Embellish

Scrapper's Sketch of the Week: 10/29/09

Going a little asymmetrical here as this week's theme for Lyssa is apparently "Let's Learn Flexibility!"

This layout has space for three photos and ample room for journalling. A headline at the bottom left weights the flighty pinwheel-inspired design down to earth, and now's the chance to use some some big, fun embellishments.

Big Shot Pennant Die Halloween projects

Couple last Halloweeny projects for those of you who enjoy the cute side of the occasion. At "So Ya Wanna Be A Big Shot?" club last night, we made these cute candy corn pouches from two Basic Black Pennant die cuts. They are easy enough that you could do them with kindergartners if you wanted! I also showed the witches hat, a folded small pennant used as a pocket to enclose hot cider or tea packets in a card, and the scallop and Photo Corners punch peppermint patty spiders.

Lots of amazing things you can do with that die besides just make cute banners! I hope I have helped you take a second look at a die that, like many, I thought I would never in a million years spend the money on. I have found it to be incredibly versatile for multiple holidays and the perfect way to mark special occasions, too.

Movers and Shapers Curly Label Gift Card Holder

We enjoyed making this quick gift card holder at Incredible Cards Club this past week, and playing with the Library Clips that were last week's Deal of the Week, too. This card uses Soft Suede for the base and Bermuda Bay and Dusty Durango for the stamping. Googlie eyes on the grasshopper were a must!

Inside the card, we used the Word Window punch to create an extra long vertical slit in the Whisper White piece that gets adhered to the back of the card. This made a secure place to tuck our gift card. We decorated it with more bugs and "bites," and left room for a greeting inside, too. This would make a cute "out of the box" baby shower present for a little boy, and add some handmade love to the old standby gift card.

Stay tuned for more Movers & Shapers fun--my die comes today! I can't wait. 

Sweet Treat Cups: way too cute!

Isn't this just too cute? Stampin' Up is so innovative. They came out with these great little plastic adhesive cups, food safe, and a coordinating stamp set (of course) in the Holiday Mini catalog. I have been having SO much fun playing with them this week! Above is a quick card we made at Incredible Cards Club on Monday. Here is is open, below, with the punch that we punched out of the center of the card front used as an accent inside.

Here's a couple more cards with different stamps from that set (called Sweet Centers) and the Sweet Treat Cups. There's a Valentine option, a flower with petals and leaves, a Christmas ornament, and more. I especially like the hot air balloon.

I recently ran across a great list of 100 things to do with the Sweet Treat Cups, compiled by Stampin' Up Demonstrator Janet Wakeland. They are SO clever! Methinks I need to order a bunch more packages of these...

1. Bird stamp – bird seed
2. Snowman stamp – fake snow, glitter, snow confetti
3. Medallion stamp – potpourri
4. Create a Snowglobe
5. Bath Confetti
6. Princess Party Treats
7. Candy
8. Small toy prizes
9. Office supplies - Rubber bands, paper clips, etc.
10. Chocolate – in case of emergency
11. Extreme Guitar – guitar picks
12. Valentines – punched small hearts
13. School days – die cut our Billboard or other small alphabet
14. Wedding – rice or birdseed
15. Get well – chicken soup
16. Birthday- candle, balloon
17. Birthday day – sprinkles
18. Bird = feathers
19. Gel = Water/tank – fish
20. Latte – coffee beans
21. Dog treats – bones
22. Cats – catnip, treats
23. Baby = earplugs, diaper pins, rattle
24. Tools – nuts, bolts, small nails, etc.
25. New House – nuts, bolts, small nails, etc
26. Collage – postage stamps
27. Clock – clock pieces
28. Frog – flies
29. Halloween – spiders, small bats, candy
30. Christmas – jingle bells
31. Pirate – eye patch
32. Gardening images – seeds, petals, potpourri
33. Surf’s up – sand
34. Crafter – buttons, brads, ribbon, etc
35. Turn into Blue Ribbon
36. Money rolled or folded to fit/coins
37. Photos
38. Attach two together – ball game or ornaments
39. Poke out front of cards, front of gift bags, front of mini album
40. Pennies in pocket (Made 2 last)
41. Animal Crackers – animal stamps/gummy bears
42. Mini travel packs – sunscreen, bandaids, etc –
43. Flour, salt, sugar, spices, etc – VOILA
44. 5 Kernal Thanksgiving story – turkey
45. Mighty hunter – redneck – 22’s
46. Ketchup/Mustard packets – voila..
47. Tickets to a game/play/museum, etc.
48. Snowman – some assembly required – put twigs,
hat, nose, etc in cup
49. Wandering Words--small leaves, hearts, etc.
50. “poops” reindeer, snowman, etc
51. Cold & Cuddly – hot cocoa, marshmallows in cup
52. You’re how old – numbers in cup
53. Simply adorned smallest charm will fit in cup
54. Put over box – cut slit –make into savings/donation box
55. Center of flower folds largest flower
56. Cake topper – pop up cake
57. Sides of ball die
58. Center of lattice dies
59. Embossed roses – potpourri
60. Magic Reindeer Food – Oatmeal/glitter
61. Memorabilia Scrapbooks
62. Replace o in words – YOU, LOVE, MOM, POP, etc.
63. Fit inside loop of B, P, etc.
64. Photo ornament – scallop circles, cording, etc.
65. Brads/buttons/ribbon pieces/embellishments
66. Any stamp image that fits 1/ ¾ ‘ circle
67. Use in center of punch shape animals – turkey body, pig body, puppy body, etc.
68. Postage stamps
69. Mini sewing kit
70. Tea Time – tea bags
71. Build a Bear – put pieces of clothes in cup
72. DSP as background inside cup – leave cup empty
73. Make your own necklace/bracelet – put beads, string, clasps in cup
74. Put rub-on’s on cup
75. Push brads through cup to embellish cup itself
76. Create Removable /slide for project so items can be
easily removed w/o ruining card/page/tag etc.
77. Punch through basket – add grass, mini eggs, jellybeans
78. Nuts – “I’m nuts about you”
79. Dice/game pieces
80. Sports – mini footballs, soccerballs, baseballs, etc.
81. Hero – Stars – mini medals
82. Scout badges
83. Lots of Bots – nuts/bolts/screws, etc.
84. Voila Set – place on chef’s tray
85. Use as Ball – make inside look soccer, basketball, etc.
86. Hair bows, clips, bobbie pins
87. Keys to car
88. Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds – perfect place for a ring!
89. Shaker Cards
90. All in the family – people/accessories
91. Use for bug collections
92. Legos
93. Small punches such as our star punch will fit
94. Music notes
95. Greetings/verses for hostess/guests/team members
96. Let verse in stamp set or quote inspire the contents
97. Door prize tickets
98. Booking board
99. Lollipop cover

100. Use with Sweet Centers Stamp SET!

Scrapper's Sketch of the Week: 10/22/09

This week's sketch is designed for those occasions when you only have one good picture of an event, and a couple of poor ones. It's hard to make a scrapbook page when you are limited by unfortunate photos!

Use your best picture in the place of honor right above the headline, then use the smaller photos, cropped to 2.75 inches, on the remaining mats. The five satellite pieces measure 3x3 and the large central photo mat measures 6x6. The circles can be any sort of punch or embellishment.

TIP: you can use your larger punches to punch photos out, too!  

Photo Tutorial: Wreaths from the Autumn Days set

I'm going to take a few minutes to show you how you can use one of this fall's hottest sets to make a Christmas card! Now that's double-duty! I got this idea from the demonstrator curriculum and training for the amazing Holiday Extravaganza promotion coming up for December. Cool things are in store!

First, take the floral berry spray from the Autumn Days stamp set and stamp it in a rough circle using Mellow Moss ink. Then, offsetting your sprays slightly, stamp around the circle again, using Always Artichoke.

 

Last, use your accent color (Ruby Red here) to stamp a third time around the wreath, again slightly offset from the previous ones.

Doesn't that look amazing? It's great just the way it is, or even better taken up a notch with some piercing and brads.

Then you can finish off the card any way you like. I put my wreath on an Always Artichoke mat, on a Ruby Red card, and added a sentiment from the Heard from the Heart stamp set. The final touch was--of course--a spritz of Champagne Gold shimmer paint spray.

So there you go--an endless variety of seasonal wreaths--choose any three coordinating colors--from one great stamp set! If you've been sitting on the fence about this one, let me help knock you over!

Greetings, Earthlings!

While we're on the subject of party themes, I just had to show you all this ridiculously cute little boys' party decor from talented Stampin' Up demonstrator Fran Sabad. Aren't they amazing?

Fran used the Pop Up Ball die for the Big Shot to make a UFO invitation that set the stage. Then, she carried out the theme with her decorations and party favors using the same color scheme and the so cute "Greetings, Earthling" set. The set contains five different aliens, which are a total hoot to color and gussy up. That set goes really well with the Lots of Bots set, too!

Photo Tutorial: Baby Carriage Card

I am pleased to present a little Photo Tutorial for your enjoyment, by request. You will love how easily and quickly this baby carriage card comes together. It is a real WOW!

First,create a regular sized card with the fold on the left hand side like normal, vertically oriented. Lay it on the Scallop Circle Big Shot die so that the folded edge remains inside the cutting area for five scallops. That will become the hinge for your card. Run it through the machine.

Next you need some coordinating DSP. Run a 2x6 inch strip through as shown below, or run a whole circle through and just cut off what you need. Adhere that to the bottom edge of your card.

Next we need to cut the basic carriage shape. Start by cutting from the right side along that DSP edge back towards the hinge of the card. Stop about an inch and a half from the hinge.

Then for the hood, count six scallops over from the hinge, and make a cut from there to where your previous cut ended. You will be removing a triangular pie piece, basically. Here is how the card looks when it is open:

 

Decorate the card with strips of Eyelet Border punch or Scallop Edge punch "lace" and a taffeta ribbon bow at the juncture of the hood and buggy. The handle is made by punching the Oval punch out of Brushed Silver cardstock, then punching the Large Oval around that hole. You can get two handles from each of those punched pieces.The wheels are just layered circle punches with brads in the center, attached with dimensionals to the lower edge of the buggy.

Here's a couple of variations--a boy one and a gender-neutral one for those who don't find out ahead of time. These cards are quick and cute, fit in a regular envelope, and will be the hit of the party! Try one today, and if you don't have the Scallop Circle die (or the Big Shot) that makes both this card and this irresistably adorable dress card, call me today and I will make you an offer you can't refuse!

Baby shower decorations

Had to show you the baby shower decorations from yesterday's celebration of the newest little cutie born to one of our church families. My gift to baby Tyla was the clothes that hung from this clothesline. I had so much fun picking them out--the only trouble was narrowing it down from all the adorable things they have for baby girls!

This is a terrible close-up of the scarred walls of our little church multi-purpose room (which we will hopefully replace soon here), but, as I was reflecting on whether or not to show this banner and the wall, the Lord reminded me that the walls look like that because of all the fantastic blessings He has sent our way in the form of wedding celebrations, anniversary parties, church suppers, and of course the hard use it gets every Wednesday night during the kids club that my husband and I have run for over 13 years now. So I know exactly how those walls got their scars--most of them are my fault since I am always the one called on to decorate--and each scar represents a good memory of thanksgiving...anyway... cute banner, huh? I love my Big Shot Pennant die! I make banners all the time now. This one will go above Tyla's crib in her cute little nursery.

Tyla's grandma Doris is the best Partylite consultant ever. She gave me these incredibly cool vase/candleholders for my assistance on her other daughter's wedding this fall, and I enjoyed filling them with candy in our theme colors. I had a blast with the retired ribbons I had bought from the new Clearance Rack section of my shopping website at www.lyssa.stampinup.net (yes, I shop there too!) The colors were perfect and I loved having a variety of textures and sizes to tie on the decorations for this event. I never even looked twice at the Ribbon Originals in the catalog, but I will now!

I was a little limited in the paper goods area for this party due to time, but had to stamp the plates. Be sure to use Stazon ink or emboss on your plates--craft or classic ink alone does not work--trust me!!! I made a lot of funky flowers with the scallop punch and various circle punches, in our theme colors--Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Gable Green, Rose Red and Soft Suede. The favors were made from the Pillow Box Big Shot die, with Oval Alls and Warm Words stamp sets on the Scallop Oval tag. 

Hope this inspires you to create a one-of-a-kind theme for your next party. The sky is the limit when you have stamps. I have centered many an event around a stamp set or wheel, and pulled everything together with Stampin' Up's 48+ colors. Everything matches, you save money, and your honoree feels so special. I call that a win-win-win situation!

Little candy doo-jobbies, and some Halloween stuff

We had a fun little swap at our demo meeting on Monday night, with the theme of small candy items rather than cardfronts. I am always amazed at the variety my ladies come up with when I give them a theme! We got lots of cute ideas for little gift items for this time of year. I thought for sure someone would make the peppermint patty spiders, but no one did, so I will have to make some up and post about them, as they are really just too adorable even if you hate spiders in real life!

These are kind of goofy things for a person who doesn't celebrate Halloween to be posting, but "Inconsistency, thy name is Lyssa." A club member requested this Frankenstein card (seen in SO many locations on the internet, I am unable to credit the original creator) so I made him up for this Monday night's Incredible Cards Club. He WAS kind of fun.

Then, I had the teeny-tiny spider stationery set that I made up a few weeks ago just to have something cute to show customers who really get into Halloween. They really were adorable and the googlie eyes just make you laugh. The spiders are all slimy with a coating of Crystal Effects (and yes, I'm aware I am addicted to the stuff, and no, I have not found a 12-step program for CE addiction yet). The box is made from two Scallop Envelopes, Sticky-Stripped together, a cute little holder I use a lot.

The pumpkin tote was a project from my new So Ya Wanna Be A Big Shot club and great fun to make with the Top Note die, Sweet Stems Embosslit, and Big Shot. The easy, easy Tall Box pattern (used as a bag with ribbon handles here) can be found here. If you wanted to, you could add a cute pumpkin face to this bag in nothin' flat and have a cute Halloween treat bag. Otherwise it makes a really nice fall/Thanksgiving gift--just add instant cocoa or hot cider packets, a cinnamon stick or two and a little baggie of ginger snaps or homemade peanut brittle for a great pick-me-up gift for someone special!

Scrap A Stack Club--still time to join us!

We had a great time at the first Scrap A Stack club last night! If you missed it, there is still time to sign up and get in the hostess rotation. As a little added incentive, I am going to show you all three of the 2-page 12x12 spreads we did, instead of one or two like I normally would, just to tease! If you want to consistently turn out great pages like these, learn new design concepts, fun new layouts, and great color combinations, with punch art and all the latest and greatest embellishments--sign up today! 

The top page is made with the luscious Cottage Wall papers and Rich Razzleberry cardstock, the Pretties Kit and polka dotted grosgrain ribbon. The DSP is so gorgeous with the whimsical flourishes and flowers, we didn't do a thing to it--just let it shine.

 The above page used four colors, which is a lot for me! I tend to stick to three or monochromatic shades. We all liked the cheery twist on the fall colors, though, and the Flower Designer Brads took everything up a notch.

This last spread is a little blurry and I apologize. We made 3-D pumpkins with the Wide Oval punch, cutting stems and the word "thankful"on the Big Shot with Sizzlets and Embosslits. Leaves from Autumn Days stamped in Soft Suede on the same color cardstock added interest to the "ground."

All in all it was a great evening, and the only thing missing was YOU! Come on, you know you want to!

Scrapper's Sketch of the Week: 10/14/09

Hello, scrappers! Time for a little Thursday inspiration. We're going in circles again! Use a dinner plate to trace around and cut a solid-color circle large enough for this layout, then position it partially off the edge of your patterned 12x12 page. Use a vertically-oriented 5x7 or matted 4x6 for your main photo, and arrange three smaller photos in circles along the edge of the background circle. Stamp a headline and you're done!

Little girls all in a row

Haven't posted an MDS page in a bit, so while I am waiting for the UPS man to arrive with my order today, I will share a few pages from a project I am working on currently.

Love the vintage look of this one. It's so easy to turn photos black and white with a single click. I never realized how much I was going to enjoy that feature of my new My Digital Studio!

Don't forget to check out the My Digital Studio blog carnival that I am participating in all month. You can click on the link on the lefthand side of my blog at any time, or click here to start your tour!

Turning white DSP flocking into vanilla!

I am really getting into the flocked specialty DSP from the Holiday Mini catalog, but for this card, I wished it had a vanilla flock instead of a white one, since I wanted it to go with the "country red" feel of the Ruby Red cardstock. I also already had the poinsettia leftover from another project. This card still needs some Handsome Hunter leaves, BTW... still a work in progress.

So, I pulled out my craft ink Very Vanilla pad and proceeded to change the flocking color! After I rubbed the whole DSP with the vanilla, I took a tissue and wiped it off, which left vanilla only on the previously white flocking. It turned out awesome, and now it matched my other vanilla pieces and ribbon. I think the trick here is to be generous with the craft ink, and to wipe it down while it is still wet and you can get it off the colored parts.

That was so much fun, I am ready to try and see if this technique will work with other colors! Wish me luck!

A baby quilt

This card showcases one of my favorite ways to use the Top Note Big Shot die--for patchwork quilt cards! Using tiny pieces of leftover DSP in coordinating small prints and patterns, I glued them all down to a piece of scratch paper and ran it through my Big Shot. I sponged all the pieces, put the card together and then accented it with Crystal Effects to give it a really 3-D look. Love how it turned out!

I've got babies on the brain this week as I am up to my eyeballs in preparations for the baby shower of a friend and her sweet new daughter on Sunday. Stay tuned for lots and lots of PINK!

Too cute Scalloped Circle Baby Buggy card

We made these adorable baby buggies with the largest Scallop Circle die for the Big Shot at my September Big Shot Club. The Eyelet Border punch added so much to this project! The wheels and handles were punched from Brushed Silver cardstock using coordinating circle and oval punches, and other accents included the Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon bow and matching brads.

This die is now my second favorite next to the Top Note, between this card and the sweet little dress card you can make with it! I'd consider this a must-have.

Shimmer spray takes the stamping world by storm

I have been fooling around trying to get that shimmer paint/alcohol spray caught on "film" and at last had a little luck. It looks so gorgeously amazing in real life! You just take a little spritzer bottle from the travel section and fill it half full with 70% rubbing alcohol. I don't know why it needs to be 70%, but people say it matters and the 90% doesn't work as well. Then add a half teaspoon or so (I just poured some in) of the shimmer paint of your choice (available in the Holiday Mini on page 27) and shake it well.

On this fall card, you can see it just above my watermark. Below, I sprayed it on my poinsettias, punched out of the 5-Petal Flower punch and layered on these cute little pillow boxes I made the the new flocked Christmas Cocoa DSP. The shimmer paint spray makes any color cardstock look like our Shimmery White cardstock, which has such a great subtle gleam. Totally cool!

Thank you from the animals!

We had a fantastic turnout at the Humane Society this Saturday, more than doubling the last two Saturdays combined! We actually ran out of cardstock right at the end. I was so busy I didn't have time to go look at the animals this time, so no critter pictures today!

I so appreciate everyone who came and made cards for this good cause. Many of you wrote your checks for above and beyond the cost of the cards as well, which was awesome! Congratulations to Rebecca, Kelly, and Jena for winning the weekly gift baskets from Stampin' Up!

Here's a couple of the cards I made Saturday and some I have made up for upcoming craft fairs, too. Enjoy!

2009 Christmas Card Stamp A Stack

NOTE: this post will stay at the top of my blog until after the registration date is passed, so to see more recent entries, please scroll down! Thank you!

You are cordially invited to attend my 5th annual

Christmas Card Stamp A Stack

November 14th, 2009 from 10:00 to 3 p.m. Maranatha College, Watertown

Potluck lunch, Christmas music, Holiday Gifts & more!

Grand Prize: Christmas Punch stamp set (page 14)

NEW: 2 options for the day-- sign up for your chosen card designs & quantities of 10

OR pay $15 to come and craft on your own and have the use of my tools and inks all day!

Card Design 1: Rich Razzleberry Top Note Card. Unusually colored in shades of deep purple, this elegant card features a beautiful snow-white dove accented with Dazzlin' Diamonds and Crystal Effects, topped with our luscious new Whisper White Satin Ribbon. Two choices for inside sayings. Whisper White envelopes you may stamp or sponge to match your cards if desired.

Card Design 2: Ruby Red Poinsettia Card. A subdued but classic color scheme of ruby red and hunter green, this card takes a little bit of hand-cutting and a dash of Brushed Gold cardstock to make it memorable. Spritzed with Champagne Gold Shimmer Paint, so the whole thing subtly sparkles. Spritz the matching Very Vanilla envelopes to match if desired. Alternate inside and outside sentiments available.

 

Card Design 3: Bravo Burgundy Cardinal Card. A simple color scheme requires no hand-coloring of this bird, so it is simple to reproduce but still looks elegant due to the Hodgepodge Hardware accented with the Champagne Gold Shimmer Paint, and two layers of ribbon in moss and burgundy. Kraft envelopes match the card's base color. Alternate inside sayings shown here.

Card Design 4: Sterling Silver Snowflakes Card. A truly classic silver and pale blue color scheme compliments these heat-embossed silver snowflakes for a card that looks complicated but is really quite simple. Silver cording and a little sponging bring out the sheen without overwhelming. Keep your creation out where it can be admired with the coordinating Crystal Clear envelopes.

INSTRUCTIONS: email Lyssa with the design number and quantities you wish.

Cards must be ordered in multiples of 10, with a maximum of 100 cards per person.It is recommended that you choose at least two types of cards rather than making all one design, as that gets old fast! I would order ten more than you think you will need, as there are always a few last-minute cards needed.

Envelopes are provided this year. You must bring your own adhesive. Prices are as follows:

$20 for one set of ten cards

$30 for two sets of ten (20 total)

$35 for three sets of cards (30 total)

$40 for four sets of cards (40 total)

$45 for five sets of cards (50 total)

$50 for six sets of cards (60 total)

You must RSVP by Nov. 2nd. if you are making cards, Nov. 9th if you will be crafting on your own.

BONUS OFFER: order either of the "hand stamped by" stamps on page 136 when you RSVP and I will have it ready for you at the event so you can let everyone know you made these beauties yourself!

Special price just for attendees of this event: $14.95 instead of $18.95!!!!

Call me today for more details or information about this event. Space is limited to 30 ladies. (920) 261-3962

Scrapper's Sketch of the Week: 10/8/09

This week's sketch is inspired by a page I did long ago for my son Daniel. I carried it to workshops and events for a few months and it got pretty beat up, so this week I am going to pull it apart and put it on a fresh 12x12 sheet so it can go in my album. I'll photograph it when I get it done!

I call this the Mega Headline page because the headline is huge. Use your largest alphabet stamps or a very large font to achieve this effect. On my page, Dan's name is the headline and I used the terribly cute Big Deal Alpha to do it with. Almost--but-not-quite--as cute as the little man himself.