Going, Going, Gone...

In my opinion, where stamping supplies are concerned, "it is not better to have loved and lost". 

With that said, today is the day to pick up some of the things you loved and are thinking you MUST have before it is too late. Yep...this is the last day to order retiring products, some at up to a 50% discount. I would love to be your demonstrator when you place your final order from the Stampin' Up! 2015-2016 annual catalog and the 2016 Occasions catalog. First person in the United States to place an online order of $50 or more, gets a brand new Wink of Stella clear brush pen from me. Everyone else will get a handmade card from me. Just make sure you don't check the box that says "no contact" from the demonstrator, or I won't be able to see your address. 

The easiest way to see the info is to:

Click here to see the retiring stamp sets. 
Click here to see everything else that is retiring.

Or click on any item below and it will take you to my online store. (If you are viewing this blog post in an email, you may have to click on over to my actual blog to see the items)

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

Artfully Yours,
Kim

Rose Wonder/Rose Garden Thinlits Bundle

I love a deal. Especially a deal on something that I know I will use a lot and is a "must have" for my stash. The Rose Wonder stamp set and Rose Garden Thinlits are the deal I'm reminding you about today. Did you know after May 31, the bundle pricing will not be available? Warning: long post with several samples. 

These are just some of the cards I have made using this set. (just in case you are on the fence) All products Stampin' Up!

For the sample above, I actually stamped 2 of the flower/leaf images, watercolored them using various inks and cut them apart and layered them to create the look. The gold frame was cut using 2 different sizes of the (retiring) Deco Labels Collection Framelits. After I cut the frame, I tapped Versamark ink on it and embossed it with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. 

The sample above almost didn't happen. I say that because the watercolor panel with the blobs of gold glitter on it was just about to be thrown away. It was laying on my desk (in the clutter) and I had moved on to a different Rose project using the die cut. Well...happy accidents DO happen. I had set the Rose die cut down and when I came back to it, it was laying on top of the trash-bound watercolor panel. There you go...a serendipitous situation. I ended up liking that not all of the bits were gone from the die cut and just made sure I put enough adhesive under them to hold them in. 

The above sample is tastefully simple. I used (retiring) Lost Lagoon paper & ink. The white splatters were made using my favorite splatter stamp from Gorgeous Grunge and some White Stampin' Emboss Powder. The butterfly has Wink of Stella on it to make it sparkle, it just doesn't show up well in this picture. 

The above card was very quick to make. I stamped some Whisper White paper with the Definitely Dahlia background stamp. I die cut the smaller rose from the thinlit set and glued it down on top of the stamped image, then trimmed it. The black die cut leaves are from the same set. Added a few splatters, 3 rhinestones and a simple word and I was done. 

There you have it...if you don't own the Rose Wonder stamp set and the Rose Garden Thinlits, I would order them now. The bundle price (good until May 31) is $49.25 plus shipping & tax. Starting June 1, you will need to order them separately and miss out on the 15% bundle savings. 

Time is running out to grab your favorites that are on the Stampin' Up! retiring list!  (some are up to 50% off) The deadline for ordering is May 31 or when supplies run out.  Click this link for a pdf file listing all retiring items.

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the projects or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Feeling Patriotic

I won't discuss my particular politics, but the current election cycle is more and more like a soap opera. If it wasn't SO serious, it would make a good mini-series! With all of that said, I still get a lump in my throat when the anthem is played and I stand with my hand over my heart. I am thankful for the men & women who have lost their lives fighting for our freedom and the ones who made it home safely to this great land of ours. Since we are heading in to Memorial Weekend and July 4th is just around the corner, I thought I would give you my take on an "artsy" flag. 

The stripes were made using the new Stampin' Up! Swirly Scribbles Thinlits. (available June 1 from the new annual catalog) Trust me when I tell you that particular die set with the coordinating stamp set called Swirly Bird will be a must have for your stamp/tools collection. I simply cut several of the swirls from Real Red cardstock and glued them to the Whisper White paper. I also cut a bit of one of the swirls from Night of Navy, then glued the white stars on it. The large number & words are from the Number of Years stamp set & the Large Numbers Framelits Dies. Those two items are still available as a bundle until May 31, after that they can only be purchased separately.  Bundling is a great way to save some money when you KNOW you have to both! 

Time is running out to grab your favorites that are on the Stampin' Up ! retiring list!  (some are up to 50% off) The deadline for ordering is May 31 or when supplies run out.  Click this link for a pdf file listing all retiring items.

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Retiring Items

Many of you have asked me what is included in the retiring list from the current Stampin' Up! catalog. These items will be available to purchase until May 31 or while supplies last. Don't hesitate to email me at stampinartfully@gmail.com with any questions you may have. 

The easiest way to see the info is to:

Click here to see the retiring stamp sets. 
Click here to see everything else that is retiring.

Or click on any item below and it will take you to my online store. (If you are viewing this blog post in an email, you may have to click on over to my actual blog to see the items)

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

Artfully Yours,
Kim

Contemporary Art (Sneak Peek)

Like most everyone else on the planet, Pinterest is my guilty pleasure. I find SO much inspiration on there. I love looking at modern, abstract & contemporary art. Some of my favorites combine vivid color with rich metallic accents with a statement layered over the top. This is what I came up with today to pay homage to some of my favorites on Pinterest. 

 I'm sure by now you are wondering how I did this. Using the Stampin' Up! Watermelon Wonder re-inker and water, I first painted some random "swooshes" on a piece of watercolor paper. Then I took some ordinary white acrylic paint and mixed the same re-inker with it. After the first layer of watercolor was dry, I used the edge of a scrap piece of cardstock to apply random strokes of the tinted paint over the areas I watercolored. When you mix reinker with white acrylic paint, you end up with a lighter, opaque version of the color being mixed with it. 

After the piece was dry, I randomly stamped the fern stamp from Stampin' Up! Butterfly Basics with Watermelon Wonder ink. Then stamped the same fern with Versamark and embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss powder. Last, but not least, I added a few sequins and used Stampin' Up! Black Archival ink to stamp the sentiment from "Layers of Love"...a new stamp set from Stampin' Up! that will be available June 1 in the new annual catalog. Look how beautiful the different fonts are!

A little tip: when stamping over texture like this, you may have some spots where the ink didn't stamp properly. This was the case when I stamped these words, but I  made quick repairs with a black Sharpie. 

Time is running out to grab your favorites that are on the Stampin' Up! retiring list!  (some are up to 50% off) The deadline for ordering is May 31 or when supplies run out.  Click this link for a pdf file listing all retiring items. Love the flower punch, embossing folder & buttons I used above? Get them while they last. 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Sweet Summer Plaid (sneak peek)

If you follow my blog or have browsed my blog, you will know that I adore using a watercolor technique on my cards. I decided this morning to see how the new Stampin' Up! In Colors look using them as watercolor. (2016-2017 In Colors available June 1 in the new annual catalog) I was not disappointed! All products are Stampin' Up!

This was so simple to make! I just watercolored stripes in two of the new colors...Flirty Flamingo and Peekaboo Peach. Very simple to do! One thing I might suggest is that you either let the first color dry or dry with your heat tool, before you paint the next color of stripes. That way you maintain some definition between the colors where they intersect. 

For the flower, I punched 3 pieces of vellum using the retiring Fun Flower Punch. I used a stylus to make the lines on the petals before using my bone folder to make the petals somewhat curved. After adhering them together with glue dots, I tied some linen thread through one of the retiring Vintage Faceted Buttons. I'm sorry to see them go since they are such a perfect accent for flowers like these. The base layer of Peekaboo Peach was embossed with the retiring Decorative Dots embossing folder. The birthday sentiment is one I find that I am using all the time from the Rose Wonder stamp set. 

Supply list:

Time is running out to grab your favorites that are on the Stampin' Up! retiring list!  (some are up to 50% off) The deadline for ordering is May 31 or when supplies run out.  Click this link for a pdf file listing all retiring items. Love the flower punch, embossing folder & buttons I used above? Get them while they last. 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Pals May Blog Hop: Stepping Up With Textures or Techniques

Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for May 2016.  We are thankful you stopped by to take a look at our new 2016 Blog Hop monthly themes.  This month we are featuring projects that are “stepped up” by using textures or fun techniques. We hope to provide you with lots of ideas and that you enjoy our creations.

You may just be starting the Blog Hop or may have come from the previous link from the line-up on the Pals Blog Hop listing shown below.  The full line-up will help you move along from blog to blog so you may see all the projects.

When I think of "texture", I automatically think not only layers of color, but all of the wonderful embossing folders Stampin' Up! has to offer. 

My project utilizes layers of color applied to a piece of watercolor paper  with an Aqua Painter using Stampin' Up! reinkers. Using ink straight from the reinkers will give you a more intense color than just using a bit of ink from the lid of your stamp pad. (I just squeeze a few drops out on one of my clear blocks to make a "paint palette" of sorts) I then used one of my favorite (retiring) embossing folders called Modern Mosiac to add raised texture to the piece of torn watercolor paper. 

For the next step, I swiped a Versamark pad across the raised area and embossed it using Gold Stampin' Emboss powder.  I don't worry if I have a bit of stray embossing powder on the recessed areas, but if you have too much, use a tiny paint brush to brush it away before you use your heat tool to set the powder. 

The "hello" is from the retiring Greetings Thinlits. I think the Gold Metallic Thread and the Gold Sequins were the perfect embellishment to finish this card off. 

Thanks for visiting. To continue with the hop, please refer to the Blog Hop line-up below. We hope to see you on next month’s Pals Blog Hop! 

1. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
2. Kelly DeTommaso at Kelly's Creative Corner
3. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper
4. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin'
5. Jackie Diediker at Stampin' Jackie
6. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine
7. Amy Hoptay at Craft Carnivore
8. Sue Becker at RnR Stamping
9. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
10. Natalie Bradley at NatalieBradley.com
11. Pamela Sadler at Stampin Pink Rose
12. Kim Jolley at Stampin' Artfully     (you are here)
13. Patti MacLeith at Papercrafts by Patti
14. Becky Volpp at InkBlossomwithBecky
15. Peggy Noe at Prettypapercards
16. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
17. Kalyn Shubnell at The Stamping Chronicles
18. Pam Dotts at Clearly Southern Stampin'
19. Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo
20. Tricia Chuba at ButterDish Designs
21. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
22. Jennifer Michalski at Stamping Serenity
23. Nicole Everitt at Stamp Scrap Love

My color inspiration for this project:

Supply list:

I'm always sad to see some of my favorites on the Stampin' Up! retiring list, (some are up to 50% off) but I am SO excited about the new catalog items available in June! Out with the old...in with the new. Quantities are limited, so order your favorites right away. 

Click this link for a pdf file listing all retiring items. Don't miss out, time is short for the great deals. Or click on the picture below to take you to my on-line store. 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Global Design Project 034 ~ Sketch Challenge

I'm playing along with the Global Design Project challenge this week, which is a sketch challenge.

When you are playing along with a sketch challenge, remember it is just a jumping off point. Your artwork doesn't have to literally be just like the sketch. As you can see, mine is a loose interpretation of the above sketch. All products Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

I was so glad the stamp set Remarkable You will be in the new annual catalog. I've really had fun using it with watercolor samples.  For the scruffy looking netting behind the sentiment, I used a piece of cheesecloth. I tapped Versamark on it, then coated it with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder, then heat set it. I used a skewer to hold it in place while using my heat tool on it. One more tip: if you want to give your layers a real "punch", double up on the Stampin' Dimensionals. See how the colorful layer seems to float over the base card? Stack your dimensionals. 

The "thanks" is from Greetings Thinlits and I'm so sorry to see it on the retiring list! If you have browsed my blog a bit, you will see that I have really used those dies. I would grab them while they are available if you don't own them. The speckles on the background were made with the Gold Wink of Stella Glitter Brush. I simply gave the Wink of Stella a little squeeze and tapped it on the aforementioned skewer while holding both over my project. Voila! Perfect glittery splatters. 

Supply list:

I'm always sad to see some of my favorites on the Stampin' Up! retiring list, (some are up to 50% off) but I am SO excited about the new catalog items available in June! Out with the old...in with the new. Quantities are limited, so order your favorites right away. 

Click this link for a pdf file listing all retiring items. Don't miss out, time is short for the great deals. Or click on the picture below to take you to my on-line store. 

Please use the hostess code shown in the top right corner when ordering online, unless your order will total $150 before shipping & tax. At that point, you become your own hostess and get all the rewards! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about the project or the products used. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim