10 Minutes or Less

Too Kind Stamping Video

I thought today I would do a technique video for you. The new Too Kind stamp set is a great simple stamp set to make wonderful quick and easy cards. Here I chose a fun color combination using my new color coach for a great little card set. Enjoy!

Two Step Stamping Technique Video

Measurements –

Whisper White card front – 3 5/8” x 4 7/8”
Early Espresso – 3 3/4” x 5”
Whisper White Card Base – 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”

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Stamp Sets – Too Kind (130450c, 130447w) Ink – Early Espresso (126974), Calypso Coral (126983), Wild Wasabi (126959) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Early Espresso (119686) Finishing Touch – Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)

Filed Under: 10 Minutes or Less, Cards, Clean and Simple, Techniques, Videos Tagged: CAS, clean and simple cards, Simple Cards, stampin up demonstrator, stampin up discount, too kind stamp set, two step stamping technique

Six Sided Sampler Fun Card

Written by Ingrid Blackburn 2 Comments

I have been dying to get my hands on the new Hexagon Punch and Six Sided Sampler stamp set. Today I made a quick Clean and Simple (CAS) card for one of my fun little make-n-takes for tonight’s New Catalog Kick Off stampin’ party at my house. I’m breaking out all the new goodies that arrived in my box yesterday fresh off the UPS truck from Utah. I just love the smell of new stuff! Smile

You’ll have to stop by tomorrow to see the other fun card made with Beautifully Baroque and Baroque Motif all the gals are going to make tonight. Here are a few tips about this fun new set from the new 2013-2014 Catalog. If you don’t have one, click here to find out how to get one shipped directly to you!

Creative Tips –

The first thing I whipped out of my box was my brand new color coach. This is a stampin’ girls or guy’s best friend. I quickly flipped to a color that I love – pool party and chose the top color combination of Pool Party, Crushed Curry and Old Olive. I wanted a nice bright cheery card.
Next I stamped several of the hexagon images in my three colors, being careful to line them up just right. I trim my stamps down to the edge which makes it easier for me to see exactly where my image is.
I stamped the pool party hexagons also on my whisper white card stock because I needed to see where my punches would be placed.
I alternated colors as I went so that everything would be spaced just right.
I stamped two hexagons on a piece of scrap paper and punched them out using the brand new hexagon punch. I can see that we will quickly become friends!
I just love the three sayings that come with this stamp set (one of my favorite things – when stamp sets have sayings). I chose the one I liked the best and stamped it in my main color – Pool Party in the open space.
My white front is 3 3/4” x 5”, my pool party front is 3 7/8” x 5 1/8” and my white card base is 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”.
I added a few small Pearl Basic Jewels to add a little fun finishing touch to my card and popped up my two punched hexagons.

You can see that I free hand stamped this card, if I was worried about being absolutely precise, I would use a Stamp-a-Majig. I hope you love this fun little card! See you tomorrow – off to finish setting up for everyone today….be sure to check back for specials, retired merchandise and online fun tomorrow. Smile

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Stamp Sets – Six Sided Sampler (130956c, 130953w), Six Sided Sampler Bundle (132724c, 132725w) Ink – Pool Party (126982), Crushed Curry (131173), Old Olive (126953) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Pool Party (122924) Cool Tools – Hexagon Punch (130919) Finishing Touch – Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)

Filed Under: 10 Minutes or Less, Cards, Clean and Simple, The Creative Grove Tagged: CAS, clean and simple cards, diy cards, Hexagon punch cards, online stamping classes, stampin up demonstrator, stampin up discount, Stampin Up Six-Sided Sampler Cards

Swallowtail Emboss Resist

Written by Ingrid Blackburn 4 Comments

The Swallowtail stamp is one of my favorites to create an simple but elegant card in just minutes. Today I decided to emboss and show you a little emboss resist.

Creative Tips:

I like stamping with the swallowtail stamp on an angle. To me it’s like she’s in flight. Try it at different angles.
This is a detailed stamp, so I encourage you to use an Embossing Buddy first on your Whisper White card stock.
Next ink up your image in Versamark ink. Versamark is a watermark pigment ink. It’s sticky – that’s how we’re going to get the embossing powder to stick to it. Because it’s a watermark ink, stamped on a color, you immediately have a faint (watermark) matching color of ink – it’s a must have!
Next I poured White Embossing Powder all over my Swallowtail image. Because our powder is so fine, it really gets into the detail of this stamp well. If you haven’t tried Stampin’ Up! embossing powder, I encourage you to do so. I guarantee you’ll notice the difference, my customers swear by it!
Melt your powder using our Heat Tool being sure to really get the entire image. Tip – if your powder looks grainy and not smooth, it’s not melted. With an image this large it’s easy to miss some, so take your time and check.
I used Tangerine Tango to color my butterfly. I gave my project a couple of minutes to cool, and then sponged my Classic Tangerine Tango directly over my image. The raised embossed image resists the ink and pops. It’s a cool technique that’s a big wow.
To finish my project off, I sponged around the edge to create a frame.

You can over emboss, and there’s no real fix for that. Before I joined the Stampin’ Up! sisterhood, I over embossed all the time. I would get so frustrated because my images always looked really funny and not that pretty. My embossing powder would turn this funky color, and you just knew it wasn’t right. I guess that’s why I’m not a good griller either…I always over cook the meat. It never looks done…lol!

This is a simple project that really comes together in minutes. I love the simplicity of it. Now it’s your turn!

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Stamp Sets – Swallowtail (129213w, 129216c), Thanks so Much (retired) Ink – Versamark (102283), Tangerine Tango (126946) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Tangerine Tango (111349) Cool Tools – Heat Tool (129053), Embossing Buddy (103083), White Embossing Powder (109132)

Filed Under: 10 Minutes or Less, Cards, Techniques Tagged: Cards, emboss resist, handmade cards, online stamping classes, Order Stampin Up Online, stampin up demonstrator, stampin up discount

Best of Butterflies Flight

Written by Ingrid Blackburn Leave a Comment

Sometimes we just need a quick and elegant card for an occasion. Today I needed a birthday card that was impressive, but didn’t take a ton of time. The Best of Butterfly set is perfect for this occasion. Who doesn’t like butterflies? I decided to go with one of my favorite retiring colors – River Rock. River Rock looks stunning with Basic Black, so my choices today were quite simple.

It’s my son in-law Jeff’s birthday today, and I thought this card would be perfect. The colors are neutral, and the butterfly is cool. And since he’s a cool guy, it’s a perfect fit.

Creative Tips:

I wanted to add a little splash of color, so I inked up my clear D stamp block in River Rock and stamped it on a piece of Whisper White card stock.
I popped the butterfly image on top in Basic Black and gave it a quick zap with my heat gun to set the black ink.
The greeting is from the set You’re Amazing, and although I probably could have put it on an accent using Apothecary Accents Framelits, I thought it was better by itself today.
I popped up the Butterfly once I matted it on Basic Black. I thought it needed just a little pop of elegance, so I added a few Pearl Basic Jewels for a nice effect.
When adding Pearls, I like to place them in three in an asymmetrical triangle. So I used two below connecting to the point within the Butterfly and three above.
I refrained from wanting to place more pearls in the design portion of the greeting as it was too much. As a rule – when you want to stamp or place one more somewhere – stop!

This card took just a few minutes to put together and is a great go to card for any occasion. I hope you love the end result just as much as I do.

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Upcoming Blog Tour

Be sure to stop by this Sunday for the 25th Anniversary Blog Tour featuring this cool stamp set. 20+ stampers with great ideas – you won’t want to miss it.

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Stamp Sets – Best of Butterflies (133345c) You’re Amazing (126722c, 126720w) Ink – River Rock (126977), Basic Black (126980) Paper – Whisper White (100730), River Rock (126977). Basic Black (126980) Cool Tools – D Clear Stamp Block (118485) Finishing Touch – Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)

Filed Under: 10 Minutes or Less, Cards, Clean and Simple, Masculine Tagged: 25th Anniversary Stamp Sets, diy cards, online stamping classes, Order Stampin Up Online, stampin up demonstrator, stampin up discount

Simply Sketched Simplicity

Written by Ingrid Blackburn 6 Comments

I am in love with the new Simply Sketched hostess stamp set, I just can’t stop using it. This is a little sneak peek into a cool new set available as hostess stampin’ rewards starting May 31st. (Tip – any order over $150 qualifies for hostess stampin’ rewards – you don’t have to have a party to get this – although you most certainly can – book, in person, or virtual!) I wanted to make a quick and simple card showcasing the natural beauty of the images, so I started with the poppy image.

Creative Tips:

I really wanted the star of the card to be the poppy image, so I cut a block just the size of the image – 1 3/4” x 3”.
I used Jet Black StazOn as my outline, and then watercolored my image using the Aqua Painters.

I used the new colors as my muse and made my poppy Crisp Cantaloupe (quickly becoming a favorite) with some Strawberry Slush highlights. For the stem I went to returning color Pear Pizazz. I added a little emphasis in the center of the flower using my Classic Basic Black ink as well.
Three sayings come in this set making this a quite versatile stamp set. I quickly made a banner for the greeting.

I only popped the poppy image up so it really highlighted it.
I chose a white on white approach which really looks classic and elegant.

White on white cards are beautiful – if you haven’t made one yet, I encourage you to try. Best of all, this card took all of about 5 minutes from start to finish. So enjoy making one with one of your stamp sets today! Me, I’m getting ready for the CG Crew to come over and play with all the new fun things in the new catalog during our team meeting. Wish you could come play with us today!

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Be sure to tune in tomorrow – it’s the RemARKable Stamp of the Month Blog Tour! Tomorrow we will be showcasing the stamp set – By the Tide, one of my favorites. So tune in tomorrow – have a great Saturday!

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Stamp Sets – Simply Sketched (129672c, 129669w) Ink – Crisp Cantaloupe (131176), Strawberry Slush (131178), Pear Pizazz (131180), Jet Black StazOn (101406), Basic Black (126980) Paper – Whisper White (100730) Cool Tools – Aqua Painters (103954), 1” Square Punch (102094) Finishing Touch – Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

Filed Under: 10 Minutes or Less, Cards, Clean and Simple Tagged: CAS, online stamping classes, Order Stampin Up Online, Simple and Classic, stampin up demonstrator, stampin up discount

Banner Flag Video Tutorial

Written by Ingrid Blackburn Leave a Comment

Have you ever wondered how to make a perfect banner flag? I love adding these to a card for an embellishment, greeting or just that little something that the project needs.

Yesterday I showed you a card that had five banners on it. To see all the creative tips and details to that project, just Click Here. Of course, I have banners in almost all my projects it seems over the last year. Banners have seemed to become one of my signatures in my cards and scrapbook pages, so for today, I made a video to show you exactly how I make this simple little detail.

I think you’ll find that you too can make a perfect banner flag without driving yourself crazy! I hope you enjoyed this video, have fun creating today.

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Retired Stamp Sets Retired Accessories List

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Filed Under: 10 Minutes or Less, Techniques, Tools, Videos Tagged: diy cards, online stamping classes, scrapbooking, stampin up demonstrator, stampin up discount, Stamping, stamping video tutorials

Stampin’ Up! Best of Flowers

Written by Ingrid Blackburn Leave a Comment

Stampin’ Up!’s 25th Anniversary collection continues with the Best of Flowers set this past month. This is a great collection of some of the most popular flower stamps from the past quarter of a century. The images are smaller than the original ones (which makes me sad, but it’s new! And of course there is a new image too – we can’t forget that!

Today I wanted to showcase the hydrangea stamp from this set. When I grew up in San Francisco, we had two huge bushes that bloomed so beautifully with these large gorgeous blue/lavender colored flowers. So this card takes me back to my childhood.

Creative Tips:

I wanted the flower to take center stage here, so I stamped it in Jet Black StazOn ink and watercolored it using my Aqua Painters and the Wisteria Wonder, Marina Mist, and Garden Green Classic Ink Pads.
When Watercoloring, I was careful not to use too much water as I stamped directly on my Ultrasmooth Whisper White paper rather than our Watercolor Paper. I began by coloring the entire flower with the Wisteria Wonder and then highlighted a few flowers – mostly around the black centers with the Marina Mist.

For the leaves, I colored the entire leaf, from the center out and then highlighted the veins and center to add a little depth.
I paired my image with some of the Wisteria Wonder Designer Paper from the 2011-2012 In Color Paper Stack.
I added a panel of Garden Green Cardstock but wanted a little more depth, so I used my Color Spritz Tool and a Garden Green Stampin’ Write Marker to give a little splash of color so that it did not seem so plain.
For my greeting, I wanted to add a few vertical banners, so I chose a great saying from Petite Pairs – a quite versatile set. I think I’m here for you is a fitting saying for my hydrangea.
I added a little Wisteria Wonder banner behind my greeting banner but it was too loud just plain. To subdue it I ran my ink pad directly over it a few times for a little texture.
And as a finishing touch, I added three different sized Pearl Basic Jewels as an accent.

I love the final result. It’s clean, simple and to the point. This flower used to be close to the size of the Garden Green panel, but I rather like it’s new size. It’s an update on a classic. I hope you love the Best of Flowers set – get it while you can!

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for another project with this set and then Sunday for…

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Stamp Sets – Best of Flowers (133342c), Petite Pairs (122495w, 122497c) Ink – Wisteria Wonder (126984), Garden Green (126973), Marina Mist (126962), Jet Black StazOn (101406), Garden Green Stampin’ Write Marker – Regal Collection (119701) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Wisteria Wonder (119683), Garden Green (102584), 2011-2012 DSP Stack (122384) Cool Tools – 1” Square Punch (124094), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Aqua Painters (103954) Finishing Touch – Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246)

Filed Under: 10 Minutes or Less, Cards, Clean and Simple Tagged: Best of 25 Stamps, exclusive stamps, online stamping classes, Order Stampin Up Online, stampin up demonstrator, stampin up discount

Swallowtail Sparkle

Written by Ingrid Blackburn 8 Comments

I can not stop using the Swallowtail Stamp this spring. I’ve used it every which way I know how and now I thought I’d make it sparkle and shimmer. This card comes together in a matter of minutes and looks like a work of art. You have to try it yourself!

Creative Tips:

I always use an embossing buddy to keep all those little stray Embossing Powder pieces from sticking, but forgot on this one. I’m sure you can see where little bits stuck! Usually it’s not such a big deal, but on a black background it really shows. See, even I mess up too!
The camera captured the luminosity and amazing colors of this cool Embossing Powder pretty well. It still looks better in person – you’ll have to trust me on that.
This card is great for special occasions or just that friend you have that always has to bling it up!
I didn’t want to take away from the beauty of the EP with the stamp, so I didn’t add a greeting. I don’t think it really needed one.

So what do you think of my new website? It’s starting to come together! Be sure to sign up for my Creative Tips mailings. You’ll get creative tips that won’t be posted anywhere else, special videos, promotions and be the first to be in the know!

Be sure to check back frequently – I have a lot more in store for The Creative Grove. It’s evolving every day! Have a happy Easter weekend!

To Shop 24/7 in the Creative Store – Click here!

Stamp Sets – Swallowtail (129213w, 129216c) Ink – Versamark (102283) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Tangerine Tango (111349), Basic Black (121045) Cool Tools – Heat Tool (129053), Embossing Buddy (103083), Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder (101930)

Filed Under: 10 Minutes or Less, Cards Tagged: online stamping classes, Order Stampin Up Online, quick and easy cards, stampin up cards, stampin up discount, swallowtail stamp

Too Kind Stamping Video

Six Sided Sampler Fun Card

Swallowtail Emboss Resist

Best of Butterflies Flight

Simply Sketched Simplicity

Banner Flag Video Tutorial

Stampin’ Up! Best of Flowers

Swallowtail Sparkle

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