!
• Accommodates users with all levels of ability and experience.
• Lets you start from a blank canvas or use designer templates for inspiration.
• PC and Mac compatible.
• Competitively priced at $79.95. 

Content

• Dynamic digital content offerings available for purchase monthly.
• Includes exclusive content only available in digital format.
• Multiple file formats allow for seamless install with My Digital Studio or other design programs.

Professional Printing

• Create scrapbook pages, cards, photo albums (linen, leather & photo covers), journals, calendars and more.
• Our professional print services use high-quality, sewn-reinforced binding, printing and paper
• Create interactive digital scrapbooks and cards using an extensive array of multimedia options.

You can find out more about My Digital Studio at 

Meet Shelli Gardner ...

Shelli Gardner is the Cofounder and CEO of Stampin' Up! Amazing inspiration in this video. Check it out!

Upsy Daisy Birthday Card

I played along again this week with Stamping411. I had a small amount of time yesterday before we went away for the rest of the weekend. I am really happy with how my card turned out.

Here is the sketch:

Here is my interpretation:

When I saw the middle section for the image I thought of the stamp set Upsy Daisy. I was pretty sure the large floral image would fit perfectly. So I inked up the stamp set with my Old Olive & Melon Mambo markers. I decided to emboss the White background layer with my Big Shot & Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder to add a little pop. I added a piece of Designer Series Paper from the Ice Cream Parlor pack. This pack includes paper and quick accents. The best part is that you can get it for free with a $50 order during Sale-A-Bration through March 31st. Then I finished off the card with a faux bow. You criss cross the ribbon and then add the button to the middle and tie tightly to create the bow.

My aunt has a big birthday coming up later this month so I will mostly give her this pretty card for her birthday. The colors are bright and fun and I know she will love them. It has me dreaming of spring & summer after this long winter.

Supplies:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Ink: Melon Mambo & Old Olive markers
Paper: Ice Cream Parlor DSP, Whisper White & Melon Mambo cardstock
Other: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Whisper White organza ribbon, Designer Button Brights Collection in Old Olive

Another Valentine Card

Are you sick of valentine cards yet? I am enjoying making them more "love" cards that could be used for an anniversary or to just plain show that you love someone special. Who needs a holiday once a year on February 14th to tell someone you love them.

So this card was inspired by a card by Karen Menghini that I saw on Stampin Connection - a Stampin' Up! demonstrator forum. I changed it up a bit by using my new Framed Tulips Embossing folder, added the ribbon across the bottom and the love tag.

Supplies:
Stamps: Tiny Tags
Ink: Real Red
Paper: Love Patterns Designer Series Paper, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Real Red cardstock
Other: Framed Tulips embossing folder, Big Shot, Whisper White 3/8" taffeta ribbon, Heart to Heart punch, 1 1/4 & 1 3/8 circle punches

Owl Valentine Card

The original idea for this card came from Sarah Wills. I just changed it up by embossing the white layer with the Polka Dots embossing folder and my Big Shot machine.


The owl comes from the Punch Bunch stamp set which is in the Sale-A-Bration catalog. There is a coordinating owl punch as well so you don't have to cut him out with scissors. Also, from the same owl punch is the small circle and small heart. You can earn this stamp set for free with a $50 order or a $300 workshop now through March 31st. Here is a picture of the stamps in the Punch Bunch set:

I have to admit that my favorite part of this card is the bling from the glimmer paper from the Occasions Mini catalog. I am loving the paper since it doesn't make a big mess and adds such a wow. I also like that the card could be a valentine, love or anniversary card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Punch Bunch, Short & Sweet
Ink: Real Red
Paper: Real Red & Whisper White cardstock
Other: Big Shot, Polka Dot embossing folder, Red glimmer paper, Owl punch, Full heart punch, Oval punch, Scallop oval punch

Greeting Card Kids Valentine

This card was CASE'd from Selene Kempton. She had made this last year sometime and I saved it since I liked it so much. The stamp set is Greeting Card Kids which reminds me of the Campbell Soup kids.

The only thing I changed was the ribbon/bow. I wanted to keep this simple for a new stamper so I could use this card at a workshop or class. I am really loving the color combination of Blushing Bride and Early Espresso. I ended up using watercolor paper for the stamped image and it looks so soft and pretty. I used my Blushing Bride marker and colored in the heart, bows, ruffle and socks. Then I used my Aquapainter for the rest of the image. I have to admit the watercolor paper does all the work and makes it look gorgeous!

Would you like to stamp this card with your girlfriends, family, coworkers? Contact me to book a Stampin' Up! workshop.

Supplies:
Stamps: Greeting Card Kids
Ink: Black stazon, Blushing Bride, So Saffron, Early Espresso & Blush Blossom markers
Paper: Watercolor, Blushing Bride & Early Espresso cardstock
Other: 3/8" Early Espresso taffeta ribbon, scallop trim border punch, Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder