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All the good things…..

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

Did you know that…

‘The koi fish is symbolic in Japanese culture and is closely associated with the country’s national identity. The koi fish is a symbol of luck, prosperity, and good fortune in Japan. Swimming koi represent advancement and determination. Fish in general symbolize wealth and surplus, and the Chinese believe koi particularly represent good fortune in business and academics. Buddhists on the other hand see koi as representations of courage. Together in a koi pond, they represent love and friendship. ‘ Koi – Wikipedia

Koi Fish Meaning – General Symbolism
By Karen Frazier Feng Shui Teacher and Energy Healer

Many of the attributes of the koi symbolize several lessons and even trials individuals often encounter in life. The koi fish has a powerful and energetic life force, demonstrated by its ability to swim against currents and even travel upstream. Some of the characteristics associated with the koi include:

  • Good fortune
  • Success
  • Prosperity
  • Longevity
  • Courage
  • Ambition
  • Perseverance

So what did I use and how did I colour my Koi?

The stamp set used is ‘All the Good Things’, Stampin’ Up! and technique is ‘ Baby Wipe Technique. This stamp set is on the ‘Last-Chance Products’, so if you are wanting this set then order it now because it will be gone by June.

Click on the Image below for my On-Line Store and Last-Chance Products

The Products used-

  • Stamps- All the Good Things 146558 by Stampin’ Up! This is a ‘Distinktive Stamp’ – ‘Distinktive stamps create different opacities in a single stamped image for realistic depth and intensity’.
  • Cardstock- Bermuda Bay , Pacific Point, Whisper White
  • Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill- Pacific Point, Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana.
  • Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies 148551

So what is the Baby Wipe Technique?

The Baby Wipe technique is where you make a stamp pad out of Baby Wipes. I use about 3-4 baby wipes folded in half and layered on top of each other. Make sure you have these sitting on a plastic surface such as the inside of a unused stamp case or a plate. (just in case the ink goes through, you don’t want it to damage the surface underneath). This technique works well when using solid stamp images.

Apply re-inkers to the baby wipes… I like to use 3 colours as you don’t want your colours to become muddy. The colours I have used are – Pacific Point, Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana.

  1. Starting with darkest colour drop about 4 drops of ink in one spot, spacing them apart add more spots randomly. As the ink absorbs into the wipes it will spread so make sure you leave enough space for the next colour. You want to finish with an area bigger than your image.
  2. Add the next color next to the first spots leaving space for the lightest colour.
  3. Use the lightest colour to fill in the left over spaces.
  4. Tap your stamp lightly into ink and stamp onto your cardstock.

Every time you stamp the image it will be slightly different and that is the fun of it.

I love this technique and I’m sure you will too. If you have any questions please just ask and I will get back to you as soon as I can. All products used in this card will be listed below and is linked to my On-Line Store.

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Last Chance Products

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

WOW! Its here..The ‘Last Chance Products’ and the list is huge….
Select products from the 2019 occasions catalogue and 2018–2019 annual catalogue are retiring—and this is the last chance for you to get them!
Something things to remember….
* All WOOD MOUNT products will be deleted but some may be in the NEW Catalogue as CLING MOUNT
* These products are only ‘WHILE STOCKS LAST’ and will be discontinued after 3 June.
* Retiring host sets may be purchased using Stampin’ Rewards from a qualifying party only.

Do what I’m doing…Grab a marker or highlighter and go through me Catalogue and mark off which ones are deleted….Don’t leave it too long to order as some of these products will go very quickly..

Here are the links to the ‘Last Chance Products’ –
💙Annual 2018-2019 Catalogue
https://su-media.s3.amazonaws.com/…/AC%2018-19%20Retiring%2…
💙Occasion 2019 Catalogue https://su-media.s3.amazonaws.com/…/OCC%2019%20Retiring%20L…

To order go to my On-Line Store – link below

Your space. Your way.

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

Whether you have an entire room or a small corner in your home for stamping, your creative space should be tailored to you. Our new product line, Storage by Stampin’ Up!, provides you with modular storage solutions that let you organise—and customise—your space your way!

Features and Benefits

Storage by Stampin’ Up! is designed to store and showcase your Stampin’ Pads, Stampin’ Ink Refills, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write Markers, Watercolor Pencils and other accessories. Here are some other features and benefits of Storage by Stampin’ Up!:

  • Keeps products organised, tidy, visible and trackable at all times.
  • Ensures that your Stampin’ Pads, Stampin’ Write Markers and Stampin’ Blends are all stored horizontally, as recommended.
  • Designed to be stylish, durable, compact, stackable and modular.
  • Blends in naturally with most home decor with its white neutral colour.
  • Stacks vertically and can be arranged to fit practically any flat workspace.
  • Easily assembled and disassembled for rearrangement and/or cleaning.

God wanted to Brighten up the World….

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

God wanted to Brighten up the World……So he made you!

I wanted to brighten the world one card at a time ….or all in one card!

With this card I challenged myself to use colours that were “Bold and Bright”. I wanted to use a stamp set or thinlets that haven’t seen the light of day for a while. There was a lot of ‘ummmming and ahhhhhing’ in what I should do. But I kept coming back to Stampin’ Up! Flourishing Phrases and the coordinating Flourish Thinlet Dies.

The colours I used besides Basic Black (which will make most colours ‘Pop”) and Whisper White are the 2018-2020 In-Colours – Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Call me Clover and Blueberry Bushel. These are also colours I haven’t used a lot, not because I don’t like them. Because I do like them, and I love them more now.

If you look closely you will notice the flowers are sitting on a Basic Black mat. This was cut using the Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies found in the 2019 Occasions Catalogue.

Quick Tip…..

  • Cut cardstock into quarters (10.5 x 14.9 cm) adhere Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets to one side. Die cut your Thinlets from that Piece, peel of backing and adhere to card.
  • The Lovely Lipstick flower on top of Whisper White circle I only removed half the backing sheet by peeling back half way and trim away.That way id doesn’t adhere to work below. Or…use the Embossing Buddy and pat on the half that you don’t want to be stuck down.

Kylie Bertucci’s International Blog Highlights

The theme for the month of March – Encouragement

I love the sentiment I used on this card because we are all precious to God and his love for us knows no boundaries. There is no better way to encourage someone but to share GOD’S BEAUTIFUL LOVE for us.

This card will be posted on Kylie’s Blog Highlights, so please visit her page and Vote for the cards you like and Please Vote for me too!

To make it easy for you to find her page ‘Click” on the BUTTON below..

Thank you for reading my Blog today I hope you enjoyed reading about my card. If you have any questions please leave me a message and I will get back to you. Leave a comment below so I know you have visited. All the products used will be listed below and linked back to my On-Line Store.

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Top Ten Winners Blog Hop

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

WOW……! What a Privilege!

Thanks everyone who voted for me. What a privileged it is, to be a part of ‘Kylie Bertucci’s International Highlights Top Ten Winners Blog Hop’ with all the other great winners.

The theme for this hop is – Encouragement.

‘Wonderful Romance’

Wonderful Romance stamp set is part of the Floral Romance Suite on pages 10 & 11 of Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalogue. Wonderful Romance Bundle 150592 also includes the Wonderful Floral Framlits Dies.

I love the sentiments used in this stamp set, as they are romantic but still encouraging. “ You are the Best Thing I never knew I needed “.

It is so encouraging to be told “your the best and I need you”

This floral image is beautiful and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to colour it with the Stampin’ Up! watercolour pencils and Blender Pen.

How to…….

I stamped the image onto Shimmery White cardstock with Memento Ink. Then after colouring cut using the framlits from the bundle…No fussy cutting here!

Rich Razzleberry and Blushing Bride cardstock was used for the card base and mat. The sentiment was stamped in Rich Razzleberry onto a piece of Blushing Bride Cardstock then cut using the coordinating tag framelit

Adding a few elements from the coordinating paper – Floral Romance Specialty Designer Series Paper 148586 and Floral Romance Seals 148789, along with the Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon finishes this card.

Thank you for visiting, I hope you have enjoyed my Blog post today. Below is the list of the others taking part in this Blog Hop. Click on the link to see each one and remember…. leave a comment so we know you visited.

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Dear Doily

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

For the first time I am participating in Kylie’s International Blog Highlights and you get to VOTE for your favorite projects. The top ten winners will get to be part of an International Blog Hop….. so please VOTE for my project.

You can do that here by using this Link…..

http://bit.ly/Feb2019KyliesHighlightsVoteForMe

The theme for the month of February is – Encouragement

For this card I used the Dear Doily Bundle 150616 from the Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalogue. The Dear Doily Stamps are one of the New Cling Stamps which ‘CLING’ to your acrylic block and they really do stick….. Make sure you check out the video on YouTube by Stampin’ Up! on the use and care of the ‘Cling’ stamps.

TIP: put a small piece of Washi Tape on one edge/ corner of the stamp to help peal it off the block or out of the case.

I have made a short video showing how I made this card….From a simple way of doing the watercolour wash on the card front, using 3 Re-Inkers and Glad-wrap – So Saffron, Mango Melody and Flirty Flamingo. The use of the Stamparatus for the stamping.of the sentiments and the flowers. The large Doily Builder Thinlit used without the out side edge to make a window in card front.

Video Link…..

Thanks for visiting my blog today…..

Remember, Please vote for my project. I would love to be chosen to do an International Blog Hop. Click on the Button Below.

All products used are listed below and are Linked to my On-Line Store. If you have any question please contact me.

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Forever Lovely….GDP#174

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

WOW!……It’s another week….and February already, the first month of 2019 has gone. Christmas and New Year has been packed away and now we are looking toward the next ‘Event’ on the calendar.

Valentines Day – a day where we celebrate those we love whether that is Husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends or family and friends. Its those that we keep close in our hearts, those we want to tell “You are special to me!”

Stampin’ Up! have released in the Occasions Catalogue a beautiful Suite that celebrates ‘LOVE’. I used it last week in the Global Design Project Challenge and I can’t get enough of it. So I’m using it again….‘All My Love’

The card I have made is not a ‘Valentines Day Card’…but I made it in mind for a couple getting married or engaged..

Global Design Project 174 – Sketch Challenge

GDP#174- Sketch Challenge has given us another wonderful sketch to use…if you pop over to their Blog you will find some amazing projects using this sketch. Here’s the LINK to make it easy for you to find..

How was my card made….

Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Paper (DSP) used on this card is part of the ‘All My Love Suite’ which includes the Forever Lovely stamp/bundle and its called ‘All My Love’. The colours that co-ordinate with the DSP are..Balmy Blue, Crumb Cake, Lovely Lipstick, Flirty Flamingo, Soft Sea Foam and Whisper White. I think I have managed to use all of these in my card.

The flowers were stamped in Flirty Flamingo and the leaves in Soft sea Foam.

Tip 1:

Make sure your ink pad is not too juicy…..I had to used the back of a spoon to push down the ink. These stamps are part of the Distinctive Stamp range which means that you are able to stamp with one colour but because of the texture of the stamp its self you get different tones of that colour. Example you will see on my card some leaves are dark and others are lighter – one colour, one stamp.

The DSP used has loose outlines of the flower and leaves done in white. I would have loved to be able to White Emboss the same on my card…but the are distinctive stamps and its only one stamp…

Tip 2:

So I used a white gel pen to out line my flowers. Before the flowers looked too heavy now the white just pulls it all together. I found it easier to also stamp these images with the Stamparutus.

My sentiments I used comes from the ‘First Frost’ stamps from the 2018 Holiday Catalogue and its one of the carry-over products…“YAY!”  you can still purchase it. The small scalloped edge is from the Delightfully Detailed Laser-cut Specialty Paper.

Thank you for visiting my Blog.

All the products I have used will be listed below my Blog and is linked back to my On-Line Store to make it easier for you to purchase…if you Live in Australia!.

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.


Occasion and Sale-A-Bration Catalogue…. LIVE!

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

They are LIVE ….. If you don’t have a catalogue in your hands right now….

Then here is the next best thing….the LINKS

❤️ Spend $90 (*before Shipping and handling) from either Annual or Occasions Catalogue and choose a FREE item from Sale-A-Bration as indicated in the SAB Catalogue on Page 2

❤️Host a Party for you and your Friends and there are extra rewards ..More information on Page 3 of the SAB

❤️ Join NOW and you have 2 joining Options to choose from…so check it out on Page 4 of SAB

Lovely Lattice, a little note…..

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

Lovely Lattice, a little note….by Stampin’ Up!

Lovely Lattice 149730 by Stampin’ Up! has a charm to it with that slight vintage feel with the lattice behind the flowers. As soon as I saw it I had to have it because it screamed “Colour me!”.

 If you love to colour then this is a must to have. You could colour with Blends, Watercolour pencils or with re-inkers and your Aqua pen. There are no fonts in this set but I don’t you will have any trouble finding one that will work well with it.

This beautiful stamp is one you can earn for FREE when you spend $90 in the Sale-A-Bration Catalogue by Stampin’ Up!

Lovely Lattice is one of the new ‘Cling-Stamps’ by Stampin’ Up! The adhesive image label now ‘Clings’ and I mean ‘Cling’.

Here is a fun video telling you about our ‘Cling-Stamps’

What did I use on this card…

The image and sentiment are stamped with Memento Ink and coloured with Stampin’ Up! Blends. The sentiment ‘ a little note’ comes from the Butterfly Gala 148580 in the Occasional Catalogue.

The Blends used are…

Pink Pirouette (Retired)

Flirty Flamingo Combo 147278

Old Olive Combo 144597

Daffodil Delight Combo 144603

Pool Party Combo 144605

Mossy Meadow Dark 148546 **

Balmy Blue Light 148540 **

Cardstock used….

Whisper White 106549

Blushing Bride 131287

Balmy Blue 147007

** These products will be released in the 2019 Occasions Catalogue…for your copy of this catalogue along with the Sale-A-Brations Catalogue, contact me.

Thank you for reading my Blog post today. All of the products used are listed below and linked back to my On-Line Store.

 

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.
 

Why two Black Ink Pads?

Published on by Michele Jutrisa

Why are there two Black ink pads, is one better than the other?

Good question and I know that many of you who are new to stamping are asking  this question.

The two Black Stamp pads that Stampin’ Up! retail are StazOn Jet Black and Memento Tuxedo. Both are very different and are used for different techniques.

 

Let’s start with Stazon Jet Black 101406 and Refill 102566 this is a permanent archival ink, and is for stamping images which are coloured using watercolour techniques.

   

StazOn can be used on many different surfaces such as..Plastic, metal, shrink plastic, rubber, leather, polymer clay, laminated paper, coated paper, uncoated paper, photo, glass, porcelain, terracotta, cellophane.and works well on the Stampin’ Up! Window sheets…I always recommend doing a test before using on anything new.

The drying time when using Stazon is 3 seconds for porous surfaces – 5 minutes  for non porous surfaces. Drying time varies based on surface / material, humidity, etc.

Stazon is a ‘Solvent Ink’ which means it is not made from a water base. Solvent inks are permanent and don’t require heat setting to achieve permanency. Most solvent inks are acid-free and archival. 

Hints and Tips…

  • Replace inner plastic cover and cover immediately after use. Exposure to air will cause the ink in the pad to dry out. I put a Glue dot on the lid to hold the inner plastic in place so I don’t get inky fingers when taking it on and off.
  • Clean stamps immediately after use with StazOn Cleaner 109196. It can stain your stamps. StazOn cleaner is not recommended to use on your Photopolymer stamps as it may damage the polymer. Clean your Photopolymer with Stampin’ Mist Stamp Cleaner 102394 the stazOn will stain the stamp…but its still usable.

 

So what about the Memento Tuxedo Black 132708 and Refill 133456. Memento is a water-based, acid free ink and fade-resistant.

Memento Ink is required when using Stampin’ Blends. It is also a good general ink pad for all other stamping as you will get a good clear image.

  

It can be used on coated paper, vellum, uncoated paper, printer paper. As before I always recommend doing a test before using on anything new.

Drying time is 3 to 5 seconds on coated paper. Virtually instant on uncoated papers. Varies based on surface / material, humidity, etc.

Memento is easy to clean from your stamps using the Stampin Scrub 126200 and Stampin’ Mist Stamp Cleaner 102394 or with the NEW Simply Shammy 147042

 

So back to our question –

Why two Black Stamp pads?

There are two Black stamp pads because they are for two separate techniques..Watercolour and Alcohol markers-Blends.

Its a case of opposites attract….

Watercolour + StazOn (Solvent ink)

Stampin’ Blends (Alcohol Markers) + Memento (waterbase)

Is one better than the other?

This is a very simple answer I think….NO.

Sometimes when someone says they like one over the other its a personal preference. Yes they look different but that’s because they are too different inks and have two very different qualities.

Should you buy both, again simple answer …YES.

Especially if you want to do both watercolour and use the Stampin’ Blends

 

Please note that some of the information obtained above comes from the manufacturer and other web pages.

Thanks for taking the time to read my Blog post. I hope this helps you when deciding on what Black Ink you require when going through your Stampin’ Up! Catalogue. If you have any questions just leave me a message below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.