I’m a coffee lover, so when I saw the new Morning Cup stamp set in Stampin’ Up!’s 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog, I just had to have it.  This set is full of cute little coffee cups and sayings for coffee and tea lovers.  I drink tea too – but being a southern gal, I prefer a nice tall glass of sweet tea.  I’ve tried numerous kinds of hot teas and just can’t find one that I really like.

I used this week’s Mojo Monday sketch for the layout. 

The coffee pot was an afterthought, but I think it was a great addition.

I created a project sheet for this card which you can download if you’d like.  Just check out the Resources – Project Sheets section for the Morning without Coffee Card Project Sheet. 

If you’d like one of these cards ready-made, I have added these to our store.

Happy Stamping

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator

• Stamps:  Morning Cup
• Paper:  Poppy Parade, So Saffron, Baja Breeze and Whisper White card stock, Pawsitively Prints II designer paper
• Ink:  Basic Black, So Saffron, Poppy Parade and Baja Breeze Classic Ink
• Other:  Scallop Edge Border Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon, Glue Stick, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Blender Pen, Button (PTI), Crochet Cotton (DMC)

So often when I create cards, they are girly.  I admit it – I’m a girly-girl.  But I can be rough and rugged with the best of them.  However, creating cards that can be used for men or even boys is tough for me.  However, I think I pulled it off with this one.

Although I used ribbon, I refrained from adding a bow (that’s so hard for me.lol).  I plan on using this one in the Child’s Birthday Card Swap that’s coming up here on CARDScraps.

It’s been a while, so I figured I’d made a project sheet on this one.  You can download it from the Resources – Project Sheets section.  It’s called Wish Big Card.  There are a several others for you to check out while you’re there.  The instructions don’t include the interior since it uses a retired stamp, although you could customize it with any birthday stamp.

Here are some additional pictures.  If you have any questions, just let me know!

Happy Stamping

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator

• Stamps:  Word Play, Itty Bitty Bits, Birthday Wishes
• Paper:  Real Red, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White card stock, Play Date designer paper
• Ink:  Real Red, Tempting Turquoise
• Other:  2-2/8″ Scallop Circle Punch, Circle Scissor Plus, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Bitty Buttons, Real Red Satin Ribbon, Glue Stick, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Write Markers, Cotton Thread (DMC)

A dear friend of mine is expecting a baby girl, so when I saw the new Baby Bundle stamp set by Stampin’ Up! in the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog, I just had to get it.  I made this adorable gift box which houses four cards.  There’s still plenty of room in the box (which you can see in the images below), so I may just have to make a few more to stick in there.  She’ll be able to use these as thank you cards or as birth announcements since I didn’t put a sentiment on them.

Another option that I’m considering is just putting a ribbon around the cards and then putting some of the baby gifts in the box.  It’s approximately 7″ tall x 7″ wide and 1-1/2″ deep, so there’s plenty of room for little baby trinkets, rattles, pacifiers, etc.  A couple of rolled up Onsies would fit in there just fine as well.  Because it has a Velcro closure, I don’t have to worry about the contents falling out.

Anyway – if you’re interested in creating your very own, I have created a tutorial.  This 18 page pdf contains more than 50 pictures walking you through each and every step to make the box and cards.

Below are some additional shots of the box and cards.

Click here for the tutorial

Happy Stamping

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator

• Stamps:  Baby Bundle
• Paper:  Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Baja Breeze and Whisper White card stock
• Ink:  Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, and Basic Gray Classic Inks, Jet Black StaZon
• Other:  Brads, Satin Ribbon, Glue Stick, Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Velcro (by Velcro), Punches, Blender Pens, Mat Pack, Paper-Piercing Tool, Stampin’ Write Markers

Today I’ve got a relatively simple card to show you using the new Level 1 Hostess Set, Because I Care.  The flowers in that set are spectacular!  The layout in this card was inspired by a card created by Lisa Johnson although I changed up everything except for the layout.

Cards like these are perfect for mass production, so I will be sending these out for birthdays this month.  I used up some scraps of retired colors as well as a few current colors.  For the most part, they all look like the two standing up just using different colored card stock with a Crumb Cake card base.  However, I wanted to make one with Crumb Cake as well, so I switched it up and used a Soft Suede card base.  Love how that one turned out as well.

Are you interested in making one of these?  It’s been a while, so I figured it was about time to post another project sheet.  You can download the project sheet for today’s card in the Resources – Project Sheets section.  While you’re there, check out the other numerous project sheets we have for download.

Happy Stamping

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator

• Stamps:  Because I Care, Sincere Salutations
• Paper:  Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Orchid Opulence, Sage Shadow card stock
• Ink:  VersaMark, Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, Sage Shadow, Certainly Celery, Orchid Opulence Classic Inks and Whisper White Craft Ink
• Other:  Perfect Polka Dots and Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, Scallop Oval and Scallop Border Punches, White Embossing Powder, Sponges, Soft Suede Grosgrain Ribbon, Glue Stick, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Write Markers

A while back, I posted a cute card that I made using the Scalloped Circle Sizzix Die-Cut.  You can see the original post here.  Brenda has recreated it on the tv show.  So for those of you who are visual learners, you can watch as she creates this card and demonstrates how to make the coordinating envelope.

Don’t forget that you can download the project sheets for this card and envelope from our Resources – Project Sheets section.  While you’re there, don’t forget to check out other episodes of CARDScraps with Brenda Cook in the TV Episodes section which airs weekly on whigtv in Rocky Mount, NC. 

Happy Stamping

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator

We previously mentioned that we had some pretty bigs things going on and here’s the first of them.  CARDScraps now has its own tv show!  CARDScraps with Brenda Cook airs on a local tv station in the Rocky Mount, NC area.  The show will then be archived and show on our site in the Resources – TV Episodes section.

For our first episode, Brenda created a cute little Easter card.  A few things to keep in mind before you watch.  First and foremost, Brenda was mega nervous.  On top of that, it was rather warm in there and she desperately needed something to drink.  We’ve already critiqued it ourselves, but we would love to hear your comments and/or constructive criticism as well.  Please be kind – as I said, this is her very first episode.  Two additional shows have already been completed to air over the next few weeks, but we’d love to get some feedback for future episodes.

I think Brenda did an AWESOME job for her very first appearance.  So, join me in congratulating her!

If you’re watching via newsreader or email, you’ll need to click through to view the video!

Happy Stamping

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator

Need a last minute card, here is a quick 10 minute card. This is a great format for any type of card – just change your image, sentiment and paper colors!

All supplies are by Stampin’ Up!

Here’s how to make your 10 minute card:

1. Using the Medallion background image stamp, turn it over and take the Soft Suede classic ink pad and ink up your image well.
2. Then take Crushed Curry CS (cut to 3-3/4″ x 5″) and gently center it on top of the inked Medallion stamp and rub your fingers smoothly over the paper, which will result in a stamped image. Lift your paper gently and give a few seconds to dry.
3. Stamp the turkey (Gobble, Gobble single stamp) with Soft Suede ink on Very Vanilla CS.
4. Go ahead and stamp the image again, which will be used for the sentiment only.
5. Then cut out just the turkey image with a 1-3/4″ circle punch and attach to the center of the medallion.
6. Cut the sentiment with the Word Punch and attach to a Soft Suede Modern Label Punch and affix to the card front.
7. Mount to a standard 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ Soft Suede CS card base.

Happy Stamping!

Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up Demonstrator
Tarboro, NC

I know you’ve all been wondering what I’ve been up to.  Well, it seems I needed to take a little break after cramming for the craft fair.  I’m not back in full swing just yet, but I have made a few cards that I wanted to show you.  We’ll see one today and then I’ll try to post again tomorrow with the other one.  These were designed for the free class that Brenda does at the Albemarle Nursing Home in Tarboro, NC for the residents.

This is a very simple card, but very cute.  Because it doesn’t have a lot of dimension, it can easily be sent through the mail.  And if you’re worried about the ribbon, it can be left off too if you’d like.  For the most part, the card is self-explanatory, but I will run through it so that anyone new to paper crafting can make one if they’d like.   To make it a little more interesting, I’m going to include the dimensions as well.

Although my card looks kinda square in the picture, it’s just the angle that it was taken.  It’s a standard 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ card base.

Here’s how I did it:

1. Stamp the snowman image from The More the Merrier stamp set (#115322) onto a 3″ x 2″ piece of Very Vanilla card stock.  Use the Real Red, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa Stampin’ Write Markers to color in the snowmen’s accessories.  Use a Blender Pen to pick up some Baja Breeze Ink (retired) and trace around the lines of the different snowmen.  This gives them a little more color and dimension.
2. Mount the stamped image onto a 3-1/4″ x 2-1/4″ piece of Real Red card stock and set aside for now.
3. Cut a 2″ x 4-3/4″ piece of the snowflake paper from the Merry Moments designer series paper pack.  From the Old Olive striped paper, cut a piece that is 1-3/8″ x 4-3/4″.  Glue these to a 3-3/4″ x 5″ piece of Real Red card stock leaving a 1/8″ border all the way around and in between as shown.
4. Glue this to a 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ card base.
5. Using Stampin’ Dimensionals, attach the stamped image to the card base.
6. Tie a piece of Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon into a knot and cut the ends at an angle to keep them from fraying.  Attach it to the stamped image in the top left corner using Mini Glue Dots.  I used one for the center and one on each end just to help make sure it would stay in place.

I hope you enjoyed this simple card tutorial.  Hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow to show you the other card I made.

Happy Stamping!

Supplies:  (All Stampin’ Up!)

Stamps:  The More the Merrier (shown right)
Paper: Old Olive, Real Red and Very Vanilla CS, Merry Moments DSP
Ink: Black Stazon, Baja Breeze (retired)
Other:  Stampin’ Write Markers, Dimensionals, Glue Stick, Grosgrain Ribbon, Blender Pens

It has come to our attention that some of you may not know how to resize photos or scans that you have taken of your work so that they can be posted online in the gallery.  Yesterday, I added a new video tutorial to the Resources section of the site called Uploading to the Gallery.  This shows the actual steps once your images have been reduced, but some of you need to know how to actually reduce them in size.

There are many programs that will do the job, but we’re going to focus on a popular free one for now.  You can download PIXresizer for free here.  PIXresizer basically walks you through the steps itself as each section is numbered in the program, however, lets run through a basic tutorial on how to resize your photos for the gallery.

PIXresizer Tutorial

The important thing to keep in mind is our gallery requires that your images be less than 600 pixels in height or width and that they are under 125kb. 

Once PIXresizer is open, make sure we are on the Work with one file tab at the top.
Click on the Load Picture button.
Browse your computer to find the image you wish to resize.  Click on it and click on the Open button.
Under the 2. Select new size box in PIXresizer, you’ll want to set the new dimensions for your image.  You can choose one of the percentage buttons if you’d like but I find it easier simply to use the Custom size option and make sure that the largest number listed there is 600. Make sure that the Maintain aspect ratio is checked otherwise you could distort your image.
Under the 3. Select file format box, choose what format you wish to save your image.  I have never had a need to use anything other than JPEG and 99.9% of the time, I’m sure that is what you’ll need as well.
Now we move on to the 4. Save picture box.  Simply click the Save Picture button.  Choose where to save your image and it’s new name.  It’s always a good idea to rename your resized image to something else so you don’t save over the original.

Most of the time, your image will be under 125kb.  However, you should always double check as some images will need to be resized a little smaller in order to get under 125 kb.  So browse to the newly resized image on your computer and make sure it’s the size you need it to be.  If it’s not, you can change the size in the 2. Select New Size box to a smaller number.I usually move the largest number down in increments of 25 (ie. 575, 550, 525, etc.) and save again until it’s the correct size.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and are now able to resize your photos for our online gallery.  We look forward to seeing your work!

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator

Before we start talking about Brenda’s newest video tutorial, I wanted to give you all a heads up that tomorrow, the new Stampin’ Up! catalog will go live.  I hope you’re excited as we are as there are some fabulous new stamp sets and products coming out along with the fabulous new In ColorsT.  If you have a catalog, you can begin ordering at 2:00 pm (ET).  If you need a catalog, contact us today!

Now.on to Brenda’s video!

Brenda created this card to show how to do some basic sponging and end up with a cute but simple card.  We actually did a similar card like this at one of the stamp-a-stacks.  The Manhattan Flower Impressions Folder makes a beautiful card front in seconds!

Supplies:
All products are by Stampin’ Up!

• Stamps: Sincere Salutations Stamp Set
• Paper: Whisper White and Pretty in Pink CS
• Ink: Melon Mambo
• Accessories:  Big Shot, Manhattan Flower Texture Impression Folder, Sponge Dauber, Paper Snips, Cutter, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Thanks for looking!

Lianne Carper
CS partner and DTM for Brenda Cook
Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator