Signature Stamps in MDS

Last year my grandmother passed away and I had the opportunity to create a book for our family to remember her. My Digital Studio made this so easy. I had all our friends and family send me pictures of Grandma. Once I had those I was ready to go. I started with the template Sweet Details which comes with MDS. I made a few changes to add in additional photo boxes to fit in all those great pictures everyone sent and added words that worked well with the pictures. I also left plenty of room for signatures.

Once I had the book ready to go I printed at a local printers and placed it in smooth sheet protectors. We took the book to the funeral and had everyone sign on the sheet protectors with a sharpie marker and write a special memory about my Grandma.

After the funeral I took the book home and flipped the pages over so that all I had was the signature with a white background. I scanned these into the computer then used Photoshop to delete out the white background and turn the image into a SVG file. SVG file is the same type of file that MDS uses to create stamps in the program. I saved all of my signatures in MDS under stamps and I was ready to go.

I added each signature to the pages. This was really nice because I was able to change the colors to make them match, re-size if needed and even move to a different page to spread things out. I also moved embellishments and pictures if necessary to make all the signatures look good with the pages and pictures.

After I had everything in I was able to print the book through Stampin’ Up! to have a nice finished book. We actually printed like 15 books so that each family could have book of their own and have all the great pictures plus memories. I love it because everyone was able to have this special book instead of just one person.

I think this idea is perfect for family reunions, special birthdays, weddings, graduations really just about any special occasion that many people would love to have the memory. I plan on making one for my son that is graduating this year and have friends and family write special messages. I think this would also be great if your child is part of a team like band, cheer, dance or any group they spend a lot of time with. You can create a book with pictures from the events and messages from all the participants then add it all together so everyone can have a special memory book.

I know this is a little advanced but I wanted to share it anyway because it just really gets me excited. If you would be interested in my creating a book like this for your event please let me know. I’d be happy to help you, or if you would like to make one of your own I’d be happy to help you with the steps as well. Hopefully you’ll find lots of great uses for this idea. I even think it would be fun to have your kids write a message each year that you could add to the family year book and have their handwriting preserved from year to year and see how it changes. If you have any questions please let me know.

Order online 24/7
Contact me to order or book your party today!
435-245-5321 Home
435-232-2655 Cell (Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

Products used:

MDS Products:
My Digital Studio
Disk #130647 $19.95
Download #130646 $19.95
Free Trial #130910 $0

Downloads:
Sweet Details Photobook template- #125742 $17.95

February 3, 2014

CandiceLeave a comment

Dinosaur Punch Art

I’ve been seeing throw back Thursday on Facebook a lot and I thought it would be fun to do it on my blog. I’m not sure that Thursday will always be a throw back, but I’ll try. If you are like me you keep stamps, punches and even paper that you love even though you can’t by them anymore. So I figure why not share some fun ideas to do with them. Maybe I’ll even make some new projects using retired products. Who knows. So now lets get on with the project because hey that’s the fun part right?

Every year Stampin’ Up! has a contest called the Artisan Design contest. I’ve entered many years, while I’ve never won I’ve had my projects shown at Convention and I’ve enjoyed creating them. It does however make me sad to give them away. Some of them I’ve re-created and some I’m still planning on it. This is one of the still planning on it projects. Hopefully before my little boy grows out of dinosaurs. I think this was the hardest one to give away and I wish I had it still. It was also quite big so I actually took it to Stampin’ Up! (Good thing I live close.)

This is the top of the chart. I used MDS to create all the pictures for the chart. I changed them all to Sepia so they would match and added a fun background. I also added the age and height. He was only 5 when I made the chart so I left spots to add more pictures over the years. I attached twigs to the top to hang it with. Of course the top picture is when he was born. So cute.

Here’s a better picture of the bird Dino. All of the dino’s are made using punch art and shapes from the big shot. Can anyone guess where I got my inspiration for my characters. Yep “Land Before Time.” You can also see the close up of the texture on the letters. I cut them out of chip board and paper, then glued the textured paper to the clipboard.

Next is my green Dino working his way up the mountain. The mountain is just created by tearing up paper and crumbling it up then smoothing it out. I used the directly to paper technique to add texture. (That’s where you just take the ink pad straight to the paper to highlight the texture and edges.)

Here’s the brown Dino. I think I actually used the leave die to make the splotches on his back. You’ll noticed I also added some grass to the mountain by just tearing up paper and snipping the edges.

This one wasn’t really in the movie, but I wanted one more to work with the spacing. I think he turned out cute. He also had to be orange because that’s my son’s favorite color. The ruler was created by using the simply scored tool. I placed a cardboard so I would know how far to score each section so they stayed even. Then I flipped it over and used a sponge to highlight the marks and added the numbers with the calender set.

Of course we had to have the T-Rex at the bottom chasing the little Dino’s up the chart. I left space on the side so that I could mark the height and write the date. My son was very disappointed that I gave away the T-Rex. That’s his favorite Dino. Just posting about this makes me want to re-create it.

I hope you have enjoyed my throw back Thursday. As you can see I really do love punch art. It’s so fun to see what you can create using our awesome punches. Especially something they weren’t designed for.

Order online 24/7
Contact me to order or book your party today!
435-245-5321 Home
435-232-2655 Cell (Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

January 31, 2014

CandiceLeave a comment

Sale-a-bration 2014

Who’s ready to Sale-a-brate? I know I am. I love Sale-a-brations. As a demonstrator we have the opportunity to start earning exclusive Sale-a-bration items a month early so I’ve had the chance to play with them already. Right now I have three favorites. The banner blast set with matching punch and the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder.

I’m excited to offer you 2 fun ideas where you can get these for free. Well at least 2 of them.

First is the Birthday Bash Bundle on page 5 of the Sale-a-bration Catalog. It includes products to make at least 20 cards, possibly 40. Here are some additional samples that I came up with. So cute and simple. Several are like the ones they show and a few of my own. If you order this bundle I will send you complete instructions of how to complete the cards.

Wood Bundle 135316 $61.80
Clear Bundle 135317 $55.80 (Block sold Separately)
Banner Blast
Wood #133551
Clear #133554

Join Paper Pumpkin by February 10th and you’ll receive the 2012-2014 in-color markers for free. Then you can create the same fun cards in even more great colors. Click here to Join Now! Plus you’ll get cute new projects straight to your door step each month. You can cancel at anytime so give it a try.

You can spice it up a bit by ordering $50 more in products and get the punch to go with it. This is one of my favorite cards from this months Stampin’ Buffet using the Banner Bash and matching punch. Come this Thursday and make this cute card for just $1.00. Plus there are lots of other great cards to choose from.

Banner Punch #133519

My other favorite is the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder which I’m totally in love with and have used on almost everything since I got it. I showed this card the other day and I just love how the texture makes the heart pop. Just in case you didn’t hear these products are still available until Valentines or while supplies last. Click here for more info.

If you love the folders like me and you don’t have a big shot yet. I’m excited to announce the return of a very popular product. The Texture Boutique Embossing Machine. When you buy it along with 3 folders you’ll qualify for a free sale-a-bration items so you can get the Decorative Dots for free. How awesome is that. Click here for more info.

So if you are ready to Sale-a-Brate check on the catalog then give me a call to place your order. Or better yet book a party or join me team. Check out below what you can earn.

Click here to see the catalog.

Contact me today!

You can order Order online 24/7 use hostess code S4P3TRBA. (expires January 31st)

Order online 24/7
Contact me to order or book your party today!
435-245-5321 Home
435-232-2655 Cell (Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

January 28, 2014

CandiceLeave a comment

Thank You card from Shelli Gardner

I got the most amazing surprise in the mail this weekend. A thank you note from Shelli Gardner. It was hand addressed by her with a message written just from her. I was so excited and touched. This is just one of the many reasons I love this company. For those of you who don’t know who Shelli Gardner is let me tell you. She is the co-founder and CEO of Stampin’ Up! But more than that she is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She truly cares about everyone she meets. She is so genuine and honest. You just feel better being around her. She doesn’t think of herself as anything amazing even though we all think she is. She’s very down to earth and treats you like you are someone special. I love going to events and listen to her speak. I’ve had the opportunity to meet her on several occasions and she loves hearing about you and what you like.

This is me and Shelli at the Hawaii incentive trip I earned a while back. One of the first times I was able to spend some time with her. One of my most memorable experiences from a Stampin’ Up! event was when my little girl got sick at Leadership and her Husband (Sterling) and Son-in-law (Sean) helped me. They continued to check in with me the rest of the time to make sure she was doing well and they love hearing updates about her when I see them at events. Shelli has an amazing husband and family. I just can’t say enough good things about them. Now I’m sure they have their faults like all of us, but I’ve enjoyed spending time with them whenever I’ve had the chance.

So you are probably wondering why I got this surprise thank you note in the mail. Several months back I was given the opportunity to help Stampin’ Up! with a project they were doing with the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board is a group of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators who are asked to serve for a year as advisers in helping Stampin’ Up! to know the needs of the demonstrators. I wanted to bring a little Thank You for the opportunity to work with these amazing women. You may remember this picture from a post a while back.

I made zucchini bread and added this cute little tag. I made one for each Advisory Board member as well as some extra for the staff who helped. Shelli’s daughter (Sara) was also there and I was excited because I really wanted to give one to Shelli as well. This was just a couple weeks after Shelli’s horse accident where she fell horseback riding in the Grand Canyon and was injured pretty bad. I thought the bread would make her happy so I asked Sara to take one to her I never expected to get anything back. I just wanted her to know how much I appreciate everything thing she does for us and Stampin’ Up! and I wanted her to get well quickly. It was so fun to get this thank you note and it meant so much to me. I just goes to show that sending a hand written note especially in a hand stamped card or MDS card can mean so much. I hope you will take the opportunity today to send a note to someone special and make their day.

January 27, 2014January 27, 2014

CandiceLeave a comment

Whole Lot of love cards

Whole Lot of Love promotions ends tomorrow. Here’s a couple of fun samples I’ve made. I’d thought I’d share them with you so you can be inspired and grab some up before they are gone.

I’ve enjoyed playing with some of the fun products featured in the Whole Lot Of Love promotion. First off is a card I made using the the Monster Valentines. I bought them for my son to make for his class. I couldn’t decide between the boy ones and the girls ones so I bought a package of each and figured he could make girls for the girls and boys for the boys. I also know it means there will be extra’s so I could have a little fun with them. I think it turned out supper cute. I’m so in love with the Decorative Dots Embossing folder that you can earn for Free during Sale-a-Bration’s starting on Tuesday.

The second card features the Follow your Heart stamp set. The clear is sold out already, but last I heard they still have it available in wood. This set is so cute, you will want it for sure. I added some of the fun gold product from the occasions catalog and of course the Decorative Dots Embossing folder. It’s been fun working with the gold baker’s twine. It’s a bit thicker than the normal baker’s twine and it’s cream colored instead of white, but love the accent.

So hopefully you’ve been inspired and want to order these before they are gone. You can order Order online 24/7 use hostess code S4P3TRBA.

Order online 24/7
Contact me to order or book your party today!
435-245-5321 Home
435-232-2655 Cell (Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

Products used:

Monster Card

Colors:
Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White

Stamps:
Perfect Pennants
Wood- #133227 $29.95
Clear- #133230 $21.95

Big Shot:
Magnetic Platform #130658 $39.95
Decorative Dots Embossing Folder #133520 $FREE – SAB
Banners Framelits Die #132173 $26.95

Others:
Island Indigo Baker’s Twine #125575 $2.95
Monster Hugs Girl #132163 $5.95

Follow Your Heart Card

Colors:
Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Gold

Stamps:
Follow My Heart
Wood- #13461 $15.95
Clear- Sold Out

Big Shot:
Magnetic Platform #130658 $39.95
Decorative Dots Embossing Folder #133520 $FREE – SAB
Hearts Collection Framelits Die #125599 $26.95

Others:
Gold Baker’s Twine #132975 $3.50
Watercolor Wonder Designer Washi Tape #133000 $4.95
Gold Metallic Encore Pad #132141 $9.95
Heat Tool #129053 $29.95

Special Upate!

Whole Lot of Love Products Still Available to Order

January 27, 2014

The Whole Lot of Love promotion has ended, but we still have some products in stock. Available until 11:59 PM (MT) on February 14, 2014 or while supplies last.

131850: Love You More Stamp Set (wood-mount)
131853: Love You More Stamp Set (clear-mount)
134611: Follow My Heart Stamp Set (wood-mount)
134617: Flowerfull Heart Stamp
132862: Toujours + d’amour Stamp Set
134610: Sweetheart Treat Bags
132162: Monster Hugs Boy
132163: Monster Hugs Girl
134609: Sweet Sayings Cards and Envelopes

January 26, 2014January 27, 2014

CandiceLeave a comment

MDS Books make great gifts

I love that “My Digital Studio” (MDS) helped me to create wonderful Christmas gifts this year that would bring back lasting memories.

I decided this year to create a special gift for my little ones. They love to read and so I wanted them to be able to read a story all about them. I created a book for my son about his special memories on our trip to Disney World last year. I put special pictures in of him and memories. He love to look at it and I think he know how much I love him. He’s become a pretty good reader in the last year (he’s 6), but I still kept the text simple so he could read it all by himself.

I also wanted to create one for my daughter. I made one last year for her birthday of her first year so I wanted to make her second year for her. It had lots of fun pictures of things she did when she was one. I broke it up into months to make it easy to create. She loves it of course. She loves to look at pictures of people she knows, especially herself. Since I have now created a book for both her 1st and 2nd year my kids asked me if I was going to make one every year. While I don’t know for sure I said probably just because MDS make is so easy to do.

What made both of these projects super simple is the fact that I used some of the awesome templates that Stampin’ Up! already had created. That way I added pictures and text and I was done. I love how easy they are and that I can change them to fit my needs. Sometimes I add a few more embellishments, picture boxes or text. I even re-arrange the pages to fit my needs. However these templates still save me lots of time as I created both books in just a few hours.

I also created fun calenders for my husband, parents and in-laws. I love our calender options and how the calendar program works. It’s so easy to add a calender to any project. I made my calenders double sided so one side is 2014 and the other is 2015. I created the one first then copied it for the back side. All I had to do was go into the calender settings and change the year. Of course I changed out the pictures as well, but it made it super simple to create. Everyone loved them. It’s so fun to go to my husbands office and see the calender there for everyone to enjoy.

The last project I wanted to share with you in my Disney book. While this book did take me a bit longer to create it was still a lot less time then if I had created it by hand. Plus I saved tons of money. The book is 100 pages including the front and back cover which is the max that you can have printed with Stampin’ Up! However it has over 500 pictures in it. I started with one of the kits and then just kept adding pages. Many times I would bring in a page layout that I liked from another kit and then just change the background and elements so they matched. I love that all the pages have the same feel to them. My daughter loves to look at this book. I printed it in the 12 x 12 so it’s kind of hard for her and I don’t want her bending the pages. So for Christmas I decided to have the book printed in a 5 x 5 which would be easy for her to hand and look at. The best part is I didn’t have to change anything. I originally designed the book in a 12 x 12 but all I had to do was change the print option when I went to print it.

So here’s your tip for the day. I always design in 12 x 12 and then decide later what size I want to print it in. My computer screen roughly show the 8 x 8 size based on the size of the screen and I’ve found that if it looks good on there then it looks good printed in any of the sizes.

I am still totally in love with MDS. I’ve gotten more scrap-booking done since I switched to digital then I ever did before. Completed books instead of just pages which I totally love. If you haven’t tried it yet you really should. We have a free trial and the program is only 19.95. It was a lot more and I paid the higher price and it was worth every penny. We sold so many that the manufactures were able to reduce the price and Stampin’ Up! passed the savings on to you. I hope you will take the chance to try this program or use it if you have it. Remember if you have the old version to go and get the updates and it will update it for free.

If you want to learn more I teach a class once a month that held on-line or I would be happy to come and do a live presentation for you and your friends, or a special on-line party just for you. Just let me know.lub.

Order online 24/7
Contact me to order or book your party today!
435-245-5321 Home
435-232-2655 Cell (Text)
andersoncandice@hotmail.com

Products used:

MDS Products:
My Digital Studio
Disk #130647 $19.95
Download #130646 $19.95
Free Trial #130910 $0

Downloads:
Family Fun Photobook Template #130987 $17.95 (Disney Book)

Nobody’s Business Photobook Template #132812 $19.95 (My Daughters Book)

Hoppy Memories Digital Kit #118466 $14.95 (My Son’s Book)
Just a note on this book it was per-designed it came with my original MDS program that I bought years ago. The new one doesn’t come with the per-designed book.