CYO Track Coach Thank You Cards

Here are the thank you cards I made for the track coaches. They were very simple since I had to make ten (three for men coaches and seven for women coaches). They were signed by the kids and given to the coaches at yesterday's big picnic. It was a really fun BBQ and the weather was great. My boys both won the spirit award for there age group! I was really proud of them.

Smooch Spritz Tips

Sample: Watercolor Trio from Summer Mini with Gold Glow Smooch Spritz


Sample: In a Word and Bouquet Bunch sets from Summer Mini with Log Cabin Smooch Spritz

Sample: Elements of Style set from Summer Mini and Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz

Smooch Spritz Tips

To help you get the best results with Smooch Spritz, please follow these suggestions:

· Before each use, shake vigorously until the particles are fully mixed. The sprayer can become clogged if particles get sucked up into the tube.

· Spray in the direction of the arrow on the nozzle top. For best results, spray six to ten inches from your project. For a heavier application of color, spray closer to the project.

· The Smooch Spritz bottles are made of glass. When you use this product, place the bottles on a towel or cloth to prevent them from rolling and possibly breaking.

· If the ink dries outside of the nozzle, remove the nozzle and submerge it in a household cleaner (such as Windex or 409) for 20 minutes. Rinse, replace the nozzle, shake well, and spray.

SU's Retiring Colors

If you haven't heard yet, Stampin' Up! is undergoing a major Color Renovation. Yes, they are making changes and it's a wonderful breath of fresh air!

The new colors will be available as of July 1st ~ along with the new In-Colors and a new catalog. This means that your current favorites will be *available (*see Note below) until June 1st. From June 1-30th they will be available while supplies last.

Here are the 30 colors that are retiring:

Pink Passion
Pixie Pink
Pale Plum
Orchid Opulence
Lovely Lilac
Lavender Lace
Almost Amethyst
Bordering Blue
Brocade Blue
Ballet Blue
Brilliant Blue
Taken with Teal
Glorious Green
Handsome Hunter
Sage Shadow
Mellow Moss
Green Galore
Gable Green
Barely Banana
Yo Yo Yellow
Summer Sun
Apricot Appeal
Only Orange
Really Rust
Ruby Red
Cameo Coral
Blush Blossom
Creamy Caramel
Close to Cocoa
Going Gray

The Blush Blossom marker will continue to be available through the 2010-2011 catalog.

Remember that these colors are still available, but only for a limited time! If you see some of your favorites on this list, then NOW would be a great time to order the ink refills and/or card stock!

* NOTE: It has come to my attention that there has been a much higher demand than what SU anticipated. If they run out of a certain color of ink refill before June 1st it will be back ordered and filled as quickly as possible. However, they can't re-order the card stock so easily. If SU runs out of smooth card stock, it will be replaced with textured card stock while supplies last (there will be a sticky note on your item to tell you a substitution was made).

These are the colors that will be continuing as core colors:

Always Artichoke
Bashful Blue
Basic Black
Basic Gray
Bravo Burgundy
Certainly Celery
Chocolate Chip
Elegant Eggplant
Garden Green
More Mustard
Night of Navy
Not Quite Navy
Old Olive
Perfect Plum
Pretty in Pink
Pumpkin Pie
Real Red
Regal Rose
Rose Red
Sahara Sand
So Saffron
Tempting Turquoise
Very Vanilla
Whisper White

There will also be one color undergoing a name change. Kraft will join the core colors as Crumb Cake! Which is really cool, because now you'll be able order ink, markers, and the card stock.

If you think that Stampin’ Up! doesn’t listen to its customers, maybe this will change your mind! Here are the In-Colors that are being continued or brought back by popular demand and will be added to the core colors:

Baja Breeze
Melon Mambo
Pacific Point
Pink Pirouette
Rich Razzleberry
Riding Hood Red
River Rock
Soft Suede
Tangerine Tango
Wild Wasabi

With these In-Colors being added to the core colors you can finally pull out the “stash” you have been saving and use those great colors again without fear of running out!

Oh, did I mention? There will be five new In-Colors added each year ~ but now they will be available for TWO years instead of one!!! How cool is that???

Meet the New In Colors (sorry I don't have images to show you):
Concord Crush
Poppy Parade
Pear Pizzazz
Peach Parfait
Blushing Bride

Finally, here are the new ~ and I mean brand new ~ additional core colors:
Cajun Craze
Cherry Cobbler
Daffodil Delight
Early Espresso
Marina Mist

So, here is the New Core Color Collection that will be available starting July 1, 2010:


These colors are SOOO rich! You’ll just have to see them for yourself because your computer monitor can’t do them justice. (It’s kind of like explaining chocolate compared to eating it!)

Chocolate. Hmmm… well, I’m off to the kitchen for a little snack.

Give me a call if you have any questions on the Color Renovation. I’m only too happy to help.

Happy Stamping! Mary
wow, that was a long post!

May Club - Petal Box

I had fun designing this box a couple years ago to hold a birthday present for a friend. I liked it so much I made one for myself. My kids come home from school with a ton of fliers that are blank on one side. I roughly cut them up into 3-1/4" squares and put them in the box to use for grocery lists, etc.

The box on the left is made with ruby red card stock and has a cube of sticky notes in it. The cameo coral box on the right is the one we made in club.

This box is made with a 4-1/4" x 10-1/4" piece of colored card stock, scored at 4-1/4" and 6" and a neutral 7" square piece for the inside box. The outer colored piece is basically a half sheet (cut vertically) and trimmed slightly.

"Waste not -want not" is what I always say. For the neutral piece, start with one sheet of 8-1/2 x 11". First cut 7" off the 11" side. Cut a 7" square out of this 7 x 8-1/2" piece. You will have a 7 x 1-1/2" scrap left over that can be used to punch your 1" circle for the top image. Now turn the 4" x 8-1/2" piece horizontally and cut at 5-1/4". You'll get a 4 x 5-1/4" piece you can use for the "guts" (inside) of a card and a 4 x 3-1/4" piece. Cut a 3-1/4" square out of that piece to decorate the top of your box. You'll have a 3/4" x 3-1/2" scrap left over.


Score the 7" vanilla square at 1-5/8" on all sides. Cut in on 4 of the score lines to the 1-5/8" score line to form tabs. Decorate the outer edges and add sticky strip to form box. Use sticky strip to attach it to the colored half sheet of card stock at the spine. You can use sticky strip or snail to adhere the box bottom to the colored piece.


Supplies:
sets- pick a petal, thank you kindly
cs- cameo coral, very vanilla, not quite navy
ink- ruby red pad, cameo coral pad, not quite navy pad, basic black marker
access- punches: 1" circle, tound tab, ticket corner and 1/16" handheld punch, silver brads, fire rhinestone circle brads, dimensionals, sticky strip, snail, paper cutter with scoring blade, scissors

Happy Stamping! Mary

May Club Project - Tied Circle Card

I can't remember who I got this idea from, but I found it on the internet years ago. You make a template that can be used to evenly space three circles for a "tied circles" card.


To create the circle template, Start with a 4 x 5-1/4" piece of card board (cereal box weight works well)

Score 1/2" along one of the long sides (can mark with a pencil). Find center (2-5/8") and adhere a 1-1/4" circle punch out over the center and just below the 1/2" score line. Center two other circles on either side of the middle one and just below the 1/2" score line. Use 1-3/8" circle punch to punch out the 3 circles on your cardboard template.

To use the template, line it up on a 4 x 5-1/4" piece of card stock and trace the three circle holes with pencil; punch out the three circles. Decorate this piece as desired. Tie a 5" piece of ribbon between the left and center circles. Tie another 5" piece of ribbon between the center and right circles.
Attach layer to your card front. Stamp image and punch out with 1-14" circle punch, color as desired and attach in the three holes.

Supplies:
sets- simply said
cs- barely banana, mellow moss, white scraps
ink- basic black pad, mellow moss pad, markers: pretty in pink, almost amethyst, apricot appeal, barely banana
access- moss gingham ribbon (retired, can use taffeta ribbon), 1-3/8" and 1-1/4" circle punches, big shot, perfect details texturz plate, texturz silicon rubber, texturz impressions pad, card board

Happy Stamping! Mary

National Scrapbooking Month Promotion

Stampin' Up! is offering several different types of designer brads (including the gorgeous Filigree Designer Brads) FREE if you purchase My Digital Studio (item 118108), an awesome digital crafting program, or one of 11 current sets. Click here to view which sets qualify.

Happy Stamping! Mary