See Ya Later Alligator....

The retiring lists are out. Don't panic!! Stampin' Up! is making room for fabulous new products.

Yes, there are a LOT of items on these lists, but here are a few things to note:

• Classic Ink Pads are on the Accessories retiring list-They are just being reconfigured and will still be available in the new catalog (Available June 1st), however, they will be replaced with a new "firm foam pad" for a better stamping experience.

• Craft Ink Pads and refills are retiring-We will only carry the craft pads in Black and White now, so get your favorites while they last.

• There is a lot of 12 x 12 cardstock on the list. Colors that are not selling as well are being retired, we will still have 15 colors that will be sold in individual color packs. All other 12 x 12 will be sold in assorted packs.

• All 12 x 12 Textured cardstock is being retired.

• Retiring stamp sets will be available to order until May 31st.

• Retiring Accessories and Decor Elements will only be available while supplies last and they do go quick, so order early!!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I will be happy to help with any clarification needed or offer suggestions.

Kym

Crafty Red Stilettos

I love using my craft items for non-traditional projects. These are something I whipped up over the weekend. They are a gag gift for a friend. The gag is that they are for a guy. I won't bore you with the story, it wouldn't be as funny in translation. Just picture someone similar to Michael Chiklis wearing these and you should at least giggle. :)

BEFORE

AFTER

And here is a close-up:


The ribbons are Stamin' Up! Cherry Cobbler seam binding and Striped Riding Hood Red Grosgrain. The dangling crystals are Tim Holtz and the metal filigree piece and large rhinestone I believe are BoBunny. I was doing some cleaning of the craft room and going through a huge box of embellishments. These pieces were perfect for this project.

I attached the bows with glue dots, as I am assuming they are not actually going to be worn...

I'd break my other ankle if I tried walking around in these babies. Anyway, if you really wanted to bling out some plain shoes, even nice safe flats or wedges, I would recommend using a stronger adhesive or a clip of some kind that you can take on and off without damaging the shoe.

Just remember those craft supplies can be used for just about anything! Have fun creating!!!

Kym

Blooms

The effects of the psycho weather patterns this year are starting to show in the plant life around here. Many of the early Spring flowers are already dying off, so I thought I would create some blooms that are a little more permanent.

The Blossom punch and Mixed Bunch stamp set from the Occasions Mini have been sitting in a box, unused, for over a month now. {Not for lack of wanting to use them though. :)} My niece's birthday card was a great way to break them in.

She's a girly girl and loves pink, so the soft but cheery colors in the Beau Chateau DSP made a great background for the single bloom. The card base and flower are Pink Pirouette. The sentiment is stamped in Lucky Limeade.

I used the Large Tag Punch to create the "v" in the end of the banner. Any square punch will do.

I don't know about you, but this card just makes me happy when I look at it. It reminds me of warm sunny days working in the flower garden or sipping lemonade by the pool.

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Curly Cute
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Beau Chateau DSP
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Lucky Limeade
Misc.: Blossom Punch, Large Tag Punch, Designer Buttons, 1/8" Lucky Limeade Organdy Ribbon (SAB 2012), Mini Glue Dots

One of the patterns in the Beau Chateau paper has this ornate vintage frame which I thought would work as a great background to showcase the focal bloom.

To create the bloom I stamped the more ornate flower in the Mixed Bunch set three times on First Edition Specialty DSP in Pink Pirouette. After I punched them out with the Blossom Punch, I sponged the edges with Pretty in Pink and crumpled them up. Be careful when doing this, you don't want to rip your blooms.

The center is a half inch circle of Daffodil Delight. The flower is kept together with an Ice Rhinestone Brad. To add a little more texture, I used Chantilly Crochet Trim to make the "leaves". The sentiment is from the Because I Care stamp set (retired) and stamped in Marina Mist.

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Because I Care (retired)
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Pink Pirouette, Beau Chateau DSP, First Edition Specialty DSP
Ink: Marina Mist, Pinnk Pirouette, Pretty in Pink
Misc.: Blossom Punch, Ice Rhinestone Brads, Chantilly Crochet Trim, 1/2" Circle Punch, Mini Glue Dots, Sponge

For this last bloom I wanted to go a little more dramatic, so I decided to use black. I also wanted to create a 3-D project.

The little Kraft boxes are currently in the Occasions Mini catalog and are the perfect size for small gifts or little treats. A 3" x 3" gift card is the perfect compliment to the gift box.

A stylish label made with the Decorative Label Punch and Four Frames stamp set creates the perfect place to add a sentiment.

In the Mocha Morning Specialty DSP there are two designs with flocking and they give some elegance to this simple little box. Since the flocked papers are not double sided and I wanted the flower to be dimensional, I needed a way to make the white back of the paper more interesting. What I decided to do was glue two flowers back to back and create my own double sided paper.

I ran both sheets of the paper through the Big Shot using the Fun Flowers Bigz Die.


Then I glued them together and sponged the edges with black ink to cover any white.



I layered all the flowers along with Raven Lace Trim (retired) to create this elegant bloom.

Stamps:Four Frames, You're a Gem
Paper: Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Mocha Morning Specialty DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Sahara Sand
Misc.: Kraft Gift Box, Blossom Punch, Fun Flowers Bigz Die, Big Shot, Ribbon Originals (retired), Raven Lace Trim (retired), Mini Glue Dots, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Sponge

Make it a Great day!!