May 11, 2011 | Big Shot, Cards, Create with Connie & Mary, Summer Mini 2011, Thumping |
This week Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition is full of surprises and I am SOOOO excited to announce that I’m Surprise #3.
I am the SURPRISE GUEST DESIGNER for Week 3. If you are a subscriber to Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition I will be sharing with you a FABULOUS 3D project and tutorial using one of that week’s featured sets. But WHICH set is a SURPRISE, too!
Now remember…the only way to see my SURPRISE GUEST DESIGNER project is to be a subscriber to Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition and sign up now while you can save $5 off the subscription price. The early bird special of $24.95 ends Saturday, May 14th at 11:55 pm. Don’t delay!
I was so excited to get the email from Connie & Mary and can’t wait to create something to share with subscribers. For now here is a fabulous card using the Strength & Hope stamp set from the Stampin’ Up! Summer Mini catalog.
This is a fun window card. The circle in the front of the card is punched out and everything inside is actually on the inside of the card. The fun butterfly accent was created using the thumping technique. Here are some other views of the card.
Stampin’ Up! Supplies:
- Card stock: So Saffron Textured, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Whisper White
- Ink: So Saffron, Early Espresso, Peach Parfait, also Stampin’ Write Markers in the same colors
- Stamp sets: Strength & Hope
- Accessories: 2-1/2″ Circle Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Big Shot Die Cut Machine, 3″ Circle Die, Scallop Circle #2 Die, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Basic Pearls, Pumpkin Pie Taffeta ribbon, Color Spritzer, Stampin’ Sponge
May 10, 2011 | Cards, Summer Mini 2011, UDI Color Challenge |
It’s time for a new color challenge – are you ready?
This weekly color challenge helps me keep track of what day of the week it is. I know it’s Monday when I have to write my post for the Utah Diva’s Color Challenge so it can post early Tuesday morning. This week we have a bright summery color combination – Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Concord Crush and Whisper White. Here is the inspiration piece that we have this week from Gretchen:
Click on this link to go to the Utah Diva’s Color Challenge blog. There you can see the creations from the entire design team and add a link to your creation if you decide to play along.
This week I went simple – very simple – based on a design I saw in a magazine –
This card is basically Stamps, Ink and Paper – so it comes together very quickly. The base is Daffodil Delight. Then the Whisper White panel is just corner rounded and stamped with two images from the new Love & Care Hostess stamp set in the Stampin’ Up! Summer Mini catalog. I used Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight and Concord Crush to stamp the flowers, some are stamped multiple times between reinking which gives the variations in shading. I added one of the sayings in the Word Play stamp set – this one is on sale this month! At 30% off this is a set you need to make sure to buy this month. By chance the one little flower ended up in the middle of the big G so I added a tiny Rhinestone to the center of it.
Here is a quick peek of the inside – where I stamped flowers in the corner…..
Take a minute to visit the UDI site and play along with us this week.
Stampin’ Up! Supplies:
- Card stock: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
- Ink: Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Concord Crush
- Stamp sets: Love & Care, Word Play
- Accessories: Corner Rounder Punch, Basic Rhinestones, Stampin’ Dimensionals.
To order Stampin’ Up! Supplies to make this project click here.
May 9, 2011 | Cards, Punch Art, Summer Mini 2011, Thank You |
Hey everyone – I decided to take the weekend off from blogging – I spent Saturday with my mom (also saw my dad, my niece & nephew, my brother and my sister-in-law). Sunday I was home and all my boys were here – they cooked dinner last night and mostly cleaned up. Just a nice relaxing sort of day.
Have you seen the new Triple Layer Punches in the Stampin’ Up! Summer Mini Catalog? I bought the Blossom Bouquet punch and it is so much fun – it is called a Triple Layer punch because it punches out three coordinating images from one punch – actually I think this one you could consider it to punch 4 – two of the layers actually punch out two pieces – the inside of the flower and the outside rim are actually separate. So here is a card I made for some of my classes this month based on a card in the Stampin’ Success magazine (the magazine that us demonstrators get).
I added an inside panel that is stamped with the Bold Blossom stamp set that coordinates nicely with the Blossom Bouquet punch. You can make lots of different flower combinations with this one punch. Let’s see if I can point out the different pieces – the first image you can punch is the large flower – in this card I have it as the background of each of the three flowers – one is Peach Parfait, one is Early Espresso, and one is Crumb Cake. The second image you can punch is a smaller flower with a flower ring around it – in this card there is a Crumb Cake ring on the Early Espresso flower. And it doesn’t look like I used the smaller flower on this card – but wait a minute and you’ll see it on my next version of this card. The third image is a small flower with the tear drops punched out and the ring again – on this card there is one in Daffodil Delight and one in Old Olive – the tear drop flower that is. The small circle punch is from the Bitty Punch set.
The great thing about crafting is that there really aren’t any mistakes – if something doesn’t happen the way you planned it is just a chance for you to get more creative – to come up with a different idea – no one else will know that you started out with a different plan other than yourself. And sometimes the new creation is something you like better than what you originally set out to do. So I took this card to a class on May 1st and ran into not one but two chances to get more creative – first I forgot the 3/4″ circle punch that I used to punch out the little flower stamped image – but who wants to cut that flower out – not me (well on some occasions I would but not this time) and forget trying to cut out a circle – its not going to happen. So what was the solution – to use the small flower image that is punched from the Blossom Bouquet punch. Problem number 2 – while demonstrating the punch – on the third image you have to make sure you push down until you hear the third click – if you don’t you get a partially punched tear drop flower – but after looking at it – I decided it would make a pretty flower just the way it was so i used it on a card too. So here is my second version of this card:
On this one I used the small flower twice – once underneath the Old Olive and once on the Early Espresso with a stamped flower in the center of it. And here is a close up of the partially punched flower –
See how the little tear drops didn’t punch out on one end. So what I did was put a dimensional under the center so it would pop up and allow the cut end of the tear drop to hang down. I actually like how it looks.
These punches are fun but you do need to understand how they work so that you can use them correctly and get the results that you want. First the punch should be used sitting flat on the table – not held upside down in your hand like we usually do with the old punches. Then you need to slide the selector to the image that you want and notice that there are stoppers for the 1st and 2nd punch so that it doesn’t go down all the way. It helps to listen for the clicks and practice a bit. In order to close the punch and lock it you need to have the selector in the third position – if you don’t it won’t lock shut because it will catch on one of the stoppers. It comes with instructions but it helps to see someone else using it. I’ve already started demonstrating in my classes and workshops – call me today if you would like to schedule your own.
May 6, 2011 | Big Shot, Cards |
Today I’m going to show you a Scallop Circle Easel Card – at least that is what I think it is called. First the scallop circle because that is the shape of it and then an easel because it stands up by itself like an easel.
This is the one we made at one of my stamp club meetings – the girls saw the sample that my friend Fran Kennedy brought as a swap to one of my downline meetings and they wanted me to show them how to make it. Of course it uses the Big Shot – whatever did we do without the Big Shot. I used a Rich Razzleberry base for the card – what I did was cut a 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″ piece of card stock and fold it in half. Then lay it on the Scallop Circle die so that the scallop edge comes right to the cut (or open) side of the card and the folded side of the card is just inside about 4 scallops or so. This will create the base of the card which is a folded scallop circle. You take the top of it and fold it back on itself. Then cut a full scallop circle from the same color card stock and glue it to the piece you just folded back – matching it up to the bottom of the card. When the card is closed it is the shape of a scallop circle.
For the top of the card I cut a circle out of Whisper White card stock using the Clear Circle die and then for the inside I cut one from Marina Mist card stock. On the White I stamped from the Just Believe stamp set – in Old Olive ink – then sponged the bottom edge. Sponge around and along the top with Marina Mist to create the blue sky. Before gluing it down add the ribbon – I did not really tie a bow here at all. What I did was punch a hole in the white card stock – take the ribbon and create a loop (to look like the cancer ribbon) – then take the top of the loop and push it down to where the ribbon crosses – put a brad around all of that and insert through the hole. It creates the little bow like you see on the card. I just used some snail to hold the tails down on the back of the circle. Glue it to the front and add the butterflies that were cut from the Beautiful Wings Embosslit.
On the inside you have to add a “stopper” – that will hold the front when you stand the card up. I used the frame image from the Just Believe stamp set – stamp, cut, sponge and attach with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Here is the card Fran made for her swap –
I hope you like today’s project.
May 5, 2011 | Big Shot, D is for Dog |
D is for Dog is the name of this stamp set that I used on this little treat box. There is also a C is for Cat set that you could do the same project with – just fill with cat treats instead. The box is the BIGZ XL die Box #2 for the Big Shot – I cut if from Always Artichoke card stock. On the front I used Very Vanilla card stock and stamped the dog image in Chocolate Chip and sponged the edges. On one end I added a piece of Chocolate Card stock that was punched with the Scallop Border punch – I trimmed it down to be just 4 full scallops that tucked out at the end. Tie a piece of Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon around the piece and attach to the front of the box. Stamp the D is for Dog on a piece of vanilla and punch out with the 1-1/4″ Circle punch, sponge the edges, mat it on an Always Artichoke piece punched with the 1-3/8″ Circle punch. Add to the front of the box with a Stampin’ Dimensional.
inside the box I added a small cello bag filled with dog treats and tied it with another piece of ribbon. Inside the lid is the quote from the set – it says “a dog wags its tail with its heart. – Martin Buxbaum” – I think my dogs wag more than just their tails – the wag their whole back ends sometimes!
Give some love to the dogs today!
