Be sure to place your orders in time so you don’t miss out! 

And remember, Free Shipping and a Mystery Gift with every order of $60. (See the details here.)

Time for a Sneak Peek! This card uses the Baby Blossoms stamp set and several accessories from the Springtime Vintage Suite in the new Occasions Mini catalogue. In this mini catalogue, Stampin’ Up! has sorted the stamp sets and accessories into several different suites of products. If you are not sure what to order first, simply flip through the catalogue and choose your favourite suite and start there.

Each suite includes a stamp set, designer series paper and several accessories.  The other suites in this catalogue are Hugs & Kisses, Bring on the Cake, Botanical Gazette and Oh Sew! You may not have an easy time selecting your favourite suite. 

For this card, I used mainly Rose Red and Very Vanilla. The Springtime Vintage Suite has several Rose Red accessories so this card was easy to make. After stamping Certainly Celery leaves from the Baby Blossoms stamp set I added a Rose Red Flower Adornment to the center. These adornments come as a set of 24 in three colours – Rose Red, Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla.

To make the border along the edge of the card, I used the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder. If you are a fan of the Big Shot embossing folders, you will want to add this new one to your collection right away.

I also added a length of Rose Red Seam Binding and tied it into a bow at the end. Stampin’ Up! added Seam Binding to its product line a few months ago and now we get four new colours – Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz and Rose Red.

Watch for more Sneak Peeks of the other suites in the next few days.

Do you have your Occasions Mini catalogue? You will love all of the brand new stamps sets and accessories in the 2011 OCCASIONS MINI catalogue. If you have not already received your personal copy by mail, please click here to request your free catalogues.

FREE SHIPPING plus a free mystery gift on all orders over $60 until December 31st. Please place your orders by e-mail, phone or fax.

Join the VIRTUAL RUBBER STAMPERS CLUB and receive a sampler pack worth $20 with your first order. This pack includes both a piece of the Rose Red Seam Binding and a Vintage Flower Adornments that were used to make this card. 

What is a virtual stamp club? My Rubber Stampers Club is an online site that you can access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Learn new projects, watch video tutorials and get new cards ideas when it’s convenient for you. Each month includes new Video Tutorials, Techniques, Cards and Projects, Product tips, Contests, Prizes and more… each and every month! All content is exclusive to the Rubber Stampers Club and will not be shared anywhere else.

How does my Rubber Stampers Virtual Club work? Once you commit to spending a minimum of $30 (before shipping and tax) for at least six months you will receive access to an online membership site with your first order. Each month you will be able to access new content once your order is placed. Content will be available by the 6th of each month.

So, what are you waiting for? Join today!

 

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Free Shipping

on all orders of $60 or more

plus…

Place an order of $60 or more and receive free shipping on your order. And as a bonus, you will also receive a mystery gift (value $6.50) in your order as a thank you from me.  Please place your orders by e-mail, phone or fax by December 31, 2010.  I can be reached by phone at 780.472.8200, toll free at 1.866.472.8207 or by fax at 780.406.6407.

And, if you join the Rubber Stampers Virtual Club right now, you will receive three free video tutorials plus an Occasions Mini Sampler pack worth more than $20. The sampler packs will be mailed to every club member once their monthly order is placed in January.

How does the Rubber Stampers Club work? Simply commit to placing an order of $30 or more for a minimum of six months. Once your order is placed, you will have unlimited access to a members only website with videos, tutorials, prizes, contests and more. Click here to join the club and for more details. If you have any questions, please contact me.

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As the kids are home from school next week, I am trying to get my Christmas shopping done this week.  And it is actually going pretty well after a rough start yesterday. I went out early yesterday morning armed with my list. And at the first three stores I bought nothing! None of the three had a single item on my list or anything I wanted instead. Fortunately, the day got much better after stopping at the fourth store and I am close to finished now. 

In my family, only the kids get gifts which is okay since they are usually more fun to shop for anyways. My littlest nieces and nephews are getting Zhu Zhu pets. Aren’t these all the rage right now? I lucked out and found a store that had just received a new shipment so there were lots of pets to choose from.

And the bigger kids are getting gift cards with a small gift.

Today’s project is one of the gift card holders I designed for the teens. Please leave a comment and let me know if you like it.

Keep reading for the step by step directions.   

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Stamps: Winter Post (111780)

Inks: Old Olive (102277)

Paper: Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper (117159), Cherry Cobbler (119685), Old Olive (100702), Very Vanilla (101650) 

Big Shot: Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976)

Punches: Word Window (119867), 1" Circle (119868), 1-3/8" Circle (119877), Designer Label (119862), Corner Rounder (119871)

Other: Metallic Brads (119741), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

 Cut Old Olive cardstock to 4-1/4” x 11”. Score at 2-3/4”, 5-1/2” and 8-1/4” along the long side.

Apply Sticky Strip along the top and the bottom of the inside edge of one of the mountain folds, applying the tape right up against the side.

Remove backing from tape and adhere together as shown.

 Use the Word Window punch to create an opening in the top of the folded paper by punching in from each side.

Ensure the opening is large enough to fit the gift card.

Use a 1" circle punch to cut out a half-circle notch to cover where the Word Window punches meet. 

The finished opening. 

 Punch a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock with the Word Window punch. Secure to the Jolly Holiday designer paper with two Metallic Brads.

To create a buckle closure, cut a 1" x 5" strip of coordinating designer paper. Round or punch the edges of one end. On the squared end, secure the strip to the middle of the back of the gift card. Wrap around to front making sure it will fit the Word Window tab.

Cover the back strip with Cherry Cobbler cardstock that has been embossed with the Square Lattice embossing folder.

Attach the designer paper to the front of the gift card holder.

Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper

12 Sheets, 2 each of 6 double-sided designs

Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Very Vanilla

$12.50, #117159

Page 174 of the Idea Book & Catalogue

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Need a small gift for co-workers or for the kids to hand out at school? Snowman Kisses to the rescue!

For these cute little projects, I used the 100 mint size of Tic Tacs that I purchased at Sobeys. 

I cut the Real Red cardstock to 5-1/4” x 3-1/2” and scored it in 2-1/8” from each side. I punched a 1” circle on Whisper White cardstock and framed the punched circle with a 1-3/8” circle punch and punched again.

Next, I adhered the circle to Baja Breeze cardstock and punched a 1” circle again in the same place. After adhering the Baja Breeze piece to the Real Red cardstock I punched the 1” circle a third time so the Tic Tacs will be visible.

To make sure the Tic Tacs stay in place, I used Sticky Strip to hold them inside the back cover.

A fun project to make and to give! Please let me know if you have any questions on these Frosty Tic Tac holders or any of my other cards or projects. I can be reached at darlene@dreamingaboutrubberstamps.com. Thanks!

I adhered the Real Red grosgrain ribbon under the Baja Breeze panel and wrapped it around the back so I could tie it on the side with a bow. 

The Snowman kisses verse inside the Tic Tac holder reads:

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These two cards use the exact same layout with different colours of cardstocks and papers. 

The first card is Crumb Cake, Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler cardstock with Jolly Holiday designer series paper. The second card uses Always Artichoke cardstock instead of the Old Olive and Deck the Halls designer series paper in place of the Jolly Holiday dsp.

I was surprised by how different the feel is to each of these – the card on the left is more contemporary and bright while the card on the right has a more traditonal, vintage sense to it.

For both cards I used a greeting from the Bright Christmas stamp set with Cherry Cobbler ink on a Crumb Cake card. I added a Cherry Cobbler punched ornament that I embossed with the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder for the Big Shot.

The Old Olive and Always Artichoke cardstock measures 5-1/2" x 2" and each designer series paper square is 1-3/8" x 1-3/4".

These cards were great for Simple Saturday since they were fast and easy to prep and assemble. It is also a great layout if you need to make lots of cards for any occasion.

So, what’s your preference – contemporary or traditional? Pleave leave a comment below and let me know. 

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Stamps:  Bright Christmas (Clear 121318, Wood 121678)

Inks: Cherry Cobbler (119669)

Paper: Jolly Holiday (117159), Deck the Halls (120810), Crumb Cake (120953), Old Olive (100702), Always Artichoke (105119), Cherry Cobbler(119685)

Big Shot: Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder (116824)

Punches: Ornament (119847)

Other: Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

This card uses Old Olive cardstock with the Jolly Holiday designer series paper for a contemporary looking card.

This card uses Always Artichoke cardstock with the Deck the Halls designer series paper for a traditonal looking card.

Bright Christmas Stamp Set

Set of 3

Clear $12.95, #121318

Wood $16.95, #121678

Page 22 of the Holiday Mini Catalogue

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I usually make a special card for my parents at Christmas. And this is it. Don’t tell them!  I am going to add it to the new recordable sound card from Stampin’ Up! and let the kids and the dog record a personal message for their grandparents. 

This card was lots of fun to make but what a mess. If you don’t like glitter everywhere, work carefully!

To clean the embossing folder once you are finished, just wipe it clean with a damp cloth and let it sit open overnight.

Scroll down to watch the video. (If you received this message by e-mail or in a blog reader, you may need to visit my blog to see the link.)

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Stamps: Gifts of Christmas (115372) 

Inks: VersaMark (102283)

Paper: Brushed Gold (102935), Whisper White (100730)

Big Shot: Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder (116824)

Other: Fine Galaxy Glitter (114286), Gold Embossing Powder (109029), Embossing Buddy (103083), Powder Pals (102197), Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (109070), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder

$10.95, #116824

Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

$132.95, #113439

Pages 204 – 217 of the Idea Book & Catalogue

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Did you know that December 9th is Christmas Card Day?

In 1843, the first Christmas Cards were sent by Sir Henry Cole. Until than it was traditional to exchange a handwritten message but as Sir Henry needed to send more than 1000 greetings, he commissioned an artist to create a Christmas Card he could send instead. See the original card here. The first Christmas Card’s inscription read: "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you." After 150+ years, no different than many of the cards I send and receive each year.

Today, I want to share some cards I made using the Jolly Holiday Designer Series Papers and Old Olive Satin Ribbon. I still have not decided on a final design for my personal Chrismt Cards this year so one of these may just be it. Do you have a favourite? Leave a comment and let me know.

Scroll down to see a larger image of each card. 

Are you a messy or a neat stamper? I always make such a mess. I grab everything as I think I might need it and never put away what I decide not to use. I thought I would share a photo of my work space yesterday after I had finished making these cards. Yikes!

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Stamps: Gifts of Christmas (115372) or Jolly Old Saint Nick (Clear 121321, Wood 121711) or Tags til Christmas (Clear 121169, Wood 120847), Four the Holidays (116921)

Inks: Cherry Cobbler Marker (119681), Old Olive Marker (100079)

Paper: Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper (117159), Cherry Cobbler (119685), Old Olive (100702), Certainly Celery (105125), Very Vanilla (101650) 

Big Shot: Northern Frost Decorative Strip (120901)

Punches: Oval 3/4" x 15/16" (120908)

Other: Certainly Celery 5/8" Satin Ribbon (117292), Regals Brads 119737), Deck the Halls Big Designer Buttons (121002), Mini Glue Dots (103683), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

This card uses the Gifts of Christmas stamp set which is one of my favourites. I coloured the pointsettia image with the Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive markers and stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock. After layering onto Cherry Cobbler cardstock, I adhered it to the card with dimensionals. The greeting is from the Four the Holidays stamp set. 

This snowflake card might be my favourite of the three I made today. I used Old Olive, Certainly Celery and Cherry Cobbler cardstocks to create colour blocks and then added the greeting from the Jolly Old Saint Nick stamp set. The snowflake was made with the Northern Frost decorative strip for the Big Shot and I added a Cherry Cobbler brad from the Regals brads package to the center.

 For this card, I used the small oval holly & berries tag image from the Tags til Christmas stamp set. I coloured the stamp with Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive markers before stamping onto Very Vanilla cardstock. I punched the stamped image with the oval punch and added it to the card with linen thread. To finish the card, I added a Cherry Cobbler button from the Deck the Halls Big Designer Buttons adhering it with a mini glue dot.

Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper

12 Sheets, 2 each of 6 double-sided designs

Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Very Vanilla

$12.50, #117159

Page 174 of the Idea Book & Catalogue

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Stampin’ Up! now offers complete Photo Card and Calendar designer templates that can be purchased as downloads. These designer templates are fully editable and make great gifts. Just add photos and text—the layout has already been finished for you! Or use the template as a starting point, then customize by resizing, adding to, or deleting the template elements.

Click here to view all the newest My Digital Studio download offerings at my online store. 

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Claudia who said:  My favourite christmas tradition is the gingerbread house that my brother and my daughter make every year. And every year I try to take some of the candy, but I always get caught!

Claudia, please contact me to arrange for your blog candy.

Some of you asked about my favourite Christmas Tradition.  Having a German Mom and a Canadian Dad meant that we got to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And we opened present both days as well!

After church on Christmas Eve, we would go to Oma and Opa’s for a late dinner of rouladen (bacon, onions, mustard and pickles wrapped in thinly sliced beef which is then cooked) and all the trimmings. You really felt that it was Christmas with the hymns playing on the stereo and the nuts in their shells waiting to be cracked open. Then, it was time for the gift opening. Oma always sewed each of her grandchildren a pair of pajamas and we knew they would be waiting under the tree for us. Every year Oma used a different pattern and fabric although the pajamas were always flannel.  Once home, we would put on our new pajamas and head off to bed to wait for Santa to arrive the next mornng. 

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To be honest, I bought this Jolly Old Saint Nick stamp set only for the big Santa face. I love that Santa face! See for yourself on page 26 of the Holiday Mini Catalogue. Isn’t it adorable?

But the more I use this set, the more I appreciate all of the images and how well they work for making fast and fun Christmas cards. For this card, I paired the snowman with the "Wishing You a Merry Christmas" greeting to make a card with a completely different look from my Santa cards. And the snowman and snowflake images can be used well after New Years for thank you and birthday cards since winter will be here for awhile yet. 

This card uses just one colour, Night of Navy, with the Whisper White. I think it makes this card really clean and crisp looking. I also used only Night of Navy accessories – the 1/4" and 1-1/4" striped grosgrain ribbons and Regals Big Designer Buttons with some rhinestones from the Basic Rhinestones package for more bling. I added rhinestones to cover up the stamped snowman buttons as well as the center of the navy designer buttons.

My first December newsletter goes out tomorrow with a fabulous special only for my subscribers. If you haven’t subscribed yet, do it now by signing up in the box below (if you are not reading this post on my blog, click here)

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Stamps: Jolly Old Saint Nick (Clear 121321, Wood 121711)

Inks: Night of Navy (102977)

Paper: Night of Navy (100867), Whisper White (100730) 

Big Shot: Petals-a-Plenty Embossing folder (116824)

Other: Basic Rhinestones (119246), Regals Designer Buttons (119744), Night of Navy 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (119773), Night of Navy 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (109036), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

 Jolly Old Saint Nick

Set of 6

Clear $21.95, #121321

Wood $30.95, #121711

Page 26 of the Holiday Mini Catalogue

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