Thursday, January 31, 2013

Lefty or righty?

Perfect balance is hard to achieve, sometimes you just have to go to the left or go to the right. . . these cards show that either one you choose looks just as good.

Have you seen the paper pad in the Spring catalog? It is only 5x6" instead of the typical 12x12" DSP (designer series paper).. Clearly designed for card makers instead of scrapbooking, the small size is perfect for cards. My Stamp Club members found they could get 3 dresses out of each 5x6" sheet, and the designs are gorgeous!

We loved the sentiment that comes with these dresses, "fashionably late. . . but worth the wait," but it is very wide, I can't figure out what Stampin Up was thinking, how we are supposed to fit it on a card with the dress.  So we just stamped it and snipped each word individually and made our own layout.

And the fabric flower makes the perfect simple embellishment, I hope these become a permanent fixture in our product line, I LOVE them! Again, they smoosh flat so your card can go in the mail without getting damaged or increasing the postage! Awesome! And you get 100 of them for a low low price! Fabulous!

Hope you have plans for Sale-a-bration, this is the best time to have a workshop. Give me a buzz to schedule your party before the free goodies go away forever!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen


Sunday, January 27, 2013

I won a major prize

What a fun day I spent, stamping with a bunch of great gals.  My "job" as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator has given me the gift of a large circle of wonderful friends. I spent the day with a bunch of them yesterday, visiting another group in Huntley, IL. We learned a few new business tips, enjoyed some great food and stamped! So fun.

As part of the fun, we brought swaps. . . cards we designed to feature Stampin' Up! products. I chose the great new "All Dressed Up" bundle, but instead of card stock, I made the dress out of fabric. Stampin' Up! offers these great fabrics that match our DSP (designer series papers) perfectly! Each of the swaps cards are entered into a judging contest, and I earned 3rd place.

It makes me happy, of course, but also makes me laugh. You remember the Dad in The Christmas Story? He won a major prize too, a fabulous lamp shaped like a woman's leg! I am happy to report that I received a gift certificate, and I will not be selecting a lamp/leg.

I would love for you to join me when I go to my next stamping event, it is one of the perks of being a demonstrator. Anyone can join, and you get to decide if you want to make a business of it OR simply enjoy the events, discounts, magazine and all the other perks. No strings attached, I swear!  Right now, the $99 demo kit includes $156 of merchandise, totally up to you what merchandise, and free shipping.  This is the BEST TIME TO JOIN!!!!! Just leave me a comment or give me a call!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen



Saturday, January 26, 2013

Last page

Here's my theory, Stampin' Up! puts the best stuff on the last page. I believe that the product is so strong, it will sell like hot cakes, no matter where they put it, so go ahead and bury it in the back, the stampers will find it, and love it.

Of course, that is where the All Dressed Up products are, in the new spring catalog. Do you have yours? If not, give me a nudge and I'll get you one!

 I am going to start at the back of every catalog from now on! Although, the gorgeous fabric flowers are right in front on page 5. This card is so gorgeous IRL (in real life). The necklace sparkles, the silver glimmer paper pops, and the skirt is fabulous in it's gorgeous fabric flower-ness.

I ordered 3 rolls of flowers, they should be here Monday. Each roll has 100 flowers on it! Everyone attending a party or workshop after Monday will be making this version of this card, gotta wait for the flowers!

Don't let Sale-a-bration pass you by, give me a call and let's pick a date to get together!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Friday, January 25, 2013

All dressed up!

 Decisions, decisions, the blue dress? The floral print? Yellow dots or petals? What to wear, what to wear?

The new stamps set All Dressed and the matching framelits are so FUN!  I grabbed this metal plaque long ago off the discount shelf and have been waiting for the perfect stampy project, and here it is!
Just flipped through all my current DSP (designer series paper), picked a few coordinating options, used the framelits to die cut the dresses and then embellished. It was a fun afternoon of coordinating, just like choosing a new spring wardrobe! Do you see the darling apron on the far right? I made it with the new Delicate Details Lace Tape on page 3 of the spring catalog, it is fabulous! Something more sturdy than paper, on a roll, with adhesive already to go! Fabulous!

Dig around in your stash and if you can't find a similar plaque or frame, I know Wal-Mart has a good shape frame for a bargain. Then, pick a date and let's get together to make one of these for your house!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Rough Stuff

Rough 'em up. . . we like to punch, stamp, even spritz, and now we can add rough 'em up to the repertoire! I used a panel of Coredinations textured cardstock that I ran through the Big Shot in the Adorning Accents embossing folder, then I used Stampin' Up! sanding block to remove the top layer of paper, revealing the white core.

I think it makes this pink and raspberry card just masculine enough to give to the Man in your life, even though it has a rhinestone, bakers twine, scalloped heart and plenty of feminine touches!

We will be making this beauty at all workshops occurring prior to "the big day," so act surprised when you attend or host.

And don't forget that this is the best time of year to be a hostess or to attend a party, we get to take advantage of Stampin' Up!s generosity. . . spend just $50 and choose a free stamp set or embellishment or paper pack! Double the order and double the freebies!  Just leave me a comment or give me a call to set your date. My calendar is nicely busy, but I have saved a good date for you!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Sale-a-Bration begins

 Listen Smarty Pants, finally I have a free set, just for you! Stampin' Up! offers a fab deal every winter and this Smarty Pants stamp is part of the deal. If you order $50 of product from me, you get to pick a free item from the special Sale-a-bration brochure, and this exclusive stamp set is one of the options!

Just leave me a comment or send me an email or shop online now (thru mid March) and get your free stuff!

More to come. . .

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Sunday, January 20, 2013

Tickets please

That's the Ticket stamp set it going to get a lot of use from me. I just love the little tickets, and with 8 in the set, there is plenty to select from.

This 3 x 3" card is just right to go with a small gift or to just drop into a lunch box. It has hearts and flowers, but it isn't over the top cutsey, just my style.

Don't forget that there are only two days left (2 DAYS LEFT) to take advantage of the two Valentines sets specials. Just leave a comment or go to my website to order: dtollaksen@stampinup.net

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen


Saturday, January 19, 2013

Facing the scale

 Size matters, and when you're working with 4.25" x 5.5 inches, it's easy to run out of space real fast.  When I first envisioned this card, I went for my flower punches and wanted to use the blossom builder or the blossom punch, but they were both too big. So I pulled out the Fun Flowers die for the Big Shot and found a flower that is just the right size, or the perfect scale for the card I had in mind.

We gathered last week to make a box of cards for "From Our Hearts" to forward to Afghanistan, to our Troops deployed there. These cards are blank inside, to allow the Troops to write home on a beautiful handmade card.  I thought this design was elegant, but still has some nice design details. Each card has a loop of bakers twine, two layers of petals, a bright pop of yellow and then Sue sat and patiently added silver dots to every flower, just for an bit of bling. We can't put glitter on cards going to the Troops. If one flake of glitter sticks to their uniform, it could endanger someone on a night patrol.

Clean and simple, with the scale just right, a great design for production line crafting!

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen


Friday, January 18, 2013

Is it special if there are 4 of them?

New Year, New programs: Stampin' Up! has gone over-the-top to offer you a program that fits you. If you thought we weren't paying attention to your needs, these options show we are trying to fix that!
Dude, You're Welcome Kit: just for guys! A very simple, striking, fun kit with men in mind. If you don't think your Dude will stamp, it is also perfect for you to use to create cards for Him! Order right here!

Do you want to stamp but you don't feel creative, don't want to unpack all your supplies, don't have time to fuss? Maybe a fun, exciting monthly delivery of a project kit is perfect for you. Subscribe to Paper Pumpkin and once a month I will send you a darling box of goodies to create one project or one card set. Trendy, affordable, and just enough creativity to satisfy your urge!

Click here www.mypaperpumpkin.com  to learn more or to subscribe.









Single Stamps: You always ask for the opportunity to choose just one special stamp for a special event. OK. That's right, OK. You can have these, Stampin' Up! has 10 individual stamps right now that are super popular and available: View the two assortments then go to my site to shop or just email me your wishes: Page 1   or   Page 2

These are available only for about 2 months, so if you think they are super cute, don't wait!






And 4th, but not least, we are celebrating our 25th Anniversary and one special is a re-visit of all-time favorites. Don't miss these monthly collections of Stampin' Up! oldies but goodies (plus a brand new stamp in each set)!  January's "Best of" Birthday Set is available NOW!  Do you remember any of them? Shop now!  Each month we will have a new set to take you down memory lane!


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Skip the snail mail

When designing, it is critical to consider the
 delivery method. This beauty is not going into an envelope with standard postage! This fancy flower is going to have to be part of the packaging, right? Hang it from the handle on a gift bag or slip it over the ribbon on a package, but it isn't going into an envelope!

Would you call this "clean and simple" because 2/3 of the card is plain, you can see the Crumb Cake base of the card. But the 1/3 of the card that is dressed-up is piled on! The Garden Green borders, the Very Vanilla panel with the DSP (designer series paper),  then the seam binding, then the bakers twine, then the ribbon flowers and the gold glittered leaves AND finally, the big honkin' Pool Party flower. . . collage style is probably more accurate than "clean and simple." But I love it!
Don't forget that there are just a few more days to take advantage of the Valentine specials happening, there is a short term stamp set and/or individual stamp, both with a free product included in the special price.  Just comment here (my email is currently busted, I'm sitting on hold right now).

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Para normal

Para-normal? Probably not the right descriptive, but it certainly isn't "normal." If there is anything that makes me gag, it is pink and red Valentines. There are loads of pink and loads of red hearts and flowers available. But I much prefer blue or neutral, so when I make a Valentine card, I don't even reach for those traditional shades.

Abnormal is probably the right term, as opposed to my outer-spacey reference! Enjoy a little Crumb Cake and very vanilla, a banner, and some hearts and "love" as seen here, or imagine the whole thing in reds and pinks. The great thing about making your own cards is that you get to pick your color scheme, arrange the embellishments and the recipient will love it -- because you made it special for them.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Valentine Simplicity


Sometimes simplicity is just the ticket, right? Nobody wants to be hi-jacked by a "hallmark holiday" and a lot of people feel that way about Valentine's Day. Not us card-makers, of course, but some people. So I thought this quick, no layers, no ink pads, no fussy-cutting, no Big Shot Super Simple project might find a few fans.

  I used the darling My Little Valentine stamp set that is on a super special right now. I grabbed a few markers and just colored marker right onto rubber and stamped onto Whisper White card stock, then used the heart punch. I did punch a tiny hole in the heart and string some red & white bakers twine through, so I can hang these on a water bottle, wine glass, or gift box. Whatever works for my Valentine! 

The Stamp set is only $9.95, only available until January 21 and a FREE card kit "Sealed with Love" is thrown in to sweeten the deal. Even though this is a Valentine set, only one of the 4 stamps actually says Valentine, the "I heart you" stamp is darling!

  Just comment or email me or go right online to shop! www.dtollaksen.stampinup.net

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen





Saturday, January 12, 2013

Double dipping

You know you're over the hill when. . . chalk boards are completely pointless, yet they are the current most-popular trend in crafting. Classrooms don't even have white boards anymore, they have Smart Boards now. There have been quite a few generations of changes since my days, when the most high tech solution was sharp chalk!

But, it is very easy to jump on-board this trend, with supplies you probably already have on hand! A bit of white ink, maybe some  embossing powder, black cardstock, and you are at the peak of the current trend!

Of course, everyone knows that banners are trendy, right?! So, this pretty card hits two trends at once, without trying too hard!

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, January 11, 2013

Hearts and flowers

 You know what it means when the hearts and flowers start showing up, right? St. Valentine's Day is right around the corner!

I have no objection to red or pink, but I like blue better! This new set, Hearts A Flutter, in the Spring catalog, gives us lots of great options. There are 5 fabulous hearts, and a few banner parts AND a matching framelit die set! Awesome!

On this card I also feature a fabric flower that is hiding in the new catalog. Go get your book. I'll wait. Now look on page 5, these flowers are sold on a ribbon for just $6.95 for two yards of them, so there must be more than 75 flowers (I didn't count before I started putting them on every card I make!).  They are fabulous, cheap and easy to use. Just pop a dimensional or glue dot on the back and take your card to a new level. And they smoosh flat, so if you are mailing the card, it won't add to the postage.

If you don't have the catalog, you certainly can shop online at www.dtollaksen.stampinup.net
or leave me a comment and I'll send you a catalog. I still like to circle my favorites and put post-it notes all over the book to mark ideas and faves.

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Monday, January 7, 2013

Incentive

25 years is a long time, right? When it was our 25th anniversary, we had a big party. My oldest child just turned 25 years old and we would have made a huge big deal of it, except the poor kid had just been deployed and spent his big day in Afghanistan.

Stampin' Up! is making a big deal of turning 25 this year, and you get all the presents! There is a new Spring catalog with tons of unbelievable embellishments, stamps, dies for your die cut machine (the Big Shot!) and new DSP (designer series paper). And if that isn't enough, it is almost Sale-a-bration time and I am hoping to squeeze you onto my calendar. Don't despair, there's plenty of dates to choose from, but don't wait either!

If you book soon, I have a bonus for you, beyond all the Silver Glimmer paper, free products and Sale-a-bration selections, I have one of these exclusive stamps packaged up prettily for you, to use on your fabulous Spring cards and projects.

Just leave me a comment here or shoot me an email and I'll save a date just for you!

Stampin' Up! is giving demonstrators so much more, there's a bonus on the starter kit during Sale-a-bration, there's a knock-out Convention planned this summer, there's always a ton of extra discounts on products, and exclusive web sites filled with inspiration. Join my group soon and I'll shower you with a full set of new Brights ink pads (I have one set to give away, don't hesitate!)

Happy Stamping!
Dee Tollaksen



Saturday, January 5, 2013

Carry-over

Did you think I was done with the Perfectly Preserved stamp set and matching framelits? Ha! Fooled ya!  I love these jars!  I apologize for the retired DSP (designer series paper) but it was just hanging around on my cutting table and looked so nice together.

The new  Spring mini-catalog is LIVE and we can all order these gorgeous fabric flowers. They come as a ribbon, and there are kagillions of them on the bolt. They just go on and on!

Gotta go, Marky just emptied the trash and is dragging cardstock bits all over the house.

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Friday, January 4, 2013

What good is a paper purse?

What would you do with a paper purse?  The obvious quick answer is "party favor." But not everyone has so many parties that require purse shaped favors. So I came up with a few more ideas . . . Mini-manicure kit, instant coffee klutch, jewelry gift holder, get well  presentation.

I was a guest at a cookie exchange during the holidays and the host wanted each guest to have an opportunity to make a little craft, so this is what we made, a purse from DSP (designer series paper) that could be feminine or masculine, and could be used for a variety of gift possibilities.

Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Packaging

It's great to be able to use my stamping supplies for all kinds of projects!  At stamp club in December, we made these darling bags from cardstock and DSP. They are super easy and quite an impressive way to give a little gift.

Happy stamping!
Dee Tollaksen

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

HNY

Best Wishes for a Wonderful 2013