Convention projects: Part 2

Yesterday I posted the first two of my (finally) completed make-and-take projects from the 2013 Stampin' Up! Convention. Today I'm going to share the last two, both of which are cute ways to package little gifts or treats.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge, Occasions
Paper: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White cardstock; In Color Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack - Crisp Cantaloupe
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Tag a Bag gift box, 2-3/8" scalloped circle punch, Pansy punch, 7/8" scalloped circle punch, 1-3/8" circle punch, Banner punch, Summer Starfruit stitched satin ribbon, linen thread, large pearls, Dimensionals, Mono Multi liquid glue

Of all four projects, this was probably the one I changed the most. The project instructions said to use the Coastal Cabana and Calypso Coral cardstock and Crisp Cantaloupe DSP to create feather shapes to embellish the gift box. I haven't really jumped on board the feather bandwagon, so I created a flower embellishment instead. For the base of the flower I punched a 2-3/8" scallop circle out of Calypso Coral cardstock, snipped between the scallops to create petals, and carefully scrunched then re-opened the flower to add some texture and dimension. The next layers are two Pansy shapes punched from the DSP. I flipped one of the flowers over and staggered the placement of the petals, so you can see both of the patterns on the paper. I left the bottom pansy flat, but I curled up the petals on the top pansy just a bit. The middle of the flower is a 7/8" Coastal Cabana scalloped circle and a large pearl.

I had some trouble with the Summer Starfruit ribbon that goes around the box, so I ended up just tying it in a knot, cutting off the ends, making two separate loops and then adhering the loops to the plastic cover underneath the knot. To adhere the flower to the plastic I stacked Dimensionals four high on either side of the knot and then placed the flower on the Dimensionals. To make the tag, I stamped the "Four You" image from the Occasions set (the stamps that are included with the Everyday Occasions Cardmaking kit), punched it out and used linen thread to tie it to the ribbon.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Tag It
Ink: Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Tag a Bag gift bag, Tag a Bag Accessory Kit, Coastal Cabana ruffle stretch trim

For this project I only made one change from the instructions: instead of using the suggested "It's your day" birthday image, I used "I dig you!" I figured this way I could use the bag for Valentine's Day or to give someone a little "just because" treat. The baker's twine, mini clothespin and layered tag pieces are all included with the Tag a Bag Accessory Kit, so you can mix and match different colors.

Creating a flat bottom on the gift bag is pretty easy to do. I didn't take pictures, though, so I'll try to explain it as simply as I can. First score each side of the bag vertically at 1" and then horizontally 1-1/4" from the bottom. Cut along the two vertical score lines from the bottom of the bag just up to the horizontal score line; you will then have three flaps on the bottom of the bag.

Cut open the fold along the bottom of the bag so you can work the bag into the rectangular shape. The folded edges that were originally the sides of the bag are pushed in, and the score lines you made become the left and right sides of the bag. (It will make sense as you're doing it. This was the trickiest part for me and made me wish I had one more hand.) Then fold in the flaps on the bottom and adhere them together. These would be really cute for little favors at a birthday party or shower.

Thanks for stopping by -- and have a safe, happy New Year's celebration!

Convention projects: Part 1

Yesterday I was finally ready to hit the craft room and get my fingers inky. But although I have a bunch of new stamping supplies, I was feeling a bit lost in terms of what to make. So instead of wasting time feeling frustrated, I pulled out some ready-to-make projects: my make-and-take packets from the Stampin' Up! Convention last summer. (Yes, that was more than five months ago, but better late than never.) There were four projects, so I'll share two today and two tomorrow. And while I can't take credit for the original designs, I did make a few changes so the projects better fit my style.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Hello, Lovely
Cardstock: Whisper White note cards and envelopes
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Old Olive, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral
Accessories: Rhinestones, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, paper-piercing tool and mat, Stamp-a-ma-jig

In the instructions for this project, each note card had a different design, but I really liked the simplicity of this layout, so I decided to use it for all of the cards. I stamped the images in a different color ink for each card, using the Stamp-a-ma-jig tool to help with placement. I added the rhinestones and was going to stop there, but on the last card I stamped -- I think it was the Coastal Cabana -- the group of images was decidedly off-center. Figures. I'd stamped them too far to the left, so I needed to fill up some space along the right side of the card. I wanted to keep the cards a single layer, so I added two rows of pierced holes. It's not what I'd intended, but I still like the end result. I forgot to include the envelopes in the picture, but I also stamped one of these images in the lower left corner of each envelope, so they coordinate nicely with the cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Hello, Lovely
Paper: Whisper White and Old Olive cardstock, silver glimmer paper
Ink: Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Tag a Bag gift bag, 1/8" Bermuda Bay taffeta ribbon, Calypso Coral chevron ribbon, 1-3/4" circle punch, rhinestones, Dimensionals

This project also came with a little bag to package the set of note cards. It was easy to make -- first I stamped and cut out the "You make me happy" image and then layered together the other elements with Dimensionals. I tied the Bermuda Bay ribbon around the closed bag and used Dimensionals to adhere the "tag" to the bag. It's such a cute, simple idea, but probably one I wouldn't have thought of myself. And I think this is the only part of all the projects where I didn't really change anything. I'm definitely going to remember this idea for other card sets I make.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge, Hello, Lovely
Paper: Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana Core-dinations rdstock; silver glimmer paper
Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Old Olive, Sumer Starfruit, Calypso Coral
Accessories: Whisper White baker's twine, Very Vintage designer buttons, 1-3/4" circle punch, rhinestones, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

The first step in making this card was to stamp the splatter background. The large splatters are Coastal Cabana and Summer Starfruit -- to get the lighter ink colors, stamp the image on scratch paper first and then on the card base -- and the smaller splatters are Old Olive. To make the large arrow, stamp the diagonal lines on half a piece of cardstock and then trim the point on one end and the v-shaped notch in the other.

One of the things I changed on this card was the sentiment. The example card used the "Hello Lovely" greeting, but I wanted "Thank You" instead. I used a Calypso Coral marker to ink just the first part of the "Thank You, You're the Best" stamp and stamped it over the ampersand on the Crisp Cantaloupe circle. Two more arrows, a button with baker's twine and a few rhinestones finish off this card.

Come back tomorrow to see the last two of my make-and-take (or more appropriately, take-and-make) projects from Convention. Thanks for stopping by!

A year of sweet treats

My grandma's birthday is just a couple of days before Christmas, so it can be tricky to come up with ideas for birthday and Christmas presents at the same time. (And we always try to make sure the birthday present, including the wrapping paper, is not Christmas-y.) This year my mom and sister decided to give Grandma a "membership" in our own treat-of-the-month club, so each month in 2014 one of us will bake her a sweet treat -- cookies, bars, cupcakes, etc. To present the gift, my sister typed up a certificate, and I created this card to hold the certificate:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Grandma's Kitchen, Guilty Pleasures (both Raisin Boat)
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Cherry Cobbler, Baked Brown Sugar, Blushing BRide, Chocolate Chip, Smoky Slate, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: Decorative Dots embossing folder, Blender Pen, Glue Dots, corner rounder, Dimensionals

Pretty yummy-looking, if I do say so myself. I stamped the images with Jet Black StazOn ink on Whisper White cardstock and then used a Blender Pen and ink pads to color them. (You can't really tell in the photo, but the inside of the piece of cake is a very pale pink.) I cut out the images and adhered them to an embossed Cherry Cobbler card base. (The Decorative Dots embossing folder will be available during Stampin' Up!'s 2014 Sale-A-Bration promo.)

The sentiment was a little trickier to create. I had two different options -- "Sweet" and "Treat yourself" -- but neither was exactly what I wanted. So I made some modifications and came up with my own sentiment. I started by stamping "Sweet" on a strip of white cardstock. Then I inked  up and stamped just "Treat." To make it plural, I used a marker to ink just the "s" in "yourself" and stamped it at the end of "Treat." (Thank goodness for clear stamps!) I trimmed the left side of the strip into a V and adhered it to the card, slipping the right edge behind the cookie jar image.

My Grandma still does some baking (her strudel is one of my favorite Christmas treats), but food always tastes better when someone else does the work, right? I think I'm going to have to dig out my recipe for caramel graham fudge brownies. Yum! Thanks for stopping by!

Simple, sweet and flowery

Happy Christmas! I hope you had a wonderful holiday, whether it was quiet and contemplative or busy and boisterous. I visited with family on Christmas Eve and Day, ate too much delicious food and opened presents from Santa (including new Legos to add to Snowburg!). Of course with all the festivities the past few days, I haven't had time for crafting, but I do have one little card to share that I made a few weeks ago. It's simple, sweet and flowery -- three of my favorite things.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Cardstock: Rose Red, Night of Navy
Accessories: Gingham Garden washi tape, Pansy punch, 1-1/4" scallop circle punch, corner rounder, large pearls, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

I needed four quick thank-you cards, and with no stamping required this 3" x 3" design was the perfect option. Two pieces of washi tape and a few punches were all I needed. For a little dimension I curled up the edges on the flower and scallop circle shapes and then placed a large pearl in the middle of the flower.

This would be a fun design to use for a set of cards; you could use different color combinations, change the washi tape or use strips Designer Series Paper instead. You could even make this as a 3" x 3" panel to layer on a larger card. Thanks for stopping by!

Last Creative Crew card

With all the holiday hoopla I forgot to share my final card from the December Creative Crew challenges:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Postage Collection, Four You
Paper: Very Vanilla cardstock, First Edition Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Jet Black StazOn
Accessories: 1" circle punch, Neutrals Candy Dots, Dimensionals

This challenge focused on the colors Basic Black and Very Vanilla. We were asked to use those two colors and/or Modern Medley DSP and CASE (copy and share everything) the work of someone we admire. For my inspiration I used this clean and simple card by Lydia Fiedler.

I kept the same basic layout as my inspiration card: three small images in circles and a greeting placed at the bottom of the card. I love the touches of color on Lydia's card, but since I was using just black and vanilla, I needed to find a different way to accent the images. So instead of color, I used a print, placing a strip of First Edition DSP behind the circles. I also added a simple embellishment: three Very Vanilla Candy Dots in the upper left corner of the card.

Being on the Creative Crew was a great experience, and I hope you enjoyed my projects. Thanks for stopping by!

Single-layer simple Christmas card

This past week I've been frantically trying to get most of my Christmas tasks done. I made treats for a few gifts, packed up and shipped out the gifts that had to be mailed, and finished making my Christmas cards. And I think I bought the last Christmas gift today. Whew. The next item to check off the list will be mailing the cards; most of them are done, and I hope to finish the last bunch tonight.

Last Wednesday when it came time to finish creating the cards, I needed a design that was simple and easy to reproduce -- I still needed ten cards, and I knew that was going to be my last chance to make them. But I wanted something that was striking, too. I decided on a crisp white card base, a simple sentiment and three little pops of color.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Many Merry Messages
Cardstock: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Pear Pizzazz
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Merry Minis punch pack, rhinestones, Envelope Punch Board (for rounding the corners), Mono Multi liquid glue

I made nine cards with this layout; three cards using each of the shapes from the Merry Minis punch pack (tree, star and ornament). I placed rhinestones between the punched shapes to add a little sparkle.

Single-layer cards always make me a little nervous -- there really isn't any way to hide or disguise an ink smudge or crooked cut. Thankfully I got through this set without any major slip-ups. And I'm really happy with the way they turned out. (Although to be honest, I worry a little bit that other people will think it's too simple.)

Before I settled on this layout I made a version with the same sentiment and color combo, but using the Tape It stamp set instead of punched shapes.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Many Merry Messages, Tape It
Cardstock: Whisper White
Ink: Soft Suede, Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Rhinestones, Envelope Punch Board (for rounding the corners)

I liked this design, too, especially the greeting going off the edge of the card and the group of three rhinestones. But in the end I decided I wanted to have a little more Christmas feel to the cards, so I replaced the stamps with the punched shapes and tweaked the layout a bit. Which design do you like better?







Thanks for stopping by!

More wintry trees

Last month I posted three cards featuring a stamped image of a cardinal sitting in a forest of trees. I love the image, so I decided to make two more Christmas card designs with that stamp.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Cardinal in Trees (Paper Source)
Cardstock: Shimmery White, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Whisper White craft
Accessories: Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit (for birch paper ribbon), Iridescent Ice embossing powder, 1/8" Real Red taffeta ribbon, Dimensionals

I love the way these cards turned out; the photo doesn't do justice to the shimmer of the cardstock and the embossed trees. And the birch paper ribbon was the perfect background for this image. I do wish it were easier to see the cardinal in the trees, though. But since I was embossing the image, I thought it would be simpler to stamp the entire image in Whisper White craft ink rather than coloring the cardinal separately. Instead I added a touch of color by tying a piece of Real Red 1/8" taffeta ribbon around the bottom of the focal image, which is attached to the card base with Dimensionals.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Cardinal in Trees (Paper Source), Gorgeous Grunge
Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Whisper White, silver glimmer paper
Ink: Smoky Slate, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Real Red, Illuminate
Accessories: Real Red satin ribbon, 3/4" circle punch, Dimensionals

For this card design I used the spotlight technique. First I stamped the entire image in Smoky Slate ink on Whisper White cardstock. Then, after cleaning the stamp, I used markers to apply different colors of ink to part of the image. I stamped it on another piece of Whisper White cardstock and used a 3/4" circle punch to punch out the part of the image with the cardinal. I lined up the punched circle over the full image and adhered it with Dimensionals. Then I matted the focal image with a piece of silver glimmer paper and added a tab of Real Red satin ribbon. I used the Illuminate Glimmer Watermark pad and one of the splatter images from the Gorgeous Grunge set to add "snow" to the background and then adhered the panel to the card base with Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

Desperate times ...

...call for easy cards! Last week I realized that Christmas was just a few weeks away and I'd only made about half the cards I needed. Yikes! Time to get busy. So I pulled out some patterned paper, embellishments and note cards, and I got to work making an assortment of simple, no-stamping-required Christmas cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Whisper White note cards and envelopes, Winter Bright Simply Scrappin' Kit, gingerbread diecuts (The Paper Cut)
Ink: White gel pen
Accessories: Brads (various brands), Dimensionals

I used two pieces of coordinating Designer Series Paper (DSP) for the background and embellished the gingerbread diecuts with a white gel pen and a few brads. I adhered the diecuts to the card bases with Dimensionals.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Whisper White note cards and envelopes, Winter Song - Flurry Kisses paper (SEI), textured cardstock (unknown)
Accessories: Frosted Finishes embellishments, tinsel trim, Postage Stamp punch, 1" square punch, Dimensionals, Mono Multi liquid glue

It's hard to see in this photo, but there are sparkly snowflakes on the dotted paper, and the stripes are shimmery. It's beautiful paper, and I wanted it to stand out, so I added just silver snowflake embellishments and some tinsel trim.

Easy peasy! Thanks for stopping by!

Quick and cute Christmas projects

A couple of weeks ago I held a stamping event focused on the idea that even though the holidays are hectic, it's easy -- and fun! -- to add handmade touches to your gifts. I dubbed the event "Quick and Cute Christmas," and each attendee created eight gift tags, a treat bag and a gift card holder. Below are the projects and lists of supplies. (All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.)

Blue snowflake tag

Stamps: Label Love, Warmth & Wonder

Cardstock: Whisper White

Ink: Island Indigo

Accessories: Artisan Label punch, 1/8” hole punch, white crochet thread (DMC), rhinestones, multipurpose liquid glue

In the photo above, you can see the other side of this tag. The two images were stamped separately, punched out and glued together back to back. 

Santa tag
Stamps: Tag It
Cardstock: Shimmery White
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Chalk Talk Framelits dies, pearls, 1/8" hole punch, white crochet thread (DMC)

"To:" and "From:" are stamped on the back of the tag.

Reindeer card and envelope
Stamps: Color Me Christmas
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White cardstock; Season of Style Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: 2-1/2” circle punch, Envelope Punch Board, Regals Candy Dots, Dimensionals, Sticky Strip

There is a square of Whisper White cardstock inside this 3" x 3" card, but no sentiment or "To:/From." I wanted to leave it blank so it could be used as a gift tag/enclosure or a regular Christmas card.

Tree tag
Stamps: Christmas Punch
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Gumball Green, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Gumball Green
Accessories: 2-1/2" circle punch, Petite Pennants Builder punch, rhinestones, sponge, multipurpose liquid glue, Sticky Strip (on the back to adhere the tag to a gift)

It's difficult to see, but there is sponging around the tree. The tree trunk was cut out freehand and glued to the bottom of the tree.

Santa's belly tag
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, silver glimmer paper
Accessories: 2-1/2" circle punch, Petite Curly Label punch, Little Labels punch pack, 1/8" hole punch, pearls, white crochet thread (DMC), multipurpose liquid glue

The strip of cardstock for Santa's belt is 3/8" wide. The punched silver piece is glued on the black strip, and the small back square is glued on the silver shape.

Merry Minis tags
Stamps: Christmas Tagables
Cardstock: Whisper White, Brights Collection
Ink: Basic Gray
Accessories: Merry Minis punch pack, corner rounder, rhinestones, multipurpose liquid glue, Sticky Strip (on the back to adhere the tag to a gift)

These were really quick and easy -- and a great way to use up scraps of colored cardstock or DSP.

Snowflake treat bag
Stamps: Endless Wishes, Petite Pairs
Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red
Ink: Gumball Green, StazOn Cotton White
Accessories: Mosaic punch, small oval punch (retired), Pretty Presents Designer Tags, Whisper White baker's twine, red grosgrain ribbon, mini jingle bells, Dimensionals

I placed a dark piece of cardstock inside the bag while stamping so I could see where to place the snowflakes.

Snowman gift-card holder
Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge
Cardstock: Pool Party, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black
Ink: Pool Party
Accessories: Punches: 2-1/2”, 1-3/4” and 1-3/8” circles; 2-3/8” scalloped circle; Word Window; Cupcake Builder; Itty Bitty Shapes pack; Snowflake; Regals Candy Dots, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon, sponge, Glue Dots, multipurpose liquid glue, Sticky Strip

To make the card base, cut a piece of Pool Party cardstock to 4-1/4” x 11”. Score and fold at 4-1/2” and 9-3/4”. Use Sticky Strip to secure the edges of the bottom flap, making sure to leave the top part of the flap unglued so the top panel can be tucked in.

I think everyone at the event liked the projects and enjoyed making them. I did create step-by-step instructions for each project, so if you would like that information, just post a comment below.




Thanks for stopping by!

A very Lego Christmas

A few weeks ago I splurged and bought myself two winter-themed Lego sets: the Winter Village Market and the Winter Village Cottage. This weekend I finished assembling them and, with a few other Lego sets and minifigures, created my own little winter village on our coffee table.

Welcome to Snowburg! I must admit that I was greatly amused while setting up Snowburg, deciding which figures to use and where to put them. And I'm lucky that my sister tolerates my toys taking over the entire table for the holidays. Here are some close-up shots:

Outside the cottage the snowplow is busy keeping the village roads clear. A couple of police officers are patrolling Snowburg; they don't expect any trouble from the villagers, but you can never be too safe.

Inside the cottage is a cozy, charming living space for a minifigure family. The kitchen (bottom right) has a sink, stove, cabinets, little drawers that open, a tiny pan and classic checkered tile floor.

In the living room Grandpa is reading the paper in his armchair by the glowing fire (courtesy of a light-up brick). The room is also decked out with a Christmas tree and stockings on the mantle.

Outside the more outdoorsy minifigures are enjoying a run down the ski slope (it's more of a bunny hill, but they're beginners) and some ice fishing. Looks like they caught some dinner!

Anyone up for a ride on Santa's Ho-Ho-Holiday Express? See the elf for tickets. But please, don't eat the giant gingerbread man.

If you do have a sweet tooth, consider stopping at Andi's Dandies market stall for a tasty treat.

The Snowburg village center is bustling with activity: horse-drawn sleigh rides, the song stylings of the Sassy Santa Trio, and an ice-skating rink. Or just enjoy a spot on a park bench -- great for people watching!

The carousel is a popular spot in the market. (And naturally everyone wants to ride the horses because they rock back and forth while the carousel spins around.) Old man Cliff has operated the carousel for thirty years. He's gruff on the surface, but a softie at heart.

Hungry for a bratwurst and a stein of beer? Or maybe a flaky, buttery croissant? Grab some refreshments and join the Fritz twins, who are enjoying soft pretzels after their performance in the village center. (They don their lederhosen and perform accordion duets at noon every Sunday during the holidays. On Christmas Eve they do a special performance with the Sassy Santa Trio at midnight mass.)

Aaaahh! It's a sad, sad fact of life in Snowburg that sometimes the village is attacked by the giant abominable snow cat. Run for your lives!

(Disclaimer: This was actually a staged scene. I had to wake up the giant abominable snow cat, drag her out of her quilt cave and put her in Snowburg. However, a mere two hours later, she did attack the village of her own free will. The village center saw the most damage. But the Snowburgians are hardy minifigures; they will recover and rebuild.)





For now, adieu from Snowburg. Thanks for stopping by!

Decorated notepad

I know a lot of people today put all their notes on a phone or keep their calendars on a computer. But I'm not one of those people; I have always preferred writing on paper. So I was excited to see this challenge for the December Creative Crew: Make a calendar, to-do list, booklet or journal for a friend to use in 2014.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! except "Other"):
Stamps: Hello, Lovely
Paper: Basic Gray cardstock, This and That Epic Day Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Jet Black StazOn
Accessories: Coastal Cabana ruffle stretch trim, This and That Epic Day Designer Stickers, This and That Epic Day washi tape, This and That Epic Day Journal (for the envelope), metal clip
Other: 4" x 6" notepad

I started with a 4" x 6" unlined notepad. To make the cover I cut a piece of Basic Gray cardstock to 8-1/2" x 4". I measured and then scored the cardstock to fit around the top of the notepad and adhered the "extra" cardstock (about 2-1/4") to the chipboard on the back of the pad.

As much as I love using Dimensionals when I make projects, I knew I needed to keep the decoration on the notepad flat so embellishments wouldn't get pulled off in a bag or purse. I used a piece of This and That Epic Day DSP on the background -- the ledger-type sheet was perfect for this project. I added a few strips of washi tape and some of the stickers I had leftover from my This and That journal -- a very quick and easy way to embellish a project. I stamped a few arrows and slipped a flat metal clip on the right edge of the cover. To keep the notepad closed, I tied a piece of Coastal Cabana stretch trim in a loop and slipped it around the pad.

Since the outside of the notepad turned out pretty cute (at least in my opinion), I also wanted to add a little something inside. I found a Calypso Coral envelope that I hadn't used in my This and That journal, and it was the perfect size for inside the front cover. I used a little bit of repositionable adhesive to hold it in place and also slipped it under the clip to make it a little more secure. (I could have used a permanent adhesive, but this way the recipient can reuse the envelope when the notepad is empty.) Now there is a place to tuck receipts, coupons, ticket stubs, fortune cookie sayings, and other little bits and pieces. (In this picture you can also see the loop of stretch trim taken off the notepad.)

This notepad would make a fun stocking stuffer or a great teacher or coworker gift. If I can find the time, I may just have to make a few more of these notepads for Christmas. Thanks for stopping by!

Folded Christmas trees

I'm back today with the second Christmas card I made for the December Creative Crew challenges:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: More Merry Messages
Paper: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla cardstock; Holiday Thyme Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Crumb Cake
Accessories: Circles Collection Framelits, Neutrals and Regals Candy Dots, Word Window punch, corner rounder, Merry Minis punch pack, Dimensionals

This challenge focused on Candy Dots embellishments. We were asked to copy the artwork of someone who loves brads or Candy Dots and then use Candy Dots generously on our own projects.

For my inspiration I used a clean and simple Christmas card by Regina, a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I really liked the colors and the simplicity of Regina's card and how she used the Candy Dots to accent her sentiment. I kept the same basic layout for my card, but I changed the colors and DSP, and instead of placing the Candy Dots by the sentiment, I used Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke Candy Dots as lights or ornaments on the trees. 

I also learned a new technique while making this card: folded Christmas trees. They are very quick and easy to make, and all you need is a circle piece of DSP. Any size is fine; the larger the circle, the larger the trees. You cut the circle in half -- so you can make two trees from one circle -- make a few folds and then embellish as desired. I like how whimsical they look. If you want more info, check out the tutorial for making folded Christmas trees on SCS.

Thanks for stopping by!

December already?

Can you believe it? Christmas is just a little over three weeks away. I don't know about you, but I am woefully unprepared. Though that seems to be the case every year, and I always manage to get things done. At least with the SCS Creative Crew challenges for December I managed to get a few more Christmas cards made. Here is the first one:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Lovely As a Tree, Dictionary, Endless Wishes
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky
Accessories: Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit (birch paper ribbon), Subtles Candy Dots, rhinestones, Modern Label punch, sponge, Dimensionals

Our challenges this month all focused on CASE-ing (copying and sharing everything), and this challenge also required us to use the color Chocolate Chip in honor of National Chocolate Day (Dec. 24). I knew right away which card I wanted to copy, and it was a card created by Sara, another Creative Crew member, for one of our November challenges. I loved her autumn trees, and I wanted to try making a wintery version.

I love how this card turned out. I'd been hoarding the birch paper ribbon from the Thankful Tablescape Simply Created Kit, but I knew it would be perfect on this card. I also used a few touches of Soft Sky -- the Dictionary background, the mat for the focal panel and the Candy Dots -- and added several rhinestones to look like snowflakes.

This was actually the second version of this card. When I made the first one, I completely forgot about the birch paper ribbon. But I still like the way it turned out:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Lovely As a Tree, Dictionary, Endless Wishes
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pool Party, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pool Party
Accessories: Woodgrain embossing folder, rhinestones, Modern Label punch, sponge, Dimensionals

For the background on this card, I embossed a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock with the Woodgrain embossing folder. The cardstock was actually too wide to fit in the folder, so I ended up cutting it in two pieces and embossing them separately. Then I adhered them right next to each on the card base. If you look very closely, you can see the seam, but it's not terribly noticeable. And who's going to look that closely anyway, right? I used Very Vanilla and Pool Party (instead of Soft Sky and Whisper White) on this card, and I placed the rhinestones in the corner. Which one do you like better?

Stay tuned this week for my other Creative Crew projects. December was my last month on the Creative Crew, and I've had so much fun with all the challenges. Be sure to check out the December Creative Crew gallery on SCS to see all the wonderful creations. Thanks for stopping by!