Stampin Smiles

Fireworks and Firecracker 12" x 12" Scrapbook Page with July Fourth Stamp Set

Did you see the July CD calendar I made using the Stampin' Up! July Fourth stamp set from the Summer 2010 Mini Catalog?  I have been having a lot of fun with this set!  I stamped a birthday card with a July birthday and then used the card for my inspiration for my 12" x 12" scrapbook page.  You will see both in the video demonstration!

 
 
 

You do not need to go to my YouTube channel to find my Stampin' Smiles Scrapbook Page Ideas Galore! DVD loaded with inspiration to help you with your scrapbooking.  Just click on the name and you will be taken to the page with all the details and be able to place your order.

      
 

Order the Stampin' Smiles Scrapbook Page Ideas Galore! DVD now!

Stampin' Smiles,

Stampin' Up! Tart & Tangy Stamp Set 12" x 12" Scrapbook Page "Orange U Sweet" Layout by Stampin' Smiles

Did you think Tart & Tangy would be on Stampin' Up!s 2010 Last Chance Stamp Sets List?  I thought it would be.   With that expectation, I used it in my May Scrapbooking with Rubber Stamps Class to make this sweet 12" x 12" page.

 

I stamped, punched and layered a bunch of orange slices and then started moving them around the page.  My layout came together when I added the die-cut lattice from the Stampin' Up! Sizzix Bigz Lattice Die.

Would you love to have scrapbook page layout ideas to help in your scrapbooking?  Follow the link http://www.stampinsmilespages.com/stampin-smiles-scrapbook-page-ideas-galore-dvd.html to purchase the Stampin' Smiles Scrapbook Pages Ideas Galore! DVD.  It is loaded with hundreds of pictures of scrapbook page layouts to inspire you!

Please do not hesitate to contact me  if you have any questions.

Stampin' Smiles,

 

Stampin' Up! Pick a Petal 12" x 12" Scrapbook Page Layout Idea by Stampin' Smiles

Feel like a flash back to the 70's?  As I sat back looking at the scrapbook page I designed for my Scrapbooking with Rubber Stamps class, the sayings "Flower Power" and "Groovy" jumped into my head.  My scrappers loved my groovy pages!

My Pick a Petal page was pretty quick to make.  I stamped and cut out six petals and used Stampin' Dimensionals to lift them off the page a bit.  The flower did not stand nearly as well when sitting flat on the page.  Such a little thing, but the added dimension made a huge difference in the look.

My Groovy title is made with the Sizzix Big Shot and Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Sizzlits.  Once you make a purchase of an alphabet, you will use it over and over again.  I love the Timeless Type Alphabet because it works well with elegant or cutesy pages.  If you can only afford one alphabet die set, make sure it is versatile like the Timeless Type Alphabet.

My three little flowers are from the Trio Flower Punch.  It gave my square some balance and coordinated beautifully with the five petal solid flower stamp from Pick a Petal.  Balance and coordination - a dream come true for this bull in a china cabinet!

Do you like my funky photo mats?  The traditional matting of equal on all four sizes just would not do for such a groovy scrapbook page.

My card stock color and sizes are

Pixie Pink:  12" x 12" and 4-1/4" x 6-1/4" (photo mat)

Green Galore:  6" x 6", 3-1/2" x 8-1/2" (photo mat) and scraps for die-cut letters and flowers

Lovely Lilac:  6" x 6", 4" x 7-1/2" (photo mat) and scraps for die-cut letters and flowers

Whisper White:  scrap pieces to stamp and cut out

Want to duplicate my scrapbook page?  Here is a list of stamping supplies you will need:

Order Pick a Petal online now on www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net and save $5 on your first online order of $50 or more AND be one third of the way to earning FREE shipping with the Stampin' Smiles Online Ordering Oasis!

Please do not hesitate to contact me  if you have any questions.

Stampin' Smiles,

 

Stampin' Up! Fifth Avenue Floral 12" x 12" Scrapbook Pages by Stampin' Smiles

Did you know Fifth Avenue Floral is on sale in April?  I liked this set immediately and was especially tickled when I received from a friend as a birthday gift.   You could say I was tickled pink.

 

Speaking of pink, how do you like my shades of pink and black?  I started with the 12" x 12" Pink Passion card stock.  My first attempt at my scrapbook pages was stamping the roses in Basic Black on White Naturals card stock and watercoloring them in Pink Passion.  Then I thought it would look so bold and vibrant if I stamped the rose in Basic Black on the Pink Passion card stock.  Loved it!  I also knew because I wanted to cut the flowers out too; it probably saved my scrapbookers from turning into a lynch mob!  Always a great bonus. :)

I needed another color to display my pretty, Pink Passion flowers against.  Pink and black is such a pretty combination.  From there I came up with the idea to do gradient colors of black.  So, the black scheme is Basic Black, Basic Gray and Going Gray.

While on the thoughts of gradient colors of black, why not the pinks too?  My pinks are Pink Passion, Pixie Pink and Pretty in Pink.   It is so much fun to see how one stamp set and one color can lead to such a colorful and pretty project.  I have the greatest job!

How about those great letters for my title snuggled in with all those flowers?  I used my beloved Big Shot (huge time saver!) and my new Stampin' Up! Billboard Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die.  Both upper and lower case alphabets on one die for only $21.95!  Time and money savings all in one!  

While I had my Sizzix Big Shot out, my photo mat on the first page needed something to showcase it.  Out came the lovely Bigz Top Note die.  A lovely die for lovely flowers.  Just part of it sticking out to give the photo mat that little something extra.

My card stock color and sizes are

Pink Passion:  (2) 12" x 12" and 8-1/2" x 11" to stamp and cut out six flowers

Pixie Pink:  (4) 4-1/4" x 6-1/4" for photo mats; scrap to stamp and cut four flowers

Pretty in Pink:  scrap to stamp and cut four flowers

Basic Black: (2) 1" x 12", (3) 2" x 12" for die-cut letters and 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" for Sizzix Top Note Bigz die-cut

Basic Gray:  (2) 2" x 12"

Going Gray:  (2) 4" x 12"

The stamping supplies you will need to duplicate my projects:

Order Fifth Avenue Floral now and save 20% off the regular price!  Place your online order by following the link to my online ordering website www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net. 

New to online ordering?  Follow the link for step-by-step directions and screen shots on how to place an online order for Stampin' Up! products with Stampin' Smiles.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Stampin' Smiles,

www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net to order Stampin' Up! products 24/7!

 

Stampin' Up! Just Buzzin' By 12" x 12" Scrapbook Pages Two Page Layout by Stampin' Smiles

Do you ever have an idea only to go in a completely different direction?  My plan was to use the beehive from the Stampin' Up! Just Buzzin' stamp set for my scrapbook pages.  I thought it would look great on the 12" x 12" pages.  As you can see, no beehive.

After stamping, coloring and punching out several of the adorable bees (stamp images at the bottom of the post), after color so many striped bee bodies, I decided to try to make my pages resemble them.  I tried even more stripes but preferred the three per page.  My scrapbooking students liked them, how about you? 

 
 

My pretty letters were made with my Sizzix Big Shot and the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlits (exclusive to Stampin' Up!).  That machine gets used more than I ever dreamed.  It easily is worth so much more than the investment I have made.  It saves me so much time.  It was so much quicker to die-cut the letters instead of stamping and cutting them out.  Who wouldn't love to save time?

These pages are ready for some precious faces!

My card stock colors are Summer Sun (retiring June 30, 2010), Basic Black and Whisper White.  The same for the ink with the addition of Blush Blossom for the faces, also retiring June 30, 2010.  I just love the new Color Collections, but do not know yet what I will do for flesh tones.  If you do not yet have Blush Blossom, I highly recommend you purchase it for faces, hands, arms and legs.

The supplies you will need to duplicate my scrapbook pages:

Have you put off ordering the Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine for too long?  Order it online on www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net by April 15, 2010 and I will pay your sales tax!  The online ordering system does not allow for discounts.  Once I receive notification of your order, I will mail a check to you for the amount of sales tax for your entire order in a hand-stamped card! 
 

New to online ordering?  Follow the link for step-by-step directions and screen shots on how to place an online order for Stampin' Up! products with Stampin' Smiles.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Stampin' Smiles,

www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net to order Stampin' Up! products 24/7!

 

Stampin' Smiles: How to Use Elegant Trio Decor Stencils to Make 12" x 12" Scrapbook Pages

Have you ordered any of the Decor Stencils?  If not, is it because you are not sure how to use them?  I decided it was time to order a set when I saw the new offerings in the 2010 Definitely Decorative Insert and am happy to show you just how easy they are to use.

First, let's have a look at the 2-page layout I made with them for 12" x 12" scrapbook pages.   Did I hear an "aww"?

 
I just loved the size of the flower in the Elegant Trio (all three pictured below) and thought how perfect it would be for 12" x 12" scrapbook pages.  The layout is simple.  And, my scrapbookers loved it.  The Bold Brights combination of Pink Passion, YoYo Yellow and Gable Green was a big hit.  I took the colors from my Color Combinations book.  If you are interested in my Color Combinations book, send an email to shelly@stampinsmiles.com.  They are available to order with the 75 different color combinations. 

Using the stencils to fill my pages was easy.  You simply lay the generous stencil over your paper and start filling in the color.  I used Sponge Daubers.

I started with the Pretty in Pink to fill in the inner flower first.  Always start with your lightest color.  It is always easier to cover light colors than dark ones.

I then filled in the center with YoYo Yellow with a Sponge Dauber.  Then, as you see in the picture, I added my Pink Passion.  I made the ink around the tips of the flower darker than the rest of the petals.  It looks like I used to colors, but it is just shades of the same color. 

Of course, my favorite part was using the smaller, inner flower for my "O" in DOLL.    On a scrap piece of Whisper White card stock I used the flower stencil to make the smaller flower and cut it out with my Paper Snips.

Writing of the DOLL in the title, the rest of the words were made with my Sizzix Big Shot and Timeless Type Junior Alphabet in Pink Passion card stock.  What an incredible time-saver my Big Shot is!

Did you notice the pretty border?  I used my new and FREE Sale-a-bration product the Scallop Trim Border Punch to make it.  You, too, can get it free with any $50 purchase from the Occasions Mini Catalog and/or Stampin' Up! 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog!

Oh, I almost forgot, I also used the pretty border stencil from the same stencil set, Elegant Trio, to jazz up my YoYo Yellow card stock a bit.  I do not have the entire stencil showing.  I like how it looks like the photo mat on the first page is resting upon a holder.  The second page I positioned it so just the long scroll showed but not the tips.  That allowed me to keep the photo mats balanced pretty evenly on the page. 

The three stencils included in the Elegant Trio Decor Stencils are pictured here.

My scrapbook layout card stock colors and sizes are

Pink Passion:  (2) 12" x 12, 1" x 4-1/4" and scrap to die-cut letters

YoYo Yellow:  (2) 8-1/2" x 11"

Gable Green:  (2) 1" x 11" and (3) 4-1/4" x 6-1/4"

Whisper White: (2) 3-1/4" x 11"  and scrap piece to stencil and cut out small flower

The list of supplies to duplicate my pages:

Try the Elegant Trio Decor Stencils yourself by ordering them now on www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net!

Love to place an order NOW but new to online ordering?  Click here for step-by-step directions with screen shots of each step.

Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.
 

Stampin' Smiles,

www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net to order Stampin' Up! products 24/7!

 

Stampin' Smiles Best Wishes & More "Just Say Snow" 12" x 12" Scrapbook Pages

Have you ever used just one stamp to create your background, accents and even part of the title?  That is exactly what I did with the snowflake from the Stampin' Up! Best Wishes & More stamp set.  The stamp set images, card stock colors and dimensions, and ordering instructions will be at the bottom of this post.

On the bottom half of each of the Bashful Blue 12" x 12" pages I stamped the snowflakes in Bashful Blue.  Tone on tone is probably my favorite background technique.  It is easy but adds so much to a simple design. 

I love when I see where an image was used to replace a letter of a word.  I was so pleased with myself when I thought to use one of the snowflakes for the "o" in snow.  It isn't all that brilliant, but for need-to-be-organized-and-tidy brain, it does not come naturally.  Therefore, the bit of pleasure from the simple substitution. 

Nine snowflakes were stamped in Bashful Blue on Whisper White card stock.  Then they were all trimmed with my favorite pair of scissors - the Paper Snips.  Every one needs a pair of Paper Snips!  They make all the cutting out a pleasure and not a chore.

The buttons in the center of all the cut-out snowflakes were made with my Sizzix Buttons #5 Sizzlits Die.  For only $4.95 and some scrap Bashful Blue card stock, I had buttons, buttons and more buttons for all my scrapbookers.  And, the beautiful part is, I still own the Sizzix die and came make hundreds of more buttons! 

The buttons look fantastic without adding hardly any bulk to my pages.  Did I mention the Sizzix button die is only $4.95.  I love a bargain, and that is surely one of the best!

Do you like naked buttons?  I discovered I have an issue with buttons attached without some sort of thread.  Threading these buttons does not take a needle and thread either.  With my Tabletop Paper Cutter, I can cut the smallest slivers of card stock and use to "thread" my buttons.  How cool is that?  They "thread" can then always coordinate.  That works well for my needs-to-be-organized-and-tidy brain.  Can you feel the sense of peace?

The title for my snow pages was stamped with the Schoolbook Serif Alphabet in Bashful Blue on Whisper White card stock.  I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig so I could stamp each letter twice for a deeper color.  It worked like a charm! 

Stampin' Dimensionals were used behind each layered snowflake accent.  It has never ceased to amaze me how much a little dimension adds to a project.  Have you given any of your projects a lift lately?

Here are the images of the two stamp sets I used:

 

Card stock colors and dimensions:

Bashful Blue - (2) 12" x 12"

Sage Shadow - (5) 4-1/4" x 6-1/4" and (9) 1-3/4" x 1-3/4"

Handsome Hunter - (5) 4-1/2" x 6-1/2", 3-3/4" x 6-1/4" for title and 2-3/4" x 3-3/4" for journaling box

Whisper White - 3-1/2" x 6" for title, 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" for journaling box and scrap pieces to stamp and cut out snowflakes and make your own "thread" for the buttons


The list of Stampin' Up! stamping supplies used to create my scrapbook pages:

Make your own Just Say Snow scrapbook pages by ordering the Best Wishes & More stamp set now on www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net!  And, don't forget, when you order $50 or more by March 31, 2010, you will receive your choice of a free Sale-a-bration product!
 

You will also receive the Stampin' Smiles February Bonus with any order of $50 or more.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions!
 

Stampin' Smiles,

www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net to order Stampin' Up! products 24/7!

 

Stampin' Smiles Nature Silhouettes 12" x 12" Scrapbook Pages

Do you live in deer country?  Or visit?  When we moved from the city to the country, my parents would go for rides on the back roads hoping for a glimpse of one of these majestic animals.

My elegant, yet simple, scrapbook pages capture the beauty and grace of deer using the Stampin' Up! Nature Silhouettes stamp set.  To recreate these pages, all the supplies you will need are listed at the bottom of my post.

With the tree and grass stamp, I tried something different to color the stamp.  I started with my Old Olive Classic Ink Pad and a Sponge Dauber and filled in the grass and leaves.  I liked the softer color from the ink pad compared to the deeper color I would have achieved with the marker.

I then used the Close to Cocoa Marker to color the tree trunk and branches.  This approach was a lot quicker than using just the markers.

Speaking of markers, I used a variety to color the saying stamp from Nature Silhouettes.  Doesn't it give it so much more character?  I love the all the earth tones. 

The accents of my Sizzix Leaves #2 die-cut leaves were the perfect fill-in.  Usually you see the leaves in fall colors.  Not that I don't love fall colors, but I wanted my pages to be appropriate for a summer day. 

The tone on tone of the Old Olive leaves on the Old Olive card stock contributed to the elegant look of my pages.  What made my leaves go from nice to oh, yeah! was the added texture I have them when I ran them through my Big Shot with the Distressed plate from the Sizzix Texturz Plates Kit #4 (just one of the six textures for only $9.95!).

Since we love texture (do you have a hard time stopping yourself from feeling it too?), I used the Cutter Kit to distress the edges of the Chocolate Chip card stock around my majestic deer and nature saying.

The elegant striped Designer Series Paper used to along the bottom of my scrapbook pages is the Old Olive Patterns.  Instead of leaving a blunt edge, I added a strip of Chocolate Chip card stock.  It is interesting how a bit of accent color can add so much to a project.

The card stock dimensions are as follows:

Old Olive - (2) 12" x 12", scrap pieces for die-cut leaves

Chocolate Chip - (2) 1" x 12", (4) 4-1/4" x 6-1/4", 3-1/4" x 3-1/2" and 1-1/2" x 3-1/4"

Very Vanilla - 3" x 3-1/4" and 1-1/4" x 3"

Old Olive Patterns Designer Series Paper - (2) 3" x 12"

Order the supplies you need to stamp these pages by placing your online order now on www.stampinsmiles.stampinup.net! 

Place your order by March 31, 2010 and receive a bonus Sale-a-bration product for free with each $50 you order!  I know the pages were incentive enough, but a fabulous free product sure sweetens the pot!

Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

Stampin' Smiles,