Holiday swap

At my upline's monthly meetings, we often do a swap, and this month's theme is either a gift tag or a gift card holder. I started out with an entirely different project in mind, but quickly realized that I didn't have enough of the ribbon I was going to use. So I changed gears and came up with this design:

I started with a 4-1/4" by 7-1/2" piece of Baja Breeze cardstock and scored it at 2" and 5." I stamped the snowflakes with Baja Breeze ink for a subtle tone-on-tone effect. Using the oval coluzzle template, I trimmed the top flap. I created the belly band using Ski Slope designer series paper from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The medallion is made from a snowflake stamped in Baja Breeze on Whisper White cardstock and punched with the 1-3/8" circle punch. I layered a Riding Hood Red scallop circle behind it and attached it to the belly band using stampin' dimensionals.

Here's the inside of the card holder:

{{gift card holder}}

Stamps: Snow Swirled

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White

Ink: Baja Breeze

Accessories: 1-3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, Ski Slope designer series paper, coluzzle, stampin' dimensionals

Judy's workshop

I've been doing so many classes lately that I haven't done any workshop in a while. But one of my stamp clubbers wanted to have a workshop with some of her co-workers, and we had so much fun! I just love to see the excitement when someone stamps for the first time or learns a new technique!

Here are the two projects I demonstrated:


Using a very basic layout, I showed them how to add a little "pop" to the image. I first inked the flower image with So Saffron ink and then with a sponge dauber, I applied Tangerine Tango ink on the tips of the flowers.

And this one showcased the fabulous designer series papers, some punches and using stampin' dimensionals to add some dimension to the card without too much bulk:



And here are the 2 make-and-take projects:


Unfortunately, you can't see how the card sparkles in this picture. We used iridescent ice embossing powder on the trees and it's amazing how a little bit of sparkle can transform a card!

And this one was a special request from the hostess - it's a double-pocket card that can hold a gift card (front pocket) as well as a note (back pocket with the tab).

Hope you enjoyed my projects and found a little inspiration! Special thanks to Judy and her friends for a fun morning! :-)

{{haiku daisy}}

Stamps: Upsy Daisy

Cardstock: Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango

Ink: So Saffron, Tangerine Tango

Accessories: Haiku designer series paper, sponge dauber, stampin' dimensionals

{{best wishes}}

Stamps: Cute & Curly

Cardstock: Basic Grey, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White

Ink: Not Quite Navy

Accessories: Urban Garden designer series paper, curvy label punch, 1-3/4" circle punch, stampin' dimensionals

{{sparkly trees}}

Stamps: A Wish for Peace, Holidays & Wishes

Cardstock: Kraft, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla

Ink: Always Artichoke, Basic Brown

Accessories: Alpine ribbon, 2-way glue pen, iridescent ice embossing powder, heat tool, stampin' dimensionals

{{gift card holder}}

Stamps: Best Yet

Cardstock: Whisper White, Blue Bayou

Ink: Riding Hood Red

Accessories: corner rounder, silver brads, round tab punch, large oval punch, wide oval punch, stampin' dimensionals

No tricks here, only treats!

Looking for a fun Halloween treat to give friends, neighbors, teachers? With very few supplies and just a little bit of effort, you can create a fabulous one-of-a-kind treat jar. I got the idea for this project from my upline (thanks Sherrie!).


Start with a small glass jar (this one came from IKEA and only cost $1.99) and some rub ons. The Chills & Thrills rub ons come in white and black. To use the white images, simply cut a strip of Ghostly Greetings designer series paper or dark cardstock to line the inside of the jar. Then using the high tech tool that comes with the rub ons (aka popsicle stick!), start decorating the top and the sides with whatever images you like. Simply fill the jar and you have a Halloween treat sure to please anyone!

Accessories: Chills & Thrills, Alpine Ribbon Originals, Ghostly Greetings designer series paper

Post-it Note Holder Tutorial

Wow, I was surprised with all the requests for instructions for making this project! I tried to post my pictures a few days ago and my computer kept locking up on me. So I'm giving this yet another try and hope that it works.




Enjoy!

Start with a 7-3/8" x 3-3/4" piece of cardstock and score at 3-1/8" and 3-1/2" and 3-7/8"

Fold on the 3-1/2" score and make sure the smaller panel is in front

Cut two slits on the 3-1/2" score

Open it up and place sticky strip from top to bottom (minus the space between the two slits)

Fold 0n the 3-7/8" score to adhere, pushing out the little tab to hold the pen

Now, just decorate the front and you're done!!

I'd love to see your creations so leave me a comment with a link to your project! Thanks!!

What a wonderful world

Today, my husband and I are celebrating 17 years of marriage! Happy Anniversary to me! :) Our 9 year old son took this fabulous picture this afternoon (isn't he a great photographer??).

I've had several requests for dimensions and instructions on my last post, so hang tight...I'm working on them. I've tried several times today and my computer keeps locking up, so it's in the works and I hope to have it posted real soon.

Grand finale

I just had 2 stamp clubs end recently and as a way to say "thank you" to the wonderful ladies in them, I made these cute post-it note holders. They hold a 3x3 stack of notes and were super simple to make. They make a great little giftable item, and I'm thinking of making some for a couple craft shows I'm doing this fall/winter. If you ever see these mini gel pens at the Target dollar spot, grab a bunch because they can be hard to find. Thanks for stopping by!!



{{nature notes}}
Stamps: Inspired by Nature
Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Ink: Mellow Moss, Summer Sun, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: More Mustard grosgrain ribbon, sticky strip

Gearing up for Christmas

I just adore all the fabulous designer series papers from Stampin' Up! - both in the Fall-Winter catalog and the Holiday Mini catalog! Recently, I saw a cute idea, splitting the Top Note die between cardstock and designer series paper and just HAD to give it a whirl. I added a felt snowflake and some bling and I just love how it all came together with such little effort! It's a bit bulky with the rhinestone brad so I'm not sure it's a design I would use for cards I'm going to mail, but it's wonderful for those I'll be hand-delivering. Hope you like it!!


{{split note holiday}}

Stamps: Best Yet

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, Ruby Red

Ink: Riding Hood Red

Accessories: Holiday Treasures designer series paper, Big Shot, Top Note die, 1-3/4" circle punch, Little Felt Flurries, Ice rhinestone brad, stampin' dimensionals

Holiday goodies

Ok, so some of my stalkers, er, fans, have been asking for some new projects. One of my sidelines made a cute little box with a belly band to hold some notecards. I took her idea and adjusted a bit (thanks Kristy!) to come up with this box that could hold any kind of goodies, in this case, lifesavers.

Ok, Diana, can you get off my back now?! Hee hee, just kiddin'!

{{holiday goodie box}}

Stamps: Cute & Curly

Cardstock: Ruby Red, Very Vanilla

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss

Accessories: Holiday Treasures designer series paper, Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon, curvy label punch, stampin' dimensionals, sticky strip

For my brother

I wanted to make a very special card for my older brother who will be attending a retreat soon, and I always struggle with more masculine looking cards. When I reached for the Winds of Grace stamp set, I remembered some fabulous cards I had seen using the masking technique. I stamped the sailboat image on a post-it note and cut it out and also punched out a circle with a 1-1/4" circle punch. I layered both masks over the sailboat stamped on glossy cardstock and used a brayer and sponges to apply several layers of colors. Sorry for the blurry scan...using a flash created a reflection off the glossy cardstock and not using a flash resulted in a blurry image. I figured it was better a little blurry than totally washed out with the flash.

{{sunset sailboat}}

Stamps: Winds of Grace

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Glossy White

Ink: Stazon Black, Baja Breeze, Groovy Guava, Really Rust, Ruby Red

Accessories: 1-1/4" circle punch, brayer, sponge, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, post-it note

September stamp club

Now that I've finished my stamp clubs for the month, I can share the project we did using chipboard letters:

I wish you could really see how wonderfully sparkly this card is IRL! But you'll just have to take my word for it. The chipboard letter was inked with craft ink, sprinkled with iridescent ice embossing powder and heat set. The bling-factor on that chipboard letter is simply fabulous! :-)

{{sparkling chipboard}}
Stamps: Simply Said
Cardstock: Old Olive, Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla
Ink: Old Olive, Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: silver brads, iridescent ice embossing powder, heat tool