Paper Pumpkin, Halloween Edition

Hi, y'all! :D I thought I'd show you that PP isn't all about making cards; it comes with LOTS of things to play with, and you can do them EXACTLY as you're shown in the easy-to-follow instructions, OR you can use the goodies plus some of your own supplies to crate whateve you want. Today. I'm gonna basically unbox it, and show you the six I did exactly like the instructions - I don't have that many kids in my life, so I don't need twenty! :D

 Here, I've peeled back the tissue paper it comes wrapped in the box in, and removed the Stampin' Spot and the stamp set. What you see on the bottom is the instruction flyer, with a full-color finished product photo. SO cute!

Wrapped along with the instructions is EVERYTHING you see here. SO much fun stuff. See the printed treat bags?!?!?











And here are my six. My personal taste? I don't like to use all the twine and ribbon. It starts to look cluttered - but I do like it on these!

What do you think?






TODAY is the last day of the flash sale!!!!! Go check it out while you still can!!!

Thanks for stamping with me. :D Take the time to stamp SOMEthing!!!!!

Trick or Treat!

Happy Wednesday! Are you having a good week? :) I really hope so - and that this weather sticks around. No more HOT days, please!!!!! :) (It IS the middle of September; surely it's got to be closer to fall weather, right?!?!?)

This little project is something we did at our hostess party. I wanted something that was super easy to do; some of my friends make treat packages for their office mates, and I wanted to show that it didn't take a LOT to make something really cute. :D

So that ghost? The owl punch, turned upside-down and with the feet trimmed off. Yup. that easy. Googlie eyes - and you can't beat the deal on them, just $2.50 per package! - finish off the ghost. We used the "Happy Halloween" stamp from TEENY TINY WISHES and embossed it with black embossing powder on Tangerine Tango card stock. We punched a hole through and used stitched Early Espresso ribbon to tie the bag closed. We have some wonderful fall ribbon; you can use whatever strikes your fancy. :D I didn't tie a bow, just a single knot, so it was easy to get into the candy apple for the person I gave it to. :D

I'll show you Friday what I gave Mary as a parting gift. She left over a week ago. MISS YOU, MARY!!!!!

OK, I'm outta here. :) Have a wonderful day! Be sure to make the time to stamp something!

Good morning!

How are you today?? (Aren't you surprised to see me so early??? :D) Today's Bible Study day, so I thought I'd TRY and get this out to you before I left. :)

Today's share is from the last Advanced Techniques; there's a second card, too, that came from my first attempt at the technique. :D It's a Technique Junkies technique called SPRAY AWAY.


The colors on this are Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, and Pumpkin Pie. My circle still wasn't perfect on the second attempt - my mask didn't stay where I put it too well! And I can't outline a perfect circle, either. LOL!



The next photo is the inside of this card; I really like the "Grateful Greetings" saying!




And if you keep scrolling....















You'll eventually see the outside AND inside of the other card I made a "mistake" on. Of course, there ARE no mistakes in stamping, only opportunities for embellishment - or, in this case, for a whole new idea to be born! :D


OK, I'm off! Lots to do before I leave. :) Have a WONDERFUL day, my friends, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!!!!

Friday - time for a 3D project! :)

What a week it's been! Tomorrow's it's the RIBBON OF HOPE class, and I can't wait to show you the simple yet meaningful designs I came up with! :)

Today, however, I want to show you an idea I got from a magazine; we'll be using this concept sometime in November at one of the Christmas stamp classes, so I'm not going to give you step-by-step instructions. :) Maybe I'll come up with a kit you can purchase!

Anyway. I will tell you the stuff I used. :)

Let's see. That's Crumb Cake card stock and DSP from the NEUTRALS pack. Pumpkin Pie cs, pumpkin sizzlit, craft knife, Versamark, embossing buddy, black embossing powder, heat tool finish it out - oh, and the Big Shot ♥ :D and matchbox die.

Isn't it cute? It would make a great table favor for guests, OR a fun thing to give to the kids in your child's class! It will hold four Hershey's Nuggets - which you can wrap in either DSP or stamped paper, to match your project! :)

Off I go. Kenn's brother and sister-in-law are coming this weekend to celebrate his birthday, so it should be fun for us! :) Whatever you do, enjoy each moment with friends and family - and be sure to take the time to STAMP something! :)

Miss me?? :D

Here I am! :D Oh, my, I'm TIRED. It takes a lot to get back into the swing of things, and I feel like I've been on the hampster wheel since I got back. LOL!

This is one of the projects we did at our hostess clubs the last two nights.

Aren't they fun? The biggest hassle with these is finding flat lollipops - but it's really easy to find some during the Halloween sugar sellout. :D I'll show you sometime the one I did for Valentine's day!

Card stock is Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, and Basic Black. Stamp set is GRATEFUL GREETINGS; we stamped it with Whisper White craft, then heat embossed - so we used an embossing buddy, white embossing powder, and a heat tool. This is fun to punch! We used the owl punch, large scallop circle punch, and 1-3/4" circle punch. The DSP for his vest is a Neutrals 12x12 DSP pack. You could do LOTS of owls, for SURE! :)

OK, I'm outta here. Leave me a note! :) Let me know you're out there! :) Have a wonderful day - and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something! :D

:D So glad you liked it!

Thank you for the wonderful comments on yesterday's card. I haven't touched an ink pad since I got home. ROFL!!! I sure do LOVE my Big Shot; it makes things SO easy.

Today's is totally for you, too! All done with my Big Shot. :)

Card stock: Textured Chocolate Chip 12x12, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Whisper White, Crumb Cake kinda N

Accessories: Big Shot, Build-a-Bear die, BAB Kooky Spooky Die, Fancy Favors Die, Timeless Type Alpha Dies, 1" circle punch, dimensionals, 2-way glue pen, Sticky Strip

That's all there is to it! To make sure the bear's eyes, nose, and mouth are black, simply punch a 1" circle from Basic Black - not a bigger one, or it will go over the edge of his face, nor a smaller one, because it won't cover the whole thing. Then just use your 2-way glue pen to fasten it to the back of the bear's face!

OK, I'm outta here. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!

The EXTRA HOSTESS BENEFITS special is only good until the end of the month! You can click on the EXTRA! EXTRA! in the sidebar, and it will tell you the details. Call or email me today to get your party on the books!! And please, take the time to stamp - or papercraft!!! :D - something today!!

Inspiration struck!

Monday evening, while we were making embellishments, I was trimming down the card stock scraps after we'd punched them - and saw something in the negative space that made me want to play. SO, here's the result!




















Isn't it fun?!? :D The pumpkin is a Sizzlit, the back is the small scallp punch (I used it because I already had it punched out!); the hat is from the Halloween Build-a-Bear die, and the face is the OWL punch! I punched out the horns and part of the head, and curved it around to make the mouth; I used just the big and tiny eye pieces. I think it's ADORABLE; my mom wants me to make some to stick in a gourd for Halloween. :D

Let inspiration strike YOU, too! Or leave me a note - I'm lonely, and I'd like to look at my email while I'm on the road this week and see what you have to say! :D

Have a WONDERFUL day! Take the time to STAMP something!

FUN Halloween treat!

I can almost HEAR the groans - "It's still JULY! Halloween's two-and-a-half months away!" Yeah, but how many of you remember it SNEAKING up on you last year? :D You always wanted to do "something special" for your kids' classrooms, or to hand out at your door....

So I came up with this ADORABLE treat holder; it will hold one of those longish packs of mini M&Ms, or a packet of candy corn (that's what's in this one!). I LOVE IT - so cute!!!!!!! (The flash washed it out, but I think you'll get the idea!) Check out my video tutorial on this Top Note Treat Holder!


Card stock: Whisper White, Early Espresso N, Cajun Craze N

Ink: Cajun Craze N, Early Espresso N

Stamp sets: Forest Friends, Grateful Greetings

Accessories: Big Shot (yup, I♥MyBigShot), Top Note Die, 2-3/8" scallop circle punch N, 1-3/4" circle punch, dimensionals, hole punch, Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, mini glue dot (just to hold the candy in place)

To me, this little owl is PERFECT because he's not SCARY. :) This would be appropriate for any age! :D

OK, I'm off. I hope you're enjoying the things you've seen - the new colors are SO awesome! Our first hostess club last night was a lot of fun - and a lot of new colors are first on most people's lists! :D I'll remind you again: although we all really drool over stamp sets, you can do more with COLORS and a few stamp sets than you can with LOTS OF STAMPS and just a few colors. Think about it! Just by changing the color, you can change the whole mood or look of any project. :)

If you've purchased MY DIGITAL STUDIO, there's a new color download available. Let me know if you need help! :)

Now, then. Go take the time and STAMP something, would ya?!?

Another gloomy day in Middle Tennessee. :D

But that doesn't mean you can't have FUN stampin'! It's PERFECT weather for stamping, and getting ahead on your gifting!

Speaking of gifting: A LOT of you have asked about getting a tutorial for these boxes. My answer is: As a policy, NO PAID CLASS that is offered in my home CAN or WILL be a free tutorial; it's just not fair to the people who come to take the class. HOWEVER, if there is enough interest when I show what we've done online, I will offer a tutorial you can download, AND/OR a class kit you can purchase. If you need more justification, email me! :D

I will do my best to get both of these together to be able to offer you next week. :) I know you understand - if you put yourself in my atendees' shoes, WHY would you ever take another class, if I'm gonna show or tell other people how to do it for free online? And most of you know that I'm really paying my bills right now; how would I be able to do that if no one came to my classes? :D I think this will be a win-win situation for all of us! So keep your eyes out for that.

NOW. On to today's "showcase". :D This little bat has been flying around the net for a few weeks; DEMOS, if one of you feels you're the originator of this idea, let me know and I'll post the credit to you! I did tweak him a bit, to make him friendly and fun. :D

Isn't he just TOO CUTE?!?!?! I love Smarties - they're a fun candy to use in business. :D And they're just GOOD. LOL!

The bat is the largest butterfly on the Stampin' Up! exclusive Beautiful Butterflies die, the one that faces the edge with no body cut. We folded a 4-1/4"x5-1/2" piece of Basic Black card stock in half (the HAMBURGER way! :D) and placed the folded edge on the edge of the die where the body would be. Run the die through your Big Shot, and then cut STRAIGHT across from the fold to the wings. Voila! A black butterfly with a tab-like body. :D

Keep him folded in half, and cut two parallel slits in that tab, from the fold to where the wings would be.

Using your 1" circle punch, take "bites" out of the STILL-FOLDED wings. Keep going until you get the shape you want to your bat! (If you're "scared" to do it with your nice bat, use scrap paper to practice!:D)

Now UNFOLD. :D OOH and AHHH over your cute bat body!

To insert the Smarties, fold the inner part between the two parallel cuts OUT, and the two skinnier parts IN. If your Smarties won't fit, snip JUST a little further into the bat. It won't hurt him! :D Don't make a BIG cut, or the Smarties won't stay by themselves!

His face is a 1" circle punched out of Basic Black. We just free-handed his eyes and mouth with fangs with a white gel pen - and went back with a Basic Black marker to put centers into his eyes.

Isn't he ADORABLE??? :D I'm telling you, once you get the hang of him, you could whip out as many as you needed for your kid's class, EASY. Decorate the edges with something flow-y and spooky. Run the card stock through your Big Shot with one of the Texturz folders - there's SO MUCH you could do to fancy him up! Use him for a party decoration! Make the tab body smaller - move your fold in toward the middle of the die some - and don't put ANYTHING in him, just make BATS! :D It's SO fun to do!!!!

OK, I'm off to finish up tomorrow night's showcase of MY DIGITAL STUDIO! (You'll get to see it next week; I'll put it up here for you to look at.) I'm having a BLAST learning about this program - I'm getting training to become certified with it, so you'll have every confidence I can show you how to use it and LEARN it - it's not just digital scrapbooking, ladies. It's PAPER-CRAFTING software, and INCREDIBLY versatile! :D

Gotta jet. Have a WONDERFUL day - and take the time to STAMP something, will ya?!??! :D

It's beginning to look a lot like...FALL!

I'm sorry I'm so late posting today; it's been a rough day. But I've been BUSY - look how fresh and clean and FALL-ish the Inspiration Station looks! :)

The Top Note Halloween cards are some cards I won from a sister demonstator last year. A couple of them have last year's Halloween DSP on them, but would be easily convertable. Check them out the next time you come over!

By the time the month is over, there will be lots more samples and things around the Station - but right now it looks GOOD. :D

Don't forget: THIS IS THE LAST DAY YOU CAN SIGN UP TO JOIN THE FAMILY! Just click on that link, and hit the JOIN button! I would LOVE to have you join my team!

Tomorrow is the first day of the HOLIDAY MINI - there are such AWESOME things!!! :) Be sure and come back tomorrow to see a sample or two. :D

Have a wonderful evening, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!!!!

Phew, I've been BUSY!!!!!

See the new slideshow over on the right??? I'm going to do these once a month, to show you the cards and 3D items people gift me. :) If you want to be seen, send me something! :D

IF you aren't there, it means the something you gave me didn't make it to my basket. I promise to do better on being organized! :D

This guy is a gift certificate holder! :D I made him, super-simple, to hold a donation Kenn and I are giving from our HPP business for Encore Theatre Company's fundraiser. It's always a Halloween-themed "ball", so I went with the flow. :)

OK, I'm gonna run - still doing bunches and bunches of stuff!!! Have a WONDERFUL week - and make the time to stamp something. You're gonna fall over when you see all I've been doing!! :D

I know I owe you scrapbook layouts...

but I just HAD to share this card. :D I'm trying to use up all the things I've die cut in the last 24 hours, so I'm making cards like you wouldn't believe. LOL!

Well, this is obviously the negative of the pumpkin diecut.

The eyes and nose are pieces from another shape diecut. The mouth is pieces of two different punches.

The background card stock is Tangerine Tango, one of the new IN COLORs. I dragged it with Pumpkin Pie ink. The other colors are Chocolate Chip, Only Orange, and Creamy Caramel. Isn't it FUN!?!?!??!?!?

I'm having another eye procedure done tomorrow, but hopefully in the afternoon, I'll get at least one scrapbook LO up for you. :)

Until then, TAKE THE TIME TO STAMP SOMETHING!!!!

I can finally share! :)

My Tennessee Stampers Secret Sister knows who she is now, so I can share the cards I made for her with you. :D

Faith LOVES purple, so every card I made for her has purple involved somehow - including this Halloween card! The circle punches have Bitty Boos II stamps on them; the cat is from Party Punch, a level 1 hostess set in the Fall Idea Book & Catalog. (Remember, dear readers, those hostess sets are ONLY AVAILABLE until December 31, and ONLY OBTAINABLE by hostessing a workshop OR purchasing enough to qualify for whichever level you desire!!) Isn't it FUN????

Card stock and ink colors are Only Orange, Lovely Lilach, Whisper White, and Basic Black. Easy, breezy! :) Use it as a template - and email me a scan/photo of what YOU come up with!!

Time to get back to prep work - I'm almost done with stuff for Saturday, then I have two workshops and a 6x6 to design for! :D But the month's almost half-gone already! WHERE did it go?!?!??!

Have a WONDERFUL day, dear friend!! And go STAMP something, would you??? :)