Gratitude Blossoms

Well I think it's been a whole two weeks since I've posted a card using the set Betsy's Blossoms, so I guess it's about time for another one.  :-)  To be honest I'm actually surprised how much I've used this stamp set, but it is really easy to use!  It was an option on the new catalog pre-order, and I only decided at the last minute to add it to my order.  I also used another new (to me) stamp set called Curly Cute for the sentiment and the new In Color Raspberry Ripple. 

The sentiment was stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with White embossing powder.  I hand-cut the banner and then added the Paper Daisy (smallest size) and pearl.  I randomly stamped the two different flower images on a piece of Whisper White card stock and added a strip of Raspberry Ripple that had been punched with the Scallop Edge Border punch.  I used my Raspberry Ripple marker to edge all of the white card stock. 

Pretty simple!  I haven't gotten to it yet, but I thought this would be a good design to make in sets, (ie for teach gifts) varying the colors and sentiments.  

Thanks for stopping by! 

Stamps:  Betsy's Blossoms, Curly Cute
Ink:  Versamark, Raspberry Ripple and marker
Paper:  Raspberry Ripple and Whisper White
Accessories:  Paper Daisy, pearl, heat tool, embossing buddy, white stampin' emboss powder, scallop edge border punch, dimensionals

Merry Tags

 

Back with another project that is showcasing accessory items that will soon be discontinued!  These are little tags that we made at a class last year before Christmas.  I am pretty sure that I found this (or a similar) idea somewhere, although unfortunately I did not keep track of where or who I received the inspiration from.  

These tags are really simple to make--the tag is the Big Shot Merry Embosslit die.  The embosslit cuts the tag and hole and dry embosses the 'merry' all at once.  The bird, trees, and snowflake all come from the Merry Details Sizzlets die.  Both are being discontinued, and are on sale for 25% off while supplies last or until June 30th. 

I added the 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon to the tops and pearls to the trees and bird and a rhinestone to the snowflake.  Along the sides of the tags are pieces punched using the Scallop Edge Border punch or the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.  

A simple way to personalize your holiday gifts!  

Paper:  Whisper White, Real Red, Marina Mist, Old Olive

Accessories:  Real Red, Marina Mist, and Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, pearls, rhinestones, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch

Here's another card from the 10-10-10 class! This card uses the A Happy Heart set, which is another fun set we will be losing. I stamped this card as a Valentine's Day card, but I also thought it could work well as a wedding or anniversary card too.

I stamped the heart image on Shimmery White card stock which gives it just a little bit of sparkle. The idea for this card came from Sara over at Splitcoaststampers. You can see her card HERE. You'll notice I used her adorable layout, and then changed the stamp set and colors. Incidentally, she used the stamp set One of a Kind, which is also being discontinued at the end of June.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: A Happy Heart
Ink: Cameo Coral, Basic Gray
Paper: Shimmery White (for heart), Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Basic Gray, Whisper White
Accessories: Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Cutter Kit, Dimensionals

Note: Items marked in red are retiring.

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

Stampin' Celebration #1

Welcome to the very first Stampin ' Celebration Inspiration Challenge! Aren't these great colors? I'll admit that when I first saw them I was worried that they were a little outside of my comfort zone, but once I started working with them, I had to make a few projects. And isn't what these Inspiration Challenges are for anyway? To get you out of your comfort zone a bit and challenge you to create something new? ;-)

So, here's what I came up with. . . . a Mother's Day Ensemble. The colors I picked were Melon Mambo, Only Orange, and Real Red.


First up is the card. I ran with the Daisy theme and used my Flower, Daises #2 Big Shot die to create all the flowers. I used my mat pack and paper piercing tool to add the detail around the edges of the Scallop Square (another Big Shot die). All of the flowers have Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds in the center. I punched the leaves with the Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch.

What would Mother's Day be without chocolate? :-) I needed a pretty way to wrap up some Godiva chocolates, and since I already had the Scallop Square Die out. . . . this is what I came up with. Such a simple little project. I added the daisy tag and paper piercing to keep with the theme. To keep the chocolates in place, I adhered them with just a little bit of Snail Adhesive.

And last but not least, Mother's Day is all about relaxing. So here's a little box just the perfect size to hold two of the small Bath & Body Works bottles. This is actually the Fancy Favor Die altered just a bit. Too cute huh? I believe Janet Wakeland may have been the first to come up with this idea. Check out her post HERE to see more.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope that you've enjoyed my Design Team debut for Stampin' Celebrations! Make sure you visit Stampin' Celebrations HERE to see the fabulous creations the other members of the Design Team have created for this challenge. Trust me, you won't want to miss it! Then, it's your turn to be creative! We hope you'll play along with us as we hope to inspire you to use your creativity to celebrate all of life's special moments.

Stamps: All Holidays
Ink: Melon Mambo marker
Paper: Melon Mambo, Real Red, Only Orange, Whisper White
Accessories: Flower Daises, #2, Fancy Favor, and Scallop Square Big Shot Dies, Extra Large Two-step Bird Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Melon Mambo Polka Dot ribbon, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, dimensionals, shredded paper

A Wonderful Friend

Last week my friend Cindy stopped by to drop off these adorable cards. Aren't they both too cute!! I loved both of them so much that I asked her if I could share them with all of you here on my blog. I honestly can't decide which one I like the best!

Both of these cards use stamp sets that are on sale for 20% off during the month of April. Don't miss your opportunity to get these awesome sets at a discount! To see the flyer click HERE.

The card above uses the stamp set Fifth Avenue Floral. All of the flowers are embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder. The card also shows off two colors--Cameo Coral and Blush Blossom--that will be discontinued as of June 30th.

This next card show off the stamp set Trendy Tress and more colors that will be discontinued as of June 20th--Sage Shadow, Barely Banana, Close to Cocoa, and Pixie Pink.

I also love how Cindy used the Beautiful Wings Embosslit from the Occasions Mini Catalog to add the butterfly. A perfect finishing touch!

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Trendy Trees
Ink: Versamark, Sage Shadow, Barely Banana, Close to Cocoa, Pixie Pink
Paper: Sage Shadow, Barely Banana, Close to Cocoa, Pixie Pink, Whisper White, Craft, Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral
Accessories: Whisper White grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Clear EP, 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

Yummy Scrapbooking

Those of you who know me well know that I "don't scrapbook". Although it is one of my eventual goals to have cute scrapbooks of all my kids pictures, family trips, etc. for now it just isn't happening. . . . For me I think part of the problem is how to start a page? Since I am used to cards and small 3-D projects, a 12x12 piece of paper is a little scary--it's so BIG. :-)

Anyway, a long time ago I was introduced to the idea of progressive scrapbooking. I don't remember where I first saw the idea, but I was intrigued. The idea is that you start with a 6x6 page and then work your way up to a 12x12 page--perfect for some one like me who is scared of big open paper spaces. LOL

Anyway, so here is my attempt at scrapbooking. This 6x6 page is one of the projects my guests made at a workshop that I did recently. Then I showed them how they could take that 6x6 page and incorporate it into an 8 1/2 by 11 layout or a 12x12 layout.

So here is the 8 1/2 by 11 page with the 6x6 page added.

And here is the 12x12 page with the 8 1/2 by 11 added.

This project shows off 3 of the Sale-A-Bration products that you can earn for FREE through the end of March: the Ribbon Bundle, Paper Bundle, and the Yummy stamp set. The Certainly Celery poly-twill ribbon and the So Saffron grosgrain ribbon featured here come in the Ribbon Bundle. The Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper is one of 4 designs in the Paper Bundle (bundle includes 16 sheets of double sided paper--4 sheets each of 4 designs).

And last but not least I used the stamp set Yummy. The stamp I used actually has both words and the swirl design, but since I wanted only the swirls (for the 6x6 page and the tag) I used my VersaMarker pen to ink just the swirl and then stamped.

So another thing that scares me about scrapbooking is the fact that I don't like my hand writing! I know I should want to let my grandchildren see my hand writing and all that, but oh the pain. :-) So as you can see here I cheated and used my Big Shot (Stampin Up Billboard die) to cut out letters. The die is $21.95 includes both the uppercase and lowercase letters which is very convenient.

And one last part to this project. . . Just in case there was anyone at the workshop who was like me and was wondering "what am I going to do with this page?". . . . I know horrible! :-) I showed them how they could take the same supplies that we used for the 6x6 page and turn it into a cute but simple baby card. The sentiment on this card is from the set Congrats--another one of the Sale-A-Bration sets. You may also notice that I used the same layout for this card as I did for the card in the post below (or see HERE). It's amazing how changing the colors of a project can completely change the look!

Stamps: Yummy, Congrats

Ink: VersaMarker, Sahara Sand

Paper: Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Sahara Sand, Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper

Accessories: 5/8" Certainly Celery poly-twill ribbon, 5/8" So Saffron grosgrain ribbon, scallop edge punch, corner rounder punch, horizontal slot punch, Big Shot, Stampin Up Billboard die--alphabet, dimensionals

Gift Card Holder Tutorial

Here it is! This is the tutorial for the gift card holder I posted last week (HERE). Since black paper is hard to photograph, I used different colored paper, but of course the idea is the same. . .

Start with a 4 1/4" by 11" piece of paper. Score at 3", 5 1/2", and 8". Then fold so that you have an "M".

Fold in half and use the Word Window Punch to punch out half of the oval shape. Repeat on the other side.

Here I used the top part of the Round Tab punch to punch out a little more and connect my punches from the Word Window punch. Although, you could use a circle punch, tag punch, etc.
***Note--if you want your corners rounded as I did on the graduation card, do that at this point. Do not glue (the next step) until the corners are rounded.***

Open the card and use either Tombow Mono adhesive or Sticky Strip to glue just the edges of the 3 sides of the middle as shown. Don't glue in the middle as this is where the gift card needs to fit.

After you glue, the base of the gift card holder is ready to go! Now you can embellish as desired.

Here's the inside of the Grad card again:
On the graduation card, I used a belly band as my closure. The yellow band is 1" by 7". The silver band and the scallop square are Brushed Silver card stock.

To make the scallop square, I found these great directions by MJ Albright on her blog Beauty Lies Within. Her tutorial about making different sized scalloped squares with the Scallop Edge punch can be found HERE. MJ did a lot of work for us in figuring out the correct sized paper to start with to get perfectly rounded scallops on the edges! For the graduation card I started with a 1 15/16" square piece of card stock. Just make sure you read all her directions (like I didn't the first time!) and don't push your card stock all the way to the back of the punch. Just line it up with the edge of the scallops on your punch.

And finally, to add the yellow to the Designer Brad (Star Assortment). . . .This is a trick that I saw at Convention and finally got around to trying out. All you need is a Craft Pad and your Designer Brad. Here I used Yoyo Yellow.


First just dip the brad face down into the ink. Take a paper towel and wipe it off. I found it easiest to leave the paper towel flat on the table and rub the brad that way. Then dip again and rub it off again. Repeat about 3 times total.What happens is the ink stays in the depressed areas on the brad and rubs off on the rest. Then just let the brad dry and you have a custom colored brad!

Open House Projects

Well, the gift card holder tutorial is still in progress, so I thought I would post the two projects that we made at my New Catalog Open House in August. Neither of these projects was my idea, but I thought they were both just too cute to pass up. I just made couple minor changes here and there.

The first one shown above is one of the cute popsicle cards that a lot of people have been making. When I received one of these popsicle cards from LeeLa Smith as a convention swap, that's when I decided to used it for my open house. They are even cuter in person! The only change that I made from LeeLa's was that I added the Kiwi Kiss Designer button in the middle and the Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain ribbon on the stick. Here's a picture of the inside. Stamps: Think Happy Thoughts
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Corner Rounder, Horizontal Slot Punch, Designer Buttons, 5/8" Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, dimensionals, popsicle stick



The second project is my version of a project that was shown during Demonstrator Theater at Convention. I was glad to be reminded of the simple, yet pretty technique to sponge directly on your stamp to add a second (or third, as shown at convention) color.

This technique is very easy. All you do is first ink the stamp in the lighter color (here Pink Pirouette) and then use a sponge duaber to add a second darker color in select places. Here I added Rose Red. Then when you stamp the image you have a two-tone effect. I used the scallop edge punch along the bottom of the flowers and the top right side is just a 1 3/8" circle punch folded in half. I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch through all 4 layers of card stock and then tied the ribbon through. This layer is up on dimensionals. Oh, and the final size of this card is 5" by 4 1/4".

By the way, Upsy Daisy is one of the stamp sets that is on sale 15% off until the end of September! To see a flyer of all the sets on sale, click HERE. If you would like to order this or other sale sets, contact me or just click the button at the top right of this page to go to my demonstrator website where you can shop online.

Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Rose Red
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Rose Red, Whisper White
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Crop-A-Dile, Pretty in Pink 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, sponge dauber, Dimensionals

Scalloped Congrats

It's not really the time of year for graduations, but I've had the idea for this card in my head since convention, and I finally got it on paper--so to speak. :-) I saw this cute way to fold a gift card holder a little while ago. I'm not sure who the origional creator is, but what a fun idea! I'll be working up a tutorial for this card to show not only the unique fold, but also how I added the yellow to the Designer Brad (something I learned at convention). So, check back later!

Stamps: Say it with Scallops

Ink: Basic Black, YoYo Yellow Craft

Paper: Basic Black, YoYo Yellow, Brushed Silver, Whisper White

Accessories: Large Star Punch, Star Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Designer Brads-Star Assortment, 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch, Word Window Punch, Round Tab Punch

Stationary Box Class

Come learn how to make these adorable stationary boxes! I will be holding a class to make these on Thursday, September 25th at 7:30pm. The original idea for these stationary boxes came from Jackie over on Addicted to Stamping. The link to her tutorial is HERE. Go visit her blog and leave her a comment so that she knows we appreciate her wonderful idea!

At my class, you can choose to make either the Bella Rose box (pictured above) or the Hawaii Papaya box (pictured below). The pictures show the box closed with the lid on, the lid off and the box open, and the cards, 3x3 cards, and tags that go in the box. The box also features an address book, postage stamp holder, and pen holder. With the holidays coming up, I think this is a perfect gift idea!

Class details:

--Thursday, September 25th at 7:30pm at my place

--Class Fee is $15 and includes everything to make one box (of your choice) and detailed instructions

**If you register AND pre-pay by September 18th class fee is only $13**

--Additional kits can be ordered for $12 each

--RSVP today to reserve your spot!

Class by Mail details:

If you can't attend or live far away, you can still participate! Kits can be ordered for $12, and shipping will be $5 (priority). If multiple kits are going to the same address, I will of course combine shipping. The kit will have everything cut, scored and ready for you to stamp and assemble. All of the accessories (ribbon, brads, etc.) are included, and I will email you the pdf file with the instructions.

If you make these on your own, listed below are the supplies you will need in addition to the kit. Let me know if you need to place an order for some or all of these items.

Bella Rose Box:

Dream du Jour stamp set ($18.95)

Pink Pirouette stamp pad ($5.25)

Chocolate Chip stamp pad ($5.25)

Riding Hood Red stamp pad ($5.25)

Rose Red marker ($3.25)

Certainly Celery marker ($3.25)

Scallop Edge Punch ($15.95)

Tag Corner Punch ($6.95)

Adhesives--You'll need a strong adhesive such as Mono or Sticky Strip and dimensionals

Hawaii Papaya Box:

Eastern Blooms stamp set ($18.66 if ordered before Sept 30th, $21.95 after)

Versamark stamp pad ($7.50)

Tangerine Tango stamp pad ($5.25)

Chocolate Chip stamp pad ($5.25)

Scallop Edge Punch ($15.95)

Tag Corner Punch ($6.95)

One sentiment stamp of your choice

Adhesives--You'll need a strong adhesive such as Mono or Sticky Strip and dimensionals

Box in a Bag

Here it is, the ever popular "Box in a Bag"! Diana Gibbs posted an awesome tutorial on her wesite Stampin' With Di and as far as I can tell everyone is making these adorable bags now! Click HERE to see her detailed and easy-to-follow tutorial for making these bags.

When we made these for Technique Club, I made just a couple of slight alterations. For the base piece, I started with a 4 1/4" by 4 1/4" piece of cardstock so that I could get 4 bases (instead of just 2) per 8 1/2 by 11" paper. Another minor change I made was that I scored at 3/4" around the edges instead of at 1".


Then I just followed Diana's tutorial and folded along all the scored lines, folded them up, and glued them to form the base of the box. Another minor change I made was that I cut my designer paper to 6" by 12" (half a sheet of Designer Paper). The picture at the very top of the post shows the bag made with Bella Rose Designer Paper, and in the following pictures I am using Hawaii Papaya Designer Paper.

I took a couple quick pictures as I was making the bag, but again for a more detail explanation and more pictures head over to Diana's tutorial.

To decorate the bottom of my bag, I of course wanted to use my new scallop edge punch! I used a strip of 12" by 1 1/4" Chocolate Chip paper. For those who haven't used the scallop punch yet, it is really easy! Put the paper in and punch the first time. Then just slide the paper along, line it up with the scallops on the guide on the punch, and then punch again. The punch does all the work of lining the scallops up for you. Whoever came up with the idea for this punch with the guide is genius!


After I punched that, I used my white gel pen to add some detail and then wrapped the strip around the bottom of the bag. I used the Round Tab punch for the handles (again this idea was from Diana's tutorial) and ribbon to tie everything up. Here's the final product.


Bag #1:
Paper: Bella Rose Designer Paper, Kiwi Kiss, and Riding Hood Red
Accesories: Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, White Gel Pen, Round Tab Punch, 1/2" circle punch, Crop-A-Dile, Sticky Strip

Bag #2:
Paper: Hawaii Papaya Designer Paper, Chocolate Chip, and Tangerine Tango
Accesories: Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, White Gel Pen, Round Tab Punch, 1/2" circle punch, Crop-A-Dile, Sticky Strip