Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Clean and Simple

Another card from the workshop using the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set, Crumb Cake ink and stamping off. We also stamped the lower left corner of a Very Vanilla medium envelope one time with the plant image. So clean and simple!

Supplies:  Very Vanilla, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake card stock, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso ink, Early Espresso 1/8 inch Taffeta ribbon

Monday, November 7, 2011

This is one of the cards we made at a recent workshop. I wanted the guests to see how quick and easy it is to make a pretty card and coordinating envelope. And to who them show Stampin' Up! products coordinate. I love the Triple Treat Flower stamp that coordinates with three punches. Here, I've used the Fancy Flower and 5-Petal punches after stamping two times with More Mustard ink. The Spice Cake Designer Series Paper is so pretty!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Snow Time!

Another card from a November workshop: It seemed like we were making this ahead of the season... but then we had snow flurries on Thursday. It's hard to tell in this picture but we used Dazzling Details to outline each ball of the snowman's body. That and the rhinestone in the center of the punched snowflake made for some quick and easy sparkle.

This past week I began to spend time with some friends at a retirement community in Chicago. I teach them how to make cards and we have a blast sharing life together. I try to keep the cards simple as some have health issues that limit their abilities. I assembled the feathers and heads for the turkeys and then they put them together and added them to their stamped cards. The turkey card was a big hit with those who have younger grandchildren.
The second card was my more elegant card. They really liked learning to stamp off as done in the inside of the card.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Faux Silk; so elegant, so easy!

A staff member from the cafeteria at the school I work at came to my desk today and said her boss had sent her over to ask me to make a card. It turns out another cafeteria employee is going to be away from work for 5 weeks and they want everyone to sign a card for her. Wow, I felt honored! So, this is a CASE from Cindy Hall's newsletter, with a few changes.  I used some retired Not Quite Navy Ribbon and a So Saffron button over a faux silk image. Stamp set:  Inspired by Nature with flowers added to the Garden Green stems using Concord Crush, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze markers. Card Stock:  Not Quite Navy, Garden Green, Whisper White, Naturals White. This card is a larger size because everyone in the school is going to want to sign and add their greeting inside.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Halloween Fun with Peekaboo Frames

A CASE from Dawn Olchefske using some retired Halloween DSP and stamp sets and the new Peekaboo Frames die for the Big Shot. There are so many fun things you can do with this die.

Then I had the idea for this card. But wouldn't you know it the next day Dawn had CASE'd someone who made something similar. Great stampers think alike! LOL! I think my brothers' grandchildren are going to like these cards.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Back in Circulation

While living in Florida our Internet connection was really slow most of the time. So, I gave up trying to post to this blog. Guess I shouldn't complain because the Internet was free.
Now we are back in Chicago and paying our own bills. The good news is the connection is fast!

The other good news is that I have a room for my stamping... well, as long as we don't have any overnight guests.  Much nicer than doing it in the living area used by the whole family!
Here's some cards I've made this month...
The first group of cards use cs cut with the Big Shot Perfect Pennants die. The second and third cards are made by cutting the large pennant down the center to form the smaller triangles.

The anniversary card and the "Trick or Treat" card use the scallop circles from the Perfect Pennants die. I was cutting the shapes using scrap cs and cut off one edge of the Wild Wasabi circle. So, just designed my card around the cut.
The second Halloween card is made using an embossing folder my sister owns. It is not Stampin' Up! But you could easily substitute the Spider Web embossing folder. The image is stamped using a retired SU! wheel and then punching out just a portion of the image with a circle punch. And for the inside I punched a circle in some copy paper and then placed it over the card interior and wheeled over the copy paper so that you get a circle of the image. 
More cards using embossing folders. The first is CASE of Kelly Rae at Sassy Rubber Artists blog using the Flower Garden embossing folder twice for the card, once on Crushed Curry cs and again on Naturals Ivory cs. I snipped around the embossed edge and then distressed it. It's fun to "color" with the SU! markers.
This card uses the Houndstooth folder to add dimension to the background.
Vintage Wallpaper folder is used on this card. I sanded the cs just a bit after embossing to make the design pop.
And this one uses the Flower Garden.

Old and new products used on this card CASE from Stamping School (Linda Heller)... old Designer Series Paper cut into small rectangles and pieced together. Then trimmed up with just the edge of the
Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch. The flower is from the new Posy Punch hostess set. So many pretty hostess sets this catalog and so easy to earn with the new Hostess Dollars program!
Thanks for looking.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Fabric ideas

I attended the Orlando Friday evening regional. Oh what fun! This was my third regional. But this one was a bit different. There weren't very many people to sign up for the Friday evening event. I guess they were afraid they wouldn't be getting as much since it was fewer hours. I have to say that the schedule was packed. We didn't have time to do much with our make and takes but that was okay with me. There were just over 50 people in attendance on Friday night. So I got to meet Shelli and other people from SU! headquarters. Woohoo! Carrie Cudney demonstrated some great ideas for using Stampin' Up! fabric on cards and projects. And she had been given permission to say the Candy Cane Christmas fabric from the Holiday mini would be in the new Idea Book and Catalog in July. So, I ordered some of it to play with. I used some of her ideas and found some more on Stampin' Connection. In this first card: the striped background is the fabric, cut to size, fray the edges a bit and adhere using SU! glue stick. Quick and easy. Carrie added zig zag stitching with sewing machine to top of card pocket before stitching the sides. Really cute. I just used sticky strip to make the pocket. The stamp set used is Apple Blossoms (Level 2 hostess set). Rhinestones add a little sparkle. This cute little gift bag is made using the Fancy Favor die for the Big Shot. Carrie demonstrated how to use the Big Shot Fabric Adhesive to "cover"the die cut. Actually you iron the adhesive to a rectangle of fabric cut the size of the die, then remove the paper backing and iron it to the cardstock. (Keep fabric side on top for ironing). You will have fabric attached to cardstock and then run this layered piece through the Big Shot to cut and score. Place the card stock side next to the die, so the crease lines will be most pronounced on it. Then put it together using Tombow glue or sticky strip. I used glue on the side and sticky strip on the bottom flaps. Then I cut some fabric flowers using the Fun Flowers die. There is a layer of each fabric for each size of flower. (I didn't use the small circle and scallop that was also cut... saved those for another project.) I found this flower design on SU! (Dee Slater's Springtime Fabric Flowers video.)
This folded flower was another example that Carrie showed at regional. Quick and easy to make. You cut 4 fabric circles with your Big Shot and fold them into quarters. Adhere each folded circle onto a smaller circle of cs. I used Tom Bow glue. Love that stuff because it sets so quickly! On this card I used a white 5/16" brad for the flower center. You could use a button or small cs circle as the center of the flower, too. The expression is from the Apple Blossoms set. The leaves are made by cutting an oval (I free formed it, but you could use an oval punch.) and folding it in half and then using crimper on it. Unfold it after crimping and you have the "veined" leaf.
These three flowers are cut using the Fun Flowers die and adhere using the Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets. Basically you can use these sheets to make stickers. I found the glue stick to be much easier with the fabric. But I know I'll be using these adhesive sheets for a lot of other fun projects. The scallop along the bottom was made using the Tasteful Trim die and the expression is from the Fabulous Florets stamp set in the upcoming Summer Mini Catalog. I won this set at the regional!
Another flower design found on Stampin' Connection. (Dawn Pritchard's Easy Flower Tutorial) It's easier to make than it appears. You tear 3- 6 inch by 1/2 inch strips from your fabric and then arrange the strips to make the "star" pattern. Then fold the ends of each strip up to the center and secure with brad. Tearing the fabric causes it to fray a bit and adds a nice touch. The stamp set is the Flight of the Butterfly and the stem and base are cut using the Tasteful Trim die. I used my paper piercer to make holes for the "flight" of the butterfly.

The next two cards are the swaps I made to take to the regional. Since there weren't as many people as I suspected I had some left over. On some of my "leftovers" I added a sentiment in the "bare" white area. I used Sincere Salutations on those cards. I think the elegant simplicity of that stamp set goes nicely with these cards. So glad I invested in that set!
The cards are made using the Big Shot Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder on the lower black rectangle. The Elegant Bouquet embossing folder is used on the white cs. I place it on upside down for a different look. The flower is cut out of daffodil delight or tangerine tango with the Fun Flowers die. The scallop center from the die is then embossed using the Square Lattice embossing folder.

I love my Big Shot! There are so many things you can do with it.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Missing in Action

The last time I tried to post my internet connection was so slow I gave up! So, I've been "missing in action" on my blog. But I've been having lots of fun creating. Thanks to Jackie Topa for this fun card that is created using the new blossom punch from Stampin' Up! I changed it up just a bit. Jackie used real sand to add texture to her ocean floor. I decided to just use by Wonderfully Worn background stamp to give it that detail. Just goes to show you there are always lots of ways to use the punches.

And this beautiful dogwood card is CASEd from Elizabeth Anderson. You use a small circle punch to "notch" the blossom punch petals. I used some of the retired Bridal paper DSP for my petals. And curling the petals on your blossoms add a nice touch, too. Just use your bone folder in a "curling ribbon" hold to do it.


This is a pocket card that I made using the new Build a Blossom set and punch from Stampin' Up! So much fun. I've made the pocket cards in the past... but added Designer SEries Paper and Big Shot embossing thanks to the idea from Frances Kukulis on stamping connection. It's kind of hard to see in the photo here but I had a "happy accident" on the insert for the pocket. I used the flower petal and stamped off several times to create the flower. Then, after taking a look at it I decided it needed a few more petals on the bottom edges. So, I inked the stamp again and pressed to paper and realized I had inked it with the green ink. Well, that just made the flower look so nice! I decided I would make some flowers like this as the focal point on future cards. I have yet to do that. There's just so many good ideas for all the new products in the mini catalog and the Sale-a-Bration brochure.


Today, I'm trying to clean up my stamping table. My work area is in the living room here at our condo in Florida. So, I'm really glad to have a family who puts up with my mess! But there comes a time when all that creating creates too much havoc and you've got to reorganize and clean up.


Thanks for looking!