Using your Idea Book and Catalog as a resource!

Hello Friends,

This week, during my card class I covered something in class that a lot of my friends were not present to hear, so I am sharing it with you here!

Stampin Up's Idea and Catalog can give you so much more than just a place to find your stamping needs or wants. It has the word IDEA in the title because there are tons of great ideas inside of it. A lot of people say to me, "Sandi, you are so creative which is why you are so good at doing what you do, I could NEVER do that!" Well, I am here to say that that is simply NOT true!! Use your catalog, that's what it is for.

I love to create something unique and creative, but just like the world's greatest authors, I get creator's block (writer's block). So instead of thinking that today is just not my day to make anything and give up, I pick up my catalog and flip through it for inspiration. Sometimes I will find something that I kind of like but would change something to make it my own, sometimes I will find something I know I would like if it were in a different color scheme; so I change it to fit my color choices, and other times I will make something exactly like in the catalog. The truth is, no matter where your inspiration comes from, the person you are making your card or gift for will simply adore it, and usually will never know that it wasn't your own creation! Ok my preaching is over..... Now I will show you the two cards I created with my sermon in mind LOL......

 This first card can be found on page 75 in your Stampin Up Idea and Catalog. When you locate this card you will find that it was in a completely different color scheme. I chose to make mine more summery by changing the colors and using some of the new IN Colors; Wisperia Wonder, and Calypso Coral, as well as some other favorites; Baja Breeze and Daffodil Delight whereas, the one in the catalog was done in Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Certainly Celery, and Real Red. Both cards are laid out completely the same but the colors are changed, giving this card a whole new look that I love. Feel free and compare the two, you will find that even though the are exactly the same card they look very different.

For this next card, you will find it on page 136 in your Stampin Up Idea and Catalog. For this one I made it exactly the same except for two things, first,  I didn't have any white Bakers Twine so I used a white ribbon instead and second, I didn't have the pinking hearts border punch so I used my scallop border punch. Cute isn't it? I thought so too so I didn't need to change anything.

So what do you think? Feel inspired to flip through your catalog again and find a new use for it? In fact, if you have our previous catalogs and thought about tossing them...don't because now you know another used for them. And if your thinking, "But Sandi, some of the stamps in my old catalog are not available anymore so I couldn't use it if I wanted to". My answer to that is, "Yes you are right, the stamp set is no longer available, BUT, you might like a card layout in the catalog that you can use to make a card with a current or favorite set!

Well I hope I gave you a bit of advice and a new inspiration that you may have not thought of. Oh, and if you don't have the current catalog, I have some available, just give me a call! Take care

Stamp Sets Used: Tiny Tags and Little Friends

Colors Used: Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Baja Breezr, Wisperia Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Melon Mambo, Temtpint Turquoise, Whisper White

Accessories and Tools- Brights Designer Buttons, Hemp, Designer Series Papers from the Subtles and Brights collection, Scallop Border Punch, Jewelry Tag punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Stamp-a-ma-jig, piercing tool, mat pack, dimensionals, glue dots, and Stampin Write Markers