Pals December Blog Hop: All That Sparkle and Shine

Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for December 2016. We are thankful you stopped by to take a look at our new 2016 Blog Hop monthly themes.  This month our projects showcase products that can add sparkle and/or shine for a finishing touch. 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 lineup will help you move along from blog to blog so you may see all the projects.

Seriously...I'm in love with the deer die cut from the Santa's Sleigh Dies Thinlits. Using the deer as a focal point makes this somewhat glitzy, but elegant card quick to make. 

I used my #foolproofwatercolor technique for the background, before stamping the pine image from the Christmas Pines stamp set with Bermuda Bay ink. If you missed the post regarding this technique using baby wipes to create a background, click here. I used my most loved splatter stamp from Gorgeous Grunge and Gold Stampin' Emboss powder to add some interest behind the deer. I finished the card off with some gold metallic thread, gold sequins and a word cut from Bermuda Bay cardstock using one of the dies from the Christmas Greetings Thinlits. 

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. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
3. Karen Hallam at Karen's Stampin' Habit
4. Staci Rivera at Clever Bow Tie Designs
5. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
6. Peggy Noe at Pretty Paper Cards
7. Karen Zaring Browning at StampWithMeKZB.com
8. Jeanie Stark at Just Stampin'
9. Jennifer Michalski at Stamping Serenity
10. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin'
11. Becky Volpp at InkBlossomwithBecky
12. Pamela Sadler at Stampin Pink Rose
13. Angela Curry at Kindred Stampers
14. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine
15. Kalyn Shubnell at The Stamping Chronicles
16. Kim Jolley at Stampin' Artfully   (You Are Here)
17. Patti MacLeith at Papercrafts by Patti
18. Sue Becker at RnR Stamping
19. Debbie Crowley at expressively deb…
20. Tricia Chuba at ButterDish Designs
21. Nicole Watt at Pixel Maven's Retreat
22. Amy Hoptay at Craft Carnivore
23. Lynn Tague at Beyond Beaches & Blessings
24. Rae Harper Burnet at Wild West Paper Arts

Do you have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator? If not, I would love to be your source for these amazing products and hopefully give you a good dose of inspiration from time to time. This is not just a hobby for me, it is a passion! 

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

Stampin' Up! Year End Close Out Starts Today!

Stampin’ Up! has been doing a little year-end cleaning, and we’ve got some great deals to offer you! Our Year-End Closeouts will include holiday retiring products, clearance rack items, and even some current catalog products. 

 Promotion period: December 1, 2016 – January 3, 2017 

All products (and discounts, if any) can be found in the Year-End Closeouts category of  my online store.

Want to earn a free gift during the month of December? Simply place an online order between $50 & $149.99 (not including tax & shipping) and use the hostess code shown in the top of the right hand column of this page. Your gift will be mailed around the second week of January. (Just in time to get those Valentine's Day cards made) If your order is over $150, don't use the hostess code...you get all of the hostess benefits at that point! If you will be using the hostess code, see below for instructions on how to do so. 

Be sure and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator. If you do that, I will not be able to see your contact information to send your hostess gift. 

As always, let me know if you have any questions about any projects on my blog or the special promotions and/or sales, let me know.  Thanks for visiting my blog.

Artfully Yours,

Kim

#foolproofwatercolor and Last Day for "I Want Ink" Promotion

I am having so much fun with the technique I used for the projects I posted yesterday. For more info and the link to the tutorial for what I'm calling Foolproof "Watercolor", click on this LINK. I especially love that other stampers out there are trying the technique. 

With a bit of tweaking, this card was made using the same directions in my tutorial along with some selective heat embossing and highlighting with Black Sharpie & a white gel pen. 

The same texture type stamps were used, along with Stampin' Up! Wherever You Go stamp set, Tempting Turquoise ink, Tip Top Taupe ink, Smokey Slate ink & Memento Tuxedo black ink. Both Gold and White Stampin' Emboss powders were used. 

Need or want more color in your projects? I'm here to help you with that! If you are in the U.S., simply place an online order through my online store of at least $50 (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of a Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pad. In fact, place an online order of $80 or more (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of 2 Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pads. My special promotion ends on November 30, 2016. Your purchase can include sale items, so this is the perfect time to get more bang for your buck! Make sure you use the hostess code listed above at the right and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator, as this won't allow me to see  your contact information. Then send me an email with the subject line "I Want Ink" to stampinartfully@gmail.com  Tell me what color (or colors) you would like to add to your ink stash in the email. The ink pads will be shipped to all of you around the middle of December. 

I would appreciate it more than you know, if you ordered anything you need from my online store by clicking on the link above! 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

#foolproofwatercolor

This is it. The absolute easiest watercolor project technique you will ever use. The results are stunning. The technique is super simple. The picture below is the piece I used for inspiration. I saw an ad for a local interior design company in a magazine and just snapped a picture of it. There will be link below to the full tutorial and supply list. 

My first project:

It is completely stunning in person!

The gold metallic cord worked well with the gold embossing.

My second project:

This was a piece I had trimmed and was going to throw away. I realized after looking it over that it would make a great gift tag. 

My final project:

I love the dreamy quality of this piece and think it would make a great Christmas card. 

Click here for the full pdf tutorial and supply list. Be gentle with me, it's the first tutorial I've ever done this way! Don't hesitate to email me with any questions you may have. Just know that I work somewhat long hours at my day job and it may be the next day before I get back to you with an answer. 

Need or want more color in your projects? I'm here to help you with that! If you are in the U.S., simply place an online order through my online store of at least $50 (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of a Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pad. In fact, place an online order of $80 or more (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of 2 Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pads. My special promotion ends on November 30, 2016. Your purchase can include sale items, so this is the perfect time to get more bang for your buck! Make sure you use the hostess code listed above at the right and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator, as this won't allow me to see  your contact information. Then send me an email with the subject line "I Want Ink" to stampinartfully@gmail.com  Tell me what color (or colors) you would like to add to your ink stash in the email. The ink pads will be shipped to all of you around the middle of December. 

I would appreciate it more than you know, if you ordered anything you need from my online store by clicking on the link above! 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

Real Red & Cherry Cobbler Mix and Huge Sale Ends Today

The inspiration for this card came from a packaging/branding idea I found on Pinterest. I loved the 2-toned red look I saw, so I tried it out on a simple Christmas card. I love how it turned out. All products Stampin' Up! Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see more info about my personal "I Want Ink" promotion ending Nov. 30, because everyone needs more color in their life!

Want to hear something funny? I ended up using Rich Razzleberry ink to stamp the pine images.   I took a scrap of Real Red and tried stamping with Cherry Cobbler ink, but it was just too dark for the look I wanted. Rich Razzleberry ended up working perfectly. I made the partial gold frame by using 2 sizes of Layering Squares Framelits and Gold Glimmer paper. The Big Shot Magnetic Platform really comes in handy with projects like this and right now it is only $26!! I would grab one while you can. It is my most used platform due to my heavy use of metal dies. Sale ends tonight.

Supply list:

A number of Stampin’ Up! items are on offer, marked at 10, 20, 30 & 40% OFF. Note that some of the products will be retiring from the 2016 Holiday Catalog and are available only while supplies last. The full printable list is here and the limited items have an asterisk. Today is the last day of the sale. 

Need or want more color in your projects? I'm here to help you with that! If you are in the U.S., simply place an online order through my online store of at least $50 (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of a Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pad. In fact, place an online order of $80 or more (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of 2 Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pads. My special promotion ends on November 30, 2016. Your purchase can include sale items, so this is the perfect time to get more bang for your buck! Make sure you use the hostess code listed above at the right and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator, as this won't allow me to see  your contact information. Then send me an email with the subject line "I Want Ink" to stampinartfully@gmail.com  Tell me what color (or colors) you would like to add to your ink stash in the email. The ink pads will be shipped to all of you around the middle of December. 

Let me know if you have any questions about the Online Extravaganza or my special "I Want Ink" promotion. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. 

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Final Day of Stampin' Up! Deals and New 24 Hour Flash Sale

Just a reminder that today is the last day of the Stampin' Up! Online Extravaganza. There is a special 24 Hour Flash Sale today only on some wonderful items, including the "must have" Magnetic Platform for your Big Shot! Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see more info about my personal "I Want Ink" promotion, because everyone needs more color in their life!

The Magnetic Platform is only $26!! I would grab one while you can. It is my most used platform due to my heavy use of metal dies. 

A number of Stampin’ Up! items are on offer, marked at 10, 20, 30 & 40% OFF. Note that some of the products will be retiring from the 2016 Holiday Catalog and are available only while supplies last. The full printable list is here and the limited items have an asterisk. Today is the last day of the sale. 

Need or want more color in your projects? I'm here to help you with that! If you are in the U.S., simply place an online order through my online store of at least $50 (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of a Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pad. In fact, place an online order of $80 or more (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of 2 Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pads. My special promotion ends on November 30, 2016. Your purchase can include sale items, so this is the perfect time to get more bang for your buck! Make sure you use the hostess code listed above at the right and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator, as this won't allow me to see  your contact information. Then send me an email with the subject line "I Want Ink" to stampinartfully@gmail.com  Tell me what color (or colors) you would like to add to your ink stash in the email. The ink pads will be shipped to all of you around the middle of December. 

Let me know if you have any questions about the Online Extravaganza or my special "I Want Ink" promotion. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. 

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Watercolor "Jolley" Card

The Stampin' Up! Onstage Local in Kansas City was held during the first weekend of November.  I had my swap card design (to swap with the Stampin' Pretty Pals) all planned and was part way through making these when I found out I was unable to attend. I wanted my card to really be a "me" card and I think I achieved that with this card. It has all of my favorite elements: watercolor, Gorgeous Grunge speckles, Gold metallic thread and sequins. All products Stampin' Up! Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see more info about my personal "I Want Ink" promotion, because everyone needs more color in their life!

Love this little deer die cut from the Santa's Sleigh bundle and I HAD to use the word "Jolly" on this card due to it almost being my last name. 

Supply List:

The Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza began yesterday. From now through the 28th of November, a number of Stampin’ Up! items are on offer, marked at 10, 20, 30 & 40% OFF. Note that some of the products will be retiring from the 2016 Holiday Catalog and are available only while supplies last. The full printable list is here and the limited items have an asterisk. 

In addition to these week long offers, there are additional products on offer, with up 40% savings, on Monday 28th November for 24 hours only. 

Need or want more color in your projects? I'm here to help you with that! If you are in the U.S., simply place an online order through my online store of at least $50 (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of a Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pad. In fact, place an online order of $80 or more (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of 2 Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pads. My special promotion ends on November 30, 2016. Your purchase can include sale items, so this is the perfect time to get more bang for your buck! Make sure you use the hostess code listed above at the right and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator, as this won't allow me to see  your contact information. Then send me an email with the subject line "I Want Ink" to stampinartfully@gmail.com  Tell me what color (or colors) you would like to add to your ink stash in the email. The ink pads will be shipped to all of you around the middle of December. 

Let me know if you have any questions about the Online Extravaganza or my special "I Want Ink" promotion. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. 

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Feeling Thankful and Blessed

On this Thanksgiving Day, I woke up feeling thankful and blessed beyond measure. I have a loving family, friends and a life that even with some serious hills and valleys, makes me happy. I wish the same for all of you! 

This card looks complicated, but actually isn't. I made it in about 20 minutes! All products Stampin' Up! Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see more info about my personal "I Want Ink" promotion, because everyone needs more color in their life!

I simply watercolored a piece of watercolor paper measuring 5.25 x 4.00 inches. Dried with heat tool. Inked up the Hardwood background stamp with Versamark and embossed that image with a mixture of gold & white embossing powder on the watercolored panel. I cut the leaf image from that panel. I layered the vellum piece over the colorful background piece, before using Stampin' Dimensionals to pop up the leaf on top. Finished it off with a simple stamped word, some sequins and gold metallic thread. (thread is under the leaf)

Supply List: 

The Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza began yesterday. From now through the 28th of November, a number of Stampin’ Up! items are on offer, marked at 10, 20, 30 & 40% OFF. Note that some of the products will be retiring from the 2016 Holiday Catalog and are available only while supplies last. The full printable list is here and the limited items have an asterisk. 

In addition to these week long offers, there are additional products on offer, with up 40% savings, on Monday 28th November for 24 hours only. 

Need or want more color in your projects? I'm here to help you with that! If you are in the U.S., simply place an online order through my online store of at least $50 (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of a Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pad. In fact, place an online order of $80 or more (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of 2 Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pads. This special promotion ends on November 30, 2016. Your purchase can include sale items, so this is the perfect time to get more bang for your buck! Make sure you use the hostess code listed above at the right and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator, as this won't allow me to see  your contact information. Then send me an email with the subject line "I Want Ink" to stampinartfully@gmail.com  Tell me what color (or colors) you would like to add to your ink stash in the email. The ink pads will be shipped to all of you around the middle of December. 

Let me know if you have any questions about the Online Extravaganza or my special "I Want Ink" promotion. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. 

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Life is a Journey

As promised a few days ago, I am posting 2 versions of the card I submitted for my Global Design Project #GDP063 entry. All products Stampin' Up! Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see more info about my personal "I Want Ink" promotion, because everyone needs more color in their life!

This is the card from the post I made this past Monday. 

I love how it turned out. However, this was the second card I made using the same layout. This was the first:

We made the above card at the November workshop in my home. I love how it looks kind of like a winter scene. The motorcycle and the coordinating stamps are from the One Wild Ride stamp set. The trees on both cards are from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set. The "road" is one of the stamps from Timeless Textures stamp set. To apply color to the fall card, I used the leaf canopy from the Sheltering Tree stamp set, but the color could just as easily be applied with a sponge. If you have any specific questions about either card, let me know. 

The Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza began yesterday. From now through the 28th of November, a number of Stampin’ Up! items are on offer, marked at 10, 20, 30 & 40% OFF. Note that some of the products will be retiring from the 2016 Holiday Catalog and are available only while supplies last. The full printable list is here and the limited items have an asterisk. 

In addition to these week long offers, there are additional products on offer, with up 40% savings, on Monday 28th November for 24 hours only. 

Need or want more color in your projects? I'm here to help you with that! If you are in the U.S., simply place an online order through my online store of at least $50 (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of a Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pad. In fact, place an online order of $80 or more (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of 2 Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pads. This special promotion ends on November 30, 2016. Your purchase can include sale items, so this is the perfect time to get more bang for your buck! Make sure you use the hostess code listed above at the right and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator, as this won't allow me to see  your contact information. Then send me an email with the subject line "I Want Ink" to stampinartfully@gmail.com  Tell me what color (or colors) you would like to add to your ink stash in the email. The ink pads will be shipped to all of you around the middle of December. 

Let me know if you have any questions about the Online Extravaganza or my special "I Want Ink" promotion. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. 

Artfully Yours,

Kim

Inspired by a MacKenzie-Childs Design

As I was browsing on Pinterest today, I ran across a few MacKenzie-Childs holiday pieces. One was this deer with what is called "Courtly Check". I immediately started thinking about how I could make a card inspired by this deer with a general MacKenzie-Childs look to it. All products Stampin' Up! Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see more info about my personal "I Want Ink" promotion, because everyone needs more color in their life!

I adored the checked pattern, but didn't have any current DSP that would work. I ended up making my own check pattern paper by using this Diagonal Stripe background stamp. I simply inked up and stamped it once going one way and once more with the stamp turned the other way on Very Vanilla cardstock. It worked like a charm. 

I basically pulled scraps from my table to put this card together. I will give you a tip...see the gold polka dot paper? That started as white with gold polka dots and is from the Pop of Pink DSP and I used a Sponge Brayer to apply Garden Green ink to that paper. Don't you love how it looks? 

I used the Santa's Sleigh Bundle to make this card, along with one of the pine needle stamp images from Christmas Pines for the inside of the card. Message me if you have specific questions about this project. 

The Stampin’ Up! Online Extravaganza began yesterday. From now through the 28th of November, a number of Stampin’ Up! items are on offer, marked at 10, 20, 30 & 40% OFF. Note that some of the products will be retiring from the 2016 Holiday Catalog and are available only while supplies last. The full printable list is here and the limited items have an asterisk. 

In addition to these week long offers, there are additional products on offer, with up 40% savings, on Monday 28th November for 24 hours only. 

                   

                           

Need or want more color in your projects? I'm here to help you with that! If you are in the U.S., simply place an online order through my online store of at least $50 (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of a Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pad. In fact, place an online order of $80 or more (before tax & shipping) and I will give you your choice of 2 Stampin' Up! Classic Ink Pads. This special promotion ends on November 30, 2016. Your purchase can include sale items, so this is the perfect time to get more bang for your buck! Make sure you use the hostess code listed above at the right and do not check "no contact" from demonstrator, as this won't allow me to see  your contact information. Then send me an email with the subject line "I Want Ink" to stampinartfully@gmail.com  Tell me what color (or colors) you would like to add to your ink stash in the email. The ink pads will be shipped to all of you around the middle of December. 

Let me know if you have any questions about the Online Extravaganza or my special "I Want Ink" promotion. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. 

Artfully Yours,

Kim