AWESOME QUILT PURSE

My sister sews, and I don't.  When I told her about a pretty quilt purse that I'd seen recently, she agreed that we should make one.  She came to my house two days ago with her sewing machine and fabric and let me choose which fabric to use for our first purse.  All that I knew about making one was that we would use the Big Shot machine and Stampin' Up!'s Scallop Square die to cut the squares, and I kind of panicked when she asked about instructions.  Huh?  I thought someone who sews and had made purses before would just know how to make one.  Apparently, that's one more thing about sewing that I don't know!  We got a good laugh about it, and she was a really good sport about figuring out what to do.  Just look at this BEAUTIFUL purse she made!!!!!!!!  We agreed that it needed to be decked out, so we used some Stampin' Up! ribbon to add even more shabby to the chic.  I also pulled out the Swarovski crystals, which I think add a subtle touch of bling!  The last addition was the beaded Prayer Box charm, which I love.  We had some other ideas that, hopefully, will end up on future purses.  All in all, I have had a lot of fun with my sister while her hobby and mine blended to create this pretty purse which, by the way, I get to keep!  Am I lucky or what????   

ETA:  This is the interior of the purse.  Isn't it cute??????

WOOHOO!!!!

Remember this card?  I first posted it to my blog in November.  I was so excited this evening to learn that this card has been highlighted in the Cricut Chirp newsletter!!!!!!!!  This is the third or fourth project of mine that's been highlighted, and I just wanted to share my excitement.  There's no money or great prize . . . it just feels good when a fun project gets recognized in some way.  ;-) 

DECORATIVE VINYL

You say, "What the heck is that?"  What you're looking at are vinyl die-cuts that I used to decorate the glass door of this particular storage cube in my stamp room.  For the second photo, I put a piece of white card stock behind the glass so the vinyl accents would show up better.  I think it looks quite good!  I used Stampin' Up!'s "Tulipe" die (minus the three little dots at the top since one of them got stuck in the die) and a non-Stampin' Up! Sizzix decorative accents die for the corner adornments.  This was such an easy project, although I must admit that I was nervous about placing the vinyl on the glass.  I used transfer tape (which comes with Stampin' Up!'s vinyl) on three of the cuts, but I just "peeled and stuck" the other two corner pieces and they went on fine.  I don't recommend that you just try to fly without the transfer tape because it is definitely needed for larger and/or more intricate cuts or for cuts that essentially have to be pieced together, such as with the Tulipe die, letters, etc.

BLOG TUNES

In the past, I believe I have kept my holiday tunes through New Year's, but I'm ready for a change!  Instead of going back to the "regular" list of songs, which I change regularly, I decided to share another playlist that I often enjoy.  I call it the "oldies" because they're songs that I enjoyed during my tween, teen, and young adult years.  I hope you will enjoy these songs, too!  ETA:  If you can think of other songs that I should add to this playlist, do tell and I'll try to find them.

CUTE BOX, CUTE TAGS

I said that I was ready to create non-Christmas projects, and that's exactly what I've been doing.  For this really EASY PEASY box, which has a 1/2" depth, I used Stampin' Up!'s Curly Label Movers & Shapers die with the heart-shaped magnetic die to cut the window.  Other Stampin' Up! products used to create this project include Whisper White card stock, "Sending Love" specialty designer paper, a polka dot window sheet from the "Night and Day" paper collection, Finial Press embossing folder, "Tiny Tags" stamp set and coordinating Jewelry Tag punch, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, and Linen Thread.  Inside the box are three mini candy bars which have been wrapped with the glittery designer paper. 

VALENTINE SCENE

It's not too early to think of Valentine's Day, and this is a fun little card showcasing a few of Stampin' Up!'s new products, such as the following new stamp sets:  Love Bandit, Well Scripted, and Tiny Tags.  There's even a punch that coordinates with the "Tiny Tags" stamp set!  I also used a brand new heart punch for the little green hearts at the bottom of the card.  Card stock colors are Naturals Ivory, Rose Red, Always Artichoke, and Certainly Celery.

STAMPED & STENCILED TILE

This gift item, which is a 6x6 tumbled decorative trivet/tile, is probably the last Christmas project that I'll post this year, and I can't say that I'm sorry to cease the thought and process of holiday creations.  It's been fun, but I'm ready to create non-Christmas projects for a while!  To decorate this tile, I used Stampin' Up!'s "Kind Thoughts Brocade" stencil, "French Script" (retired background stamp), and Chocolate Chip and Old Olive Craft ink.  I had a few minor issues with the tile but, all in all, I think it turned out really nice.  To decorate the gift bag, I used "Dasher" and "Four the Holidays" stamp sets, and Stampin' Up!'s Eyelet Border punch. 

FINAL TALL BOX GIFTS

Here they are . . . all ready for the family on Christmas Day.  Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I love hosting a "kick back" family day on December 25th.  It's kind of become a tradition.  Our family used to always celebrate Christmas on the 25th but, as the family grew, we had to share that day with others and it just didn't seem right for me to not be surrounded by my family on "THE" day.  So, I changed that.  The other thing that I like to do on the 25th is have a little treat for each of the families, and these tall boxes hold this year's treat.  There's not a lot of Stampin' Up! product on these boxes; other than the ribbon, I used Stampin' Up!'s Large and Scallop Oval punches for the name markers.

HOLIDAY TALL BOX

How cute is this box????  Unfortunately, I'm prohibited from writing much about it, but I will say this . . . Cindy McVey to the rescue!!  I was in need of a tall box for some Christmas gifts, and Cindy was johnny-on-the-spot to design this one (according to the measurements I provided) and shared the cut file at no charge!  I'd love to tell you what this box was designed to hold, but I can't since a couple of people who read my blog will be getting one of these on Friday.  All I had to do was choose the card stock, holiday decoration, add some ribbon, and call it done!  The world's a nicer place (and holiday projects get done lickety-split) with friends like Cindy!

MINI MILK CARTON "BIRDHOUSE"

One of the new products that Stampin' Up! is offering in the "Occasions" mini catalog is the Mini Milk Carton die, which I have already loved.  I've designed  mini milk cartons with it and also a coffee pot.  Today's design is a birdhouse, although the idea wasn't born in my head.  I think it was Janet Wakeland who shared a picture of this die used to create a birdhouse.  I didn't do too much in the way of decorating this project, but I used two other brand new Stampin' Up! products . . . the Scallop Trim Border punch, and the Two Step Bird punch.  There is but one flaw with this project, and it happens to be a big one . . . I didn't leave a way to get into the box without tearing out the bottom or top.  I might need to just punch a hole in the top, thread some cord through it, and call it an ornament. 

"NOEL" BANNER

This isn't a very good picture, but I wanted to share the NOEL banner that I made a couple of weeks ago.  I used the Big Shot machine and several Stampin' Up! products:  Christmas Cocoa and Bride specialty designer papers, Sizzix Pennant, Snowflake, Serif Essentials alphabet, and Merry Details Embosslits dies, Whisper White and Real Red card stock, and 1/4" white grosgrain ribbon.  The red and white pennant panels with the letters are actually pockets, but I ended up not putting anything in them.

HOLIDAY BOW-TIE BOX

I won't say who this box was made for or what it will hold, but I can say that someone on my gift list will get it!  Stampin' Up! products used to create this project include Whisper White card stock, red dotted grosgrain ribbon, "Snow Swirled" stamp set, Bordering Blue ink, Stampin' Dimensionals, and a clear rhinestone brad.

"WELL SCRIPTED"

I made this card for a friend's birthday and have waited until she received it to post it to my blog.  Hopefully, it's been delivered to her mailbox by now.  Besides the Very Vanilla card stock, other Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include "Sending Love" glittery designer paper, "Well Scripted" stamp set, taffeta ribbon, Wide Oval punch, and the brand new Scallop Trim border and corner punches.  The new punches create such a pretty look!  For the all-around punched layers, I used the corner and border punches together. 

BUDDY'S TREATS

Buddy is our neighbor's dog, and we love him!  He used to run loose, and my husband and son would carry dog biscuits in their vehicles for him.  Whenever they'd drive up, Buddy would come running for a treat!  Not too long ago, the neighbor installed an invisible fence, so we now keep the biscuits in the house.  Every now and then, Buddy's fence is turned off and he'll escort us from the car to the door and patiently wait for a treat.  I decided to purchase this stainless steel can for the biscuits and decorate it with vinyl die-cuts.  The letters were extremely challenging but, all in all, I think it turned out cute.  I think Buddy would love it, too, if he could see it.  Ha!

"TINY TAGS" AND BUTTERFLIES

I'm playing with new stuff again!  There's a card in the Stampin' Up! "Occasions" mini catalog that I just love, and this one is similar to it.  New products used to create this card include "Tiny Tags" stamp set and coordinating tag punch (how cute!!!), "Beautiful Wings" Embosslits die, Scallop Trim Border punch, and Scallop Trim Corner punch.  Some of my butterflies were cut from designer paper, so I used a sanding block to expose the core of the paper and show off the embossing.  The designer paper is "Thoroughly Modern," and it can be found in the current catalog.  Other Stampin' Up! products used include Kraft and Taken with Teal card stock, Soft Suede and Rose Red ink, and 1/4" Rose Red grosgrain ribbon.  What do you think . . . should the tags be together or are they okay separated like this?

CLEMSON, BY SPECIAL REQUEST

I was asked to make a birthday card with a Clemson theme, and I had no idea what to do.  I realize that the paws might be an incorrect shade of orange, but I can assure you that the color difference between the paws and the bow isn't nearly as far off as it appears in the picture.  For the card, I decided to employ the Pyramid technique--I think that's what it's called--but I cut the layers at odd sizes.  I used a program on my computer to design the sentiment layer, and I really like how it turned out.  I hope my friend's colleague loves the card!

"EASY BROWNIES!" SHE SAID

On Saturday, I'm hosting a Holiday Reception, so I decided to prepare most of my food today (Thursday) and do the cleaning on Friday.  At my grandmother's birthday party a couple of weeks ago, my mother had  some delicious brownies (with a pink filling).  Those brownies got rave reviews, and my mother assured me they'd be an easy food for my party.  I thought mothers instinctly knew the limitations of their own child, but maybe I've just been "grown and gone" too long.  It's 3ish a.m., and I just now finished these darn things!  The ones pictured aren't very appealing, but they are my "go to" batch in case I begin to run low--you know, the time when these will actually look beautiful!  Now, the recipe does seem very easy--there are only three steps; however, after step 1, you wait 20 to 25 minutes for baking, cool for 10 minutes, refrigerate for 20 minutes.  After step 2, you refrigerate for 20 minutes.  After step 3, you refrigerate for a while and then cut.  At the beginning of each step, you grab a stick of butter which might be habit-forming.  I think I'm going to reach for a stick of butter each time I go in the kitchen now!  If I had really studied this recipe, I would have known it wasn't for me.  My kitchen is a mess, even though I have washed the same mixing bowl and measuring cup several times during the course of this creation.  It may not have taken as long to complete the brownies if I wasn't so easily side-tracked.  You see, each time I left the kitchen for one of the many "wait" periods, I got involved in something else.  Waiting is not something that I do well.  I suppose I could have cleaned the kitchen during the wait times, but I just wanted out of there!  Thank you, mother, for the confidence you had in my patience and ability, but I can't see these brownies in my future.

"TWO STEP BIRD" PUNCH

[Ding, Ding, Ding]

Announcer in the ring:  On the left, we have the experienced Stampin' Up! punch-using champ, Regina.  On the right, we have the up and coming Scallop Trim Corner punch.  Who will win this match?  1-2-what's that???? [the crowd goes wild] Regina's butt got kicked, but she made an amazing comeback! 

That's right . . . this corner punch took some real punches at me tonight, but I emerged from the scrap pile of card stock a winner!  The good news is that I mastered the use of this punch so much so that I used two of its layers on my card!  That ever-so-cute bird is also from a new punch . . . the "Two Step Bird."  I'm really pleased and proud that Stampin' Up! is offering this one in the upcoming Occasions mini catalog.  Again, this is a square card, and it also features a sentiment from "Love Bandit" and a creative use of the Modern Label punch.

"LOVE BANDIT" STRIKES AGAIN

I can't remember the name of the fold used to create the designer paper window,  but this card was inspired by my friend (Laura) who sent me a card recently with a similar fold.  This is another square card (can't seem to stay away from them) with a little "sentiment overhang."  Featured on this card are two images from Stampin' Up!'s "Love Bandit" stamp set and "Sending Love" designer paper.  Both of these products are coming soon in the Occasions mini catalog.  In this picture, you can see a hint of the glittery sparkle on the designer paper.  I also used Stampin' Up!'s "Finial Press" embossing folder, which had been altered.  The part of the folder that embossed the card had actually been cut away from the remainder of the folder which makes it perfect for selectively embossing a portion of any project.  This card also features Stampin' Up!'s "Top Note" Sizzix die, Heart to Heart, Small Oval, Large Oval, 1-1/4" Square, and 1-3/8" Square punches.

"VERY VINTAGE" STAMPIN' AROUND WHEEL

While putting things away to prep for my scrapbook club this evening, I picked up Stampin' Up!'s new "Very Vintage" wheel (another new product from the upcoming Occasions mini catalog) and took it for a spin!  You can't see very much of it on this project, but it's very pretty . . . and very vintage.  I like the "collage-y" look about it!  Colors used for this mini milk carton (is this die on your wish list yet or what) are Very Vanilla and Perfect Plum.  Stampin' Up! doesn't sell Perfect Plum taffeta ribbon, but I used the Perfect Plum marker to color a snippet of Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon to knot around the silver library clip.  I think the marker did a great job of coloring the ribbon, and it matches my project perfectly!  As you can see, I also used the new Scallop Trim Border punch on this project.

"SOMETHING SWEET"

If you enjoyed the Sweet Treat Cups and "Sweet Centers" stamp set that Stampin' Up! offered in the Holiday mini catalog, you're going to love the "Something Sweet" stamp set that's in the Occasions mini.  You'll even find heart-shaped treat cups in the Occasions mini!  For my fish bowl, I put hand sanitizer in the cup, covered the back with a piece of transparency/acetate, and then adhered the stamped fish to the acetate.  I used Bermuda Bay, Dusty Durango, and Crushed Curry inks and card stock for this project, as well as white card stock.

A MINI MILK CARTON BY ANY OTHER NAME . . .

. . . would be a coffee pot!  How cute is this?  I was looking at the first milk carton I made and this idea popped in my head!  How fun to pull "Puns from the Past" off the shelf and put it to use!  I love that stamp set, but I was kind of hooked on using it with Stampin' Up!'s "Parisian Breeze" designer paper and, now that it's retired, I just haven't used this set much.  The texture on this project was created with the "Weave" texture plate.  I used Kraft card stock and sponged the edges and folds with Soft Suede ink.

BETTER WATCH OUT! THE LOVE BANDIT IS COMIN' TO TOWN!

It's not that I'm looking ahead to Valentine's . . . I'm just playing with new Stampin' Up! goodies!  The designer paper was left over from the mini milk carton I made earlier, so I decided to use it on a card.  This photo captures just a little of the glittery shimmer on the paper.  The stamped images are from "Love Bandit," a stamp set that you'll find in the upcoming "Occasions" mini catalog.  I again used the Scallop Trim Corner punch on the Very Vanilla layer beneath the raccoon.  I'm lovin' the new punches! 

SHHH . . . IT'S A SNEAK PEEK!

Just look at the fun new stuff coming our way!  In Stampin' Up!'s "Occasions" mini catalog, which will be in effect on January 5th, you'll find a new Sizzix die that cuts and scores a Mini Milk Carton (as pictured) and a "Beautiful Wings" Embosslits die.  There's a lot of detail on this project that the photo doesn't portray, such as the embossing on the die-cut butterflies (they're gorgeous!) and the sparkle of the GLITTER on the "Sending Love" specialty designer paper!  The only other new product that you'll notice on this project is that dainty scallop trim!  Stampin' Up!'s is bringing us some new punches, as well as a new style of punches.  To go along with the Scallop Trim Border punch, there's a Scallop Trim "Corner" punch.  Used together, these two punches will create a scallop trim all the way around a piece of card stock.  I haven't completed one of those yet with the punches, but I'm sure there's a rhyme and reason to the specific interval of sizes that the card stock has to be.  You can bet that I'll be figuring that out!  Lots of new stuff to play with so, if you'll excuse me, I have "fun" to do.

"MY DIGITAL STUDIO" - SIMPLE HOLIDAY DESIGN

Check this out . . . a very simple holiday card designed with Stampin' Up!'s "My Digital Studio."  I think I've mentioned it before, but one of my favorite things about the MDS software is being able to design with products that I don't even own, such as "A Holly, Jolly Christmas" stamp set.  The sentiment, stockings, and stars are images from that set. 

JOY FOLD

On Thursday, my grandmother will be 90 years old, so I made this card to mail to her.  We've already celebrated her birthday, but I know she'll be happy to get fun mail on her special day.  She's a wonderful lady--as sweet as can be!  Remarkable, is what she is!