Dying Baker’s Twine

This video from Stampin' Up!® tells you how to dye Baker's Twine and how to make the fabric flowers found on the card on page 11 of the Sale-A-Bration brochure.

You can use this technique from dying Baker's Twine to dye ribbon, fabric or other embellishments, too.  The crocheted flowers from Fleurettes II (#115604) spring to mind!

To dye your twine, ribbon or fabric/thread embellishment, mix 1 tablespoon of alcohol to 1 drop of Classic or Craft Stampin' Ink Refill.   You can adjust for your preferred color depth.  Soak in the mixture long enough for the dye to fully penetrate the item.  The Stampin' Store Containers (#103649) make it easy.  Spread dyed item out on a clean paper towel to dry.

If you need to use water instead of alcohol, you will need to heat-set with the Embossing Heat Tool (#100005), a blow dryer or your clothes dryer.

• The Heat Tool gets much hotter than the others, so be careful and hold it far enough above the ribbon/thread/etc. so that it doesn't warp.  Cotton & Linen will be fine, but Satin, Taffeta, etc. will buckle and you might not want that effect.
• The blow dryer shouldn't buckle your ribbon, but start with it far from the item, then move it closer if needed.
• Set the clothes dryer for 20 minutes on normal/cotton and dry the item in a delicates bag if it's very small (ribbon, etc.).

Got a question about a product or tool?  E-mail me at mary@3amstamper.com or post your question below.  I'll respond directly to your e-mail and post the answer here.

Worried About Getting Started With Your Stamping Business?

Never fear!  You don't have to worry about getting started with your stamping business when you become a Stampin' Up!® Independent Demonstrator.  Not only do you get oodles of ideas, templates, patterns and suggestions so you can begin right away, you also get me and my help!

I have two complete samples and tutorials for you that use only the supplies you'll receive in your Starter Kit.  I've designed them so you can easily demonstrate them or teach them as Make & Takes for your own workshops.  You'll be able to do several events without needing to purchase anything else!

To find out more, click on the "Having Your Own Business" link in the near right column.  You can also give me a call at (707) 695-3571 for questions or more information.

Make A-Maze-Ing Cards with Maze Games

I just had to use the mouse and cheese images in the Totally A-maze-ing Stamp Set (#125505, Wood-Mount; #124407, Clear-Mount) and see how hard it was to line up the maze stamped image with the Maze Game (#124332).

It turned out that it wasn't that hard.  I stamped the maze on Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (#100730), then punched it out with the 2-1/2" Circle Punch (#120906) and adhered it to the backing.  I tucked the stamped backing under one of the tabs and turned the image until it matched the maze.  then I tucked all the edges under the tabs.

I held the maze upside down so the balls didn't escape.  I should have matched it up over a Powder Pals (#102197) tray to keep the little rascals contained – they wanted to escape, no doubt about it!

Other Supplies Used:  Peach Parfait (#119794) & Baja Breeze (#111352)  8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock; Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper (#124339); Basic Black (#101179), Peach Parfait (#119783) & Daffodil Delight (#119667) Classic Stampin' Pads; 3/4" Circle (#119873) & Ticket Corner (#119867) Punches; Baja Breeze 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon (#125571); Peach Parfait 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon (#119264); Sticky Strip (#104294); Paper Snips (#103579); SNAIL Adhesive (#104332); Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

What do you think about using the Maze Game on a scrapbook page?  Please leave a comment below and share with us.

P. S. I Love You Page-Digital

My Valentine Month continues with another version of the P.S. I Love You Page.  This one is all digital and uses only what you can get in My Digital Studio Express (#124483), the downloadable streamlined version of My Digital Studio (#118108) from Stampin' Up!®.
Take a look at My Digital Studio Express and see what you can do!  Click on the Order Online Button at the far right and get the 30-day Free Trial!  Use #129600 to order the free trial copy.  You can choose from Windows or MAC versions and download it right to your computer today!

For a Sweet Birthday-Digital Hybrid Card

Make a sweet birthday card that is a hybrid digital-traditional papercraft project!  My guest artist today, Becky Evans, shared this at Stampin' Up!®'s Leadership Conference.
The central piece was made with My Digital Studio (#118108) and the Sweet Cake Stamp Brush Set Digital Download (#125621).  Becky didn't say if she printed it out on Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock (#100730) with a color laser printer or if she used the Professional Print Services available through the software.  I'm guessing the print services because the image is so smooth and even… and you can get between 3 and 6 copies per page printed.

Becky painted the cherry with VersaMarker (#100901) and embossed it with Cherry Scented Stampin' Emboss Powder (#127035).  You can't see it in the photo, but it shines in 'real life.'  She also painted the cupcake icing with a 2-Way Glue Pen (#100425) and sprinkled it with Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter (#102023).

Other Supplies Used: Island Indigo (#122923) & Blushing Bride (#119796) 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock; Red Glimmer Paper (#121790); Ticket Corner (#119867) & Small Heart (#117193) Punches; SNAIL Adhesive (#104332); Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

You can see all the digital images available for My Digital Studio here.  Then check back tomorrow for another digital project right here at www.3amstamper.com.

Enjoy Mardi Gras-Then Scrapbook It!

It's Mardi Gras today!!  Let the good times roll!  Just don't forget to take pictures… and when you're done, scrapbook your Mardi Gras memories!

I made this page with My Digital Studio (#118108), the Digital Design Software from Stampin' Up!®.  The only elements on the page not included with the full software package are the Antique Brads Digital Download (#122164).  Now all I need are some photographs to fill in and I'll have a page of Mardi Gras Memories!

Check back tomorrow for another My Digital Studio project idea right here at www.3amstamper.com.

Black and White and Red Pizzazz

What's Black and White and Red all over?  OK, not all over – but the red adds pizzazz to this card design from my colleague Linda Madison.

It also uses only the Fresh Vintage Stamp Set (#125115, Wood-Mount; #125117, Clear-Mount) available with a $50 order during Stampin' Up!®'s Sale-A-Bration.  The card is simple & elegant, and easily mailable!  It's also quick to make a whole lot of them!

Other Supplies Used:  Basic Black (#121045) & Whisper White (#100730) 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock; Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (#119251); Brights Collection Brads (#119740); 1/2" Circle Punch (#119869); SNAIL Adhesive (#104332); Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

To order what you need to complete your own version of this project (try using other colors-it'll be fabulous!), click on the Order Online Button at the far right.  If you have questions or need to contact me, feel free to call me at (707) 695-3571 or e-mail me at mary@3amstamper.com.

Top Three Things I Love About Being A Stampin’ Up! Independent Demonstrator

I love having my own stamping & scrapbooking business as a Stampin' Up!® Independent Demonstrator.  These are my Top Three reasons:

3.  I work my stamping business my way: how I want and when I want.

2.  I exercise my creativity every day – creating cards, scrapbook pages and other hand-crafted items with artistic rubber stamps.

1.  I work doing what I love – artistic stamping & scrapbooking & showing other people how!

Have you thought about having your own stamping business?  Click on the "Having Your Own Business" link in the near right column to see some ideas.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator, give me a call at (707) 695-3571, or e-mail me at mary@3amstamper.com.  I'd love to chat with you about my business and talk about what the possibilities can do for you.

Edgelits Also Make Frames

The new Adorning Accents Edgelits (#125595) from Stampin' Up!® are so versatile, you can easily make a fancy mat or frame for photos or card fronts.  My colleague, Jen Arkfeld, gave me this Butterfly Birthday Card at Leadership.
A neat thing about the Edgelits is that you place it face down wherever you want on your paper or cardstock and you have a lot of control!  It's easy to stamp first and then cut because your image is face up and the cutting edge is face down before you run it through the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine (#113439).

Other Supplies Used: Fresh Vintage Stamp Set (#125115, Wood-Mount; #125117, Clear-Mount); Bring On the Cake Stamp Set (#121899, Wood-Mount; #121958, Clear-Mount); Whisper White (#100730) & Pool Party (#122924) 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock; Neutrals Assortment 12" x 12" Textured Card Stock; Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (#126154); VersaMark Pad (#102283); Clear (#109130) & White (#109132) Stampin' Emboss Powder; Heat Tool (#100005); Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die (#114507); Circle Scissor Plus (#112530); 2-1/2" Circle Punch (#120906)

The underlined items are only available as Sale-A-Bration free selections through March 31st.  If you'd like to make this or a similar project and earn free catalog merchandise (including exclusive hostess stamp sets and accessories) along with free Sale-A-Bration items, let's plan a PlayShop together.  (PlayShop stands for first we play with my stuff, then we shop!)  Give me a call at (707) 695-3571 or e-mail Mary Varley at mary@3amstamper.com and let's chat.  I look forward to tailoring the project to you!

February-My Valentine Month

February is my Valentine month – there's Valentine's Day on the 14th and my wedding anniversary on the 25th.  So I use Valentines for the whole month!
I'm ready to take pictures and insert them in my page, which is done with My Digital Studio (#118108), the Digital Design Software from Stampin' Up!®.  Additional Digital Downloads used: Taffeta Ribbon Color Pack (#122156) and Basic Pearls and Rhinestones (#124330).  You can recreate this template in the free trial download My Digital Studio Express (#129600) with substitutes.

To adapt this template to a traditional page, use the Neutrals Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack (#117157), Bashful Blue (#105120), Pink Pirouette (#111351) and Soft Suede (#115318) 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, Hearts Collection Framelits (#125599) with the Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (#113439), Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (#109070) and Pearls Basic Jewels (#119247).  The paper pattern I used is now only available with My Digital Studio or as a Digital Download (#118854-Blooms Designer Series Paper).  You can print out a page and use it for a hybrid.

To order what you need to make your own Valentine page or to download your free trial My Digital Studio Express, click on the Order Online Button at the far right.