More 3×3 Thank You’s

Making these little 3×3 thank you tags is becoming addicting.  I can make a handful in no time at all.  forest-friends-3x3

And they work great for using up scraps of Designer Series Paper and card stock because you only need small amounts.

The idea for these came from some note cards that I made earlier this year.  And I was playing around with the layering of some of the punches and I love the small oval on the modern label – I’ll have to use that one again.

Stampin’ Up! Supplies:

  • Whisper White card stock
  • Chocolate Chip card stock
  • Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper (retired)
  • Forest Friends Stamp set
  • Fundamental Phrases Stamp set
  • Chocolate Chip classic Ink
  • 1-3/4″ Circle punch
  • 1-3/8″ circle punch
  • small oval punch
  • Modern Label punch
  • 1/8″ handheld punch (retired) – or use a crop-a-dile

It’s not shown in the photo but I used Silver cord to tie them on my order bags.

I had to take Aspen back to the vet yesterday.  His back is bothering him again so he is back on meds and resting.  It looks like this is going to be a recurring thing since I can’t explain to him what he shouldn’t do so he doesn’t aggravate it.  This time it started on Saturday night and I was hoping after a few quiet days he would improve but he didn’t.  For 3 weeks it will be rest and walking on a leash so he can’t chase anything and carrying him up the stairs.  Last night he did not want to be carried at all (too much stress from going to the vet) and he would not come up the stairs so he slept alone in the office – he is still sleeping this morning – but I gave him pain and muscle relax meds a little while ago. I hope he perks up in a little while.

Take care today!

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The Cutest Cupcake Box

cupcake-boxI made this cute box the other day.  The pattern and idea came from an  online class that I am taking called Simply Babies by Heather Summers who is a demonstrator in Canada.  While her projects are all baby related and I don’t really need baby projects her work is so great and most things can be adapted to anything you want.  I haven’t been able to create all the projects – there is a new one each day – but I have made a few.

This one is a cupcake box that I made for my friend Gina who had a birthday while I was away on vacation.  Gina likes bright colors so I thought the new Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper would be just perfect for her.  I used three of the new In-Colors – Melon Mambo (the pink color), Crushed Curry (the yellow color), and Rich Razzleberry (the purple color).  The stamp set is the Great Friend stamp set – one of my favorites as you can tell because I am using it a lot.  It debuted in the Occasions mini catalog.  The butterfly is done with the Rock ‘n’ Roll technique because I wanted it to kind of look like the paper which has the Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry colors blending together.

To do the Rock ‘n Roll technique follow these easy steps:

  1. Choose two colors of ink that will work together – one lighter than the other.  In this case mine are Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry – where Melon Mambo is the lighter color.
  2. Tap your solid image stamp into the light-colored ink – Melon Mambo.
  3. Press the edges of the stamp in a rolling motion on the darker ink pad – Rich Razzleberry, being careful not to ink the center of the stamp.

This gives the lighter Melon Mambo color in the center of the butterfly and the Rich Razzleberry around the edges.  I cut out the butterfly and added cross-stitch thread to the center to create a body and antenna for the butterfly.  The tag is made using one of the large sized metal edge tags.  The 1-3/4″ circle punch is the perfect circle to fit on the tag – I used Crushed Curry and stamped “for you” in Rich Razzleberry ink.  The butterfly is attached with Stampin’ Dimensionals to give it a 3-D effect.

cupcake-box-openI created my lid a bit differently than Heather made her orignal design – I changed two things.  First before assembling the lid I used the Scallop Edge punch on each edge to create the lid border.  Make sure to trim the tabs on so that they can be attached inside without seeing them behind the scallops.  Also before assemble I punched a slit using the Horizontal slot punch on two sides of the box – these are in the edge corner where the side fold down.  I made them wide enough to slide my ribbon through.  This allowed me to tie the ribbon through the lid of the box and it doesn’t have to be untied to remove the lid.  I am so bad at tying bows once I “get it” I don’t want to undo it.

The inside of the box has an insert with a circle cut out of the center – used the Circle Scissor Plus – that holds the cupcake in place so it doesn’t slide around.  The picture doesn’t actually have the cupcake inside – just the liner to show you.  I was able to add the cupcake with a candle in it – the box was tall enough for that.

I really loved how it all turned out and think this would be a cute little birthday present to give someone that maybe you wouldn’t normally buy a gift for but want to acknowledge them with a special surprise!

I took Gina her cupcake yesterday afternoon and she was surprised to find it inside when she opened the box.  We lit the candle and she made a wish – but to her surprise (and actually to mine) – the candle re-lit!  My boys like to use the trick candles and when I grabbed one it never crossed my mind that it would be one of those.  I just picked one with pink colored stripes – which of course are the leftovers since I have boys we don’t usually use the pink candles unless they make a cake for me.

Anyway – hope you day is full of fun and surprises!

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Beaded Butterfly card

I made this card a few months ago and sent it in to Stampin’ Up! for one of their contests.  It did not win.  I was hoping to see it on the Stamper’s Showcase – these are cards and projects sent in my demonstrators for contests (that didn’t win) or at events – but on July1 they changed how they are doing the Stamper’s Showcase so they haven’t posted any new projects for us in over a week.  And looking back on my card (I only have the picture) I think I used Kiwi Kiss so they won’t show it because of the retired color but it is close to Old Olive so maybe I actually used Old Olive – and in that case everything is still current.  Or I’ll have to remake it with different colors and send it in again…..

beaded-butterflyI actually used this same idea of the beaded butterfly for the box decoration on one of my class to go kits – so you may have already seen it – but this was the card I originally made and then from that created the class using the same colors.  I used the Great Friend stamp set which was originally in the Occasions Mini catalog and is also in the new 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog.  The butterfly is from the Beautiful Butterflies die for the Big SHot.  One of my favorite!  The body of the butterfly uses the Bead Duo in orange and they are strung on a piece of linen thread tied at the top in an overhand knot to create the antenna.

This is one of my favorite cards.

Thanks for stopping by today.  My new stuff came yesterday so I’m going to play a little and get ready for the Stamper’s club meeting on Friday night.

Happy Stamping!

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Wagon Full of Fun

This year the Occasions mini catalog was full of so many great stamp sets.  I ordered quite a few and luckily most of them will be in the new catalog so I can continue to share them with you.  But one that I really like did not end up in the new catalog so I wanted to share some cards with you today.  You can still order from the Occasions Mini catalog until June 30th.  Just go to my website www.monika.stampinup.net and click on the SHOP NOW button.  To view the whole mini catalog click on the link on the side bar.

These are four cards made from the Wagon Full of Fun stamp set.  They all use the same layout and color scheme – Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, and So Saffron.  You should be able to click on the picture to see a larger image.  I used Watercolor Paper and stamped each image in Black StazOn ink.  I stamped the image again either once or twice depending on how many layers I wanted to pop up.  The images are watercolored with an aquapainter and classic ink.  Then cut out each image and the layers and attach them together with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  The card base has sponging on the edges – Baja Breeze ink on both the Sahara Sand and the Baja Breeze layer.  I used a paper piercer and the matpack template to create the holes around the square frame.

Enjoy the rest of your day – have a wagon full of fun!!

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Walk in the Park Scrapbook Page

Last night I had a great scrapbook class.  In my class we normally make 2 sets of 2-page 12″ x 12″ layouts – so four 12″ x12″ pages total.  Sometimes I add a “bonus page” – a single 12″ x 12″ layout.  Yesterday I decided to do that – why because I wanted to use my Walk in the Park Designer Series paper on a scrapbook page and I have not done it yet.  My inspiration layout was actually in the Occasions Mini Catalog – and I put this together real fast a few hours before my class.

walk-in-the-park-scrapbook-Supplies I used:

  • Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper – the leafy print and the So Saffron print for the bird
  • Cameo Coral card stock
  • So Saffron card stock
  • Basic Gray card stock
  • Kiwi Kiss card stock
  • Whisper White card stock
  • Eyelet Border Punch
  • Large Oval Punch
  • Scallop Oval Punch
  • Basic Gray classic ink
  • So Saffron classic ink – sponged the flower, the bird and the oval
  • Warm Words stamp set
  • Big Shot Die Cut Machine – cutting pads and platform
  • Stampin’ Up! Little Leaves Sizzlits die
  • Stampin’ Up! Birds & Blooms Sizzlits die
  • Stampin’ Up! Simple Flower Embosslits die
  • Fire Circle Rhinestone Brad
  • 2-way glue pen
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Stampin’ Sponge

For another scrapbooking option you can also check out the WOW Scrapbook Kits blog that my upline Wendy and I have started.  We have a monthly kit that includes three 2-page 12″ x 12″ layouts for you to create at home.  If you order the kits by the 20th of the month you get all the card stock, designer paper, embellishments and die cuts along with the step-by-step instructions, photos, and WOW tips on how to create the pages.  Visit our blog at wowscrapbookkits.wordpress.com for more information.  Our July kit will be released after the 4th of July holiday weekend.  There is a link on my side bar any time you want to stop in and visit.  We will also be posting some scrapbooking related articles from time to time.

Greg update (if you want to know) – he went for a visit to the doctor today – but he went at the wrong time so I wasn’t there.  He went to work today and I was planning on meeting him but he was there an hour early.  Anyway, the doctor did an ultrasound (that’s what Greg said) to look at his neck again and it was much improved.  Gave him a second round of the antibiotics and scheduled a recheck after the 4th of July holiday.  So all is good right now.  We still don’t know the exact cause or how to keep it from happening again – we’ll have that discussion next visit.

Have a good evening!

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Forest Friends Owl card

forest-friends

Here is a quick little card I made yesterday afternoon in between my Stamp-A-Stack classes.  I have some cards for sale at a local bird store and told them I would make some more “manly” looking cards since it was Father’s Day.  I took a few last week and just didn’t get time to make anymore.  I figured it was my last chance so I took an idea from the new catalog and made some slight changes.  The color combination is actually on the color wheel – Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, Old Olive and Bordering Blue.  This is the Forest Friends stamp set.  I added texture with the Big Shot and my texture plate.  Edges are sponged on each layer.  The owl is on dimensionals – which you can see because there is a shadow – along with the the other two layers.

Yesterday’s stamp-a-stack class was a lot of fun.  I needed the break but did have a few interuptions – sorry about that.

Everyone made 6 cards with matching envelopes.  I used three main stamp sets – Heartfelt Thanks, Wild About You and Bloomin’ with Love.  Most of the cards I actually posted already.  The Heartfelt Thanks cards we made included the one with the large scallop circle and the one with the Sweet Always striped paper – see my post from June 10th.  The Wild About You cards we made included the Lion card with the Rainbow Sherbet paper – I wish I had bought that paper earlier – now it is sold out and I really liked it in person, and the Alligator card with the In-Colors – see my post from June 14th.

The last two cards used the Bloomin’ with Love stamp set and I’ll post those later.

These are all on the Last Chance List – they will be retiring at the end of June and no longer available to buy – so don’t hesitate.  You can check on all the stamp sets, acessories and Decor Elements on the Last Chance List by clicking on the page in my side bar – under Helpful Information – click on Last Chance List.

Greg is doing a bit better – we talked to the doctor yesterday and he said they confirm that it was an infection and not something more.  We now go back on Thrsday instead of Monday.  I hope there is more improvement by Monday with the antibiotics he is on.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

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