Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha

A friend of mine is going through some medical stuff right now.  I wanted to let her know I was thinking about her, so I put together this little box of chocolate and a 3×3 card to go with it. I made a clear acetate cover for a matchbox bottom, and filled it with chocolates. I wanted to stamp the wrappers to look like band aids, so I used Peach Parfait ink. I used the polka dot  paper to echo the dots on the “band aids.”

Stamps: It’s a Wrap Occasions, Occasions Alphabet
Ink: Peach Parfait, Island Indigo
Paper: Island Indigo, In-Color Designers Series Paper Stack,  Whisper White
Other: Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon, Scallop Square Duo Bigz Die, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, labels, acetate

Hope this helps her feel better soon!

Stampin’ Up has five great stamp brush sets that are new this week, including the Occasions Alphabet. (If you remember, I featured the rubber version of this for the New Catalog Blog Hop.) These downloads work with My Digital Studio and any other digital scrapbooking program that allows you to import PNG and JPG files, which is most graphics programs.

127603 Creative Elements Stamp Brush Set $5.95

Treat yourself to a designer’s touch with the versatile images of the Creative Elements Set. Full of eclectic appeal, each element adds individual flair to create a perfectly accessorized project. Whether it’s a wedding page or a playful butterfly birthday card, design in style with this eight-piece set. Download also includes a 6-1/4″ x 8-1/4″ journal front and back cover designer template.

127601 Established Stamp Brush Set $7.95

This Décor Elements artwork turned digital includes all the pieces to make a personalized design, such as a framed décor project. Customize your designs with important family years or dates, using the included numbers in this 14-piece set.

127602 Distressed Dots Digital Stamp Brush $1.95

Don’t waste time making dots one at a time—use our edgy Distressed Dots Stamp Brush! Image sized larger than traditional background stamp, for added digital versatility.

127611 Barnyard Buddies Stamp Brush Set $3.95

You don’t have to have been born in a barn to love the six-piece Barnyard Buddies Stamp Brush Set! This set is ideal for creating the perfect project for the little farmer in your life.

127614 Occasions Alphabet Stamp Brush Set $9.95

Z is for “zip” and that’s just what the 80-piece Occasions Alphabet Set has! Images in this set offer double the fun–alphabet letters and a cute sentiment. Artwork comes as individual letters, individual phrases, and combined letters and phrases giving you multiple designing options.

You can purchase these or any other digital downloads through my online store. (Clicking on the pictures above will take you there as well.) They great news is that they are available for immediate use, with no shipping charges! Just click on Digital Crafting, then Digital Downloads, then Newest Downloads to see all of the recent additions! If you registered your copy of My Digital Studio, you may also receive end-of-the month emails from Stampin’ Up featuring that month’s digital releases.

There is a My Digital Studio tab to the top right hand corner of this blog. It is a handy reference to a variety of My Digital Studio resources, including a list of all of the downloads and a break down of the printing costs. There is also a Resources page on MyDigitalStudio.net that includes an MDS Catalog. It shows all of the MDS software artwork (contained in the boxed-version) and downloads from the October 2009 launch through August 31, 2011! The catalog gives a snapshot of the entire product line with artwork thumbnails followed by product details, which includes the colors of the designer papers! Because MDS is regularly coming out with new artwork, the catalog will be updated every month.

Wow! Can you believe this the 104th ColourQ Challenge? That is two years! Amazing! I am so honored to be a part of the design team. For this challenge we were given the colors as usual, but asked to CASE a previous ColourQueen. (For those of you unfamiliar with the lingo, to CASE something means to copy the basics of another card, tweaking a bit if you wish.) I chose to CASE the ColourQueen from #97, Nina Dee.

I turned this amazing card into a scrapbook page. I have to say, I think it was probably much easier  working with digital versions of all of these punches than actual paper!

I hope you will play along this week, and help us celebrate ColourQ’s second birthday.

I really can’t get over how great this Shalom stamp looks embossed in gold on Very Vanilla cardstock. It’s just so stunning! I decided to pair it with the two new In Color blues, and I love how it looks! This card is nice and flat for easy mailing, but the heat embossing as well as the dry embossing keep it interesting.

Stamps: Shalom
Ink: VersaMark, Pool Party
Paper: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Very Vanilla
Other: Gold Embossing Powder, Lace Ribbon Border Punch, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Big Shot

I’m thinking about this card as one of the ones the Fourth Graders will make with the seniors when they go visit the Jewish Home for the Aging in November. The card would be perfect, I’m just trying to decide if I’m brave enough to try heat embossing in a large group again…

This week’s Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge is so fun, with a circle in a square!

As I was looking around for what stamps to use in the circle, I realized that I hadn’t used my Take a Spin set in a really long time. It was perfect for this sketch! I used the trick of making my card 4 1/4″ square, so that it can fit in a regular envelope. That way you don’t have to pay extra postage for a square card.

Stamps: Take a Spin
Ink: StazOn Jet Black
Paper: Pacific Point, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Big Top Birthday Designer Series Paper
Other: Game Spinner Hand, 2 1/2″ Circle Punch, 1/2″ Circle Punch, Real Red 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon

I stamped my image twice, once on Real Red and once on Pacific Point, then cut out the Pacific Point pieces and glued them on top of the Real Red one. I bent the ends of the game spinner hand up a little so they wouldn’t catch on the edges.

This week’s Clean&Simple Fall to Layout features six items on the top part of the card.

As I was thinking of things to use in that spot, I was excited to see that one of the leaves from Gently Falling was just the right size!

Stamps: Gently Falling, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Dusty Durango, More Mustard, Pool Party
Paper: More Mustard, Very Vanilla, Spice Cake Designer Series Paper
Other: Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon, Word Window Punch, Match Box Bigz XL Die

This layout would make a great scrapbook page too, with the six spots as pictures. I might have to try that!

Happy Fall!! I thought today would be a good day to share with you a closer look at some of the Autumn themed digital scrapbooking kits from Stampin’ Up. I was pretty amazed when I saw all that these contained, and I think that you will be also! The first one is the Autumn Traditions Kit, pictured in the online store as this:

127600 Autumn Traditions Digital Kit $9.95

It includes a two separate stamp brush sets, a digital version of Autumn Days with  six pieces, and 32-piece stamp brush set of autumn related words and graphics, not all of which are pictured above.  There are 12 Designer Series Paper patterns from the now retired Autumn Traditions paper. (Coordinating colors include Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard, Ruby Red, and Soft Suede.) And though it is hard to tell from the picture, those four leaves in the middle are actually four punches,based on the Big Shot Leaves #2 die. But what really sold me on this set was the one-page 11″ x 8-1/2″ designer template. Take a look at this!

Wow! A whole new of looking at the kit! I love the leaves cut out of the Designer Series Paper!

The second kit I want to show you is the Autumn Spice Digital Kit. Man, I loved this paper!

122175 Autumn Spice Digital Kit $9.95

This kit includes eight Designer Series Paper patterns from the now retired Autumn Spice paper. (The colors are Cajun Craze, Old Olive, More Mustard, and Early Espresso.) It includes two digital stamp brush sets –  Day of Gratitude Stamp Brush set (7 pcs) and French Foliage Stamp Brush set (6 pcs). The kit also comes with two designer templates: the first is an 8″ x 8″ designer template spread (2 pages within one template); the second is a 4.25″ x 5.5″ designer greeting card template.

This is one of the 8×8 pages:

And this is the card:

Aren’t they fabulous? Of course these layouts are completely customizable! You can change colors, papers, stamps, embellishments. And remember, these downloads not only work in My Digital Studio, the work in any program that recognizes JPG or PNG files. Which really is most graphic programs. If you have questions about this, please let me know.

A few people over at SplitCoast Stampers were talking about what to put inside these fabulous 1″ x 8″ cello bags that are new in Stampin’ Up’s Holiday Mini Catalog. One woman mentioned honey sticks, and I saw a lightbulb go off in my head! What a perfect Rosh Hashanah gift! I printed out the greetings for the middle on Whisper White cardstock, and then used the little apple stamp from Family Business to decorate them. They say Shana Tova in Hebrew on one side, and Have A Sweet New Year in English on the other. I probably could have squeezed a third honey stick in each bag, but I like the way it looks with two.

Stamps: Family Business
Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, Whisper White
Other: 1″x 8″ Cello Bags, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8″ Circle Punch, 1 1/4″ Circle Punch

If you are interested in creating these yourself, you can download this PDF to print the Rosh Hashanah greetings for the center.

Fun new downloads from Stampin’ Up this week, celebrating a wide variety of occasions. These downloads work with My Digital Studio and any other digital scrapbooking program that allows you to import PNG and JPG files.

127599 Party Animal Digital Kit $9.95

Enjoy the party with these fun forest friends! This Simply Scrappin’ Kit turned digital has all the same elements plus a digital-exclusive stamp brush set to make your project coordination a breeze. Kit comes complete with a 12-piece stamp brush set, four Designer Series Paper patterns, 42 embellishments, and a one-page 8″ x 8″ designer template. Coordinating colors include Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Poppy Parade, and Pumpkin Pie.

127613 It's a Wrap Holidays Stamp Brush Set $3.95

Designed to allow you to create treat wrappers, the versatile images in this seven-piece set also work well on cards, bookmarks, tags, or “belly bands” for small gifts!

127596 Family Reunion Stamp Brush Set $7.95

Finally a family reunion you can get excited about! Bring the family together with this versatile 24-piece set. Combine with your favorite images and photos to celebrate the most important people in your life.

127597 Delightful Dozen Stamp Brush Set $7.95

There’s always a reason to rejoice when you’re designing with the Delightful Dozen Set. From holiday celebrations to congratulations, you’ll find everything you need in the sentiments of this 12-piece set to enjoy special occasions all year.

127615 Lighthearted Stamp Brush Set $3.95

You can purchase these or any other digital downloads through my online store. (Clicking on the pictures above will take you there as well.) They great news is that they are available for immediate use, with no shipping charges! Just click on Digital Crafting, then Digital Downloads, then Newest Downloads to see all of the recent additions! If you registered your copy of My Digital Studio, you may also receive end-of-the month emails from Stampin’ Up featuring that month’s digital releases.

There is a My Digital Studio tab to the top right hand corner of this blog. It is a handy reference to a variety of My Digital Studio resources, including a list of all of the downloads and a break down of the printing costs. There is also a Resources page on MyDigitalStudio.net that includes an MDS Catalog. It shows all of the MDS software artwork (contained in the boxed-version) and downloads from the October 2009 launch through July 31, 2011! The catalog gives a snapshot of the entire product line with artwork thumbnails followed by product details, which includes the colors of the designer papers! Because MDS is regularly coming out with new artwork, the catalog will be updated every month.

What fun, summery colors from ColourQ today. It’s kind of a last hurrah as we wave good-bye to summer, even here in Southern California!

As I looked through my old pictures for ones that matched the colors, I found this super cute one of Eve and Biscuit. Can you ever have too many pictures of adorable children and their puppies? How sweet are their faces? Eve was two here, and Biscuit was about 1.

The background paper is from the digital version of the Domestic Goddess Designer Series Paper. It has such cute patterns!