'Tis the Season... to get stampin' and become a demo!

Wow, have I been negligent with my blog or what?!  Sorry about that!   To make it up to you, how about I share the projects we made at my recent Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack classes?  Here you go:

I hope these cards inspire you to get started on your own Christmas cards, if you haven't started working on them already.  If you have any questions or would like more details about any of the cards, feel free to ask... either comment on my blog (ALWAYS APPRECIATED) or email me at: bbstampin at yahoo dot com. 

In case you haven't already heard, there's an awesome demonstrator starter kit promotion going on right now (Nov 15-30)--50% off the regular starter kit price!  That's only $87.50 for over $310 worth of stampin' and business supplies!  That is such a great deal, I wish I could sign up again to take advantage of it!  Check out what you get with the Digital+ Starter Kit... just the My Digital Studio software retails for $79.95.  So, for another $7.55 you will also receive 2 wood-mounted stamp sets, a clear-mount stamp set, 2 packs of card stock, 4 Classic ink pads, 2 markers, buttons, ribbon, dimensionals, Stampin' Scrub and Mist, Glue Dots, Snail... SEE WHAT I MEAN?!!!  Here's the flyer:

Or click HERE to go directly to my website for additional details.  If you're ready to take the plunge or have any questions, be sure to contact me before this awesome deal ends on November 30!  Just so you know, signing up is super simple and can be done right on my website!  All you need is my special password to get started!  Call or email me!  My phone number is on my website.

Happy Stampin!

Brenda

Pretty Packages... well, how about a decorated Tin?!

In thinking about what I should blog about next, I thought, Hey, I haven't shared the projects we made at my Pretty Packages class! Oh, and I have that tin that I decorated to put a gift in for my hubby. Well... somehow, I made 3 of each of the projects (9 total) for the class (one as a sample and one at each of the 2 classes as I demoed the steps)... but didn't manage to take a picture of any of them before I mailed them off with presents inside! Luckily, I did remember to take a picture of the tin. So here you go:

Here's a close-up angled picture so you can see the poinsettia. You may recall I used this same flower on a tag, but in case you missed it... it's made by layering several of the 5-Petal Flowers punched out, rotating each one slightly. For this one, I decided to use 3 old olive brads in the middle.

The belly band is simply wrapped around the tin loosely. That way, it will just slide off when my hubby opens it on Christmas morning.

I think I may have one of the boxes from my class around here somewhere. If I can find it and get a good picture of it, I'll share it with you.

Happy Stampin!

Holiday Tags Class Projects

Take a look at the tags we made at my Holiday Tags Class last week:


Here's a close up look at the different tags we made.

This first group of tags are not my original design. They were a make-n-take at Stampin' Up!'s Convention this year. The tags were cut out using the Two Tags Biz Die & Big Shot. The scallop circle punch coordinates perfectly with the scallops on one of the tags. That is one of the reasons why I LOVE using Stampin' Up!'s products--coordinating colors, shapes, images, etc. could not be easier!

Stamp Sets: Tree Trimmings & Sweet Seasons

Here's a super simple tag. We used the marker to stamp technique to highlight the poinsettia.

Stamp Set: Holiday Punch (Hostess Set)


This is another super simple tag that is stamped in White Craft Ink and heat embossed with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder.

Stamp Sets: Snow Swirled & Holiday Punch

These next tags were a hit with the ladies who came to my classes.

They are made with 3" circles (cut out with the Circle Scissor Plus). The top of the ornaments are Round Tab Punches. The snowflakes are stamped in Frost White Shimmery Paint and some additional shimmery paint is sponged on around the edges.

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And the final tag:

The poinsettia flower is made using three 5-Petal Flower punches (2 in Ruby Red & 1 in Old Olive). They are rotated slightly and then held together by a 5/16" Jumbo Brad.

Consider making your own holiday tags--even the most simple handmade tags will brighten any package. This would be a great project to use up some of your scraps leftover from other projects. Cut 2" x 2 1/2" pieces of card stock, punch the corners with the tag corner punch, decorate with your favorite stamped images and you have an instant tag!

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The next class I have coming up is Give Thanks Card Class on November 20, 10am-noon. We can never have too many thank you cards in our greeting cards stash. If your stash is running low, give me a call and sign up for my class! Check the events calendar on my official Stampin' Up! website for my complete class schedule.

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Happy Stampin!
Brenda

Is it really November already???

Oh my! How time flies! Did y'all miss me? :) I did not intend on ignoring my blog for so long. I guess it's the same old excuse... life got away with me. I do have some projects to share with you. We made these at my Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack class last week:

Stamp Sets: Pattern Pines (hostess) & Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories: Top Note Bigz Die, Big Shot, Modern Label Punch, 1/16" circle punch, Silver Encore Ink, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Heat Tool & Silver Elastic Cord



Stamp Sets: Holiday Best (Hostess) & Baroque Motif
Accessories: Scallop Edge, Wide Oval, Scallop Oval & Double Rectangle Punches; Sanding Block; Sleigh Bells Ribbon (Holiday Mini); Texturz Plate; Big Shot & Stampin' Write Markers.


This last card was inspired by a make-n-take project we did at the Stampin' Up! Convention last summer.

Stamp Sets: Tree Trimmings & Sweet Season
Accessories: Silver Brad, Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon & Merry Moments Designer Series Paper.

I didn't have the same ribbon we used for our make-n-take, so I changed it up for some Designer Series Paper and narrower ribbon. I also used a silver brad, instead of the rhinestone brad we used on the original project. These are simple changes you could make to any project you see in a magazine, the Idea Book & Catalog or online that you'd like to use as inspiration. The same goes with stamps. For the ornament card, you could easily use another style of ornament stamp. Or how about just punching a couple circles or ovals out of holiday colored papers to use as ornaments? You could also use real string or simply draw a string. The possibilities are endless!

Check out the holiday themed classes I have coming up at the events calendar on my Stampin' Up! website.

Happy Stampin!

More from the Riverton Campus (Legacy Room): Day 1 cont.

As promised, I'm back with more from my trip to Utah.

Stampin' Up!'s Legacy Room is not a single "room", it's actually a collection of several rooms that is a wonderful museum of the company's history along with wonderful room displays that any crafter and non-crafter alike would LOVE to have in their home. Here are a few of my favorites:

I bet you can guess why this is tops on my list. (hint: yarn & knitting needles)


How cool is this border?!

That's are Decor Elements!

This Advent Calendar would be a wonderful family project that could be used for many years to come:


What kid (or mom) wouldn't love to have a room like this?

I know Amy would!

Happy Stampin!

Get Ready for the New Year: Make A Calendar

Here's a calendar I made for my sister:

This was one of those last minute projects that I added to my to-do list and was able to complete in about a 3 hour span of time. I somehow forgot to take a picture of November (hopefully I didn't forget to make November). ;)

I used the Create-a-Calendar kit from the Holiday Mini catalog by trimming the calendar section to a 4" square and using the designer paper side of the leftover pieces to decorate the pages. The pages are 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 (half of a regular piece of cardstock). The pictures are wallet sized prints (2x3). I left some of the pages blank so my sister could add her own pictures.

Once I completed all of the pages and covered a piece of chipboard with cardstock for the base, I used the Crop-A-Dile to punch holes for the binder clips (being sure to line them all up). Because the pages had several layers, I punch the holes on each page separately. For re-enforcement of the holes on the base (chipboard), I attached jumbo eyelets.

You can't see the very top of the calendar, but I created a hole for hanging in the center of the chipboard base. Measuring carefully, I marked a 1/2" line in the center so I could punch a series of smaller holes along the line to create an oblong hole. Then I punched a large hole in the top center, so the calendar would hang straight--just like you find on a lot of hanging packages from a store.

Happy Stampin!

Brenda

Perfectly Pretty Pillow Box Packaging

For those small gifts (candy, chapstick, earrings, necklace, etc.) this little pillow box makes the perfect packaging!

The card stock for the pillow box is cut out using a die in the Big Shot diecut machine--which cuts and scores the card stock perfectly every time. The inside of the box measures about 2" x 2-3/4" with the thickest part being about 1/2". The belly band is just a strip of card stock and designer paper wrapped around the box and secured. I made the flower out of two Ruby Red 5-petal flowers. I also punch a flower out of Kiwi Kiss card stock and cut two of the petals out for leaves. To add dimension, the edges of the flower parts are sponged in the same color as the card stock. The flower center is a half bead from the Pretties Kit.

I can't tell you what's inside of this pretty little box, but I do want to tell you that I cut a 2" x 2-3/4" piece of card stock, punched 1/16" holes evenly spaced to hold the contents and slid it inside... perfectly packaged in this pretty little pillow box! Go ahead, say that 5 times fast... :)

Happy Stampin!

Chipboard Picture Frame

I'd like to share another gift I made. This one is for my husband's grandma... Here's what she'll receive in the mail in the next few days:

You may recognize the wrapping paper and ribbon from last year's Holiday Mini... yes, I'm a hoarder. ;) The tag is made using the Fresh Cuts stamp set.

When she opens the package up, here's what she'll find:

Inside I've created a frame for my sons' school pictures:

I think this is a great way to create something extra special out of those little pictures.

The base of the frames are chipboard, layered with cardstock and Urban Garden DSP. The hinges are made using 2 strips of ribbon sandwiched in between the chipboard and outside layers of cardstock/paper. Here's a close-up:

The stamp sets I used are Inspired by Nature and Calendar Alphabets & Numbers.

To get the different colors on the floral image, I used the marker to stamp technique. Since the Baja Breeze color doesn't come in a marker, I use the edge of the ink pad to color the petals of the flowers before I colored the middle of the flowers with a Not Quite Navy marker. To get the textured look, I bounced the markers on the image to create a sort of pool of ink in those spots. Give it a try!

Happy Stampin!

Bag it and Tag it!

Here's a Bag-A-Lope we made at the Packages & Tags class:

What'a "bag-a-lope" you ask? It's a bag that you make out of an envelope by cutting off one end, scoring it on the other 3 sides (on this bag, we scored 3/4" in from each edge) and puffing it out into a bag. Click here for a basic tutorial.
Here's a close up of the tag. We used Little Felt Flurries & Filigree Brads.


And finally, a gift card tag made with Moose You (which is also retiring... sniff, sniff... I just LOVE this set!):

I got the idea for the layout of this card from my blogger friend Tracy.
And here's a close-up of Rudolph's nose:

Tip: to prevent the ends of the brad from catching on the gift card, I taped over them with a piece of scotch tape.


Thanks for looking! And, as always...

Happy Stampin!

Box It...

Like most people, I've been extremely busy preparing for the holidays, on top of regular life stuff. We're getting ready to go out of town for the weekend, but I wanted to share the projects we made at my Packages & Tags classes yesterday.

Here's the first one... a box:

Here's a close up of the tag--notice I used A Tree for all Seasons stamp set which has been around for a long time, but will be retiring at the end of the current catalog sales period.
If you happen to be searching to see this set in the catalog, you won't find it... it's on the dormant list. So to see the set, you'll need to go to the shopping page on my website and look it up.

Ornament Exchange & Gift Bag

I sure hope my friends at Stitch & Gab aren't reading my blog today. If you are and you don't want to see my ornament for our exchange, stop reading right now! :)
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I couldn't wait any longer to share the ornament and gift bag I made for our ornament swap that's coming up next week, so here here it is:

Here's a close-up of the tag:

The ornament is knit and felted. I used a pattern for a man's boot sock as a guide for the shaping of the sock--I cut the stitches from the pattern in half and got the perfect size for an ornament.

The gift bag is a Bag-A-Lope, where you tranform an envelope into a bag. If you are interested in learning how to do this technique, I have a class scheduled on Thursday, Dec. 11, called Packages & Tags where this will be one of the techniques I'll be teaching. Contact me to sign up!

Well, I can't promise this will be the last of my holiday gift postings. I've always had a difficult time with surprises... yes, I'll admit, I used to search the house for Santa's stash as a child. I've even been known to blurt out someone else's surprise (sorry, Sis!). It's not that I don't like surprises... I actually LOVE them! I just have a REALLY hard time knowing something really cool is coming and either not knowing everything about it or not sharing it with someone! I will try to keep my gift postings to projects I have made for my loved ones who I don't think check my blog. :)

Happy Stampin!

Reverse Masking, with a twist!

Are you looking for simple, single layer card ideas that are also eye catching? Using the reverse masking technique, you can do just that! With the very versatile stamp set Best Wishes & More (page 55, IB&C), I have created 2 cards using that technique, one with a twist. Here's the first one:

Here's how you do it:

1. Use post-it notes or paper with removable adhesive* to cover (mask) 3/4 - 1" in from each side of a white or neutral card front. Grid paper under your card helps you position the masking just right. You can also use a light pencil mark that can be erased later.
2. To create depth, use 2 ink pads that are different shades of the same color. (In the top card I used Kiwi Kiss & Old Olive. In the card below, I used Baja Breeze & Not Quite Navy.) Starting with the lighter color, sponge the entire inside exposed area. Then sponge the darker color around the edges of the masking and lightly in random areas in the middle.
3. While the edges are still masked, ink your stamp with the lighter color and stamp randomly. Then do the same thing with the darker color.
4. Now remove the masking and add a couple more stamped images in the white space as though they are falling onto and off of your card.
5. Stamp desired sentiment in the lower right corner.

VOILA! you've made a card out of one piece of card stock! You could add ribbon or other embellishments, but I don't think they need it.

Now for the twist, in the below card I added an extra technique--emboss resist. After I masked the edges, but before I sponged, I used the Versamark pad and clear embossing powder to heat emboss a couple of the snowflakes. The one challenge I found with this step is that the embossing powder wanted to stick to the masking layer. I used a brush to wipe away that extra powder prior to heat setting. Then just continue on with the above steps and you not only have snowflakes in 2 shades of blue, you also have some white ones that POP off the card!
*Since making these cards using post-it notes, I have been thinking about how the masking process could be done more simply (just in case this happens to be your Christmas card and you have to make a bunch of them). I had the idea to cut a piece of printer paper to the size of the card front, use a sliding blade type paper trimmer to cut the inner space out and attach that with removable adhesive. After a few uses, the ink would start to bleed through the paper (just as it would with post-it notes), so you may have to make several of these, but it would definitely make the masking step easier.

I have been working on making our family Christmas cards and have already completed 40 cards. Yesterday I finally went through our friends & family list and counted just how many cards we'll need... and was shocked to discover we'll need OVER 100!!! Up until now, I have been making the multi-layered cards that I designed for last weekend's Christmas card class (which went great, by the way)... I think I may have to switch to the simple single layer card! That is one of the reasons I was motivated to come up with a simpler way of masking. :)

How are your Christmas cards coming along? Have you even started them yet? I hope this inspires you to get working on them. There's just 34 days until Christmas!

Happy Stampin!

Sparkly Snow Swirled Tri-Fold Card

Even though it's 90+ degrees outside and winter doesn't even seem possible here in Texas, I have been having fun with the Snow Swirled stamp set (don't forget, it's on sale until the end of this month). Being from northern Wisconsin, I'm partial to snowflakes of any kind. Believe it or not, I actually miss the snow... well, sort of... just not the cold that usually comes along with it!

Here's one of the sparkly cards I was making when I learn my valuable lesson about embossing powder and ceiling fans not working well together (refer to Sept. 1 post):


I believe this is my favorite card so far. The colors used were: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Sahara Sand. The center snowflake was stamped with Not Quite Navy craft ink and embossed with Iridescent Ice EP--I love that look! The strip of Not Quite Navy cardstock was crimped to add texture and then cut in half. I wrapped two pieces of the double sided Satin Ribbon around the two card stock strips and then attached them to each side of the card front. After attaching the center front layers to the left side of the card using dimensional adhesive, I tied a shorter piece of ribbon on to create the faux bow. Be sure to click on the photo to get a closer look at the sparkle!


Hurricane Update: Ike is on the way to Texas and he's huge! From the satellite pictures, he looks just as big as Texas. I wanted to let you know that the area I live (near San Antonio) is looking safer than it did yesterday, as the projected path keeps moving more north/east of here. We are expecting some rain and possibly some high winds... but nothing too serious. The rain will be good for the area, as we are in a drought--although, flooding would be bad. Many people from the Galveston/Houston areas have evacuated, as that is where Ike is expected to make landfall early Saturday morning. Please keep them (and the people who have stayed behind) in your prayers.

Sparkly Snow Swirled Pop-Up Card

Okay, as promised, here's one of the sparkly cards I was working on yesterday when I learned that ceiling fans and embossing powder don't work well together. :)

I don't know if you can tell, but all of the snowflakes (inside and out) are embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder. I used craft ink for the Not Quite Navy and White flakes. In order to emboss the Baja Breeze flakes, I inked the stamp with Versamark ink first and then inked it up with Baja Breeze classic ink. If you give this technique a try and need to stamp the image more than once, be sure to clean the stamp in between each stamping. That's something you don't want to learn the hard way. :)

I'd like to share another tip with you about how I created the striped cardstock. I used the recipe card stamp from the "From the Kitchen" stamp set. I used several different colors of ink, including silver, (cleaning the stamp in between colors, of course) and just inked up the lined section and carefully stamped the lines on the cardstock strip. I challenge you to look outside of the box when using your stamps. It adds value to your already valuable stamps! I'd love to hear of what "outside the box" ideas you come up with.

Are you wondering how to create the pop-up feature? Well, basically you punch a 1-3/8" circle out of cardstock and cut it into a spiral. Then attach the outer end of the spiral to the bottom inside of the card with Mono Multi Adhesive (a little goes a long way) and let dry. Flatten the spiral, then put another little dab of Mono Multi Adhesive on the inside end of the spiral and close the card to adhere the spiral to the top inside of the card, let dry. Then open up and attach snowflakes, balloons, or whatever you'd like to go along with the theme of your card! I also anchored the ends of the spirals with extra snowflakes. It adds a fun surprise!

Happy Stampin!