Monday, January 24, 2011

Creating with My Digital Studio

As I was catching up on Facebook posts by family members, I ran across photos of my grand niece and nephew that were so cute, that instead of working on traditional cards in my craft room, I  fired up My Digital Studio software and quickly put together this page.


I'm about to send my mom a box of magazines, books, and Valentine's Day gifts and I printed an 8-1/2 X 11 copy of this page onto photo paper to include.  I know she will be tickled to receive this.

I started with one of the scrapbook templates available as a download, one of the thousands of digital designs for books, pages, cards and more available on My Digital Studio!  The software has tools for cropping photos and for customizing the colors, embellishments and text in the template I used to start my page.


My Digital Studio software - #118108 - US$79.95

My Digital Studio software is easy-to-use software that lets you use Stampin' Up!'s exclusive artwork, designs and colors to create an assortment of printed, projects on either your home printer or you can have them professionally printed.  Click this link to learn more about this PC and Mac compatible software and rates for professional printing.

Two of the newest downloads include the Valentine Defined Stamp Brush Digital Download and Pretty in Pink Patterns Designer Series Paper.  This is an adorable eight-piece stamp brush set with the perfect mix of Valentine's Day imagery and words to create all your valentine and love projects.  This download also includes a 4-1/4" X 5-1/2 greeting card designer template.  Look for Valentine Defined Digital Download - 124026 and Pretty in Pink Designer Series Paper - Digital Download #124033.

Valentine Defined Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download - #124026

Pretty in Pink Designer Series Digital Downloads -- #124033.  This is available in several additional color as separate downloads.

Hope you enjoyed today's project in My Digital Studio.  Let me know if you have questions.

- Donna

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Filled With Love Promotion Ends Mon, Jan 24




There are only two days left for you to get a FREE package of Bitty Buttons--a $4.95 value--when you order our Filled with Love Bundle or for you to purchase the exclusive Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack.

When this promotion ends on Monday, January 24, the Filled with Love Stamp Set and Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack will no longer be available!


Description 
Wood-Mount
Clear-Mount
Filled with Love Bundle
Contains the Filled with Love Set* and Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack

 
Available in wood mount, clear mount, French and Spanish versions
*Featured on p. 43 of the 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog and only available until Jan 24, 2011
#124380
 $32.90
#124381
 $26.90




What’s coming next?  On Tuesday, January 25,  Stampin' Up! launches Sale-A-Bration!  This is the biggest and most exciting promotion of the year.  You will earn your choice of FREE gifts for every $50 in products that you purchase.  I’ve been adding to my wish list since early January and plan to place a big order to earn free Celebration products and other goodies listed in the Sale-A-Bration mini catalog.

Also on Tuesday, Stampin’ Up! will announce a wonderful Sale-A-Bration new-demonstrator Starter Kit Promotion.   It is a great way to get everything on your wish list at significant savings. You can sign up on line and gain access to the on-line demonstrator site for project ideas and video demonstrations.  Check back here on Tuesday for more information!
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/donnaross/promotions
CLICK HERE to shop for the Filled With Love promotion, and see supply lists for the treat box pictured above.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Stamping on a Budget

Be sure to check out the Clearance Rack at Stampin' Up! for Valentine products that will really save you money.

I was so pleased to see the little Valentine Bot Treat boxes on sale.  I used several dozen of these last year.  Now you can buy them for a fraction of what they cost by visitng the Clearance Rack at Stampin' Up!.  They come flat and already die cut, 30 to a set.    You simply fold them together and seal them with a seal, which is also included in the kit. 


They are cute as is.  I added  punched hearts out of the left-over paper from the pre-die cut sheets and added ribbon to decorate each box. Look for item 118080 for the girl bot set in Pretty in Pink.  Clearance items are limited quantities and once they are gone, they are gone.


You can also turn the boxes inside out for a more sophisticated look.  One side is plain and is a perfect surface for adding your own creative ideals, or just a little bit of ribbon to dress it up.



The other side includes a To:  From:  section.  I filled my completed boxes with chocolate candies and set them out on my desk at work last year.  Needless to say, my office had a lot of visitors!  Come back later this week and I'll show you what will be on my office desk for treats this year.

You will also find that may of last year's designer papers were also on sale in the the Clearance Rack .  These are a few projects I made last year from the Sending Love Designer Series papers, item number 117153!  Look how cute the treat box is with the card.  Clearance Rack items are only good while supplies last.  Treat yourself to some of these great bargins before they are gone.


Here is another sample card made from the Sending Love Designer Series Paper, 117153. I used two different patters from the 12 X 12 paper set along with Very Vanilla card stock.  The bottom boarder is punched with the Eyelet Border punch, 119853.  Let me know if you have any questions about these project.

 The little treat box was made using the Fancy Favor (115965) Sizzix Bigz XL die and the Big Shot Die Cut machine from the regular Stampin' Up! Idea book and catalog.  I used the Riding Hood Red 1-1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon through a handle I created using the Stampin' Up! World Window punch, 11985.  I used the Pretty in Pink Stamp Writer pen on the ribbon to turn the Very Vanilla strips pink to match the box.  I created the dotted heart by die cutting a Pretty in Pink and a Whisper white heart using the Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit Die, 117332, and punching out the Pretty in Pink heart  with the Full Heart Extra Large Punch, 119883 and framing it with the Whisper White die cut heart.  The wide Red Riding Hood ribbon is held together with a bow of natural hemp twin, 100982.

On this card, I used one of the images from the Girl Bot Treat boxes, shown above, as an image on my card front.

Another great find in the Stampin' Up! clearance rack are these Chocolate Chip treat boxes, 115690.  I decorated this one with Sizzix Swirley Sizzlits Decrotive Strip die, 113456 using the Big Shot Die Cut machine.  In fact, the plain treat box was the perfect size for gift cards or small candy treats and I found myself using them for Christmas gifts, Valentine's Day treats, and even Mother's Day!

Check out other great finds on the Clearance Rack that will add so much to your Valentine's Day projects.

Subscribe to this blog at the link on the right so you're sure to see new projects as they are posted.

We'll, I'm off to my stamp room for an afternoon of stamping.

Have a great day!

Donna Ross

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Stampin' Up! Occasions mini for Jan - Aug 30, 2011 is now available

The new Stampin' Up! Occasions mini catalog is finally here!!  Forty-four pages of new stamps, punches, Designer Series papers and embellishments for scrapbooking and card making.  Also, new trinkets and baubles for Simply Adorned jewelry.  Download your copy today!

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/donnaross/catalogs

In addition to the items in the new Occasions mini catalog, if you are a digital scrapbooker, there are new digital downloads for My Digital Studio software.  If you use other software for your digital projects, you can also download a version of these new stamps, papers and embellishments in .png format that will likely work with your software.  Many of these downloads are digital versions of the new products from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  Note:  After purchasing the digital downloads, you will need to return to the purchase site to download your purchases.

I'm working on samples which I'll post in the next couple of days.

Sunday, January 02, 2011

Favorite Projects

At the beginnig of a new year, I like to look back over the past couple of years to see how stamping has changed..., and to take a look at a few favorite projects.  Many of these designer papers are retired, but most of the stamp sets used are still current.  I love "casing" my own card and using them with current designer papers.  Thanks to all the great stampers who share their inspirational ideas! Which project is your favorite?


Project 1

Project 2

Project 3

Project 4


 
Project 5

Project 6

Project 7 - Image piece is from My Digital Studio

Project 8

Project 9

Project 10


Project 11

 
Project 12
Don't be shy.  I love to hear comments about which project caught your attention and why.

Note:  Monday, January 3 - Final Day to place orders from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini catalog.

I ordered several of the Candy Countdown Calendar Kits - (120926-$19.95). I made one kit as a hanging Advent Calendar.  I used another set as gift card holders for the holidays.  They were the perfect size, and decorated easily.  



Each kit includes 25 boxes.   The boxes are Real Red, and are just the right size for Valentine's Day treats or to hold a gift card.  I can't wait to make up some samples -- but don't wait to order; Jan 3 is the last day these will be available!




Death of a Scrapbook Store

Lonestar Scrapbooking was one of the largest independent stores in the Houston area -- located near the Woodlands community.  A perfect, planned community, filled with families creating happy memories.  A perfect location for a scrapbooking store...or so you would think.  The last time I was there, they had expanded their space to include yet more room for classes and events.  Their bus tours were legendary.  A day full of discount shopping at sister independent scrapbook stores with projects in each store.  A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. 

The first scrapbooking classes I attended were at Lonestar Scrapbooking.  A couple of hours were all it took to complete a wonderful couple of pages.  I signed up for a quite a few classes in my early scrapbooking days -- seven years ago now. 

My workspace was a 4 foot table in the corner of our guest bedroom.  It was fun! But with a heavy work schedule, I found I never had the time to finish all the scrapbook pages I thought of creating.  I bought the papers, embellishments and supplies; but I never quite had the time to finish.  So I soon switched to card making and small paper crafting projects that only took an hour or so to complete.  And although it certainly didn't save my family any money, it was a hobby that helped me make friends outside of work -- something I hadn't had the time to do in the 10 years we lived in Houston.

But why did my favorite scrapbooking store close?  A victim of the 2008-2009 economy?  The opening of a large chain scrapbooking store across town?  A market change to electronic die cutting and printing tools?  On-demand YouTube-based video demonstrations on any stamping or scrapping technique you might want to learn?  Blogs filled with ideas?  Digital Scrapbooking with products like My Digital Studio? Or, perhaps, direct sales scrapbooking and rubber stamping companies like Stampin' Up! who are signing up 10,000 demonstrators a year with a far wider range of coordinated and complimentary products than all but the largest stores can compete with?  Whatever the reason, closing of the landmark Lonestar Scrapbooking store in the Houston area is a sad day. 

How about your area?  Is your favorite independent scrapbooking store doing well and growing?  Or are we seeing a trend?