Stampin' Celebration #58

Well I'm not sure exactly what happened to all of August, :-) but it's good to be back in blog land and a Stampin' Celebration challenge is the perfect way to get going again!  

Please note that the challenge blog has moved to a new location--  http://www.stampincelebrationblog.blogspot.com/  Make sure to check it out and bookmark, subscribe or follow us.  Cori and Rochelle are taking charge and have started some fun new things like sneak peeks of the Design Team projects. 

And here is the inspiration piece for September--isn't it gorgeous?  I took the jar theme as well as the colors from the inspiration piece to create my card.  I also used this card as one of our August Stampers Club projects.  

The stamp set I used in one you can find the Holiday Mini Catalog.  It is called Perfectly Preserved and even has a coordinating framelits set to go with it!  I wasn't initially drawn to this stamp set, but after seeing so many awesome projects and swaps at convention using this set I changed my mind--and I'm glad I did.  

This card is pretty straight forward, but just a note about the 'jar'.  I used the jar framelit to cut out a piece of Window Sheet.  This gives the jar a shiny 'glass' look.  There are two things keeping the window frame piece in place.  First, there is a glue dot between the card stock and window sheet under where I added the linen thread bow (with a second glue dot) and second, the brad also helps keep the 'jar' in place.  

The colors are Tangerine Tango, Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green, and Going Gray.  The sponging was done with Crumb Cake.  The ribbon is also new from the Holiday Catalog--it is the 7/8" Cotton Ribbon (you can stamp on it too!)

Now it's your turn to be inspired and play along with us this month at Stampin' Celebration! You have until September 25th to create a card, 3D item, digital item, scrapbook layout, etc. using the inspiration piece above. Link your creation to the Stampin' Celebration blog so we can see your project. We will choose the "Pick of the Party" at the end of the month. We can't wait to see what Stampin' Celebration inspires you to create! 

To see what the other DT members have created:  

Allison Ohran - Sweet Impressions

Cori Kozak - Creative Chat

Erica Cerwin - Pink Buckaroo Designs

Erin Gonzales -Hand Stamped Style

Rochelle Gould - I stamp, I create, I have fun!

Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge

Manly Clockworks

Convention is in full swing and I'm having a great time!  This is a card that I originally designed for my Stamp-A-Stack class and then also decided to use for an organized "Masculine Swap" at convention. 

This card highlights the Clockworks stamp set that is brand new.  This card is pretty straight forward and easy to make.  The only part that was 'tricky' was stamping the clock face.  I knew I didn't want to try to line up the numbers inside the outline of the clock since they are two different stamps.  But instead of stamping on card stock and then puncing out, I decided to stamp the numbers and hands on a Window Sheet (acetate) with Black Stazon ink.  Next I ran it through the Big Shot (after it had time to dry) with the Circles #2 die.  Then the brad keeps it in place.  It also gives the clock face a shinny look, which I think makes it look more realistic. 

I stamped the outside frame (what is that called?) of the clock on Very Vanilla card stock with Early Espresso Ink.  I used Crumb Cake ink (first stamped off once onto scrap paper) on the base of the card as well as on top of the clock panel. 

For the bottom strip, I stamped the 3 small clock parts with Not Quite Navy.  Since I have this set in clear mount, to speed things up, I actually put all 3 of those pieces on the same block together so I could stamp them all at the same time. 



Stamps:  Clockworks
Ink:  Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake, Black Stazon
Paper:  Riding Hood Red, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Window Sheet
Accessories:  Metallic Brads, Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain ribbon, sponge, dimensionals

Stampin' Celebration #21

It's Thursday, so we have another great inspiration piece from Stampin' Celebration!  I love several of the pictures here, but I was intrigued by the bottom right photo and the ribbon/flower combination.  So you'll see I incorporated that concept into my project: 

I thought this could be a fun party favor for a baby shower, bridal shower, or wedding.  I used a Thick Window Sheet to create the box with my Big Shot and the Pillow Box Die.  I added the ribbon to the box using thin strips of Sticky Strip, and I overlapped the ribbon on the front of the box--where I knew the flower would cover everything.  

The only downside is that I realized (after adding all the ribbon) that this treat holder isn't very practical.  You'd either have to take off all the embellishing or cut the ribbon to actually eat the candy.  Opps!  

Next I wanted to add a ribbon flower.  At convention Carrie Cudney showed us how to make these pretty ribbon flowers.  She is an amazing presenter, and I loved her idea.  She actually cut all the scallops by hand when she made her flower, but now we have the new Tasteful Trim die which does all the work for us.  :-)  

So, I took a 13" piece of Pretty in Pink satin ribbon and ran it through the Big Shot with my Tasteful Trim die.  The next step is to take your Heat Tool and heat the ribbon.  It melts the ribbon just a bit, and 'crinkles' it.  Just be patient as you are doing this step as it takes about a minute of heating before you see any results.  The picture below shows the difference between before and after heating the ribbon.  

Next take a piece of Sticky Page (page 205 of the catalog) and run it through the Big Shot with the Circles #2 die.  For this flower I used the very smallest circle on that die.  I peeled off the backing, and then started adding the ribbon, with little tucks, to the Sticky Page circle.  

I kept doing that until I had reached the center of my circle.  

And now I have a fun embellishment to add to any project!  This was actually very quick--it took me much longer to write up the directions than it did to make the flower.  :-)  Now usually I'm not a fan of adding anything too bulky to my cards, but I wouldn't have a problem adding this to a card.  This little flower is more flat that it initially appears, and it is also lightweight.  

So there you have it!  I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial!  Make sure to head over to Stampin' Celebration to see what the other member of the Design Team have been up to this week.  And then make sure to play along yourself.  We'd love to see what you are inspired to create!  Just upload your project and link it to the Stampin' Celebration website.  

Stampin' Celebration #16

This week over at Stampin' Celebration we are celebrating Anniversaries. How appropriate that my husband and I celebrated our 9th anniversary this week! In some ways it is hard to believe we've been married that long, and in other ways it seems like I've known my wonderful hubby forever. Either way time flies when you're having fun. :-)


So, here's the card I created for this week. It ended up being a little more simple than what I was planning, but everything I tried to add just didn't work. Anyway. . . . I've seen the idea to use the wing from the Two-Step Bird Punch to create a tulip, but until now I haven't actually tried it. The stem and leaves for my flower also come from that same punch.

The sentiment comes from one of my favorite word sets All Holidays. The colors I picked are Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green. For me Garden Green was kind of a pleasant surprise that came from the Color Renovation. I don't actually remember ever using Garden Green before, but I like the way that it coordinates with several of the new colors. So it's like another new color for me!

The card base is actually a thick Window Sheet. I ran the front of the card through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. I wanted to mimic the fun glasses from the inspiration piece. I adhered the Garden Green layer to the Widow Sheet with Sticky Strip, and then the White layers are all on the inside of the card (also adhered with Sticky Strip).

Now that you've seen my take on this week's challenge, take a peek at the Stampin' Celebration blog to see what the other members of the Design Team created this week. And then be inspired to create something yourself!

Stamps: All Holidays
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Whisper White, thick Window Sheet
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Perfect Polka Dots EF, Big Shot, Two-Step Bird Punch, dimensionals, Sticky Strip

Ribbon Box

Today I have another item to share that I created for the Convention Display Boards. Many of you who have stamped with me know that I *love* making these little matchboxes. I think my Matchbox Die is the one I use most often with my Big Shot--although my Milk Carton die is giving it some competition. :-)

Anyway, I used the set Just Believe and Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Night of Navy markers to color directly on the stamp. After stamping, I added in the sentiment with a Marina Mist marker. Then I reinked the frame part of the stamp (with Night of Navy) and stamped again. I carefully cut out the second frame, and used little side scraps of my dimensionals so that I could layer the frame and give a little dimension.


As I was trying to decide what to fill the matchbox with, I came upon the idea of filling it with samples of ribbon. I was pleasantly surprised to find that 3 ribbons (each 5/8" wide) fit very nicely side by side. As I was making this, I imagined it as being a nice hostess gift.

Thanks for stopping by! See you tomorrow for the next Stampin' Celebration challenge!

Stamps: Just Believe
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Old Olive, and Night of Navy markers
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, thick Window Sheet
Accessories: Old Olive and Whisper White satin ribbon, 1/8" Daffodil Delight taffeta ribbon, Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot, Matchbox Die, dimensionals

Stampin' Celebration #6

Not only do we have another fabulous Stampin' Celebration challenge today, I also have a sneak peek for you of what's coming in the new catalog! I can hardly wait for the new catalog to go live July 1st--so many fun new products, colors, and stamp sets! :-) As a demonstrator, I had the opportunity to pre-order some of the new product, and I'm showing you a selection of that today.

Ok, back to the challenge. . . . I loved the pink/green colors from the inspiration piece, so I used two new In Colors--Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz. Aren't they pretty?

To create the box, I first ran a Window Sheet through my Big Shot with the Fancy Favor die. Next I used my new Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. I love how the embossing folder gives such a nice deep impression--even on the Window Sheets! Next I cut out a second Fancy Favor die in Blushing Bride and carefully (with a bit of patience) slipped it inside the Window Sheet box.

For the tag I used the new set Perfect Punches. The tag is also sprayed with Vanilla Smooch Spritz-although that doesn't come across too well in the photo. :-)

A close up to show you that awesome texture from the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.

And here is the coordinating card. It is a 3" by 3" size so that it will slip nicely into the box. I used the same Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder to give texture just to the edge of the card. The image is from the new stamp set Friends Never Fade. I used my markers to color the image (and actually omit a little bit of it).

Are you wondering what I used to frame the stamped image? :-) Please meet the Scallop Rectangle Clearlits! It is like a Bigz Clear Die but the size and thickness of a Sizzlits die. I just love this little clearlits die already, and I'm sure it will receive much love at my house. :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Make sure to go visit Stampin' Celebration to see what the other Design Team members have created for this challenge. And don't be shy about playing along with us! Show us what you were inspired to make after seeing this inspiration piece.

Stamps: Friends Never Fade
Ink: Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz markers

Paper: Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Window Sheet, Whisper White

Accessories: Fancy Favor Die, Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper EF, Scallop Oval Punch, Linen Thread, Whisper White satin ribbon, mini glue dots, Scallop Rectangle clearlits die, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, dimensionals

Lots of Baby

Yes, it really is me again! Thanks for sticking with me even though it's been awhile. It's been a very crazy few months here at our house. The 'highlights' include computer problems, H1N1 for the whole family, 2 rooms in our house flooding, and two visits to the ER--one for my husband's ankle and most recently for me. . . . My visit came after I was mopping my kitchen floor and woke up to find myself flat on my back with my almost 2 year old daughter running over to try to put my glasses on. After a scan it was confirmed that I 'only' had a concussion. So if you've ever wondered if housework is dangerous. . . . Now you know! ;-) Despite everything that has happened, I am happy to say that everyone (and our house) is now feeling much better!

On to the crafting. . . . Last week I was able to fill a special order for a lady who wanted to make a baby shower she was throwing for her friend really special. Here are pictures of most of the items that I made for her. You can see the master list below of all the supplies I used.

My inspiration came from the Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper (now discontinued). The gender of the baby is unknown, and I like this paper because I thought it was gender-neutral and had a delicate feel that was perfect for a baby.

This project series is also a good example of why I love Stampin Up. . . It is so easy to make coordinated projects! I started by choosing the Designer Series paper, which gave me my color pallet. Next I added the matching inks and accessories. Then it was easy to create coordinated projects that give a cohesive feeling to the party decorations.

The picture at the very top shows the nugget boxes that were the favors for each guest to take home. I used the Stampin' Up! Matchbox Big Shot die and the stamp set Matchbox Messages to make these.

This is a tin that I decorated to be part of the main table. The star is a piece of chipboard covered with Certainly Celery card stock. You can purchase these TINS from the Clearance Rack over at Stampin Up for only 99 cents each!

Inside the tin, there is an accordion 'book' that has different pockets. The accordion sits on the main table with the tags. Each of the guests can write some baby advice, a note to the mom, or anything they like. They put the tag in one of the pockets, and then after the party the accordion book with all the personalized tags goes back into the tin and makes a nice gift for the mother.

This Top Note die box was a gift for the grandmother. How thoughtful of the hostess to include a gift for her! The box holds 8 Hershey Nuggets individually wrapped with coordinating papers. The 'charm' is just two stars punched from Brushed Silver card stock and then embossed with Silver Stampin' Emboss powder three times. After embossing, I glued the stars back to back and used my paper piercing tool to poke a hole and thread the linen thread through.

Here is the frame that was also part of the main table. I left the right and left sides open for the mother to fill. She could include the shower invitation, a baby announcement, and/or baby pictures. The words are actually custom Decor Elements that are on top of the glass. I used part of a Decor Elements Sheet, spray painted it shiny silver (despite what it looks like in the picture!), and then ran it through the Big Shot using the Billboard decorative strip.

And here is a close-up. The white star is a rub-on. This could also be adapted to make a cute card layout too!

And last, here are the Food Name Cards. The flowers were made using the Trio Flower punch.

Since the length of this post is already so long, I didn't include all the creative details. If you do have questions about any of these projects, please contact me.

Stamps: Matchbox Messages

Ink: Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink markers

Paper: Delicate Dots DSP, So Saffron Patterns DSP, Brushed Silver, Window Sheets Medium, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Whisper White

Accessories: Whisper White 5/8" satin ribbon, linen thread, Bashful Blue 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Very Vanilla 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Certainly Celery twill ribbon, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon, 1/4" Circle punch, 1" circle punch, Trio Flower punch, Star punch, Tag Corner punch, Corner Rounder punch, Sizzix Big Shot, Matchbox die, Top Note die, Billboard die, Decor Elements Sheets, paper piercing tool, dimensionals

Serene Shaker

This post is a combination of a lot of things. . . . It started as a mini tutorial for the shaker card I posted (HERE or just scroll down to the previous post) and grew. :-) Now it also includes a mini tutorial for shimmer paints.

You can find Shimmer Paints in the Holiday Mini Catalog. Shimmer paints come in 3 different colors: Champagne Mist, Frost White, or Platinum. Today I'll be showing Frost White.

So how do you use Shimmer Paints? There a several ways to use these versatile paints. Also note that this is a "little goes a long way" product. 1. The easiest is to shake the bottle, take off the cap and use a sponge dauber to apply it directly to your project. 2. Or, use the sponge dauber and gently apply it directly to your stamp.

3. Or as I've shown below, you can ink your stamp with a color, then apply the shimmer paint on top, and then stamp--giving you a colorful and subtly shimmery image. Easy huh? Just be sure to clean your dauber in between stamping so as not to mix color into your shimmer paints.

4. If you want to stamp several of the same image, (without cleaning the dauber in between each stamp) just mix a little shimmer paint and a drop or two of reinker. You can see the leftovers here of my shimmer paint/Night of Navy reinker mix in the top of my ink pad. (Please just be sure to clean out the top of the lid--baby wipes work well--before you close the ink pad.) I used the sponge dauber to apply the mix directly to my stamp. Very pretty effect! I have a feeling I'm going to be using these paints a lot!

Ok, so now I have an image--I stamped one of the snowflakes from the set Serene Snowflakes from the Holiday Mini Catalog. I tried to photograph the 'shimmer' part of the paints; this is the best I have.

Now for the shaker part. . . . I used my Circle Scissors Plus to cut a 2" circle. Without moving the cutter, I cut a 2 1/2" circle. That gives my my 'frame'. I then cut out a 2 1/2" circle of Window Sheet (medium). Tip: Before you adhere the frame and the Window Sheet together, make sure to clean the Window Sheet with a window cleaner (such as Windex). This not only gets rid of any smudges, but also leads to less static (ie beads sticking to the window sheet) inside your finished shaker. The next step is to add the dimensionals.

I don't remember exactly how I figured this out, but now that I have, I always save the long sides of my dimensionals sheets--as seen below. I take those long strips and carefully put them around the edges of the 'frame'. Next I put in the Micro Beads. Note: I used less than 1/4 tsp of beads. The last step is to peel the backing of the dimensionals and put the stamped image (image side down) on top of the dimensionals--like making a sandwich. Your 'shaker' is now ready to be added to a project using Sticky Strip.

The card at the top was inspired by a Sketch Challenge found at Splitcoaststampers. All of the stamping on the card was done using the shimmer paint/Night of Navy reinker mix. The sentiment is from the set Best Wishes & More. Finished card size is 5 1/2" by 5 1/2".

The card below uses the exact same shaker element but was made for the CAS31 challenge also over on Splitcoaststampers. As you can see it is a very simple card--but still fun because you just can't resist shaking it. :-)

Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, Best Wishes & More

Ink: Night of Navy

Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White, medium Window Sheet

Accessories: Shimmer Paint, Circle Scissors Plus, Glass Mat, Micro Beads, dimensionals, Corner Rounder punch, Whisper White Organza Ribbon

Rock-A-Bye Baby

Hello again! This is a shaker card I've had in my files for awhile. . . . I wanted to wait to post it until I could make a tutorial, but here it is tutorial-less. If that can even qualify as a made up word. :-) Hopefully I'll get a tutorial up soon. Anyway, here it is!

The set I used is called Nursery Necessities. This set is part of the Growing Up promotion that ends in a few days (Aug 31). See HERE for details. If this stamp set (or any other from the Growing Up section of the catalog) is on your wish list, now is the time to purchase it!

Finished card size is 4 3/4" by 4 3/4". Now for a close up of the card:

Stamps: Nursery Necessities

Ink: Whisper White craft ink, So Saffron, Brocade Blue, and Close to Cocoa markers

Paper: Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Window Sheet

Accessories: Clear Micro Beads, Bashful Blue brads, Circle Scissors Plus, dimensionals

Making a Comeback. . . .

Hello again! Well, we finally made it to Texas. :-) We've been here for about a week and a half now, and our house is mostly unpacked. Unfortunately my stamps are all still in their boxes, but hopefully not for too much longer!

Anyway, I thought I would try to start posting again. . . . I did manage to snap a few pictures of some projects before I left LA, so I have a few things to show you until I actually get stamping again. This project shows off several new products found in the Occasions Mini Catalog.

First, don't you just love this little matchbox? It is the new Matchbox Bigx Die for the Big Shot that you can find on page 16 of the Occasions Mini Catalog. I love being able to roll my paper through the Big Shot and having it come out the other end all cut, scored, and ready to fold. :-)

The bottom of the box uses Baja Breeze textured paper, and for the top I used the new Medium Window Sheets (ie acetate) from the Mini Catalog. The ribbon is the new 5/8" Satin Ribbon,and the tag is stamped with the new Matchbox Messages stamp set that coordinates with the Matchbox Die. Oh, and the chocolates were wrapped with the new Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper.

Below you can see the what the boxes look like 'closed', as well as a Kiwi Kiss version of the matchbox.

Stamps: Matchbox Messages
Ink: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Pretty in Pink marker
Paper: Baja Breeze Textured Paper, Kiwi Kiss Textured Paper, Medium Window Sheets, Whisper White, Walk in the Park DSP
Accessories: 5/8" White Satin Ribbon, linen thread, 1" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1/16" circle punch, Nuggets chocolates, dimensionals

Polka Dot Elegance

Today I have another Sale-A-Bration card to show you! Just a reminder that Sale-A-Bration ends March 31, so if you want to take advantage of earning free product with a $50 order, now is the time! You can see the brochure HERE.

Anyway, I don't often copy ideas exactly from other people, but this card was just so pretty that didn't want to change a thing! I first saw this card on the idea boards at the Stampin Up Leadership conference, and later found the creator. Dawn over at DOstamping with Dawn made this card for the leadership boards. You can see her card HERE.

You'll notice that I didn't change very much. The only minor modifications were that I used the new Taste of Textiles paper (the white pin stripe paper on the left) and the new Organza Ribbon on top of the Brushed Silver strip of paper.

Another quick note: I actually used Basic Black craft ink, and then embossed with the Silver Embossing Powder. As long as you work fairly quickly, the silver embossing powder does cover the Basic Black craft ink. I used the black ink because when I was stamping the hearts for the panel along the right side, I started using Versamark ink, and was having a hard time seeing where to stamp! I didn't have that problem with the black ink. :-)


I also made up a coordinating acetate box. This could be used as a wedding favor, bridal shower favor, or as part of a wedding gift. The box shows off how pretty the Organza Ribbon is! For directions on how to make the acetate box, THIS POST (Halloween acetate box) has a link and the modifications I made.

Stamps: Polka Dot Punches, Fundamental Phrases
Ink: Basic Black Craft Ink
Paper: Brushed Silver, Taste of Textiles, Whisper White, acetate
Accessories: Full Heart Punch, Pretties Kit (hat pin and beads), Whisper White taffeta ribbon, Organza Ribbon, embossing buddy, silver Stampin' Emboss powder, heat tool, sticky strip, dimensionals

Creepy Crawly Acetate

This is one of the projects that we made this month at Technique Club. I got the idea from a challenge that I had seen awhile back on Splitcoaststampers to make an acetate box. To see the original challenge and the pdf for directions by Susie McCormick, click HERE.

I used those directions for the acetate part of the box, but then did something a little different for the top and bottom. I used a piece of 3 1/2" by 3 1/2" Pumpkin Pie Patterns Designer Series Paper scored at 3/4" on all 4 sides. I trimmed the edges and glued to create the top and bottom part. The ribbon on top was threaded through slits I created on either side of the lid with my cutter kit. I ran the 1/4" Basic Black grosgrain ribbon through the slits and tied the bow.

The technique for this month was glitter, so I figured a glittery spider would do the trick. :-) The spider was made with the 1 3/8" circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, 1/4" circle punch, and strips of paper folded for the legs. The Chunky Essentials Stampin' Glitter was added to the body and head by using Heat & Stick Powder.

If you haven't used Heat & Stick Powder before, it basically acts just like embossing powder. You start by using Versamark, pour the Heat & Stick Powder over, tap off excess and then melt with your Heat Tool. Pour the glitter over, tap off excess and then heat set with the Heat Tool for another second or two. An easy way to add glitter to your projects!

Ink: Versamark, Basic Black marker
Paper: Pumpkin Pie Patterns Designer Series Paper, Acetate, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch, 1/4" Basic Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Heat & Stick Powder, Black Chunky Essentials Stampin' Glitter, Cutter Kit, Heat Tool, Sticky Strip