San Antonio Regionals

Well, I did make it back from San Antonio!  I had a wonderful time not only at the Regionals but spending time with friends too!  It's amazing how hard it is to be away from family though--I still feel like I'm trying to catch up around the house even though I was only gone two days.  :-)  

Anyway, here's a picture of the card that I made approximately 20 times during my Workshop Wow Demonstrator Booth presentation during the Regional.  I had about a 10 minute presentation that I repeated over and over.  Surprisingly the time went very quickly, and only my voice was worn out by the end. 

The technique I was sharing was using Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets to adhere Dazzling Diamond Glitter to your projects.  A very simple but effective technique.  If you've followed my blog for awhile, this isn't a new concept for you as I do this a lot!  

So I stamped the flower image (from the new stamp set Mixed Bunch found in the Occasions Mini Catalog), peeled off one side of the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet, and then face-planted it on top of the stamped image.  So the sticky part is touching the image.  Use your bone folder to burnish it--to make sure all the adhesive transfers to your card stock.  Next I used my Blossom Punch (also new in the Occasions Mini Catalog) to punch out the image with the adhesive sheet on top.  Burnish the edges again with your bone folder and then peel off the second side of the Adhesive Sheet.  Last, pour your Dazzling Diamonds over the top.  Now you have a fantastically sparkly flower.  :-) 

I added the flower to the card base (Sahara Sand) that also had some of the new Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon and a strip of Perfect Plum card stock that I ran through the Big Shot with one of the new Adorning Accents Embossing folders.  In the center of the flower is one of the new Large Pearls.  So many fun new accessories!  

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Elements of Style (sentiment)

Ink: Perfect Plum, Blushing Bride

Paper:  Sahara Sand, Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Accessories:  Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon, Large Pearls, 1" Circle Punch, Blossom Punch, Dazzling Diamonds, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, Adorning Accents Embossing Folder, Big Shot, dimensionals

Another card sample using the same technique and the same layout:  

I still have more samples to share, so I'll be back later.  Unfortunately I forgot to ask someone to take a picture of me while I was busy doing all this, or even my display board, so you'll just have to imagine that part.  :-)  Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by to say hi during the presentation last Saturday--I really appreciated it! 

Stamps:  Pennant Parade

Ink:  Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Tangerine Tango

Paper:  Luck Limeade, Whisper White

Accessories:  Petite Pennants Builder Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Tangerine Tango Scallop Dots Ribbon, Linen Thread, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Dazzling Diamonds, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets,  Stripes Embossing Folder, Big Shot, dimensionals

Vintage Doilies

Normally I wouldn't consider myself a 'doily person', but I do love the Delicate Doilies set in the catalog.  I've had have fun playing with the set, and this is a vintage-ish card I came up with a while ago:  

This card uses the emboss-resist technique.  I stamped the doily image with Versamark ink onto Very Vanilla card stock.  Next I heat embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder and then sponged over the top with Soft Suede ink.  I sponged more in the middle (darker) and then faded out to the edges.  The embossed part 'resists' the ink and stays Very Vanilla in color.  A simple 'wow' technique!  

The middle of the doily has one of the Antique Brads.  On the larger Very Vanilla panel, I used my Color Spritzer Tool to add a little texture and then sponged and distressed the edges.  The ribbon is the Victoria Crochet Trim.  

For the tag, I used the Tiny Tags stamp set, Soft Suede ink and the Jewelry Tag punch.  I attached it to the ribbon using a bit of Linen Thread and one of the safety pins from the Vintage Trinkets embellishment set.  A close up of that:  

Thanks for stopping by!  

Stamps:  Delicate Doilies, Tiny Tags

Ink:  Soft Suede, Versamark

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Soft Suede

Accessories:  Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, Jewelry Tag Punch, Vintage Trinkets, Victoria Crochet Trim, Antique Brads, Linen Thread, Cutter Kit, Color Spritzer Tool (and Soft Suede marker) sponge, dimensionals
 

Stampin' Celebration #50

 

The weeks just keep flying by!  Another Thursday and another Stampin' Celebration challenge!  I loved the bright bold colors from this week's inspiration piece as well as the sharp edges.  

A fairly simple card for this week. . . . I started with a sentiment from the stamp set Word Play.  Did you know that this is one of the stamp sets on sale for 30% off this month?  To see the flyer with all the sets on sale this month as part of the National Scrapbooking Month Promotion click HERE.  To see two other cards I've made with this same stamp set, click HERE and HERE. 

I punched out the sentiment with the Decorative Label punch and then did a second punch from Real Red card stock.  I cut the Real Red punch in half lengthwise and adhered half to mat the top of the sentiment layer and half to mat the bottom.  

To add the ribbon, I ran Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, and Real Red grosgrain ribbon through the Big Shot with the Tasteful Trim die to create custom ric rack. A simple wow technique!  Hint:  I  found it best to use the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets to back the ribbon, and then run it through the Big Shot.  Then you peel away the backing and you have a ribbon sticker ready to adhere directly to your project.  How cool is that? 

To see some more samples using the decorative edge ribbon technique that I presented last fall at the Fort Worth Regional SU conference, click HERE.  

Anyway, lots of explanation for a simple card!  Make sure to head over to Stampin' Celebration to see who the Party Guest designer is this week as well as what the other Design Team members created with this same inspiration piece.  Then please play along--we'd love to see what you create!  

Stamps:  Word Play

Ink:  Night of Navy

Paper:  Real Red, Night of Navy, Whisper White

Accessories:  Tasteful Trim Die, Big Shot, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, and Real Red grosgrain ribbon, Decorative Label punch, dimensionals

Stampin' Celebration #46

I can't believe how quickly the weeks are going by!  Another fun inspiration piece over at Stampin' Celebration this week. 

Although I don't tend to use bright colors a lot, I really like the bright, happy feel of this inspiration piece.  I actually tried to incorporate all 3 colors, but in the end I decided to stay monochromatic (Daffodil Delight).  My main inspiration came from one of the boxes found in the bottom left photo--I liked the scallop edges on the box.  

I started by using my Scallop Square clear die to run Whisper White card stock through the Big Shot.  Then I scored each side between the first and second scallop, trimmed, and folded the box top together.  For the base of the box, I started with a 6" by 6" square and scored each side at 1 3/8".  Again I trimmed and folded together.  Although before adhering the base together, I stamped the flower from the set Simply Said using Versamark ink. 

I also stamped the Daffodil Delight square on top of the box.  To make the ribbon embellishment (inspired from the top right photo) I used approximately 18" of Daffodil Delight Striped Gosgrain Ribbon.  I took a needle and did a running stitch along one side.  Then I gathered the ribbon and tied it into a circle.  

The button is one of the Sweet Stitches Big Designer Buttons found in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  I used some Hemp Twine in the middle of the button and to attach the tag.  I stamped the tag using the set Tiny Tags and punched out with the Medium Jewelry Tag punch. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure to head over to Stampin' Celebration to see what the Design Team has come up with this week.  You can also see who the Party Guest designer is this week!  Then I hope you are inspired to play along.  :-)  

Stamp:  Tiny Tags, Simply Said

Ink:  Versamark, Daffodil Delight

Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Whisper White

Accessories:  Daffodil Delight Striped Gosgrain Ribbon, Medium Jewelry Tag punch, Hemp Twine, needle and thread

Ribbon Box

Today I have another item to share that I created for the Convention Display Boards. Many of you who have stamped with me know that I *love* making these little matchboxes. I think my Matchbox Die is the one I use most often with my Big Shot--although my Milk Carton die is giving it some competition. :-)

Anyway, I used the set Just Believe and Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Night of Navy markers to color directly on the stamp. After stamping, I added in the sentiment with a Marina Mist marker. Then I reinked the frame part of the stamp (with Night of Navy) and stamped again. I carefully cut out the second frame, and used little side scraps of my dimensionals so that I could layer the frame and give a little dimension.


As I was trying to decide what to fill the matchbox with, I came upon the idea of filling it with samples of ribbon. I was pleasantly surprised to find that 3 ribbons (each 5/8" wide) fit very nicely side by side. As I was making this, I imagined it as being a nice hostess gift.

Thanks for stopping by! See you tomorrow for the next Stampin' Celebration challenge!

Stamps: Just Believe
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Old Olive, and Night of Navy markers
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, thick Window Sheet
Accessories: Old Olive and Whisper White satin ribbon, 1/8" Daffodil Delight taffeta ribbon, Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot, Matchbox Die, dimensionals

Artisitc Friend

Although the stamp set Artistic Etchings didn't immediately catch my eye as a set that would be 'my style', I'm glad that I decided to get it. It is an easy stamp set to work with, and creates beautiful images. The above card is another one that we made for club this month, and the idea came from HERE. My friend Cindy sent me the link to that cute card, and then I essentially created the same card with Stampin Up supplies.

I stamped the image with Very Vanilla craft ink on Crumb Cake card stock. After I let the ink dry completely, I stamped the sentiment from the new set Fabulous Phrases with Jet Black StazOn ink. To the center of the image I added a small circle of Pear Pizzazz (Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack) and one of the new Basic Pearls. The gorgeous ribbon is the new Victoria 5/8" Crochet Trim ribbon.

Finished card size is 3 1/2" by 5".

For convention, one of the organized swaps I am participating in is "All About the Details". I thought the card we made for club was a good start, so I added a couple more details. I added the black layer and some embossing on the base layer. If you look closely, you can see the base was stamped with versamark ink and then heat embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder. Hopefully the ladies I am swapping with (today) will like it! The card is the standard 4 1/4" by 5 1/2" size.

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Fabulous Phrases
Ink: Very Vanilla Craft, Jet Black StazOn, Versamark
Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Victoria Crochet Trim ribbon, Basic Pearls, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Corner Rounder Punch, Heat Tool, Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Embossing Buddy, dimensionals

Open House Card

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. This past weekend was a little (ok, VERY) busy, but oh so much fun! Not only did I host a New Catalog Open House, I also helped my sister make her wedding invitations. Check back tomorrow for more about that. :-)

So this card was the make & take at the Open House. I decided on this card as it is quite simple, yet shows off several of the new products from the catalog. The stamp set is Friends Never Fade, and the Designer Series Paper is Greenhouse Gala.

To stamp the image, I showed a simple technique called 'rock 'n roll'. I inked the stamp with Daffodil Delight, gently 'rolled' in on my scratch paper to remove the yellow ink off just the edges of the stamp, and then carefully 'rolled' the stamp in the Marina Mist stamp pad. Then I stamped the image on Whisper White paper and you get this fun two-toned imaged. This is a simple technique that has fun results. Just make sure to always start with your lighter ink first, and then move to your darker ink so that you don't ruin a stamp pad.

After stamping, I punched out the image with the 1 3/8" circle punch, and then layered it onto the NEW 2 3/8" scallop circle punch. yay! The ribbon on this card is Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon and the new Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffeta ribbon.

This color combination Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight is one of my new favorites. It looks great with Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Old Olive, or Night of Navy. Talk about some versatile colors. And yes, I've actually made projects with all these combos--BUT I can't show them yet. . . .

Based on some samples I sent in earlier this year, I was picked to be a Make & Take Display Stamper for Convention. I was honored to be picked! So what does this mean? It means I spent the last few weeks of June stamping away and creating projects using new products, AND many of these items will be on the display boards at Convention later this month! It was a lot of work, but it was tons of fun!! I really enjoyed playing with the new colors and finding my new favorite combinations. Starting after July 25th I'll be able to start sharing these projects with you. I can't wait. :-)

Stamps: Friends Never Fade
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist
Paper: Whisper White, Marin Mist, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Accessories: 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Marin Mist grosgrain ribbon, Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Cutter Kit, dimensionals

Stampin' Celebration #7

Another great challenge over at Stampin' Celebration! This week we are celebrating our fathers. I'm so blessed to have lots of wonderful fathers in my life. . . my husband, my dad, and my father-in-law. So, here is what I came up with this week:

I happened upon THIS post by Amy Celona, and thought I'd give it a try. Too cute! I did make my shirt a little bit bigger--I started with a sheet of 10" by 7" paper, so the finished card size is 5" by 7". I followed Amy's directions, other than changing up the measurements a bit. I scored along the top at 1 1/2". My pocket measures 1 1/4" by 1 1/4".

For the tie, I started with a 5" by 1 1/2" piece of card stock and then just free hand cut. I had the idea that the ribbon would make the tie feel and look a little more realistic. :-) I ran Snail adhesive along all the edges of the tie and then added grosgrain ribbon. I actually just used ribbon scraps, and would add one layer, trim the edges, add another layer and so on. It didn't take too long, and the end result is fun.

Here's a close up to get a better idea of what it looks like:


Hint: As I was working on the tie, I noticed that the edges of the tie started to fray a little bit, so I took my Crystal Effects and carefully ran the tip down the edges of the tie. It acted as a fray check to keep the ribbon from unraveling.

And here is a picture of the inside of the card. I actually used a couple stamps to create a custom sentiment. The "father's" word is made from the alphabet stamp set Rough Type that is found in the Summer Mini Catalog. I love the idea that you can create custom words with the letters, but still stamp them all at once using the clear mount stamps.

For the "happy" and "day", you'll see I used a"happy birthday" stamp in sections. I just markered the part I wanted, stamped, cleaned my stamp well, and repeated. It worked pretty well!


I hope you've enjoyed this card! Make sure to stop by Stampin' Celebration to see what the other Design Team members have created this week using the same inspiration piece. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Rough Type
Ink: Brocade Blue
Paper: Whisper White
Accessories: Brocade Blue and Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon, brads, Corner Rounder Punch, dimensionals

Happy Heart Treat Pull

Today I have another project to show you that I actually made quite a while ago, but for some reason never posted on my blog! This is a project that I submitted to Stampin' Up for one of their monthly Art Contests that they have for demonstrators. While I didn't win the contest for that month, I did receive an Honorable Mention for this project. Yay!

So, the idea for this project came from the concept of a slider card. If you've ever made one, you know how fun it can be to have a little surprise pop up! I combined the concept of a double slider card with the idea to have some treats pop up, and this is what I created. When you pull on the ribbons, up comes the candy, and down comes a message. :-)


The little tag on the top allows you to get to the candy with out needing to tear the card stock. The candy is inside one of the Sweet Treat Cups. (You'll see these again in the new catalog!)

The stamp set I used is A Happy Heart--another set that is being discontinued after June 30th. I stamped the heart image with Versamark, embossed with Heat & Stick Powder, and then embossed again with Fine Galaxy Stampin' Glitter.

To create the faux charm, I punched out the little heart from the Heart to Heart punch, and then embossed several times with the Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder. I used the Scallop Edge Punch for the border along the Chocolate Chip layer. See a tutorial HERE that shows what size paper you'll want to start with to end up with perfectly rounded corners.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week!

Stamps: A Happy Heart
Paper: Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Ink: Versamark, Real Red
Accessories: Sweet Treat Cup, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Linen Thread, silver brad, Corner Rounder Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Tag Punch, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, Heat & Stick Powder, Fine Galaxy Glitter, dimensioanls

Fancy Flower Punch

When I first looked through the Occasions Mini Catalog, the Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch was one of those items that immediately caught my eye. And I must say, I haven't been disappointed. I LOVE this punch! :-) Both of these projects also use the stamp set With All My Heart--another fun item from the Mini.

For the first card I started by punching out the flower and crumpling it up into a little ball--yes you read that right. :-) Then I opened it up and placed it on top of the coordinating (Rose Red) ink pad. I walked my fingers over the flower so that the raised edges of the flower picked up the ink. It gives you a cool effect that you'll have to try for yourself.


Stamps: With All My Heart
Ink: Versamark, Close to Cocoa marker
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Rose Red, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Fresh Favorites I colored buttons, Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Linen Thread, dimensionals


This next project is a 3x3 card. I started by sponging Platinum Shimmer Paint onto the stamp and then stamping on Night of Navy card stock. It gives you a nice subtle shimmer. (Note: although you won't see Shimmer Paint listed in any catalog, it is still available for order.)

After I punched out the image with my Fancy Flower punch, I added the Filigree Designer Brad and the Ice Rhinestone Brad. I finished with the sentiment and by adding dimensionals under each of the Night of Navy layers.

Stamps: With All My Heart
Ink: Platinum Shimmer Paint, Night of Navy marker
Paper: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy
Accessories: Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch, Filigree Designer Brad, Circle Ice Rhinestone Brad, dimensionals

More Vintage

Do you love the stamp set Vintage Vogue yet? If not, here are a few more projects to try to convince you. :-) These are actually make and takes from the Phoenix Regionals in January. I love the clean, simple look of these projects.

The card on the right is also made with Vintage Vogue, and the tag on the left uses the set With All My Heart and Dot, Dot, Dot. Enjoy!

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, With All My Heart, and Dot, Dot, Dot
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Rose Red marker
Paper: Kraft (Crumb Cake), Rich Razzleberry, Bashful Blue, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Rose Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Clips Assortment, Playground Designer Buttons, Button Latte Designer buttons, Linen Thread, Crushed Curry Polka Dot ribbon, dimensionals

Happy Sale-A-Bration

The Sale-A-Bration countdown has begun! There is only a little over a week left to take advantage of this great opportunity! What's Sale-A-Bration? The best Stampin Up Promotion of the year! ;-) You can take advantage of Sale-A-Bration by:

1. Spend--With each $50 purchase you can choose a Sale-A-Bration product of your choice for FREE! See the brochure HERE. To shop online, visit my website www.allison.stampinup.net and click on "shop now" in the top right corner.

2. Join--Have you ever thought about becoming a Stampin Up demonstrator? Whether you are looking for a business opportunity, or a discount on your crafting supplies, Stampin Up has a place for you! If you join the Stampin Up family before the end of March, you not only receive a 15% discount off the starter kit (already a great value!) you can also choose a FREE stamp set from the Idea Book and Catalog! Contact me today so we can chat about the wonderful support and opportunities that Stampin Up provides for its demonstrators.

And now back to the card. :-) This card shows off two of the items that you can earn for free during Sale-A-Bration--The stamp set Happy Moments, and the Scallop Trim Border Punch.

I used my Blender Pens to color the flowers, my Cutter Kit to distress the edges of the white layer, my Scallop Trim Border punch to add the decorative edge on the Rich Razzleberry layer, and a bit of Organza Ribbon to a touch of elegance to the card. So simple!

Stamps: Happy Moments

Ink: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Pale Plum, Certainly Celery Marker

Paper: Pale Plum, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

Accessories: Blender Pens, Cutter Kit, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, dimensionals

Lots of Baby

Yes, it really is me again! Thanks for sticking with me even though it's been awhile. It's been a very crazy few months here at our house. The 'highlights' include computer problems, H1N1 for the whole family, 2 rooms in our house flooding, and two visits to the ER--one for my husband's ankle and most recently for me. . . . My visit came after I was mopping my kitchen floor and woke up to find myself flat on my back with my almost 2 year old daughter running over to try to put my glasses on. After a scan it was confirmed that I 'only' had a concussion. So if you've ever wondered if housework is dangerous. . . . Now you know! ;-) Despite everything that has happened, I am happy to say that everyone (and our house) is now feeling much better!

On to the crafting. . . . Last week I was able to fill a special order for a lady who wanted to make a baby shower she was throwing for her friend really special. Here are pictures of most of the items that I made for her. You can see the master list below of all the supplies I used.

My inspiration came from the Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper (now discontinued). The gender of the baby is unknown, and I like this paper because I thought it was gender-neutral and had a delicate feel that was perfect for a baby.

This project series is also a good example of why I love Stampin Up. . . It is so easy to make coordinated projects! I started by choosing the Designer Series paper, which gave me my color pallet. Next I added the matching inks and accessories. Then it was easy to create coordinated projects that give a cohesive feeling to the party decorations.

The picture at the very top shows the nugget boxes that were the favors for each guest to take home. I used the Stampin' Up! Matchbox Big Shot die and the stamp set Matchbox Messages to make these.

This is a tin that I decorated to be part of the main table. The star is a piece of chipboard covered with Certainly Celery card stock. You can purchase these TINS from the Clearance Rack over at Stampin Up for only 99 cents each!

Inside the tin, there is an accordion 'book' that has different pockets. The accordion sits on the main table with the tags. Each of the guests can write some baby advice, a note to the mom, or anything they like. They put the tag in one of the pockets, and then after the party the accordion book with all the personalized tags goes back into the tin and makes a nice gift for the mother.

This Top Note die box was a gift for the grandmother. How thoughtful of the hostess to include a gift for her! The box holds 8 Hershey Nuggets individually wrapped with coordinating papers. The 'charm' is just two stars punched from Brushed Silver card stock and then embossed with Silver Stampin' Emboss powder three times. After embossing, I glued the stars back to back and used my paper piercing tool to poke a hole and thread the linen thread through.

Here is the frame that was also part of the main table. I left the right and left sides open for the mother to fill. She could include the shower invitation, a baby announcement, and/or baby pictures. The words are actually custom Decor Elements that are on top of the glass. I used part of a Decor Elements Sheet, spray painted it shiny silver (despite what it looks like in the picture!), and then ran it through the Big Shot using the Billboard decorative strip.

And here is a close-up. The white star is a rub-on. This could also be adapted to make a cute card layout too!

And last, here are the Food Name Cards. The flowers were made using the Trio Flower punch.

Since the length of this post is already so long, I didn't include all the creative details. If you do have questions about any of these projects, please contact me.

Stamps: Matchbox Messages

Ink: Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink markers

Paper: Delicate Dots DSP, So Saffron Patterns DSP, Brushed Silver, Window Sheets Medium, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Whisper White

Accessories: Whisper White 5/8" satin ribbon, linen thread, Bashful Blue 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Very Vanilla 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Certainly Celery twill ribbon, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon, 1/4" Circle punch, 1" circle punch, Trio Flower punch, Star punch, Tag Corner punch, Corner Rounder punch, Sizzix Big Shot, Matchbox die, Top Note die, Billboard die, Decor Elements Sheets, paper piercing tool, dimensionals

Shimmery Pines

My first Christmas card of the year. . . and certainly not my last! So, if you still haven't tried the shimmer paints--you must! :-) I saw THIS challenge over on Stampin' Addicts (fabulous site by the way) and thought I would try the Spritzing Shimmer technique. It is very simple, and the results are absolutely gorgeous!

Fill a little spray bottle (1-2oz) with rubbing alcohol and then add a little (4-8 drops) shimmer paint. Mix, and then start spritzing. Warning, possibly addicting. :-) All of the Old Olive card stock, including the base, was spritzed with shimmer paint. I love the way it looks because it is a very pretty glitter look without being over the top. (Hard to see in the pictures.) In other words you don't feel that by touching the card, you will soon be covered head to toe in glitter. :-)

The tress are from the Holiday Mini Catalog hostess set Patterned Pines and they also have shimmer paint. For the tress and the sentiment (from the set Teeny Tiny Wishes) I inked my stamp and then sponged on the shimmer paint. See THIS post if you'd like more info about that technique.

The layout for this card came from Sketch Challenge 118 over at Stamping 411. Another great website! I loved the sketch so I thought I would play along. There are dimensionals under the small tree, the Old Olive circle, and the white layer. Finished card size is 3 3/4" by 5 1/2". Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Patterned Pines, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Old Olive

Paper: Old Olive, Whisper White

Accessories: Frost White Shimmer Paint, Spray bottle, rubbing alcohol, Circle Scissors Plus, 1/4" Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, corner rounder, sponge dauber, dimensionals

Fall Circus

It's been cooling down a bit here in Houston (not that it's cool yet, just cool-ER) and so the other day I pulled out some fall colors to play with and this is what I came up with. Very simple card that can be put together in 10 mins or less.

Along the left side I used 3 of the stamps from the set Circle Circus and the sentiment is from the set Teeny Tiny Wishes. The white layer is up on dimensionals.

Stamps: Circle Circus, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Really Rust, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Really Rust, Whisper White
Accessories: 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch, dimensionals

Serene Shaker

This post is a combination of a lot of things. . . . It started as a mini tutorial for the shaker card I posted (HERE or just scroll down to the previous post) and grew. :-) Now it also includes a mini tutorial for shimmer paints.

You can find Shimmer Paints in the Holiday Mini Catalog. Shimmer paints come in 3 different colors: Champagne Mist, Frost White, or Platinum. Today I'll be showing Frost White.

So how do you use Shimmer Paints? There a several ways to use these versatile paints. Also note that this is a "little goes a long way" product. 1. The easiest is to shake the bottle, take off the cap and use a sponge dauber to apply it directly to your project. 2. Or, use the sponge dauber and gently apply it directly to your stamp.

3. Or as I've shown below, you can ink your stamp with a color, then apply the shimmer paint on top, and then stamp--giving you a colorful and subtly shimmery image. Easy huh? Just be sure to clean your dauber in between stamping so as not to mix color into your shimmer paints.

4. If you want to stamp several of the same image, (without cleaning the dauber in between each stamp) just mix a little shimmer paint and a drop or two of reinker. You can see the leftovers here of my shimmer paint/Night of Navy reinker mix in the top of my ink pad. (Please just be sure to clean out the top of the lid--baby wipes work well--before you close the ink pad.) I used the sponge dauber to apply the mix directly to my stamp. Very pretty effect! I have a feeling I'm going to be using these paints a lot!

Ok, so now I have an image--I stamped one of the snowflakes from the set Serene Snowflakes from the Holiday Mini Catalog. I tried to photograph the 'shimmer' part of the paints; this is the best I have.

Now for the shaker part. . . . I used my Circle Scissors Plus to cut a 2" circle. Without moving the cutter, I cut a 2 1/2" circle. That gives my my 'frame'. I then cut out a 2 1/2" circle of Window Sheet (medium). Tip: Before you adhere the frame and the Window Sheet together, make sure to clean the Window Sheet with a window cleaner (such as Windex). This not only gets rid of any smudges, but also leads to less static (ie beads sticking to the window sheet) inside your finished shaker. The next step is to add the dimensionals.

I don't remember exactly how I figured this out, but now that I have, I always save the long sides of my dimensionals sheets--as seen below. I take those long strips and carefully put them around the edges of the 'frame'. Next I put in the Micro Beads. Note: I used less than 1/4 tsp of beads. The last step is to peel the backing of the dimensionals and put the stamped image (image side down) on top of the dimensionals--like making a sandwich. Your 'shaker' is now ready to be added to a project using Sticky Strip.

The card at the top was inspired by a Sketch Challenge found at Splitcoaststampers. All of the stamping on the card was done using the shimmer paint/Night of Navy reinker mix. The sentiment is from the set Best Wishes & More. Finished card size is 5 1/2" by 5 1/2".

The card below uses the exact same shaker element but was made for the CAS31 challenge also over on Splitcoaststampers. As you can see it is a very simple card--but still fun because you just can't resist shaking it. :-)

Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, Best Wishes & More

Ink: Night of Navy

Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White, medium Window Sheet

Accessories: Shimmer Paint, Circle Scissors Plus, Glass Mat, Micro Beads, dimensionals, Corner Rounder punch, Whisper White Organza Ribbon

Top Note Bag Tutorial

As promised--a tutorial for the Top Note Bag! You can see the original bag that won Stampin Up's July Art Contest (Flutter by Butterfly) HERE. I had quite a bit of fun making another bag. :-)

Begin by cutting 8 Top Note Dies. (I used Kraft paper here.) These will become the front and back panels of the bag. Next you will need to cut 4 partial Top Note Dies that become the sides of the bag. To do this, Take a sticky note and place it directly on the Die to mark your place. I placed mine approximately 1 1/2" away from the side tip/edge of the Top Note. The exact measurement isn't important as much as the consistency. If you would like a wider bag, just place the sticky note further away from the edge.

Line up your folded card stock with the edge of the sticky note. I used a piece of (approx) 3 1/2" by 4" Kraft paper (scored down the middle). Run the Top Note Die through the Big Shot to make the first side piece. Repeat 3 more times making sure to the keep the sticky note in the same place so that all of your side pieces are the same width.

So after you've cut 8 full Top Notes and 4 partial Top Notes, stamp or embellish as desired. Here I ran the Top Notes through the Big Shot again with the Perfect Details Texturz Plate, sponged with Soft Suede Ink, and used my Soft Suede marker around the edges to finish the stitching on the Top Note.

Next score along the edges of the Top Notes. Again the exact measurement is not as important as the consistency of the scoring measurements. I lined up the 'valley' of the Top Notes with the black border of my scorer and then scored.

Score along all four sides of 4 of the full Top Note dies, and 2 of the partial Top Note Dies. On the other 4 full Top Note dies, score along both short edges and only 1 of the long edges. On the other two partial Top Note dies, score along both of the long sides and only 1 of the short sides.

Cut out the little 'square' sections wherever there is an intersection of scored lines. (4 per bottom Top Note and 2 per top Top Note.)

Adhere the Top Notes together as shown in the pictures below using a strong adhesive. I used Tombow Mono Multi (remember a little goes a long way).

Now you have the main part of the bag together! To make the bottom of the bag, place it on a piece of card stock (here I used Soft Suede) and trace along the bottom. You'll have to push down lightly with one hand and trace with the other. Another note, I didn't force the bag to a perfectly rectangular shape, I let it bow out a bit on either side to give it a more natural shape.

Cut out your pattern and adhere to the bottom of the bag. Trim if necessary.

Depending on what you want to use the bag for, you may want to add supports to the bottom and/or sides of the bag. If the bag is just to look pretty :-) you may not need any supports. Here I used 4--2" by 1" pieces of paper scored down the middle for supports. After you've added as many supports as desired, prepare your handles. Here I used approximately 11" of Twill Tape (3/4") with 1/2" Soft Suede Polka-Dot Grosgrain ribbon adhered (with Sticky Strip) on top.

Adhere your handles. If you are going to use brads, grommets, etc add those now. After you adhere the handles, start adding the inside of the bag.

Each bag may be a little different (depending on how you scored), but for the insides of this bag I used two 8" by 5 3/4" pieces of Soft Suede card stock and two pieces of 2 1/4" by 5 3/4" card stock. To make the bottom piece, I turned the bag upside down and traced the pattern. I cut that out and then trimmed down as necessary until it fit in the bottom of the bag.

Now embellish as desired! Here I used the Circle Scallop Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Antique Brass Build-A-Brad, and Antique Brass brads.

Finished!

Stamps: Trendy Trees (for dots on Build-A-Brad)

Ink: Soft Suede ink and marker

Paper: Kraft, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Top Note Bigz Die, Big Shot, Perfect Details Texturz Plate, Scallop Circle Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Antique Brass Build-A-Brad, Antique Brass brads, sponge, dimensionals