Over a Year?

I've started making Christmas cards, and that's when I realized it's been over a year since I've posted.   I'm having so much fun making Christmas cards this year, that I decided to share a few.  Enjoy.

Dies:  Delicate Ornament Thinlits Dies from the Holiday 2015 Stampin' Up! catalog

           Striped Scallops Thinlits from the 2015-16 catalog

Paper:  Whisper White, Red Foil Sheets, Gold Glimmer Paper

Accessories:  Gold Metallic Thread

Dies:  Delicate Ornament Thinlits Dies from the Holiday 2015 Stampin' Up! catalog

Paper:  Whisper White, Gold Glimmer Paper, Winter Wonderland Designer Vellum Stack

Stamps:  Embellished Ornaments

Dies:  Sleigh Ride Edgelits Dies from the Holiday 2015 Stampin' Up! catalog

Paper:  Whisper White, Winter Wonderland Designer Vellum Stack

Stamps:  Jingle All the Way

Christmas Bliss

I'm working on Christmas cards and made a Christmas Bliss card.  I used the photo-polymer Christmas Bliss stamp set by Stampin' Up!  I love the combo of the soft sky, real red, and white cardstock.  The Confetti Stars Punch made all those punched stars a snap.  I also used the Lucky Stars Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

Thanks for looking.

Tina

Planning for Christmas

My next stamp camp (this coming Monday) will feature Christmas cards.  One card we'll make is below.  I used the Good Greetings stamp set that will be offered as a hostess stamp set soon.  This is a quick, simple card to make and is perfect for a class project.  It's not fancy, but it's fun to make -- especially taking the bite out of the Hershey Kiss. 

Hero on a Waterfall

I made a waterfall card for my son's birthday using the Calling All Heroes stamp set.  Here's a picture of the card front:

How this card works is you pull down on the orange tab.  When you do, the top square lifts to reveal what is on the square below it:

I had a Bruce Wayne type guy on the first square.  The second square has a lightening bolt.  Pull it down a bit more, and Batman appears.

I also had stamped Make a Wish on the tab that pulls down.  Pull it down even further, and Batman flips up to reveal CELEBRATE. 

The "Make a Wish" stamp is from the Perfect Pennants stamp set and "celebrate!" came from And Many More, a new stamp set in the 2014-2015 catalog.

Other supplies used:

• Cardstock:  Bermuda Bay, Whisper White
• Designer Series Paper:  Confetti Celebration
• Brads

A Striped Scallop Day

Today was one of my monthly stamp camp classes.  I had made a "diaper fold pouch" and filled it with teabags for each person.  One of these was at each person's place at the table. I used the Tea Party Stamp Set by Stampin' Up! to decorate the front of it.

In class today, we made a card below using the Striped Scallop Thinlit (for the Big Shot).

Besides the Striped Scallop Thinlit, I also used:

• Beautiful Bunch Stamp Set
• Fun Flower Punch
• And Many More Stamp Set

Ryn is one of the regulars in the class.  She decided to experiment and add a splash of color to the Striped Scallop.  She also curved her flower petals out; I had curved my flower petals down.  I love how her card turned out:

One more card I made using the Striped Scallop thinlit is below.  I used Bermuda Bay colored cardstock for the base of the card and cut the striped scallop using Coastal Cabana cardstock.  The feather stamp is from the A Happy Horray Stamp Set.

I've become intrigued with all the possible uses of the Striped Scallop thinlit.  It's my new favorite item in the new catalog -- at least until I turn the page and something else catches my eye.

Two Cards

My college roommate's mother celebrated her 90th birthday, so I made the card below for her.  The card is in white, black, and gold.  The flowers were made using the Petite Petals punch and the pansy punch from the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (available June 2, 2014).  A black Candy Dot in the center of the flowers finished them off nicely.

The card below is a teabag holder card I made for a friend.  I met Diana when our husbands were in navigator training school in the Air Force back in 1981.  Once the card is untied, there is an envelope (made with the envelope punch board) that holds a tea bag.  She'll love the card.  Her birthday is in July, so I haven't mailed this one yet.  By the way, the blue designs above and below the bow are just two sections of the soon-to-be retired (retires June 1) Delicate Details Lace Tape.  I colored the lacy circles with the new Stampin' Blendabilities markers.  These new markers are alcohol ink markers made for blending and shading, but they also color those hard-to-color items like rhinestones and the lace tape.  I used the Tea Party stamp set.

I have a few more cards to make this week, and then I must start planning my upcoming classes.  I love every minute of planning the cards and teaching the classes.

Tina

Easy-to-Make Napkin Rings

I was having some friends over for dinner, so I wanted something new for the napkins.  I saw some napkin rings that Lisa Harlow, a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, made and decided to make my own version of them.  They turned out quite cute, if I do say so myself.

I had a fork and knife in each napkin and wrapped it in Designer Series Paper.  The clothespin held it all together. 

Supplies used:

Designer Series Paper:  Gingham Garden

Accessories:  The mini clothespins were part of the Tag a Bag Accessory Kit, but they are also are available in silver and gold in the spring catalog - Mini Metallic Clothespins

Stampset:  Oh, Goodie from the holiday catalog

Card holder and Cards

I was a bit surprised to realize that the last time I posted to my blog was January 18.  I guess it was time to take pictures of my cards and projects.  I tend to forget that part of the process -- taking the pictures before giving the card away.

Last month at stamp camp, we made the card holder pictured below.  The roses were fun to make using the Spiral Flower Originals Die.  If you have a Big Shot and don't have the spiral flower die, you may want to think about getting it!  Anyway, the holder has a 1/4" spine, so it holds four cards and envelopes quite nicely.

At the upcoming March stamp camp, we will make the two cards pictured below.  Both cards coordinate with the card holder. For the first card, I used three punches to make the flowers:  Pansy, Petite Petals, and Boho Blossoms.

I used the Happy Watercolor stamp set for the card below.  It's one of my favorite stamp sets from the Spring catalog.

There are a couple other projects for the upcoming stamp camp, but I'll save those photos for another post.

Tina

My Stamping Space and Framelit Storage Solution

We had an old white board laying around, so I decided to try an idea I've seen a couple other Stampin' Up! demonstrators do to organize their framelits (thank you for the idea Wendy Waldman and Yapha Mason).  In the past, all my framelits were stored in the plastic envelope they came in, so I'd have to search envelope by envelope to find the one I wanted.  Now, I  only need to glance up on the wall above my Big Shot.  I put one-inch magnetic strips across the white board and my framelits stick quite nicely to the magnet.

Below is a close-up of the board:

When we moved into our current home 2 1/2 years ago, this spare bedroom was our reading room.  In fact, my husband Tom had a comfortable recliner in the corner where he would read and listen to music.  But, as I got into stamping and needed more space, the room morphed into what it is today.  First, Tom installed Elfa shelves and drawer units in the closet for me.  It seemed like a lot of room -- for a while.  Below is a photo of the closet.

We got a sturdy work table also from the Elfa system at the Container Store.  The table is perfect when I stamp and plan, but it is too low (causing a backache) for all the cutting I was doing for my classes.  

And, that's why I moved into the other corner of the room with a higher work area (for my paper cutter and Big Shot), lots of storage, and great lighting.

Tom's reading chair was moved into a corner of our bedroom, and he is very happy reading there.  I think I have enough stamping space now, but my friend and upline, Pennie, laughed.  I think she knows something I don't know...

Card in a Box

I made a card-in-a-box for my brother. A huge thank you to Tanya Bell for the wonderful video tutorial she posted at http://stampingt.com.au/blog/?p=14141. 

Since I made this card for my brother who had knee-replacement surgery, I wanted a masculine look to it. I had to use a couple retired stamp sets to get the coffee pot and s{ick} stamps.

I used the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper because he likes eagles and this series of paper had birds on one of the sheets.  Also, I felt it had a masculine look to it.

Above is a photo of how the card folds up and fits in an envelope. 

The back panel is perfect to write a message.  I sent the card in a get-well package I sent to him. 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Marina Mist

Designer Series Paper:  Modern Medley

Stamp Sets:  A Dozen Thoughts, Tag It, From My Heart

Other:  Essentials Wooden Elements 

Wedding Place Cards

For a wedding gift for a friend, I made the wedding reception place cards.  I made the tents from the Brushed Silver Cardstock.  You really have to see this cardstock to appreciate how pretty it is.  The names were printed on Whisper White Cardstock.  The bride and groom printed the tags on the cardstock, so I only had to cut them apart and add the table numbers.

The Pikorua design on each tag (also featured on their wedding invitation and the wedding program) is a Maori symbol that "encompasses the solidifying of two people's love for one another."

Below is a close-up of the "tent."

The wedding, of course, was lovely!  Since the groom is Scottish, he wore a kilt (as did the best man, his brother).  A bag piper walked down the aisle just before the bride and then stopped off to the side to play the music for the bride to come down the aisle.

My contribution to the wedding was done.  Everyone knew where to sit -- a minor yet important role, eh?

Little Shop of Horrors

No, my blog post title isn't describing my stamping room.  I am referring to the play Little Shop of Horrors.  It's coming to Seattle in March and we bought tickets to it for my daughter for a birthday gift.  I made the card below for her, too.  Now, if you've never seen the play or movie, the card will not make much sense.  But she knew immediately that it was Audrey 2, the carnivorous plant in the play.

I must give credit to Amy Downing for the basic design.  I saw her card and used it to make my own version.  Amy's website is at http://amyzingcards.blogspot.com/, but she never did post a picture of her card on her blog.  Thank you, Amy, for the inspiration!

And, just in case you're worried ;-) that I spoiled the birthday surprise for my daughter (since her birthday is in January), I already gave her the card and had her choose the date she could make it to the play.  I even had a leaf poking out of the back of the envelope to give a hint of what was inside.

I also wrote a poem for the inside the card based on the play's theme song, Suddenly Seymour.  It was hokey but cute.

FYI, Little Shop of Horrors is a fun movie, too.  It stars Rick Moranis and also has Steve Martin, John Candy, James Belushi, Christopher Guest, Bill Murray, and Ellen Greene.

Happy New Year.

Gift Bags Galore

At my last downline meeting, we made gift bags using the Envelope Punch Board.  Then, we made bows using the envelope punch board, too.  I tell you, I use that envelope punch board a lot!

Below is a picture of one of the bags we made in class.  I normally would put a tag on it to hang down the front, but this one is going in a Christmas stocking, so I left the tag off.


My friend Ryn was in the class, and she went home and made several (well, it looks like she made at least eight) of the bags.  She punched holes and tied ribbons for the bows, and look how cute her bags are!  Thanks, Ryn, for sending me the photo of your bags so I could share it.  The tag hanging down looks great, too.

Merry Christmas.

Pop-Up Tree Card

For anyone who really knows me, you know I hate fussy-cutting.  However, I will do it when there's a card I absolutely love.  I found the pop-up Christmas tree card directions at http://extremecards.blogspot.com/ and want to thank Carol at Extreme Cards and Papercrafting for sharing her projects and patterns.  The pattern and instructions are at http://extremecards.blogspot.com/2011/12/3d-christmas-tree-pop-up-card-tutorial.html .

The front of the card looks like a regular Christmas card.  I used Stampin' Up! products to make the card front.  The card pictured below was made for Judy (my neighbor and my downline).

Once opened, the card pops to life with a three-dimensional tree.  This inside pop-up is what I learned how to make using the pattern provided by extremecards.blogspot.com.  Cute, eh? 

Here's a picture of another card I made for Sandy, another member of my downline:

These cards were fun to make and even more fun for folks to receive.  Check out extreme cards website.  It's great.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  Island Indigo, Night of Navy, Whisper White, and Silver Foil Sheet

Stamp Sets:  Christmas Messages, More Merry Messages

Framelits:  Festive Flurry Framelits Dies

Other:  Glitter Paper

Tina

Finally

I made an exploding box to hold a gift card for my son's girlfriend's birthday.  I finally was able to give it to her yesterday.  I also carved a stamp of their French bulldog puppy for her.

First, the stamp.  I made the box to hold the stamp and a black stampin' spot (ink pad) for her.  I love the new Undefined Stamp Carving Kit.  It takes a little practice, but I was able to make the stamp to look like their new puppy.

Here's a better picture of what I carved:

I also made Alicia an exploding box.  On one side, I put a card that had the months and days so I could mark her birthday.  I had each of the fours sides of the outside of the box decorated different from one another.

Of course, when you open the box, it "explodes" open.  I had a gift card standing up in the middle.

I've had fun making and giving these exploding boxes. 

Supplies used:

Cardstock:  12" x 12" Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black

Ribbon:  Cherry Cobbler 1" Stitched Edge Grosgrain Ribbon

Stamp Sets:  Six-Sided Sampler, Chalk Talk, Bring on the Cake, Yippee-Skippee!

Misc:  Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Exploding with Candy

I'm teaching a stamp class for a woman's group tonight, and I have two members of the group who will be my assistants since it's a large group.  To thank them, I've made them each an exploding box with peppermint candy inside.  Here's the outside.

The top of the box is so simple yet pretty that I took a photo of it, too.

When the lid is lifted off, the sides fall open.  The weight of the candies make the sides fall right down.  

Supplies Used:

Stamp set:  Best of Christmas

Stamp pad:  Cherry Cobbler

Paper:  Gold and Silver Foil Sheets, Cherry Cobbler cardstock, Season of Style Designer Series Paper, Whisper White cardstock

Embellishment:  Frosted Finishes Embellishments

Punches used:  Large Oval, Scallop Oval, Christmas Ornament Punch

I used  glue dots to hold the candy onto the sides.  I used the Stampin' Trimmer Small Scallop Rotary Cutting Blade on the corner pieces so it gives those corners a pretty edge.

I so loved how this box turned out that we made them at my downline meeting on Friday, too.  There's something about silver and gold together that just makes me happy.

Exploding Birthday Card/Box

Hi,

I made this card for my friend (and coworker), but I wanted to wait until I gave it to her before I posted it.  I spritzed sparkle on the sides of the box--maybe you can see it in the picture below.

When she removed the lid, the box opened.  There is a pumpkin standing up in the center because her birthday is on Halloween.

The other side of the pumpkin is a flower.  I avoided the traditional Halloween look for her card this year.

I will be making this exploding box with my downline this coming week.  We'll also make the exploding box I posted on my blog on August 25 (or click here).

Thanks for looking.

Tina

My Autumn Banner

I wasn't sure I'd like the Build a Banner Simply Created Kit in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog, so I didn't order it.  When my friend, Pennie, invited me over to make a banner with her, I wasn't sure what to expect.  Well, what fun it turned out to be!  The kit has 18 blank canvas pennants, twine, and alphabet and image stencils.  I made an autumn banner to hang over the fireplace.  I decided not to use the letter stencils on this one, but now I wonder if I should have done "THANKFUL" like Pennie did on hers.  Nonetheless, I love it AND I had a lot of fun designing it.  Thanks, Pennie.  If you want to visit Pennie's blog, a link to it is in the right-hand column on my blog.

Until next time, happy autumn.

Downline Stamp Class

I had a stamp class with my downline earlier in the week.  Below is a picture of my downline:  Sandy, Judy, and Ryn.  As you can see, we were making Grinch Christmas cards.

Judy (below) is working on a washi tape Christmas card, the second card we made that day.

Ryn and Sandy (below l to r) are using the Big Shot.

Judy made some high heel cupcakes to share with us.  These were practice for the ones she and Sandy made later in the week for a church gathering.  If you look closely at the yellow ones in the center front, you can see the "high heels."  I wish I had taken a side view so you could really see the platform high heels.  Very cute.  As you can see, Judy is quite talented at cake-making as well as card-making.

Does seeing those cupcakes make you want one?  I generally don't care for cake (or pie or cookies...), but these make me want a taste.  Truth be told, Judy did share them with the group, so I had one for dessert that very day.  And yes, they were delicious as well as pretty.