Sidetracked Valentine

I have decided that I am my own worst enemy, I’m getting sidetracked way too easily lately.  Yesterday I found some time to escape into my stampin’ quarters with every intention of getting things in order so I could post details and photos regarding the butterfly card I made last week.  In order to accomplish this task it meant I had to first clean up another pile of stuff that managed to get shoved on my desk.  Oh my, all that stuff just happened to be the latest order of new toys I decided I just couldn’t live without.  Here’s where I get in trouble, a little peak into how my brain works (or doesn’t, you decide):  “I better first sort through the box to make sure this order is correct” … “Ok, now put this pile away so you have a place to work” … “oh wait, maybe I’ll quickly mount just this one stamp set”.   I’m sure you’ve already figured out where the brain takes me next … “I’ll just play a little bit, the butterflies will wait”.  Yup, they are still waiting – I was having so much fun that I totally lost track of time.

This is what my playtime resulted in (along with another mess – it’s a vicious circle).  I have now decided that the Framed Tulips embossing folder from Stampin’ Up! is my new BFF!  I love that with a few runs through the Big Shot and minor placement adjustments, this frame can be used on almost any layer size.

If you look closely, you can see that the main image panel is using the debossed side of the cardstock.  I think it looks as beautiful as the intended embossed side!  Many thanks to Sharon Field for her wonderful tutorial on how to accomplish this!

Once again, I chose to let this elegant frame speak for itself and not clutter things up too much.  I used the Valentine definition stamp and surrounded it with some free-floating hearts.  Those tiny little hearts were the scrap pieces left behind from using the Pinking Hearts border punch on the bottom of the red panel, scattered randomly and affixed with a very small dot of Tombow multi-purpose glue. They were laying all over my desk and I really hate throwing away perfectly good paper, figured I should use them for something!

PROJECT RECIPE:

Stamps:  Valentine Defined
Paper:  Naturals White, Real Red
Ink:  Real Red
Accessories:  Framed Tulips embossing folder, Big Shot, Pinking Hearts border punch

Vintage Puffy Heart

The cold temps here in Chicago-land are keeping me inside once again – not that I get out much anyway (my children will confirm this little tidbit of information), but now I don’t WANT to leave the warm refuge of my home and at least have an excuse that others understand. <grin> 

I’ve finally found a little shred of “quiet time” and am going to share details of one of my projects from last weeks blog tour.  As previously noted, my task was to play with showcase the Springtime Vintage Designer Fabric line available now in Stampin’ Up!’s new Occasions Mini Catalog.  I adore the bright cheerfulness of the colors, as well as the variation of fabric designs.  In each package you will receive these three beautifully coordinated 100% cotton fabrics, each piece measuring 28” x 18”.  That’s a whole lot of fun all wrapped up in one little package!

I know you’ve seen this photo before, but I like this card so much I just couldn’t resist posting it again. <hehehehe>  To make the two scallop circles I cut a square of each of the fabric designs I wanted to use and applied them to a sheet of Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive paper.  I took my trusty bone folder and applied pressure over the entire pieces to make sure the adhesive stuck well.  So I wouldn’t gunk up my paper snips or other good scissors, I used my craft/rubber scissors to cut those out and ran the pieces through the Big Shot using various scallop circle die cuts – resulting in perfectly cut fabric swatches!  

I decided on a 5” square card and stamped the base layer with a background stamp, then sponged the edges for more of a vintage feel.  I very lightly sponged the edges of my largest scalloped circle fabric piece, removed the backing paper and applied it directly to the card base, again using the bone folder to make sure it adhered well … layered a circle cut from cardstock … then another scallop circle cut from fabric using the same process as above.  A bit of unsolicited advice when doing this (sure wish I would have thought of this procedure first) – only remove a small corner of the backing paper and start positioning your die cut, remove more of the backing and smooth the fabric as you go.  This way you will get your piece affixed exactly where you want it with no creases, folds or bumps.

The dimension on this heart was hard to capture in a photo, it pops up about 1/4”.  To achieve this I started by finding a portion of the fabric piece I wanted for my focal point – I loved the two little flower blooms, cut a small square of that section of fabric.  I then cut a piece of card stock and punched a heart in the center, turned this piece over and applied snail adhesive around the edges.  I began sticking my fabric to the adhesive, pushing a bit of the fabric through the heart as I went.  When I was happy with the results, I ripped apart and stretched a cotton ball, smooshed those pieces into the fabric from the reverse side until the heart was puffed out – then attached it to another layer of coordinating card stock.  I had a few spots that weren’t sticking well, so I used a very tiny bit of Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue and applied pressure for a few moments.  The resulting piece was popped onto the center of the card using dimensionals which I double stacked for extra “lift”.

Lots and lots of Basic Pearls were used to finish this card off.  I deliberately chose not to use a sentiment, thought I’d just let the card speak for itself!

Project Recipe:

Stamps:  Bella Toile background, Wonderfully Worn background, Confetti background
Cardstock:  Not Quite Navy, Rose Red
Ink:  Not Quite Navy, Rose Red
Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circle die, Scallop Circle #2 die, Clear Circle die, Full Heart punch, Corner Rounder punch, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, Basic Pearls, cotton ball, adhesive, dimensionals

Stampin’ Addicts SU! Occasions Mini Blog Hop

Welcome to Stampin’ Addicts Occasions Mini Blog Hop.  Once again we’re ringing in the New Year by showcasing many products found in the newly released Stampin’ Up! Occasions Mini Catalog.  These items will be available for purchase beginning January 4, 2011.

If you started this hop from the beginning, you just came from InkPaperStamps where Holly previewed some beautiful projects using the Petal Cone Die.  If you’re starting the tour at my blog, you can continue on to visit all participants by using the link at the end of my post.  If you get lost anywhere along the way don’t worry, you can find links to all the participants on the Stampin’ Addicts website.  All links will remain live until Sunday evening, so take your time visiting, enjoy and come back often!

I chose the Springtime Vintage fabric as my item to showcase.  I love the colors and patterns in this fabric, so bright and cheerful and definitely scream springtime!  I haven’t used any fabric in my paper crafting endeavors, honestly never once thought about the possibilities.

I dug in deep for my first project – have to admit making that first cut into these gorgeous fabrics was darn right scary … but once I did it, I never looked back!

This 5” square card started with the puffy heart in the center and grew from there, layering scalloped circles of fabric with a circle of card stock.  For more of a vintage feel I sponged the blue cardstock, if you look closely you’ll see I even sponged the edges of the blue scalloped fabric circle.  Ink on fabric, wooohoooo!!! 

My next project is also a card.  In case you didn’t know, I LOVE cards! I also can’t get enough of butterflies so was super excited when this idea popped into my head.  It isn’t often when I am able to keep a project clean and simple, but this was one of those items that less was definitely more.

For the body and antennas I dyed white 1/8” ribbon to match the Not Quite Navy, then looped it around the back.  The butterfly is double stacked on dimensionals to give it extra lift.  I wish you could see this up close, it looks like it is really ready to take flight.

For my last creation I broke out of my comfort zone, dug out my sewing machine and dusted it off (it was REALLY dusty!).  Thank heavens it was still threaded (probably from the 1990’s) as I’m not sure I’d remember how to do it again. 

I used one of those cardboard coffee holders from a local coffee store as a template, layered felt and fabric, hand gathered a strip of complimentary fabric for the ruffle and sewed it all together.  I decided it still needed “something” for more interest so I cut some flowers using the Big Shot and layered them all together, then added one of the new big buttons.  What did I end up with?  My very own one-of-a-kind coffee cozy!  (the red at the bottom of the cup is part of the cup design, NOT a sample of the Springtime Vintage fabric line)

Thanks for stopping by and visiting, I hope you enjoyed the projects I’ve shared with you.  I’ll post more details and project recipes during the next month.  Please continue on the hop and visit Lisa, who will be sharing some fun ideas using the Easter Blossoms stamp set.

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It’s a Party!

I know I’ve been teasing you for over a week now, as to what that mega project I was involved in actually turned out to be.  Welllllll, without further ado … they are birthday invites for my grand daughters 1st birthday! 

My grand daughter has a security blanket which is a combination blanket and stuffed owl – she carries it with her everywhere.  Actually, she has several of these just in case one is forgotten somewhere, misplaced, in the wash, whatever – we do not want our little darling to be in distress!  Since Cam is so enamored with Owlie, her mom really wanted to do an owl theme for her birthday.  I didn’t have to be asked twice to be in charge of the invites, I was truly excited to have the opportunity to play with my new 2-step Owl punch.  Those that know me well, know I don’t think in “simple” mode.  I also tend to be somewhat of a perfectionist, am not happy leaving well enough alone. <sigh>  So what should have been a quick and easy 26 invitations, turned out to be quite an ordeal – but here is the finished product:

This started out as bits and pieces of several other cards I had viewed online, then off in my own direction I went.  The silliness kicked in when trying to figure out what wording we wanted on the front … I think my idea is rather self explanatory.  <grin>  I couldn’t find any current designer papers in Pretty In Pink that looked right on this card.  My neighbor let me dig through her stash of retired papers and I found a few pieces that were perfect!  I love the polka dot balloon, which is covered with crystal effects for more dimension; pink crochet thread added for the balloon string.  The party hat is a small pennant shape cut from a scalloped square punched piece.  Prior to punching and cutting, I lightly brayered Melon Mambo ink on the Square Lattice embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot – LOVE how the design turned out!

The invitation is a postcard style, this is the back.  I designed it using the Stampin’ Up! My Digital Studio software.  I honestly could not believe how quickly this portion came together. 

After completing the graphics and text boxes, I selected all elements and copied/pasted this design three more times so I ended up with a total of four invitation sections per page.  I then printed it on Pink Pirouette card stock and trimmed each quarter page to fit the back of the invite.  No embellishments were added to this side.  Since all the details were typed in the MDS program, all my daughter-in-law had to do when I turned these over to her was to put them into a stamped envelope and drop into the mail.

For my public blog posting, I did edit out all the personal info … am pretty sure my son will not be thrilled with me if you all show up on his doorstep. <grin>

Unlimited Possibilities

Have you been searching for something just a little different than the norm for your cards?  You can make your very own embossed backgrounds in any design you wish with just a few die cut pieces, some cardstock and a crank of your Big Shot!  

I stumbled on this technique totally by accident quite a few months ago, then quickly forgot about it as I became busy with other demands.  Imagine my surprise when I started seeing many more unique creations using the same basic principle I thought I discovered!   hehehehe, just goes to show you that great minds really DO think alike! 

This is a sample of my original “discovery” … I used the Lattice die and embossed it into the background panel.  I liked the end result so much that this became one of those cards I just couldn’t bare to part with, so tucked it away for safe keeping.  Evidently I created this card before the color renovation became official, so please forgive the use of retired product.  I felt it was a great example of this technique and photographed very well, so decided to include it in this post.

When I came across that card a few weeks ago, I decided it was a wonderful idea to teach to my club members.  This time I went with a more seasonal theme … snowflakes.

I chose to use the new Northern Frost decorative strip from the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini, using several of the snowflakes and trimming some off at the edges of the cardstock.  I now have a new “texture plate” of my own that I can use over and over again!

And the finished product this design was used on?  Since one of their projects for the evening was a holiday themed item, I wanted to go with something just a little different.  I felt this design could be easily used as a non-traditional holiday card, with a bit of a vintage feel … or simply as a winter themed greeting card.

PROJECT RECIPE:

Stamps:  Fabulous Phrases, Serene Snowflakes
Paper:  Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Deck the Halls dsp
Ink:  Early Espresso
Accessories:  Northern Frost decorative strip, Swirly decorative strip, Crochet Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, snowflake punch, 3/4” oval punch, photo corner punch, antique brad, linen thread

Missing Spring

With these cooler fall days we are having in the midwest, I’m finding myself spending more time inside.  Today I decided to sift through the pile of my cards that I just can’t bare to part with.  Do any of you have that problem … you know, make a special card and then can’t handle the idea of sending it off in the mail because you will miss it too much?  Maybe I’m just weird, but this seems to happen to me quite often.  Anyway, this was one of those cards I absolutely adored.
  

I have seen the butterfly pansies used in many others cards, wanted to try my own hand at creating something with them.  I must say, after my very first attempt, I was completely hooked.  I love every idea I come across that is quick, easy and gives GREAT results – this is definitely one of those! 

Many of the products used in this card are now retired, but this can still be recreated using any current items.

PROJECT RECIPE:

Stamps:  Watercolor Trio
Paper:  Orchid Opulence, Old Olive, Whisper White, Cottage Wall DSP
Ink:  Old Olive, Orchid Opulence, Yo Yo Yellow, Elegant Eggplant
Accessories:  Butterfly punch, Scallop Oval punch, Small Oval punch, 5-petal flower punch, ribbon, rhinestone brad, brads, markers, aqua painter

Playtime

A few weeks ago I found some time to play with more of my new toys, now am finally finding some time to share this quick little gift project with all of you.
 
These fun treats were made using the new Candy Wrapper die, then decorated quickly with a strip of designer series paper and some trim cut from the Tasteful Trim XL die.  It took a little bit of playing around for me to figure out how to twist the ends properly, but once I successfully accomplished this task it went super fast!  I’ll admit … I’m slow to catch on to stuff like this.  <sigh>  Four mini Dove chocolate squares stack perfectly inside!

Both of these dies can be found in Stampin’ Up!’s new Holiday Mini Catalog and are available for sale now through January 3, 2011.  I can already see that these items are going to be added to my FAVORITE list!

PROJECT RECIPE:
Stamps:  Tiny Tags
Paper:  Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper
Ink:  Soft Suede, Baja Breeze
Accessories:  Big Shot, Candy Wrapper BigZ L die, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die, Vintage Trinkets brad, Jewelry Tag punch, ribbon

Black & White

Things have been hectic in my little corner of the universe, leaving very little time for me stamp.  While I find the time to rediscover my stampin’ quarters, I’ve decided to revisit some “oldies but goodies” that for one reason or another never made it to my blog. 

Black and White is one of my favorite color combinations, always seeming to leave the impact of clean and simple elegance.  If you look closely these two cards are made using the same basic products, but have completely different looks  (I think so anyway).

On this first card, I broke up the “whiteness” by wrapping a length of ribbon under the main image, tied it in a bow and hung a simple layered sentiment from the bow.  The single red gem in the center of the floral petals gives an eye-catching splash of color.  This card can go from birthday, anniversary, sympathy, etc., with a quick change of the sentiment.

I changed up the layout in this next card, opting for a quick and easy layering of punches.  Since I still had all my embossing folders, texture plates and butterfly die sitting on my desk, I decided to use them once again.   A single piece of gingham ribbon wrapped around the butterfly draws the eye naturally to the focal point.  Adding a border punch to a single edge of the bottom layer retained the clean lines yet added the touch of elegance I was hoping for.

 

Project Recipe:
Stamps:  Tiny Tags, Hope Happens
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink:  Basic Black
Accessories:  Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, Backgrounds 1 texturz plate, Beautiful Wings Embosslit die, Scallop Edge border punch, Scallop Square punch, square punch, Jewelry Tag punch, rhinestone brad, Organza ribbon, gingham ribbon, dimensionals

Frayed Ribbon

I’ve spent the past few weeks peeling, cooking and freezing 500 pounds of tomatoes.  Ok, so I’ve definitely exaggerated on the 500 pounds – but if you’re the one doing all that peeling and cooking, you can call it any amount you want!  Anyway, I’ve have these photos on my desktop for a few weeks now and finally have some time to get this little tutorial for the frayed ribbon posted … before I start the tomato process all over again next week.

I found this idea for a cute pocket card somewhere on the internet last  year, it has become one of my favorite ideas to play with and the frayed ribbon looks beautiful with this.  I’ve also found that the new In-Color ribbon from Stampin’ Up! is so incredibly easy to work with for this process.

First:  Take a piece of ribbon approximately 8” long and cut off one of the binding edges as shown in the photo below:
Next, begin pulling out the individual fabric strands and set them aside in a nice little pile.

What you do with the leftover scrap piece is up to you … I sometimes toss them in a jar and use them under layers for a “fringed” look … sometimes I just throw them away because my collection has grown too large.

Take the pile of ribbon strands and twist them around a few times, like you were making a rope (this makes it a little easier to poke through your hole).  Fold it in half and push it about halfway through the front of your eyelet (or punched hole).  Now take those loose ends hanging out the front of your eyelet and push them through the resulting loop, carefully adjust and tighten the loop and trim the top of the strands to your desired length. 
If you don’t want the looped finish, you can just twist the strands at one end, poke them through your hole, pull about half of the length through and tie the front and back – just like you would do with a regular piece of ribbon.  Again, trim the ends as desired.


Did you follow all that?  It really is a super easy technique that gives a wonderful and different finished effect.  I hope you give it a try and would love to see your end results!

Tea Light Box

Please forgive the photo quality of my pictures, my camera seems to be trying my patience today … it won!  Remember, if you want to see any of the photos larger, just click on them.

As promised, over the next few days I will be posting the instructions and/or project recipes for items I created  for Stampin’ Addicts Stampin’ Up! New Catalog blog tour.  Today I am going to reveal how I created my Tea Light holder box.  For the sake of photography, I used a scrap piece of white paper and drew lines in pencil to show where the score/fold marks are on the fancy favor box.  While this die does call for a 12” sheet of cardstock, I used an 6” x 11” piece – making sure that I placed the paper at the very end of the die that did NOT have the overlap.  This resulted in the overlapping tab (on the right side of the photo) being cut at approx. 1/4”, definitely enough for a piece of sticky strip to hold it all together.

 
After cutting the base of the box, I used the Clearlits Scallop Rectangle die to cut the inserts on the narrow side panels only.    I eyeballed this, trying to center it on the panel – then cranked it through my Big Shot … repeating the process for the second narrow panel.

 

 

Now grab your ruler, this is where the real technical (NOT) stuff comes in!   In the photo below, see how I have my ruler running right along the scalloped edge of those 2 scalloped panels?  I marked a dot about 1/2” in on each side, then drew a line between those two dots … moved to the top of the box and did the same thing.  MAKE SURE TO DO THIS ON THE INSIDE OF YOUR BOX!   Then I connected the top and bottom dots to create my cut lines. 

     

Using a craft knife and ruler, I cut out on those lines – leaving a nice little opening for my decorated vellum cardstock piece.  Do the same thing on the last panel.  You should now have 4 openings in your candle holder and the hard part is done!

I wasn’t sure as to the result of heat embossing on normal vellum paper so I opted to use the heavier vellum cardstock from Stampin’ Up!.  I measured the openings, added approximately 1/2” to the top and side measurement, then cut my vellum pieces.  I inked my stamp up with Versamark, colored with markers, stamped the image on the vellum, sprinkled with iridescent ice embossing powder and heated it all up.  The result was exactly as I hoped!  Attach these pieces to the inside of the panels with snail (I placed the embossing on the outside).  A few pieces of sticky strip to put the box together and you are finished!!!

  

Again, I opted to use battery operated tealights (2 fit nicely inside this box) – I did not want to test the waters and see if paper really burned.  <grin>

Project Recipe:

Stamps:  Just Believe
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Peach Parfait DSP, Vellum Cardstock
Ink:  Peach Parfait, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive (marker), Not Quite Navy (marker)
Accessories:  rhinestone brad, paper flower, sponge, 1/8” ribbon, iridescent ice embossing powder, circle punch, birds & blooms die (scalloped circle)

Just Believe – SU New Catalog Blog Hop

Welcome to Stampin’ Addicts New Catalog blog hop.  Are you loving the new Stampin’ Up! catalog already?  I have really had to exercise some major self-control as I once again find myself wanting everything!   If you are loving this catalog as much as I am then you will definitely want to make sure you visit each and every stop on the tour, 26 in all, each showcasing a different product offered in the 2010-2011 SU Idea Book & Catalog. 

If you jumped on the bus at the beginning of the tour, you entered my blog after visiting DawnMarie at DMdesigns.  Didn’t you just love what she did with the Cottage Garden stamp set?  Bet you want to run right out and purchase it now!  If you started the tour from my blog, follow the link at the bottom of this post to continue on your journey.  If you get lost along the way, you can always jump right back on by visiting Stampin’ Addicts for the complete list of tour participants.  This blog hop will remain active through Sunday, August 1st.  Please check back often … and enjoy!!!

I am sharing a few projects I have made with the brand new stamp set “Just Believe”, found on page 109 of Stampin’ Up!’s new catalog.  I swear this set screamed my name LOUDLY when I came upon it.  Hopefully after you look at my creations, you will love it just as much as I do.  If you want to see the photos larger, just click on the images!

I originally used this criss cross card box design for a shoebox swap I participated in while at the Stampin’ Up! convention, had so much fun making it I decided to do it once again – this time including cards!     The piece of ribbon peeking over the top corner of the box is some of the new 1/2” stitched poly-ribbon.  This ribbon is absolutely wonderful to work with, and gorgeous to look at! 

Can you see I’ve also been playing with the new Basic Pearl jewels?  Love, love, love these!!!  They are self-adhesive – just run the tip of your scissors underneath and slide the pearl over – glue and pearl sticks to your scissors and allows you to place it exactly where you want.  If you look closely under the “friends” sentiment on the card, there is a row of 3 of the tiniest pearls in the package.  

This is the little note that slips inside the criss-cross card.  Once again, the 1/2” poly ribbon appears – this time shredded and looped through the top to use as a “pull”.

 

For my next project I pulled out tons of my new toys and had a great time playing with them all … you really do not want to see my stamping quarters right now!  On the main image I used my brayer and newly acquired skills to make a quick scenic background, added a few strategically placed leaf branches from the Two Step Bird punch and one of the new Bitty Buttons.  The scalloped borders are are pieces of cardstock punched from the brand new Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch – yet another new love of mine.
Last but not least … a candle holder!  Ok, so I am deathly afraid of fire and opted to use battery tea lights – but you get the idea.  I used the fancy favor box die to create the box, as well as the new scalloped rectangle clearlet to cut the sides – and even more fun new products!.  Be sure to stop back later this week, I will be posting more photos and details on this holder!
Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting me.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the creations I’ve shared with you, as much as I did making them.  Please stay on the bus and continue with the tour – your next stop will be Cindy, who will be showing you some fantastic ideas using the Countryside stamp set.

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Stampin’ Addicts “Last Chance” Mega Hop

Welcome to Stampin’ Addicts Retiring Sets Mega Hop.  We’ve all been busy playing with a few of the stamp sets that Stampin’ Up! has announced will no longer be for sale as of July 1st, 2010.  I’m so glad you decided to stop by and see what wonderful creations this group of gals … oh, and even 1 guy … have designed to share with you.  

If you started this tour from the beginning you came upon my blog after drooling over the beautiful creations Jennifer made with the Garden Whimsy set.  If you're starting the tour at my website, follow the link at the bottom of this post to continue on your journey.  If you get lost along the way, you can always jump back on the tour bus by visiting Stampin' Addicts for the complete list of participants.  This tour will run through Sunday evening (June 13) ... so sit back, relax, enjoy and come back often!!!

I have chosen to share with you a few samples I made with the stamp set “Le Jardin Botanique” and maybe … just maybe … convince you that you can’t live without it!  (giggle)

I recently splurged and took brayer classes offered by the “famous-to-the-stamping-community” Michelle Zindorf, and thought this set would be perfect for me to practice my newly learned technique on.  Remember … I’m a beginner so please be gentle with me!  In this first project I decided to make a 5 1/2” square card and try my hand at a landscape type artwork.  I’m definitely NOT a botanist, have no clue as to what kind of flowers, berries, whatever I am using – so just went with my imagination.  I thought those little berry leaves would make a fun “bush” (of sorts), nestled on a hill with a lonely tree and a bunch of random wildflowers.  After this project was completed, I proudly showed it to my daughter who lovingly told me it was beautiful and looked like a fantasy picture.  I’m hoping she meant that in a good way.  What do you think?

I enjoy creating different sized cards than the standard, so once again chose a larger 6 1/4” x 4 1/2” size to focus on the floral image from this set.  Since my brayer was still sitting on my desk, I thought it would be fun to play with it once more … this time brayering at an angle and only about 2/3 of the way up the main image panel (I’m definitely getting better at this!). 

I embossed the image to make it pop a bit, colored the blooms, highlighted a few petals and the stem with a white gel pen – then stamped a few random leaves on the lower corner.  Then I had to do it all over again because I “somehow” managed to drop the inked up brayer on the completed image.  <sigh>

Did you notice the fun corner treatment I used on the Really Rust background panel?  I used the very edge of the curly label punch and snipped off the corners of the paper … just enough to form that cute shape and let the designer paper peek through.  How fun is this! 

If you want a larger view of any of the images, just click on the photo.

 
Ok, so I’ve put away my brayer and taken out my spritz bottles for a change of pace … added some water and a few drops of re-inker and sprayed away on some whisper white card stock which had already been adhered to a heavy duty magnet sheet and run through the big shot.  I used 3 colors for this process, but the photo isn’t showing it well.  After it was dry, I stamped the images and colored the tree with an aqua painter.  I really like the effect of this technique.  This would make a quick, easy and useful gift for anyone … who doesn’t love magnets!

Thanks so much for joining me on the tour bus, I hope you enjoyed what I shared with you!  Please continue on the journey by visiting Krystal who will be showcasing some fun ideas using the Good Friends set.

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Stampin’ Addicts SU Summer Mini Blog Tour

Welcome to Stampin’ Addicts Summer Mini Blog Tour.  This tour is a preview of many wonderful creations made using items included in the new Stampin’ Up! Summer Mini Catalog.  Items from this mini catalog will be available for sale beginning on May 1st. 

If you started this tour from the beginning you came upon my blog after visiting Holly.  Didn't you just love her marvelous creations made with the Elements of Style stamp set?  If you're starting the tour at my website, follow the link at the bottom of this post to continue on your journey.  If you get lost along the way, you can always jump back on the tour bus by visiting Stampin' Addicts for the complete list of participants.  This tour will run through Sunday evening ... so sit back, relax, enjoy and come back often!!!

I am showcasing the “Mostly Vintage” Decor Stencils.  I adore all the stencils in the Definitely Decorative line, this is quickly becoming my current favorite.  I love the versatility, and that the set comes with an additional mask stencil.  Fun, fun, fun!  I don’t want to hold up the tour bus, so am going to keep things brief.  Please check back later in the week for card recipes and more details.

My first project I decided to use both the main stencil AND the mask – wanted to play around a bit and see how these two items worked together.  I wish I had taken a few pictures along the way as the original colors in this came out uber-bright … they actually kind of hurt my eyes looking at it.  Figuring I was going to probably toss it and start over, I decided to soak it down with my water spritz bottle ……let it sit awhile to dry, added a few details and finishing touches.  I decided I loved the muted colors and the final outcome!

My next project was so much fun to make, I used several different items from the Summer mini-catalog.  The circle focal piece is actually the very center of the Mostly Vintage mask stencil.  I sponged a bit of the mask, punched it out and decided to sponge the edges a bit to give it some depth.  I felt this project needed much more of a vintage look, used the new embossing folder and sponged the heck out of it – then sponged some more.  The Bashful Blue satin ribbon gives it a little touch of elegance.

For my final creation I chose to use the main stencil from the set, once again using only a portion of it.  I masked off the unwanted areas – then sponged until I had the color depth I wanted.  
I thought this area of the stencil was perfect for a cute little set of monogrammed note cards and coordinating envelopes.  I was amazed how quick and easy these came together, might just sit down and make another batch for myself!

Of course, these wonderful note cards would not be complete without a matching tin to present them in!

Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting, I hope you enjoyed my preview of the Mostly Vintage Decor Stencils.  Please continue on the tour by visiting Michelle who will be showcasing some great ideas using the Rough Type alphabet set.

Catching Up

My apologies for not keeping up with my blog lately.  I’m used to the craziness that seems to be a constant state in our family, but this past month things have been busier than normal – leaving me little time or energy for much creativity.  I’m trying hard to work through the emotional roller coaster we seem to currently be riding, but sometimes it does get the best of me.

On to bigger and better things!  I never got back to giving you the details on the projects I made for the birthday celebration blog hop.  If you need a little refresher, check the post directly below this one! 

Transforming one of Stampin’ Up’s new file folders into a “designer folder” was so much fun and surprisingly easy … a few cuts and folds, embellish as desired and look what happens: 

 
Below is a close up picture of the cover details and what you find when you open it up.  I cut a small strip of matching designer series paper and inserted it into the pen, making this a completely coordinated ensemble!

PROJECT RECIPE:
Paper:  Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Thoroughly Modern DSP
Stamps:  Define Your Life
Ink:  Rose Red, Soft Suede
Accessories:  Thoroughly Modern File Folder, jumbo grommet, button, polka dot grosgrain ribbon, linen thread

I love coming up with packaging ideas, sometimes feel the containers are so much more exciting than the actual contents!  This carrier was another “easy-to-put-together” project.  I used the Box #2 Bigz XL die for the boxes, laying my paper so the top closure was cut off.  Sandwiched two pieces of cardstock between the boxes, punched a “handle” and DONE!  

One side holds a bottle of bubble bath and body lotion, the other side holds 3 small bottles of instant hand sanitizer.  I cut a strip of card stock, folded and adhered it inside to make compartments for each of the smaller bottles.  Isn’t this cute!?!?!

  

     

 

 

 

 

PROJECT RECIPE:
Paper:  pretty in pink, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Pack
Ink:  rose red, pretty in pink
Accessories:  sending love epoxy brad – pretty in pink, pretties kit flower and pearl, 5/8” satin ribbon, 1” circle punch

Keeping in the birthday theme, I have a new project to add.  When wrapping up a recent gift, I realized I had no gift bags to fit the items (dvd’s). I quickly ran into my stampin’ quarters (thank heavens the desk was clear for once!) and decided to design my own using some of my massive collection of designer papers.  I added a quick tag made using the Kisses Sending Love notes offered in the current Stampin’ Up! occasions mini catalog, punched a decorative top, added a paper bow created using more designer papers, ribbon, tissue and presented the gift.  Once again, I think the packaging is so much more exciting than the gift inside.  AND … it’s a double gift – the recipient can use this cute bag on THEIR next gift-giving occasion!

PROJECT RECIPE:
Paper:  whisper white, cameo coral, Pink Flamingo dsp, Kisses Sending Love Notes
Stamps:  Whimsical Words (SAB)
Ink:  tempting turquoise, cameo coral
Accessories:  jumbo eyelets, 5/8” grosgrain ribbon, curly label punch