Stampin' Addicts Summer Mini Blog Hop Tropical Party

Welcome to the Stampin Addicts Summer Mini Blog Tour! Join us on Stampin' Addicts for Stampin' Up! samples, discussions, information and of course FUN!  You may have arrived from Heather's blog featuring her cute projects with the First Day stamp set. If not, the tour is circular. You'll get there eventually if you click at the end of each blog hop post. If you somehow get lost along the way, just click HERE and there is a list of the blog hop sites, in order.

The new Summer Mini from Stampin' Up! is available for ordering from  May 1 through August 31, and as usual Stampin' Up! demonstrators were allowed to order ahead so that we can showcase these fun sets.  One of the great sets I chose to preorder was Tropical Party. I added the Island Floral Bigz Big Shot Die and the Island Oasis Designer Series Paper as well, so today I have a few little projects to share.

First up are these Drink Umbrellas that were so easy to make using the Scalloped Circle Big Shot Die and the fresh and fun Island Oasis Designer Series Paper.  I'll have a tutorial (with  step by step pictures) for you back here on my blog on Monday, so check back if you're interested!

You'll notice you can make them more masculine by cutting of the scallops and keeping the top of the skewer free of a flower (Pumpkin Pie floral), keep them simple with just a scalloped Designer Series Paper umbrella and trio flower punch on top (Rose Red floral) or layer a cut layer over a scalloped layer. I embellished the So Saffron umbrella with the small flower from the Island Floral Bigz Die and a rhinestone brad.

I created a super casual outdoor Luau set with the Bigz Die and Designer Series Paper as well.  A Fancy Favor Big Shot Die box created a holder for the plastic silverware with the large flower layered on the bold and flowery Island Oasis DSP.  Coordinating patterns for the umbrella, straw flower embellishment and placemat would make each guest feel so special, and the napkin ring completes the display. 

Oh, you don't typically make placemats for your outdoor entertaining? I admit I don't either, so I converted the placemat into a Scrapbook Layout for our trip to Hawaii....that was almost four years ago!

Now I feel like a genius rather than a four-year-slacker because this new paper is perfect for tropical pictures! :) Strangely, most of my pictures are landscape, and I didn't want to lose the scenery/cut them very much.  I balanced the horizontal with vertical lines and am happy with the result. Tons of pictures on one layout....yes, I do that sometimes.

Enjoy more of the islands on this Tea-Stained card. I even used a color that will be returning for next year...My Favorite-Baja Breeze! The white gel pen is easy to use to make the coconut really stand out against the background.

Continue your Summer Tour with a stop at Holly's Blog for her creative Christmas interpretations of the Island Floral Bigz Die. Thanks for touring with Stampin' Addicts!

Color Renovation Inspiration Western Get Well

With the Color Renovation from Stampin' Up! visible on the horizon, I've created several cards that use retiring/"get it while you can" cardstock. This sample using Bermuda Bay and Close to Cocoa (both retiring colors) was so easy once I saw the pictured shirt in a catalog.  The funny thing is that the ladies' shirt seems to have inspired a masculine card. :)

Be sure to email me if you'd like to place an order because once June 1 arrives the accessories such as ribbon and brads (and for this year this includes retiring colors of cardstock too!) that are retiring may go out of stock and become completely unavailable.

The card below features Close to Cocoa again, this time with Pink Passion, Gable Green and Pixie Pink.  It also uses the MojoMonday sketch135 (though I altered the size a bit).

This simple card is so Spring-y!  Brocade Blue, Barely Banana and Gable Green make a cheery daisy card inspired by the rug below it.

Be sure to check back on Friday for the Stampin' Addicts Blog Tour/Hop!  I've created several things using the new Tropical Party Stamp set, Island Floral Bigz Die and Island Oasis Designer Series Paper, and there are 22 other stops by which you can be inspired.

Color Renovation Inspiration

For Quick Chicks and Chocolate classes during Stampin' Up!'s Color Renovation, I am tailoring my cards to highlight many of the retiring colors. (In July, I will focus on the new colors.) This card was inspired by colors from the dotted towel picture on which it is resting.  It uses a combination of the new Tropical Party Set and the Flight of the Butterfly Set.  The colors in this card (other than Whisper White) are retiring, including Gable Green, Brocade Blue and Brilliant Blue.

The colors shown on the card below (inspired by an orange a pink version of the same towel) are also retiring.  Those colors are Pixie Pink, Only Orange and Pink Passion.

Summer Mini Preview Card Builder Wheels Birthday

Today's Masculine Birthday card is SO simple!  I used Stampin' Up!'s new Builder Wheels with the Triple Cell Cartridge (inked with Not Quite Navy, Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry) to make this masculine yet glitzy card.  I rolled it onto an 8-1/2 inch wide piece of Whisper White then cut it down to 5-1/4 wide by 4 high after wheeling.  Then, I used the Gold Glow Smooch Spritz to give it some sprinkles of gold shine. 

Here's an easy tip: I also glittered the ribbon using a large shoebox (though Stampin' Up! has a great Color Catcher too) with a piece of Stick Strip at the top to hold the ribbon. You have to hold the Spritz Spray upright so the ribbon couldn't just be put down on a table to spray it.

Stampin' Addicts is having another fun blog hop on April 30 to showcase the new Summer Mini catalog...join us back here on April 30th to click through and see 25 stampers' best projects!

Recipe Monday #26 Roasted Chicken with Herbs and Honey and May Stamp Camp

Greg altered a recipe he found on America's Test Kitchens for supper yesterday.  I think it is the best thing he's ever made!  We aren't Herbs de Provence fans (lavender in food?), so he substituted only some of the spices for that.

Salt and Pepper (or use your favorite chicken spices that aren't a particular type of cuisine) four Chicken Breasts and heat one Tablespoon of oil in a skillet (we use a dutch oven to reduce splatter) until hot and steamy.  Cook on one side for 5 minutes at medium high, then reduce heat to medium, add lid and cook for 15 more minutes. (Should reach 160F on a meat thermometer)

Remove all but one table spoon of fat from the pan and add 1/2 cup of low sodium chicken broth (box or can okay), 2 Tablespoons of honey, and nice sprinkles of Rosemary, Marjoram, and Fennel. Remove from stove and whisk in 4 Tablespoons of butter and 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar. We use this as a dipping sauce for the chicken and serve in individual containers.  Now after all this French cooking, you'll need to go for a walk to burn off the calories! :)

May Stamp Camp Creations

I'm sure you recognize Jackie Topa's Stationery Box. I haven't made these with my stampers until now, and I really hope they enjoy them!

We'll also make this Origami Box, but I'm not sure who to credit for the design...sorry.

You may or may not wish to gift the lemon-tea salt scrub inside the box...it only fits with the lid open...:)

More Retiring Color Information...and Bleaching Technique

New color kits will be available beginning July 1 for one year only. For example, if you have the pastels and want to change them out for the new Color Collections, a kit will be available with a new case, new insert, and just the pastels in the new colors. You would move the carry over colors to the new case. Similar kits will be available for the markers, water color crayons, ink pads and cardstock.

Full size CRAFT ink pads will be retiring with the exception of black, white, and vanilla. Craft ink will be available in spots and reinkers only after July 1. SU! will carry blank craft ink pads if you want to create a full size craft ink pad.

The Blush Blossom marker will be available in the next catalog

Retiring color items will be stocked through the end of May. On June 1, the retiring list will be published and it will become the usual free for all. Once it's gone, it's gone.


Sorry I've been busy this week!  If you're inspired to try bleaching, please stop by and upload your card at Stampin' Addicts.  It is Technique Challenge 49. (Tech49)

Here's my latest Technique mini tutorial which actually includes 2 types of bleach stamping: bleach stamping or bleach highlighting.  Be sure to use a good apron over an old shirt, work over a tile rather than carpeted floor, and be super careful.

Bleach Stamping

1. Put a full size paper towel (folded in half and then in half again) in a disposable square plastic container (Gladware type)
2. Add a bit of water to keep the paper towel in place (it dilutes the bleach just a bit too)
3. Pour in only enough bleach to wet the paper towel
4. Use the paper towel as your ink pad and stamp onto colored cardstock.
5. Your heat tool can be used to speed the drying process.
6. Dispose of bleach safely so that it doesn't spill and make a mess.

Shown on the background image below:

Bleach Highlighting

1. Stamp your image with versamark or craft ink
2. Cover with Clear Embossing Powder
3. Heat Emboss
4. Put a bit of bleach into a small cup and use a brush or Q-tip to highlight an area that would look nice lightened or white.

Shown on the surfer image below:

Colors...get 'em while they're hot!

Stampin’ Up! announced some amazing changes to the color lines this week!

They are now called Color Collections instead of Families and have been rearranged for ease of selection as Brights, Neutrals, Regals and Subtles. We were allowed to share with our customers so that you may plan your purchase decisions based on this new information. The new (or old In Colors) will be available for customers beginning July 1, and the current (but soon to be retired colors) will be available for purchase until June 30th.

Some Stampin' Up! colors are retiring that I will miss such as Brocade Blue and Creamy Caramel, so if you would like to order any of these 30 pretty colors in cardstock, ink pads or refills, you’ll need to do so before June 30, 2010.  A complete list is shown in the picture below.

Several In Colors from the last couple of years have returned, including my all-time favorite, Baja Breeze! (Also returning are Wild Wasabi, Pink Pirouette, Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red, River Rock and Tangerine Tango.)

Three of this year’s In Color favorites are not going to retire and will be available for purchase into next year: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Soft Suede. Kraft has been renamed as Crumb Cake….yum!, but that doesn’t help my diet at all!

Below is a chart of remaining colors that includes the five new Core colors (Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler and Marina Mist) Click on and print the pictures to pick out your new favorites for July 1st while you make plans to re-stock your retiring favorites before June 30th. Five other new In Colors will be available in July that will now last 2 years instead of just one, and they sound lovely!

I hope you are as excited to try Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso as I am, and I don’t even drink coffee.