May 2, 2013 | Big Shot, Spring Catalog 2013, Stamp, Scrap, & Create Retreat |
Have you tried out the Bottle Caps in the Stampin’ Up! Spring catalog? Did you know that you can flatten them and turn them into jewelry?
This was our third Make & Take project for the Stamp, Scrap & Create Escape Retreat. We used the bottle caps to make necklaces (and LaRee used the small ones to make earrings too).
We used the Big Shot to flatten the bottle cap. Stamped the images on card stock and punched them out. Glued it in the bottle cap and then covered with Crystal Effects – let it dry over night. This is a fun project but doesn’t work well in a class setting because of the drying time so it was a perfect project for the retreat. I made one where I added the Rhinestone while the Crystal Effects was still wet and another one I added it afterwards. The little 1/16″ handheld punch was used to punch a hole in the edge and then add a chain or ribbon.
And the cute little jewelry needs something cute to put it in – right? So I created this little matching Petite Purse. Now it makes an adorable gift – Mother’s Day is coming up you know!
I used the Petite Purse die and Basic Gray card stock. The front panel was cut a second time and embossed with the Chevron Embossing folder. A ribbon handle was added with some of the tiny brads. Stamp and punch the butterfly – add the Vintage Faceted button and ta-DA – a super cute little purse to hold that necklace!
Thanks for visiting today!
May 1, 2013 | My Digital Studio, Stamp, Scrap, & Create Retreat |
Cindy created this cute My Digital Studio Hybrid project for the Stamp, Scrap, & Create Escape Retreat.
This was one of our Make&Take projects and a favorite of everyone that attended the retreat. You can get all the details on how Cindy created by visiting her blog – click here. She has more pictures on her blog too.
During the retreat the session where the girls made this project included a lesson in how the panels were create using My Digital Studio and then everyone created the blocks.
If you want to learn more about My Digital Studio and you live near me (Woodstock, GA) – we will be having an intro class on May 10th. You can find more information on my events calendar on my website. At the new price of $19.95 it is a steal!
And starting today Stampin’ Up! is having a sale on My Digital Studio downloads and Print Products. You can see all the download in my online store and you would print your creations through the My Digital Studio software. Want to see all the different options visit the MyDigitalStudio.net website – there is tons of information about My Digital Studio all in one place.
Apr 30, 2013 | Designer Series Paper, Scrapbook Pages, Stamp, Scrap, & Create Retreat |
At the Stamp, Scrap & Create Escape Retreat we had four Make&Take projects for everyone that attended. The groups rotated through the stamping sessions to complete the four projects. One of them was the fun mini scrapbook made with the Sent with Love Designer Paper and stamp set.
The front and back cover are made from the Natural Composition Specialty Paper (you’ll find it in the new catalog too).
The inside pages alternate between envelopes (that create pockets) and card stock. The binding is the Sent With Love Designer Paper. Decorate with the stamped images, punched images and card stock. Finish with some Baker’s Twine tied around the front.
The envelopes are pockets and inside each one is a piece of card stock that was embossed and cut to create a decorative edge. I cut the flaps off of the envelopes, but if you think you want to close the envelope with a closer and some twine then leave the flaps on. You can hide secrets in there 🙂
One more fun thing on these is the faux “tape” – I cut strips of Vellum card stock – stamped on them and then punched the edges with the postage stamp punch and it looks like tape. Adhere just one side and then you can took a photo under it and it will looked “taped” but won’t really be.
Today is the last day that you can order the Sent With Love items – either individually or as a bundle – so be sure to hurry before they are gone! These will be fun to have for scrapping some travels this year.
You can order on my website – www.monika.stampinup.net – click the SHOP NOW button on the side of my blog and it will take you to the store.
Apr 29, 2013 | Big Shot, Designer Series Paper, Pop 'n Cuts, Stamp, Scrap, & Create Retreat, SU Pillow Gifts |
Pillow Gifts are so much fun! What are pillow gifts? It is something that Stampin’ Up! does – not sure about other companies. On the incentive trips that the demonstrators earn Stampin’ Up! pampers them with little gifts that they normally leave in their room in the evening and often on the pillow – so I guess that is how they came to be called “pillow gifts”. When we go to convention and other events we usually bring gifts for our roommates and also leave them on the pillow. I finally earned my first incentive trip this year (the Hilton Head trip that I went to in September) and yes the pillow gifts were the most exciting part – after dinner everyone wanted to go back to their rooms and see what Stampin’ Up! had left. So of course for the Stamp, Scrap and Create retreat I wanted to pamper everyone and give them special “pillow gifts” – but since everyone wasn’t spending the night rather than leaving them on their pillow I left the gifts at their “spot” in the crafting room.
The retreat theme was focused around the Sent with Love Designer paper and stamp set – if you haven’t purchased these yet you better hurry – they are only available through April 30th!! One of our make&takes was also created out of these and I’ll share that tomorrow. It’s a great set and paper to use in your scrapbooking.
Well on to the pillow gifts – here they are:
When everyone arrived they had this little pail on their spot. Each one has a chalkboard vinyl cutout with the Oval Framelits. I added a banner that was made with the Sent With Love Designer Paper and then tied a piece of chalk to the bucket it has a little wrap of paper on it too. These worked out perfectly because everyone carried them around to the Make&Take stations throughout the weekend. Their adhesive and scissors fit inside and anything else they wanted to corral into one place.
Friday night after dinner they got this little treat.
A little tube filled with Jelly Beans and decorated with a tag made out of the Sent with Love Stamp set and matching designer paper. I stamped the images and punched them out with a 1″ circle punch and added them to the tag. A little treat that was “sent with love” to everyone that came to the retreat.
I got up early Saturday morning and got breakfast ready and then snuck downstairs to leave a new little pillow gift on everyone’s spot. This is what they got.
I used an empty button container and decorated the top with card stock and a flower – the stamp is from the A Round Array stamp set – and I stuck with the same colors that are in the Sent With Love designer paper. Inside the container was a roll of Washi Tape – each person got a roll from the Epic Day pack. The stamp set and Washi tape are both sneak peeks from the upcoming catalog. I added the “you make me smile” stamp because they all make me smile and I was so happy that everyone came to this retreat.
Saturday night was a special treat that I put out while everyone ate dinner –
I made a cute little box using the Pop ‘n Cuts base die and the Sent with Love Designer paper. I stamped some of the images from the matching stamp set, punched and cut out the pieces and added them to the front of the box. Inside was a three pack of Ferrero Rocher chocolates! A sweet treat “special delivery” to end a wonder Saturday of crafting.
And lastly on Sunday morning I left everyone a final “pillow gift” to say thank you for coming.
A cute little Petite Pocket made from the Sent with Love Designer Paper. Wrapped with some Baker’s Twine and some little tags from Tiny tags – I used “thanks so much”, “hand crafted”, and “friends”. Inside each pocket were some of the Jumbo Pearls. Just a fun little gift for everyone. I’m sad that the Petite Pocket Die, the Tiny Tags stamp set and the Jewelry Tag punch are all on the Stampin’ Up! retiring list – so hurry and order them now before they are gone! I love making these little pocket for so many things.
I know everyone loved all the little surprises and I loved make them and giving them! I can’t wait to plan the next retreat – I’ll have dates soon so you can mark your calendar and be sure to join us!
Apr 23, 2013 | Stamp, Scrap, & Create Retreat |
Everyone at the retreat had a spot in the basement that they set up to work on their crafting projects. Here are some pictures –
Here we are on Friday night – everyone has their spot set up to stay busy for the weekend. The Make&Takes were set up in a different space so that whatever project you were working on you could just leave it and come back to it. I think it worked out really well.
Cindy is enjoying one of the yummy cupcakes that we had Friday night.
Kim and Christine are working on scrapbooks.
Laree, Kathy and Debby working on their projects. Laree did some My Digital Studio and made teacher gifts. Kathy was working on a scrapbook and Debby spent some time getting ready for a party creating a Bingo game. I guess that means our Saturday night Bingo games were fun! I’ll share more about that later.
The tables are covered with projects – I even see a Paper Pumpkin box! My April kit came last week right before the retreat started – I think Kim brought hers too. Let’s see what else do I spy – well Stampin’ Up! box – and some of our Make&Take projects. I’m going to share those in another post later this week.
On Day 1 (Friday) everyone arrived late in the afternoon and set up their spots in the basement. We had dinner, one stamping session, then crafting time in the basement. Cupcakes for dessert and a late night popcorn snack. Those that spent the night go their beds set up, some were up stairs in the boys bedrooms (Kyle is away at college and Ryan went to stay at a friends house), and some stayed in the basement on the pull-out sofa. And some people went back home for the night.
Fun times.
Apr 22, 2013 | My Digital Studio, Scrapbook Pages, Stamp, Scrap, & Create Retreat |
This weekend I held my first Stamp, Scrap & Create Escape Retreat at my house. I enjoyed a wonderful weekend with friends and can’t wait to plan the next one! Today I’m going to share some pictures that I took before everyone arrived – all the “getting ready” and set up.
Greg went out of town on a golf weekend so we were able to set up in the basement everyone’s workstation. Everyone had a “spot” to work on the projects they brought for the weekend. Some brought scrapbooks, some cards, laptops to work on My Digital Studio, and various other things.
The big green table is actually the pool table and it is covered with a Ping Pong table top that is flipped upside down. Then we added two 6 foot tables at the far end and had a 4 foot table at the close end (not in the photo).
Each spot was set up with Grid paper – with a welcome message from Cindy& I, a goody bag, a pail, and some information about our weekend.
The goody bags had all the project materials for the Make&Take projects plus any optional projects that they signed up for. Cindy created tags in My Digital Studio using the Sent with Love digital kit and printed them out at home. Then added card stock and Designer Paper from the Sent with Love pack and some Island Indigo Baker’s Twine to tie them on the bags. They turned out super cute!
I found these cute little pails a few days before the retreat and decided they would be perfect to put on everyone’s “spot”. I had Chalkboard Vinyl left from when Stampin’ Up! used to sell it and cut it with the Oval Framelits die to put on the front of the pail. I added a flag banner using the Pennant Punch and the Sent with Love Designer Paper. The flags are strung together with Baker’s Twine and tied to the pail (I punched holes with the Crop-a-dile). You can’t see it in this picture but each bucket had a piece of chalk tied to it – I wrapped the end with a strip of the designer paper and tied the baker’s twine around it. Then everyone can write a message on the front of their pail. Inside everyone had Stampin’ Dimensionals, a bottle of the all-purpose glue, a Stampin’ Sponge, and a threader. As it turned out it made a good spot for everyone to keep the tools they needed to carry around to their make&takes and a place to keep the tickets that they earned throughout the weekend (I’ll tell you more about those later).
We gave everyone a “ticket” itinerary created in My Digital Studio – that had our schedule for the weekend. A blank Bingo card – printed with My Digital Studio and a piece of card stock. These are were all clipped together with a clothes pin that was covered in the Sent With Love Designer Paper. I’ll share more about bingo in another post.
We set up tables in my sun room to create a “cafe” where we could eat our meals. It was nice to have the view of the backyard with the birds and the animals. The weather turned out being ok even though it rained Friday and got really cold. A cool night Saturday worked out well for our campfire.
And finally we had a candy/snack table set up –
Originally I had it all set up on the server upstairs which is where this picture was taken but then I moved it down to the little bar in the basement.
Well that was a lot to share and that’s before any one even got here! I have more pictures, projects and “pillow” gifts to share another day! So be sure to come back.
