Stylin' Stampin' Blog Hop/FAVORITE TOOL!

Thank you so much for joining us for the September Stylin' Squad Blog Hop! This month we are focusing on the tools of the stampin' trade.  Specifically, each of our favorite stamping tools.  It's amazing the kinds of tools that have been created to help us along in our paper crafting addictions.  This month's blog hop will showcase many of the Stampin' UP! tools that are now available to us in the 2013-14 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog and Holiday Catalog and even a couple of products that are so new that they aren't in either catalog!  We hope you enjoy seeing how we use the old and the new tools and are inspired to come up with your own great projects!

I chose the NEW Envelope Punch Board! 

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=133774

I decided to make this Mini Album!  I used the Epic Day DSP pack and stickers because I am heading off to San Diego today for the  SU! Getaway and thought this would be fun to put some momentos  and photos in of our trip!

Here are some of the inside pages.  The DSP actually covers little pockets behind them, and if you watch the video on how to make this, you will see them and understand where they are.  It was really difficult to write out instructions, so I linked the video below.   I chose this tool, not only because it's so versatile, but who doesn't get frustrated when making cards and odd sized ones at that, and don't have an envelope to fit it.  This tool has the measurements for 66 DIFFERENT sizes!  So, if you don't have one ordered already, you should, contact me today or order online!

http://wermemorykeepers.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/create-a-mini-book-using-the-envelope-punch-board/ 

Here is the video I learned this from...HAVE FUN and go make one!

Oh! and don't forget...go check out the rest of the BLOGGERS, showcasing their favorite tools from Stampin' Up!

http://www.craftsmashup.blogspot.com/

http://www.stampininthesun77.blogspot.com/

http://www.stampinwithtonya.blogspot.com/

http://dawnscreativechalet.com/

http://www.stampindj.blogspot.com/

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/stinkytofu/blog

http://www.rydenkim.blogspot.com/

http://jkcards.wordpress.com/

http://stuckonstampin.blogspot.com/

http://www.nwstamper.com/

http://craft-somniamomma.blogspot.com/

http://stampinfunwithdiana.blogspot.com/

http://www.happy2scrap4life.blogspot.com/

http://mamasanity.blogspot.com/

San Diego Swaps!

 It wouldn't be a Stampin' Up! Event at all, even a Getaway Trip, without card swaps! So, for this one I had to make 19 swaps to share with 19 other ladies!  At Convention, someone showcased a gift card holder and I fell in love with it, so I ventured out to make one and fell in love with making it so this is what I decided to make for all the achievers!

Swaps start out with the planning of course, which is the fun, yet overwhelming part because you want to give something that just WOWs them, then there is the preparations, and here are my photos of my journey to the finished product.  All my layers cut and scored ready to assemble.

I cannot get enough of this Bow Making Die for the Big Shot! LOVE IT!  I really couldn't have made this many bows if I had to cut them by hand.

Here are all my swaps together, FINISHED!

Here is the outside!  I used LOTS of stuff from the Holiday Mini catalog!

And here is the inside when you open it, the insert comes right up with the tab to hold the gift card or secret message!  LOVE IT!  Mike and I leave on Thursday morning at 4am to catch our flight out to San Diego, and I must say, I am really looking forward to a new place to visit! Don't forget to look on THURSDAY at my blog for the Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop featuring each or our FAVORITE paper crafting tools from Stampin' Up!