Out of Commission

Well, it happened. My computer is in the hospital. It wouldn't wake up (boot up) yesterday morning so I immediately took it in as soon as the service place opened. I don't know anything yet. : (

All my photos and photo editing software are on that computer so I may be MIA for a few days or unless I can figure something else out. In the meantime I'll be using my laptop to read email online, etc. so you can still email and I will read and respond if you need me to. I also hope to get some more stamping done! : )

Happy Thursday to you! Thanks for dropping by! You are always appreciated!
Margaret

Holiday Treasures Tag Booklet -- TSSC #44

Here's my project for Technostamper's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #44! I wasn't able to get it done this weekend and when I did get started, it took me a little longer because I was learning how to use my Bind-It-All machine for the first time. What a cool tool!

The first time I saw the sketch I knew I wanted to make a little booklet with for this sketch. I have had this Sizzix Super Scallop Tag die for several years and knew it would be just the ticket for this project and now I could use my Big Shot die cutting machine! Yay!

The tag die is approximately 4 1/2" x 3 1/4". I cut two pieces from a stiff heavy large mailing envelope (recycled) to just a little larger than that, covered the outside with the Designer Paper and the inside of each with Kiwi Kiss cardstock and ran these through the Big Shot with the tag die. This makes a really firm cover! I then cut eight pages to go on the inside out of white cardstock. I used the reindeer design from the Deer Friends set for the front and embellished it with Chocolate Chip swirls cut with the Swirl Scribbles Sizzlet die in the Big Shot. The dots were added with the Signo White Gel Pen.

The holes in the tip of the cover were cut as part of the die so I finished them with the Jumbo Eyelets using the Crop-A-Dile. The entire booklet was then bound with the 1/2" wires in the Bind-It-All machine. A tie of Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon holds it closed.

Here is Mary Jo's original sketch for us:

Stamps: Deer Friends (Level I Hostess set)
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red
Paper: Holiday Treasures DSP; Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White cardstock; miscellaneous heavy paperboard for base
Accessories: Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, SU Glue Stick, Jumbo Antique Brass Eyelets, Dimensionals, Signo Gel Pen
Tools: Big Shot, Crop-A-Dile, Bind-It-All, Sizzlits Swirls Scribbles die, Sizzix Super Scallop Tag die, Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, 1/4", 1/2", 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches

I really enjoyed making this; I hope you enjoy it too!

Happy Tuesday! Have fun stampin'!

Margaret

Christmas Season of Friendship

Another Season of Friendship card (but obviously not the summer season, which is still to come)! This is one of the Make and Takes for a workshop I did this past week; the ladies all liked it! It was pretty fast and easy yet striking. The use of a some wonderful tools like the Big Shot, Top Note die and Curly Label Punch make it so!

The white frame is left after die-cutting the Top Note Bigz Die, but in this case, that is the part I intended to use so I still have all the large die cuts to use in another project. : ) I marked the edges on my die with tape so it was simple to repeat the process of accurately cutting enough white "frames" for my workshop guests. Next the tree trunk is stamped in Close to Cocoa on the Baja Breeze card. Brush over this with the Embossing Buddy to keep the embossing powder from sticking to the card then stamp the White Craft snowflakes around. Emboss with a mixture of White and Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. The Iridescent Ice give those lil' snowflakes some sparkles!

Now adhere the white frame centered on your cardstock. The bird is stamped, cut out and adhered with a trimmed-down Dimensional to the tree limb and a simple knot of the Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon held with a Mini Glue Dot embraces the tree. The greeting was stamped in red and punched out with the coordinating punch! I love these punches that coordinate with stamps...they save so much time and tedious-ness (is that a word?) cutting things out (which is not my greatest enjoyment, lol!) Way to go, Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Season of Friendship, Cute and Curly (label bundle)

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Close to Cocoa Classic Ink; White Craft Ink

Paper: Baja Breeze, Whisper White

Accessories: Paper Snips, Dimensionals, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Curly Label Punch (bundle), Embossing Buddy, White embossing powder, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, Heat Tool, Mini Glue Dots.

We have had our first major cold front sweep down the plains and arrive here today! Brr-rr, it's cold outside! Of course I know it is much colder in the states and Canada north of here but I'm still not ready for it. We have had such a plesant extended fall here that I'm really spoiled! lol! Stay warm, everyone!

Happy Saturday! Hope you have some fun stampin' this weekend!

Margaret

To You and Yours - Ski Slope

Instead of the Summer edition of Season of Friendship (which I haven't had time to make yet), today I'm posting a sample I made this week of To Your and Yours. I haven't forgotten and will post the summer version of SOF as soon as I can get it made!

This Ski Slope Designer Series Paper is just gorgeous! First off the designs are so pretty as are the color schemes in the papers of Baja Breeze, Real Red, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive! The paper I used for today's card uses Baja Breeze, red and white only; I think I'm hooked on that color scheme lately! lol!

For the focal image, I cut a 2 3/4" x 4" rectangle of Whisper White and punched the edges with the Scallop Edge punch which makes a pretty frame. I stamped the cabin scene from To You and Yours then added color to the windows and door.

The card itself is Baja Breeze layered with Real Red then the beautiful swirly snowflakes DSP from the Ski Slope package. I cut a width of the DSP stripe and threaded it horizontally through the scalloped frame of the cabin image and adhered it to the DSP. For the finishing touch, I added a red felt snowflake from the Little Felt Flurries assortment (#113697, p. 18, $13.95) found in the Holiday Mini DSP. You get a huge amount of these snowflakes in white, red and baja breeze and they add such a fun and dimensional touch to your projects!!

Stamps: To You and Yours, Snow Swirled Christmas (snowflake)
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze; Real Red and Barely Banana SU Markers
Paper: Ski Slope DSP; Baja Breeze, Real Red, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Little Flurries felt snowflake. Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Two Way Glue Pen, Blender Pen

Happy Friday! Hope you enjoyed my card... I think some portions of the country are getting some snow today! Brr-rr!

Thanks for visiting today! Have fun stampin'!
Margaret

Season of Friendship - Winter

As promised yesterday, here is my card for the winter season using the Season of Friendship set (#111776, set of 6) from the Holiday Mini Catalog. This mini catty is just chock full of great stamps and exciting products for the holiday season through Valentine's Day! I sure hope you have your copy of it! If not, contact your Stampin' Up! Demonstrator to get one ASAP! : ) You may also see it online by clicking on the small picture of the Holiday Mini in the left sidebar of my blog.


Baja Breeze and White with accents of Not Quite Navy form the color scheme for this winter scene. The background was made with the Snow Jumbo Wheel (love this!) in Baja Breeze. The tree was stamped with Not Quite Navy. Some Baja Breeze snowflakes were stamped then the same ink was added to the background. White snowflakes are embossed with white embossing powder. A piece of torn white cardstock goes across the bottom of the tree to resemble snow.

The sentiment is stamped with the Cute and Curly Bundle stamp in Not Quite Navy and Baja Breeze inks, punched out, then stamped again in Real Red and the center oval portion cut out and layered on the first. A red bird perches on a tree branch, repeating the red in the ribbon and sentiment to tie it all together.

Stamps: Season of Friendship, Cute and Curly Bundle
Inks: Baja Breeze, Real Red, Not Quite Navy Classic Pads; White Craft Pad
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Accessories: Photo Corner Punch, Curly Label punch (from Cute and Curly Bundle), Red Gingham Ribbon, Dimensionals, White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Sponge Dauber

I'm really enjoying this set and hope you like the cards. What a fun stylized tree with accessory stamps that can be used for any season and for many occasions depending on the sentiment you add to it.

Next is summer!

Have fun stampin'!
Margaret

TSSC 43 Season of Friendship, Spring

It's Monday and time again for the Technostamper Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge!

Today's sketch is:

What a great sketch! Very versatile and useful!

I turned the sketch to a vertical orientation because I'm using my Season of Friendship set. My goal is to make a card for each season of the year using this set. Today I used the Parisian Summer Designer Series Paper and the color scheme of burgundy, pink, sand and saffron that it presents. Now I will have to say that my card looks more like spring than summer, what with the flowers, so I'm calling it spring, lol! (Artistic license? lol!)

Stamps: Season of Friendship
Inks: Sahara Sand, Pink Pirouette, Bravo Burgundy, So Saffron pads; Bravo Burgundy Marker
Paper: Parisian Summer DSP; Sahara Sand, Bravo Burgundy, So Saffron, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories: Trio Flower punch, Photo Corner punch, 1/8" circle punch, Mat Pack template, Dimensionals, Signo White Gel Pen

Join in by using this sketch to make a card yourself and post a link here or on Technostamper's blog here. Be sure to check out the other players today and this week also!

Thanks for visiting today. Hope you enjoy! Tomorrow I'll post my Winter card!
Have fun stampin'!

Margaret

Big Shot Baby Boy Bib in Blue

Can you say that fast six times? lol! Since I've already made a couple for girls, I just had to make one of these fun baby bib cards for a boy! They are so easy and cute!

Bashful Blue cardstock forms the base. I folded it in half, placed the fold about 1 1/4" below the top of the scallop and ran it through my Big Shot with the large Scallop Die so it would remain uncut at the top. I covered the front with a Bashful Blue argyle print paper scallop cut with the same die from the Prints Pack (Hostess Level 1 from the Spring/Summer catalog). Just perfect for a sweet baby boy!

I made dots with my Signo Gel Pen around the scallops and neck and put the Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, knotted at each end, around the neck. The ribbon is attached with Mini Glue Dots. Check my previous bibs posted here to find the directions and a video by Christie Daugherty.

The little sailboat from Nursery Necessities is the focal image. The stamp was colored with markers then stamped. The oval shape was cut with the Coluzzle Cutting System oval template then layered on Brocade Blue cardstock and trimmed to match the white layer with my Paper Snips. (These are wonderful detail paper cutters!! So sharp and cut so easily!) The little star is from the Starstruck set and is adhered with a Dimensional.

Stamps: Nursery Necessities, Starstruck

Inks: Real Red, Brocade Blue, Bordering Blue Stampin' Write Markers

Paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Brocade Blue cardstock; Bashful Blue argyle from Prints Pack (Spring/Summer Hostess Level 1 set; Bashful Blue Patterns DSP from Fall/Winter Catalog would substitute perfectly)

Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop Die, Signo White Gel Pen, Coluzzle Cutting System, Paper Snips, Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Glue Stick

I love making these! They are so easy and fun and would be just perfect for baby announcements, new baby congratulations or gift enclosure cards!

Happy Friday! Have fun stampin'!

Margaret

Season of Friendship - Fall

I finally got to put ink on my Season of Friendship set today! I've seen so many attractive cards and projects with it but I've just had other things to do. I believe this set is going to be so versatile because a stamp is included for each season of the year! How cool! It's found in the Holiday Mini Catalog on page 6, #111776, set of 6, $23.95. Also from the mini catalog is the Autumn Vine Designer Series Paper which coordinates with this set and has this glorious fall color scheme!
On a chocolate card overlaid with mustard I put a strip of Autumn Vine DSP. The tree was stamped in chocolate with leaves coordinating with the DSP. Several additional leaves were stamped, cut out then applied with Dimensionals for height. There is the cutest little bird in this set; he was stamped in chocolate (stamped off once), cut out and placed on a branch. Sage Shadow grosgrain accents this layer. The sentiment is from Best Yet, a hostess set in the Fall/Winter Catalog, which is free with a $150. order or party. (I love this set; it has six wonderful sentiments!) It was stamped in chocolate, punched out then layered on a rust scallop square.

Stamps: Season of Friendship, Best Yet (#111604, pg. 18, Hostess Level 1, free)
Inks: More Mustard, Really Rust, Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip
Papers: Autumn Vine Designer Series Paper; More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Really Rust and Whisper White card stock
Accessories: Sage Shadow 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Square Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Paper Snips, Dimensionals

Hope you enjoy! Have fun stampin'!
Margaret

Life is Good

Have you tried any of the Decor Elements yet? They are so easy to use it's amazing! I'm in the process of making another Decor Element project (not on a wall) right now but wanted to show you one that I have done recently. I applied this one over a little shelf in the hall bath. The lighting isn't the best for photos there so please overlook that. : ) I was somewhat apprehensive before starting the application but I had no problems and was happily surprised how easy it was to do!

This one, Life is Good, comes in either Chocolate or White, and in two sizes. I chose the smaller size, 6" x 13" for my space. It is part of the Phase I introduction of Decor Elements with Phase II being introduced at Convention and now available for order. Phase II added more variety of designs as well a quite a number of colors too! There are now designs for nursery or childrens' rooms and holiday decorating as well. The holiday decor can be applied to surfaces such as boards or canvas so they can be taken down and saved after the holidays. 

Decor Elements can be used on a wide variety of surfaces; my walls have some texture on them and yet it applied beautifully, making me happy! Another great feature is that when you wish to change decor, you just peel these off! This does not in any way harm your paint or walls either! Perfect!

Happy Tuesday and have fun stampin'!
Margaret

updated:  Decor Elements are no longer available from Stampin' Up!

Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit

Create a warm and inviting Christmas home for your family and friends with Stampin' Up!'s Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit. This kit has everything you need to enjoy creating beautiful handcrafted ornaments and great memories to last a lifetime.

The Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit includes the following products:

• Holiday Collection stamp set (six stamps)
• Four 12" x 12" sheets of die-cut chipboard
• Eight 12" x 12" sheets of die-cut Designer Series paper (2 ea. of 4 double-sided designs)
• Four 12" x 12" sheets of Designer Series paper (2 ea. of 2 double-sided designs)
• Two 12" x 12" sheets of Whisper White card stock
• 25 yds. Silver Metallic cord
• 10 yds. 3/8" Whisper White taffeta ribbon
• Pretties Kit brads (20)
• Stampin' Dimensionals
• Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter (1/2 oz.)
• Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive
• Riding Hood Red Classic Stampin' Spot
• Old Olive Craft Stampin' Spot
• Uninked Stampin' Spot
• Whisper White Craft Ink refill

You may order the Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit (#114447, $49.95) online here. Just click on "Shop Now" in the upper right-hand corner, use your credit card and it will be shipped directly to you via UPS.

Please feel free to email me with any questions here. Thanks!

Margaret

TSSC 42 Frosty Day Snowflakes

Happy Monday! Time for Technostamper's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge, #42 already! Todays sketch is a fun and unusual one! Here it is:

I was drawn to use the new Frosty Day Designer Series Paper from the fabulous Holiday Mini Catalog; this mini has SO many new and cool products to use in stamping and scrapping, home decorating and crafting! The colors in this DSP are Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White and some of the papers also have Bashful Blue in them. These papers can be used not only for Christmas holidays but also throughout the winter, and the designs are all new!

I recently received the Snowflakes Set #2 Sizzix Dies for the Big Shot (#113449, set of 4 dies, $19.95) and have been looking for an excuse to use them, lol! I die cut them out of Whisper White and adhered one to the Close to Cocoa tag shape with a 2 Way Glue Pen as well as a green Rhinestone Ice Circle brad. Below that I stamped the "Merry & Bright" (from the To You and Yours set) in White Craft ink and embossed it in white embossing powder. The tag shape was then layered on Kiwi Kiss cardstock and adhered with Dimensionals for some lift. I "fudged" a little in that my tag is larger than the one in the sketch so it would accommodate the snowflake, but hey, we stampers are all about individual creativity aren't we? lol!

Stamps: To You and Yours
Inks: White Craft
Papers: Frosty Day DSP; Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss and Close to Cocoa card stock
Accessories: Snowflakes set #2 Sizzix dies, 2 Way Glue Pen, Tag Corner Punch, Rhinestone Ice Circle brad, White embossing powder, Paper Snips, Sponge Dauber, Dimensionals

All products are from Stampin' Up! and can be ordered from your Stampin' Up! Demonstrator or if you don't have one, from me or my Stampin' Up! website.

You can check out Mary Jo's card at http://technostamper.blogspot.com/ and also see the list of other players. Try the sketch yourself and post a link to your card either in the Comments section for this post or Mary Jo's post!

Feel free to leave a comment on any post; I appreciate them and read them all! Thank you!

Thanks for visiting! Have fun stampin' today!
Margaret