Learn to Stamp and Scrap with Lynn Larson

Supersize Snowflake from Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog

This is a really fun card that I made using the Supersize Snowflake from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog.  I LOVE snowflakes and snowmen, so when I saw this two-step stamping background snowflake stamp, I just had to have it.  As you can see, the bolder, background of the snowflake is stamped in the new Soft Sky In Color Classic Stamp Pad and the outline of the snowflake was done in the new Blue Bayou In Color Classic Stamp Pad.  I used a strip of Blue Bayou Designer Series Paper and tore it in half to create the trimmed accent on the side of this card.  I also used some Crystal Effects and some Dazzling Diamonds glitter to complete the look of this snowflake so as to add some sparkle.  If you click on the picture to make it larger, you will also see that I dry embossed what looks like snowflakes on the top of my card using the Crop-a-Dile.  I just love the Crop-a-Dile and have been using it in some way for nearly every project I make.

This card is one that I will be doing at my Christmas card classes so stay tuned for more details on how you can make your own cards for your holiday card giving needs.

In the Spotlight - Level 2 Hostess Stamp Set

This is a really fun style card to make.  It is called a criss cross card.  It isn't hard to figure out where they got the name for this card when you look at it.  I also really LOVE the hostess set "In the Spotlight".  It is a fun and versatile set and can be used in many different ways.

This was another card that I did at my Stamp 'n Scrap University event about two weeks ago.  We used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:  Really Rust, Bordering Blue and Whisper White Cardstock; Groovy Guave Double-sided Designer Series Paper, scallop circle punch and a slightly smaller circle punch.  The stamp set is called "In the Spotlight" and it is a Level 2 Hostess Stamp Set from the Stampin' Up! Fall/Winter Collection catalog that is in effect until the end of December.  You can choose to get this stamp set as one of the free stamp sets you earn when hosting a workshop with a group of your friends.  Not only can you earn a hostess stamp set at a workshop, but you can also earn hostess credit towards free merchandise from the Fall/Winter Collection or Holiday Mini Catalogs. 
Contact me today to schedule your workshop happy.stamper@yahoo.com.

Coordinating Stampin' Up! Punch and Stamp Set List

Many of my customers who have attended my workshops and events have seen how versatile our punches are for some time now.  This year, Stampin' Up! has made it even easier for you to create fabulous projects in no time at all by using our coordinating punches, stamp sets and Designer Series papers.  Following is a list of Stampin' Up! punches that coordinate with our stamp sets that I have had posted on my downline group blog that I thought I would also share with you.  Enjoy!

Scallop Circle Punch: In the Spotlight, Glorious Garlands, Punch
Pals, Double-Line Doodles, Wanted
 
Tag Punches: Perfect Presentation, All About Occasions, Flakey
Friends, Punch Pals, Be Happy, Tagger's Dozen, Bundled in Love,
Business Boosters
 
Designer Label Punch: Party Punch, Labelicious
 
Round Tab Punch: Party Punch, Office Accoutrement, Totally Tabs
 
1" Circle Punch: Sending Happy Thoughts kit, Perfect Presentation,
Glorious Garlands, The Snowflake Spot, Perennial Favorites, Holiday
Blitz, Double-Line Doodles, Polka Dots & Petals, Create a Coupon,
Genuine Articles, Business Boosters, Calendar Cues
 
1 ¼" and/or 1 3/8" Circle Punch: Simple Delights Simply Sent kit,
Perfect Presentation, Batty For You, Holiday Tag Team, Sparkling
Sayings, Be Happy, Figures of Speech, Double-Line Doodles, Polka
Dots & Petals, Big Flowers, Stamp of Authenticity, Carte Postale,
Think Happy Thoughts, Big Pieces, Seeing Spots, So Happy, Dots Are
Hot, Brocade Basics, Labelicious, Genuine Articles, Circle of
Friendship, It's All Good, Sporting
 
½" and/or ¾" Circle Punch: In the Spotlight, Holiday Tag Team,
Glorious Garlands, Cold Play, Snow Flurries, Merry Merry, Punch
Pals, Forever in My Heart, Holiday Blitz, Double-Line Doodles, Sweet
Thing, Wanted, Star Struck, Little Flowers, Little Pieces, Please
Come, Dot Spot background, Alphabits, Art by Design
 
1 ¼" and/or 1 3/8" Square Punch: Simple Delights Simply Sent kit,
Perfect Presentation, Forever in My Heart, Sealed With a Kiss, Be
Happy, Figures of Speech, Tagger's Dozen, Sweet Thing, Office
Accoutrement, Stamp of Authenticity, Carte Postale, Glad Tidings,
It's All Good, Art by Design, Sporting, Business Boosters, It's a
Date
 
¾" Square Punch: Punch Pals, Calendar Cues
 
Large Oval Punch: I did it, many of the word sets
 
Star Punch: Wanted, Starstruck, Sporting, Wild West Alphabet
 
5-Petal Flower Punch: In the Spotlight, Be Happy, Priceless, Simply
Said, Looks Like Spring, Heartfelt Thanks, Ginormous Flowers, Office
Accoutrement
 
Snow Blossom Punch: In the Spotlight, Simple Snowman, Wondrous Gift, Snowflake Spot, Merry Merry, Snow Flurries, Punch Pals, Snowfall
 
Spring Flower Bouquet Punch: Looks Like Spring
 
Three for You Punch: Three Thoughts Simply Sent kit, Punch Pals,
Take Three, Three for You punch box
 
Word Window Punch: So Many Sayings, Block Party, Boatloads of Love,
Fun & Fast Notes, Take Three, Everything Baby, Short & Sweet, Happy
Everything, Wonderful Favorites, Warm Words, All Holidays, Everyday
Flexible Phrases, Amazing to Zany, Fundamental Phrases 

'Witchy' Tent Card

This is a really cute tent card that we made at our last Stamp 'n Scrap University event.  At this event, we make 5 miniature projects showcasing a technique or unique card style.  We also have instruction sheets that go along with these cards so you always remember how you created the sample.  The instruction sheets are put inside a Stampin' Up! 6x6 Linen Album and are used as a reference book.  The next time you are going through a creative challenge making a card or gift for someone, pull out this handy reference book and recreate the same sample or make your own using the technique or card layout.  It also helps you to remember all those wonderful techniques that you learned and may not have used in awhile.  I use my reference books all the time.  They are a great source of inspiration any time of the day or night!

If you are interested in creating your own reference book, you can attend any Stamp 'n Scrap University on my calendar.  You can also have a private class in your own home with a group of your friends at a date and time that is convenient for you.  You can contact me at happy.stamper@yahoo.com to arrange your class.

Fall Decorations for your Home

Check out this cute little pumpkin!  I demonstrated how to make this pumpkin at my group meeting in early September.  Everyone just loved this project and could not believe how easy it was to make. 

I made it using Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper, Crop-a-Dile and some grosgrain ribbon.  I will be demonstrating this pumpkin at my workshops in late September through the middle of October.  If you are interested in booking a workshop and learn to create awesome home decor pieces like this, contact me at happy.stamper@yahoo.com. 

Scrapbooking Vermont in the Fall

I really debated about sharing this page because of my "different" scarecrow photo, but it is just too funny and too cute. 

I live in Southern Vermont and everyone in the northeast travels here in the fall to look at the beautiful fall foliage and enjoy the festivals and other events going on during that time.  Columbus Day weekend is a huge weekend here.  Last fall, in Dover, Vermont, quite a few of the inns and other businesses had scarecrows made of pumpkins out for display.  This picture was of a scarecrow draped over a bench with a bottle next to it.  I thought it was just too funny, so I played tourist and parked alongside of Route 100 in Dover so I could walk up the road and take a photo of this scarecrow for my scrapbook. 

It was such a beautiful day that I came home and went for a horseback ride.  I wanted to go out and take photos without having to pull my car over and stop to take pictures.  I took a slow ride down our dirt road in West Wardsboro and take some pictures of the streams, beaver ponds, beautiful blue sky and foliage up close and personal.  It is wonderful riding down the back roads at a leisurely pace taking in all the beautiful scenery.  It is a great way to enjoy life and nature.  I got some awesome photos on that ride last fall and wanted to start scrapbooking them at one of my scrapbooking nights.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the beautiful colors, the crispness in the air and fresh apples to make apple crisp or applesauce with.  To me, fall is the best time of year in Vermont. 

When the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog came out, I saw the incredible stamp set called "Autumn Harvest" and just had to have it.  It is another doodle-type of set and I just love that style.  With the set having pumpkins, a leaf, a gord and an acorn in it, it had my name written all over it.  I love it for cards and for scrapbooking.  I started making the element on the page with the stamped pumpkins for a card front.  I didn't quite finish my card but brought it to my scrapbook night to show everyone how awesome the set was and what I had made with it.  By the end of the night, my card ended up on my scrapbook page.  I used watercolor paper and stamped the images in Timber Brown Staz On ink and then watercolored the images with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and Aqua Painters.  I added a touch of white gel pen to finish off the page and tie everything together.  I just love the way this page turned out.  I did a second page to go along with this page in my album since I love doing two page spreads in my scrapbooks.

I hope you enjoy this page as much as I do!

Bundle of Joy Baby Card

This is a cute little card that I made for my July / August Stamp-a-Stack classes.  It seems like everyone around my customers and me was having a baby...so what a better time to do baby cards at a Stamp-a-Stack. 

Usually at a Stamp-a-Stack, we make four cards in one style/color.  This time, we made two cards in pink and two cards in blue.  This card was another big hit with everyone.  The Stampin' Up! stamp set  Bundle of Joy is the cutest thing.  It not only has this adorable giraffe, but it has a cute little "doodle-type" bear in it along with stars and moons.  It is so-o-o sweet and I have used this set many, many times for scrapbook pages, baby gifts and for cards.  This set has certainly paid for itself over and over again. 

I will be doing various Stamp-a-Stack classes over the next couple of months.  I will have mostly Christmas/Holiday Stamp-a-Stacks, but will also have one or two All-Occasion card Stamp-a-Stacks (including cards for the men in our lives).   

Sunflower Clock

This is a really neat clock that I made using the Serene Sunflower Stamp Set from Stampin' Up!  I just love sunflowers and want to change my decor in my kitchen to be sunflowers.  I would like to use this stamp set to stamp a sunflower border on my walls, add this clock to my wall and a cute little tealight lamp shade on a lamp that I made to coordinate.

This stamp set is really easy to use.  It is a two-step stamping set which means you would use one lighter color ink first (I used More Mustard) and then you would stamp a darker color on top of that (I used Really Rust in this instance).  For the center of my sunflowers, I chose to use Close to Cocoa and for the leaves, I used Garden Green. 

People really love the idea that you can stamp on clocks.  I will be doing special "Home Decor" classes over the next few months so stay tuned for more details on my classes. 

"Silly Turtle"

This is just the most adorable card ever!  A good customer and friend of mine came up from Pennsylvania to do her own personalized stamp session with me.  We generally get together when she is up visiting her mom at Thanksgiving to make her Christmas cards for the holiday season.  She usually brings a list of her card recipients and decides on the basic styles of cards she would like to create for them.  She then comes over with her ideas and we use my stamp sets, inks, card stock and accessories to create individual works of art for all of her friends and family.

This year we will be getting together twice.  We just met about two weeks ago to create birthday cards and all-occasion cards for her fellow teachers at her school.  This was one of the cards that we made for her to use for those people on her list.  We both loved this card to much that she made four to take with her and I made my own sample to keep and to use for my next All-Occasion Stamp-a-Stack class.

This adorable little card uses the turtle from the Silly Sealife Stamp Set in the Stampin' Up! Fall/Winter Collection catalog.  This is a 4 1/4" square card that used Sage Shadow card stock for the base.  Other colors that I used are Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, River Rock and Whisper White.  I stamped the turtle in Jet Black StazOn and then watercolored him in using an Aqua Painter and my favorite Stampin' Up! Watercolor Wonder Crayons.  The crayons are fabulous because they glide right on and a little goes a long way.  I have been using my crayons for over two years now and they barely have a dent in them.  They are a great quality item where a little goes a long way!

What a fabulous little card to make for a child's birthday or even for an older friend.  If you would like to make this card, you can make three of these cards in my next All-Occasion Stamp-a-Stack class.  Stay tuned for my new class schedule that will be posted by early next week!  I will have a very full class schedule with the holiday season upon us.  There will be a class for everyone!

Happy Stamping!

Lynn

Stampin' Up! Convention WOW Swap

I FINALLY HAVE MY CAMERA BACK - Woo Hoo!  Now I can start sharing on my blog again!  I cannot believe how lost I have been without my camera.

I have been dying to share this card with you.  This is one that I made for our group swap at the Stampin' Up! Convention that was held in Denver, Colorado last month. 

On an event free night, we had about 50 of us gather for a group dinner during our stay in Denver for Convention.  We had people there from Massachusetts, New Jersey, Arizona, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc.  We have such an incredible bunch of women in our group.  We share business ideas with the each other and have samples of projects that we made on display for all to look at.  It is such a wonderful event that I look forward to attending at every Convention.  I get so much out of these dinners and I am so glad that we have them available to us. 

This was the card that I made to swap with attendees at this dinner only.  I wanted it to be extra special since we have a very talented group of stampers at this event.  I chose to use Really Rust, Groovy Guava and Bordering Blue card stock as my color combination.  I stamped my flower image from the Double-line Doodles Stamp Set in Jet Black StazOn on Whisper White card stock and watercolored the image using our Stampin' Up! Watercolor Wonder Crayons.  They are absolutely my favorite way to watercolor!  I also used an Aqua Painter to paint the color in the images.  Once I got my images watercolored, I punched them out with our circle punch and then I used the next size larger punch to punch out an accenting color - either Groovy Guava or Bordering Blue.  I had three circle images per card with a final layer punched out using our incredibly awesome Scallop Circle Punch.  I used two Really Rust and one Bordering Blue scalloped circle on each card. 

When putting the card together, I simply layered a strip of Bordering Blue card stock across the front and stamped the words in the bottom right corner in Really Rust ink.  I added the two Really Rust Scallop Circle layers first and used a Dimensional to the third Bordering Blue circle to give it height and dimension.  I finished the card off by using our white Gel Pen to add dots in each of the "petals" of the scallop circle and also to add dotted photo corners to each corner of the background.  I love our white gel pen and use it often to add the finishing touches to projects.  This just made the whole card come together.  Everyone just loved this card which made me pretty happy.  I actually spent a good portion of my plane ride down to Denver putting the layers of this card together and doing the white gel pen.  It made great use of my normally, non-eventful travel time!