Northwest Stamper

Tag: Home Decor/3D

  • The Gift Bow Die is Back!

    Do you remember all the super cute creations that were made with the Gift Bow Die over the holidays?  I was shocked that the die wasn’t carried over when the Holiday catalog ended, but then I checked my computer today and IT IS BACK!

    Gift Bow die

    Gift Bow Bigz Die – #129977

    See, you can make cute FLAT bows for your cards like this :

    How perfect would that be for Father’s Day?  Details for how to make this bow are here.

    Or make bows for gifts like this:

    (These are gift boxes my Mom and I made for craft fairs this fall!  If you are curious to see the insides or want one, you can see the details here.)

    Plus, the bows are super easy to make too!  Check out this video for how to make the different bow shapes:

    Get your Gift Bow Die online here

    Have fun, and I’d love to see/hear what you create!

    spaced shop now sig bar

    Stampin’ Supplies Used

    Stamps – Seasonal Sayings
    Ink – Chocolate Chip
    Paper – Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Season of Style designer paper (retired)
    Accessories – Burlap Ribbon, Regals candy dots, Big Shot, Gift Bow die, Crystal Effects

  • Adorable Easter Class Projects, Punch Art, & a Blog Hop!

    It’s the first Thursday of the month and that means the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad blog hop.  I lucked out because this month the theme is Easter/Spring and I just so happen to have my Everything Easter class coming up this weekend on Sunday!

    So I thought I would share some of the projects we’ll be doing in the class and give you some inspiration for what you could do for your own Easter baskets!

     

    Not-so-tiny Treat Pouch!

    I had been looking at some past projects and saw some old treat pouches that were made with a Big Shot die that retired a few years back.  It reminded me of the fun and easy idea of a no-sided bag that holds a pouch of treats in the middle.  Did that make any sense at all?  I bet not, so here – how about a picture to show you what I mean?

     

    Does that make more sense now?

    Ok, so this is really easy to make and you can change it up for any event or holiday.

    In this case, I took a 4”x12” piece of Certainly Celery cardstock and scored at 5” and 7”.  Then I used my new Ovals Framelits to cut out a piece of Pool Party core’dinations cardstock to make my top flap!  I then embossed the top flap and sanded down the dots for a subtle, textured effect.

    The stamped flowers are from the Madison Avenue stamp set that is only available as a free stamp set with a $50 order.  The flowers are separate from the leaves and it makes for some great stamping options.

    Tip:

    • Use Sticky Strip (red line tape) to attach the scallop oval flap to the back of your pouch.  This helps hold up with multiple openings of the pouch.
    • Use a slim velcro dot to keep your flap closed on the front of your pouch – this allows for easy reuse later.
    • Secure a clear envelope or card sleeve to the front-inside panel of your base cardstock.  (So in my picture, behind where my stamped flowers are).  This helps with the stability of the pouch and keeps the candy from getting away. Smile 

    Punch Art Easter Duck / Chick

    I’ll admit I don’t have many Easter stamps.  But that is usually ok because there are so many adorable punch art options that are perfect for Easter!

    Like take this duck punch art for example …  isn’t he CUTE!

    I just love this little guy and knew I had to share him with my friends for the class.  I tried to use as few punches as necessary but ended up with 6 punches used:

    • Ornament Punch
    • 1 3/4” Circle Punch
    • 1 3/4” Scallop Circle Punch
    • 1 1/4” Scallop Circle Punch
    • Large Oval Punch
    • Circle from Itty Bitty Punch Pack

    The funny thing about this sample card is that this duck was my “figure it out” version and then I made a “nice sample” version where I sponged the edges of the different body parts, made sure everything was on straight, etc.  But when I was putting together the card, I grabbed a duck….glued…. and then realized I had used my messy version instead of the “nice” one.  Smile  I guess it didn’t turn out too bad, huh?

    I have two more projects for the Everything Easter class on Sunday – a card and an awesome punch art bunny treat box!  Sadly, I didn’t get them photographed in time for today, but I’ll try to share them soon.

    Until then, if you want more inspiration for your Easter and Spring projects, check out the other talented stampers who are sharing their great ideas on our blog hop!  Click the “Next Blog” image or your favorite link below:

    1. Shellie G. of Craft Smashup
    2. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
    3. Nancy B. of Lady Stamps-A-Lot
    4. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
    5. Tonya B. of Stampin’ with Tonya
    6. Dawn S. of Dawn’s Creative Chalet
    7. Darcy J. of DJ’s Stampin’ Place
    8. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
    9. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
    10. Heidi B of Stuck on Stampin’
    11. Jennifer B of NW Stamper  <—YOU ARE HERE!
    12. Bree of Craft-somnia
    13. Diana E of Stampin’ Fun with Diana

    I hope you enjoyed my projects I shared today!

    I’d love to hear what you think – please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?

    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set!  Click here to learn more!

  • Origami Double Pocket Treat Pouch

    Happy Valentine’s Day!

    If you are still looking for a quick love note or treat to share with someone you love today, here is a project we made at my Cool Cards and Sweet Treats class last weekend.  It is a fun and fast project to make any time of the year, plus it has the added bonus of being a great way to use up all that extra designer paper or 6×6 paper pads you may have lying around.

    I call it an “origami treat pouch” because it is all folds and takes no adhesive unless you want a little bit to tack down the top point of your treat.  But unlike some origami that is a ton of steps and little tiny complicated folds, this has 5 score lines and a couple quick folds and you are done (check out my video below for how to do it).

    Added bonus, it stands up on its own too!

    I filled my pockets with wrapped Ghirardelli squares which are a perfect fit but you can also make cute little love notes to go inside as well.  You can cut 8 of these card bases out of 1 sheet of cardstock.

    The card base is 2 3/4” x 4 1/4”, so once you score it, it is 2 1/8” x 2 3/4”.  I kept my card simple so that it could actually slide behind the chocolate treat I tucked in the pocket.  It uses the Oh Whale stamp set and just stamped the whale first and then the hearts and sentiment.  Add a little Dazzling Details to its eye and you have some cute sparkle to his eye.

    Want to see how it is done?

    I put together a quick video to show you how it scores and folds together.  So check it out and let me know what you think!

     

    Did you know?

    This goes together so fast using the Diagonal Scoring Plate for the Simply Scored and you can get that plate FREE during Sale-a-Bration!  With a $50 order, you can pick any one item for free and this is one of the things you can pick from.  Pretty sweet, huh?  Smile

    Get all the details on Sale-a-Bration here.

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?

    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set!  Click here to learn more!

     

    Double Pocket Treat Pouch Recipe:
    Stamps:      Oh Whale
    Ink:  Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Primrose Petals, Basic Grey
    Paper: More Amore designer paper, Crumb Cake cs, Whisper White cs, Primrose Petals cs, Champagne glimmer paper
    Accessories:  Sticky Strip (for wrapping you candy), small heart punch, 1 1/4” scallop circle punch, 1” circle punch, Itty Bitty punch pack, Glue dots, Simply Scored, Diagonal scoring plate, Primrose Petals stitched satin ribbon, Dazzling details, sponge dauber

  • Holiday Blog Hop with the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad!

    Last month I was honored to be asked to join a group of very talented guys and gals for a monthly blog hop showcasing fresh ideas using Stampin’ Up! goodies.  Given how it feels like the last couple months have been crazy busy, I figured having a deadline and a theme to work with would be fun to try, so I had to say yes!

    First up, I was asked to show a 3D item and since I had recently bought this alterable kit for a Christmas countdown, I thought it would be a fun place to start.

    I LOVE the Christmas season and it is the one time of year that I for sure pull out decorations and try to get in to the season.  So, when I saw this kit for a wood Christmas countdown tree, I couldn’t wait to get it and take it home to decorate!

    This is what it looked like when I got it home (well, after I cut apart the number tags):

    raw christmas countdown tree

    I do have to say, this project got me well over my fear of Exacto knives!  I used mine A LOT in cutting apart the tags and trimming my paper to my cut out shape.  Now if only Stampin’ Up! still sold those big grid self healing mats that I see 10 yr+ demos using, I would be set!

    Anyway, I used a few of my holiday catalog toys to decorate my tree this year.

    Candlelight Christmas dsp sampleI used pattern paper from the elegant Candlelight Christmas specialty designer paper for my tree and some Chocolate chip cardstock for the base (and you can kind of tell in the picture, but I grabbed my trusty sponge daubers and inked up the edges of the wood so it would blend in a bit better – like the Chocolate Chip ink on the piece that is pointed at the camera).

    I used a different pattern from the same pack to cover my numbers tags which hang from hooks on the front of the tree.

    After all the paper was stuck to the wood, I went ahead and mod podged the whole thing.  I figured that if I coated the paper layer, then if I wanted to change up the decorations over the years, I could do that and the base tree would still look nice.  We’ll see if that is how it works in practice though over the next few years!

    Then, to decorate, merry minis punch pack sampleI strung some Rhinestone strands and punched out lights using the cute Merry Minis punch pack.  I also used the star from this punch pack to make the star for the top of my tree.  I punched the star out of the Champagne Glimmer paper (such AWESOME paper) and then put it on a 3/4” circle which was then placed in a 1 1/4” scallop circle – also new from the Holiday catalog. Smile

    The circle ornaments are actually just punched designs from the same Candlelight Christmas paper pack and then sponged around the edges for some definition.

    Finally, one of the rules of the blog hop was to use current Stampin’ Up! products only.  And while I cheated a little because I accidentally used a retired Big Shot alphabet set for the numbers on my countdown tags (it was Timeless Type for those of you that are interested), I needed to figure out what to do for my “title” on my tree.

    I knew I wanted it to says “days til Christmas” but I didn’t have a stamp that said that and I was too lazy to go upstairs to my computer to find something I liked on My Digital Studio. Smile So, I improvised from the stamps in my craft room and replicated the tiny letter stickers you see in scrapbooking stores.

    IMG_1707

    I grabbed my Made for You stamp set and got to work inking it up with my marker and stamping a million times to get the letters I wanted.  Then I just cut them out and pieced them together at the bottom of my tree.  The “Christmas” sentiment was from a different stamp set – Petite Pairs – and again, was just inking up part of the stamp and cutting it out.

    made for you

    I thought it was kind of clever! Smile

    Alright, and I think I’m supposed to share a card as well… and I know this post is getting super long, so I’ll try to be fast!

    Ok, so this card was put together using the Christmas tree countdown as inspiration.  I used the same colors and elements to create a quick 4.25” x 4.25” holiday card.  Just layer a few punches and you are good to go!

    So, I hope you enjoyed the projects I have to share with you today and if you want even more ideas, hop along and check out the other great stuff my “Stylin’ Squad” buddies have in store for you!  Since I’m the last person on the tour, click the button below to head to the start of the tour and hop away.

     

    Blog Hop Participants:

    1. Shellie G. of Creative Electica
    2. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
    3. Pam S. of Stampin’ in the Sun!
    4. Nancy B. of Lady Stamps-A-Lot
    5. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
    6. Tonya B. of Stampin’ with Tonya
    7. Dawn S. of Dawn’s Creative Chalet
    8. Darcy J. of DJ’s Stampin’ Place
    9. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
    10. Terry B. of Goin’ Over the Edge
    11. Justin K. of JK Cards
    12. Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin’
    13. Jennifer B. of Northwest Stamper – that’s me!

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Its INK-REDIBLE December!
    Get a FREE set of 10 ink pads with a qualifying order or party; or get them free when you join the Stampin’ Up! family! Learn more

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?
    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • Ornamental Elegance Kit — While Supplies Last!

    If you are on Facebook, you probably saw about this limited edition kit that Stampin’ Up! is offering to help you quickly make the ornament that is seen on the cover of the Holiday catalog.  You know, this one:

     

    If you bought the Ornamental Keepsake stamp set and matching framelits, you can make a number of cute variations of ornament type and color (for example, Blue and Silver look AMAZING!!)  But you can make other types like this cute gift tag made with one of the medium ornament images and die:

    tag designed by Kathy Thisted

    But if you don’t have the stamps and dies yet, this is a SUPER deal!  You get all of the images you need to make 10 full ornaments and all you have to do is pop them out of the cardstock sheet.  Plus you get linen thread, Cherry Cobbler Tulle, Faceted buttons, and Jumbo Pearls to make it complete!  You just need to provide the glue and the man-power to put it together. 🙂  All for only $14.95!  Didn’t I tell you this was a great deal??

    When I talked to demonstrator support yesterday because I was trying to put together a class with the kits and needed to know how soon to order them and learned that they started with 5,000 kits available but that they were going fast.  I was advised not to wait long to put in my order.  So if you like this idea, you may not want to wait either!

    Come to my Ornament Kit Class on Dec 16th!

    Want to join me in making these ornaments?  I’ll be holding a class on Dec 16th to make some of these ornaments in a group.

    You’ll get 1/2 a kit – so enough to make 5 ornaments – and I’ll provide the hot glue, adhesive, and tools you need to turn your die cuts into the cool ornament above.  Plus you get the fun atmosphere of crafting with some cool gals.  We’ll each make 1-2 of the ornaments in the kit and then you can take home the remaining supplies to make the rest of the ornaments or use them for other holiday projects and crafts!

    The class fee is only $15 or if you want a full kit – so you can make 10 ornaments – is only $23.

    Please rsvp to jennifer@nwstamper.com as soon as possible so I can make sure to order enough kits.

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Its INK-REDIBLE December!
    Get a FREE set of 10 ink pads with a qualifying order or party; or get them free when you join the Stampin’ Up! family! Learn more

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?
    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

  • Quick Holiday Gift Idea w/ the Candy Wrapper Die

    When I first saw the candy wrapper die, all the projects I saw with it were halloween projects and ever since then I seemed to be stuck thinking about it as a halloween thing or even birthday treats…

    See this is what you see when you look at it in the catalog or online:

    image           image

    But then I saw this super cute idea and thought it was awesome to see other seasons with the die – in this case Christmas.

    The nice thing about the die is that that it is super fast to put together because the die does all the cutting and scoring for you.  You just have to fold the sides together, slide in your treat, twists the ends, and EMBELLISH!

     

    In this case, this sample was made with:

    • Designer Series Paper (a retired Christmas pattern from a couple years ago)
    • Cherry Cobbler seam binding
    • Tags Til Christmas stamp set
    • Scallop Square punch
    • Dazzling Details glitter glue

    Plus, check out some of these fun touches!

    I love how the outline of the scallop square is colored with a Cherry Cobbler marker.  I always use Sponge Daubers to edge my shapes, but I love how precise you can get with the marker on a bumpy image like the scallop punch.

    Plus, the added bling you get with the Dazzling Details glitter glue on the dots is so small but it adds A LOT when you see it in person.

    So, there you have it!  A quick idea for some little gifts for co-workers, friends, or stocking stuffers. 🙂

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Its INK-REDIBLE November!
    Get a FREE set of 10 ink pads with a qualifying order or party; or get them free when you join the Stampin’ Up! family! Learn more

    Are you earning your Northwest Stamper Rewards?
    Every order gets you closer to your FREE stamp set! Click here to learn more!

    Tags Til Christmas Stamp set (#120847)
    Tags til Christmas Stamp Set - by Stampin' Up!

  • Quick Mixed Bunch Party Favor

    Can you tell, I like this stamp set? 🙂  I know, I get a little addicted to stamps that have matching punches; but it makes things come together so quickly!

    Well, for my recent show, I decided to make these easy little treats to hand out to people who stopped by my demonstrations.  I put my contact information on the back and it doubles as a business card!

    All it takes is stamping one of the flowers from the Mixed Bunch stamp set in whatever color you like and punching it out with the Blossom punch.  Then punch out another flower in a complimentary cardstock and glue them together.  Adhere a Rolo (I used the Easter colored Rolos) to the center and you have a fun spring flower!

    Tip:  If you are going to use Rolos or other foil wrapped candies, I recommend putting a glue dot in the center of your flower first and then press the candy to the flower.  I tried pressing the Rolo to the glue dot first but when I tried to pull off the glue dot, the foil would try to tear.

    If you want to put a message on the back of your flower, I found the Avery return address labels work great when cut in half.  I just created a file in Word and typed my message on each label twice.  Then I could print out a whole bunch and just cut the labels in half with my paper cutter and they fit on great!

     

    Reminder: Sale-a-Bration ends in 2 weeks!   There is still time to get your free items or to take advantage of the awesome special for joining Stampin’ Up!  But hurry, before the offer ends on March 31st.  Check out the Sale-a-Bration catalog for all the details and then email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com with your favorites and we’ll work together to get them for you!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

  • A Few More Convention 2011 Highlights

    So as I was sorting through my photos from convention, I ran across a few more pictures that I took of fun projects and inspiration to me that weren’t even officially part of convention.  :)  So, this post will be a bit photo heavy, but I wanted to share with you some of the amazing inspiration I found.  If you have any questions about how some of the projects were made, let me know and I’ll be happy to help share what I know so you can make them too!

    The Home Office – Legacy Museum:

    So, I’ve had the opportunity twice now to visit the Stampin’ Up! home office and one of my favorite stops while I’m there is the Legacy Museum.  It goes through the history of the company as well as has amazing displays using the products in a “home” setting.  It’s changed both times I’ve been there and this is some of what was there this year:

    IMG_2638 IMG_2641 IMG_2644 stampin up inspiration desk  dsp wall art Flower punch art

    Demonstrator Support – Desk Displays

    Another cool thing about visiting the home office is you get to see demonstrator support in action.  Now, those of you who are not demos and so haven’t had the opportunity to interact with demo support , let me say that SU has amazing customer service provided by the most wonderful people called demo support.  If I ever have a problem or a questions, a 5 minute phone call has it resolved and everyone still smiling and having a great day.  A fun fact is that many of the folks on the other end of the phone are demos too.  So, as we walk by their desks we see projects they’ve made as well as received from other employees and demos from around the world.

    IMG_2654 IMG_2659

    Memento Mall Displays

    Ok, and finally, many of us wait in line for hours to get into Memento Mall (basically the gift shop of convention) and not only are we greeted by awesome products but super cute displays too!  Here are just a couple of the pretty elements scattered around the room:

    IMG_6077 accordian flowers in momento mallIMG_6104IMG_6078 IMG_6085  

    Whew!  I know that was a lot but that was only a fraction of what I took pictures of! :)  I hope you found something fun and different to inspire you in those photos. 

    For those of you on my mailing list, be on the lookout for my newsletter coming out at the end of the week.  I’ll have some new project ideas and information about upcoming promotions and new products I learned about at convention.  If you aren’t on my mailing list, you can sign up here and I’ll make sure you get a copy!

    Click here to shop online 24/7 and start earning your NW Stamper rewards!

  • A Pretty Card Purse Hostess Gift

    This last friday I had a fun workshop with some ladies I met recently.  I wanted to make something nice for the hostess who organized the evening and so I decided to make her a purse with a variety of cards inside.  I knew she loved purple and I remembered the awesome purples in the Lap of Luxury Designer Paper.  I swear, the first time I saw this pattern I said,”it looks like velvet!”.  It really does look luxurious in person!

    hostess luxury purse front view

    So, to go with the luxury theme, I used black (more posh, don’t you think?) and made the handles out of Black Satin ribbon (I love this stuff!!).  The inside opens up and I put in four cards with envelopes, oh, and some yummy chocolates, but it could hold a ton more. 

    hostess luxury purse open

    This purse is actually remarkably easy to make and only uses 1 sheet of designer paper and 1/2 a sheet of cardstock!  I may have to make a few more for extra gifts. Smile 

    hostess luxury purse side view

    Thanks for visiting! 

    Luxury Card Purse Recipe:
    Paper:      Lap of Luxury DSP, Basic Black CS
    Accessories:  Basic Black satin ribbon, Round Tab punch, Kraft corduroy buttons (clearance rack item), Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-Dile, Sticky Strip, Velcro circles, Corner Rounder punch

    Want to make your own purse?  Get the supplies now in my Online Store!

  • Ice Cream Parlor Quick Accents Card and Card Purse

    In a flurry of excitement, Sale-a-Bration has officially begun!  Of course you can earn free stamps, but I love that you get options for other items like the Ice Cream Parlor Designer Paper and Quick Accents.  I had gotten this paper pack during the preorder and the more I use it, the more I’ve now decided that I NEED the matching Ice Cream Parlor buttons and ribbon pack!

    In the meantime, I thought I’d share a couple projects I’ve made using this paper and cardstock stickers.  First up, a super quick birthday card:

    For this card, the striped designer paper, the Daffodil Delight scalloped border cardstock sticker, and the Peach Parfeit designer paper – all come as part of the Ice Cream Parlor DSP And Quick Accents Sale-a-Bration pack.  I just added some Early Espresso taffeta ribbon, cardstock, and a staple to finish out the card.  Seriously, this is a 5 minute card!

    Next, I created a purse sized to hold a set of standard 4.25” x 5.5” cards and matching envelopes:

    If you are on my mailing list, you should have received the full tutorial for this purse in your inbox yesterday.  If you didn’t, let me know!

    Not on my mailing list yet? Sign up here.  I’ll even resend the copy of my email with this tutorial in it to folks who sign up in the next couple of days.

    Over the next week I’ll be sharing more Sale-a-Bration creations, so I hope you stop by again and check them out!  Until then, happy stamping!

    Make a Wish card recipe:
    Stamps:     Birthday Bliss
    Ink: Early Espresso Classic Ink, Marina Mist Classic Ink, Daffodil Delight Classic Ink
    Paper: Pacific Point CS, Whisper White CS, Daffodil Delight CS, Ice Cream Parlor DSP
    Accessories: Ice Cream Parlor Quick Accents, Early Espresso 1/8” taffeta ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Small Tag punch, Large Tag punch, Blender Pen, Crystal Effects, stapler

    Wonderful Friend card purse recipe:
    Stamps:     Wonderful Favorites
    Ink: Marina Mist Classic Ink, Early Espresso Classic Ink
    Paper: Marina Mist CS, Melon Mambo CS, Whisper White CS, Daffodil Delight CS, Ice Cream Parlor DSP
    Accessories: Ice Cream Parlor DSP, Ticket Corner Punch, Subtles Family brads, Round Tab punch, Paper Piercing tool, Mat Pack, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Bone Folder

  • Royal Blog Tour – Sharing Northern Hearts and Blog Candy!

    Welcome to my little stop here on the Royal Blog Tour!  I hope you’ve been enjoying all the amazing and creative projects the princesses have been sharing along your journey.  For my stop, I wanted to share with you some simple yet fun ways to use the Northern Hearts stamp set.

    This stamp set is a hostess set available in the 2010 Holiday Mini.  I originally thought it was just a nice simple set, but the more I started playing with it, the more I saw how it coordinates with some other new and super cute items.  I guess the fact that they are all named “Northern something” should have tipped me off, but I can be a bit slow sometimes.

    Northern stuff thumb

    Anyway, first I noticed that the large snowflake from the stamp set was the same as the large snowflake in the embossing folder.  So, I tried combining the two.  I added some shimmer paint to the stamp before I stamped to give it a bit of shine like snow when I stamped it on the Whisper White base.  I also sponged some of the shimmer paint onto the embossed image to sparkle up the Baja Breeze paper.

    Next, I started playing with the wreath stamp from this set.  I had some fun with different color markers to give it a more mottled, natural look.  Then I started playing with punches but didn’t like how it was turning out so I ended up hand cutting out the wreath.  It was cute but a little bare, so I added in on of the birds from the love birds stamp.  Finally, what is a wreath without somewhere to hang it from, so I used the branches from that same bird set and after coloring with markers, stamped a few times to make it look like tree branches.  Add some DSP and fun ribbon, and you have another fun little card.

    Finally, I decided I wanted to make one more project and so I went for a 3D gift box that you could decorate for the holidays or really for anytime.  I used the Snowflakes and the Love Birds stamps from this set to decorate this 3 1/4” x 3 1/4” box.  This is perfect for a stash of 3×3 cards or to fill with treats for your favorite someone.

    I will be posting the instructions for this box on my blog when the tour is over.  So come back on November 9th to see more details!

    Well, I hope you enjoyed viewing these projects since I sure had fun making them.

    Blog Candy Time!

    Leave me a comment letting me know what you think and you’ll be entered into a drawing for some BLOG CANDY (you must include your email address so I can contact you if you win).

    What’s up for grabs?  You will get this box filled with some cards, some card candy (embellishments for you to use on your own cards), and some actual yummy candy!

  • Embellished Pocket Calendar

    This summer, I discovered at one of those big box fabric stores, some pocket calendars at a rediculously low price.  So, I just had to pick some up (I’m such a sucker for a good sale).  The calendars ran August 2010-July 2011 and so I thought they would be perfect for me to keep in my craft tote for scheduling Stampin’ Up! events while I was out at workshops and classes. 

    But a storebought calendar just wouldn’t do.  So what do we do?  We embellish!!

    I grabbed some of my scraps, punches, and the BigShot and went to town:

    I printed out some of my favorite photos of Nicholas so that they would fit being matted by the 1 1/4” square punch.  They make me smile everytime I pull this out.  Smile And of course, I couldn’t leave the back empty, so I put a photo I love of our family from a vacation this summer. 

    This project is so fast and easy that I made one each for my mom and dad as well.  All you have to do is
    – pull the plastic cover off the calendar and measure the cover
    – cut a piece of DSP that is slightly wider than the cover dimensions
      (you want it slightly longer so that it doesn’t pull away from the ends when you adhere it to the cover and fold it around the spine of the calendar). 
    -I printed off photos and then punched 4 squares out of Basic Gray to use as mattes for my photos using the 1 1/4” square punch. 
    -Then I used the BigShot to cut out the numbers for the year using the Simple Numbers Bigz die. 

    The biggest thing to watch out for is to not add too thick of embellishments and layers so that you can fit your calendar back into the plastic.

    These are a fun, inexpensive gift.  Hmm..,I think I may have to see if I can grab a few more.