Saturday, May 31, 2008

Tying a Beautiful Knot Tutorial



I think you will love this! The tutorial below shows you how to tie a beautiful knot every time! It takes some practice, but don't give up, you'll be so glad when you master it! All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up! Videographer: My son Hunter



Friday, May 30, 2008

Robin's Thank-You Card


I received this card in the mail yesterday - and when I saw it, I melted! Anything pink and brown just needs to be eaten, don't you agree? Especially this one! It is just beautiful! Robin is a demonstrator in The TOPICS! who is moving to California, and she sent me this thank-you note expressing her gratitude for including her in our fabulous group and for being such a good friend to her. She told me that when she moves, Stampin' Up! will continue to be a part of her daily life and the things I've shared with her, she will share with others in her future demonstrations. I cried when I read her note. You can tell that it comes directly from her heart and her words are so sincere. I will miss you, too, Robin, but we are just an e-mail or a phone call away, right? This card is now a favorite of mine and I wanted to share it with you! Robin, I hope you don't mind if I CASE this a hundred times! All products used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Recipe:

Card stock: Chocolate Chip - 8-1/2 X 5-1/2; Pretty in Pink - 8 X 5-1/4; Chocolate Chip scrap for squares; Whisper White scrap for squares
Stamps: Simply Said
Inks: Chocolate Chip
Miscellaneous: SNAIL Adhesive; 1-3/8" Square Punch; 1-1/4" Square Punch; sponge; Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain Ribbon; Pretty in Pink Marker; Stampin' Pastels

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Berry Bliss Candy Bar Cover


Okay, chocolate bars covered with paper have been around for a long time, but they DO make a quick, easy, and greatly appreciated teacher gift for this time of year! I also think it's a perfect gift for your bus driver, thanking her for getting your kids home safe and sound all year long! After all, who doesn't love getting chocolate, right? I took Stampin' Up!'s Berry Bliss Designer Paper and wrapped it around a Hershey bar. I then tied our Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain Ribbon around it and tied a knot! For the tag, I used Purely Pomegranate card stock and Whisper White card stock. For the greeting, I used Chocolate Chip Craft ink and then sprinkled Clear Embossing Powder on it so it would be shiny and pretty! The stamp set is "Sweet Sampler." Remember, even though the gift is inexpensive - it's ALL in the presentation! This chocolate bar looks so rich and luscious and I really want to eat it, but I don't dare mess up the beautiful paper! HELP! All products shown and used are from Stampin' Up!, except of course the Hershey bar!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Coaster Mini Album




These little coaster albums are so much fun to make - and super easy, too! I made these as thank-you gifts for the gals who came to my daughter's birthday party! I took two 4 X 4 coasters and covered the outsides with our designer paper (sorry, this particular pattern is retired, but you can choose something else really cute) and I covered the insides with matching card stock. I rounded the edges with scissors and punched two 1/8" holes in the sides so I could slide a binder ring in there to hold the Whisper White pages inside together! My books have five pieces of Whisper White card stock on the inside. I tied grosgrain ribbon to the binder rings for added pizzazz and then placed a piece of our Hodgepodge Hardware on the side with a brad to make it easy to open the book! The flowers on the tops are chipboard pieces! I used the "Lovely Letters" alphabet set for two of the books and a retired alphabet side for the other book! I made a little pocket on the inside cover and slid a Marble Slab gift card in there. A matching pen was included for each book - and the girls went crazy over these! I measured the barrel of the pen for the length, cut a piece of Designer Paper to accommodate it, and then rolled it into a tiny little cylinder that could fit into the pen! You can use these little books for photo albums or also for autograph books! The girls loved signing their names and leaving messages inside for each other! All products shown and used are from Stampin' Up! The coasters came from American Coaster Company!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Flower Fusion Card




I cased this card from Splitcoast because I wanted to show you how fun the "Flower Fusion" tin can be! I used the "Bali Breeze" Designer Paper on the bottom, dotted the center of the flowers with the Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen, and then used silver brads to build these felt flowers! I used mini glue dots to adhere them to the card stock! If you're into texture, you'll love what you can do with these flowers - and the tin is only $14.95! You get lots of flowers, as you can see from the picture, so you'll have lots of fun with Flower Fusion! All products used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

May Day Basket Tutorial


This is an idea I got during a "midnight share" on the Bermuda cruise trip! Demonstrators meet at midnight in one of the dining rooms to share their ideas! Even though I go to bed at 9:00 p.m., I'll set my alarm so I don't miss the "share" - it's too good to miss! One of the demonstrators who shared showed us how to make this little basket. I've used the "Spring Fling" Designer Paper. Four pieces are cut measuring 6 X 3/4" for the basket bottom; 1 coordinating piece is cut measuring 6-1/2 X 3/4" for the basket rim; and one coordinating piece is cut measuring 6-1/4 X 1/2" for the basket handle! For the basket instructions, you can view the tutorial below! I can't wait to try this as a Halloween basket - my favorite stamping occasion! All products used and shown are from Stampin' Up! Videographer: My daughter Haley


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Strawberry Box




Oh, I could eat this with a spoon. This is one of my most favorite things - EVER! There is a long story behind this little box - that I won't go into - but it is near and dear to me! You can find this pattern on Splitcoaststampers under "boxes." We rolled the strawberry with the "Lots of Dots" jumbo wheel (Occasions Mini Catalog), so it resembled seeds. We thread linen thread through 1/16" holes at the top of the strawberry, dropped a chocolate kiss inside, and closed it up! We used the 5-Petal Flower Punch for the stem at the top - and we embellished that Old Olive card stock with a swirl from the "Priceless" stamp set! A little tag that says "thanks a bunch" from the "One Smart Cookie" stamp set (Occasions Mini Catalog) was placed at the top - and man, it looks just like a beautiful strawberry! I love strawberries! All products used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Mini Envelope Card




Wow! The possibilities for this are endless! This is called a "mini envelope card." You cut off the flap of a 3 X 3 envelope (yes, we sell those!) to make a little pouch. The "Summer Picnic" Designer Paper is 3-1/8 X 2; the Real Red card stock is 3 X 3; and the Whisper White card stock is 2-3/4 X 2-3/4. The "Boho Blossoms" punch was used for the embellishment, along with a gold brad! I used the "Family Phrases," "Family Accessories," and the "All in the Family" stamp sets for this card! The Real Red wide grosgrain is 13" long. I would love to put "Let's celebrate" on the outside and have the pull-out part be a party invitation with "What, Who, When, and Why" on the inside! Wouldn't that be cute? The second photo is one of the make-n-takes we did on the Bermuda cruise using a new stamp set called "Owl Together Now" that will be available in the new catalog! All products used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Drink Bibs


This is a great summertime project - a perfect party favor! I used the "Summer Picnic" Designer Paper, Real Red card stock, and Pumpkin Pie card stock! The Real Red and Pumpkin Pie card stock is 5 X 3 and scored at 2". The "Summer Picnic" paper is 3 X 2-1/2 and scored at 1/2". The other piece of "Summer Picnic" paper is 3 X 2 - and that goes at the top of the bib where the hole is for the neck of the bottle! Place a piece of Sticky Strip at the score line to make sure the Crystal Light packet and straw won't fall out. The pouch is held in place by two red brads. I used other red brads just for embellishment! This is a great "punch" project - no pun intended - because you use the scallop punch, the 1-3/8" circle punch, the 1-1/4" circle punch, and the Photo Corners punch . I used the 1-3/8" circle punch for the neck of the bottle! Of course I used the "Tart and Tangy" stamp set for this project, as well as the "for you" from the "All Holidays" stamp set! The punched-out fruit piece is pop-dotted so it stands out! I also placed a 4" piece of our Pumpkin Pie Striped Grosgrain ribbon around the cap of the bottle, as well as a 1-1/2" piece of the same ribbon as an embellishment behind the fruit! This project is a keeper! All products shown and used are from Stampin' Up, except of course the water bottles, which are Ozarka, and the Crystal Light Drink Mixes!

Graduation Card


I love this card! I like the masculine feel to it! This was a hit at Camp Wannastamp - several people wanted to make multiples! It uses the "Great Grads," "Sanded Background," and "En Francaise" stamp sets. The Night of Navy card stock is 8-1/2 X 5-1/2; Old Olive - 4 X 2; Mellow Moss - 3 X 2-1/4; Bordering Blue - 3 X 1-1/2; Night of Navy - 4 X 2; Whisper White - 3-3/4 X 1-3/4. We also put a 5-1/4 X 4 Whisper White piece on the inside so people can see what you write! We used an Old Olive marker and a Night of Navy marker for "grad" and then placed a 1 -1/2" piece of Night of Navy Grosgrain ribbon underneath the "grad" panel as a cute embellishment. The panel is pop-dotted on the card so it stands out! The eyelets are Night of Navy! Gotta love it! All products used and shown are from Stampin' Up!

Checkbook Cover


We make a checkbook cover every year in the spring, and this is the one we made this year at Camp Wannastamp! It uses the "Friendly Flowers" stamp set that you can find in the Occasions Mini Catalog, as well as the "Little Pieces" stamp set to fill in the empty spaces! I used Pumpkin Pie, Purely Pomegranate, and Old Olive inks and stamped a collage on my Whisper White card stock! The Pumpkin Pie piece is 6-1/2 X 6; the Whisper White card stock is 6 X 2. I get my checkbook covers from American Kelco - they are extremely reliable and fast in getting them to me! You can order from them online. My Purely Pomegranate Double-Stitched Grosgrain is 7" long and I used the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware Kit flower for the embellishment! LOVE IT! The verse at the bottom comes from "Full of Life" in the Occasions Mini Catalog! I'm proud, once again, to pull out my checkbook and write checks! All products used and shown are from Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted!

Gift Card Holder (Word Window Punch) Tutorial


Oh, this was a favorite at my Camp Wannastamp! I got this idea from Natalie Travis on the Bermuda cruise as part of a WOW! swap I was in! The recipe and the tutorial are below! All supplies shown and used are from Stampin' Up! Videographer: My son Hunter

Recipe:

Card Stock: Always Artichoke - 11 X 4-1/4; score at 3", 5-1/2" and 8"; Elegant Eggplant - 3-1/2 X 2-1/2; Mellow Moss - 3 X 2; Whisper White - 2-3/4 X 1-3/4; Whisper White scrap
Stamps: Friendly Flowers; Phrases for a Friend; Lots of Dots Jumbo Wheel
Inks: Always Artichoke Ink Cartridge; Always Artichoke; Basic Black; Elegant Eggplant; Mellow Moss
Misc.: Sticky Strip; Stamp-a-ma-jig; Word Window Punch; 3/4" Circle Punch; SNAIL Adhesive; Stampin' Dimensionals; 1" Circle Punch; Paper Piercer with Mat; Black Brad; Black Grosgrain Ribbon - 16"; Scissors

Origami Box Tutorial


Here is the origami box we made at the "A Little Bit of Everything" Camp Wannastamp! It is using the "Le Jardin" Designer Series paper, the "Lovely Letters" alphabet stamp set and the "Carte Postale" stamp set! What's cool about this box is that you can change the size of the box to anything you want as long as your top measurement is 1/2" larger than the bottom! If you're interested in learning how to make this box, view the tutorial below! Enjoy! All products used and shown are from Stampin' Up! Videographer: My daughter Haley

I'm giving this a try!

This "blogging" stuff is all new to me, but I'm going to give it a try! I think it will be fun to post tutorials on my blog to help my customers and my downline with project ideas! Bear with me as I work my way through all of this! I'm posting tutorials for some of the projects we just made at my "A Little Bit of Everything" Camp Wannastamp! There was a great turnout and we had lots of fun. If you couldn't come, maybe you can watch the tutorials to see what we made! Wish me luck as I embark on this new adventure!