Stellar Stamps

Welcome to the two newest members of my downline team!

Welcome to two new demonstrators who joined my first-level downline:

• JoAnn from Nebraska (who signed up while I was in Hawaii - that was a nice surprise!)
• Karen from Missouri who signed up today

Welcome ladies!!!!!!!!!

My entire Hawaii photo album here

This took half the day! I could not pluck out cards and projects to create a unique album. I can do that another day or week. No time today. For now, I just unloaded all 443 photos into Picasa (Google) and put captions on them. I know you can bypass a lot by looking at the thumbnails then getting to the projects and cards faster. Peruse the photos as you will. Just wanted to get them on here ASAP as there were some beautiful cards submitted to SU in Hawaii.

Stella's Hawaii photo album found here

Aloha -- I'm home from Hawaii!

Just got in 1 hour ago. Had to say hello and share just a tiny handful of my 400+ photos. The first night, just 2 hours after we arrived, we had the Stampin' Up! Welcome Reception. Who came up to me to chat very shortly after I got there but our very own CEO Shelli Gardner. Here we are:

Once it got dark, one of the bar areas by the pool was lit up on its thatched roof with the SU logo!

Also once it was dark, the palm trees where we were were beautifully illuminated while we ate.

This is one of my favorite photos. No, it is not a postcard. This is what the resort really looked like. It was breathtaking in every aspect!

Finally, the next morning (Monday) we gathered for General Session where Shelli and other members of the corporate team talked stats, new products and showed some demonstrations. Within moments, I was reunited with the two demos that I wanted to see more than anyone: Robin Merriman (left) and Caroline LeBel (right).

There's a lot more to share and I'm going to tackle it piece by piece. Lots of photos of cards and projects shared by other demos. Stay tuned.....

Technique: Stained Glass

Stained Glass

Directions:

1) Cut a piece of vellum paper to your desired size and choose a line-art stamp image that gives you a defined area for coloring.

2) Stamp your image in VersaMark or Basic Black Craft ink. Heat emboss the image with Black or Clear Stampin' Emboss powder.

3) Flip over the vellum paper and color in the image using Stampin' Write markers or Watercolor Wonder Crayons. If using the crayons, blend colors with an Aqua Painter or blender pen.

4) Attach finished piece (embossed side up) to your project.

Technique: Layered Brayer

Layered Brayer

Directions:

1) Heat emboss your chosen images on Glossy White card stock using VersaMark ink and Clear Stampin' Emboss powder. Bold images work best for this technique.

2) Ink your brayer with a light color of ink, and bray your card stock.

3) Use a sticky note or scrap paper cut to desired shapes and sizes to cover portions of your card stock.

4) Ink your brayer with a darker color of ink, and bray your card stock again.

5) Repeat process if extra layers desired.

6) Remove paper scraps and wipe embossed images to remove excess ink.

Technique: Stamping with Markers

Stamping with Markers

Directions:

1) Use a Stampin' Write marker to apply color to the stamp. Ink only the part of the image you need.

2) Add other colors if desired.

3) Breathe onto the inked image to remoisten the ink before stamping onto paper.

Tip:

For a more muted, watercolor look, spray a fine mist of water on the stamp instead of breathing on it.

Technique: Poppin' Pastels

Poppin' Pastels

Directions:

1) Stamp your image in VersaMark ink, or use Whisper White or Very Vanilla Craft ink.

2) Use sponge daubers or stamping sponges to apply the Stampin' Pastel color directly to the ink.

3) Blow off any excess pastel powder.

Tips:

  If you're worried about smearing, try setting the chalks with a fixative or an inexpensive aerosol hairspray. Spray at least 12" from project to keep the area from getting too damp.

 Please note that setting the chalks with hairspray is not recommended for scrapbook pages. As the pH contents of hair spray are unknown, they may be unsafe for your photos.

Technique: Punching a Long Tag

Punching A Long Tag

Directions:

1) Cut a strip of card stock slightly narrower than the width of the Tag punch.

2) Pull the tail of the tag through the square end of the punch.

3) Punch the top of the tag.

Technique: Accordion-folded flower

Accordion-folded Flower

Directions:

1) Cut card stock or Designer Series paper to 12" x 3/4".

2) Score strip every 1/4" the entire length of the card stock and accordion fold the score lines.

3) Adhere ends of card stock together (Sticky Strip works well). Let dry.

4) Holding the card stock with two hands, twist one edge of the strip into the center as shown to create a flower shape.

5) Adhere a punched circle to the flower center on one or both sides (Pop-Up Glue Dots work well) to hold shape in place.

Tip:

Experiment with different sizes and score intervals to create the desired shape of your flower.

Where in the world is Stella MacKay (with apologies to The Today Show & Matt Lauer!)

March 22-29.... I'll be here:

Aloha! I shall try to blog from there but no guarantees. Doug's laptop is coming along but I have no clue what I can connect to from it as it's got these weird settings and blocks on it from his company. If not, I'll be sure to share all my photos upon my return. Also, new things are announced at this event such as the future In Colors or new products. I promise to take good notes and lots of photos!

THANK YOU to everyone for your help in getting me to Hawaii!

A silly card to share in Hawaii

Stampin' Up! invites us to bring a card to Hawaii and they post them on display boards for us to take photos. They then keep them. I'm taking this one plus one more "serious" card. This is just a fun little one I whipped up to thank them for the opportunity of this trip. Tee, hee...

Stella is offering FREE SHIPPING on any $35+ order this week only as my THANKS TO YOU!

I travel to Hawaii Sunday morning (March 22) to attend the Stampin' Up! incentive trip thanks to many of you!

For one week only, while I'm gone, I will offer FREE SHIPPING on any order of $35 or more as my thanks to all my wonderful, awesome customers who helped send me to Hawaii!

• Email me your order then send payment. You may mail me a check or money order. You may email me your credit card info (must include the billing address for the credit card and the expiration month and year). You may proactively send funds to my email account StellarStamps@comcast.net via Pay Pal. Payments MUST be in hand no later than Monday, March 30 - sorry, no exceptions.
  

• To mail payment send to Stella MacKay at 5953 Ranger Way, Carmichael CA 95608-1834.

• If your order is $150+, please be sure to indicate which hostess benefits you are choosing.

• You earn one Sale-A-Bration item per $50 you spend plus you earn an extra if your order totals $300+. Be sure to email me all your SAB choices.

• You may order a select few items out of the Occasions Mini (see my post dated March 1 for the list of which sets qualify).

• To determine how much to pay me.. it's easy. Just take the catalog price and add YOUR local sales tax. That's it!

• I will not be processing orders while in Hawaii. When I get home on the 30th, I will check who emailed and also sent payment and get those orders in immediately. Please, please send payment proactively so that it is here when I get home.

Thanks again and aloha!

Kendall received the Sacrament of Confirmation today

Kendall was Confirmed into the Catholic church today! Here's the retired Bishop annointing her then all of us minus Matt (who is in Alabama). Kirsten is Kendall's sponsor and she flew home from college for the special event.

You just have to love a cat's fascination with fish

I was walking thru the laundry room, minding my own business, and I noticed that someone was overly interested (for the first time) in 3 other members of our family. Here's Gracie examining her other siblings.

Card: How about a whole card from 1/2 of a recycled card??

My customer and friend, Gail (remember Iris Folding) shared yet another new idea. Here's what her note said (with a tiny bit of editing) and then the finished product:

...what can be done with an old card to recycle it. The light green base is the back of the old card folded in half. The bar code [personalized stamp we all like to put on the back of a card] is on the inside so it won't show, so actually the light green was on the inside of the back of the original card. The plastic Irish Blessing was glued to the front of the original and I took it off and punched a hole in it for the ribbon. The rest is punched out of the front of the old card and the leaves are from the green envelope using the "Little Leaves" Stampin' Up! die cut. Plus I embossed the front with my Cuttlebug.

I love turning something old into something new! Thanks Gail!!