The Theory of Creativity

Birthday Card using my latest toy...

2010-03-05T12:48:00.004-06:00

For Christmas this year I bought myself a Silhouette SD. It's sorta like a Cricut but you just hook it up to your 'puter and it will cut anything you tell it to....fonts, images, line drawings, anything you want. Love it!!!

I wanted to make a birthday card for my friend Carol Vann, and I had this idea in my head.

Turned out pretty much as I pictured it...which is saying a lot for me. Usually I have a very hard time translating what I see in my head with what I can actually make the paper and ink do. KWIM? The machine had a wee bit of trouble with tiny ends of the branches, but I just needed the main parts to mount the flowers on. Looks sorta like cherry blossoms.

Happy birthday, Carol!!

Enjoy!

Haitian Relief

2010-02-02T08:59:00.001-06:00

We've all been touched by the images coming out of Haiti. Scenes of devastation but also of unbelievable miracles. In order to assist in some small way with this disaster, Stampin' Up is donating $2 from the sale of every I {Heart} Hearts set to the American Red Cross.

In addition, I'm donating my entire commission on ALL sales through January 31st. I will be placing one large order on Thursday, January 28th or you can order any time through my website.

Our prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy.

Scroll down to see more posts as this will remain on top of new posts until next month. Thanks!

Control Freaks Blog Hop!

2010-01-19T20:15:00.006-06:00

Howdy! Weren't Wendy's creations awesome?!? She's so creative. If you came here first, make sure you go back and check out Wendy's blog: Wickedly Wonderful Creations.

Continuing on with our theme of Valentines, Love and other mushy stuff (as my DS says), I've come up with a couple of ideas to share with you. The first is this adorable card:

I wanted to make more of masculine card for this one. I started out by using our Heart to Heart punch twice on a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock. Next I applied adhesive all over the back and stuck on several pieces of our gorgeous new 5/8" satin ribbon to cover all the punched openings. Here is a close up:

I really liked the effect this created. You could create more texture by varying the type of ribbon used, using several different colors, or by running the ribbon on the diagonal. I'm still getting the hang of our new Pinking Hearts punch... :)

For my next project, I knew I wanted to make a treat holder. My kids have outgrown giving Valentine's Day treats to their friends, but these are so fun to make I just might make some for MY friends!

I started off by running a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock through the Big Shot with our exclusive Fancy Favors XL die. Punch out the heart with the large heart punch and wheel over the bottom half with I{love} Love jumbo wheel in Real Red. Then I ran a strip of Real Red Textured cardstock using the same die. Glue the real red strip the the box and finish assembling it. Voila...easy-peasy treat boxes!

What's a gift without a card, right? I found the cutest idea on Karen Burniston's blog (she designs most of Stampin' Up pop-up dies for Sizzix) for a pop-up heart. You can go here to get the directions for yourself. I would suggest that you practice making the heart with some scrap paper before you try doing it with our nice cardstock...there is a bit of a learning curve.

Here is the inside of the card partially open...

and fully open.

Now it's time to skip on over to Cindy Major's blog. Ba-Bye!

Shimmer Paints Are Staying Put

2009-12-17T06:34:00.000-06:00

Good news--Stampin' Up! just announced that the Shimmer Paints are carrying over to the next mini catalog. So they'll be available at least through April 30th, 2010

Dormant Stamp sets retiring on January 4th

2009-12-05T07:20:00.000-06:00

The following stamps sets aren't in the current catalog but are available for purchase on the dormant list. However, after January 4th they will no longer be available. Unless you have last year's catalog, the best way to view them is thru my online store. Go here, click on SHOP NOW and type the item number in the search box.

113407 Back Woods

114492 Beautiful Baby

114486 Birthday Wish

113200 Branch Out

114496 Celebrations

113732 Central Park

113206 Classic Sketches

113226 Classy & Fabulous

114498 Flowers in Silhouette

113405 Font of You

113216 For the Bride

114494 Forever

109425 Friend by Definition

114488 Fun Flowers

113716 Garden Greetings

114490 Glad Friends

111580 Grand Soiree

113242 Hit the Road

113710 Lexicon of Leaves

113236 Man's Best Friend

114423 Ocean Commotion

113728 Playful Petals

109276 Polka Dot

111544 Putt Putt

113240 Quilt Quips

113754 Really Retro

113403 Sip by Sip

113726 Sweet Stems

113250 That's Funny

113688 Wonderful Watercolors

114028 Para la novia

114032 Acuarelas Maravillosas

Tutorial: Embossed Foil

2009-11-14T07:37:00.000-06:00

As promised here is a short tutorial on how to make the foil background on this card.

What you'll need:

Cardstock
Adhesive
Aluminum Foil--heavy duty works best
Stampin Up! Textured Impression Embossing Folder
Big Shot machine and required plates

I started by deciding how big I wanted the foil layer to be. It's much easier than trying to cut it down later--the foil tends to tear and you'll just be frustrated!

Once you've decided on the size, cut out a piece of cardstock in whatever color you have laying around. I used a color that I don't like because you can't see it anyway on the finished project. You'll need a way to cover the entire piece of cardstock with adhesive. Stampin Up's sticky pages work great for this. However, I was out of that so I just ran it thru my Xyron.

On your aluminum foil there is a shiny side and a dull side. Since you want the shiny side to show on your card, place the sticky side of the cardstock onto the dull side of the foil. Trim the excess foil with scissors (did you know that this will also sharpen your scissors at the same time!?!) or fold the excess to the back of the cardstock and tack down with adhesive.

On the Textured Impression Embossing Folders there is a positive "mountain" side and a negative "valley" side. You want to place the foil piece into the folder so that the foiled side is facing the positive "mountain" side and run it thru the Big Shot machine. Carefully remove the embossed piece from the folder. It can stick and you don't want to tear the foil.

I found through trial and error that it helps to run a brayer over the finished piece to smooth out the foil. If you decide to do this step, do it lightly so you don't press out the embossing.

Here is a close up of the embossed foil.

Now just complete your project. This would make great backgrounds for masculine cards. Give it a try!

My Digital Studio Tutorial: "Cutting Ribbon"

2009-11-07T11:01:00.000-06:00

OK, I'll admit it...I'm addicted to the new My Digital Studio program! However, I'm not a straight ribbon girl. I like the ribbon on my IRL (in real life) papercrafting to have a sparrow tail end on it. But there's not really a way to do this with MDS, so I came up with my own way.

Disclaimer: I haven't printed this out yet, so I don't know what it will look like on "paper". It could look like what it is--an orange arrow on brown ribbon. So don't send me a bill if you do this and end up with 10 cards with arrows and ribbons!! :) But it looks good on the screen so it's worth a shot....

Here is the finished product:

Read on to see how to do this in MDS.

Cutting Ribbon in MDS

Open MDS and begin a new project (I'm using a card layout.) Select your background paper in the Background tab of the Design Center. It is best if it's a solid color. I'm using Pumpkin Pie.

Click on Embellishment and add a ribbon. Resize it and move it until it's positioned so that the left side of the ribbon is on the project.

At the bottom right hand corner of the MDS screen is a zoom tool. Make it as large as possible. This will make it easier to align the next few steps.

Now click on Punches in your Design Center. Select the Medium Arrow punch.

Click on the Mirror tool on the Punches Design center. This will flip the point of the arrow so it's facing the ribbon.

Now resize and move the arrow around until it's lined up with the end of the ribbon and looks like it's "cut" the ribbon into the swallow tail shape.

In the Punch Design Center, select Color Fill and change the color of the arrow to match your background paper. In this case I'll select Pumpkin Pie.

Now hold down the shift key while you click on the ribbon. This will "select" both the ribbon and the arrow punch. In the upper right corner of the MDS screen is a tab called Arrange. Click on that, then select Group.(You can also just type Control-G to do the same thing.) This will lock the ribbon and punch together so you can move them around as one unit.

Here is the finished ribbon.

I think this same process will work if you use the square punch to just "trim" the ribbon at an angle. Try it!!

Reinker Spread Technique

2009-11-07T10:34:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to catch up on all of the projects we've done in class. I don't remember when we did this one. September maybe? It's called Reinker Spread and I learned it from Patty Bennett. You can go to her blog to see exactly how to do it. She even has a video for you to watch.

The rose is set up on dimensionals. We used the rose leaf stamp from Autumn Splendor out of the Holiday Mini. The cardbase is two scallop squares cut out using the big shot machine.

Mad Bloggin' Skillz!!

2009-11-05T09:54:00.003-06:00

I've got 'em! How do you like my new blog layout?!? I made it all by myself using our new My Digital Studio (which you can get for $40 if you host a qualifying workshop before November 30th.) I resisted getting this. Won't my paper and rubber feel lonely? I spend enough time on the 'puter already....do I really need another reason to stare at the screen all day?

Who needs digital papercrafting programs?

YOU DO!!!

Making the new blog background and banner took me about 10 minutes. (Figuring out how to load it onto Blogger took 3 days...but now that I've got all the kinks worked out I can show you how to do it in a snap...I think!!) If you can drag and drop, you can use MDS. It comes preloaded with about 30 our our stamp sets, all of the colors (even the retired In Colors!!), and a bunch of embellishments. Plus there will be additional downloads available.

See that Wish List icon to the right? I made that using MDS too. The best thing about MDS is that you can use it to design scrapbook layouts or cards before you ever put stamp to paper. How many times have you started making a project, hated it and pitched the whole thing in the trash? If you designed it in MDS first that wouldn't happen.

You can go HERE to my Stampin Up! business website to view a short video on MDS. If you think this might interest you let me know and we can set up a short demo session. I'm going to try to have this set up at our next few classes if anyone wants to take a look.

Now I'm a virtual crack dealer too!! :)~

October Technique Class

2009-11-04T05:09:00.000-06:00

For those of you who missed last month's class, here are the projects we worked on.

This one features the Embossed Foil Technique. Be sure to check back in a day or so for the full technique tutorial.

This card featured the Marker Spritz technique. I love how the colors of the pheasant appear to be watercolored.

For this tent card, we brayered over the new Bride foil paper with Night of Navy ink. The large scallop circle is dotted with the Frost White shimmer paint from the Holiday Mini.

Holiday Extravaganza!!

2009-11-03T07:06:00.004-06:00

THERE ARE ONLY 60 SHOPPING DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!! (more or less)

Are you panicking yet? :) I have not bought one single present so far--have you? Lucky for you I've got some of your problems solved. No, I don't have the latest Tickle Me Elmo or Halo 3 ODST stashed away for you. But if you need presents of the rubber and paper variety, I'm your gal.

From now until January 4th, Stampin Up is helping you celebrate Christmas in style with our Holiday Extravaganza.

For every $50 in merchandise purchased from the Holiday Gift-Giving Guide, you'll receive a FREE Definitely Decorative (formerly Decor Elements) valued up to $16.95.

In addition, I also offer Wish list service and Gift Certificates. If you'd rather not get another sweater this year, tell your gift-givers you'd like Stampin' Up in your stocking. You can either fill out a Wish list with all the things you'd like and give it to your honey or your honey can simply purchase a Gift Certificate for you to use later.

Making Rik Rak with your Scallop Punch

2009-04-10T08:12:00.004-05:00

The other technique we learned at the last technique class was how to make rik rak (I never know how to spell that!) using the scallop edged punch from Stampin' Up. It's actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I'm sure there are several ways of doing this, but this is how I came up with mine.

Look at your scallop punch. There's the actually punch mechanism and then on either side there's a guide with silver scallops on it. The top of the scallops are called "peaks" and the place where two scallops come together is called the "valley". See the picture below.

Start with a one inch wide strip of cardstock at least 2 inches longer than you'll need for your project ( so if it's going on a 5 1/2 inch wide card you'll need a strip at least 7 1/2 inches long.)
Slide it into the punch so that the bottom edge lines up with the valley of the two scallops that is just outside the punch mechanism and punch along the strip ALMOST to the end of the cardstock. You don’t want to go all the way to the end. You'll need the strip to remain one whole piece until your completely finished.
Now flip the strip over so that the unpunched side is in the punch and slide it down so the edge of the strip is at the peak of the scallop that is just outside the punch mechanism and punch along the strip almost to the end.
Trim to desired length, and voila, cardstock ric rak!!

Here is a close up picture of the ric rak on a card.

And the finished card. I used a sentiment from the Chitchat rub-ons.

Enjoy!

Stamps: Polka Dot Punches (SAB set)
Colors: Certainly Celery and So Saffron
SAB designer series paper.

It cuts like Buttah!!

2009-04-09T04:00:00.000-05:00

Oh...my...gosh!! I got my new Circle Scissors Plus from Stampin' Up the other day and the think cuts like buttah!! It's so cool. You turn that black dial to the size circle you want, insert the handy cutting tool, give it a twirl and voila...instant b-e-a-utiful circles.

At technique class last week, the girls and I had fun twirling out lots of circles. We made this card.

Cute, I know! It literally takes about 5 minutes to crank this out. The hardest part is cutting out the card base.

You can see on the left side of the brown card base that there is a straight edge along one side--that's the scored edge of a regular card base that I then cut out using the Circle Scissor. I basically scored an 5.5x11 inch piece of cardstock at 5.5 inches and placed the folded edge below the top of the circle so that the blade doesn't cut all the way thru. It takes a little practice to get it lined up just right, but once you get the hang of it it's pretty easy. Just don't ask me how much paper I wasted until I got the "hang" of it!! :)

Another hint is the cutting blades come with nifty little replaceable covers so you're protected from their razor-sharp edges. Just remember to REMOVE it when you go to cut something. I knew this but when I first sat down to do the prep work for class I couldn't figure out why the blade would not cut! I guess no amount of red dye is going to take away my blonde-ness!!! :)~

If you decide to invest in a Circle Scissors Plus, remember that you also need a glass cutting mat to use it on. To be honest I haven't tried it on any other sort of cutting mat, but the blade is VERY sharp and I don't know if even a self healing mat would work. The one that Stampin' Up sells comes in a really nice box with a carrying handle which works great for storing it away.

Feelin' crafty yet? You know you are.....

Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers
Colors: Tangerine Tango and Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Circle Scissor Plus, glass cutting mat

Kissed Backgrounds

2009-04-07T16:49:00.003-05:00

Here is my twist on the classic technique: Kissing. I call it Kissed Backgrounds. Before I give you the knitty-gritty, here is the finished product:

Ain't it gojus? I love that Baroque background stamp it's so scrumptious!

Now for the details on how to do the technique.

What you'll need:

2 background stamps, one with a solid image like Baroque and one with some open pattern on it, I used Bella Toile on this sample.
2 shades of the same color, one light and one dark. In this case I used Pacific Point and Bashful Blue.
Brayers (one for each color. This is very important because you do NOT want to be cleaning the brayer all the time.)

Ink a solid image background stamp with the lighter of two complimentary colors. (hint: suggested pairings are on your color wheel.)
Ink a second background stamp with the darker color.
Huff on both and stamp the one background onto the other and immediately stamp the solid background onto the cardstock.
Clean the solid BG stamp between applications so it doesn’t get muddy

Easy-peasy!! The other hint I have is when you are ready to stamp the image after kissing the backgrounds, lay the stamp down rubber side up, place the piece of cardstock on the rubber, lay a piece of copy paper paper over the top and rub over the cardstock down onto the image. It's really hard to get an even stamped image when you do it the traditional way.

Here is a close up that shows the pattern on pattern.

Break out those background stamps and give it a try!!

Stamps: Bella toile, Baroque, Elegant Cheer.
Colors: Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, Basic Gray

Accessories: Brayers, Lots of Tags sizzlets, Big Shot die cutting machine, Large Oval punch

Feelin' Groovy!

2009-02-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Stampin' up has released some delicious new Designer Series Paper. One of my new favorites is Morning Sunshine ( you can go here to view it or scroll to the bottom of this post). It's very retro and groovy. I'm also totally in love with our GoGo Boots diecut alphabet from Sizzix. The letters are adorable and just the right size for a card.

I had the Kiwi cardbase and the chocolate chip textured circle left over from a recent class so I decided to see what I could come up with. What do you think? As JanTink says...Yes, I love myself or YILM!!! Aren't those little kiwi buttons the cutest thing evah? And our new eyelet border punch...yumm-O!!

Another variation of the same theme. I'm submitting this to SU for their monthly contest for us demos. Wish me luck!

Here is the Morning Sunshine paper. Love it! Go stamp something!!

Faux Tea Staining and Ink Pad Stria

2009-02-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Everyone is familiar with the technique Faux Silk using tissue paper (if not, you can find the directions for it here). Here's my twist on it: if you apply a solid background stamp (as in our now-retired Floral Background) to the tissue paper and then adhere it to brown cardstock (cocoa or caramel works best, but so saffron is good option too), the image appears tea stained. I used ModPodge to adhere the tissue paper.

Here's another technique for you to try: I call it Ink Pad Striation. On a solid image stamp of good size like Fabulous Flowers (which is also retired...sorry...both of these were from my Kiss 'Em Good-bye class in January), simply ink up the stamp so it's nice and juicy and then drag the edge of the pad from the center out to create striations in the image. Here's a close up of the image:

And the whole card.

Be creative today!

Buzzin' By with some new stuff!

2009-02-23T10:29:00.002-06:00

I know I'm almost a month late in posting new catalog goodies, but I've been "buz-z-z-y". This is the new Just Buzzin' By set. The bees are absolutely the cutest things ever! I stamped the hive on Summer Sun and added some white craft ink for highlight. It's also 3-D using dimensionals as is the hive's base. Here's a close up:

Enjoy!

Card Recipies

2009-01-18T08:49:00.002-06:00

I guess Stampin' Up is going green! That's the only reason I can think of as to why they decided NOT to print the card recipes in the back of the catalog this go around. Not to fear, however! They've provided us the details for all the samples in this handy PDF which you can print off of you'd like. Warning, it's 23 pages long!! The neat thing is that they put the pictures of the specific sample right next to the recipe so we no longer have to guess if it's sample A or C. :) I'm going to add this to the sidebar as a widget which you can link to anytime.

I'm thinking of having my catalog spiral bound and if I do, I'll be printing this off to include in the binding.

I'm off to savor the catalog...for the fourth time! :)

My baby...and some stamping!

2008-12-08T11:25:00.007-06:00

Do your kids have Facebook pages? My darling daughter has one and forgets that when she uses my computer (she DOES have her own, but refuses to use it!!) that i can log-on to her page without needing to know her password! Anywho, this is her profile picture. Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?!? She turned 18 over the summer and we're in the midst of the whole college application drama. Fun, fun, fun!

Now how 'bout some stamping?

I made this card over the weekend to include in a customer's bag of goodies. I totally copied the scallop circle part from the monthly magazine demonstrators get every month from Stampin' Up that's chock-full of ideas for cards and such. It's one of the best parts of being a demo. As far as the items used to make this card, it's pretty self evident, but if you have any questions, just leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

I'm working on making some prayer journals for the girls in my bible study group. And I'm working on making some ornaments using the Holiday Collection chipboard and DSP. So check back over the next few days for more crafting ideas.

Get crafty!!

Shop in your jammies!!

2008-11-26T07:23:00.003-06:00

We already know Stampin' Up is awesome, right? Well, they've outdone themselves this time! We're starting our traditional after-Thanksgiving shopping day, Black Friday, two days early! Stampin Up is offering up to 50% off bundles of products. You can click on the picture below to view the PDF flier with all the details. Orders may be placed through my website or by emailing or calling me anytime.

These offers are good until December 1st or while supplies last (I have no idea what that means, but I suppose they don't want you to delay ordering, eh?) There is no minimum to buy and you can order as many bundles as you'd like. Plus they're telling us in advance which items will be retiring when the new catalog comes out in January (Well-worn alphabet and numbers, and Starstruck).

Also, don't forget about the rub-on special going on right now. Take 20% off all rub-ons after a $20 purchase. So order a Holiday Extravaganza bundle and throw in some rub-ons!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that when you begin to count your blessings you have too many to number.

Katy

Tutorial: How to mount a set so you don't have to use a Stamp-a-majig clear sheet

2008-11-21T05:55:00.001-06:00

Pshhewww...that's a long title, isn't it?!? :) Today I'm going to teach you how to mount a two-step stamp set so you don't have to use the clear position sheet with your Stamp-a-majig each time you stamp. Sounds fun, eh?

What you'll need:

Stamp set
Stamp-a-majig (SAM)
SAM positioning sheet
Staz-on black ink pad
Double sided tape

Step 1

Mount whichever stamp will be the first image of the two step stamp. In this set, it's the solid butterfly. Just mount this as you normally would without using the SAM.

Step 2

Lay the clear positioning sheet into the crook of the SAM, and ink up the stamp with the Staz-on black ink, and stamp it onto the clear sheet so that the block is in the corner of the SAM. (clean your stamp with Staz-on cleaner immediately so it doesn't stain.)

Step 3

Cover the stamped image on the positioning sheet with 3-4 strips of the double sided tape so that the entire image is covered.

Step 4

Peel off the backing of the stamp you're going to mount next, but don't remove it. This just makes it easier to remove later. Press it lightly back on the stamp.

Step 5

Line up the stamp with the positioning sheet so that the double stick tape will adhere to the rubber side of the stamp. You'll have to eye-ball this to make sure the two images line up. You can keep unsticking it and resticking it until they line up to your satisfaction. It's not going to be absolutely perfect so don't spend too much time on this step. It can drive you crazy if you try to be perfect...trust me on this one!

(this picture looks weird!! But I'm holding the positioning sheet

above the stamp so I can see how they're lining up. Sorta makes me dizzy...)

Step 6

Lay the position sheet flat on the table with the PAPER BACKING SIDE OF THE STAMP FACING YOU, now carefully peel back the stamp's backing and place the SAM so that it fits onto the corner of the positioning sheet.

Step 7

While firmly holding onto the SAM and positioning sheet so they don't move, slide the stamp's wooden block into the corner and press it down onto the sticky side of the stamp.

Repeat with all the "generations" of the set.

To use the set, simply stamp the first stamp where ever you'd like it BUT DON'T LIFT UP THE STAMP, place the SAM around the corner of the stamp, THEN remove the stamp. Now ink up the second stamp and slide it into the corner. Voila, perfect placement every time!!

Here's another tip: you CAN remount your already mounted stamps using this method. Simply pop the second or third "generation" of image stamps into the microwave for about 7-8 seconds to release the adhesive on the foam. I've discovered that the backer paper on glue dots can be used to hold the stamp while you position it on the SAM sheet.

Gimme a C, Gimme an R, Gimme an E....

2008-11-20T17:34:00.009-06:00

What does that spell? C-R-E-A-T-E ! Which, by the way looks like it's spelled wrong to me now since I've been saying it over and over again in my mind so I didn't hang the letters in the wrong order! Which, by the way, would TOTALLY be something that I would do!! :)

Anywho, I worked on these letters all day on Saturday. I was really in the zone...something that hasn't happened in a while. I'm trying to use up all of the craft crap that I have laying around before I buy new stuff. Hey, the word is TRY, gimme a break!! :)

Here are a few close ups of the letters:

Now if I ever forget why I'm sitting in my Craft Cave all I have to do is look up! :)

Are you feelin' crafty, yet?

BTW-- the letters are the $1.99 paper mache letters from Hobby Lobby. I used our retired chocolate satin ribbon to cover the edges of the letters since we don't own any craft paint (I know!! shocking, right?!? You thought I owned every craft thing-a-mabob out there didn't you?!?) I had to find something to cover the yucky recycled paper sides. Works great!!

Dawn of a new creation....

2008-11-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

When we were last together, I reminded you that you don't have to come up with ideas all on your own. This card is a great example of that. I stole...er copied the idea for this card right from a fellow blogger, Dawn McVey. I absolutely love her style. It's so clean, crisp and generally awesome. I want to be her when I grow up!!

Unfortunately, her work is so good that you can't see her original anymore!! It's been removed from her blog for publication. Go, Dawn, Go!! :)

I ran the top note die cut through the BS again using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder. Here's a hint: die cut the piece first and THEN use the embossing folder. 'cause if you try to emboss before die cutting, then the pressure of the machine flattens out the embossing. This is a cool look too, but not what I was going for. The embossing is also on the reverse so the dots are poking toward the back. I liked the smoother look. I used polar fleece and felt along with the Sizzix Flower Layers die to make the flower. I'm LOVIN' this die! As you'll see in my next card!!

This idea was also stolen...er..CASED from Dawn. Her original is still there so check it out. I love how this one turned out. The secret is to distress the flower parts a little after you die cut them. It gives just the right amount of dimension to the flower.

Are you feelin' crafty yet?!?

Ain't Life Grand

Stamps: Grand Soiree Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note die, Flower Layers die, Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots

AbFab Flower

Stamps: Absolutely Fabulous, Accessories, (see above) Safron DSP

Variations on a theme

2008-11-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite parts of being a demonstrator is helping people unlock their creativity. I don't feel like I have a creative bone in my body, but the great thing about using Stampin' Up products is that a lot of the work is done for you. The images in a set all coordinate together, the ink and paper colors all go together, and our catalog is filled to the brim with ideas. Of course there are a ton of Blogs and websites with ideas too. One thing I tell everyone is to find an idea you like and then make it your own by changing one or two elements of the original.

The project below is made with elements from one of the SU Regional kits I told you about in my last post. However, I think that project we were supposed to make was...well... um...yucky? :) So I just stamped the parts that I needed and took the rest home to try to salvage. This is what I came up with.

(Sorry for the bad picture. I'm still trying to get the hang of the photography thing! ) This was supposed to be a treat holder, but I don't give out treats--'cause I'm a hoarder!!-- so I made it into a card instead. That Scandinavian set is totally NOT my style, but I was able to use elements of the original design to make it my own.

So, today's challenge is to find a project--whether it's from my blog, the catalog, someone's gallery, whatever--and change certain elements of it to make it your own. Then send me a link or attach it to an email. Get crafty!!!

Stamps: Scandinvian Season set and wheel, Boho Backgrounds

Paper: Baja Breeze textured cardstock, Tangerine Tango, old Olive and whisper white cardstock, watercolor paper

Accessories: scallop edge punch, slit punch to make larger scallop edge, silver brad, aquapainters, VersaMark pad.

Starting 'Em Young!!

2008-11-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

My good friend, Julie, has the most adorable sweetest little girl named Avery (just like my sweet niece!!) who loves to craft. For her 9th birthday, Avery asked me to come and do a craft with her friends. Of course, anything I can do to further her addiction is OK with me! They don't call me the Crack Dealer for nothing... ;)~

This is what I came up with.

I've had these little felt pails from the Target Dollar Spot (my FAVORITE place in the whole world!!!) forever. They came with these hideous sparkly flowers on them so I ripped those off and had the girlies cut out some felt flowers using the Big Shot. We attached them with some brads using the amazing Crop-a-dile and the Big Bite. We also stamped name tags for each girl.

Cute, huh?!?

Make it your own.

2008-11-15T10:44:00.004-06:00

When we attend Regional Seminars with Stampin' Up one of the best parts is the projects we get to make while we're there. I mean what's a stampin' up gathering without a little stampin', right? Well, since I was a make n'take helper, I had to "work" instead of craft. Which was fine because SU sends all the helpers the kits before hand. One of the kits was to make a scrapbook page with a snow theme. Two things...I don't scrapbook and I live in South Texas which means we don't get a lot of snow. BUT my BF-IRL (best friend in real life), Jenn does scrapbook AND she gets lots...and lots...and lots of snow way up north in Michigan. So I decided to make that kit into a little plaque she can hang in her house somewhere. Jenny, quit reading right now!!!

This is what I came up with.

It's hard to see in this picture, but I ran a piece of Pacific Blue through the Big Shot using our snowflake dies. Then I ran them through the Xyron and added some glitter. Adorable, if I do say so myself!! I covered the chipboard pieces with Craft ink and heat set it with the heat gun. This is a lifesaver if you're working with craft ink which MIGHT dry by the time Spring springs!

This is the card I made to go with it. I got some nestabilities (using my 40% off Hobby Lobby coupon!!) and I used one of the scallop circles to make a sort of frame around the main image. I'm a lousy photographer so I don't know if you can see that or not.

Once again, I used my new favorite trick--shredded ribbon--to add some flair to the boring knot.

Voila!! These adorable one of a kind creations will be on their way to Jenn soon. What have you crafted today?

Stamps: Best Wishes and More , Best Yet (hostess set)

Paper: Pacific Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White

Accessories: nestabilities, Big Shot , old olive wide ribbon , Pacific Point stripped ribbon, punches,

Blah, blah, blah....

2008-10-31T09:29:00.004-05:00

Look over there 3 ....to the left of this post. See my new profile picture? That's me and Shelli Gardner, the founder of Stampin' Up! (For those of you who don't know how kewl that is imagine being able to meet the most important person in your industry or hobby...a famous writer or a talk show host...whatever..that's what Shelli is to us demos. ) I got to meet and talk with her in person at the San Antonio regionals last weekend. Everyone says she's the nicest person...and it's true. I can't imagine pretending that I'm interested in what 550 crazy women have to say but she pulls it off well. She even said she liked my hair and asked me lots of questions about it. I sort of worked at the regionals as a make n' take helper and at the end she made a point to thank us for helping out. How cool is that?!? :)

Now...would you like to seem some of my fabulous stamping? {insert rolling eyes emoticon here}

Fabulous, right? I had to take this picture indoors so the color is a little off. I whipped this up to include with one of my customer's orders. Here is an up close view of the ribbon. Just pull the threads apart and tie them in the knot. simple, simple, simple!

Stamps: Picket Silhouettes

Paper: More mustard cardstock, Autumn Vine DSP

More mustard ribbon, chocolate chip classic ink

2008-10-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

My baby sister, Carrie, has two adorable kids, Cole who's in Kindergarten and Avery who turned two in the Spring. God chose to bless my darling sister with some rain--both Cole and Avery are on the Autism spectrum. Thankfully, Carrie found a wise neurologist who placed Cole on some medication that has performed a miracle in his life. He's been able to attend regular Kindergarten this year and if things keep progressing like they are now, he might not need an aide next year. God does perform miracles and Cole is just one of them!!!

Our darling Avery has been diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. A degenerative neurological disorder caused by a mutation of one of her genes. Go here to the Rett Syndrome website to learn more. Carrie and Avery are taking part in a fundraiser to help fight this disease which has stolen our precious girl from us.
Here is an excerpt from Carrie's blog regarding some exciting news about a possible cure for Rett and how you can help!
Hey ya'll! It is October; a time for cooler weather, beautiful changing leaves, and more importantly Rett Syndrome Awareness Month! This year, I am trying to make it “Rett Syndrom ACTION Month” as well. Since you are “aware” of Rett Syndrome, I am asking you to help me take action.

As you know, our daughter, Avery, suffers greatly from Rett syndrome. This devastating disease has taken away her ability to walk well, talk, and use her hands but it has not taken away her spirit, laughter, and love. She truly is my personal inspiration. In honor of Avery, I am joining the non-profit organization Girl Power 2 Cure to help fund Rett Syndrome research.

A few facts about Rett Syndrome to consider:

It is a debilitating neurological disorder that mainly affects girls.
It is the most severe form of AUTISM
It is the leading cause of severe impairment in females – most cannot speak, walk, or use their hands
It is caused by a random gene mutation that every baby girl has an equal chance of acquiring.
Another baby girl is born afflicted every 90 minutes
It COULD be the first childhood neurological disorder CURED!!

Did I just say CURED?

THE CURE IS CLOSE, Yes!! There is amazing research going on RIGHT NOW that has the potential to give Avery back everything she has lost. We are very hopeful for treatments or a possible cure!

Of course, this takes continued research and Girl Power 2 Cure, Inc. uses 100% of their proceeds to fund the top Rett Syndrome research labs in the world. To make a donation in honor of Avery and help change the lives of hundreds of thousands of little girls just like mine, visit our family’s personal page: www.girlpower2cure.org/avery and click the “donate” button.

SPONSOR A DRUG

To really make an impact, also consider sponsoring a drug in honor of Avery. There is a crucial project needing funding which will test all 3,000 pre-approved FDA drugs. There could be help for Avery on the shelf just waiting! One drug costs just $168 to test. Click the link on our family page, or go directly to: www.rsrt.org/news/Sponsor-a-Drug.html to sponsor a drug now.

Please share this post with all of YOUR friends and family as well – together we have the POWER to beat Rett Syndrome!

With Sincere Gratitude, Carrie and Thad

I know times are tough all around and you have many opportunities to donate to worthy charities. But every little bit helps and perhaps the drug you sponsor will the the ONE!

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

More Hallow-scream Stuff

2008-10-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

We made this card at the Hallow-scream Stamp camp too. Very self-explanatory.

I think I found the idea for this card on SplitCoast; however, I just made a rough sketch and didn't write down who had the idea originally. If it's you, let me know. It's not a total CASE, but it's close enough to the original that I'd like to give proper credit to the original stamper.

Can I just say how much I'm lovin' those new Halloween rub-ons?!? They're adorable!

Ghouls just wanna have fun!!

2008-10-09T15:05:00.004-05:00

My PSF, Cambria, had the most adorable treat holders on her blog. You can go here to view her adorable work. I thought they would make a great addition to my Hallow-scream stamp camp. While I was making my version, I wondered if we could make other ghouls using this same concept.

Frankie and Vlad are pretty easy to see how to make. Their hair is just a second Top Note Die cut cut in half. Use one half for the front of their heads and the other half for the back. Vlad's eyes are made with the Sanded Background stamped in Red Riding Hood red and his fangs are just points off the small star. Use the largest arrow from the Going My Way punch for his nose.

Now the mummy is a little bit more difficult. I started with a white piece of cardstock about card front size (4.25x5.5) which I stamped in Creamy Caramel using the Sanded Background stamp. Then I cut it into uneven stips and sponged the edges using the Caramel and Sahara Sand pads. Now glue the strips onto a second piece of cardstock to make the mummy's wrappings. Run the resulting piece through the BigShot using the top note die and add his eyes and tongue (which is just an oval punch cut down).

Cambria has directions for making the box part. I won't reinvent the wheel there. I think they're adorable, don't you!!

2008-09-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you but I do my best shopping in my PJs at 1 in the morning. Well, now you can shop at Stampin' Up at 1 in the morning in your PJs or at 2 in the afternoon in your workout clothes (yeah, right!!). Online Ordering is here!! We have been begging Stampin' Up to give us demos this feature for a while now and being the good company that they are, we've now stepped into the 21st Century.

Wanna shop right now? Just click on the link to my Stampin' Up Business Website (DBWS) link to the left of this post under My Places. At the top of that page is a "Shop Now" button (appropriately named--doncha think?) this will take you to the online ordering site. Everyone will have to register as a new customer the first time they place an order, but if you're just browsing it's not required.

There's more...I know, I know... you can't stand it! Just wait. When you get to the online catalog, one of the category choices is Browse Projects. When you click on this it will take you to a gallery of cute project ideas. Then when you select one to view it will take you to a page like this where you can view all the items needed to make that project. You can basically make one click and all the items will be on their way to you! How cool is that? If you already have some of the items just deselect them and get the others. AWESOME!!

The BEST part of this new feature is that when you order, you still get all the benefits of ordering directly from me. Including hostess benefits! For orders totally $150 or more, all the regular hostess set levels and hostess dollars apply. The system will prompt you to select your free stuff automatically when you reach that level--you won't have to think about it. Stampin Up will send me an email about your order so that I can follow up to make sure you're completely happy with your new toys ( and most importantly send you a thank you card!).

One caveat: in order for me to get the credit for your order, you'll need to make sure that you link to the online ordering site from my DBWS and not the Stampin' Up customer homepage.

What are you waiting for? Go check it out! The projects are gorgeous! :)~

A Beate of my very own

2008-09-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

You know how people refer to great works of art by the name of the creator--like a Renoir or a Picasso? Well, I have several Beates. This is the latest piece added to my collection.

Beate just so happens to be my beloved, generous, and talented upline. (For those of you non-demos that means that Beate is sort of my stampin' up "mentor". She signed me up to be a demo and is supposed to show me how to do this thing we call stamping.) When I first met her, I just thought she was a really super stamper, but little did I know that she was a bit of a celebrity in our SplitCoastStamper Universe. Beate has blessed me many times with her creations and I always look forward to opening my mail every month to see what masterpiece she made for me.

Beate, I can't thank you enough for all of your inspiration and support you've given me over the years. I'm truly blessed to know you.

Grateful

2008-09-08T16:17:00.006-05:00

I am so grateful that I have such wonderful, awesome, fun, creative, and generous customers. I consider every one of them to be more my friend than my "client" and I look forward to seeing them every month at my classes. I still can't believe that anyone thinks that I have something to teach them, because I learn more from them than the other way around. You , and you know who you are, ROCK!! :)

Whenever any of my customers places an order I try to send a thank you card with their bag of goodies. This is what I came up with for this month.
The card base is 4 1/4 square Chocolate chip with Kraft and Baja Blue layered on top. The focal point is stamped in Craft White and Baja Blue using Eastern Blossoms. I love this set almost as much as I love the new Ronald McDonald House set, Say it with Scallops which I used to make the sentiment. This is stamped in chocolate chip on baja blue and then punched out with the scallop square punch. Then I stamped it again in baja blue ink on white and cut it out. Because we do not have a 1 inch square punch (Hello, Stampin' Up....we NEED a 1 inch square punch!!!). I'm very happy with how this turned out--it looks exactly like I imagined it. Which is sort of unusual for me. I can't seem to translate the image I see in my head to the paper. Anyone else have that problem? Maybe after 4 years of stamping I'm actually beginning to be creative!! Ha!

I'm thinking of entering this in the monthly contests Stampin' Up holds for us demos. Maybe a little tweaking with some ribbon or a little glitter and I'll finally be the winner? Here's hoping....

Have a great Monday, Stampers!!

Viva la Stampin' Up!

2008-09-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Recently Stampin' Up released a brand new spanish-language catalog called Celebrando Creatividad. To veiw it go here. Some of the sets from the Fall/Winter catalog are featured in it but the written portions of the stamps are in Spanish. However, there are several stamp sets which are only available in Celebrando such as Flores Suaves, Etiquetas de Navidad, and Invitacion Formal. Also be sure to check out the rub-ons in Spanish also!

If you would be interested in any of the Spanish-language sets or would like to see a copy of the new catalog, please contact me.

Impossibly high standards

2008-09-04T08:00:00.007-05:00

Because I'm a glutton for punishment I take part in Lisa Martz's Control Freak Swap. I'm sure you've all had it happen to you...you plan the best swap card every, spend hours cutting out 45 individual flowers, make sure everything on the card is lined up straight, mail them on time and then wait....and wait....and wait to get the swap back because another participant forgot to mail theirs on time which delayed everyone else! Then when you tear into the envelope...yuck! Did a second grader cut out that paper? Do we make a booger stamp? In other words, you get back 10 showable cards and 35 pieces of .... non-showable...uuhhm stuff. Not so with the CF swap. Plus it's pretty stellar company--not to name drop or anything but Beate used to be in it as well as Jenn Balcer and currently no less than JanTink herself (may she live forever) is a Freak. Needless to say, the pressure to create a GREAT swap is intense!

I think this lives up to the challenge!
I actually used my sewing machine on this baby. I won't tell you how much Gray paper (yuck!!!) I wasted trying to figure out the correct stitch size, thread tension, etc. The Pink piece peeking out on the side actually moves in and out secured by the ribbon. Remember those popcorn/candybar sliders we all make during the holidays? Well it's the exact same concept except the treat is replaced with a piece of cardstock. Easy-peasy!!

Stamps: Wow Flowers, Thank You Kindly, All Scallops, Frames with a Flourish
Ink: Red Riding Hood
Paper: Bella Rose DSP, Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette, Red Riding Hood,
Accessories: scallop edge punch, circle punch, ribbon

How to start a fire...

2008-09-03T14:34:00.008-05:00

With punches, that is! For my new catalog kick-off party I wanted to use the new set Under the Stars (which by the way is on SALE...my second favorite word after FREE!). Of course the raccoon needed to be heating up his can of beans, but the set doesn't include a stamp of a fire. So I had to come up with something else. Voila...paper fire using our punches!

Here's how to make fire with punches:

You'll need
one large Only Orange Star,
one small Summer Sun star
three Creamy Caramel word window punches
scissors and dimensionals

Sponge the stars with Real Red ink and the "logs" with Chocolate chip ink.

Layer the three logs as shown in the photo and cut both of the stars so you have one piece with three tips and one piece with two tips.

Use the dimensional to layer the two-tip orange piece over the three-tip piece.

Using regular adhesive glue the "logs" to the top of the orange fire pieces, and place another dimensional (I cut mine in half to make them go farther.) on top of the logs. Place the three-tip yellow piece on the dimensional. (I didn't use the the other piece but you can.)

Voila, fire!!

Here's another look at the finished card.

Adorable, eh? :)~

Stampin' Up--the Crack cocaine of the crafting world!!!

2008-08-11T15:33:00.005-05:00

O-M-G!!! I just placed my first order out of the new catalog and it's {gulp} over $500. Yikes.... But the new SU exclusive sizzix dies, the GORGEOUS new designer series papers, the yummy new felt flowers in {sigh} chocolate chip(!), the new square scallop punch....it just goes on and on! I'm going to have quite a spead when you girls come to the new catty kick off party later this month. I think we'll need more than our usual two and a half hours to play with everything.

Have you had a chance to look through the catalog yet? What's your favorite? Leave me a comment telling me your new must-haves and I'll draw a name to win a cool prize....I don't know what that is yet...but it will be very cool...trust me!! I'll set the cut off for this Friday, August 15th at noon.

I know I've been quiet lately, but summer is kicking my butt. We haven't had any down time at all. In fact the only time i've spent being crafty is the last few days getting my Control Freaks swap ready. But I have taught myself how to use my sewing machine on cards. I know, Mom, you didn't buy the machine so I could make cards, but they're so cute! I will post pictures once the swap is sent out to all the participants.

As a way to say I'm sorry for being gone so long, how 'bout a cute baby picture? Well, three cute babies to be exact. My Aunt De (who's actually my age, but that's another story) just had triplets!! They're all doing excellently and I wish I live closer so I could give them an extra squeeze. Way to go De!!!

Embelished Decor Elements

2008-07-15T08:10:00.003-05:00

Howdy, Stampers!! AS you might know, Stampin' Up is going to be selling vinyl wall decor called Decor Elements (DE). We've had just a sneak peek, but more is coming!! I made found this plaque at Hobby Lobby the other day which is the perfect size for the small Happiness DE. But when I got done applying the decal (which was SUPER easy!!) it looked a little lonely. What it really needed was the swirls DE but of course, I didn't get one of those! So I had to improvise. How was I going to embellish this sad little Happiness? Stamps, flowers, crystals...hey what about rub-ons?!? I mean the DE are just really giant rub-ons. So I played around a bit and this is what I came up with!!

I used the flowers from the Perfect Day rub-ons (they were in the mini...sorry but we'll keep are fingers crossed that they make it into the big catalog!!) Here's a close-up of the smaller flowers on the "i". Adorable, eh? :)~

Fresh Cuts

2008-07-13T01:11:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the cards we made at my Fresh Cuts class in June. Aren't you sorry you missed it? ;)~

I'm lovin' those felt flowers. I sure hope they stick around and that we get some more colors. They're the perfect touch for a card, plus they're not too bulky when you actually mail out your cards (which is really just a vicious rumor--I mean who actually lets their cards leave their house...alone....ever!).

There are a lot of ideas floating around out there as to what to do about those petals which you punch out of the notecards. Do you just throw them away? (Heaven forbid!!) Nope, just glue them to the back of a 5-petal punched flower and stick 'em on another card!

SassyBee Rocks!!

2008-07-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

Isn't this adorable?!? My dear friend, Brenda--SassyBee on SCS--sent it to me for my birthday. She's a really talented artist, and an even better friend. We had a blast at the shoebox swaps we went to together. We were the only dorks wearing our SU aprons, remember! ?! {smooch} Hi, Brenda!!

Use it or Lose it

2008-07-11T22:47:00.004-05:00

I don't know about you but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Die Cut Blooms from the Occasion mini make it to the new Fall catalog. I love these and I want more!!

I saw the idea of using a circle punch to punch along the edge of piece of cardstock to form this cool look on another blog (I surf so many it's hard to recall where!! If it was you, let me know so I can give proper credit.) I'm actually surprised that these turned out on paper as good as they looked in my head. KWIM?

And how cute is that Ticker Tape alphabet? Love it! I earned that set free during SAB this year. Yay, me! :)~

I'm also going to miss (miss, miss) the stripped ribbon if it doesn't make the cut. It sure is yummy ribbon! Don't forget the retiring accessories list comes out on July 21st. Check back here for all the info.

Why I've been so quiet lately....

2008-07-01T16:33:00.001-05:00

For the past week or so, I've been working on this:

I don't know about you, but I can never remember which sentiments are in which sets. So I bought a cheap (under $10) rolodex from Office Depot (I {heart} office supplies!!). I stamped each sentiment on one of the cards and indicated what set it was from. I plan on making cute-er dividers, but I just wanted to get everything stamped and in the correct spot.

My only advice after finishing the entire project is that I would only stamp one sentiment per card. That way when sets retire or you trade them, you can just throw the card away.

Ta Da!!!

2008-07-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

It's almost here!!! The moment we've all been waiting for. No more trying to guess if the slit punch is lined up just right over the previous punch. No more breaking the corner rounder's guard as you try to pry it from the punch's embrace!! Behold... the Stampin' Up Scallop border punch....

(Sorry for the wonky picture, but I had to take a photo of my computer screen because the IT peeps at SU have figured out how to bar us crazy demos from copying the pictures. Drat!)

Isn't it lovely?!? I can't wait to get my hands on it. [sigh]

Are you ready for another HUGE announcement?

ALL NEW STAMPIN' UP SETS WILL BE DIE CUT!!!

I can't tell you how happy this makes me. I {heat} Stampin' Up! Don't throw out your trusty rubber scissors just yet though, sets that are carrying over from the last catalog will still need to be mounted the old fashioned way.

One last thing. I have to share this super cute photo of my kitty cat, Tully (his real name is Tully Cat-te au Lait Prince Chululongkorn), after the world's best coffee. My darling sister, Carrie, found him and his sister as kittens crying in a bush. He thinks he's the baddest bad-a$$ who's every swished a tail. Idn't he cute!?!

Paper Ruffle Tutorial

2008-06-10T09:33:00.000-05:00

There was an adorable project in Paper Crafts a few months ago and one of the cards had the cutest paper ruffle on it. The designer used a sewing machine to attach the ruffle, but since I'm totally sewing machine challenged I had to figure out another way to do it. I needed something really sticky and double stick or redliner tape fits the bill!

Here is the finished project and the tutorial is below.

Paper Ruffle Tutorial

Cut a strip of double-sided designer paper about an inch to an inch and a half wide and at least twice as long as the length of the edge of the piece it will be adhered to. ( i.e. if the edge is 6 inches long then you’ll need a piece at least 12 inches long.)

Place a piece of double stick/redliner tape along the entire top edge of the cardstock piece where the ruffle will be placed.

Line up the far left ( or right if you're a lefty) edge of the designer paper with the corresponding edge of the cardstock layer and press down about a finger's width length of the designer paper.
Fold the printed paper back on itself and crease it at the bottom where the tape is. I don't crease the top of the ruffle--I like the 3-D look better.

Adhere another finger width of the printed paper onto the tape and then repeat until you reach the end. (You might have to trim off any excess if the ruffle is too wide.)
Use sanding block and/or ink to distress the edge. I also use Beate's trick of using the X'ed line stamp from All in a Row to create faux stitching along the border of the ruffle and the cardstock.

The finished ruffle is ready to be used on your project.

HINT: You don’t want the ruffle to be perfectly uniform; the unevenness gives the ruffle depth.

Supplies:

Stamps: All in a Row, One of a Kind

Ink: Chocolate chip, close to cocoa

Paper: Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink cardstock, Berry Bliss DSP

Accessories: brown taffeta ribbon, oval punches, sanding block

Beate's Weekend Sketch

2008-06-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

See I told you this blog would spark my creativity!

This is Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge for this week. I actually spent some time taking a crack at it.

And here's what I came up with. It looks better in real life, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I really need the square nestibilities! However, I'm trying to be good and save money to buy new toys out of the upcoming Fall/Winter catalog. Saving is not one of my better habits!

The scalloped edge was made using the All Scallops set and the three circle stamp from Seeing Spots.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Stamps: Stitched BG, All Scallops, Seeing Spots, Elegant Cheer

Presents for the girls in my downline

2008-06-08T08:20:00.001-05:00

I'm tellin' you that Dollar Spot at Target is DANGEROUS!! More like the $100 bill spot. :)
I found these adorable framed cork boards (well, they weren't adorable when I found them-- sort of fake beachy--blech). I thought they would make good gifts for my adorable downline girls if I spiffed them up a bit. (We still need a name, y'all!!) Soon after I bought them and dragged 'em back to the Craft Cave, I found Amy Sheffer had the same idea!! (I love Amy's blog and copy her often. Her style is very clean and beautiful, plus she's hilarious.)

Here's mine:

It's hard to see, but the pins are the Flower Ribbon Slides from the new HodgePodge Hardware kit from the mini catalog with wide Old Olive grosgrain slid through. I used some Crystal Effects mixed with real red reinker to color in the middle of the slides. I discovered that large glue dots work better than liquid glue for attaching the slides to the thumb tacks.

Hopefully, I'll get them finished soon and y'all can start using them!

Katy

Summer Class Schedule

2008-06-05T16:52:00.000-05:00

I've updated my Stampin' Up! website with a list of upcoming classes. They include:

Friday, June 20th 7-9 pm
Kiss 'em Good-bye SAS.

Wednesday, July 2nd 7-9 pm
Fresh Cut Promo Class

Friday, August 29th 7-whenever
New Fall/Winter Catalog Kick-off Party.

Check out the calendar on my website for all the details. If you're interested in attending contact me for the sign up sheet.

Thank you

2008-06-04T07:35:00.001-05:00

Whenever one of my customers places an order I always include a thank you card card in their bag of goodies. This was the card I made for the May orders.

There were a lot of inspirations for this card. The medallion and the wheeled part at the top came from my SU Mom, Beate. I also love all the layered designs of Kristen and Dawn.

The medallion is heat embossed using chocolate chip craft ink. The secret to making it really pop is to cover it in EP right after heating the first time. The embossed part will still be hot and the embossing powder will stick to it. Then when you reheat it the embossing is really thick and shiny.

Stamps: Lovely Labels (pg 152), It's Beautiful jumbo wheel (pg 82)

Paper: Purely pomegranate, close to cocoa, Berry Bliss DSP

Accessories: 13/8 circle punch, scallop punch, brown wide grosgrain, narrow pink ribbon, clear EP

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-03T14:32:00.001-05:00

If you're like me, you struggle to come up with masculine cards. In fact, it's impossible for me design one that don't use my sole manly stamp: the frog from Birthday Banter. It's gotten so bad that my husband teased me on Valentine's day when there was no Senior Frog on his card! Well this year the problem is solved!

I found a roll of metal flashing tape in our garage and stashed it away in the Craft Cave. Then when I was brainstorming for techniques for my May technique class, I remembered the tape. A lightbulb went off when I realized I could use it with punched out pieces to make faux embossing. (I originally tried to use it over a heat embossed image, but I didn't like the results. Punches worked much better!) . I call it Faux Embossed Metal. The metal flashing tape can be found in the plumbing and ventilation section of your local Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, etc.

Tutorial

What you'll need:

Piece of cardstock cut to desired length (for this card it's 2 1/2 x 4)

Metal Flashing Tape (cut 1/2 inch longer than the piece of cardstock)

Several different sized punches (I used the large and small stars)

Paper towel or soft cloth for buffing

Embossing Stylus

Punch out several shapes using the punches. I like to punch the larger punch around a small one and also layer a smaller punch on top of the larger. This creates more visual interest when you emboss.

Peel off half of the backing paper from the flashing tape and begin to stick on the punched pieces.

Peel off the rest of the backing paper (DON'T DISCARD IT YET) and stick on the rest of the punches. You want some to hang off the edges.

Now lay the backing paper back on the sticky side of the tape and trim off the overhanging punch edges.

Remove backing paper and press onto cardstock. Fold the overhanging edges over the end of the cardstock.

Using the crumpled paper towel or a soft cloth, gently rub over the top of the tape. This will press it down around the edges of the punches.

Use the stylus if necessary to get a crisp line around the punches. This is especially helpful for the inside of the punches.

Voila, Faux Metal Embossing!!

Welcome!

2008-05-30T15:59:00.001-05:00

This is it! I've finally taken the plunge into blogging. My baby sister has a blog and a friends grandmother has one...so why shouldn't I? Honestly this is mainly to help spark my creativity. I figure if I have to post something every day to keep you coming back for more then I might actually venture into the Craft Cave more often.

I've been a Stampin Up! demo for almost 4 years. Wow, it's gone by really fast! Stamping has introduced me to some wonderful new friends-- both real and virtual. :)

Join me as I discover the Theory of Creativity

Katy