Embellish

Photo tutorial: One-Sheet Big Basket

If you are looking for a great Easter project that is simple and practical, look no further! As my followers know, I am a big fan of things that are PRACTICAL--as in real stampers can actually make them, and they are either 1. sturdy enough to actually use, OR 2. easy enough to make that you don't mind pitching them when they have outlived their usefulness. This basket fits all those criteria! I've adapted a teeny little favor basket I saw online to be made with one sheet of 8.5x11 cardstock. It makes a great sized-basket, not too small and not too big. And NO weaving involved! Whoo hoo!

I hope you enjoy this photo tutorial, and as always, the only payment I ask for my tutorials is that you leave me a comment, and if you don't have a demo, consider me yours. You can purchase everything you see on my blog from my shopping website, www.lyssa.stampinup.net (and if you're there, be sure to peek in the Clearance Rack for retired merchandise at up to 80% off!)

Let's get started! As I mentioned, you need one 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock, as well as a strip for the handle and some brads and a hole punch to pull it all together. I'm using the super-fab Simply Scored scoring tool from Stampin' Up--gracious but I love that thing. Beats scoring with your trimmer all to pieces!

Score your sheet at 3 and 5.5 inches on the shorter end. Then rotate it 90 degrees so that you are scoring on the long side, and score at 1, 2, 3, and four inches, then 7, 8, 9, and 10 inches. You can see clearly what I mean by looking at the handy-dandy place markers on the SImply Scored.

Next we just need to slice up those little one-inch scores all the way to where they intersect with the central score lines. Do that on all four sides, and your project should look like this:

Now we're going to just gather up the strips on one side and start curving the basket together. It's way easier than it sounds...see here:

Once you have them gathered and pulled into a curve, as pictured above, you'll want to punch through all the layers and insert a brad. I used a Crop A Dile as it can go through many multiple layers of cardstock at once.

You'll need to repeat that step three more times, twice for each end of your basket.

Then you can add the handle (I used Sticky Strip) and cover up the pointy brad ends inside, so they won't poke your little pookie when they dive in looking for their candy so they can get good and sugared up before church on Easter.Then the rest is just embellishing!

I can think of several awesome gift ideas for a basket of this size--an orchard-themed basket with a fabric ruffle and fill with a couple of plastic-wrapped pumpkin muffins and two hot cider packets... fill with rolled-up baby bibs, binkies and a little stuffed bear for a baby gift... make a manicure basket with polishs, scrubs, file and aloe-infused gloves...fill with Cadbury Creme Eggs for Lyssa... lots of great ideas for this sturdy and practical basket. Have a ball with it!

Pop back in again for more of my Best of Boxes blog series, and drop me a line if you love this little basket and are already plotting your first gift. I LOVE to hear that you have gained inspiration from something I shared--it totally makes my day! Thanks!

Thanks a TON!

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Please scroll down to see more recent posts! Thanks!

RSVP NOW for the Spring Spectacular 10-10-10 Event!

Saturday, March 9^th at ten a.m. Watertown

 Come and create ten different card designs, taking about ten minutes each, for just ten bucks*! Get your hands on all kinds of new and limited-edition stamps and accessories like the All Dressed Up and Secret Garden bundles, Best of 25 Years anniversary sets, and much more!  Learn ten new layouts and color combos! Make quick cards that are cute and impressive!

Fabulous door prizes will be given every half hour. RSVP with a “new to Lyssa’s events” friend and you can both make an extra card! There will be an ASTOUNDING, NEVER BEFORE SEEN, ONE DAY ONLY SALE A BRATION SPECIAL OFFER you will not want to miss!

 *Cost is just ten dollars per person with a $25 or more order, or $20 if you don’t want to order.

Everything is pre-designed and prepped for you to just stamp and assemble as you relax and chat with new and old friends. I will have coffee and a breakfast snack there. Everything is included except envelopes and adhesive. NEW! I will have adhesive there to purchase! So don’t be late because you had to dash somewhere at the last second.

 RSVP by March 1^st Hope you can join me for this always-fabulous event—not to be missed! (920) 261-3962  [email protected]

Photo Tutorial: Easy K-Cup Compartmentalized Gift Box

I just got a Keurig for Christmas and I don't know how I ever managed without it! To say I "love" it is hardly an overstatement. I really am enjoying it and I love to discover new k-cup flavors of coffee and tea, chai and hot chocolate. Even just having hot water practically instantaneously has been so handy.

Anyhoo, I got to thinking that k-cups make a great gift, and a little sampler pack would be a perfect pick-me-up for a co-worker or a student. So I designed a little compartmentalized box that holds four k-cups--enjoy this free photo tutorial, and leave me a comment if you're a fellow coffee or tea fanatic!

To begin, you'll need an 8.25 inch square piece of cardstock. Either 8.5x11 or 12x12 work for this project, so no worries there! Score your 8.25 inch square at 2 inches and 6.25 inches, then rotate it 90 degrees and score it again at 2 and 6.25.

We're just creating your basic box here. Snip as shown below and use Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots or other strong box-making-worthy adhesive to adhere.

Next, you'll want to cut two strips of 5.25x2 inch cardstock, either the same as your box or a coordinating color. These will be your dividers.

Score them at .5 inches and 4.75 inches. Then, at the 2 and 5/8 inch mark, make a little depression or mark with your scoring tool, just to show you the exact middle of the strip. This will be where you make a slit with your paper snips, about halfway through the strip.

Once you have both of those strips scored and the slits made, you will combine them into one piece, fitting them together via the slits--shown below. The little flaps you created on either end are how it will attach to the box.

Sweet, huh? And way easier than you'd think! It's also extremely sturdy with the reinforcement of the dividers. You can actually use that technique for making a compartmentalized box quickly and easily for any size box--just add one inch to the width of your box, for a half-inch flap on either side.

I hope you enjoyed the free tutorial today! Thanks for joining me for another installment in my "Best of Boxes" blog series. You can find all of the supplies and papers and the marvelous new Simply Scored board I use in my tutorials at www.lyssa.stampinup.net I'd be very happy to help you with any papercrafting needs!

Photo Tutorial: Easy Tea Bag Dispenser

I'm soooo happy to have my computer back that I created a photo tutorial today to celebrate! As always, this tutorial is FREE. I'm just happy to give back to the fantastic community of papercrafters. Please leave a comment if you appreciate all the free inspiration you find at Song of My Heart Stampers, and I'd be honored to help you out if you don't have a Stampin' Up demonstrator. You can find everything I use in my tutorials (plus a whole lot more!) on my shopping website: www.lyssa.stampinup.net

Ready to make this adorable tea bag dispenser project today? Me too! All you'll need is a sheet of 12x11.5 inch cardstock, Sticky Strip or other strong adhesive, a 2.5 inch circle punch, and the Simply Scored board or other scoring tool.

Score your 12x11.5 inch cardstock at .5 inch, 3, 6, and 8.5 inches on the 11.5 inch side, as shown.
Then rotate it 90 degrees and score at 3 inches and 9 inches, as shown below.

Once you've completed the scoring, snip up to the fold from the bottom edge, and down to the fold from the top. Snip out and discard the extra corners of the flap (shown on the far left). You should have a half-inch flap and four main panels.

Now we're going to cut off the bottom flap from the third panel, as shown below.

There is JUST enough room to squeeze your 2.5 inch circle punch into that space created by removing the flap, and punch out a half circle. This will be the little slot from which your tea bags are dispensed.

We're almost done, but there is one more thing that must be completed before our box comes together. Because the dispenser is a rectangle and not a square, the flaps must be trimmed on two of the panels. So on panels 2 and 4, you will need to trim off a half inch, as shown above (bottom flaps) and below (top flaps shown).

Now you're ready to use Sticky Strip to close the long side flap and fold your box up. I used Sticky Strip on the bottomof my dispenser as well (shown below) but I used a little self-adhesive Velcro to fasten the top of my dispenser, so that it can easily be reloaded from the top.

There you go! Pretty quick and cute, eh? No complicated measurements, no patterns to trace--just the magic of scoring and Sticky Strip. If you have a project you'd like to see done as a photo tutorial here at Song of My Heart Stampers, drop me a line at [email protected] and I will take a looksee.

unlikely color combo for butterflies

I am soooo happy to be "back in the saddle" again today and finally chipping away at the enormous to-do list that amassed over the last week during our computer woes!! I bet you are all glad I won't be whining about that anymore, too, eh? Many thanks for the sympathic comments and many MANY thanks to my darling husband, who deserves a medal for putting up with my angst as I tried (and sometimes failed) not to freak out.

Of course, with a new computer comes all sorts of reinstalls and hiccups. And since Windows 8 is new to both Mike and I, we are definitely still learning our way around. But it's progress! I am just happy to have my email addresses back... and as you can see, my editing tools are back! So now I can share with you all the fun that has been going on in my stamp room lately.

Can't get enough of butterflies? Follow me on Pinterest (Lyssaz) and you can see everything I pin to my newest board, "Birds, Bees & Butterflies." It's almost too much gorgeousness.

Ok, what do you think? Pass or fail on these two cards? I loved them while I was making them, but afterwards I thought, why in the world did I use Crumb Cake and Bravo Burgundy with butterflies??!! I do really like both layouts, but now I'm wondering if I really missed it with the color combo. Leave me a comment and post your opinion!

Advanced Papercrafters Class 3/25/13

Back by popular demand, the March 2013 Advanced Papercrafter's Class will be centered around the All Dressed Up stamp set and coordinating Framelits for the Big Shot! I am delighted so many of you have fallen in love with these adorable little dress forms and the endless options for embellishment. I think it appeals to the little girl in all of us!

Cost for Advanced Papercrafters Class is $15 per person or FREE if you purchase the All Dressed Up Bundle by the 15th. It should arrive by the night of the class, and you can learn to use your own tools right then and there! Click here to order the bundle and anything else you need.

Already have the bundle or part of it? You can still get the class free by placing any $35 or more order. Just let me know it is for the March Advanced Papercrafters Class. [email protected]

RSVP no later than March 15th--space is limited to eight. When you RSVP, please let me know if you would be willing to bring your Big Shot along to help speed the process. Hope to see you there!

Hope springs eternal

Well, yesterday's Attitude Improvement Project went well. It helped that the kids had a half day so my mind was occupied with things other than the silent bucket of bolts in the corner. I still had moments of panic thinking about how our now week-long computer woes have caused me to fall further and further behind, but a new computer (1TB memory, how awesome is that? That's a terrabyte, for those of you who don't speak techie) is in the house and in the process of having all our old "guts" transferred to the new "guts." I have great hopes that I will be able to return to email and my beloved photo editing tools by Monday!

And if you're local to me, watch out for a flurry of emails about stampin' events that have been piling up! The most important one to RSVP for right away is the Spring Spectacular 10-10-10 Event on Saturday, March 9th from ten to noon. That's ten different cards, taking about ten minutes each to make, for just $10 with a $25 order, or $20 if you prefer not to order. Space is limited to twenty--so hurry!

I know you've enjoyed seeing these demonstrator samples the past few days, as I have. I am always amazed at the level of care that goes into swaps made by Stampin' Up demonstrators. These swaps were all made in batches of twenty, and when you think about all the steps that go into making just one, it is truly a work of heart.

Look at this cutie below... that's the Tea For Two Designer Series Fabric behind the Framelit-cut opening in the embossed white cardstock. What a great idea!

well, duh

A friend gave me a well-deserved whack upside the head today, although she doesn't know it! We were having a conversation online about how to run a home party business alongside your regular full time job, and she gave a marvelous piece of advice--"Don't focus on what you can't do. Focus on what you can!" Well, duh. I've been soooo focused on my computer woes and all the things I cannot do until it gets fixed (and it will still be even longer, as it was determined last night the problem is worse than we thought and we are going to have to get a brand new one). And the stress or it was turning my mood sour and tainting everything I did the past four (now five) days.

SO! Today I am changing my attitude about our lengthening technical woes. God has chosen to allow this "trial" into my life (and oh, that's a whole 'nother subject, when so many others are dealing with TRUE trials!) for whatever reason, and I am going to list five things I am thankful for, and then I am going to GET to share other people's beautiful creations with you that you might otherwise not have seen because I was too busy gabbing away about my own stamping.

So here's my five thankful things--

1. I can still go on Facebook and Pinterest (now that really would be tragedy!!)
2. I still have access to my blog, although not my photos
3. I can access my email, albeit slowly and sans address book
4. my blessed husband is not freaked out when I cry about dumb things
5. truth be told, I am getting a lot of other things done

So as you can see, Lyssa really has no right to be all whiny. All that AND I have a Keurig at long last. : )
And here's your inspiration for today! More lovely things from my fellow Stampin' Up demos, shared at our Leadership Conference. And don't forget, I'm running a February Freebies over on Facebook right now, and you can get a full size Stampin' Up catalog mailed to you free of charge! Click on the link in the right hand sidebar to go to my Song Of My Heart Facebook page.

Look at this cutie! The pinwheel spins. Too adorable.

More swapping inspiration

I am just BESIDE myself right now on this fourth day of no main computer. I'm practically frantic thinking of how far behind I am, and during our busiest time of the year! I know you guys think I do nothing but play all day, but the truth is the majority of my work hours are spent on the computer on the business side of things. Not having access to the addresses, email lists, blogging tools and writing works-in-progress on that computer is throwing a major wrench in my works.

The part is on the way (please, please let it come today!) and hubby knows that life grinds to a halt until it is installed and back up and running, but in the mean time I just keep making lists of what is piling up. One of the worst parts is not being able to share what I have personally been creating with you! That's the main reason I blog, after all... and I have such adorable things I want to show you. But alas! Defeated by technology.

But these are cute! These cards are all from the 100-person private swapping group that I organize through Splitcoast Stampers. I have really strict rules, but the demos love it because they know they are going to get exceptional work back in exchange.

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with all the dozens of things I have to share. Please send good techie vibes my way! I'll go distract my frantic self with more stamping. Cleaning house or doing laundry is not distracting enough : )

In the bleak midwinter

It is FROZEN here today! Everything is either coated in ice, covered with snow, or crusted with salt. It was supposed to be -20 degrees last night with the wind chill. Winter is getting a little old, I have to say! But it is good for getting things done in the stamp room.

Know what else is good for getting things done in the stamp room? Unexpected computer power supply failures that keep you from wasting hours online! I am trying to look on the bright side today (always a better choice than beating one's head against one's desk) and just plan to stamp, stamp stamp today. But since I can't leave you without something pretty for your inspiration, here are three more really truly wonderful swap cards I exchanged with other demonstrators at our last conference.

Birthday Celebration Drawing Winner

Congratulations to Jenny Mudler, winner of the free Stampin' Trimmer giveaway!

Many thanks to everyone who participated in my new online ordering for workshops trial and successfully used the hostess code for the very first time! Super easy, wasn't it?! I am thrilled with this new feature, making it possible for out-of-state friends and family to order from your workshop and have their stuff mailed directly to them.

Let's get YOUR party on the books and I'll email you a hostess code to use. This is the easiest way EVER to hold a book party, too! Just put it out there on Facebook and email it to your list--no more writing down orders and trying to get payment collected. It's all handled beautifully, and you reap the rewards!

I'm having major computer issues today, so can't show you what I've been working on as I have no editing and watermarking tools... not cool. But here's a couple of great swap cards I got at Leadership Conference to keep you inspired today! Hopefully hubby will get the computer fixed and we'll be back on track tomorrow. And in the meantime I will just stay plugged into the stamp room and work on even more stampy goodness for you!

Many thanks to the awesome, creative demonstrators who freely share what they love every single day. That's the spirit of Stampin' Up! Did you know we have a Statement of the Heart? It reads:

"To love what we do and share what we love, we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments... in this we make a difference."

Windows Collection Framelits

Spent some time this week working with my latest Framelit accquisition for the Big Shot--the Window Collection. I love them! I won this Just Thinking stamp set as part of a prize drawing at Leadership Conference and it made me break down and get the Windows Framelits. I am so glad I did, because I think the size and shape is going to be super versatile. I'm excited to do a couple easy cards with it for my clubs in February. Stay tuned for more advanced ideas with it as I get time to play!

I have two stamp clubs this week, and YOU are welcome to join me at either of them! Tomorrow night there is one at 6:30 in Watertown that is a $15 flat fee, no order necessary. Then Tuesday night there is one in Fort Atkinson, also at 6:30 p.m., that is free with a $25 minimum order. I would love to have you as my guest at either one of these fun nights! No obligation to come again if you decide not to join the group.

Also, if you are looking for something to do on Monday the 25th, you can join me to make three of those cute dress form cards for just $10, or free with any $25 or more order that evening. RSVP by Wednesday the 20th to save your spot!

You deserve a night out! Winter is wearing on a person, and something fun to look forward to is a wonderful thing. Bring a friend and enjoy the evening twice as much as we craft, snack and chat.

What to do with the Tangerine Tango diagonal?

Yesterday I sat down in the stamp room and said to myself, "I'm not getting up until I have at least three ideas for that crazy loud Tangerine Tango striped paper!" Well, I made two... dinner time interrupted. But two good ideas is better than no ideas at all, right?

This is part of the fun and bright Sycamore Street Designer Series paper pack you can get for free right now during Sale A Bration, with any $50 order. The patterns are colorful and bold, and while they didn't grab me at first, I have been really enjoying them and have discovered a couple new favorite color combos, too.

But... the Tangerine Tango diagonal stripes just eluded my mojo! Other then using tiny bits on a banner or pennant, I hadn't used them at all. So yesterday's rather un-Valentine-like challenge to myself was to come up with ideas for it. I think when you are working with bold patterns, the key is to pair warm with cool colors to take the tone down a notch (I used Pool Party and Basic Gray with a nice bright Whisper White) and to use it in small doses. I tried it with the pattern on half a card and it really is still too overwhelming for me. These two cards both use two by four inch pieces.

I used the super cute Patterned Occasions stamp set on both of these cards, another one of those great Sale A Bration freebies. If you haven't heard about our big annual sale, click here to view my shopping website and get all the deets! And I'd be happy to snail-mail you a catalog, too--just ask!

So what do you think? Did I successfully come up with a way to use this crazy bright pattern? Well, if not--never fear! Each side of Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up is double-sided. So if you're not crazy about one side, just flip it over, and there's a world of inspiration on the other.

mail week

It's mail week at my children's school. There's a massive decorated mailbox in the foyer that parents, kids and teachers can use to send each other fun things all week long. I appreciate that our school spreads out the Valentine fun for a week because 1. it lightens the sugar overload; and 2. it helps those of us who (ahem) don't meet the V-Day deadline precisely still come out ok in the end.

For your inspiration today, for those of you who maybe are slightly behind like I am, I have several cute candy items that were shared at our area demonstrator meeting on Monday night. I shared mine previously in this post. The contest-winner was the elegant one above made with the Two Tags die for the Big Shot by Lynn Z. Carol G made the adorable mason jar ones below, with the Perfectly Preserved stamp set and coordinating Orchard Harvest Framelits for the Big Shot.

It was super hard to vote this month! I also loved these creative Goldfish ones using the Oh Whale stamp set and Clearlit die, by Katrina H.

Those long skinny 1x8 inch cello bags are da BOMB! Look what else fits in there--chapsticks! Thanks to Cristy B for that adorable idea. Love how she used the exclusive new image from the February Best of Love anniversary collection stamp set!

A Glorious Mess

Oh, we made the Most Delightful Mess today in the third and fourth grade. Every year for the past three I've come in to Mr. Jones' homeroom and helped the kids make their Valentine bags, and today was the day for which they have been wiggling with anticipation! I brought stamps, ink, cardstock, patterned paper, glimmer paper, heart punches, self-adhesive rhinestones and a variety of ribbons. I cranked the Big Shot non-stop for a half hour, churning out made-to-order die cuts to suit their every whim.

As you can see, they got really creative! I was especially proud of Natalie's (purple shirt, center)... she told me her design was inspired by a scrapbook page I made. Looks like the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree!

Even the boys really got into it! Some pretty clever ideas going on there.

Here's a photo of some of the aftermath... oi vey... I never did find my smallest Hearts Collection Framelit....still, worth it, eh? I love how passionately kids create. How different they are--some contemplative and deliberate, others flinging scraps around and changing their design mid-stream. There isn't a right or wrong way to do it, and when they're done, they're proud of theirs no matter what anyone else's looks like. I know some grown-up stampers who could stand to be kinder to themselves!

Start to finish in a single sitting

Paper Pumpkin by Stampin' Up is an awesome new monthly kit program that crafters of all experience levels are thrilled about! Paper Pumpkin comes in a fun orange box, but you'll really love what you find on the inside: stamps, ink, paper, and accessories you need to create a great, professional-looking project once a month.

And the best part is... creativity is contagious. Once you've got the cute project or projects from the kit completed, your creative mojo will be flowing and you'll have thought of some other cute things to do with those supplies. Think of Paper Pumpkin as a kick-start to your crafting each month! And you'll feel so rewarded by being able to start AND finish a project in a single sitting.

Interested? It's so easy to get started. Simply sign up for the program by visiting www.mypaperpumpkin.com Every month a new, surprise project kit arrives at your doorstep. Just think of the anticipation of creating a fun project to pin, show off, and share with your friends and family--every month!

• Each month we send you a unique, surprise kit with a project-cards, journals, décor, and more! (We've even color-coordinated, measured, and cut everything for you!)
• Each kit includes stamps, ink, paper, and accessories-everything but adhesive and scissors.
• Each kit will take you on a 30-40-minute creativity escape. Then you can use the stamps and other things to make more projects on your own!
• Stampin' Up will ship your Paper Pumpkin on or around the 15th of the month.  
• You need to sign up for Paper Pumpkin by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit. If you sign up on the 11th of the month, your first kit will come the next month. (Let's say you sign up on May 10th, we'll send your kit around May 15th. If you sign up on May 11th, we'll send your first kit around June 15th.) Once the ship date is passed you can no longer get that month's kit.
• A Paper Pumpkin membership is only $19.95 per month (and shipping is included! How awesome is that???) You can cancel your monthly Paper Pumpkin at anytime. You can also skip a month if you want. So no worries there!
• A Welcome Kit will arrive the first month and includes a free clear acrylic block (size D) which you can use for all the clear-mount stamps that will be arriving monthly in your orange boxes.
• While you're registering, a Paper Pumpkin subscription would make a fabulous gift for anyone!

Not ready to commit just yet? A "Try It" Kit is pictured above, a sample of what fun is to come! This kit, which makes two journals, will be available to purchase in March.

Ready to party? Sign up for your monthly Paper Pumpkin today by visiting www.mypaperpumpkin.com and click "Get It." Be sure to put in my name as your demonstrator at the end of the simple registration process, so that I can help you with your Paper Pumpkin subscription should any issues arise. Easy Peasy!

More seasonal decor touches

Now before you ask, no, this gorgeous chicken-wire framed memo board is not mine, sadly! It belongs to one of my lovely team members, Cristy. I brought this Valentine banner to the demonstrator meeting this week and she was so taken wth it that I sent it home with her to decorate her board, on the condition that she send me a nice photograph of it.

I made the banner in about an hour, using scraps of More Amore Designer Series Papers, the Hearts Collection die cut Framelits for the Big Shot, the new Tea Lace Paper Doilies, silver Glimmer Paper and the lovely Pool Party ribbon and buttons from the Sale A Bration embellishment pack (free with any $50 order between now and March 22nd!) Each pennant on the banner is different. It was a lot of fun and came together surprisingly quickly.

I do wish I had a board like this! Although I honestly have nowhere to hang it. Our house is small and it has lots of big windows (which I love, but there's not a ton of unbroken wall space.) But I'm going to start scouring resale shops and see if I can't find a smaller frame that would work for this project. I've been wanting to make one for simply ages... do you have a project like that? I bet you do!!

More baby wipe technique fun

As promised, here's some more cards I made using the technique outlined in the mini photo tutorial from yesterday. I just love the combo of Pool Party, Primrose Petals, Pink Pirouette and a splash of Raspberry Ripple. It's been super fun to have the wonderful Sale A Bration 2013 freebie buttons and ribbons in Pool Party... check them out here, one of the 19 free choices you can select from with every $50 ordered between now and March 22nd!


This one above is a bit busier than I normally like to do. What do you think? Too much going on? Normally I go for clean and simple, like this one below... which do you prefer, yourself?

Mini Photo Tutorial: Baby Wipe as ink pad technique

I've been having a little too much fun rediscovering an OLD technique... so much so that I have at least two posts' worth of samples to show you with it! It's a simple and fun "no mess" technique that only requires ink refills and some baby wipes. I mentioned it before when I was showing you these treats I made for tonight's demonstrator meeting...

... and I stopped and took some photos of the actual process so I could share that will those of you who haven't seen this fun technique before. It's also a very cheap WOW--baby wipes are inexpensive, and you're only using a few drops of a $2.95 ink refill, which can also make your Stampin' Up ink pads last for years beyond the lifespan of a craft store pad.

Fold a couple of babywipes into a small pad on top of something non-porous, like my stamping tile, or a plastic plate or stamp case lid. Then drip ink refills onto the pad either randomly or in a pattern. I often use a circular pattern for flowers, but you can do stripes for fun solid stamps, too, like I did on my Valentines above.

Put enough ink on the wipe to cover an area a little larger than your stamp. Then just use the wipe as an ink pad and stamp away! You'll be able to stamp 20-30 times before the "ink pad" gets all muddied and the colors tend to get yucky as they blend too much. Then you can just pitch it!

The top card is a much busier card than I normally make, but I think it all works because of the color scheme. I sponged the Sale A Bration patterned paper with Pool Party ink to tone down the contrast and send it into the background a little more.And there's another Sale A Bration freebie on there, too--do you see it? The sentiment is cut apart from Vintage Verses, my favorite of the exclusive SAB 2013 stamp sets!

Pop back in and visit me tomorrow for four more card ideas made with this same technique and the Secret Garden stamp set and coordinating Framelits for the Big Shot! All use the same color scheme of Pool Party, Primrose Petals, Pink Pirouette and Raspberry Ripple.

Advanced Papercrafters Class 2/25/13

Please note: this post will stay at the top of my blog for a few days

so everyone can RSVP for the AP Class on time!

Please scroll down for more recent posts. Thanks!

It's time to RSVP for this month's Advanced Papercrafters Class! Join me on Monday, February 25th at 6:30 p.m. as we use the All Dressed Up stamp set and coordinating Framelits to make four adorable dress cards--each one a tiny, personalized work of art!

Use my scraps, patterned papers and embellishments to create four unique cards your girlfriends will love--AND go home with the stamp set and Framelits to make many, many more. I'll warn you--these little dresses are HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.... I made sixteen DIFFERENT ones this week! it doesn't get any girlier than this! I will have twenty samples there for your inspiration as you pick and choose what your dress forms will be wearing for their public debut.

Cost for the February Advanced Papercrafters Class is $35 per person for clear-mount and $39 per person for wood mounted stamps. If you'll notice, that's the catalog price of the All Dressed Up Bundle--so class attendees will be getting the cute projects totally free. What a fantastic deal!

Already have the bundle or part of it?

Place any $35 order instead, and you can still attend!

Bring a friend who is new to my events,

and you will both get to make a fifth dress card totally free!

RSVP no later than February 15th--space is limited to eight. When you RSVP, please let me know if you would be willing to bring your Big Shot along to help speed the process, and be sure to specify if you want me to order wood mount or clear mount stamps. Hope to see you there! (920)261-3962 [email protected]