Timeless Treasure #8 Sand eraser

How many times have you completed the perfect card and then noticed a smudge of ink where it doesn't belong? You either had ink on your hands or set the card on a stamp you have yet to clean. Or dropped a dirty stamp on the finished card! I've done all of these so many times I can't even begin to count.  A lot of the time an embellishment or the relocation of one of the card elements can cover the boo boo, but sometimes not. If the mark is small it can easily be removed with a sand eraser. I purchased my first eraser at  a local stamp store but have subsequently found them less expensive for a package of four on Amazon than I paid for just one at the store.  Great tool to have on hand! 

Tip:  Make sure the ink is dry before you attempt to erase it so it doesn't smudge any more.  Gently erase with a small circular motion.

Link below to the item on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Bulk-Buy-Tombow-Crafts-Eraser/dp/B005P1RKM0/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1U3ZWTUGW5UG1&keywords=sand+eraser&qid=1561914420&s=gateway&sprefix=sand+e%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-6

Bonus Days are a comin'!!!!

Hi all - tis the season - SU!'s annual Bonus Days promotion will soon be underway!

• Earning Period July 1 - July 31, 2019
• You will earn a coupon code valued at $5 for every $50 you spend.
• An email address is required to participate; Bonus Days coupon codes can be delivered only via email.
• If you earn multiple codes from a single order, you will receive one email with multiple codes. If you earn multiple codes from multiple orders, you will receive separate emails for each code earned.
• There is no limit to the number of coupon codes you can earn per order or throughout the duration of the Bonus Days earning period. 
• The bonus coupon redemption period is Aug. 1 - 31, 2019. 

"Follow by email" function added!!!

This is for all the folks that asked the question, "How will I know when you post?"  In the right side bar is the widget that will allow you to receive email notifications. It is just under the "Search Blog" box. Add your email here and you'll be notified whenever I post something.  Please note - I'm going to try to post everyday so if you don't want to clog your email - don't sign-up!  You will only receive notifications once a day - even if I post 10 times in one day. (Yeah, I don't see THAT happening!)  Also, you may unsubscribe at any time. The "unsubscribe" link will be at the bottom of the email notifications.

Tip - How to Easily Die Cut with an Intricate Die

During last night's In-Color Club I used the butterflies from the Butterfly Beauty Die set.  I pre-cut the butterflies for time saving purposes.  The girls were so thankful for that because they felt that it would be painful having to cut the butterflies because of how the die was so detailed. I reminded them of the "dryer sheet" technique.  Of course a few of them looked at me like I had two heads!  I promised that I'd post the technique for them today.  Hope it makes it easier with the photos.

 This is the only brand of dryer sheets that I was able to find that are unscented.  Not sure if it makes a difference or not if you use regular dryer sheets, but keep in mind that if you do use scented dryer sheets your card stock will be scented.    

   Open and flatten 4 sheets and then fold in half bringing the left side to the right side. 

    Place your die on a piece of card stock and run through your die cut machine one time. 

   Without removing the paper from the die place, the die/paper on the folded dryer sheets. (Remember, there will be 8 layers now!)  If the outside paper falls away when you lift it from the cutting platform, that's okay. You just need to make sure the rest of the paper is still embedded in the die. 

  Run the card stock, die and dryer sheets through the cutting machine one time.

  Remove the die. The card stock will be adhered to the dryer sheet.

 Carefully peel away the card stock from the dryer sheet.

Note:  You may use the dryer sheet "packet" a number of times. I often crumple it a little when there are lots of the little chads left behind and they fall off pretty easily.  I then just smooth it out a bit. I've also opened up the "packet" and turned it inside out so I have a completely clean surface.  Use both sides of the "packet" as well!  I probably get anywhere from 10 - 20 uses from the "packet" depending on the size of the dies I used. 

In-Color Club - June 2019 Seaside Spray

In-Color Club – Seaside Spray

Blue Kaleidoscope

Paper

Seaside Spray

Whisper White (inside also)

Blueberry Bushel

Ink

Seaside Spray

Lovely Lipstick

Soft Seafoam

Stamps

Itty Bitty Greetings

Delightful Day (inside sentiment)

Beauty Abounds

Dies

Butterfly Beauty

Layering Circles

Misc

Blueberry Bushel grosgrain ribbon, Polka Dot Tuelle Ribbon, Fun Foam, Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots (Lovely Lipstick)

  

• Stamp elements from Beauty Abounds randomly with Seaside Spray, Lovely Lipstick and Soft Seafoam ink on panel of Whisper White cardstock ( 3 ¾ x 5). Adhere stamped panel to Blueberry Bushel panel (4 x 5 ¼ )
• Adhere ribbon to back of panels, layering the Blueberry Bushel ribbon on top of the Polka Dot Tulle ribbon. Adhere all to Seaside Spray folded card
• Stamp sentiment on Whisper White with Lovely Lipstick scrap. Die cut with small circle die. Die cut a slightly larger scalloped circle from a scrap of Blueberry Bushel and adhere sentiment to this. Adhere a fun foam circle to the back before adhering to the card.
• Assemble all as in sample.
• Inside: Stamp a few of the elements from Beauty Abounds with Seaside Spray ink. Stamp sentiment with Lovely Lipstick in center of card.

In-Color Club - June 2019 Seaside Spray

In-Color Club – Seaside Spray

Butterflies in Blue

Paper

Seaside Spray

2019-2021 6x6 DSP

Crumb Cake

Whisper White (inside)

Blueberry Bushel

Ink

Seaside Spray

Blueberry Bushel

Crumb Cake

Stamps

Butterfly Gala

Itty Bitty Greetings

Dies

Butterfly Beauty

Stitched Shapes

Layering Ovals

Misc

2019-2020 Faceted Dots, Fun Foam

        Instructions

• Stamp butterflies randomly with Seaside Spray ink on panel of Seaside Spray cardstock ( 2 ½ x 4 ¼ ). Adhere to Crumb Cake panel (2 ¾ x 4 ½ ). Adhere a piece of fun foam to the back of the Crumb Cake panel. ( 2 ½ x 4 ¼ ).
• Adhere strip ( 2 x 5 ½ )of DSP to left side of Seaside Spray folded card
• Stamp sentiment with Blueberry Bushel ink on Seaside Spray scrap. Die cut with smallest stitched oval die. Die cut a slightly larger oval from a scrap of Crumb Cake and adhere sentiment to this.
• Cut the more solid of the two Butterfly Beauty dies from Blueberry Bushel cardstock.  Snip the largest of the butterflies from the grouping. Save the remainder butterflies for another project.
• Assemble all as in sample.
• Inside: Stamp butterflies on the bottom right corner with Seaside Spray ink. Stamp sentiment with Crumb Cake ink in center of card.

Throwback Thursday!!!

I had nothing prepared for today's post so just decided to post a card - that I personally LOVE - from my archives!

Timeless Treasure #7 Stamp Storage Shelves

When I first moved to our home in Manchester my craft room was in the finished basement and it was HUGE!!! I had a large storage closet and all kinds of shelves on which to put my treasures.  Though there was heat, and natural light, I found that I wasn't going down there very often after work as by the time it warmed up I didn't usually have the energy to play any longer. So after much thought I decided to move my craft room to my son's bedroom on the second floor of our home and move him to the basement (He was thrilled!)  The room is a lot smaller than I was used to. Every square inch of it is maximized and I couldn't fit another piece of furniture - or really anything else for that matter - in here if I tried.  But the truth is - I LOVE it! It is the perfect size for me and I have enough space to create - even with a buddy in here. Now that Michael is married I now have the basement back and it is my classroom/play area/workout space - but most of where I do all my creating is in my craft room. (I'll show it one day!) 

But today's Timeless Treasure is the media tower (Gnedby) from Ikea.  As you can see in the photos below I have five of them. The two that are to the right of the door were just purchased last weekend for the specific purpose of housing my SU current items. They took up the ONLY available wall space left in the room. The other three are for retired SU sets as well as some of my other favorite manufacturers.

GNEDBYShelf unit, white

$50.00

Adjustable shelves can be arranged according to your needs.

Size

80 "

The link below is directly to the item. FYI, it comes in other colors besides white.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50277147/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjMfoBRDDARIsAMUjNZooiHDMCVoTT0-kCwFFGgg2CUPHTfrt_3ST0yN0w0MIm1n8l96dlMsaAq3OEALw_wcB#/40277143

FREE Class!!!!!

Are you loving your Stamparatus as I am?  Are you clueless, as was I at the beginning, on how to use it?  Well, I'm offering a FREE class if you purchased - or purchase - the Stamparatus from me! Use hostess code 

XY7JCYAU

 to order  yours today. The Stamparatus can be found on page 184 of the SU 2019-2020 Annual Catalog, item #146276. 


FREE classes are scheduled on the dates below:

Saturday, July 27 12:30 - 1:30
Wednesday, August 7 6:30 - 7:30
Saturday, August 31 12:30 - 1:30

Go to my website and click on the "Shop Now" button to place your order.  http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/judibig/

Stamparatus	146276
Price: $49.00
A must-have tool for all stampers, the Stamparatus helps you perfectly align stamp images, stamp multiples of the same project quickly and precisely, and get complete ink coverage. It was created by stampers for stampers, so it has all the features you want: * Compatible with red rubber and photopolymer stamps * 2 magnets to hold the paper in place * Rulers on 2 sides for quick measuring * 2 open sides so you can use larger paper * Multiple hinges for more placement options * 2 reversible plates for 4 sides to work with * 1 foam mat for use with photopolymer * 1 base with grid * Magnet storage areas

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Today is my baby girl's birthday. How can she be 34 years old, when I'm not 34?  hehehehe

Check out this cutie - Provincetown, 1991 - Nicole was 6 years old.

In-Color Club

On Thursday the order for the In-Color Club arrived. The two boxes were so heavy that Mike had to move them to the basement for me. I LOVE sorting through an order like this (except maybe the Stampin' Blends as they are shipped in singles!).  Are you sad that you didn't join the In-Color Club?  It's a great value - look at all you get:

2019 – 2021 Stampin’ Up! In-Color Club 

Want to collect all of the yummy new colors but don’t want to put out the expense all at once?  Why not join my In-Color Club? The five new colors are Rococo Rose, Terracotta Tile, Pretty Peacock, Seaside Spray and Purple Posy.

This year I will offer two opportunities to make the cards for the club – three if you count the “mail” option for the virtual members! I will hold a class on the morning of the last Saturday of every month (10:00 a.m.) or on the second Wednesday of every month (6:00 p.m.) – June through October.  You will need to let me know in advance which, if any, class you will attend.  The beginning of the month I will charge your credit card $40.00 which will cover the cost of all the items below. The cost of a few of the items have increased but I will not increase the cost of the club and it will remain the same as last year.

A package of cardstock

A Re-inker

Ribbon

Ink pad

Stampin’ Write Marker

If you love the Stampin’ Blend Markers as much as I do you will be happy to know that all but Terracotta Tile will be released in the new catalog. If you would like to have the combo packs of the four colors add $10.00 a month to your order and I will purchase those as well.

*This offer is good for this demonstrator only and is not a Stampin’ Up! promotion.  You must have a credit card on file for the order and I will bill you via Square.

**This offer cannot be combined with any other offer or club.

***You are obligated for the entire five months as I will purchase all of the items up front. 

This year I am offering two opportunities to make the cards for the club. The dates are as follows:

Sea Side Spray

*Thursday, June 27, 2019

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Pretty Peacock

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Rococo Rose

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Terracotta Tile

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Purple Posy

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

If you don't want to participate in the club and own all the wonderful products, maybe you'd just like to make the cards!  For $10 you can do so! Email me and let me know that you'd like to come and make the cards and on which day and I'll reserve your spot.  Here is one of the two cards that we will be doing the first class.  Also, if you'd like to join the club - it's not too late, though you would have to wait a week or so for the first order of the Seaside Spray items. 

Timeless Treasure #6 - Cart

Sooooo, I'm back to organizing.  This cart is a fan favorite of a lot of crafters - and just people in general, it seems. I have four of them - one, in my craft room that I put bulky items on that I need on a regular basis that are too big to put on my desk and one in my classroom that I use for current class supplies.  (The other two are for the kids' stuff and live in closets most of the time.)

They are super easy to put together and very sturdy.  And for around $30, I don't think they are awfully expensive.

RÅSKOGUtility cart, dark blue

This utility cart fits in the smallest of spaces and can be moved to wherever you need it. Use it as extra storage for all your kitchen utensils, desk accessories or for gloves, keys and mobile phones.

Size 13 3/4x17 3/4x30 3/4 "

Here is the link directly to the item on the Ikea website.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30401789/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgLLoBRDyARIsACRAZe58IunE5CTvECEFTGq36SB4RD0-7jLXW53-H6Pnzg-KyadnaHHpifsaAnESEALw_wcB

Timeless Treasure #5 - Easy Read Ruler

Today's post is short and sweet!

I admit it - I'm a measurer! (Is that even a word?)  I am not one to eyeball the layers for my cards. Of course my ruler and all my trimmers have different increments and it's sometimes a pain in the patottie to have to count the eighths or the sixteenths! Though the dilemma with the trimmer is another story, using this ruler has made life so much easier!  Especially also now that I am visually challenged (a pitfall of aging!) I find this ruler especially helpful. I found it on Amazon.  Thanks Lynn Wallick for bringing it to my attention!

Victor EZ12SBL 12" Easy Read Ruler, No-Glare Straight Edge, Labeled in MM, cm & in (1/2", 1/4", 1/8", 1/16") Stainless Steel, Blue

Below is a link to the item in Amazon. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KTZ77S4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Timeless Treasure #4 - ATG Tape Dispenser

ATG tape....the big honking "gun" that intimidates even a seasoned stamper or scrapper - until they've used it a few times.  I've been using the Scotch ATG 700 Tape Dispenser (yellow) for probably 15 years or so.  I use the ATG 085 Tape Dispenser (pink) for my classes.  The tape is VERY sticky and once you adhere together two pieces of paper you'd better be happy with the placement as it adheres fast and it adheres firmly.  If you are very quick you can use the warmth of your breath to separate the pieces by slowly peeling away the layers while breathing on the tape where the two pieces of paper are joined.  I can't stress enough the words "quick" and "slowly."

The ATG 700 has an adapter and can accommodate multiple-sized rolls of tape. The ATG 085 can only accommodate 1/4 wide tape.

I've been purchasing my tape from The Tape Depot for years.  At first I went through eBay but now order directly from their website. I joined the "Creators Club" and I have the tape mailed to me automatically every three months. There is a discount when joining the club and also free shipping for club members.

   ATG 700

ATG 085








The Tape Depot

https://www.tapedepot.com/



The link below takes you directly to the product. You can join the Creators Club from this link as well.

https://www.tapedepot.com/product/standard-atg-tape-56720/

Timeless Treasure #3 - Full Wide Cases

Still talking about storage!  And one of my favorite go to items is a SU! item!  I am a super huge fan of the Full Wide stamp cases (127551) found in the "Stampin' Accessories" section of the annual catalog.  What do I use these for, you ask?  All kinds of stuff! They were originally designed by SU! to store wood-mounted stamps. Now they are used by many for so much more.  I use them to store bling, my "chopped paper," projects, oh what the heck - check out the photos!

  

I like to keep my bling close at hand so the bling cases sit on my desk. I store smaller projects in some of the cases, like the one for my Breast Cancer cards (I also keep my breast cancer postage stamps in the case with the cards.) And all the little stamp sets from my Paper Pumpkin subscriptions I keep in these boxes. (I have an Excel spreadsheet with all the sentiments so I know right where to find them!)

I save retired DSP for use in my Stamp-a-Stack classes. I have a number of customers who have no desire to purchase anything or stamp on their own - using retired DSP is perfect for these events. I know exactly which box to grab when designing a card. 

Kylie Bertucci is a fellow SU! demonstrator in Australia and is the creator of #loveitchopit - a concept which I am working to adapt into my own process.  The above collections of DSP are in the current catalog (except the retired Painted Seasons) and I've "chopped" all the paper from the entire 12 x 12 package to fit in the cases.  You can get the .pdf case inserts from her website for free. (See link in right sidebar.)  I'll post something about Kylie's #loveitchopit when I've mastered it!

And if you have access to a drill and a hardware store you can make this cute case as a gift. You can store your class kit in here to take with you to your classes or just to store some of your favorite toys. Add some DSP and a tag to personalize. This was a gift from my up-line Sara Cimbaro. 

Changing a Blog title?

Yes, I am changing the title of my "favorite things" posts as it just didn't sound quite right - or like me at all!  I Googled (another one of my favorite things to do)  "expressions for favorite things" and followed a link to "9 Fanciful Words for Your Favorite Things" and came up with the expression "Jim-Dandy." Though a few of the other expressions such as "The Bees Knees" "Pip" and "Corker" were quite appealing to me, Jim-Dandy was the best because.....of ice-cream! Friendly's Ice Cream Shops makes a splendid sundae which they call a Jim-Dandy!  It's one of my favorite things to get when I have room for dessert. So I'm renaming my posts to Jim-Dandy.  Below is the definition from Merriam-Webster - which I love.

But under the direction of my very linguistic minded daughter (she said that Jim-Dandy sounded weird too and that no one would understand it) I've change it - again - to her suggestion of Timeless Treasures.  But I still like Jim-Dandy and I'm not erasing this post! hehehe

Definition of Jim Dandy: something excellent of its kind

This word (which also functions as an adjective) involves two men, though only one is named outright and both are possibly wholly fictional. Some 19th century Jim was apparently a fine fellow. Centuries before him, a Jack was not quite so admired. We'll deal with the conspicuous first: the jim in jim-dandy does indeed come from the name Jim. All evidence suggests Jim was loved by all, or was, at least, excellent. The dandy part of jim-dandy, however, likely comes from the word jack-a-dandy, which is defined in Merriam-Webster Unabridged as "a little foppish impertinent fellow."

Timeless Treasure #2 - Stamp Cases

Today's Timeless Treasure is clear stamp cases. (In the old days I think we might have called them DVD cases.)

The product I purchase, and link to actual product, below has no "clips" on the inside of the case, but there is an option available if you'd like the clips. I personally prefer the cases without the clips but I accidentally bought a bunch once with the clip and it's really not intrusive at all.  A magnetic sheet fits just fine under the clip, so it might actually be preferred by some people.

I've purchased in increments of 100 and have shared with some friends - a great way to get the cost down!

If  you don't need a boatload of cases, SU! actually sells them for less per item in smaller quantities. You may purchase a set of four cases from SU! for $6.00. They are in the annual catalog (item 119105) in the back under "Stampin' Accessories."

I am also a huge fan of the larger cases made by SU!, but that will be a Timeless Treasure all on it's own!

BuyMediaSupply.com is the best resource that I have found to purchase these cases.

http://www.buymediasupply.com/

The link below will take you directly to the product.

http://www.buymediasupply.com/14mm-Standard-Clear-Rubber-Stamp-Storage-Case--No-Clips--100-Pack-A01429-100/

SKU: A01429_100

Rating:   

Specification:

• Size: 7 1/2"" x 5 5/16"" x 1/2""
• Shape: Rectangular

Buy More Save More!

Quantity	Our Price	Unit Price
5 Pack	$9.95	$1.99 Each
6 Pack	$10.95	$1.83 Each
10 Pack	$13.95	$1.40 Each
25 Pack	$25.95	$1.04 Each
50 Pack	$45.95	$0.92 Each
100 Pack	$84.95	$0.85 Each
200 Pack	$157.96	$0.79 Each
600 Pack	$452.94	$0.75 Each
1000 Pack	$748.00	$0.75 Each

Timeless Treasures #1 - Magnetic Sheets

I think I like organizing my treasures almost as much as I like creating one of a kind cards to share with my loved ones.  I thought I'd start to share some of the best products I've found and links to their websites. I'll try to remember to put the link to their websites (I'm an avid online shopper!) on the right sidebar of this blog under favorite links.  The link for discount magnet has been there for a long while!

A large number of my stamp collection are from Stampin' Up! Makes sense, right, me being a demonstrator and all?  I love the cases in which the stamps are packaged - their slim design is important for space saving purposes.  I also like the fact that they are 5 x 7 and will also store a magnetic sheet on which I store my dies. (I almost ALWAYS purchase the stamps and dies as a bundle!)

The below photo is an example of how I store my dies/stamps. This is the SU! Colorful Seasons stamps and the Seasonal Layers coordinating dies. Note the yellow label on the magnet sheet. This is the name of the die set and the number "17" indicates how many dies are in the set. (I've been known to accidentally throw away a die and this makes it simple for me to determine if there is a missing die.

The photo below is the backside of the magnet sheet. I cut the image from a retired catalog and adhere it on the backside so I know exactly which dies are in the set and what I'm searching for when one is missing from the count!

Thanks Donna Cipriano for the resource! 


Discountmagnet.com, I feel, offers a fair price for the magnets and I typically purchase either in sets of 25 or 50.  Tomorrow's Darling Gem will be storage cases!

https://www.discountmagnet.com/

The link below will take you directly to the item.

http://www.discountmagnet.com/products/5-x-7-plain-30-mil-magnet-sheets/

5″ x 7″ Plain 30 mil Magnet Sheets

$7.95 – $53.95

• 5″ x 7″ Plain Magnet Sheets
• 30 mil magnet thickness
• Easy to cut with sharp scissors
• Plain black on both sides and magnetized on just one side
• Available in packs of 10, 25, 50 and 100 sheets