Need a longer Pillow Box?

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Christmas pillow bozes using Stampin' Up! Square Pillow Box Dies

My order containing the bundle of the A Little Something Stamp Set (w – 139827, c-139830) and Square Pillow Box Thinlits Dies (139657), bundle (w-140858, c-140859) arrived last night and I couldn’t wait to put my new toys…err…tools to use. I was amazed how quickly this gift wrap went together.

But…what if you need a longer pillow box? You can double the length of the box by folding a piece of cardstock in half (I used a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ piece) and placing the die on it as shown below. Then cutting it out. You have to make two sides to the box so you repeat the process for the second side. Be careful to place the fold in the exact same place on the die so both halves are the same length. You might want to place a small piece of washi tape on the die marking where the fold should be placed. By placing the fold where I did, you double the length of the box. Placing the fold closer to the cutting end will give you a shorter box but still longer than the original one. I placed a belly band over the fold to conceal it and decorate the box.

I initially put the box together using Tear & Tape Adhesive (a must when building boxes) on the side flaps of the box. However, since the flaps are tapered at the ends,  the seam does not have adhesive at the corners. Then I put the Tear & Tape on the edge of the box and found a part of the adhesive was not covered by the flap. To fix this problem, I just pounced my Embossing Buddy on the sticky part. The powder removed the stickiness and I had a nice seam even in the corners.

Photo showing position of folded cardstock and Square Pillow Box Thinlit Die

A tip we learned at convention is that the ends can be closed and reopened easily if you alternate which end tab is on top like in this photo.

End of Pillow Box demonstrating how to alternate the end tabs

This is definitely a go-to product when you want to quickly create a unique wrap for a small gift. Click on the image below for more details on the products I used and to order them in my online store.

Donate to breast cancer research with Paper Pumpkin?

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Breast Cancer Research Foundation Paper Pumpkin

Yes, you can donate to breast cancer by subscribing to Paper Pumpkin by Oct 10. Stampin’ Up! will donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation $1 for every Paper Pumpkin subscriber on October 10th so subscribe! If you have been a subscriber before, they will donate the $1 but…if you have never subscribed before, they will donate $2 because you are new! Click on the image above to be taken to the Paper Pumpkin home page where you can subscribe. (While it is part of Stampin’ Up!, Paper Pumpkin has it’s own website.) I will appreciate your indicating me, Sue Erickson, as your demonstrator when you subscribe so I get the credit.

What is Paper Pumpkin and why should you subscribe? Paper Pumpkin is a monthly subscription where you get a surprise box containing a paper-crafting project complete with a tutorial with pictures, pre-cut and pre-printed cardstock, an exclusive photopolymer stamp set, embellishments, and even adhesive to complete the project. Each month will have a different exciting project. Once you subscribe, the kits will come each month without you having to do anything more. If you need to skip a month or stop your subscription, all you need to do is notify Paper Pumpkin by the 10th of the month. If you do need to stop getting them for a while, you can easily start up again by re-activating your subscription.

Now…why should you subscribe? Do you like getting happy mail once in a while instead of just junk mail and bills? Are you pressed for ‘me time’ because you have little ones at home? Are you pressed for space for a craft room? Do you like to sit down and complete a project in 1/2 hour or less? Then Paper Pumpkin is perfect for you!

All the supplies you need come in a small orange box (like a pumpkin). You can open the box and get right to creating something beautiful or cute. No more hauling out a stash of supplies and having to debate what color paper to use. And clean up is easy. Just put everything back in the box and you are done. This is a perfect kit to take on a trip, to do while watching TV in your easy chair, when you need a really quick card, and to do while the kiddos are napping.

Ready to subscribe? Click here! Give me a call or email me if you have any questions.

Weekly Deals for 9-15-15

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Handmade card using Butterfly Thinlits

It was love at first sight when I opened the Occasions catalog last spring and saw this wonderful set of Butterflies Thinlits (137360)! This card was my Leadership swap last January and I have used the thinlits time and time again since then. Yes, it can cut Gold Foil Sheets and even Glimmer paper. Since it is a very finely cut shape, I recommend using the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (138309) found on page 43 in the Holiday catalog. With this glue pen, you can put very tiny dots of glue even along the narrow strips of cardstock. Since this is a liquid glue, it does take a few moments to set up so you may need to hold down the butterfly for a few seconds until the glue starts to dry. Try not to move the butterfly around though because ,although the glue does dry clear, it has a bit of shine which will be noticeable if not under the butterfly.

Now I have great news for you. If you don’t have this set of thinlits yet, you definitely will want to snatch up the 15% savings on it while it is on this week’s Weekly Deals. Click on the photo to go to my online store and place your order. While you are in my online store, check out the Clearance Rack. It is your last chance to get some retired items at a discount.

Weekly Deals for 9-15-15

 

Virtual Swap Continues

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Yesterday I started a virtual swap for Share an Idea Day. The way it works is that I share my swap card here and on my Facebook page. Then you create a card, go to my /the Soggy Stamper facebook page and share your card in a comment. I am running this swap for a few more days. Here is the card I shared yesterday.

Today, I am sharing a Christmas card I have created for a SUDSOL swap using the same Happy Scenes stamp set and Hearth & Home thinlits.

handmade Christmas card using the Hoppy Scenes stamp set and Hearth & Home thinlits dies

This is actually a shaker card. I filled the shaker part with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I love the way it piles up on the window sill just like snow would and the static electricity on the window sheet attracts some of the glitter like frost. The dog is from the Jingle All the Way stamp set and I cut the bow from Red Glimmer paper using the bow from the mini treat bag thinlits dies. To make space for movement of the Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, I used picture mounting tape to lift the top layer.

Can you see the possibilities of this stamp set and thinlit bundle? To order the supplies I used in this card, click on the images below.

Now go add a card to my virtual swap. Go here to share it.

Share an Idea Day

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handmade card using Happy Scenes stamp set and Hearth and Home Thinlits Dies

Today I am hosting a virtual card swap in observation of Share an Idea Day. To participate in this swap, take a photo of a card you have made and share it in a comment on my facebook page. Let’s see how many cards we can share.

This is my swap card. I love the bundle of the Hearth & Home Thinlits Dies and the Happy Scenes stamp set. The creative options with this bundle are huge. This time I used the bundle to create a fall scene looking out the window. Who knows what I will come up with next. Be sure to check back over the next few days to find out. I started out with a Whisper White window frame but it looked too stark so I sponged Soft Suede and Soft Sky ink on it to enhance the embossed details and give the frame an aged look. Two Pumpkin Pie Candy Dots anchor the greeting. You can order the supplies by clicking on the images below.

Now…go create a card and share it here! I look forward to seeing your creations.

Sleigh Ride Edgelits Christmas Card

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handmade Christmas card using the Sleigh Ride Edgelits and Softly Falling embossing folder

The Sleigh Ride Edgelits (139670) and Jingle All the Way stamp set (wood-139904, clear-139907) ) is one of my favorite bundles (wood -140861, clear-140862) in the new Holiday Catalog. I also love the Softly Falling Textured Embossing Folder (139672) so I combined the three items for this card.

You will be able to order from the Holiday Catalog starting next Tuesday. What? You don’t have a catalog yet? I’d love to send you one. Email me your phone number and best time to call you so we can discuss how you can get this wonderful catalog from me for FREE!

Now on to the details of this card. I used Shimmery White, Gold Foil, and Night of Navy cardstock. To get the background, I inked up the depressed side of the Softly Falling embossing folder, carefully placed my cardstock in the folder without moving it once it touched the ink, and ran it through the Big Shot. I love the look of snow falling from the night sky.

Now get out a piece of paper and make a list of what you want to order come next Tuesday. Don’t forget to contact me if you want a catalog.

Watercolor Wishes

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handmade card using the Watercolor Wishes KitThe Watercolor Wishes Card Kit (140406) is a perfect stamping supply to take along when you are traveling. We have been in Craig, Alaska, for two weeks so my dh could fish for salmon and I could visit old stamping customers and my new recruit here. It has been a glorious two weeks with great fishing and wonderful times visiting old friends. Now I am having stamping withdrawal symptoms so I got out the Watercolor Wishes Kit which I had brought along. Everything needed except adhesive is included in the kit including two little ink pads and a stamp set only available with the kit. Of course, I didn’t read through the directions and had not brought adhesive with me. Luckily, I did order the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (138309) on my demo preorder from the Holiday catalog and, luckily, I had it delivered here in Alaska. (BTW, this new adhesive is wonderful!!!! You will have to order some!)

This is the first card I have made with the kit. I followed the suggested layout on the kit directions except I used the Happy Birthday stamp in place of a ‘hello’. I am somewhat of a perfectionist and was not pleased with the fuzzy stamping but decided to use the card anyway. Then I remembered this was the Watercolor Wishes kit and realized that the imprecise stamping was supposed to be that way. :o)

I am planning to use this kit for a Stamp-a-stack in September. The fee is $40 and will include your own kit which makes at least 20 cards and a light lunch. We will start on a Saturday at 10 a.m. and work until 5 p.m. if necessary to make all 20 cards. I will schedule the day in September in consultation with those who have registered and prepaid. I urge you to register as soon as possible as this kit is wildly popular and has been on backorder most of the summer. Contact me is you want to come.

I will be posting a series of posts featuring other cards created with this kit both here on my blog and on my Facebook page so be sure to follow me https://www.facebook.com/TheSoggyStamper.

Hot Off the Press!

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This was just announced yesterday by Stampin’ Up! I wanted you all to know this so you are ready to shop, shop, shop this coming week while quantities and deeper discount prices are in effect. You can call me, email me or go place your order though my online store

Coming Soon: Bonus Deals

June 26, 2015

Get ready, because June 30-August 3, we’re adding more items to the Clearance Rack and to Weekly Deals. Let your customers know about this chance to save up to 30% on even more Weekly Deals, or up to 60% on extra items in the Clearance Rack (while supplies last). You’ll want to hurry, because Weekly Deals discounts will be available in limited quantities before the items return to retail prices.

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Here’s the Scoop

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Handmade greeting card using Sprinkles of Life stamp set and Alphabet Rotary stampThe very first stamp set I ordered from the new 2015-2016 Annual Catalog was the Sprinkles of Life (139971). Not only does it have some great sayings, not only does it cover a variety of occasions, but it also has a coordinating punch Tree Builder (138295)! To top it off, Stampin’ Up! donates $3 for each of these sets purchased to the Ronald McDonald House charity. This is a win-win every way you look at it.

Two of the stamps in the set make an ice cream cone. I created the greeting “Here’s the Scoop…” using the Alphabet Rotary Stamp (133769). There aren’t enough spaces to spell out the whole saying so I spelled out “Heres the”, stamped it, and then spelled out “Scoop”. I added the apostrophe and the dots with the Basic Black marker. I stamped “I Think You’re Great” from the stamp set by that name (wood – 138712, clear – 139868) on the inside. This set is designed to be used with the Kissing Technique. You ink up the ‘I think you’re great!’ stamp then stamp it on an uninked stamp to remove some of the ink before stamping it on paper.

I Think You're Great stamp set and Mint Macaron cardstock

To order any of the supplies I used on this card, click on the images below. They will take you to my online store. BTW…if you want to have a copy of the new catalog to caress and pour over with your own two hands, email me your phone number and best time to call you. I’ll call you to tell you how you can get the catalog totally free.

Time to Get Serious

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I’ll admit it…I have been really lax about posting on my blog for quite some time now but I a turning over a new page. I will spend more time sharing ideas and tips with you and less playing Secret Society on my i-pad. After all, you are much more important to me than a silly game!

When Stampin’ Up! discontinued releasing new downloads on Tuesdays, I was quite disappointed and Tuesdays became a little less terrific. However, they still give us new Weekly Deals on Tuesdays. I created this treat bag with several of this week’s deals.

Treat Bag created with Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper, Island Indigo card stock and treat bag thinlits

I love the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits. Not only can you use the treat bag to hold candy and cookies, it makes a really easy pocket card. You just cut a piece of cardstock to fit in the bag and stamp a greeting on it. The dies come with a variety of shapes in addition to the bag itself. The banner, ‘for you’, and the star are all part of the set. I like having texture on bigger expanses of cardstock so I used the Lucky Stars embossing folder on the front of the bag. The Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper, the Lucky Stars embossing folder, the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits and the gold ribbon are all part of this week’s Weekly Deals. Click on the image below to go order them while they are 15% off. Next Tuesday will be too late to get in on the bargain.

Weekly Deals for week of 6-23-15

Stampin’ Up! has come out with a Cotton Paper Assortment. Cotton paper is thinner than cardstock and works beautifully when making flowers with the Bouquet Bigz L die. It also makes a great treat bag. I used the Watermelon Wonder color to make the treat bag below. It did wrinkle slightly as I used the Lucky Stars embossing folder with it but I liked the effect. It looks like it is almost quilted. I just love the little bows cut from the Dazzling Diamond glimmer paper. The bow die is also part of the treat bag thinlits set.

Treat bag made with Watermelon Wonder Cotton Paper, Lucky Stars embossing folder, Treat Bag Thinlets, and Dazzling Diamonds Thinlits

Have I convinced you yet that you ‘need’ the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits yet?

Get a free 2015-2016 Stampin’ Up! catalog from me!

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Get new 2015-2016 Catalog Free

Tomorrow the new 2015-2016 Annual Stampin’ Up! catalog goes live and we can start ordering from it. Get this new catalog from me for FREE now! How?

  • Email me your phone number and the best time to reach you so we can have a conversation about the new catalog.
  • Agree that I can contact you about three days after you receive the catalog to see if there is anything you want to order.

It’s that simple. On my initial call I’ll confirm that it is OK to contact you periodically and to get your address. Then I’ll mail you a catalog totally free to you. There are so many new items in the catalog that you really need to have this gem in your hands to pour through repeatedly. I look forward to hearing from you.

P.S. There is a small price increase on tamp sets, accessories, and cardstock that is being carried over to the new catalog. Tomorrow is the last day to order from the 2014-2015 catalog. If you want to avoid paying a higher price for your cardstock, reorder it today or tomorrow. Order online here or email me your order. All 12×12 packs of individual colors except Whisper White and Basic Black have already sold out. Going forward you will only be able to order 12×12 papers in assorted packs of 2 sheets of each color in a color family.

Family Reunion Page

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Project Life Family Reunion Page

Pocket card using Something Borrowed designer series paper and So You stamp set

I’m finally getting some scrapbooking done, Project Life by Stampin’ Up! style. This style scrapbooking can be as easy as just putting pictures into pockets on the page and choosing pocket cards to add to the page but….it can be not so easy when you have both landscape and portrait style pictures of a single event. In the event above, I did not have any pictures that could be cropped to fit into the small rectangles so I created pocket cards to go in there. The card that says ”you make me smile” and the one saying ”love” are pieces of the soon to be retired Something Borrowed Designer Series Paper (137785). I used stamps from the also retiring  So You stamp set (137165). Unfortunately both the designer series paper and the stamp set are already sold out.

The two cards saying “Family Reunion” were created with MDS. You can still get downloads through June 2 and even the MDS program itself. After that, the program and your downloads will still work. What you won’t have is print services through Stampin’ Up! and tech support from them. I discussed alternatives in this post.

The Project Life card set Everyday Adventure had only one of the 4X6 journaling  cards with the heart on it. I wanted to use that card for both of the journaling pockets so I printed one out with MDS as I had purchased the Everyday Adventure digital download. I highly recommend you purchase all the Project Life digital downloads while they are still available from Stampin’ Up!. After June 2, you will be able to get the existing Project Life by Stampin’ Up! pocket card digital downloads through Becky Higgins here.

Here are some reasons for having all the available digital downloads of Project Life cards:

  • You can print multiples of a particular card you like without having to purchase another set of cards.
  • You can add text to your digital cards before printing them out. This allows you to choose the font you want to use. This is particularly useful if you aren’t able to hand letter a variety of fonts. :o)
  • You can change the color of the card and edit some of the elements of the card.

By the way, you don’t have to have MDS to use the digital downloads. When you download them, choose ‘other applications’. They will work with any program that uses layers and .jpg and .png files. An example of such a program is Adobe Photoshop Elements. There are many more. You have just a couple more days to order digital downloads so go check out and download the ones you want but don’t have, especially Project Life downloads, here.

Stampin’ Up! Dropping MDS But…

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Yes, Stampin’ Up! is no longer going to carry and support MDS. This is their latest update:

New Dates

To accommodate the Retired List promotion timeline, we have extended the availability date for MyDigitalStudio.net, the digital download manager, and our MDS YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest pages through midnight (MT), June 9, 2015. Demonstrators and customers may call Demonstrator Support for assistance with MDS until Demonstrator Support closes at 7:00 PM (MT) on Tuesday, June 9. If you need assistance with backing up your digital downloads, we recommend that you visit MyDigitalStudio.net/backup.
Project Life

The Let’s Get Away Digital Project Life Card Collection by Stampin’ Up! from the occasions catalog posted on the ProjectLife.com website yesterday and is currently available for 20 percent off. For the foreseeable future, all Digital Project Life card collections will be made available through the ProjectLife.com store.
Future Updates

While Stampin’ Up! will not sell MDS or any of its associated products after June 2, 2015 or offer support for these products after June 9, 2015, we are working on a solution for you to continue to be able to use your digital downloads and order print products. Stay tuned for updates.

This is a very sad thing for many who have loved MDS and digital design. However this is not the end! As long as your computer does not crash, you can still use MDS for digital crafting. You just can’t purchase new downloads or order digital prints from Stampin’ Up! You can order prints from other places like Snapfish, Office Depot to name a couple. Of course, you can still print your project out on your own printer. What will be missing is tech support if you have problems with the program or your computer crashes and you need to reinstall the program.

Here are some options to provide for these scenarios:

  • Back up your files to an external drive. Click here for discussion in mydigitalstudio.net on how to do this. The link will be valid only through midnight on June 9th when everything connected with MDS comes down at Stampin’ Up!
  • Download all your purchases also in the ‘other applications format’ so you can use them with any image application that uses layers and either .jpg or .png formats. Save these downloads on an external drive or disc.
  • MDS was created by StoryRock. StoryRock has another program, My Memories Suite, that is compatible with all the MDS files. StoryRock will even let you have MMS version 5 for free and help you transfer all your MDS files over to MMS. Go here for more information. You can still keep MDS and copy, not transfer, your files to MMS. Then you will be able to use both programs with MMS being a back up for MDS. There are a couple of differences like MMS does not have the capabilities of you printing cards at home and their commercial print options are a little different than MDS ones.

Remember that all the digital downloads including MDS are discounted 30% through June 2! Check them out here and round out your library while you can.

Last Week!

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Link to the Stampin' Up! 2015 retirement lists

This is the last week to order retiring stamp sets and whatever retiring accessories are still left. Click on the image above to see them. It is also the last week to order from the Occasions seasonal catalog. Most of what is in that catalog will also not be available to order.

One of my demo friends compiled a list of the items from the Occasions catalog that have been included in the new 2015-2016 Annual catalog. Occasions Items carried in 2015 If you  are like me and have been wanting some of the items but were holding off until you knew if they would be available in the new catalog, I urge you to purchase them now. Most prices in the new annual catalog have been raised by 5 cents so that an item in the Occasions catalog that was $19.95 will be $20 when the new catalog is active. I want you to be able to take advantage of these savings so order this week!

Also know that the retiring stamp supplies are only guaranteed through May 26, after that they also will be on an ‘as supply lasts’ basis.

Finally, remember that My Digital Studio is being retired. Here is the latest update from Stampin’ Up! regarding the timeline for various parts of MDS being stopped.

We are excited to let you know that all of our MDS items will be included in the upcoming Retired List promotion from April 21-June 2, 2015. Digital downloads, software, and print products will all be discounted by 30 percent and are guaranteed to be available through the end of the promotion (MDS software discs are available while supplies last, where applicable).

Starting next week, Tuesday, April 21, everything in the MDS product line will be available for 30% off. Click the appropriate link below to get a full list of every item and to see the promotional pricing. Lists available in PDF and Excel Spreadsheet formats.

New Dates

To accommodate the Retired List promotion timeline, we have extended the availability date for MyDigitalStudio.net, the digital download manager, and our MDS YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest pages through midnight (MT), June 9, 2015. Demonstrators and customers may call Demonstrator Support for assistance with MDS until Demonstrator Support closes at 7:00 PM (MT) on Tuesday, June 9. If you need assistance with backing up your digital downloads, we recommend that you visit MyDigitalStudio.net/backup.
Project Life

The Let’s Get Away Digital Project Life Card Collection by Stampin’ Up! from the occasions catalog posted on the ProjectLife.com website yesterday and is currently available for 20 percent off. For the foreseeable future, all Digital Project Life card collections will be made available through the ProjectLife.com store.
Future Updates

While Stampin’ Up! will not sell MDS or any of its associated products after June 2, 2015 or offer support for these products after June 9, 2015, we are working on a solution for you to continue to be able to use your digital downloads and order print products. Stay tuned for updates.
We hope that you enjoy the Retired List promotion—and that the extended deadlines will be helpful to you as we phase out the MDS product line.

Be sure to watch for a blog post this week as to what you need to do to back up your MDS files.

Painted Blooms

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Painted Blooms handstamped card

I needed a larger card to enclose something I needed to mail so this is what I came up with in less than 15 minutes. The piece of the beautiful Painted Blooms designer series paper was laying on my desk, a reject from a previous project. It was the perfect size for this card made from a full sheet of Wild Wasabi cardstock. I had a square of Gold Glimmer Paper laying on my Big Shot table that was just the right size for cutting out the butterfly which I added with a Stampin’ Dimensional. I tied a Blackberry Bliss bow using the ‘fork’ method and added it at the bottom of the designer series paper with glue dots.

A beautiful thing about using photopolymer stamps is that you can see exactly where you are going to stamp and you can line them up perfectly on one acrylic block. The greeting is composed of two stamps from the Work of Art stamp set. I love the combination of the two fonts!

The beautiful Painted Blossoms designer series paper will not be in the new annual catalog so you have until June 2nd to stock up on it.

This month is also the time that many Stampin’ Up! stamps and other products are being retired to make room for new, exciting product. The supply of retiring stamp sets is guaranteed until May 26 but all other items are on an ‘as supply lasts’ basis, are discounted up to 50% and are beginning to sell out quickly. Go check out the retiring items now and order them while you can. My online store is here

To order the supplies I used in this card, click on the images below.