FSJ Convention 2018 was the “Beary Best”!

by Shannon Jaramillo // June 25, 2018 // 4 Comments

Oh my goodness!! Isn’t this ‘beary’ little guy the cutest?!? I have SO much to share with you all after my long weekend at the FSJ (Fun Stampers Journey) convention, but first, I wanted to share my swap card for the ‘Inking the Way’ team card swap. This little guy is an ‘ATS’ stamp called ‘Beary Best’ and he is retiring June 30th so if you love him too, make sure to place an order right away as he is only available while supplies last!! And he is on SALE!!! ‘Beary Best‘, just the stamp, is only $5.37!! And ‘Beary Best‘, the bundle (stamp and coordinating die!) is only $10.47!! What amazing value!!

Are you interested in purchasing other stamps and dies at amazing prices? Who wouldn’t be, right?!? Then check out the FSJ Retirement Party (after you finish this post of course :))!!

Measurements:

Card Base 4 1/2″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Stamped Image Layer 3″ x 5 1/2″
Printed Paper Layer 1″ x 5″

Details:

Would you like a way to use up those scraps of darling pattern paper that we all hoard…I mean have? This layout packs a TON of pattern paper punch and uses only two 1″ x 5 1/2″ pieces of pattern paper!!
Assembly is SO easy! I attached both the bear stamp and the sentiment stamp to the ‘F’ block. The grid lines on the block and indexing (stamp image) on the stamp, make getting things lined up straight a BREEZE!! Then I inked this both stamps up with Hazelnut Blend Fusion Ink and stamped him on Buttercream card stock!
I cut thin strips of color coordinating card stock, applied adhesive and attached them to both sides of my stamped image layer. One done, I adhered everything to the card base!
I added two Journey Sequins Bloom Time sequins in the lower right hand corner for a bit of pop and then balanced them out with a hand snipped banner of pattern paper and a teeny tiny bow of Journey Natural Thread!

I added a bit of the Through the Years pattern paper to my photo so you can get a better idea of the overall design…it’s gorgeous in Butter Cream, Banana Cream, Summer Days, Pool Play, Beach Breeze, Lemon Grass and Fresh Forest.

Now….CONVENTION. Oh my goodness! FSJ (Fun Stampers Journey) KNOCKED it out of the park at Convention!! Honestly, LOOK at ALL the goodies that were included in the price of Convention!

Just look at all the STUFF!!! The natural canvas tote in the upper left was the bag given to us at registration. It contained THREE full size stamp sets, 1 ATS size stamp set, the black and white checked planner you see to the left (complete with a full compliment of calendar pages in it) as well as the convention pin and a pin announcing this was my first convention. You can see those attached to my lanyard (also included in the bag). The REST: a $600 party host set for staying at the convention hotel, 2 ATS stamps, the mini envelope die, a full spool of Lemon Drop satin ribbon, a pen and stickers for our amaze machines with the new logo on them, a darling take out box, another fold away tote which came with the new annual catalog in it, the 2018-19 Annual Catalog (SPIRAL BOUND!!!!!) and a commenorative wood mounted Convention 2018 stamp set! OH! And the Holiday mini catalog!!! (eek!)

Whew!! That’s a TON of STUFF, right?? I’ve been to stamping conventions before but they pale in comparison to the way we were treated. And that’s just the stuff. We also were treated to THREE days of general session with SO many new products and tips and techniques and SIX breakout classes!! I learned SO MUCH!! And FOOD!!! I will share photos of the food in the posts to come, just let me say here that we did not go hungry! No boxed meals happening with FSJ!!

Oh! And the opportunity to shop in the Journey store and purchase SO many bundles and a la carte items from the new catalog!! And we got to take them home with us!! And we were able to purchase them with our coach discount and a 10% convention discount!!

Are you on overload yet? lol, I am. I am SO inspired by the wonderful FSJ crew and all of their hard work producing a GORGEOUS 334 page color catalog FULL of amazing projects to inspire!! Would you like one????? You’re like “You’re Kidding” right?? Of course you want one!! Just shoot me an email and as soon as I receive the catalogs, I will ship them out to you!

Thank you so much for visiting my little blog and I hope to see you back! Don’t forget to subscribe so you can get peeks of amazing FSJ product delivered right to your in box!

Supplies: (All Fun Stampers Journey products unless noted differently below)

Card Stock: Buttercream, Summer Days, Lemon Grass, and Fresh Forest

Printed Paper: Through the Year

Ink: Hazelnut Blend

Stamps: Beary Best

Dies: None

Tools: Journey Blooms Paper Trimmer

Embellishments: Journey Sequins Bloom Time and Journey Thread Natural

Other: None

Live Like You Mean It

by Shannon Jaramillo // March 17, 2018 // 2 Comments

Sharing a bit of stamping I did this morning! When I got up this Saturday morning, I had a mile long mental list of things to do and was full of ambition to get started on my tasks…and then I walked by my stamping space, which has the most gorgeous light in the morning…and I veered in there instead and got lost in paper and ink! Does that happen to you?

I love how cheerful this little card turned out and I know exactly who I’m going to give it to – she is indeed one of the loveliest people I know!

The DSP (Designer Series Paper) I used is called ‘Gingham Garden’ and is probably 5 years old now. But there is no expiration date on cuteness and this paper has that in spades. And the stamp? I have no idea how old it is (perhaps you can enlighten me), but it showed up in my mailbox this week and I couldn’t WAIT to ink it up!

The color combination is Melon Mambo and Cucumber Crush (retired), the flower is from the very retired ‘Live Like You Mean It’ stamp set, and the darling sentiment is from the ‘Hanging Garden’ stamp set. I used a few pierced dies from MFT Stamps to bring definition to all the white space.

And in the picture below you can see one of my most favorite new products, the ‘Glitter & Clear Epoxy Shapes‘. They are the teeniest little gems I have seen on the market and I am definitely going to be stocking up on them! You can find them on page 33 of the 2018 Occasions Catalog, on the lower left hand side. Because they are clear, they are hard to see, but are SO worth the investment!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today and I hope your weekend is fabulous!

Blessings,

To Love What We Do and Share What We Love

by Shannon Jaramillo // February 28, 2018 // 2 Comments

“To LOVE what we do and SHARE what we love, as we help others enjoy CREATIVITY and worthwhile accomplishments…in this we make a DIFFERENCE.” This is Stampin’ Up!’s Statement of the Heart and reflects who we are as demonstrators and why we do what we do.

I adore this basket of flowers, which is FREE with any $50 purchase, and I thought it would fit perfectly with the newest Freshly Made Sketches challenge. But then I saw the statement of the heart stamp, which I recently acquired secondhand for $1, and wanted to use it as well. Since I couldn’t decide which one to use, I used them both!

While I was creating this card I received a message from someone who had reached out to me recently. Her message to me this evening was to share with me how much she appreciated my time and patience with her. It didn’t seem like much at the time, but I tonight I realized how fitting this statement of the heart is. I shared my time and love of stamping, perhaps helped her a bit in the process, and it made a difference to her. It really made this statement hit home and resonate with me. I made a difference. I’m so glad I had the opportunity!

I stamped this darling basket from the Blooming Basket stamp set with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then colored with Stampin’ Blends in Crumb Cake, Light and Dark Calypso Coral and light and dark Old Olive. I added a bit of Fresh Fig marker to the berries and finished the basket off with a simple bow. Of course I added Wink of Stella to the flowers…it’s a huge ‘wow’ in person!

The statement of the heart was stamped with Staz-On ink and adhered using Ranger Multi Medium matte liquid glue which dried clear underneath the vellum except for where I adhered it over areas colored with alcohol markers. You still really can’t see the glue so I’ll take it since adhering vellum can be quite the challenge!

Here is the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches that inspired today’s project:

Thank you again for sharing a bit of your day with me, I hope you like the card…

Blessings,

A Basket of Wishes

by Shannon Jaramillo // February 10, 2018 // 5 Comments

Hello my stampin’ friends! Here’s a sweet basket of wishes that is easy to color and quick to assemble! To kick start the design process, I challenged myself to just reach in the drawer of stamps and work with the first one I touched! Today’s winner was Basket of Wishes!

Measurements:

Card Base 4 1/2″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
1st Layer 4″ x 5 1/4″
2nd Layer 3 1/2″ x 4 3/4″
3rd Layer 2″ x 4 1/4″
4th Layer 2 1/4″ x 3 1/2″

Details:

I was very pleased to have ‘chosen’ this stamp set for two reasons: It had never seen ink before and I got to color! It’s funny to me that I used to be terrified of any coloring whatsoever and now I look forward to it!
I started with the basket image and of course (for me), topping it off with flowers was an easy choice! The set is photopolymer so it’s very easy to line the flowers up perfectly over the basket image to create a finished image that looks like it is all one image.

Next came the coloring. I colored the basket in with the light Crumb Cake Stampin’ Blends and added accented the shaded areas with dark Crumb Cake. The leaves are Lemon Lime Twist and Pear Pizzazz Stampin’ Markers. The daisy image is Soft Sky, Marina Mist and Midnight Muse (retired). The little berries are colored in Perfect Plum. I love filling in the smaller images with my Stampin’ Markers because of the range of color choices available. Hopefully we will more colors of Stampin’ Blends available soon, but in the meantime, these are great!
I looked to my Pinterest Layout Sketches Board for inspiration. I’m not even sure which layout I used as I generally use them just for ideas and then tailor them to fit my project. My color choices here were Midnight Muse and Tip Top Taupe, (both retired). I think the color choices really coordinate with the basket colors and highlight the stamped image while the stark contrast to the white makes everything pop.
The gingham ribbon and bow really add to the rustic, homey feel of the card. And you don’t really notice that the ribbon is Night of Navy…everything just flows…
A few pops of color with the Night of Navy Enamel Shapes are the finishing touch!

I chose to put the sentiment on the inside of the card…isn’t the font adorable? I chose a birthday sentiment for this card but really, the front is so general you could use the card for just about any reason!

Thanks for sharing your day with me! I would love to hear your questions or comments about today’s project!

Blessings!

Supplies:

Card Stock: Tip Top Taupe and Midnight Muse by Stampin’ Up!; Stamper’s Select White by Papertrey Ink

Pattern Paper: In Color Designer Series Paper Stack by Stampin’ Up!

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Crumb Cake Stampin’ Blends and Lemon Lime Twist, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sky, Marina Mist, Midnight Muse and Perfect Plum Stampin’ Markers by Stampin’ Up!

Stamps: Basket of Wishes by Stampin’ Up!

Dies: Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies by Stampin’ Up!

Tools: Big Shot and Stampin’ Trimmer by Stampin’ Up!

Embellishments: Night of Navy 1/2″ Gingham Ribbon and Regals Enamel Shapes by Stampin’ Up!

Other: Medium Whisper White Envelope by Stampin’ Up!

An Oldie but a Goodie – The Paper Players 363

by Shannon Jaramillo // September 25, 2017 // 5 Comments

There are so many wonderful new stamps out there but when I saw someone letting go of this beauty from 2003, I couldn’t pass it up. New is great but I encourage you to look through your stash and pull out a stamp that hasn’t seen ink in awhile and see if it doesn’t make you happy that you kept it all these years!

Measurements:

Card Base 4 1/2″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″
Next Layer 4″ x 5 1/4″
DSP Layer 3 3/4″ x 5″
Larger Block Base 2 3/4″ x 4 1/2″
Larger Block DSP 2 1/2″ x 4 1/4″
Smaller Block Base 2 1/4″ x 3 1/4″
Smaller Block Image Layer 2″ x 3″

Details:

I made some Halloween purchases from Stampin’ Up! last year and then never made any cards so this year I just pulled out last year’s Halloween Night DSP. I love the combinations of patterns, colors and images in this DSP pack. Don’t the Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black just pop?
I stamped my sweet image from the Halloween Smiles stamp set, circa 2003, in Versafine Onyx Black ink. I had been told years ago that it was a favorite ink of stampers but was too stubborn to try it out. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this ink is DIVINE!! It stamped all my images, even brand new never-inked-up photopolymer stamps, perfectly. See the bats, spider and pumpkin faces on my envelope? No MISTI used. Just brand new photopolymer stamps on blocks and they stamped the complete image perfectly, as well as perfectly crisp and bright. I have a new favorite!

Again, the crispness of the images! I so amazed!! And sorry I was a doubting Thomas for so long!
This adorable Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black Baker’s Twine is also from last year’s Stampin’ Up! holiday catalog, as is the ‘happy halloween’ sentiment and all of the images stamped on the envelope. They are all from the retired Spooky Fun stamp set. It’s a set with classic halloween images so I know I will keep it and use it…hopefully someday for grand babies!

How sweet is this sentiment from the Halloween Smiles stamp set? And it pairs perfectly with this smiling bat from the Spooky Fun stamp set. It’s not often you see a smiling bat! 🙂

Today’s layout is courtesy of Nance of The Paper Players design team. Such a fun clean sketch…thanks Nance!

If you are in the US, I hope you are enjoying your first days of Fall! Fall here in Southern California means windy and hot, and today did not disappoint! I was determined to leave the window open in spite of the wind, and spent more time than I should have chasing elements around my desk and whisking them off the floor! lol

Blessings!

Supplies:

Card Stock: Basic Black and Pumpkin Pie by Stampin’ Up!; Stamper’s Select White by Papertrey Ink

Pattern Paper: Halloween Night (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black

Stamps: Halloween Smiles (retired) and Spooky Fun (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Dies: Envelope Liner Die (retired) by Stampin’ Up!

Tools: MISTI by My Sweet Petunia (for the sentiment)

Embellishments: Basic Black/Pumpkin Pie (retired) Baker’s Twine by Stampin’ Up!

Other: Medium Whisper White Envelope by Stampin’ Up!