10.11.2010

Fall/Winter 2010 Downline Meeting

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These photos were taken at Sandy Hancock's Downline Meeting late September. There are some good ideas for holiday cards, decorations, favors and more. As with each meeting, there is a card swap and contest.

Click on "FULL SCREEN" to see the the slideshow in its entirety. Otherwise, the little window only shows a part of each photo.

10.08.2010

You Take the Cake!

StampinUpPartyHearty

StampinUpCakeDie

What makes the Party Hearty Stamp Set lovable? You get cupcakes, candles, a present, images that can easily be punched out and great sentiments. For this card, I decided to add a surprise inside created with the Three Tier Cake Pop -Up Bigz Die! This cheerful birthday card uses a combination of pumpkin pie, daffodil delight and old olive. The cake tiers have Greenhouse Gala designer series paper.

10.01.2010

2-Step Bird Punch Wedding Card

Stampin Up 2 Step Bird Punch Wedding Card

This wedding card was accented with punch outs from the 2-Step Bird Punch. It features a light blue belly band, which you slide off. Inside is a pocket to hold cash, a gift certificate or gift card. It fits in a #10 (office size) envelope.

9.28.2010

Candy Wrapper Bigz Die Treats

christmas holiday stampin up candy wrapper bigz die

If you have ever wanted quick, neat treats to place in a basket as party favors, set at each table setting or to give as Halloween gifts, the Candy Wrapper Bigz Die works like a charm! It is one of the newest Big Shot dies available exclusively through Stampin' Up! It cuts AND scores at the same time, so all you have to do is fold, glue and decorate as you wish. Check out my promotions if you would like to learn more in a Big Shot Class or a Holiday Card Class. I also have a Special for Fall/Winter 2010.

The two samples above were created with the Bells & Boughs stamp set, Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper and Designer Fabric, Decorative Label Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Early Espresso classic ink, Watercolor Wonder crayons, Sahara Sand, River Rock, Whisper White and Crumb Cake Cardstock.

9.24.2010

Christmas Card with "Bells and Boughs"

stampin up christmas card bells and boughs

This card was created for a holiday wow swap recently. Participants had to make cards with at least 4 layers of cardstock, 3 different embellishments and a stamp set from the Holiday Mini 2010. I used Stampin' Up!'s Bells and Boughs stamp set, Sahara Sand, Old Olive, River Rock, Early Espresso and Whisper White cardstock, Supernova Fine Stampin' Glitter, Basic Pearls Jewel Accents, Decorative Label Punch, Scallop Oval Punch and Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon. I stamped the holly background with Old Olive classic ink and colored in the bells with watercolor crayons.

9.19.2010

Mini Box (Created with the Petal Card Double Punch)

stampin up petal card double punch mini box

Here is a little idea for a cute stocking stuffer, birthday present, tooth fairy box, or gift box.

Take four punched pieces using the Petal Card Double Punch, and glue each of the side flaps together. The side flaps should be folded toward the interior of the box. (If you prefer the inside of the box to be as flat as possible, you may want to snip off one petal flap from each punched piece and glue side flaps to interior sides of the box.)

To close the bottom of the mini box, fold each consecutive petal flap down, tucking part of the last flap beneath the first to hold it in place. Repeat this to close the top of the box. (You can also glue the bottom flaps, if you like.)

The finished box will be approximately 1" length x 1" width x 1" height. You can fit a bracelet, necklace, earrings, simply adorned creation, a Hershey's "hug" and "kiss", a tooth for the tooth fairy, a folded dollar bill, tiny candies, a mini book, a keychain, a magnet, a rolled up message, or anything small that you can think of!

This box was made with riding hood red, daffodil delight and whisper white cardstock, Greenhouse Gala designer series paper, Cute by the Inch hostess stamp set, riding hood red, old olive and early espresso markers, beautiful wings embosslits die and basic pearl. A lady at Convention 2010 swapped a simply adorned insert for one of my 3D items and I thought it would be great to use the same color scheme for this box.

The more punched petal cards you adhere together, the larger the box can become. My next project may be a flower-shaped box created with the punch. Stay tuned!

stampin up petal card double punch mini box
stampin up petal card double punch mini box
stampin up petal card double punch mini box

9.15.2010

"Joy-fold" Card with Stampin' Up's Aviary Stamp Set

I recently created this card (with 8 layers) using the "joy-fold" technique. Splitcoaststampers offers a tutorial. I decided to use bright, cheery colors: concord crush, real red, tangerine tango and pretty in pink. The sentiment is layered with an oval punch and designer label punch. When you lift the "my friend" tab, the panel with birds swings open. A message can be written inside.

stampin up aviary card
The card is embellished with basic pearls and 5/8" pretty in pink satin ribbon. I also used the Elegant Lines Textured Embossing Folder and Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, which are exclusive to Stampin' Up! and just came out in the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog.

9.14.2010

Designer Fabric on Cards

If you check out the Stampin' Up! 2010 Holiday Mini Catalog, it is chock full of new stamps, punches, dies, designer series paper and new designer fabric! So Stampin' Up! not only carries color-coordinating markers, craft & classic ink pads, cardstock, designer series paper, ribbon, rub-ons, albums, brads, buttons, embellishments, digital art and vinyl decor elements, but textiles now as well! Imagine creating a vintage wristlet with Deck the Halls Designer Fabric and a vintage brad accent, a peppermint candy-shaped throw pillow with Candy Cane Christmas Designer Fabric, or a fabric Christmas tree ornament to attach to a gift.

This may sound overwhelming, but perhaps you could start by trying fabric on cards. If you have used ribbon to make bows, ruffles or simple trim along the side of a card, it would be a snap to take a strip of fabric and use the same techniques. The difference is that Stampin' Up!'s designer fabric has multicolored prints... so each design can spruce up your card and match designer series paper.

Here are some examples of cards using designer fabric at Convention 2010:

Stampin Up card designer fabric

Stampin Up card designer fabric

Below is a holiday card I made for a swap on Splitcoaststampers. I used the Tags til Christmas stamp set, real red, old olive, bashful blue, pear pizzazz and whisper white cardstock, night of navy, real red, pretty in pink and pear pizzazz stampin' markers, silver glass glitter, pretty in pink 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, basic rhinestones, Big Shot, perfect polka dots textured impressions embossing folder, decorative label punch and Candy Cane Christmas designer fabric.
Stampin Up card designer fabric
I think it would be great to make the snowglobe really pop out by using a Stampin' Up! sweet treat cup and filling it with either glitter or circle confetti. It could make a great shaker card.

If you'd love to see more cards with designer fabric, here are creations by:
Cindee Wilkinson
Michele Reynolds
Sabriena Satchwell

9.13.2010

Lots of Layers Swap Ladies & A Couple of Cards

These are some of the ladies who often participate in Sandra Hanedanian's Lots of Layers swaps on Splitcoaststampers. We met to take this photo during Convention. If you'd like to see what we have created in the past, visit her blog: More than Stamping. She has some tutorials and fun projects also.
stampin up convention 2010 swap

I created this card with Notably Ornate. I think it was for an "In with the New" card swap. I love the color combination of Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla and Cajun Craze. I think the card could have used more distressing and some sponging to give it a more vintage feel.
stampin up convention 2010

This is one of my "wow" swaps for Convention. It is not easy to see, but it is a "Joy Fold" card. Check out the tutorial on Splitcoaststampers here. I added lots of dazzling diamonds glitter to the edge of the pink pirouette layer. First, I placed sticky strip on each edge. Second, I removed the red liner. Third, sprinkled dazzling diamonds and shook the excess glitter off. It was less messy than using glue and took very little time to do!
stampin up convention 2010 wow swap

More from Convention Prep Work

Here are 75+ scrunched flowers I made using the 1-3/4" scallop circle punch. I punched 4 scallop circles out of Newsprint designer series paper, placed a brad in the center and scrunched one layer at a time (starting with the inner layer). Afterwards, I placed a stampin' dimensional on back and attached each flower to a card swap I created for the Late Night Stampers 75+ card front swap during Convention 2010.






If you're wondering what I created with the flower die-cuts I made from one of the previous posts, here are the flower pins:


I attached 5/8" very vanilla grosgrain, boho blossoms (from the punch) and a rhinestone brad to the center of each flower. Finally, I glued a pin backing to each one. They were very easy to make. I believe I made about 80 in one weekend!

9.04.2010

Designer Fabric "Yo-yo"/Ruched Circle Tutorial

S T E P S

Use a 1-3/4" Circle Punch to make a cardstock template if you want to create the same size Yo-yo in this tutorial. Place the circle on the back side (unprinted side) of some Candy Cane Christmas designer fabric and trace around it. Cut out the fabric circle.

Tip: You can also use your Big Shot and Circles #2 Bigz Die to easily die-cut circles from fabric.


Thread a needle and tie a knot on the edge of the fabric circle. Run the needle in and out of the edges. This is called a "running stitch" or "straight stitch."


Continue stitching all the way around the fabric circle. Pull on the thread to gather the fabric edges.


Tie a knot on the back to secure.


Use one tip of your paper snips to gently poke a hole through the center of the Yo-yo/Ruched Circle. Be careful not to cut the thread holding the fabric together. Insert a glimmer brad or other type of brad.


You can use Yo-yos/Ruched Circles to decorate a card, cloth napkins, blouses, sweaters, towels, hairclips or anything else you can think of! I am planning to use these to accent some Holiday Mini Catalog card swaps.

8.07.2010

Greenhouse Gala Side-bound Booklet

The following post is a tutorial for a side-bound booklet that I designed. It was for a Late Night Stampers shoebox swap held one evening during Convention 2010. There were many great ideas from the participants and I wish I had a little more time to walk around and absorb it all. As the saying goes: Time flies when you're having fun.

S T E P S

First, cover the two pieces of chipboard with chocolate chip cardstock using glue stick.


Second, you will make the spine of the book. Take the longest piece of Greenhouse Gala DSP, remove the sticky page lining, vertically center and place one chipboard piece on the right (see pen marking to the right on DSP)... place the other chipboard piece on the left (see pen marking to left).

Wrap the extended edges around.

Next, place the shorter piece of DSP to cover the rest of the spine. (You should now see, from left to right: cover, dsp, cover.)

Fold this in half so the corners of the front and back cover meet.


Third, line up the cover template to the folded side. Punch 2 holes using a Crop-a-dile. Set aside.



Fourth, you will create reinforced pages. Start with one peach parfait strip. Use glue stick on one entire side.

Line up an old olive page to the first score line.

Fold the peach parfait piece in half (according to the middle score line).

Repeat these steps for all the pages. Hint: It helps to line up the peach parfait and old olive pages on top of each other.


Fifth, once the reinforced interior pages are complete, you will line them up with the interior page template and punch holes.



Sixth, place the interior pages within the covers you set aside earlier. Pull ribbon through the holes--a few pages at a time. Tie a knot and snip off any extra ribbon.



Seventh, Adhere the whisper white top note die cut in the center of your front cover. Adhere the butterflies on top of the top note layer.


This is what the finished booklet looks like on the inside:


This can be used as a mini scrapbook, poem book, travel journal, or perhaps some other keepsake. Hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

7.11.2010

Prepping for Convention 2010


Here are some parts of swaps that I stamped and cut over the past several weeks. I'm still working on the Melon Mambo Eiffel Towers (top right corner of the photo).


These are more pieces that have been stamped and cut/punched. The decorative white labels in the center had to be die-cut one at a time with the Stampin' Up! Lots of Tags Sizzlits die.


This is probably 10% of the cardstock (cut, scored and folded in some cases) that will be used on my swaps for Convention.


I picked up some small swatches of fabric last night and decided to try making flowers with the Stampin' Up! Blossom Party Originals Die. It was really fun and easy. The fabric was not too thick, so I was able to cut up to 6 at a time. I think I will make flower pins and die cut more layers with coordinating colors of SU cardstock.


Clean up was easy too. I just took a couple pieces of tape (about 3" long) and picked up all the bits of fabric that were clinging to the die.