Monday, September 07, 2015

Thanks a Latte


I believe I have mentioned before that I fell in love with the July's Paper Pumpkin stamp set. If you missed that post, let me say it again...I love July's Paper Pumpkin stamp set. That tea/coffee cup stole my heart and I just could not stop using it. 

This cute envelope-looking thing is actually a gift card holder made with the Gift Card Envelope & Trims Thinlits. Wouldn't this be perfect to give someone a gift card to a super expensive coffee shop? 

Stampin' Tips:
  • Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla, Tempting Turquoise
  • Papers: Bohemian DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper
  • Cut a 1-1/4" x 6-1/2" strip of Very Vanilla to serve as your belly band. Cut a 1" x 6-1/2" strip of DSP to adhere to the Very Vanilla strip. 
  • Punch out four stars from Silver Glimmer Paper. Adhere two stars to the ends of the baker's twine, sandwiching the twine between the stars. 
  • Don't adhere any of the flaps. Allow the belly band to hold everything together. 
  • Use the little swoop image from the Work of Art stamp set to add a little bit of Tempting Turquoise color to the cup. If the color is too dark, stamp off (stamp once on a scrap piece of paper and then on your cup). 

Are you still on the fence about joining Paper Pumpkin? May I suggest taking advantage of the Half Off promotion. Visit My Paper Pumpkin website and use the code HALFOFF to join Paper Pumpkin before September 10, 2015 and get 50% off the first two months! After that, keep the creativity coming for only $19.95 + tax per month (shipping included). 

Happy Stampin' 
Carmelita 

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Hello New Holiday Catalog!


Christmas makes me happy. Stamping makes me happy. So the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog makes me extremely happy.

I'm one of those people that tend to get grumpy with change, and I'll confess that as much as new catalogs excite me, I often get a little grumpy and overstimulated with new catalogs. That did not happen with this catalog. I could not get enough of this catalog when I first saw it.

It. Is. Amazing.

Check it out for yourself! And then head over to my website to make your first Holiday Catalog purchase.

Enjoy!! I believe you will not be disappointed.

Happy Stampin',
Carmelita

Monday, August 31, 2015

Happy Bokeh Birthday


Have you heard about the Bokeh technique? It's a neat technique that mimics the photographic Bokeh effect which is on trend in photography these days (or so I'm told). The Bokeh effect involves blurring part of the picture that is out of the focal point. I am often drawn to the circles of light that seems to be highlighted in these photographs. Some very talented crafters have adapted this effect to ink and out came a fun technique to use your aqua painters, whisper white craft ink, and circle punches. I have grand plans of writing my own Bokeh technique tutorial, but usually I have grand intentions of doing all sorts of things and nothing ever gets done. I need better time management. Until then, I encourage you to check out a fellow demonstrator's blog for a picture tutorial on how to accomplish the Bokeh technique. 

One of the unique characteristics of the Bokeh technique is the circles, which you can't really see in this picture. I promise they are there. This is one of those cards that I feel that a photograph doesn't portray how cool the card is. Maybe if I was a better photographer I would be able to highlight those Whisper White circles a little bit more. 

Stampin Tips:
  • Colors: Mint Macaroon, Delightful Dijon, Whisper White
  • Apply the Bokeh technique to a 5"x3.75" piece of Whisper White Cardstock. I used Delightful Dijon and Mint Macaroon on my background. 
  • Stamp "Happy Birthday" from the Happy Birthday, Everyone stamp set in versa mark on Vellum. Use gold embossing powder to emboss the greeting. 
  • Use a few glue dots to adhere the vellum to the card. Make sure your Bokeh background has dried. 
  • Cut a few sequins from a piece of Gold Sequin Trim. Use glue dots to adhere to the card. If any of your glue dots underneath your vellum sheet can be seen, use a sequin to cover it.
I had so much fun with this technique. If you have tried this technique, head over to my Facebook page and post a picture of your project. I would love to see how you use the technique.

Happy Stampin',
Carmelita

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog


Thursday, August 27, 2015

Throwback Thursday: Snowflakes in Mint


As an active Stampin' Up! demonstrator, it is my job to keep up with the latest trends, stamp sets, and accessories that Stampin' Up! has to offer. We are often encouraged to use only current product in our classes and workshops. I do this because I want to provide my customers with the latest and greatest...but....sometimes it's hard to let go of really awesome retired stamp sets. Festive Flurry is one of my favorite retired Christmas stamp sets. As I was preparing entries for the County Fair, I kept  picking up this stamp set and relishing the moments I got to stamp with it. I love love love love this set.

Also during my fair prep I kept reaching for the Mint Macaroon cardstock. You'll see in the upcoming Holiday Catalog that Mint Macaroon is on trend with the Christmas colors, so I decided to try it out. It's an interesting color to use for Christmas, but I think it's going to work, as you can see in my Festive Flurry card.

What retired stamp set (or stamp sets, because I know I have several) do you absolutely cling to? And what do you think of Mint Macaroon as a Christmas Color?

Happy Stampin',
Carmelita

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Project Life meets Paper Pumpkin



My two favorite Stampin' Up! offerings lately have been Paper Pumpkin and Project Life by Stampin' Up! I have been spending most of my crafting "free time" playing with these items and recently I decided to combine the two.

Each month, Paper Pumpkin sends you a kit with a ready-made project that you can stamp and assemble. But what's even greater is that you can use the included stamp set for future and personal projects.

I loved July's Paper Pumpkin stamp set. The mug has become one of my favorite stamps and I used it on several projects. And then I thought about how cute the images in the July Paper Pumpkin stamp set would look on Project Life cards. So I quickly made a few using the Moment's Like These card collection and accessory pack. I have yet to use them on a page, but they are sitting in my card box ready to be used when the time is right.





Have you used your Paper Pumpkin stamp sets outside of making the kit? If not, I encourage you to do so. Follow me on Pinterest to keep up with some of my ideas or follow the Paper Pumpkin boards for even greater inspiration. 

Happy Stampin', 
Carmelita

Saturday, August 15, 2015

The Results are In....



This year, I stepped a little out of my comfort zone and entered two cards and a scrapbook layout into the Nevada County Fair. I have never entered any of my work into any contest. Two reasons - I'm usually scared to get my work judged and I'm also too lazy to put the effort into preparing the entry forms, sending off or delivering the entries, or posting the right blog posts to my blog to be judged.

However, this year, since it's such a year of new things and change for our family, I figured I'd give it a shot. Plus, preparing my entries gave my daughter and me something to focus on during our last weeks before school and during the time my husband had to work crazy ridiculous hours. The child entered three items into the fair and I entered three items.

I didn't think I'd be so excited and anxious to see the results, and this past Wednesday, as we attended the fair for the first time, we got to see how our work did.

The Booger had to enter in the Mommy and Me category because she didn't meet the cut-off date to participate in the Youth categories. She received blue ribbons on all her items.

The castle card and the butterfly painting above her are two of three of her entries.

I placed on all three of my items, which I was pretty happy about. I received first place in my class for the scrapbook layout, first place for my Christmas card, and second place for birthday card.
I was quite pleased with the results and was excited that I had placed at all.

First place for Holiday Themed scrapbook layout. Yes, that's my now five-year-old child gracing the spread.


The Snow Flurries stamp set is still one of my favorite sets that I still use a lot even though it is retired. I also love the triple-stamping technique. 


This Coastal Cabana card uses a retired color with current stamp sets. I love the bold bloom flower.


As you can see, I used several retired stamps sets and paper. I have so much retired product laying around that I decided to play with my favorites while preparing for the fair.  In the upcoming weeks, I hope to share with you the different cards I prepared for the fair that didn't get entered.

On another note, the Nevada County Fair is by far the best fair I have ever attended. We had such a great time attending as a family, and there as such a joy that I felt as I watched the booger squeal with delight as she rode ride after ride. The fair also provided an opportunity to learn more about our new community as we strolled through booths that ranged from political affiliations to reading programs to solar companies. And of course, you can't go to the fair without looking at the cute animals. We were quite fond of the pygmy goats.

Is it bad that I'm already starting to think about scrapbook layouts to create for next year's fair? And I can't wait to see the cards I create this upcoming year that may be fair-worthy. Here's to a year of creativity!

Happy Stampin'
~Carmelita

Monday, August 10, 2015

The Family that Stamps Together



I don't think I can say enough how much I love love love Paper Pumpkin. So let me tell you: I. Love. Paper. Pumpkin.

It truly is a form of Christmas that comes once a month in the mail. I love getting that cute little orange box that is my creative escape. The awesomeness of Paper Pumpkin has been discovered by my daughter as well. She gets just as excited as I do and now expects to participate in assembling the kit. It has become a great mother-daughter crafting activity. Apparently too great, because this past month my husband decided that he wanted in on the fun. He joined us as we created our cards and it became a cherished a family time.


As you can see, my husband had to have the included instructions to make his card. He tried to follow them to the dot, but I kept encouraging him to do what he pleased. The instructions are more of guidelines, not rules. Straying from the instructions and the proposed design is what makes your card unique. Of course, there is nothing wrong with following the instructions, but if it stresses you out, maybe you should reconsider your approach to stamping. After attempting to use duct tape for his adhesive, he made this cute card, and then announced he had enough for the night.



My little crafter-in-training needed less help than her daddy. I gave her all the supplies, showed her the finished picture, answered any of her questions, and then let her loose. She has been itching to play with the aqua painter later, so I let her use the aqua painter on her card and subsequent creations.

So easy a five-year-old can do it

Creativity unleashed
You want in on this fun? Make sure to sign up for Paper Pumpkin by the 10th of each month to receive the current month's kit. Sign up here to skip to the fun.

And here's the best part of signing up before September 10th: you get your first two months for 50% off (first-time subscribers only)! Make sure to use the promo code: HALFOFF.


Happy Stampin', 
~Carmelita 



Saturday, August 08, 2015

Playing with the 2015-2017 In-Colors


Every year, we say goodbye to five in-colors so we can greet the five new in-colors. Switching out colors allows Stampin Up! to keep up-to-date with current color trends. In my six years as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator I have seen so many colors come and go, but it's been neat to see the trends evolve over time.

When the new in-colors are released, I love to watch other demonstrators make card sets to showcase each new color. This year, I thought I would jump on that band wagon. I had so much fun playing with these new colors, and by getting inky with them, I learned to love each one of them in a different way. Seeing these colors in person and on screen are so different. As with most items, pictures don't do these colors justice. You HAVE to see them in person.

This year's in-colors are Watermelon Wonder, Cucumber Crush, Delightful Dijon, Mint Macaroon, and Tip Top Taupe.

I also love the Happy Birthday Everyone stamp set, which is one of five hostess sets you can earn using your Stampin' Rewards (contact me to learn how you can earn these rewards).  The six sayings that accompany the "Happy Birthday" sentiment are perfect to be able to make a card for everyone in your life, including that wonderful man you know.

Here are each color highlighted using the Happy Birthday Everyone, Work of Art, and Kinda Eclectic stamp sets.

Cucumber Crush


Delightful Dijon

Mint Macaroon (my favorite)

Tip Top Taupe (Say that three times fast)

Watermelon Wonder

What do you think of this year's In-Colors? Which one is your favorite? I'm particularly fond of Mint Macaroon, but after playing with each one, I like them all. 

Happy Stampin' 
~Carmelita 

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Oops....I Did it Again

Last year in June, I completely forgot to post on my blog, and apparently I did it again. If I forget next year it'll turn into a tradition.

I love June. June is when I catch the summer bug and just want to do all things summer. By the time July comes rolling in, I'm ready to rest and prepare for for whatever the fall brings. During June, we had our first wave of visitors here in California. My parents came to visit, some of my husband's family, and a friend from Albuquerque. It was so nice to have visitors and we spent many days exploring our gorgeous area in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

As I did last year, here are my many reasons why I didn't even give my blog the time of day during the month of June.

1) The booger finished pre-k.
 




2) My husband and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. (wooo-hoo)


3) My parents came to visit and we spent some time exploring Lake Tahoe. 


 4) Braved a weekend to the Bay Area. This was our first time to the area, and we survived!


5) Participated in some silliness. (That's the booger wearing my shoes and doing some weird dance or something like that)

6) Hosted my friend for two weeks and went hiking, geo-caching, exploring, and so much more. After logging 20 miles of hikes in 8 days, I was worn out.


7) Explored Donner Lake 

And so much more. I joke with my husband that since moving to California, I am on perpetual vacation. This is just a portion of what we did in June, and for July, we are hunkering down a little bit and resting (and cleaning our house).

Please, stay tuned as I return to periodic posting. Until then, what have you been doing this summer? I would love to hear about your summer adventures.

Happy Stampin',
Carmelita
 


Thursday, May 14, 2015

Frozen Buddies




I have a preschool girl, and like million of other girls, my little girl went through the Frozen stage. We built snowmen. We let it go. We proclaimed that love is an open door. We went to see that darn movie four times in the movie theater. 

The second time we went to see Frozen, we joined our dear friends, and the booger's bestie. Z is the true Anna to the booger's Elsa. They even dressed up as Anna and Elsa at the theater, and I must say, were the cutest little girls there. We had such a great time watching Frozen with our friends.

This Project Life page is from the Booger's Friends Book. Since moving from New Mexico, we started a 6x8 book for all her friends so she can remember her great friends. She picks the pictures and helps pick the Project Life cards to place on each page. It's a great project to do with her. 


One of my favorite parts of Project Life by Stampin' Up! is the coordinating stamp sets and the ability to further personalize and customize the cards. And of the sets that SU offers, the Project Life Remember This stamp set is my favorite (right now).


What's your favorite Project Life by Stampin' Up! stamp set?

Happy Stampin'
~Carmelita

Friday, May 08, 2015

24-Hour Mega Deal from Paper Pumpkin


Stop what you are doing RIGHT NOW!
This promotion is uh-MAY-zing!!

Stampin' Up! is having an amazing Paper Pumpkin promotion for the next 24 hours. 
If you have been on the fence about trying Paper Pumpkin, sign up before tomorrow at 6:50 MST (5:50 PST) and you will get May's Paper Pumpkin for only $5. 

Take advantage of this deal. 
2. Sign up for Paper Pumpkin (make sure you identify me - Carmelita Wasson - as your demonstrator)
3. Enter the promo code 24HOURS

This offer is for new subscribers only and is not valid on prepaid subscriptions. The discount will be applied to one kit per month for the the first month of the new subscription. After the first month, the fun will continue for just $19.95 a month (shipping including). 

Still on the fence? Check out this video that showcases just what Paper Pumpkin is all about. It even has a sneak peek of this month's Paper Pumpkin kit. 


Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Show and Tell: Wedding Invitations



This year has already been a year of change, and it will continue to be as I will become an Aunt in July and then will get a new sister-in-law in October. I'm pretty excited about my brother getting married, and I was even more excited when they asked me to design and make their wedding invitations.

Now, I love Stampin' Up! products. I think they have the best paper and ink. Their stamps are of the highest quality and I love the variety of images they provide. But sometimes, unfortunately, they don't carry the exact things I need. My future sister-in-law had a vision for her invitations, and I did the best I could to accommodate that vision using as many Stampin' Up! supplies as I could, but I had to stray away from our product line. Trust me, this was not easy. Especially when it came to using another type of cardstock.

I still wanted to share with you my samples despite straying from the SU! product line.

We're in the final stages of finalizing the design. Basically, my future sister-in-law just needs to pick out the type of ribbon she wants and the wording and then I will be starting a wedding invitation assembly line.

Option 1: SU! Organza Ribbon with Something Borrowed Embellishments

Option 2: Tangerine Tango Stitched Ribbon with a knot

Option 3: Orange sheer ribbon with Something Borrowed Embellishment

Option 4: Larger sheer ribbon with Something Borrowed Embellishment

Which is your favorite? Vote on my Facebook page and help my future sister-in-law!

Happy Stampin' 
~Carmelita 

Monday, April 06, 2015

Free Shipping 2015 - Yippee!!!


No need to get your prescription checked, you read this correctly. Stampin' Up! is offering free shipping for five days! Now is the time to stock up on all your consumable supplies, order all the sets from your wish list, and buy all those project kits you want. There is no minimum order, but there is a deadline. Place your order before April 10.

Want free product?

Place your order through my website and be entered in a drawing for a chance to win free Stampin' Up! product. You must use the hostess code 2NFFF4W3 when you check out.

Don't delay! Place your order today!

The Fine Print


  • Get FREE shipping on any orders placed April 6-April 10, no minimum purchase required (excludes expedited orders). 
  • Orders placed for Hawaii and Alaska will receive free 2nd Day Air shipping. 
  • Paper Pumpkin past kits and kit refills are eligible for free shipping if purchased online. Paper Pumpkin subscriptions are not eligible for free shipping.

Happy Stampin'
~Carmelita

Thursday, April 02, 2015

Just add sparkle

I am back in the crafting business! Last week, I held my first workshop since moving to Nevada County and it was so much fun. It was nice to be back into something I love doing. It's been quite a month for the Wasson family.

I CASED this card from the great Pootles, a demonstrator in the UK.  Her stuff is pretty awesome, you should check it out.

I love the shooting star effect using the "swoop" image from the Work of Art stamp set. When I originally made this card, I used Whisper White stars. My friend Ruth (the oh-so-talented Ruth from Ruth's Stamping Corner) suggested I use glimmer paper for the stars, and oh my, was she right! She told me "I always start with glitter." What great advice!

Stampin' Tips:

  • Colors: Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White, and Hello Honey
  • Ink the "swoop" image once with Blackberry Bliss ink. Stamp the three swoops without re-inking to get the gradient/fading effect. 
  • Use the star punch from the Itty Bitty Accent punch pack to punch out stars. Use glue dots to adhere to the end of the swoop. 
  • Stamp the butterfly from the Kinda Eclectic stamp set in Hello Honey, then use the Elegant Butterfly punch to punch out the image. Remember: stamp first and then punch. 
  • Add some more sparkle by putting three rhinestones on the butterfly to form its body. Adhere the butterfly to the card with a couple of glue dots. 
  • Stamp the Watercolor Thank You in Blackberry Bliss.

Stampin' Supplies

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Happy Stampin',
 ~Carmelita

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

And now....a fishing story

I promise, I'll get back to crafting soon, but until then, I'm leaving you with a fishing story.

My father-in-law loved to fish. As I was going through his pictures after his death, I lost count at how many pictures he had of himself fishing, of my husband fishing, of his brothers fishing, of everyone holding up all their fish, and of just fish. The fish looked all the same, but it was neat to see the people in the pictures age over time.

At least once a year, my husband and I would join my father-in-law at the San Juan River for a morning or afternoon of fishing. My FIL would lend me his fishing pole, determine which bait to use, and coach me as I cast and reeled in the line. Sadly, the only thing I ever caught was green gook. In the decade that I got to go fishing with him, I NEVER caught a fish. Never. Over the past few years, he would still prepare the pole for me, but when I said that this year was my year, this year I was going to catch a fish, he would just laugh at me.

I never caught a fish with him.

After my FIL's funeral, my brother-in-law and his cousins decided to go fishing. The booger really wanted to go with them, so my husband and I decided to take her out with the big boys to the river so she could cast her little fishing rod (which Grandpa had bought for her several years ago).

After awhile, one of my husband's cousins got tired of fishing and I took over his rod. He was using a chaser (I think that's what it was called) bait, so he coached me on how to reel in the line to make the bait look natural. For about ten minutes, I cast the rod out and reeled it in. Over and over. The sun started to set behind the bluffs of the river and  I decided that we probably needed to head back to the house, so I declared, "Ok, last one."

I carelessly cast out the line and as I was reeling it in, I felt a harsh tug on my line. There was this rush of exhilaration and confusion that flooded me. I knew to reel in the line, but my husband's cousin continued to calmly coach me: keep the rod up, don't reel to fast, keep the rod up.

I CAUGHT A FISH!!! I CAUGHT A FISH!!!!


As I was reeling in the fish, I was so excited, but I was so sad. I was overwhelmed with emotion and just bursted into sobs.

I caught a fish. I caught my first fish on the day of my father's-in-law funeral. It's hard not to believe that the Lord gave me, and those around me as I was surrounded my husband's family who knew I had never caught a fish, a special blessing. A blessing that marked the day we remembered my father-in-law as not a sad and somber day, but one filled with joy and remembrance and honor.

I wish my father-in-law could have been with me as I caught my fish, but then again....maybe he was.

~Carmelita

Monday, March 23, 2015

When the Days Run Out



A man’s days are numbered. 
You know the number of his months. 
He cannot live longer than the time You have set.
~Job 14:5

The past six months have been so life changing. In October, my husband applied for several jobs outside of New Mexico. In November, he accepted a position with a company in northern California. In December, we packed up our house and life and moved from Albuquerque, NM to California. In January, we began our new life here - renting a house, starting a new school (for the booger), figuring out life in the new place, and adapting to the new culture. In February, we pretty much rested, with a quick, but fun trip back to NM for the Booger's birthday. 

We headed into March with confidence that life would start to settle for us. That we would finally embrace being more than displaced New Mexicans living in the lush greenness of Northern California. We were going to embrace California and move on with life, settling into our new home. And then we got a horrific call early one morning at the beginning of March - my father-in-law had passed away back in NM. 

I felt out of control of my life for the last six months as is, but what ensued those following hours after learning of his death was complete chaos. What were we supposed to do? How were we to get back home? How did he die? Why did this happen? Why now?????

We bought a one-way ticket to New Mexico and spent the majority of the month back there mourning my father-in-law and handling his estate. There were days of complete sadness and distress, and then there were days of celebration and victory. My father-in-law was a man of  God. He drank up the Lord's word just as Jesus invites us to, as living water, sustaining to life. I am not sad for him - I know he is fishing with the Lord. I am just so sad that I will not have all the days I had hope we would have with him. Of all the things we had left to do. I don't think we are ever ready for our loved ones to leave us, and I certainly was not ready for my father-in-law to leave us. 

In our culture, in-laws are often the villains.  Society seems to expect a tension between the spouse and the in-law. I was so blessed to not have this be the case between my father-in-law and me. He became a dad to me, and I became his daughter. I am going to miss him tremendously, but I am SO grateful for the time I got with him. 

~Carmelita 

Snowed In

It's like we were destined to not go to school today. I woke up to a beautiful 6 inches of snow in my yard. We are in the lower elevatio...