Hello New 2013-2014 Catalog!

Hello new catalog! Hello new product! Hello new stamp sets! Hello new colors!

The new 2013-2014 Idea Book and Catalog is now available for your viewing pleasure. Click here to check it out and then head on over to my website to order the awesome product for your crafting pleasures!

Happy Stampin' ....and Happy New Catalog!

~Cita

Saying Goodbye to Raining Flowers

I've been having a fun time trying to use all the retiring stamp sets before I have to say goodbye. Some of these stamp sets I have only used once, such as the Raining Flowers stamp set. I kind of regret having shoved this set in the depths of the stamp shelf.

With Mother's Day on the horizon, I thought for once I would make my mommy a beautiful card to send to her for once. (I'm horrible at sending her cards). However, unfortunately, she will not be getting her card by Sunday because I need it for my Last Chance Card Buffet class. She has been notified of the situation and is agreeable to receiving her card late. My mommy is awesome. :-)

I CASEd this card from Mary Brown's I found on Pinterest. ( I love Pinterest). I changed up the colors and the layout quite a but, but I love how she used the flower from the Raining Flowers stamp set to make a beautiful background.

Stampin' Details:

• Color scheme: Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Perfect Plum, Chocolate Chip 
• Stamp Sets: Raining Flowers, Wonderful Mother, Wacky Wishes 
• Accessories: Designer Printed Brads, Decorative Label Punch, Circle punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pak. Stampin' Dimensionals
• To create the background, stamp the big flowers first in Wisteria Wonder. Then the little flowers in Lucky Limeade. Finally stamp the tulip outline in Chocolate Chip
• Stamp the little flower in Wisteria Wonder and use paper snips to cut out the flower. Use a paper piercer to pierce a hole in the middle of the flower to make inserting the Designer Printed Brad easier.  
• Stamp a greeting in Wisteria Wonder on Whisper White cardstock and then punch it out using the Decorative Label Punch. Remember, when punching out stamped images, stamp first and then punch out the image. 
• Punch out a piece of Perfect Plum cardstock using the Decorative Label punch . Cut the label in half and the adhere the pieces to the top and buttom of the Whisper White cardstock.

What's great about this card is that it's so easy to switch out the sentiment and make a different card, such as a birthday card, thank you card, or something else. I made about 20 of these things, with all different greetings. This card is a great one to case. Change up the color scheme! Change up the brad!

Happy Stampin'!

~Cita

Ladybug Ink Blog Hop: Retired Style

Hello! Welcome to May's edition of the Ladybug Ink Blog Hop. If you are just joining our hop, we are showcasing retiring stamps and accessories. It's a bittersweet time as we say goodbye to some of our beloved stamp sets and accessories, yet eagerly await the release of the new 2013-2014 Idea Book and Catalog that is filled with such amazing products that most of us soon forget all about the stuff we just said goodbye to.

Anyways, I'm having a hard time saying goodbye to the color Baja Breeze. It's one of my favorite colors and am I'm pretty sad that it is retiring (If you follow me on Twitter or like my Facebook page, you will see me lament in real-time). So, in honor of my beloved Baja Breeze, my card for this month's blog hop features this amazing color as well as the Bordering on Romance stamp set.

Stampin' Tips:

• Retiring items: Baja Breeze cardstock, Certainly Celery Stampin' Write marker, Regal Rose cardstock, Regal Rose Stampin' Write marker, Bordering on Romance stamp set, Parlor Prints background stamp
• Color scheme: Baja Breeze, Regal Rose, Basic Gray, Certainly Celery, Basic Gray 
• Other materials (not retiring): Blender pens, Modern Label punch, Fabulous Phrases stamp set, Basic Rhinestones, Stampin' Dimensionals, Black Staz-On Ink, 3/`6" Corner punch  
• Use the Parlor Prints stamp set and Baja Breeze ink to stamp the background. Remember, when using a big background stamp to lay the stamp upside down to ink it. 

• Stamp the three flower image from the Bordering on Romance stamp set using Staz On ink. Let it completely dry before using your Stampin' Write markers to outline the image. Finally, use blender pens to color the inside of the images. 
• Add rhinestones to the middle of each flowers to make it sparkle!
• Stamp a sentiment from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set (not retiring, thank God!) on Regal Rose (retiring). Use the Modern Label punch to punch it out and adhere it to your card using Stampin' Dimensionals. 

The good thing about retiring product is that it makes room for new stuff. I have to remind myself of this. I hate change, but I love surprises, and I think you will be pleased to see all the amazing product Stampin' Up! made room for. 2 weeks until the new catalog comes out!

Head on over the Cassie's blog to see what she has for your viewing pleasure. 

Happy Stampin' 

~Cita 

Ruth Norton http://ruthsstampingcorner.blogspot.com

Amber Wilson http://amberladybugink.blogspot.com/

Nichole Gonzales Jaramillo http://nicholesu.blogspot.com/

Kay Jantz http://ktmyldyandlife.blogspot.com/

Liz Kay http://www.kraftasticmrskay.blogspot.com/

You are here: Camelita Wasson http://carmenacita.blogspot.com/

Cassie Rogers http://lucyslovelies.blogspot.com/

Michelle Carrion http://www.ilovecrafttime.blogspot.com/

25% Off My Digital Studio Products

May is a great month. The flowers are blooming, the wind is subsiding, the trees are turning green, and then Stampin' Up! is offering this awesome deal. From May 1 - June 15, you can get 25% off select My Digital Studio (MDS) content and print product.

Digital content includes ALL ensemble, calendar, photobook, and swatchbook digital content. See it here.

Print product includes ALL photobooks, swatchbooks, cards, tags, individual pages, and calendars. See it here.

Haven't tried MDS? Check it out for FREE for 30 days. Download the program now!

Happy Scrappin'!

~Cita

Simple Hello

 

I love simple cards. I love how they are usually so easy to make but still give that "wow" effect when you give the card to someone. This "Hello" card is all about simple, but with its bold colors and enticing embossing, it can still make someone feel special. 

Stampin' Tips:

• Colors: Whisper White, Lucky Limeade, Rich Razzleberry, and Melon Mambo 
• Stamp set: Sale-a-Bration Pretty Petites 
• Accessories: Vine Street textured embossing folder, Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon, Petite Curly Label punch, 1/2" Circle Punch. 
• After using the Vine Street textured embossing folder to emboss the Rich Razzleberry cardstock, wrap the Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon around the Rich Razzleberry cardstock. Use scotch tape to secure the ribbon to the back of the cardstock.
• Remember when you use a punch to punch out a stamped image - stamp first, then punch. 
• To create the "Hello" greeting, first stamp the image twice in Melon Mambo. 
• Use the Petite Curly Label punch to punch out the first stamped image. 
• Use the 1/2" Circle punch to punch out the "hello" 
• Layer the "hello" circle on top of the other image with a Stampin' Dimensional. 

Simple right? I hope you acquired all the awesome products from this year's Sale-a-Bration. Although the majority of the items featured in the Sale-a-Bration flyer were exclusive during the Sale-a-Bration period, the petite curly label is now available to purchase. Head on over to my online store to get you one of those!!

Happy Stampin'
~Cita 

Reading = Happiness: Corner Book mark

Last year, I made this cute little corner book marker. It's super easy to make and fits snugly on the corner of a book's page. A few weeks later, my mommy bought me a Kindle Fire for my birthday. Since then, I haven't read many physical books. I love reading books on my Kindle Fire. I thought about just setting this cute little corner bookmark in my Kindle cover, but a physical book mark is pointless.

Needless to say, not everyone has moved on from physical books, so book marks are not yet obsolete. So, if you do know someone who still would appreciate a bookmark, here's how you can make it:

1.  Start with a 4" x  4" piece of card stock and a 4" x 4" piece of DSP.
   
   
2. Use  the Simply Scored took and the Diagonal Plate to Score diagonal lines from the top middle to the middle of each side of the cardstock. Fold the cardstock on the score lines.
   
   
3. Take a piece of 4" x 4" DSP and Cut the top corners of the DSP to match the shape of the bookmark. Save one of the corner pieces.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Fold the corners back and adhere the DSP corner piece to keep them together.
   
   
   
   
5. Decorate your DSP to your liking. For my bookmark, I wrapped around Pool Party ribbon. I used the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set (now retired) to stamp the butterfly in Pool Party ink and then cut out the image using snips. Finally, I stamped "Happiness" from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set and used the Word Window punch to punch out the word. 

 Have you jumped on the Digital bandwagon and switched over to e-books? You know, sometimes I do miss the feel of a book, but I still get my fill of books as I read all the kid books to my daughter. And I still occasionally read a physical book. Although, I love the portability of the Kindle.

Happy Stampin',
~Cita

Time to Say Goodbye: Stampin' Up! Retired Lists

Each year, Stampin' Up! released the highly-anticipated, but sometimes dreaded retired lists, a list of all the stamp sets and accessories that will not be carried over to the new catalog. Today, SU! released that list. As I was going through the list I felt like playing Andrea Bocelli's "Time to Say Goodbye" in the background.

Anyways, here are the important details about retiring products:

• Retired lists will be valid through June 3 or while supplies last
• Some items are discounted up to 60% off. 
• Retiring accessories are available only while supplies last. This list will be updated daily. 
• View the Retiring Accessories List
• Retiring stamp sets will be available through June 3. 
• View the Retiring Stamp Sets List

Make sure you order any stamps or accessories before it's too late! Head on over to my website to place your order.

Happy Stampin'
~Cita 

Perfect Chalkboard

The chalkboard technique is all the rage these days, and it's super simple to create. One thing I love about the chalkboard technique is how a simple card can look so glamorous. In this card, I've just used one stamp and added a piece of Primrose Petals 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon for a little embellishment. 

To create the chalkboard technique, do the following:

1. Stamp your image in Whisper White Craft Ink or VersaMark Ink on Black Cardstock. 
2. Heat emboss your image using Whisper White embossing powder. 
3. Lightly Sponge Whisper White Craft Ink around the black cardstock to create a chalk powder effect. 
4. Use the Uni-Ball Signo White Gel Pen to draw lines about 1/4" in to create a frame. 
5. Layer your black cardstock on another color and add embellishments.   

The Sale-a-Bration 2013 Vintage Verses stamp set is perfect to use with the chalkboard technique and offers a variety of sentiments for all occasions.

Although you can no longer purchase the Sale-a-Bration exclusive stamp set, there are a variety of other stamp sets that are perfect for the chalkboard technique. Here are a few of my favorites.

You're Amazing Stamp Set

Amazing Family stamp set

Seasonal Sayings stamp set

Happy Stampin'
~Cita

Get Dolled Up!

Stampin' Up! just announced a new card kit: The Dolled-Up Birthday Kit created by Chris G. of Ohio! This kit is super cute and comes with enough supplies (minus the adhesive) to make six beautiful birthday cards. Or, change the greeting and make a Mother's Day or Sympathy card.

The Dolled-Up Birthday kit includes the following:

• Dolled Up Birthday Photopolymer Stamp (1)
• 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" Crumb Cake Cardstock (6 pieces)
• 2" x 4-1/4" Very Vanilla Cardstock (6 pieces)
• Very Vanilla Medium Envelopes (6)
• Tea Lace Paper Doilies (6)
• Dress Up die-cuts (6)
• Soft Suede Classic Stampin’ Spot (1)
• Vanilla 5/8" Flower Trim (6 pieces)
• Sponge Dauber (1)

Get all this for $15.95 US/ $17.95 CA!

Head on over to my online store to get this beautiful kit and see the instructions on how to make this dolled up card. 

Happy Stampin'
~Cita

Ladybug Ink Blog Hop: Birthday Style

Welcome to the April Ladybug Ink Blog Hop!
My birthday is this weekend, so it's awesome that our fearless Blog Hop organizer, Ruth, chose the birthday theme for this month's theme. I feel like I can continue to celebrate my birthday as I look at all the amazing birthday projects that these talented Ladybug stampers have come up with.
Anyways, my card is CASEd from a swap I received from a very talented demonstrator, T. Butts at the 2012 Stampin' Up! Denver Regional. Thank you for the inspiration.

I love this birthday card because of it's clean, simple look and the bold birthday colors (Pacific Point, Real Red, and Daffodil Delight).
The gift bags are simple to make, but takes longer than you may think.

• Take pieces of Real Red, Pacific Point, and Daffodil Delight cardstock and use the Chevron embossing folder to emboss each color. 
• Use the 1-1/4" Square Punch to punch out the squares in each color. 
• Use the stampin' sponges to sponge each square's respective color over the chevrons. 
• Cut a little piece (about1-1/2") piece of baker's twine and attach it to the back of each square using scotch tape. Using scotch tape better holds the twine in place. 
• Sponge each color on white tissue paper. Fold or crumble the pieces and attach to the back of each square using scotch tape. 
• Attach the newly assembled gift bag to your card using Stampin' Dimensionals. 

I stamped  "Happy Birthday" from the Sassy Salutation stamp set in Pacific Point ink. You may not be able to see this very clearly in the picture, but I also added a little more chevron embossing between the "Happy Birthday" and the gift bags by using the Borders Scoring Plate and the Simple Scored tool.

Isn't this a fun card? I like it so much, I think I'm going to give it to myself for my birthday this weekend. :-D

Head on over to Cassie's blog to see what kind of birthday awesomeness she has in store for you!

Happy Stampin',
~Cita 

Blog Hop Roll Call:

 Ruth Norton http://ruthsstampingcorner.blogspot.com

Amber Wilson http://amberladybugink.blogspot.com/

Nichole Gonzales Jaramillo http://nicholesu.blogspot.com/

Kay Jantz http://ktmyldyandlife.blogspot.com/

Liz Kay http://www.kraftasticmrskay.blogspot.com/

You are here: Camelita Wasson http://carmenacita.blogspot.com/

Cassie Rogers http://lucyslovelies.blogspot.com/

Michelle Carrion http://www.ilovecrafttime.blogspot.com/

Introducing New Wood-Mount Cases!

I've had a really bad day. But this......this makes me smile.

Stampin' Up! just introduced that starting with the new 2013-2014 Catalog (which comes out on May 31), they will be introducing their new wood-mount stamp set packaging! These new cases are similar to the clear-mount boxes and fit perfectly on the shelf right next to them. They also have the images and stamp set name on the spine to make your search for the right set even easier.

That's something to smile about. :-) Check out the video!

Happy Stampin'
~Cita

Announcing the Color Refresh

Stampin' Up! loves color and they know that we do too. And that's why everyone is excited about the upcoming 2013-2014 annual catalog Color Refresh, which will include 10 new colors (most of which are returning In Colors from previous years)! We are welcoming back some of your favorites, moving some colors around, and introducing one brand-new color, so take a look!

 Here's a few things you should know about the Color Refresh:

1. There is one new color called Smoky Slate. Additionally, there are nine returning In Colors as core colors: Bermuda Bay, Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Island Indigo, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Soft Sky, and Wisteria Wonder. 
2. There are 11 retiring colors: Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Bravo Burgandy, Not Quite Navy, More Mustard, Lucky Limeade, and River Rock  
3. As of April 4, all retiring color producs (inks, refills, ribbon, markers, cardstock, etc.) will only be available while supplies last. This means that some retiring products may not be available through May 31, which is the end of the current catalog's period. 
4. The retiring colors will not retire in My Digital Studio and will remain in your color pallette. 
5. Additionally, a My Digital Studio download will be available on June 1 to add the new colors free of charge. 

You excited? You sad? You confused? If you are like me, there are a mixture of emotions as I'm excited to see some of my favorite colors returning (such as Bermuda Bay), and sad to see some of my favorite colors retiring (Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery). 

I'm curious to hear what you think about the Color Refresh! Leave a comment.

Happy Stampin'!

Carmelita

Ladybug Ink Blog Hop: Easter Style

My rose bushes are blooming. Green is emerging from the dull, dead New Mexico brown. I can walk outside without a jacket. I'm sneezing liking crazy. Spring is coming! Spring is here!

And you are here! If you have been hopping along, you know that this month's theme is spring/Easter. My project is inspired by Betty Traciak, who came up with a great way to make a cute little Easter basket using the Petite Purse Big Shot die. It's a super easy basket to make and of course, super cute.
 

Isn't the basket adorable. It's super easy to make.

First, you will need to cut six of the upper part of the Petite Purse die. You'll need to cut off the notch on the flap of the purse and the "side" of the purse. Your piece will look like those in the picture below.

Next, add some sticky strip to the remaining flap. Using the red sticky strip gives it the extra strength to stay together.

 

Attach the six pieces together. Your basket will look kind of like a rainbow! 

Attach the last purse piece to the other side of the "rainbow" and fold the flaps so that they interlock. 

Flip the basket and you have a cute little bowl. Time to make it into an Easter basket!

Cut a 12" piece of DSP and attach it to the inside of the basket to create a handle. I continued to decorate my basket with some Island Indigo ribbon and butterflies from the Spring Sampler stamp set. I made "grass" for my Easter basket by cutting 1/4" strips of Pear Pizzazz and curling them using the bone folder. Now all I need are some Cadbury eggs to place in my basket.

This basket is super easy to make and would make a great teacher gift or just a decoration. I'm planning on putting jelly beans in my basket. Like the amazingly delicious Starburst Jellybeans that are giving me cavities this year.What's your favorite type of jellybean?

Thank you for stopping by my blog. Hop on over to the amazingly talented Cassie to see what she has for you!

Happy Stampin' and Hoppin'!
~Cita

Ladybug Roll Call!

Ruth Norton http://ruthsstampingcorner.blogspot.com

Amber Wilson http://amberladybugink.blogspot.com/

Kay Jantz http://ktmyldyandlife.blogspot.com/

You are Here: Camelita Wasson http://carmenacita.blogspot.com/

Cassie Rogers http://lucyslovelies.blogspot.com/ 

Michelle Carrion http://www.ilovecrafttime.blogspot.com/

A Little Bag of Thanks

A few things I love: presents, cards, stamping, my downline, friends....

This cute little bag of note cards represents all those things I love. My downline, and dear friend, Amber gave me this set of cute note cards as a present this past Christmas. A few things struck me when I pulled these out of my gift bag. First, these cards are so cute and simple. Amber used the hostess Happy You stamp set on top World Spectacular DSP. She then colored the cute little mushrooms using Blender Pens.

The second thing that struck me is the joy I felt when I got a handmade present. Along with this cute set of handmade note cards, Amber gave me a jar of handmade hand scrub. I make cards and little presents on a weekly basis. I love giving them to people, but I think I sometimes forget just how much joy and meaning that a handmade gift brings to people. Because of this simple reminder, I made a New Year's goal in January to send or give something handmade to someone every week this year. I've skipped a few weeks, but so far, I've done a good job, and it feels good. :) You should try it.

So here's a challenge for you: make a card and send it (yes, use snail mail) to someone you care about, love, or are just thinking about. Your card doesn't have to be complicated. Simple goes a long way.

Happy Stampin',
~Cita

Swaps Gone Wrong

During a monthly Ladybug Swap last year during Sale-a-Bration, I made a bad calculation when trying to figure out how much Designer Series Paper and ribbon I needed to complete my swaps. The result was three different swaps that had to go out. I know that's not how swaps are supposed to work, but in the interest of time and sanity, that was they way it had to be.

This was the original swap I designed. I loved the fan-like background of the DSP. Also, notice the nice Lucky Limeade ribbon.

And then I ran out of that fan-like DSP, so I switched to a striped DSP from the same Elementary Elegance collection. I also ran out of the ribbon, so I switched to a Calypso Coral ribbon.

And THEN, I ran out of the striped DSP. So I switched to this Pool Party-dominate DSP. At this point, I had to switch the background cardstock to Calypso Coral. I think it worked out well.

I learned a lot during this round of swaps. First, learn how to do math. :-)

Do you have any funny or frustrating swap stories? Share with me!

Happy Stampin"
~Cita

Bloomin Betsy

Have you ever bought a stamp set with every intention to use it, only to find yourself putting it away and forgetting about it before you ever use it? Well, I did just that with the Betsy's Blossoms stamp set. I was so excited to get it when the new catalog came out in June, and then I just forgot about it. That was until this past fall when I led a small group at my church where we made cards and scrapbooked each week. I showed this this simple, but cute card using the Betsy Blossom's stamp set. I then remembered how much I like this set.

Stampin Cita Tips:

• Color scheme: Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White, and Gumball Green 
• Stamp Sets: Fabulous Phrases, Betsy's Blossoms, Betsy's Blooms Stampin Wheel 
• Accessories: 
• To get the background, use the Betsy's Blooms Stampin Wheel to stamp the flower background on a piece of Whisper White cardstock. 
• Give the bird dimension, by cutting it out using your paper snips and then adhering it over the Gumball Green branch with a Stampin' Up! dimensional. Add a pearl for its eye to give it an extra embellishment. 
• Stamp your sentiment on Whisper White cardstock using any of the variety of words in the Fabulous Phrases stamp set. Position the word in the bottom of the curly label and punch out the word. 

I hope you get to use all your stamp sets! And check out Betsy's Blossoms!

Happy Stampin'
~Cita 

Sale-a-Bration 2013

Ladybug Ink Blog Hop: Valentine Style

I'm going to be honest right away - I am not a fan of Valentine's Day. :-) I'll spare you the details as to why I feel this way, but needless to say, I still participate. And I'm participating in this month's Valentine-themed blog hop. Woo-hoo. I have to admit it. I enjoyed making my cute little owl card. Thank you to Linda Throgmorton for inspiring my card, specifically giving me the idea to bust out my Owl Punch and make cute little owls in love.

I named the two owls. The owl on the left is named Carmelita, and the owl on the right is named Steve. :)

You can make these owls by using the Owl punch. Use a 2-way glue pen to glue all the little pieces together. I used the flower vine stamp from the Tiny Tags stamp set to make the little flower border on the Whisper White cardstock. I stamped the "Love You" stamp from the Seasonal Sayings stamp set in Versamark and then embossed it with Whisper White embossing powder. I just found out that this stamp set carried over from the Holiday Mini Catalog. I was excited. Finally, I tied a bow  using a basic gray tafetta ribbon.

The great thing about making a Valentine's card is I now have a card for my hubby. Now to make a birthday card for my daughter, who is my ultimate Valentine's day present. :)

Hope on over to Cassie's blog! Thanks for visiting.

Happy Stampin'
~Cita

Ladybug Roll Call!

Ruth Norton http://ruthsstampingcorner.blogspot.com/

Amber Wilson http://amberladybugink.blogspot.com/

Nichole Gonzales Jaramillo http://nicholesu.blogspot.com/

Kay Jantz http://ktmyldyandlife.blogspot.com

Liz Kay www.kraftasticmrskay.blogspot.com

You're Here: Carmelita Wasson http://carmenacita.blogspot.com/

Cassie Rogers http://lucyslovelies.blogspot.com/
Michelle Carrion www.ilovecrafttime.blogspot.com