Yesterday I shared the Stampin' Up! video on using the new letterpress plates available in the Holiday Mini catalog. Today I want to share some tips I discovered for using these plates. This technique is a new one for me and I invested in all four of the letterpress plates Stampin' Up! offers so I could share my experiences using this technique with you. After some experimenting over the weekend, I tweeked the process a little.

I found it difficult to keep the card stock from moving so I laid it down and taped it on the multipurpose platform, taped the letterpress plate to the cutting pad, and inked the plate. Be sure to wipe off any ink that gets on the flat parts of the plate with a damp paper towel. Then I turned the letterpress plate/cutting pad over and laid it on the cardstock.

I wanted a slightly deeper impression so put a card stock shim down on the multipurpose platform before the piece of card stock I was printing. I also wanted to use Baja Breeze ink but did not have that color in craft ink. I first inked the plate with Versamark and then the Baja Breeze classic ink.

I love the soft color that resulted. Wouldn't this notecard make a lovely gift for someone for Christmas?

The letterpress plates are fun to use and produce such elegant projects. Click here to visit my online store to order your supplies. Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment so I know you were here.

Blessings,

Sue

  Stamp: Lovely Letters Alphabet (115030)

Paper: Shimmery White (101910), Baja Breeze card stock (111352)

Ink: Versamark (102283), Baja Breeze Classic ink (111833)

Other: Curly Label Punch (119851), Scallop Trim Border Punch (118402), Northern Trim Letterpress Plate (120982)

I love playing along with the Stamping 411 operators over at Stamping 411. Here is today's sketch:

And here is my version. I have only 3 weeks to get convention swaps done before we leave home for the Lower 48 and I have had a terrible creative block. I think I will tweak this card a little and make it as one of my convention swaps. Thanks for the sketch and idea, Selene! Thanks for stopping by and visiting today. Please leave me a comment so I know you visited.
Blessings,

Sue

Stamp Set: Always

Ink: Marina Mist, Early Espresso

Card Stock: Certainly Celery, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso

Other: Very Vanilla 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Scallop Edge Border Punch

By now, you have probably had a chance to see the Summer Mini Catalog that Stampin' Up! publishes. If you haven't, contact me at sue@soggystamper.com with your address and I will be happy to send you one. My favorite product is the Go, Graduate stamp set. It is available in either the standard wood mount or in Stampin' Up!'s new clear mount. I positively love the stamp with all the feet showing beneath the graduation gowns. The variety of shoes is so true of graduates!

I needed a graduation card for a friend and co-worker who has been taking online classes for 40…yes 40…years to get her bachelor's degree. She finally finished and graduated a couple of weeks ago. Since I was giving her a tea cup that had a lavender floral design on it, I decided to make the card feminine and used the Cottage Wall Designer Series paper and coordinating colors. I hope you enjoy the card.

Now is the time to order this set! You can receive it in time to make darling graduation cards for those favorite June graduates. Go to my online store and click on the 'Order Now' button. The stamp set number is 118519 at a price of $18.95 for the wood mount and number 120054 at a price of $14.95 for the clear mount.

Thanks for coming to visit today. Do come back soon! I will be posting another graduation card created with this set on Thursday. Please take time to leave a comment with your favorite product from this mini catalog.

Blessings,

Sue

Stamp Set: Go, Graduate

Ink: Old Olive

Paper: Old Olive and Orchid Opulence card stock, Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper

Other: Scallop trim punch, retired taffeta ribbon

I'm still loving this stamp set Tote-ally Tess! This time Tess is sending you love hearts and butterfly kisses. The Stamping 411 sketch this weekend is this:

The first card I have made for this challenge also meets the challenge on Utah Divas International to featur Stampin' Up!'s new set I {Heart} Hearts and the second card is for a swap I joined featuring some of my favorite new toys from the Occasions Mini Catalog. I hope you enjoy the cards and thanks for visiting! Blessings, Sue

Stamp Sets: I {Heart} Hearts, Tote-ally Tess, Teeny Tiny Wixhes

Card Stock: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Whisper White

Inks: Basic Brown, Rose Red, Versamark, Creamy Caramel marker

Other: Small heart punch, Word Window punch, Organza Ribbon, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Spritzer tool , Aqua Painter

Stamps: Whimsical Words, Tote-ally Tess

Paper: Orchid Opulence, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron and Whisper White card stock, Shades of Spring Designer Series paper

Ink: Basic Brown, Chocolate Chip

Other: Scallop Trim punch, Scallop Corner punch, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Gold Shimmer paint mixed with alcohol in a spray bottle (though the shimmer doesn't show up on the scan), Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Aqua Painter

I accepted the challenge this weekend on Stamping 411 to make a card according to the following sketch.  

This is the card I created using My Digital Studio. This program is great because you have the use of a great variety of stamp sets that you may not have in your stamp room. I do have Cheep Talk but I don't have Greatest Moments nor do I have dotted Certainly Celery designer paper. For $79.95, you can't beat the value! Order your My Digital Studio by going to my online store. You can even choose to only buy the files you want to use if you already have a favorite image processing program.

Stamps: Cheep Talk, Greatest Moments

Colors: Bashful Blue and Always Artichoke

Other: Whisper white grograin ribbon, Certainly Celery dotted designer paper

Welcome to the new year! I created this card for you using the My Digital Studio program Stampin' Up! sells. With this program you have access to many of the same images, embellishments, punches, and papers Stampin' Up! carries in the big Idea Book and Catalog at a fraction of the cost. Once you have created your project you have the option of either printing it out yourself, sending it electronically to the Stampin' Up! partnered professional printer, or sharing it on the web as I am doing with you. Click here to access my online store to order your own copy of My Digital Studio. You can even just order individual files to download if you already have a favorite image processing program. Here is the card

This is the third watercolor technique I want to share with you. Stamp your image with Stazon Black ink or Stampin' Up!'s Craft Black ink that you have allowed to dry thoroughly or heat set. Pick up color from your Watercolor Wonder crayon with an aqua painter and color in your image. I use the blunt end of my watercolor crayon so the tip stays sharp for other uses. This card used the Sizzix Movers and Shapers with the circle die from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Movers set of dies found in the Holiday mini catalog to cut out a circle in the front of the card. The image was stamped on Naturals White cardstock with Black Craft ink. After heat setting the ink I colored in the image with my aqua painter and watercolor wonder crayons. Then I punched out the image using the scallop circle punch and mounted it on the inside of the card under the circle cutout. Inside there is a verse from the Grateful Greetings stamp set found in the Holiday mini catalog. I love the wording of the verse…"The truest measure of our thanksgiving is how we use the blessings for which we give thanks." The card is finished off with Grateful Greetings stamped Naturals White cardstock and layered on Dusty Durango cardstock. A length of Dusty Durango dotted grosgrain ribbon is tied around the card front. You can buy the supplies for this card through my online store by clicking here.

Stamp set: Grateful Greetings, A Flower for all Seasons

Ink: Black Craft Ink

Cardstock: Naturals White, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango

Other: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Scallop Circle Punch, Dusty Durango dotted grosgrain ribbon, Sizzix Movers and Shapers, Stampin' Up! Holiday Movers

This is a second watercolor technique I want to share with you. I call this technique Watercolor Spritz. Here is the sample card:

For this technique, color directly on the rubber of your stamp with different colors of markers. Start with the lightest marker first and be sure to clean any other color of ink off the tip of your marker before putting the lid back on. Once you have the image colored the way you want, lightly spritz the face of the stamp with water holding the spray bottle about 12 inches above the stamp. Then stamp on your cardstock. This technique gives a beautiful blend of colors as in this fall tree. Click here to order supplies for this card.

Stamp Sets: Lovely as a Tree, Holiday Best (Hostess Level 1 set)

Card stock: Dusty Durango, Soft Suede

Inks: Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, and Always Artichoke markers

Other: spray bottle of water, Soft Suede dotted grograin ribbon

Over the next three days I am going to share cards that display different watercoloring techniques. The card I am sharing this first day has a watercolor wash using Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Wonder crayons. Here is the card:

Here are the directions for the background:

1.  Scribble on watercolor paper with three colors of Watercolor Wonder crayons. I used Only Orange, Summer Sun and Always Artichoke.

2. Using the larger brushed Aqua Painter, paint across the scribbles with a generous amount of water to blend the colors together. Too much blending will muddy the colors though.

3. Allow to dry, then stamp image.

Stamp set: Thoughts and Prayers

Card stock: Always Artichoke

Ink: Basic Black

Other: watercolor paper, brads, aqua painter, Watercolor Wonder Crayons

I am sitting in my motel room waiting to catch a ferry home so have been playing with My Digital Studio. What fun! Since Halloween is just days away, I decided to make a Halloween card. I do not own any of the stamps used in real life so this has been great! I used Pumpkin Pie cardstock for the base of this card and Cast-a Spell Designer Series Paper, a newly released download. The stamp sets are Extreme Elements and Eat, Drink and be Scary. I used a Felt Marker font that is on my computer for the 'BOO' letters. The first card incorporates Stylized Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware. I added the frames to my card because I needed something in the space on the left side of the card. Then I didn't like them there so, with a stroke or two on my keyboard, I deleted them. No holes were left in my cardstock and no brads were wasted! Then I decided to put them back in…no problem…just undo 'delete'!

This second card is the version without the frames. I like this better! I originally added eyelets next to the lettering but they were too small so I changed them out for the brads. Using the grid and 'snap to grid' features made lining the brads up a cinch. Now, if I wanted to make an actual card of this design, all I have to do it make it. All the fiddling and designing details have been worked out without wasting any supplies. What a benefit of the My Digital Studio program. Click here to purchase the program and the newly released downloads from my online store.

I love this easy technique from the newest issue of the Technique Junkies Newsletter. I used a piece of the Afternoon Tea Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up! You only have through tomorrow to take advantage of the May special where you buy 3 packages of DSP and get the 4th for free. Go to my online store to see the wonderful choices and then place your order.

Thanks for coming to visit. Come back soon!

Stamp Sets: Warm Words, Baroque Motifs

Card Stock: Apricot Appeal, Marigold Morning (retired)

Afternoon Tea DSP

Ink: Always Artichoke

Sizzix Flower Burst Embosslit Die

I am enjoying using the exclusive Stampin' Up! Top Note die for the Big Shot. In this card, I have cut the design out of three different colors of cardstock. I ran two of them through the Big Shot using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder. The Very Vanilla die cut is stamped with a portion of the coordinating stamp from the Sell-a-Bration 'Yummy" stamp set. I colored the part of the stamp I wanted with markers a nd then stamped it on my die cut. Sell-a-Bration starts on Sunday and I am so excited about the choices of limited edition stamp sets, the ribbon bundle, and the designer paper that is available for free with each $50 in purchase of stamps and supplies from the new Spring/Summer 2009 Catalog and Idea Book. Contact me to place an order or click the online order button to go directly to my online store.

Stamp set: Yummy
Card Stock: Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Very
          Vanilla, Always Artichoke
Ink: Always Artichoke
Always Artichoke and Pixie Pink Stampin' Write
          Markers

Do you love scrapbook papers but don't make scrapbooks? You can still enjoy the beauty of these papers. Just use them on your cards! I have made only a few scrapbook pages but have used the lovely papers over and over again on my cards. This  Christmas card uses Stampin' Up!'s Ski Slope Designer Paper to embellish the card.
Go to my DBWS or email me to order the supplies for this card.

Materials:
Stamp set: Best Yet (Level 1 Hostess set)
Card stock: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss
Ink: Basic Black
Ski Slope Designer Paper
White taffeta ribbon