Tag Art Challenge

When I was looking at my calendar, I realized that my day to post here and the kick-off of the Dare To Get Dirty challenges were one of the same.  What does that mean?  It means that I got to combine my Taylored Expressions project with my Dare To Get Dirty Challenge.  Each day there are 3 challenges celebrating previous Dirty Dozen themes.  Since I am kicking off the Dare To Get Dirty challenges this year, I chose to go all the way back to the beginning and chose the first Dirty Dozen gallery...Tag Art.

Taylor and I were on the Dirty Dozen and the same time, so it is neat {to me} that I get to use her stamps to do this challenge.  Instead of incorporating a tag into a card, I chose to do a tag gift set using a variety of the Cuppie stamps and one tag using a Whimsical Wishes set.  These are all put together in a little tin and would make a great hostess gift or addition to a gift basket.

 

These tags are easily customized with any color palette you choose.  I love that they are easy to embellish and paper piece, as well.  I chose to mount all of the tags on double sided patterned paper so that the back of the tags was not left blank; however, you can leave the backs blank and use them for writing the "To, From" or a short little note.   Come play along!  I can't wait to see what you make, especially with TE stamps!!

Home Sweet Home...

For a few weeks, I have been playing around with making a 3D paper house and template.  I finally got all the dimensions down just in time to create my project for the SASI blog.  Here it is...

 

From experience, I have learned that the "how did you do that?" question is inevitable.  That's why we all do this stuff, right?  That's how I got hooked, at least...the rest is history.  Well, I don't have a printed template, but I hope that these step by step directions will help.

What you will need:

• 8.5" x 11" piece of cardstock (I used Kraft)
• Scoring utensil (Such as a Scor-Pal or the scoring "blade" on your paper cutter)
• Adhesive (I am a glue person, so that is what I am going to go ahead and recommend for this project)
• Small round punch
• Thin ribbon or cording (optional, if you want to hang this lil' house)
• Other paper, stamps and embellishments for making the house your own.  I used the new set, Fresh Flowers.
  

Step one:
Score your paper at 2.5", 5", 7.5" and 10" and 2.5" inches in from either side.  Cut flaps to intersecting line.

Step Two:

Mark the center point (1.25") on each of the top flaps.

 

 

Step Three:

Create scored triangle by scoring from marked center point to lower corners of each flap.

 

Steps Four and Five:

Cut approximately 1/4" on the outside of each score mark.  Using a bone folder, make a "hard" score mark by folding down at scored lines and running bone folder across.  This will help create smooth lines when the flap are glued together.

 

Step Six:

Punch a hole in the top portion of two (not side by side) of the flaps/triangles.

 

 

Step Seven:

Glue flaps together.  You can use red line tape here, but I find that glue is more permanent, so that is what I chose to use.

 

Step Eight/Completion:

Fill with your choice of goodies and fold and adhere bottom flaps.  Decorate house as desired.  Here is a picture of the "naked" house...

For the roof, I use the larger SU! oval punch and sponged the edges of each piece.  I kinda got glue everywhere and need to be a little more careful next time I do a project like this!  Here is a top view of the complete house...

You're Egg-stra Special!

I know that there are lots of people out there like me...not that much into all the techniques that are available to us stampers. I'm not saying that I don't like the way they look, but the process is what I don't enjoy. I stick to the basics and try not to make *too* much of a mess while creating...is that possible?!? Paper piecing is one of my favorite techniques and is so fun to do with all of the Stamp A Sweet Impression cupcake stamps. I like "dressing" them to match the rest of my card. This card uses stamps from the new set, Sweet Spring.

As you can see from this close up, I "dressed" the cupcake in the same designer paper (from the new Key Ingredients Kit) as the large background panel. To give it a little more depth, I colored in the indentations with pink Copic marker.

I hope you enjoy doing something creative today! Hugs~Jen