Mail Art for September 2019 Team Cards

Hello and welcome to my blog; today I am going to share a little about mail art and the Mail art I created for my Top Five in September Team Sales Cards.  At the start of each month I pull my team reports and see who my top sellers are.  Once I look at the numbers I send them a card to congratulate them, and tell them how proud I am off them.  If you have followed me for any length of time you know I love to decorate my envelopes and make them match my cards.  Well, this time and from now on I am going to really decorate each envelope with some mail art.  Mail art can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be.  Really it's just another way to express your creative side on the outside of your envelopes.  Here's a look at the ones I did this month.

As you can see from this little sneak peek mail art can be as simple or as creative as you want to get.  I always try to theme my decorated envelopes around my card.  If it's a super colorful or complicated card the envelope may be just some simple coloring or simple design that goes along with the card.

For this card that I sent to my team member Debby I used the same stencil and colors as on the card.  I pulled the colors for the ink blended trees from the designer series paper on the background.  I added a post it note to the envelope before doing the ink blending to mask off an area for her address.  Then I drew a stitched line around that once I filled in her address.

For Kathy's Card I mimicked the design of the card and colored it similar but not with all the details as I did on the card.  I did the trees with more of an open area for her address.

On Marie's card I didn't add as many trees but did them a little bit darker.  I also changed the color of the truck just for fun.  You can see on both of these examples the cards are very much detailed and the matching mail art envelopes are not as detailed.

For Mona's card I used one of the decorative pattern stencils again and did a little light ink blending and then stamped the pumpkin from Harvest Hellos on top of that.  I used my stampin' blends to color in the pumpkin.  I thought that the mask in the set matched the designer series paper that I used on her card quite well.

Jean was the top in team sales for September and was sent this over the top card and envelope for her accomplishment.  I mirrored the images that I did on my card (which by the way is my contribution to this month's Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle).  But, instead of coloring them as I did on the card I wanted to make the presentation almost like the scene from the Wizard of Oz that's Black and white while they are in Kansas but when she opened the envelope, just like when Dorthy was taken to Oz everything was then in technicolor.
As you can see mail art can be done in many different ways, with it all depending on how you want to create them.  I hope that this has inspired you to create a little mail art on your own.  I will share next month's mail art in November. Thanks for dropping by today, I will be back later today with another blog post for you.  See you soon

Happy Stampin' 

Rick Adkins 

If you live in the US.  I would love you to choose me as your demonstrator.  If you would like to purchase any of these products you can click on the Shop Now Button or by clicking on any of the images below.  Alternatively, you can also contact me by email to place your order.  Please be sure to use the monthly host code and I’ll send a little something out to you the following month to say Thank You!  

November HOST CODE:  QU2TJBJN

1.     Spend any amount with me this month and receive the Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle.  Plus get a gift from me in December.

Please remember that if you use the host code you cannot use that order towards my KCRP’s (Kinmon Crafty Reward Points) that would be double dipping and is not allowed.  For more information on KCRP’s click here.  

Three main reasons to Join!  

1.     You Get at least a 20% discount on all your orders while you are a demo.   

2.     You get to join my fun Kinsmon Crafters Team and Private Facebook Group.

3.     Access to directions to all my online classes 

I All Ready Know I Want to Join!  Sign Me UP!

Supplies Used: 

I've listed some of the supplies that I used for this month's mail art.  The other supplies can be found on the blog posts about that card.  (Besides the Boo to you Card The supplies for that are part of the Creative Stampers October Tutorial Bundle and can be either earned free until the end of the month with any size order or by purchasing it for $20 US in my Tutorial Store) 

Boo To You Cling Stamp Set - 150550

Price: $18.00

Harvest Hellos Cling Stamp Set (En) - 150581

Price: $21.00

Ride With Me Photopolymer Stamp Set - 149312

Price: $21.00

Basic Pattern Decorative Masks - 150697

Price: $6.00

Very Vanilla Medium Envelopes - 107300

Price: $7.50

Whisper White Medium Envelopes - 107301

Price: $7.50

Shimmery White Embossing Paste - 145645

Price: $9.00

Supply List

CASE the Catalog - Merry Moose

Hello and welcome to this weeks Case the Catalog post; this week I picked a card featuring one of my favorite stamp set bundles.  I picked a card that can be found on page 27 of the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog.  In case you don't have a catalog and you missed the title I am Casing one of the Merry Moose cards on that page.  If you are not sure what I mean about CASE; it stands for Copy and Share Everything or Copy and Selectively Edit.  Here's a look at my card.

Here's a look at the card created by the concept artists at Stampin' Up! that inspired my card today.  This card can be found on page 27 of the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog.  

Image copyright by Stampin' Up! 

You can see from both photos I did Copy and Selectively Edit my version of this card.  I went with a Very Vanilla card base (4 1/4 x 11 scored at 5 1/2 to make a top folding card) and layered a full size Balmy Blue layer on top (4 1/4 x 5 1/2).  There's was created with a side folding Balmy Blue cardbase.  Both versions are just as nice.  This is one thing about casing a card is you can take the idea and change it to your style.  I happen to prefer to make top folding cards.  

I went with the Very Vanilla card base so that I didn't have to add additional cardstock to the inside of the card.  This allows me to write my greeting with enough room.  I could have just added an additional layer but with that comes additional bulk to the card.

I stamped the solid image of the moose across the card front with matching Balmy Blue ink just as the catalog sample.  I also did the Moose outline on a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock with matching ink and punched it out with the matching punch.  I added the Real Red Curly Ribbon as a scarf and tied it around his little neck to secure it.  I then popped the moose punch out up on a few dimensionals.  I did change the width of the Call Me Clover sentiment banner and decided not to fish tail the ends as seen in the inspiration image.  This was also popped up on dimensionals. 

There are a few great things about CASEing that I hope you are learning from this bi-weekly series!  One, that you can find great ideas from the catalogs, they are more than just a shopping source.  The catalogs have a countless number of ideas for card making and paper crafting to copy and learn from.  And, two you can improve your skills by casing.  When you do this you not only have to figure out what was used but the sizes used, color combinations, and different techniques.  All of these things helps you to improve and build your card and paper crafting skills and makes you a better crafter.  Thanks for dropping by this week for this part of the CASEing bi-weekly series.  My hope is that you are learning a lot about the importance of doing this and that you are giving it a try each week.  I will see you again tomorrow.

Happy Stampin' 

Rick Adkins 

If you live in the US.  I would love you to choose me as your demonstrator.  If you would like to purchase any of these products you can click on the Shop Now Button or by clicking on any of the images below.  Alternatively, you can also contact me by email to place your order.  Please be sure to use the monthly host code and I’ll send a little something out to you the following month to say Thank You!  

November HOST CODE:  QU2TJBJN

1.     Spend any amount with me this month and receive the Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle.  Plus get a gift from me in December.

Please remember that if you use the host code you cannot use that order towards my KCRP’s (Kinmon Crafty Reward Points) that would be double dipping and is not allowed.  For more information on KCRP’s click here.  

Three main reasons to Join!  

1.     You Get at least a 20% discount on all your orders while you are a demo.   

2.     You get to join my fun Kinsmon Crafters Team and Private Facebook Group.

3.     Access to directions to all my online classes 

I All Ready Know I Want to Join!  Sign Me UP!

Stampin' Up! Shopping List: 

Merry Moose Bundle - 153015

Price: $31.50

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock - 144237

Price: $8.25

Balmy Blue 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock - 146982

Price: $8.75

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock - 120953

Price: $8.75

Call Me Clover 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock - 146969

Price: $8.75

Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' Pad - 147105

Price: $7.50

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad - 147116

Price: $7.50

Call Me Clover Stampin' Pad - 147139

Price: $7.50

Real Red 1/8" (3.2 Mm) Curly Ribbon - 150426

Price: $7.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue - 110755

Price: $4.00

Stampin' Dimensionals - 104430

Price: $4.00

Supply List

Rick's Saturday Simple Stamping #36 featuring Holiday Haul Host Stamp Set

Hello and welcome to my blog; today I am going to share with you another simple stamping card featuring the host exclusive stamp set Holiday Haul.  You will find this stamp set in the back of the 2019 Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog.  Today's card also kicks off my 25 Days of Christmas Series over on my YouTube Channel with new Holiday Card  Videos each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  I will also be sharing those tutorials with you as well here.  So here's a look at today's card.

You can change the sentiment on this card to anything that will fit into the small ornament punch from the Gleaming Ornament Punch set, as you will see on the video I changed it to just a simple Hello.  I started out with a piece of Whisper White thick card stock cut at 4 1/4 x 11 scored at 5 1/2.  And then added another piece cut just a little smaller 4 x 5 1/4.  One the smaller piece is where I did the stamping for this card.  

I stamped the snowflakes from the Holiday Haul Stamp set all over this piece in the video I just stamped on the card base without the additional piece of cardstock.  I did second generation stamping for the snowflakes using Seaside Spray ink.  Then I came back and stamped all the reindeer in each of the 2019-2021 In Colors (Terracotta Tile, Rococo Rose, Pretty Peacock, Seaside Spray, and Purple Posy).  

I then stamped the sentiment on a scrap of whisper white thick cardstock and punched it out using the small ornament punch I mentioned above.  I added some silver metallic thread behind that and popped it up on a couple dimensionals.  

Video Tutorial: 

If you are viewing this post by email you may have to click here or click on the image below to see the video; not all mail servers will show the embedded video.  

Thanks for dropping by today I hope that you have a wonderful weekend.  I will be back tomorrow with a new post see you then.  

Happy Stampin' 

Rick Adkins 

If you live in the US.  I would love you to choose me as your demonstrator.  If you would like to purchase any of these products you can click on the Shop Now Button or by clicking on any of the images below.  Alternatively, you can also contact me by email to place your order.  Please be sure to use the monthly host code and I’ll send a little something out to you the following month to say Thank You!  

November HOST CODE:  QU2TJBJN

1.     Spend any amount with me this month and receive the Creative Stampers Tutorial Bundle.  Plus get a gift from me in December.

Please remember that if you use the host code you cannot use that order towards my KCRP’s (Kinmon Crafty Reward Points) that would be double dipping and is not allowed.  For more information on KCRP’s click here.  

Three main reasons to Join!  

1.     You Get at least a 20% discount on all your orders while you are a demo.   

2.     You get to join my fun Kinsmon Crafters Team and Private Facebook Group.

3.     Access to directions to all my online classes 

I All Ready Know I Want to Join!  Sign Me UP!

Product List:

Holiday Haul Host Photopolymer Stamp Set [150536] $10.00	Good Morning Magnolia Cling Stamp Set [149298] $36.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $8.25	In Color 2019-2021 Classic Stampin' Pads [150087] $33.75
Gleaming Ornaments Punch Pack [150647] $34.00	Silver Metallic Thread [138402] $3.50	Snail Adhesive [104332] $7.00	Snail Adhesive Refill [104331] $4.50
Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Black Stampin' Dimensionals Combo Pack [150893] $6.00