Thursday, April 29, 2010

Card Samples!

At my stamp camps, I've been putting samples out, and so many of you LOVE that and have asked me to, pretty please, post the samples! Here they are! No recipes are attached, they're just for your viewing pleasure! All of these cards were inspired by other demonstrators on Stampin' Connection! You know I'm the BEST at casing!

Fancy Flower Punch Rose Tutorial!

At my last stamp camp, we made a card featuring a rose that was made with the Fancy Flower Punch. Here are the steps to make that rose! You'll want to start by punching out three Fancy Flower Punches in any color of card stock that you prefer. I chose Melon Mambo.
In the picture above, I placed a pen mark directly in the center of each flower. That helps me when I'm cutting to not go beyond the center. On one flower, you'll cut directly to the center. On the second flower, you'll cut to the center and completely remove one petal. On the third flower, you'll cut to the center and completely remove two petals so that you'll end up with the pieces above.
I sponged around the edges with Soft Suede, which gives the flower some nice depth once you've put it all together. I then took my bone folder and gently worked the pieces by rubbing them over the bone folder, forwards and backwards, to break down the fibers in the card stock. This step is essential because it makes the paper much easier to bend and work with while you're forming your rose.
Take some Tombow adhesive and run a small glue line along the back of one side of the slits of each flower. You'll then move one petal completely over on top of the other petal and paper-clip them together until they dry. It doesn't take long. You'll end up with four petals, three petals, two petals, and then your extra little pieces.
Using your bone folder, gently curl the petals backwards to resemble a real petal. With the smallest piece, you'll curl the edges inward; for the next larger piece, you'll curl one petal to the side and you'll curl the other petal from the top down.
Taking the piece that has been curled sideways and downwards, gently roll the side that has been curled sideways around the piece that has been curled downward until it resembles the inside of a rose. Place Tombow adhesive where it needs to go to hold this piece together and hold it until it dries. During this time, you can be thinking about what you're going to cook for dinner!
Place glue on the inside of the smallest piece and place these two smallest pieces together. You'll need to hold it until it dries, but it doesn't take long. It looks best if you can gently curl the top part of the smallest piece backwards for fullness.
Snip off the bottom of the two-petal piece and place Tombow adhesive all around the inside. Then place your bud piece into the hole and position it where it looks best. You'll need to hold it in place until it dries.
Here's what I mean by snipping off the bottom and placing glue on the inside.
Then take the three-petal piece, snip off the bottom, and place Tombow adhesive all around the inside. Then place your bud piece into the hole and position it where it looks best. Hold it in place until it dries.
Then take the four-petal piece, snip off the bottom, and place Tombow adhesive all around the inside. Then place your bud piece into the hole, position it where it looks best, and hold it in place until it dries. Look what you end up with! I know you're smiling and happy now even though you have glue all over your fingers and you've probably said a few choice words while making this! You'll have to snip off the bottom of the rose to make it flatter so that you can adhere it to a card. I run a piece of Sticky Strip along the bottom of the rose and then I can stick it in place on my card.
Don't forget that you can take a piece of Old Olive card stock, fold it in half, and place it like this in your Large Oval Punch, leaving the fold where it won't get cut! When you open the punched-out piece, you've got a beautiful leaf. You can vary the size of the leaf by the size oval punch you use, too!
Now it was all worth it, right? A beautiful paper rose that looks real! Another awesome thing you can do with your rose is to very carefully place 2-way glue ONLY on the outer edges of the petals and then sprinkle Dazzling Diamonds on them. It will actually look like the morning dew - and then all is right with the world!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I'VE RECEIVED A BLOG SUNSHINE AWARD!

My friend Robin Merriman left a blog sunshine award on my blog! That means that she voted my blog to be one of her favorites! How sweet! So now it's my turn to give someone else a blog sunshine award! My blog sunshine award goes to my sister, whose blog is fabulous and ALWAYS makes me smile! She has so many cute things on her blog that I'd like to case and every time I look at her blog, it just makes me happy. Her blog address is www.sweetpeabunny.blogspot.com/. Check it out! My other blog sunshine award should go to one of my recruits and a demonstrator in The TOPICS!, Robin Owen, who has an amazing blog that I always love to look at. She inspires me with her projects and her love for stamping! Check it out - http://www.inkbug.blogspot.com/! You'll love it, too! Thanks, guys, for your inspiration and cute, cute ideas!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Flower Power Camp Wannastamp!

Oh, I'm gonna eat this up! When you use the Mini Milk Carton Die, you can make a birdhouse with it!! My friend Vicki Myford gave me this super-cute idea and I'm so appreciative! Another really cute thing to do with it is instead of putting candy on the inside, leave the acetate sheet off the window and place a faux tea light inside. It looks absolutely adorable! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!, with the exception of the candy and the mini binder clips! Recipe: Paper: Kraft - 7-1/2 X 5-1/2; Chocolate Chip - 4-1/4 X 2; Bashful Blue scrap; Old Olive scrap; Pretty in Pink scrap; Clear Acetate - 1-3/4 X 1-1/2 Stamps: Tiny Tags (P. 28 of the Occasions Mini Catalog) Inks: Bashful Blue; Chocolate Chip Marker Miscellaneous: Mini Milk Carton Die; Big Shot Machine; Perfect Details Texturz Plate; Scallop Edge Punch; Mini Binder Clips; Medium Jewelry Tag Punch; Kraft Taffeta Ribbon - 3" long; Scissors; Sticky Strip; 2-Way Glue Pen; 1-1/4" Circle Punch; Robin's Eggs; Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch; Mini Glue Dots; Stampin' Dimensionals; Stampin' Sponge; Trio Flower Punch

Flower Power Camp Wannastamp!

I got the idea to use our Designer Series Paper as tissue paper from Kimberly Van Diepen's blog and I just had to try it out! I love it and I'm hooked like a charm in lace, as my friend Robin Owen likes to say! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up! Recipe: Paper: Kraft - 12 X 5-1/2; Pretty in Pink - 3-3/4 X 3-3/4; Sending Love Designer Series Paper - 3 X 3; Sending Love Designer Series Paper - 12 X 1-1/2 (2) Inks: None Stamps: None (What? How can that be possible?) Miscellaneous: Fancy Favor Die; Big Shot Machine; Sticky Strip; Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon - 11-1/2" long; Scissors; Flower Folds Die; SNAIL Adhesive; Jumbo Grommets; Paper Piercer with Mat; Pretty in Pink Corduroy Buttons; Mini Glue Dots

Flower Power Camp Wannastamp!

The Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch is proving to be a good investment that I made! I'm lovin' all the flowers I can make with it! I got this idea from Stampin' Connection, a site dedicated to Stampin' Up! demonstrators. The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up! Recipe: Paper: Certainly Celery - 8-1/2 X 5-1/2; Pretty in Pink - 5-1/4 X 4; Whisper White - 5-1/4 X 4; Regal Rose scrap; Old Olive scrap; Whisper White scrap Stamps: Well-Scripted (P. 19 of the Occasions Mini Catalog) Inks: Basic Black Miscellaneous: SNAIL Adhesive; Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder; Top Note Die; Big Shot Machine; 5-Petal Flower Punch; Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch; Wide Oval Punch; Stampin' Dimensionals; Mini Glue Dots; Paper Piercer with Mat; Silver Brad; Button; Linen Thread - 1-1/2" long; Certainly Celery Satin Ribbon - 18-1/2" long; Scissors

Flower Power Camp Wannastamp!

I think this card is so pretty! I'm going to miss Barely Banana! It's such a soft, mellow color and I love using it for baby cards. Oh, well, guess I'll have to stock up on it before it's gone! The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up! Recipe: Paper: Barely Banana - 11 X 4-1/4; Whisper White - 5-1/4 X 4; Old Olive - 4-1/4 X 3/4; Whisper White - 4-1/4 X 1/2 Stamps: Abundant Hope (P. 24 of the Occasions Mini Catalog) Inks: Basic Black; Old Olive; So Saffron; Pumpkin Pie Miscellaneous: SNAIL Adhesive; Blender Pens; Stamp-a-ma-jig; 1-3/4" Circle Punch; Stampin' Sponge

Flower Power Camp Wannastamp!

The rose on this card was made using the Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch! I'm amazed that you can make a flower that looks so realistic with a punch! There's a learning curve to it, but once you practice several times, you'll get it down! I'll post some pictures later on this week to help you remember how it goes! I got this idea from Stampin' Connection, a site dedicated to Stampin' Up! demonstrators! All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up!, with the exception of the paper clips! Recipe: Paper: Soft Suede - 8-1/2 X 5-1/2; Soft Suede Designer Series Paper - 5-1/4 X 4; Very Vanilla - 4 X 2-3/4; Melon Mambo - 4-1/4 X 3; Old Olive - 2-1/2 X 2-1/4 (2); Melon Mambo - 8-1/2 X 2-1/2 Stamps: Well-Scripted (P. 19 of the Occasions Mini Catalog) Inks: Melon Mambo Miscellaneous: SNAIL Adhesive; Paper Piercer with Mat; Stamp-a-ma-jig; Little Leaves Sizzlits; Big Shot Machine; Stampin' Dimensionals; Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch; Stampin' Sponge; Paper Snips; Tombow Adhesive; Paper Clips; Bone Folder

Flower Power Camp Wannastamp!

When I first saw this card, it just grabbed me! I loved having it all be Bashful Blue, but I've come to realize that this card design is so nice that any color of flower would work with the matching ribbon and ink - and now I'll have to try it in pink! I got this idea from Stampin' Connection, a site dedicated to Stampin' Up! demonstrators. The recipe is below. All supplies used and shown are from Stampin' Up! Recipe: Paper: Whisper White - 11 X 4-1/4; Whisper White 5-1/4 X 4; Whisper White - 4-1/2 X 2-1/2; Whisper White - 4-1/4 X 2-1/4; Whisper White scrap Stamps: Awash with Flowers (this stamp set will appear in the new catalog to be released July 1st); Tiny Tags (Page 28 of the Occasions Mini Catalog) Inks: Basic Black; Bashful Blue; Certainly Celery Miscellaneous: Stampin' Dimensionals; Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder; Big Shot Machine; SNAIL Adhesive; Bashful Blue Satin Ribbon - 15" long; Scissors; Stamp-a-ma-jig; Jewelry Tag Punch; Paper Piercer with Mat; Linen Thread - 4" long

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Introducing Mr. Brown!

LOOK WHAT PAM SENT ME! Many Stampin' Up! demonstrators have friendly relationships with their UPS man because we see them so often! We call UPS delivery men "Mr. Brown" - after all, they drive around in a big brown truck and they're wearing brown! So here's a very cute Mr. Brown - all made with punches! Don't you just love him? I particularly like his skinny white legs sticking out of his shorts - he very much resembles my UPS man! I love this little fellow and will keep him around at all times! He makes me smile every time I look at him! THANKS, PAM! You ALWAYS send me the cutest stuff!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Easter Card from Pam!

Many of you know that my sister, Pam D'Urso, is a demonstrator in Florissant, Missouri! In fact, many of you met her when she came to one of my Halloween stamp camps several years ago - and then I recruited her! I'm so glad I did because look at the cute things she makes! This Easter card is from her! She used the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper and the Big Shot Buttons #5 die on this card. We're all familiar with the Well-Scripted sentiment! ISN'T IT CUTE? The little bunny ears are pieces from the Daisies #2 die! I JUST LOVE IT! Check out Pam's blog - http://www.sweetpeabunny.blogspot.com/ - to see other really cute things she's made! HAPPY EASTER!

Simply Adorned Charms!

When the Simply Adorned charms became available, I had lots of customers who purchased them! To help them build up their stock of charms, I offer a new one each month for them to make! In January, we did the "Love" charms; in February, we did the "God" charms; and in March, we did the Easter charms! They look so pretty when you place them behind the beveled glass! I made an extra "Life" one and just loved used the pinking hearts punch with it! My favorite size is the 1 X 1, but I've also got the 1-1/4 X 1 charm. If you haven't purchased one yet, YOU NEED TO! They are fun to play with! I've even used the polka-dot ribbon sometimes for the chain!