Catalog Party Prep Part 1

I worked hard to create treat boxes and prizes for my upcoming Catalog Launch Party. I hope this will provide you with some inspiration for your own parties and/or card making. This will be the first of five parts.

I started with treat boxes for my ladies. I used the retiring Tag A Bag Gift Boxes and lots of previously retired DSP. The design was CASEd from Stamp With Joy.

I picked out coordinating card stock and DSP and cut them to the required sizes necessary for each side of the box as well as strips needed to create the belly bands.

After everything was cut and ready, I folded the boxes to create them as well as the acetate covers. I then used Fast Fuse to adhere the side panels to each box and after putting on the acetate cover, wrapped the two-piece belly band around each box and secured it with Fast Fuse. Matching ribbon was tied around each belly band and secured with a bow.

Using the Chalk Talk stamp set, I stamped matching tags on Whisper White and attached them to the coordinating bows on each box.

In each box I placed the following: a Ferrero Rocher chocolate, a sample of twine, a sample of ribbon, stamped ticket for door prize draw, sponge dauber, clothespin, Washi tape, wood die cut and a punched butterfly in various colors (used to determine winners for Prize Patrol).

I then set about creating card sets for prizes using the 2016-2018 In Colors. This set of cards was CASEd from Laura's Creative Moments.

I started by cutting a card base from Emerald Envy card stock that was 11 x 4.25"; when folded it would produce a side fold card that measured 4.25 x 5.5".

Because I needed to stamp the butterfly to wrap partly around the back, I needed to know where the card would be scored. I scored a small mark at the top and bottom only. This allowed me to judge where the fold would be but would not disrupt my stamping of the card itself.

I set up my card stock in my MISTI and carefully drew around it and marked the middle point on the grid paper. I positioned the Swallowtail stamp where I thought it should be and then removed the card stock. I stamped the butterfly on the grid paper to see if the placement was right. I used my Embossing Buddy and on the card stock and re-stamped, this time with Versamark, on the card stock.

I used I heat embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder and then proceeded to do the same on the remaining In Color card bases.

Next, I cut around the edge of each stamped butterfly to reveal the inside of the card. On a Whisper White matte I used ink matched to the card base to stamp one of the now retired Flowering Fields stamps. I stamped once full strength, and then stamped on either side to provide some contrast and dimension to the stamping. I also stamped a small butterfly from the same stamp set.

I also stamped a sentiment, in matching ink, from the Rose Wonder stamp set onto Thick Whisper White. It was die cut using the Rose Garden Thinlits. It was adhered using Dimensionals.

After all cards were made, they were stacked with envelopes and tied up with a piece of white ribbon.

Loving these, in all five colors!

Catalog Launch Party 2016

Though I have been somewhat scarce here lately, due to preparation for my Catalog Launch Party, I plan to have regular posts from now on! I must say, though, that my preparation for the party paid off–our party on Friday night was wonderful!

As usual, I was somewhat nervous about the whole thing so arrived at our usual location (a lovely craft room that belongs to one of our stamping group members, Carolyn, herself a former Stampin' Up Demonstrator) much earlier than was needed!

My daughter Courtney, a nursing student, met me there to help with the initial setup. She designed a stunning food table while I was busy setting up our crafting area.

Once the setup was all done, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and have a bit of a sit down and chat about the new catalog with Carolyn and my road buddy, Charlene.

Once the other stampers arrived and had entered their tickets for the Door Prize Draw, we chose up two teams and did a Catalog Scavenger Hunt. This was a fun activity to get the ladies exposed to more items in the catalog.

Next up, after again drawing for two different teams, the ladies designed a card by using a set of paper, embellishments, and stamps that I had given them. Each lady completed her own card of the group's design for their take home project. Carolyn's husband, Brian, acted as our judge. The ladies designed some lovely cards!

After an intermission to refuel at the food table, we played a short Bingo game and then worked on our last project of the evening using the Watercolor Smooshing Technique.

Using a craft mat, a ink pad was stamped on it and then spritzed with water. A piece of acetate from packaging was used to pick up the ink and "smoosh" it down onto a piece of watercolor paper. The ink was set using a heat tool and then the next ink was applied. All five of the new In Colors were used for this.
To add even more glitz and drama to the watercolored panel, the edges of the panel were inked with Versamark and heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. The process was repeated a few times to get a really edgy look while producing a very smooth and shiny outer edge.

Next, the sentiment from the new Painter's Palette stamp set was stamped with Versamark on a square of vellum. It was heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder and then was die cut using one of the new Layering Squares Framelits. Rolled up glue dots were hidden behind the letters to attach it to the watercolor panel. The watercolor panel was attached to a Dapper Denim card front using Dimensionals.

For the inside of the card, the dots stamp was used with Versamark on a Whisper White panel to stamp in two corners. These were heat embossed with the Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder and the matte adhered to the inside of the card using Fast Fuse.

Prize Patrol drawings were sprinkled throughout the evening, with winners based on a colored butterfly that was included in each lady's gift box.

At the end of the evening, after determining the final 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, prizes were awarded. Two other prizes were awarded to the row ladies who possessed two In Color flowers. The ladies seemed delighted with the card sets I had created using each of the five new In Colors.

Unfortunately, one lady had to leave early from the party and it turned out that she was the one who won the Door Prize Draw! She will be opening it at our June 24 Windup so I will share her picture then!

A delightful evening spent with lovely ladies though it was a little hard to crawl out of bed the next day after all the fun of the night before!

2015 Catalog Launch

Hello there! I know it has been a long time since my last post. A lot has been happening.

I was busy preparing for my Catalog Launch on May 29, we started some renovations on our house (new linoleum in our two upstairs bathrooms and new carpet throughout the house) and I caught a summer cold which kept me off work for a couple of days AND I still have the darn cold—the phlegmy cough will just not go away :(

Be that as it may, I wanted to share with you about the Catalog Launch. After much preparation, 13 ladies in our stamping group participated. I had so much fun, crafting goodies for this night–the berry baskets and card sets showcasing the 2015-2017 In Colors!

Upon arrival, each lady got to pick a Berry Basket filled with goodies—a ticket for the Door Prize Draw, a length of ribbon, a sponge dauber, a sponge, and some chocolate. Each basket was labelled with its proper color and that color was used throughout the night for the Prize Patrol draws (stamp sets that I had received as freebies during the year).

I had kept them in eager anticipation of seeing the catalog by purposely not having it mailed from Stampin' Up! After a few opening remarks, I let them them have a little time with their own copies of the wonderful 2015-2016 Catalog. In their catalog I included a bookmark which showcased the 2015-2017 In Colors.

I then had them form teams by choosing colored ribbons (Stampin' Up, of course!) from a bag. Each team went to their own location where they had 20 minutes to complete a Catalog Scavenger Hunt which led them through the pages and drew their attention to various products.

Once that event was over, it was time to draw ribbons for new teams!

This time, each team was presented with the same variety of supplies and tools. Their task was to as a group design a card using what supplies they wanted to use of those provided and then each make their own copy of the card design.

Each team's completed cards were displayed as a group and then our impartial judge (thanks, Brian!) assigned the rank of first, second and third. Didn't they do a great job?

An intermission for eating and socializing was then enjoyed by all before our final event of the evening—Blindfolded Stamping!

Teams were again chosen and then each team was provided with stamp pads, stamps, rubber gloves, a card base and a blindfold. The final desired card design was shown to all ladies before the start of the event.

Each lady took a turn a stamping a card while being directed and cheered on by their teammates. Check out the video clip below!

Points for each stamper from the evening's three events were tallied and three lucky ladies were presented with hand made card sets for their prizes!

Bookmarks, Berry Baskets, In Color Card Set

In Color Card Sets

To finish up the evening, we had the Door Prize Draw for a basket of stamping goodies! A fun night was had by all!

The Night's Winners!

We have family from out of town staying with us this weekend but my hope is to get back to more regular postings (in between moving furniture around our house while our new carpets are put in!) so I can show you some of my favourite new products with which to work!