Friday, July 31, 2009

Wings

My stamping pal Catherine is partnering with me to swap this card at a SplitCoast Stampers dinner while we are at Stampin' Up! convention next week. There are 50 ladies scheduled to swap with each other. Catherine and I decided to each make 25 of this card and then we will have to fight over the samples we receive in the swap. Check back next week to see if we are still friends!

Ha Ha Ha, this stamp set is called Wings of Friendship! What a hoot! I crack myself up. Lots of bird humor today.

I thought it would crank up the quality if we embossed the bird. When I first worked with it, the card just didn't pop when it was simply stamped in black. But I don't have a black craft ink pad. No problem--I'll stamp in VersaMark. But all those large black areas seemed to be a bit sketchy, not getting complete coverage. Okay, so now, stamp in VersaMark, then black, then sprinkle the black embossing powder and heat. Beautiful! Now clean the stamp so you can start over. Now do that 50 times. OMG!!! Stop me before I design again!!! Well, don't forget to brush the paper with your Embossing Buddy so you don't get any stray black particles of embossing powder, don't want to ruin a good image with specks.

Leave a comment today, and I will bring you a treat from convention. Yes, BLOG CANDY. All I ask is that you tell me if you are a demonstrator yet, when you would like to become a demonstrator so that you can join in the convention fun, and which demonstrator kit you prefer: bargain kit at just $85, the regular full kit with the bonus of all the In-Color ink pads or the "wait and see what deal SU offers next month" because today is the last day for the bargain and the bonus. I think.

Just kidding, you can leave any kind of kind comment and I will enter you in the BLOG CANDY raffle for a little prize from Convention!
Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

WOW sample

Stampin' Up! convention starts in a week, and I'm almost ready. LOL. Almost ready. That's a good one! I do have a plane ticket and a room reservation and a few plans. But the real question is: Do I have any swaps? Well, I'm getting there. I do have a handful.

I signed up for a couple organized swaps. That means that 50 ladies will meet for "themed" swap at which we will all bring one great design that we have duplicated 50 times and trade with everyone so we will leave with 50 different great cards. I am ready for these swaps, so that is great!

All that remains is the general swapping that takes place throughout the 3-day convention. I only have handful of cards for that, I have to get off the computer and get to work!

This sample is my pleated skirt technique that I will demonstrate at a gathering after the last day of convention. I hope all the demonstrators are impressed!
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Party Time

Have I shared this with you before? My good friend's daughter is having a "destination" wedding and the bridal shower followed in theme with a beachy good time! These invites open at the top and the information slips down inside the "beach bag." It took us a good afternoon to design the bag and crank out tens of copies, but they are darn cute and I was thrilled to help the hostess and the bride's Mom to make these and to be part of all the fun.

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Monday, July 27, 2009

Deal of the Week: Heart to Heart Punch



Hello and welcome to Deal of the Week! This is the final July Deal promised by Stampin' Up! Think of it as Valentine's in July and treat yourself to this great punch. For just $10.99 you can add this punch to your collection, and get creative. I have used this so often, loads of fun and quite versatile. Once you own this, you'll be using it to make shamrocks, flowers, wedding cards, anniversary cards, and of course, Valentines!
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Convention is just around the corner

Has anyone seen my work table? I can see the legs, but the top has disappeared entirely. There is a huge collection of paper, ink, adhesive, stamps and accessories, but no table. I'm afraid of collapse, all this hard work will weigh it down and it will drop, then the floor will break through and the whole mess will drop through into my kitchen! I know that only happens in cartoons, but really, this messiness goes against my nature. I must finish one project, pack it up and move on to the next!!

Today I thought I would share the tote I made for convention. This is made of two layers of clear vinyl, chipboard, lots of jumbo eyelets and Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper. Oh yeah, lots of ribbon! I have an alphabet set from a garage sale that works in the BigShot, and the size of the letters worked perfectly, so don't call asking where to buy these cute bubble letters. They must be 20 years old, from before the BigShot existed!

There are 7 demonstrators travelling together to convention from my local group. We will all be carrying these little beauties on the convention floor, just as a way of showing our "group spirit." Lots of other women wear matching t-shirts or crazy hats. We wanted to match, but not look like fraternity boys, so this is our "matching" item.
Certainly you wish you had one of these, right? More likely, you would like to join us for 5 days of travel and camaraderie, training, swapping, stamping and FUN in Salt Lake City, right? Remember that there is a great value on the starter kit right now. For way under $100 you can join Stampin' Up! with a mini-starter kit, with ink, stamps, paper and business supplies. If you purchase the full starter kit, you will receive all the In-Color stamp pads as a bonus. Join with me and I will gift you with some fabulous surprises to help kickstart your business, and you'll be able to go to convention with me and my girls next summer!

This week I will be sharing some convention swaps that will be going into this tote. Stick around!
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Wednesday. . . no DCBD today

Thanks for visiting today. I know it is Wednesday, and maybe you thought you would see a DCBD inspiration card, and if so, I can tell you where you will find them! Just click on the icon at right and you will land on the DCBD homepage, then you can click around to all the Diva's blogs. I am on a little sabbatical from challenges. Life is challenging enough! Really, so many good things are going on, that I have to take a rest from the Wednesday deadline.

Here is the last sample from the specialty paper class I taught last week. We did 3 projects with glossy paper, scroll down for those, and this card uses Stampin' Up! Shimmer paper. These roses are so fun, and gorgeous! Just stamp on the shimmer paper, and emboss with white embossing powder, or white ink and clear EP. Then spray the paper until it is quite wet, and water is starting to pool on top, inside the embossed lines. Then squirt a drop or two of two or three complementary colors of re-inker onto a plastic plate. Use your aquapainter to apply the re-inker to your flower. The color spreads and soaks in beautifully, like magic, right before your eyes. It is just such fun! When all the sections of your flower are inked, gently blot away any remaining moisture, and let dry. Then cut 'em out and apply to card.

We will be making these again in August, check the calendar at right. Or schedule your own demonstration and request this technique.
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Monday, July 20, 2009

Deal of the Week: HodgePodge Hardware


Oh my goodness, what a deal! Take off over 1/3 of the price and pay only $18.95 for the HodgePodge Hardware collection in Vanilla!! Wow!! I put my order in right away, so you will be seeing lots of hardware on my cards in the next few weeks! Join me, and you will be able to CASE my cards using the exact same hardware embellishments! These items really dress up your creations and make your cards look professional! Just shoot me an email and I'll add your order to my weekly collection, saving you $$ on shipping. If you have a few things and you want to get your order in right away, go right to my Stampin' Up! site and shop online! Yahoo!!
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Saturday, July 18, 2009

More with glossy paper

Hmmm. Photography has just sucked the color right out of this card! Imagine it a bit more brilliant. Good. Okay, so we sure had fun with glossy paper!
This technique is known as Joseph's Coat, because you can make it bright and colorful, and it is amazing!

Just use your Stampin' Up! markers to apply color to the glossy paper, I built strips of color, but you can build your color design any way you want. Then use VersaMark to stamp images over the marker work. Then heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Now use your brayer to cover the glossy paper with black classic ink. Grab your tissue and gently burnish the stamped images to remove the black ink. TaDa! The color you applied with the markers is revealed underneath the stamped images!
Fun, easy and looks great too!
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, July 17, 2009

VersaMark Resist Technique

Don't you just love this elephant from the Tall Tales Designer Series Paper and the coordinating stamp set Animal Stories? At stamp class this week we learned how to use VersaMark and Clear embossing powder to for a fun and striking technique.

This class will be repeated, so take a glance at my calendar of classes, at right, check your calendar and sign-up! If my time offered doesn't work for you, just email me or leave a comment, and we will work out a time that does work for you!

Here's some of the steps for this technique:
Using glossy paper from Stampin' Up! (this is the only paper this technique will work on) and VersaMark ink, stamp your image and emboss with clear embossing powder. Using your brayer or a stamping sponge, apply ink over the embossed images. Grab a tissue and buff off the ink from the images. It is so easy, and just plain old fun! Give it a shot! If you need any of these products or would like to "try before you buy" just contact me!
Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Glossy Paper Class: Success!



So much fun with glossy paper at Stamp Camp yesterday! We made this tag as a bonus item, just to get the feel of ink on glossy paper. I prepped the paper by covering it with dots of Crystal Effects. Simply touching the paper in a somewhat organized/random pattern, placing a dot about every 1/4 inch over the entire sheet, then allowing the paper and glue to dry overnight. When my stampers were gathered, they used the 5-Petal Punch and the Scallop Circle punch to pop flowers from the glossy paper. Then simply took a Stampin' Sponge and dabbed it in their choice of InColor ink pad, and dabbed it over the glossy paper, repeating until the depth of color was bright and bold enough for their flower. The final step is to use a tissue to rub the ink off the Crystal Effects dots and reveal their whiteness. We assembled the tag with a little sentiment and a cluster of flowers. Mine could use one or two more, but I was busy getting materials ready for the next project!
Come back tomorrow to see Joseph's Coat or VersaResist, with a bit of explanation for each.
Don't forget, Stamp Garage Sale happening on Saturday, Catherine and Laura and I will be piling up our retired stamp sets and accessories for you to snap up at bargain prices!
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

DCBD Color Challenge #136

Welcome to Wednesday, so glad you stopped by today! The Diva Coffee Break Design challenge for today is a color challenge. It looks like a beautiful, bright combo with oodles of possibilities. I hope you will take a moment today to stamp and try to use these colors together and then share your creation with us! Just go to the DCBD logo at right, and click over to our main blog to share your creation. If you're looking for inspiration, check out all the projects by the rest of the Diva team first, then get creative. I'm taking a break today, due to the rest of my life converging and soaking up all my time! I'll share some new projects very soon, I've been busy, just too busy to focus on this fun task!
Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Monday, July 13, 2009

Deal of the week: Rhinestone Brads

Now we are talking, Deal of the Week! Hot off the Press! Square Ice Rhinestone Brads. Over 30% off the regular price!! Today, July 13 until July 19, one quick fast week! Add these to your wishlist and gimme a call!! Final price per container: $6.99

I will be placing an order on Wednesday, July 15 at 6 pm CST. All orders placed by phone or email or in-person with me will be put in a pool to share any Hostess Benefits! Of course, if your order is over $150 you automatically get Hostess Benefits! If you collect orders from your friends and they go over $150 you receive Hostess Benefits! Any you know what that means, right? FREE stuff!!

So now you're getting a great deal on stamping Bling and FREE stuff!! Talk about a Great Day!! You have two days to shop the on-line catalog or stop over, get your new Idea Book & Catalog and take advantage of this great offer. The sale on the rhinestones extends until next Sunday, but the "mystery hostess" deal ends Wednesday.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Pinwheels

Chicago is supposed to enjoy a beautiful summer day today, so I think this blue sky and green hills will match the fun outlook.

Pinwheels are incredibly easy to make. These are made with a bit of Tall Tales Designer Series Paper. Want to learn this simple method? Just leave me a message! Maybe I'll post a tutorial!

Happy Stamping
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

DCBD Sketch Challenge 135


Welcome to the Wednesday DCBD Sketch Challenge #135! I pulled out my Jackpot DSP and played around with the colors a bit, ignored the sketch just a bit and showcased a couple of the patterns from the paper. Used the coordinating stamp set Game Night for the sentiment and dice and added a few brads. Gotta love the way Stampin' Up! makes cardmaking a breeze by compiling the DSP package into a coordinated and complimentary group of papers that let you pull together a project with little effort.

Don't forget to click the icon at right and visit the Diva Coffee Break Design blog to click on the other challenge cards, then create your own card and link it to the DCBD blog. We would love to see your work and send some stampers to your blog to visit you!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

What? No pictures?

Two items of interest to share, but no card today. Stay for the information, come back tomorrow for a new card!
First, Stampin' Up! is offering a weekly special during July, this week is the BigShot Doctor's Bag. This bag is designed to store or tote your BigShot Die Cut machine and many accessories. It retails for $69 but is on special right now for just $49. If you are thinking about a BigShot or just want a really gorgeous bag for storing and toting your stamping supplies, check out this bargain by clicking to the right on "online ordering."
Second, another BigShot news flash! StampinAddicts.com has tons of ideas using the Stampin’ Up! Big Shot and is giving away a Big Shot Die Pack as part of the Stampin’ Up! summer celebration. To enter, all you have to do is write about it. This is my entry. Now give me my dies.
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Wings of Friendship

When the trends are identified in the craft business, you can be sure Stampin' Up! is right on top of the curve. When you browse through our catalog, you will find an abundance of birds. These are not my automatic favorites, in fact, some of them are downright unappealing. But this bird set caught my eye and won a spot in my collection. It is a Level 2 Hostess Set, which means it is only available as a FREE gift to you when you host a workshop or demonstration. Be creative, you can offer a traditional demo, or a BINGO night, or Mom & Daughter class, or Cool Cards on a Hot Day, or a Demo in a Basket Catalog Party, or you could host a gathering at my studio, or you could place a nice supply order for your studio that would qualify for hostess benefits. Whatever method appeals to you, I'm flexible and my calendar has room for your event!

I used the Poppin' Pastels method to apply multiple colors to this one stamp. I stamped in VersaMark, a clear ink. Then used eye makeup applicators to apply Pastel Chalks to the card. This technique gives the card a beautiful, multi-color, softness.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Gen's TY notes

Do you remember those graduation party invites I shared in June? Well, you know what you need after the party, right? Thank you notes! So I cranked out a pile for Miss Gen to insure that all her generous relatives and friends will be properly thanked.

Simple elegance, pretty pink paper, crisp clean white and a touch of ribbon, along with her initial from the Lovely Letters Alphabet, and they're ready for writing.

Happy Stamping to you,
Dee Tollaksen

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Custom clutch purse

Shhhh. A bit of contraband on the old blog today! This Designer Series Paper is no longer available from Stampin' Up! but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful and useful!

This is made from the Top Note die on the BigShot, in Cameo Coral cardstock, then it is embossed, also using the Bigshot. I took a 6" square of DSP, folded in half and trimmed a teeny triangle off each end, to taper the "purse" then attached the Top Note over the opening. Inside is a piece of candy and my business card. I have been giving these out to cashiers, new acquaintances and other folks that I want to familiarize with my business.

Enjoy Your Fourth of July!
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, July 3, 2009

Kids Club

Independence Day! Fourth of July!! Fantastic Summer Weekend!

Did you know this marks the half point of summer? I heard that on the radio this week and had to punch the button to change the station. I disagree, I think it marks a highlight of the season, partway between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and I refuse to count the days from one to the next!

And how about the kids? Are they ready for a little summer reading assignment? Would it be more appetizing if there were a fun craft to go along with the reading work? These bookmarks are just a hoot! Book a summertime workshop or demonstration, and I'll supply the kids with all the materials to make these cheerful reading pals.

Or schedule a Moms and Kids hour and I'll bring a bookmark project appropriate for the kids ages and a project for the Moms!
Leave a comment here, email or call!
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

New Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog

Did I mention that the new IB&C is out and that I have copies for you? Did I tell you how to see it right now? Or how to get your own copy for absolutely free?

To see it in living color and right now, just click on the link at right, it will take you to the on-line version. Download it to your computer, if you wish, and have it at your fingertips.

If you're like me, you want a paper copy, and I have one for you. The list price is $9.95. I will sell it to you for a bargain, if I can physically put it in your hands. If I need to ship it, it is still a bargain, but we'll split the shipping.

Want some of the fabulous new products FREE? Just schedule a workshop or demonstration, you'll get the Idea Book as my first gift to you, and you will earn loads of goodies as a hostess!

Just leave a comment here, send an email or give me a call!
Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

July 1 Announcements

July July July July

Specials Happening at Stampin' Up! in July!!!!

Deal of the week--we will be enjoying a special product DEAL each week in July! Let me know that you want a Scallop Edge Punch anytime before July 5 and you will only pay $10.99 for this wonderful product! One of my FAVorite punches!

CURRENT DEAL OF THE WEEK

Item #

Description

Special Price

112091

Scallop Edge punch

$10.99


Starter Kit Announcement
Starting July 15, Stampin' Up! would like to make you an offer for a parttime or fulltime opportunity or the chance to be a Hobby Stamper with all the privileges of a Career Stamper, for the small initial investment of only $85. This is for a very limited time, so if you are interested, let's talk today!

This mini-starter kit includes loads of ink, paper, a stamp set and business materials that will allow you to jump in to a business with Stampin' Up! or to enjoy all the privileges of a demonstrator, including discounts and special events! Just leave a comment here, call me or email me to hear more about this great opportunity.

DCBD BigShot Challenge 134


Wow it's DCBD challenge day!

Wow it's the first day of the new Idea Book & Catalog!

Wow it's my birthday!

Friend to Friend, how 'bout a Triple Wow Deal? Okay! Order today, save 5% if you email the order to me. Order any brand new stamp set and
save 10% on your entire order! Order anything in the new In-Colors and save another 5%! You could save 5-10-or 15% depending on your choices! If you don't actually see this offer on July 1, still email me your order and twist my arm, I'll probably honor this one-time only special!

This little Friend to Friend card is made from Crushed Curry cardstock, Animal Stories Stamp Set and Tall Tales DSP, with a bit of Dusty Durango and Soft Suede ink. Of course the large scallop was cut on the BigShot! And the card fits into the regular envelopes used for 4.25" cards. Fabulous!

Well, I'm off to tiptoe down to the kitchen to make coffee, without waking the gaggle of girls overnight in the living room. Summer Vacation! Gotta Love It! You should be off to check out the rest of the DCBD Diva's creations today! Just click on the Diva Coffee Break graphic at right and see what else we made on our BigShots. Then post a card or project of your own and link it to the DCBD blog. Then just sit back and wait for the compliments to roll in!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen