Saturday, June 30, 2012

Lottery Winners Welcome

I almost drove off the road laughing when  my brain finished processing the sign outside the tool store yesterday, "Lottery Winners Welcome."

You know how hotels have welcome signs for conventions and the high school will welcome parents to open house, my eyes just kind of passed-over the sign at the tool store, then the humor finally sank in. Well, those Lottery Winners are Welcome here too!

And for the rest of you, here is the deal Stampin' Up! is offering for July: An exclusive stamp set, available in July only, for only $5 as an add-on to any order of $50 or more. I have to figure out how to get a picture off my Iphone into the blog to share the card I made, but it is a fun and super cute stamp set.

Don't try to read the flyer, I'm a bit technology flustered this morning and I can't grab a good copy. But I wanted you to see how cute the stamps are. It is 2-step-stampin set, with outlines and then insides of each flower, and the insides are gradient, so you will get a very natural looking flower, with ease!

Come back tomorrow, July 1 for a Birthday Deal. My birthday, your deal. A one day sale. Don't miss it!


Happy Stampin'
Dee Tollaksen

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Smooches under my skirt!

Summer Smooches product line is so fabulous, bright red, pretty blue and a great cheerful print, it's hard to go wrong! Stampin' Up! does such a great job with these product suites!

I CASEd this gorgeous card, changing up the ribbon and base, but I totally love the fabric skirting. I did use the sewing machine to put the gathers into the fabric and then just used sticky tape to adhere it to cardstock. I found the original on Niki Toll's blog.

It looks fabulous, but it is flat enough to go into an envelope and it really just uses one inch by six inches of each fabric, not that much. I will admit, it is the kind of card that will stay in my stash forever, because I will be saving it for "just the right occasion" which never seems to come!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Papaya Collage idea

The trend of collage style layouts in scrap books has made a big hit in the card making world. Stampin' Up! is offering an interesting stamp set
called Papaya Collage. 


SU is known for stamp sets with related stamps, that match and are sized to work together. Interestingly, the items in Papaya Collage are completely unrelated!


There is a gorgeous frame, a branch of leaves, a pretty rose, a gorgeous butterfly, and the list goes on. I think I have managed to highlight how they are intended to work together, in this simple card. 


If you are staying inside today, out of the heat, give me a call. I would love an escape, the roofers are here, scraping, pounding and making the dog bark!


Happy stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Convention work

It is less than a month away, Stampin' Up! convention in Salt Lake city! We look forward to this all year, then suddenly it is upon us, then it will be happening, then it will be over, all so quick!

This pretty Cameo Coral card is the one I have prepared for a large shoebox swap we attend every year. There are up to 50 people participating, but half of the cards are a swap, the rest we will make at the event. It is so great to see a huge variety of cards.

I have chosen a collage cluster technique, with paper flowers I stamped, fabric, DSP, twine, button, rhinestone, paper piercing and a stamped punched image. Whew! Even though there are many elements, I think they work nicely together and there is still plenty of open space for the eye to rest.

Now I have to work on cards to swap on the convention floor. And roommate gifts. And comfortable shoes. No biggie.

Happy stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, June 22, 2012

Tired of stamping?



There is only one guy who wishes I did less stamping. My husband is totally supportive, my friends like to stamp with me, Stampin' Up! certainly supports my fun!

But Marky, he just wants me to rub his belly and feed him treats.

Last week, he was laying in the sun, watching out the window for the mailman. I thought it was safe to jump in the shower. But while I was distracted, he broke out all my customer orders, shredded six plastic bags of stamps and tools and completely annihilated a beautiful stamp set.

Lucky for me, the customer service rep at Stampin' Up! loved these pictures of the little terrier/terror, and replaced the stamp set for me, at no charge!  What a great company!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Stamp Sets for sale



Are you looking for a deal on a retired stamp set? Maybe you don't live nearby and missed the garage sale, or the intense heat scared you off. . . I still have one or two stamp sets that I need to clear out of here! Some of these are BRAND new in the box never seen ink, some are super duper loved and a big mess-o-ink, but every one of these sets is totally ready to stamp, a Stampin' Up! retiree and looking for a new home. Please pick out 3 or 4 sets, make me a bundle offer and let me ship these to your crafty clubhouse. Please!  First come first served! just email ( dtollaksen at wideopenwest dot com ) or call or comment here.

I have pictures of every set if you want to see what shape they are in and I could very well have a sample card to toss in the package as well!

Dreams du jour wood $12
Season of Joy wood $18
Sweet Season wood $12
Totally Tabs wood $8
Its Your Day wood $6
Things I love wood $10
Hello again wood $8
Tart & Tangy wood $8
On the green wood $6
Fresh Cuts wood $14
Pines & pointsettia wood $18
Linen wood $4
Sweet centers wood $19
All packed wood $19
Fun & fast notes wood $22
Defining Alphabet wood $29
Vintage Vogue wood $14
Vintage Vogue clear $12
Birthday Bakery wood $13
Pick a Petal wood $19
Of the Earth wood $8
Ephemera wood $4
Party Hearty wood $18
Tree Trimming wood $10
Animal Stories wood $10
Three Little Words wood $9
Short & Sweet wood $12
Bliss clear $13
Notes & Details clear $12
Awash w/ flowers clear $18
Rue des fleurs clear $16
Always Elegant clear $8
Posy Punch clear $9
Faith in Nature clear $8
Bouquet Bunch clear $7
Take It To Heart clear $16


Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

A morning without coffee...

Are you a coffee drinker? I took advantage of a sale at Caribou yesterday, it was just 2 bucks for a cold drink, anything on the menu! Well, once again, I am reminded that I shouldn't have so much caffeine!

A nice bright yellow card with a small cup of coffee, that is plenty for me! When I have a cold Caribou coffee with my lunch, I am watching Conan all the way to the end and switching over to see David Letterman and Alec Baldwin take off their trousers right on TV! Usually I'm snoring by 10:15, so late night TV can be a little shocking to my sensibilities!

I am trying to get ready for the Stampin' Up! convention in less than a month. I have registered, reserved a room and paid for an exorbitant flight. Now I have to make my swap cards. If only my friends would stop inviting me for sangria on the deck, a cold beer at Arlington Race Track and iced tea by the pool. Oh, wait. Those are awesome, don't stop inviting me. I'll just order one more cold coffee and stamp while Dave drops trou!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Final Spring Swap

I'm glad to see my favorite color on this, the final share from the Spring Shoebox Swap. Iris has had a fun spring of celebrating, with a bit of a butterfly theme.  Her son is getting married and Iris shared her love of crafting by making shower invites and decor. The bride requested butterflies, and the whole butterfly theme seems to have spilled over onto her beautiful swap card!

I love all the details of rounded corners, pearls and the pretty sheer white ribbon.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Swap and to all of you who enjoyed seeing the cards appear over the past month.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Spring Swap #20

Jill brought this beauty of a CAS card (clean and simple) to the shoebox swap. It is a classic example of paper/ink/stamp basic construction, but cranked up a notch or two with the five-petal punch and a rhinestone on each DSP flower.

Having the patterns for a couple CAS cards is a sure fire solution to the common problem of "I need a card right now!"

If you have a nice pattern like this, you can grab any sentiment, a pretty color of cardstock that matches a pretty DSP, and voila! a quick and easy card that you can produce at the drop of a hat!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Spring Swap #19

What did we do before we had punches? Adrienne brought this very pretty card to the Spring Shoebox Swap, and I just love it!

Of course the beautiful DSP (designer series paper) was the perfect choice, but the scalloped square punch paired with the square punch made the work easy. She was particular about the squares, choosing to punch the flowers so they are centered in the squares, then surrounded by a complimentary color of cardstock.

The punched border tricks the eye into seeing "texture" that isn't really there. This is a perfect card for mailing, as the "embellishments" are nice and flat and will slip into an envelope and through the post office machines without any hold ups or damage.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, June 15, 2012

Spring Swap #18

Bling!! Twitterpated DSP (designer series paper) set the color scheme for this fabulous card. Jeanne brought this card to the Spring Shoebox Swap. She wanted to feature the new Blossom Punch, and it really works!

After working on the color choices, the punched flower and the sentiment, Jeanne thought the card just needed. . . something else. We got out the silver glimmer paper and punched a couple fun shapes,  and that was just what it needed! A teeny little circle piece on top of the button and a five-petal punch shape in the middle of the stack of punched shapes.

It really brightens up the card. Just the right touch of bling without overpowering the composition. Love it!!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Spring Swap #17

Don't miss the details. . . Roberta brought this darling card to the Spring Shoebox Swap. Every time I see it, I think "it looks so familiar." Because I received a card just like it as a swap at convention last year. Bert and Kathy are smart stampers, like me, and take inspiration from cards received in swaps. Bert had seen this card, loved it, bought the set. When it came time for the Spring Swap, she knew exactly what she was bringing. Smart girl!

The main panel is stamped color on color AND textured using an embossing folder on the Big Shot. Love those kind of subtle details. So while there is lots of red area for your eye to rest on, the subtle details keep it interesting.

This card does a nice job with the 70-20-10 rule too -- 70% red, 20% white and a pop of green.  Well done!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Monday, June 11, 2012

Spring Swap #16

Great layout, right? I love the unique layout, the panel of razzleberry embossed with hearts, the large white panel, with a pretty flower and a beautiful sentiment. And lots of white space, clean and simple.

Kathy brought this card to the shoebox swap and it is a winner. It has texture from the embossing folder and the flower and ribbon; it has the 70-20-10 formula (mostly white, some green and a pop of razzleberry) and it is pleasing to the eye. What more could you ask for?

Thanks Kathy, it's a great card!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Spring Swap #15

Hosting an event like this Spring Shoebox Swap is a bit of work, but mostly it is full of rewards. One of the best is making friendships that last for years.

Pam came to our very first swap a few years ago. She has been a faithful stamper, attending every swap we host. And bringing a gorgeous card every time!

Here is a very patriotic card, I plan to use this to send to the hosts of an annual Independence Day party I love to attend. I think it's fun that a couple stars and the red, white & blue cardstock makes this a perfect patriotic card, even though she didn't have to invest in a specific stamp set.

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, June 8, 2012

Spring Swap #14

So, if you make a clean and simple card, using Bashful Blue and keep it monochromatic, will it be my favorite? Unfortunately, it's like picking your favorite child, I love them all, but for different reasons.

Chickie brought this beauty to the Spring Swap, and it has all the things I love, and it would definitely be on my short list of favorites!

Hope you are going to pop in tomorrow morning for some stamping bargains.  Doors open at 9 am Saturday morning, come on over before it gets too hot!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Spring Swap #13

Sue makes the best cards, always with a sparkle. And her work schedule is giving me withdrawal issues.  This awesome card demonstrates how easy it is to make an "engineering wonder" folded card, no extra materials required and a real pop of interest!

Sue has been required to work and has missed a couple of our stamping gatherings, then I missed adding her to a group email. Sorry Sue. It was great having her at the shoebox swap, especially when her card includes the new Summer Smooches DSP and a brand new stamp set!

Hope to see you Saturday at my Stampin' Garage Sale. Email me for directions if you live in the Chicago area and want to get your hands on some great deals!

Happy Stampin,
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Spring Swap #12

OK, how cool is this? Ursula brought this awesome card to the Spring Shoebox Swap. She has never stamped with me before, but she is friends with a couple of my customers. I was impressed with her creativity when I saw her ideas.  We put some colors together and I had the perfect ribbon from the Stampin' Up! catalog to make the tie and pocket doohickey, and the concept came to life.

It is always such a treat to have a really clever, masculine card! I know a few men will be pleasantly surprised with this lovely card this Father's Day!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Spring Swap #11

Oh, yea, this is a Wow! card. Julie brought this card to the spring swap, and it is already on the way to being a great card, just because she is using blue, which is my favorite color.  Of course it looks like there is some fussy cutting, but the bird and branch are actually cut using a punch.  I will have to quiz Julie, but I bet this is easier than it looks. Love the details and complexity and, of course, the blue!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Spring Swap #10

Trendy? Oh yea! Cupcakes are definitely the trendiest thing out there, crossing all categories: food, crafts, social media, style, you name it, cupcakes are trending in it.

Traci brought us this winner of a card, hitting all the great design points: keep your colors in one family (brights or neutrals or pastels); rule of 3 (repeat one element 3 times); KISS (keep is simple sister).

I love this cheerful card and I think Traci did a great job!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, June 1, 2012

Spring Swap #9

New catalog goes live today, and this gorgeous stamp set and punch made the jump from the last mini catalog into the full Stampin' Up! catalog. That doesn't happen often, so I am so glad to see this beautiful set stick around for at least another whole year.

Patty designed this beautiful card. I love that she popped up the center, even though it is simply the exact same center that the stamp is designed with, then the pearl in the center, just highlights the pretty details!

Isn't it interesting that she has lined up the left edges of the sentiment panel, the DSP panel and the card stock panel? The little details are what make a card appealing, without requiring a bunch of tools or tricks.

So pretty!


New Catalog Special:  I know a few of you are drooling over the new products, stamps and ink pads in the brand new Stampin' Up! catalog. So I want to offer you a little incentive to place an order with me right away!

Mystery Hostess: Anyone ordering from me in the next 24 hours (orders placed by email or phone by noon on Sat., June 2) will be in a drawing for a free hostess set. Depending on the total orders placed, your hostess benefit could be $25 hostess dollars, $30, $40 or more!  Get that wish list finalized and give me a call or shoot me an email to qualify!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen