Paper Conversation

Upcoming Classes & Promotions (April - June 2011)

Hi there!  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.

Now that Sale-A-Bration is over, I've been cleaning up and regrouping.  I also needed to make some decisions about classes and other papercrafting events I'll be offering in the next few months as we finish up the 2010-2011 Stampin' Up! catalog year.  There are some great promotions coming up and a Summer Mini Catalog that will be launching in May, so there's lots of new stuff on the horizon.

Let's begin with the month of April.

• April begins a Sneak Peek promotion from the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog.  When you order $20 in merchandise, you'll be able to purchase a fun new stamp set that uses the Decorative Label punch and a stunning package of Designer Series Paper called Paisley Petals.  If you book a workshop in the month of April, you could receive both the stamp set and the Designer Series Paper for FREE with a qualifying workshop ($350 in merchandise ordered).

(click on stamp set or paper to see larger images)

• Unfortunately, this class has been cancelled due to scheduling issues.  Look for this class again later this year.  On April 17th, I'll be offering a 10/10/20 Birthday Card class.  The first "10" means ten cards, the second "10" means ten envelopes, and the "20" equals a class fee of $20.  The folks in this class will be making 10 birthday cards (2 each of 5 different designs) using a variety of current Stampin' Up! stamp sets.  Be sure to contact me right away to reserve your spot.  This class is limited to 10 people.  

May is always a fun month with Mother's Day, National Scrapbooking Month, and debut of the Summer Mini Catalog.

• The Summer Mini Catalog begins on May 1st.  If you're on my mailing list, you'll receive this catalog in the mail very soon.  Look for some exciting new products in the catalog, including:  new punches, new embellishments, a new Simply Scrappin' Kit, and lots of stamp sets to celebrate the fun and sun season.  In addition, there will be a great new options for purchasing My Digital Studio at a reduced price!  If you're not on my mailing list and would like to receive this catalog, I'll be happy to mail it to you.  Please contact me by clicking on the "E-Mail Mickey" button at the top right sidebar of this blog page.
• For National Scrapbooking Month, Stampin' Up! will be offering a promotion featuring 30% off selected stamp sets, My Digital Studio print products, and My Digital Studion Download bundles.  Look for more information about this great promotion near the end of April.
• On May 22nd, I'll be offering a Scrapbooking Class using the fun new Simply Scrappin' Kit from the Summer Mini Catalog.  Your class fee of $35 includes the Simply Scrappin' Kit and a generous supply of embellishments to make 10 eye-catching 12" x 12" scrapbook pages.  This class is limited to 8 people.  Reservation and pre-payment are required by May 8th.

With the kids out of school and the temperatures climing, you may be looking for an escape.  I have just the thing!

• On June 26th, I'll be offering another 10/10/20 class, this time for All Occasion cards.  As with the class in April, the first "10" means ten cards, the second "10" means ten envelopes, and the "20" equals a class fee of $20.  The folks in this class will be making 10 All Occasion cards (2 each of 5 different designs) using a variety of current Stampin' Up! stamp sets.  Be sure to contact me right away to reserve your spot.  This class is limited to 10 people.
• June also means release of the Last Chance Lists.  These lists contain all the retiring stamp sets, tools, and embellishments from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog.  If you're on my e-mail list, I'll be providing more information as soon as it becomes available.

If you have any questions, please be sure to contact me for more information.  Give me a call or e-mail me to sign up for classes or to take advantage of the great promotions that will be coming in the next few months.  If you live in (or will be visiting) the East Central Florida area, I'd love to meet you!

On a Pedestal in Cajun Craze

Hi there!  How have you been?  Sorry for the absence the last couple of weeks.  I had another surgery (the last one for a while, I hope) followed by my annual CD Calendar Class.  I hope to have a blog post for that very soon.  At my day job, we're just a few days away from the final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133.  It's a bittersweet time for us here at Kennedy Space Center.  Be sure to check us out on Wednesday afternoon (November 3rd) shortly after 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time.

I've also been working on my projects for the Royal Blog Tour on November 5th through November 8th.  There are nearly 80 Stampin' Up! Demonstrators on the Paths of the Tour; which means you're sure to find some great ideas.  Also, there are lots of opportunities to win Blog Candy AND you can collect clues along the Tour to enter for a chance to win an awesome Grand Prize, so be sure to block off some time next weekend for the Royal Blog Tour.  For more information, click on the Royal Blog Tour graphics on my right sidebar.

I'm also getting my designs finalized for my annual Christmas Card Class.  With Fall firmly upon us, I'm sure you're well into your Holiday planning (or wishing you were).  If you're still trying to figure out what to do about your Christmas cards, I understand your pain.  If you live in the Central Florida area near the Space Coast, you can get some great ideas for your Holiday cards when you sign up for my annual Christmas Card Class.  There will be two sessions.  Choose either Saturday, November 6th from 1-6 p.m. or Sunday, November 7th from 1-6 p.m.  The class cost is $25.  We'll be making 15 cards; 3 cards each of 5 different designs.  Be sure to contact me right away to reserve your spot!

Today's project is a birthday card with a more masculine flavor than the last one I showed in this post.  Pretty much every card I've seen (or made) using the "On a Pedestal" stamp set has used bright, feminine looking colors; so I challenged myself to find a way to use the stamp set for a card you could send to a guy.  Because, let's face it, guys like cake too!

(click on card to see larger image)

The card base uses Cajun Craze cardstock.  A piece of polka-dotted More Mustard paper is matted with a piece of Early Espresso cardstock and placed, centered, on the card front.  A piece of Night of Navy cardstock was punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch and placed along one side of the More Mustard paper.  The cake pedestal was stamped with Night of Navy Craft ink on Very Vanilla cardstock, dusted with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, set with the Heat Tool, and then cut out with Paper Snips and placed on the More Mustard paper.  The sentiment was stamped with Night of Navy Classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock, cut very closely to the edges of the image, and then placed on the More Mustard paper at the center of the pedestal.  The small rounded cake was stamped with Early Espresso Classic ink, cut out, and then placed on top of the sentiment.  The cake was stamped a second time using Very Vanilla Craft ink, embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, the top of the cake cut out and then placed on top of the "chocolate" cake with Stampin' Dimensionals to put some icing on the cake.  The cherry image was stamped with Real Red Classic ink and cut out.  Of course, you could always put the cherry on top of the icing, but I decided to place it on the pedestal to accentuate the sentiment.  Finally, a small bow made with Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta ribbon was placed at the top of the pedestal column to balance the dimension created when the cake was "iced" with the Very Vanilla embossed top.

(click on card to see larger image)

The interior of the card was lined with a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.  A sentiment from the "Afterthoughts" stamp set was stamped near the upper center using Night of Navy Classic ink.  I really like this sentiment for a guy; especially for the guys in my life.  They're not too crazy about the birthday party and tend to hang out together outside or in the garage watching sports on TV.  But they ALWAYS want to be called when it's time for the cake.  Strips of polka-dotted Cajun Craze paper were placed at the top and bottom of the Very Vanilla cardstock; the bottom edge of the top piece punched with the Scallop Edge Border punch.  All the edges of the paper strips and the Very Vanilla cardstock were sponged with Cajun Craze Classic ink.

(click on envelopes to see larger images)

For the front of the Very Vanilla envelope, I stamped the sentiment used on the card front with Night of Navy Classic ink in the lower left corner and added the cherry stamped with Real Red Classic ink.  For the back of the envelope I added strips of the polka-dotted paper in More Mustard and Cajun Craze and then sponged the edges of the flap with Cajun Craze Classic ink.

This card was the third project we made at the October meeting of the SASS Stamp Club.  You can see the other two projects here and here.  I'll need to add designing the projects for the November SASS Stamp Club meeting to my list of stuff to do in the next couple of weeks...the next meeting is almost here!  Good Grief!

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit!

Stamps:  Afterthoughts, On a Pedestal; Classic Inks:  Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Night of Navy, Real Red; Craft Inks:  Night of Navy, Very Vanilla; Cardstock:  Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Night of Navy; Designer Series Paper:  Regals Designer Series Paper Pack; Embellishments:  Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta ribbon; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots; Tools:  Paper Cutter/Scorer, Paper Snips, Bone Folder, Sponge, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Scallop Edge Border punch, Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool; Other:  Medium Very Vanilla Envelope

Gift Your Holiday Best

Hello!  Another drought between postings...and two more funerals. 

People have been telling me that these types of events seem to come in threes; even one is too many, though.  These deaths are family impacts.  The first was a dear Aunt who lost a valiant battle with breast cancer and the second was my brother-in-law who was killed in a car accident.  Both losses so very significant to their families and friends.  I ache for my cousins and their children.  I ache for my sister, her children and grandson.  I pray for them in their grief that they may find the strength to move forward and reach again for joy.  

Today's post continues presentation of the projects from my annual Christmas Card class.  The first three cards used traditional images in darker colors and hints of shimmer.  This card is all about the shimmer and shine.

The Rich Razzleberry card front is trimmed to 4 7/8" long and then punched with the Scallop Edge punch.  Brushed Gold and Shimmery White cardstock are layered on top of the Rich Razzleberry cardstock.  A Whisper White 5/8" Satin ribbon is knotted on the front to allow two bright ornaments to hang from the ribbon.

The first ornament is made by stamping the "Merry Christmas" image from the Holiday Best stamp set with Rich Razzleberry on Rich Razzleberry cardstock and on Whisper White cardstock.  The Rich Razzleberry image is punched out with the Ornament punch.  "Merry Christmas" is cut out of the Whisper White cardstock and mounted on the ornament with a Stampin' Dimensional.  A piece of 4" gold elastic cord was wrapped around the neck of the ornament and tied in a knot on the back of the ornament; the ends trimmed close to the knot.  A 5" piece of gold elastic cord was looped over the ribbon and then placed on the ornament (which is face down on the card front) so that the ends of the cord are approximately 2/3 of the way down the center of the ornament.  A Stampin' Dimensional is placed over the gathered ends.  Another Stampin' Dimensional is placed about 1/2" above the first near the neck of the ornament.  Two more Stampin' Dimensionals are placed on the wide part of the ornament to the right and left of the gold cord.  Remove the adhesive covers from the Stampin' Dimensionals, flip the ornament over, and press the ornament in place on the left side of the card front. 

The second ornament uses the small snowflake stamp from the Serene Snowflakes stamp set stamped in Versamark, dusted with White Stampin' Emboss powder, and heat embossed onto Brushed Gold cardstock.  The cardstock is then punched with the Ornament punch.  The process for securing the ornament to the card front is the same as for the Rich Razzleberry ornament; however, this time a 6" piece of gold elastic cord is looped over the ribbon.

A piece of 2" x 4 1/4" piece of Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper is adhered with SNAIL to the inside of the card and aligned with the bottom edge and right and left sides.  The corners are rounded with the 3/16" corner rounder.  A 3 3/4" x 4 1/8" piece of Whisper White cardstock is placed on the inside of the card (not shown) so that the 3 3/4" edge is centered between the right and left sides approximately 1/8" below the fold line. 

The lower left front corner of the Medium Whisper White envelope was stamped with the "Merry Christmas" image using Rich Razzleberry ink. 

People ask me why I go to the trouble to make Christmas cards every year instead of going to the Dollar Store to pick up a box of 100 for $1.  I reply that when I send a Christmas card that I've made myself, I'm sending a gift to everyone on my Christmas Card List.  I hear back from my friends and family that they treasure the cards that I've sent them and save them to display with their Christmas decorations in the years that follow.  I have handmade cards that I have saved and display that I've received from friends and family (especially from my Mother).  When I look at them, I think of the love and care that went into making that card just for me and my family.  That's the best gift of all!

 

Stamps:  Holiday Best, Serene Snowflakes; Inks:  Rich Razzleberry Classic, Versamark; Cardstock:  Brushed Gold, Rich Razzleberry, Shimmery White, Whisper White; Designer Series Paper:  Christmas Cocoa Specialty; Embellishments:  Gold Elastic Cord, Whisper White 5/8" Satin ribbon; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals; Tools:  Paper Snips, Paper Cutter/Scorer, Ornament punch, sponge, Scallop Edge punch, Heat Tool, White Stampin' Emboss powder, 3/16" corner rounder; Other:  Medium Whisper White envelope

Let's Make Merry!

Hello there!  Thanks for stopping by to visit!  I'm looking at the calendar and I can't believe it's December!  Holy Cow!  I believe I am beginning to feel holiday panic tickling the back of my neck...  So how are you doing with your holiday preparations?  Hmmmmm.... Maybe it's best if we just change the subject.

Today's Christmas card was the third designed for my annual Christmas Card Class.  It has a somewhat "Country" theme, I think, with it's subdued feel, that is punched up with the bright red bird, wreath bow, and berries.  The stamping design for this card was inspired by a Make & Take card from this Fall's Stampin' Up! Regionals.  I liked the idea of the wreath hanging from the branch and the berries popping up from the wreath.

One thing I learned when I made this card was that if you "free-hand" the stamping (rather than using the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig for exact stamp placement) you can get some interesting results.  For example, the wreath bow ends slightly above the wreath and it's tilted a bit.  I told the stampers in my class that there was a slight breeze blowing when I created this card.

Another thing I learned is that we tend to want to stamp in the middle of the cardstock.  The stamping for this card actually takes place on the right center of the Naturals Ivory cardstock.  To help my stampers, I had them stamp the branch then adhere the Soft Suede Textured cardstock to the Naturals Ivory cardstock with SNAIL so that they could see exactly what cardstock was available for stamping.  Once the stamping was completed, they placed their ribbon on the Soft Suede Textured cardstock, folding the ends to the back and adhering to the Naturals Ivory cardstock with Sticky Strip.  The Naturals Ivory cardstock was then adhered to the Old Olive card front.  The berries were stamped on a scrap of Naturals Ivory cardstock and punched out with a 1/2" circle punch.  A Stampin' Dimensional was placed on the back of each circle and the berries were placed on the wreath.

The Naturals Ivory envelope uses the branch and bird stamps; but instead of perching inside the wreath, this bird sits on the branch!

This card is a great candidate for those who need to make a number of cards in a short time.  There are minimal supplies and simple cardstock cuts.  This year, get the whole family involved in making Christmas cards!  Assign one or two persons to cutting, one or two persons to stamping, one or two persons to assembly and you're done! 

While you're at it, send the cards back through the line so that every member of the family can sign.  This was a significant after dinner event in December for my children when they were growing up.  I would begin the line by addressing the envelope and writing the names of the people receiving the card in the sentiment area of the card ("Dear Uncle Rob and Aunt Carol:").  I'd tell the children who the card was for, and then the card would pass around the table for their signatures, ending with my husband.  Grandparents, aunts and uncles, and family friends loved seeing how the children's handwriting changed from year to year and were tickled to see a sentence or two of greeting from a tween or teen.   This process also sparked lively discussion of family members near and far as we all shared our remembrances.  It's a memory dear to my heart and a very special way to Make Merry!

 

Stamps:  Berry Christmas; Inks:  Old Olive Classic, Real Red Classic, Soft Suede Classic; Cardstock:  Naturals Ivory, Old Olive, Soft Suede Textured; Many Marvelous Markers:  Old Olive; In Color Stampin' Write Marker:  Soft Suede; Embellishments:  Sleigh Bells Twill ribbon; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip; Tools:  Paper Snips, Paper Cutter/Scorer, 1/2" circle punch, sponge; Other:  Medium Naturals Ivory envelope

A Window on Winter Post

Welcome Back!  I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with your family and friends. 

This year's family Thanksgiving feast was held at my sister's home.  We all brought appetizers, side dishes and desserts to complement the terrific turkey and ham that she made.  I am the oldest of six children and my parents were pleased to see five of us with our spouses and many of our children and grandchildren at the dinner table.  We sorely missed those who were not able to join us this year. 

Today's post is the second card I designed for my annual Christmas Card class.  This card continues the old fashioned Christmas card look using the Winter Post stamp set and the Merry Moments Designer Series Paper. 

The ice skaters are visible through a window created using the Big Shot and the Movers & Shapers Curly Label die.  This die cuts out the Real Red card, scores the fold, and punches out the window.  How cool is that!  In addition, the punch window can be located anywhere on the card front by positioning the magnetic window punch to your preference on the Movers & Shapers die. 

Merry Moments Designer Series Paper is used to further accent the card front.  An Old Olive cardstock strip is stamped in Chocolate Chip Classic with the snowflake from the Winter Post stamp set.  A Styled Vanilla round ribbon slide is threaded onto a piece of Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon to add interest and dimension.  "Merry Christmas," from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, is stamped with Garden Green Classic on Very Vanilla, punched out with the Word Window punch, and placed on a piece of Chocolate Chip Textured cardstock punched with the Modern Label punch.  Note that all of the edges of the cardstock and Designer Series Paper pieces are sponged with Chocolate Chip Classic ink. 

To make sure that the skaters are positioned properly in the punch window, adhere the Very Vanilla cardstock to the card interior.  Close the card, and make small pencil dots where the Curly Label punch window bumps out into the punch window.  Open the card and stamp the skaters with Chocolate Chip Classic, positioning the upper part of the stamp in between the pencil dots.  Don't forget to erase the pencil dots!

The Very Vanilla envelope is stamped with "Merry Christmas" in Garden Green Classic and the ice skaters in Chocolate Chip Classic.

One thing that I am always concerned about with the Christmas cards I design is postage.  The Post Office has some pretty strict rules concerning the bulkiness of the envelope that passes through the postage machine.  This card might present a problem because of the Styled Vanilla ribbon slide.  Be sure to check with a postal clerk prior to mailing to ensure that those that receive the card in the mail don't have to pay the extra postage!

 

Stamps:  Winter Post, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Inks:  Chocolate Chip Classic, Garden Green Classic; Cardstock:  Chocolate Chip Textured, Old Olive, Real Red, Very Vanilla; Embellishments:  Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardward (round ribbon slide); Adhesives:  SNAIL, Mini Glue Dots, Sticky Strip; Tools:  Paper Snips, Paper Cutter/Scorer, Big Shot w/XL Cutting Plates, Movers & Shapers Curly Label die, Sponge, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, pencil; Other:  Medium Very Vanilla envelope

Looking for Some Christmas Cheer

Hi there!  Another drought between blog posts...lots of stuff going on here in the last couple of weeks; some fun, some not so much.  That's the way it is sometimes. 

I have to say that life gives you plenty of opportunities to put things in perspective, though, and this week was no different.  A former co-worker died after a long and valiant battle with a particularly aggressive form of bone cancer.  I can't help but think of his wife and children and pray that God will shower them with the strength they need to move forward.  I will remember this fine man for his terrific sense of humor, his integrity, and his compassion. 

Mid-month, I conducted my annual Christmas card class.  In years past, I would offer 3 different cards and the class attendees would make 5 of each card.  This year, I changed it up and offered 5 cards and the class attendees would make 3 of each card.  So, today's post will look at one of these cards; in fact, the first one I designed for the class.  It's also my favorite card.   This card was inspired by a convention swap card made by my Stampin' Up! upline, Catherine Harwood.

I love the "old Santa" look of the card; but you can see that I couldn't pass up a little shimmer over the embossed flowers.  The embossed flowers were created in the Big Shot using the Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions embossing folder and a piece of Bravo Burgundy cardstock.  After embossing, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint was lightly sponged across the petals.  The edges of the Bravo Burgundy panel were sponged with Bravo Burgundy Classic ink.  The embossed flowers panel is attached to a panel of Not Quite Navy cardstock punched with the Eyelet Border punch.  The edges of the Not Quite Navy cardstock were sponged with Not Quite Navy Classic ink. 

Across these panels is a piece of Kraft Taffeta ribbon and the big "Wow" for this card.  In order to save ribbon, a 10 1/2" piece was tied around the cap of a Stampin' Mist bottle and tied in a knot, leaving equal ends of ribbon hanging from the knot.  Slide the loop from the cap and cut the loop in half.  There's your knot for the front of the card!  Place a glue dot under the knot and press it in place on the card front.  Apply SNAIL to the ends of the ribbon and fold them under the Not Quite Navy panel.  Then adhere the panels to the card front.  How cool is that??!!  

The Santa stamp comes from the Level 2 Hostess Set, Christmas Punch.  It's stamped with Basic Brown on Very Vanilla cardstock and punched with the 1 1/4" square punch.  The edges are distressed and sponged with Basic Brown, and then adhered to a 1 3/8" punched square of Bravo Burgundy sponged with Bravo Burgundy Classic.  The edges of Kraft cardstock card front were sponged with Basic Brown.  The Santas were then adhered to the card front with SNAIL. 

The Kraft envelope was stamped with the Santas along the left front edge of the envelope using Basic Brown ink. 

 

As you can see, this eye-catching card is pretty simple to make; especially in bulk.  While the stamp set isn't available for purchase, it can be earned by hosting a Stampin' Up! workshop with at least $300 in merchandise sales OR by placing an order for at least $300 in merchandise.  

This week's Online Extravaganza makes it easy to combine your holiday shopping with your Christmas card supply order.  To take advantage of the 30% to 50% savings, check out the Online Extravaganza by clicking on the link on the left side of this page OR by going to the Stampin' Up! website.   
 

Stamps:  Christmas Punch; Inks:  Basic Brown, Bravo Burgundy Classic, Not Quite Navy Classic, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint; Cardstock:  Bravo Burgundy, Kraft, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla; Embellishments:  Kraft Taffeta ribbon; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Mini Glue Dots; Tools:  Paper Snips, Paper Cutter/Scorer, Big Shot w/Standard Cutting Plates and Multi-Purpose Platform, Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions embossing folder, Sponge, Sponge dauber, 1 1/4" square punch, 1 3/8" square punch, Edge Distresser (Cutter Kit), Eyelet Border punch; Other:  Medium Kraft envelope

There's Joy in That Sparkle!

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by to visit today!  This week I've been busy working on Christmas cards.  It's time for my annual Christmas Card class and I'm really getting excited about the projects we'll be making at this weekend's event (November 14 and 15).  In years past, we've made 5 cards each of 3 different designs.  This year we'll turn that around to 3 cards each of 5 different designs.  There are still a couple of openings in the Saturday and Sunday sessions, so if you live on Florida's Space Coast and would like to attend, the class cost is $25.  Be sure to give me a call right away to reserve your spot.  Each day's session runs from 1 to 5 p.m. and is limited to 7 participants.

Today's post showcases the second card from last weekend's SASS Stamp Club meeting.  Quite a few of my club members are big into snowflakes and sparkle, so I designed a card I was sure would catch their attention.

Here are some of the features of the card:

• The snowflakes on the Night of Navy cardstock behind the ornament are stamped with Frost White Shimmer Paint using the 3-snowflake stamp from Serene Snowflake
• The ornament is stamped with Night of Navy Craft ink and dusted with Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss powder and embossed with the Heat Tool
• The ornament is punched with the Ornament punch and matted on a piece of Brushed Silver cardstock die cut using the Magnetic Movers & Shapers Holiday (ornament) Punch Window in the Big Shot
• A 4" piece of Silver Elastic Cord is folded over the Whisper White Taffeta ribbon knot and held in place on the back of the ornament with Stampin' Dimensionals (one placed just below the neck of the ornament and the other placed at the ends of the Silver Elastic Cord)
• Whisper White cardstock is layered on top of the Night of Navy card base and then layered with Brushed Silver
• Whisper White cardstock is used to mat the Night of Navy cardstock (stamped with snowflakes) behind the ornament
• All of the Whisper White and Night of Navy cardstock edges are sponged with Night of Navy Classic ink (with the exception of the ornament)

A few of the Stamp Club members chose to stamp "sparkle" from the Warm Words stamp set under the ornament on the card front.  A few used Night of Navy Classic ink to stamp the image; and one of the braver club members used Night of Navy Craft ink with the Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss powder and embossed with the Heat Tool.

 

The small and medium sized snowflakes from the Serene Snowflakes stamp set were stamped randomly with Night of Navy Classic ink on the left front of the envelope.  Some of my club members chose, instead, to stamp the envelope flap and sponge the edges of the flap.  It looked lovely either way.

I think that's the best part of paper crafting.  We have a vision and, with the right tools, get to choose how to achieve it.  What's your vision?

 

Stamps:  Delightful Decorations, Serene Snowflakes, Warm Words (optional); Inks:  Night of Navy Classic, Night of Navy Craft, Frost White Shimmer Paint; Cardstock:  Brushed Silver, Night of Navy, Whisper White; Embellishments:  Silver Elastic Cord, Whisper White Taffeta ribbon; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals; Tools:  Paper Snips, Paper Cutter/Scorer, Big Shot w/Extended Cutting Plates, Movers & Shapers Curly Label die, Magnetic Movers & Shapers Holiday (ornament) Punch Window, Ornament punch, Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss powder, Heat Tool, Sponge; Other:  Medium Whisper White envelope

2010 CD Calendar

Hi Everyone!  I'm so glad you stopped by to visit!

It's been another busy week planning for the CD Calendar Class and then holding the class this weekend.  Because there are 12 calendar pages for this project, I've created a separate photo album for the calendar project.  You'll find it on the right sidebar right under My Gallery.  Each photo page has the list of supplies for each calendar page.  At Pals Paper Arts, this week's challenge is "Anything BUT a card" and I think this project fits the criteria, don't you?   

I've been making these calendars for gifts for a few years now.  I make them primarily for family; however, my family is pretty large, so I'll be busy making these calendar pages for the next few weeks.  I've found that once you give one of these calendars for a gift, the people who receive the gift begin to expect them year after year.  Most keep their calendar on the desktop beside their home computer because it's so quick to flip the calendar pages to check dates. 

The neat thing about making these calendars is deciding which stamp set(s) to use for each month.  It's a great opportunity to dig out those stamp sets that don't get used too often and find a new use for them.  Another challenge with these calendars is that you only get a single surface to work with.  When you're used to making cards or scrapbook pages that employ multiple layers, you may find that creating a calendar page becomes an opportunity to sharpen your basic stamping skills.

Give it a try!  You can find the calendar pages for download here .

 

CD Calendar Class Scheduled

The last few years I've been making calendars as gifts for friends and family.  I've also used the calendars as a stamping technique refresher course for my SASS Stamp Club.  This year, I've decided to offer a class.  Choose either Saturday, October 24th, or Sunday, October 25th.  The class will begin at 1 p.m. both days.  You'll have plenty of time to finish making all 12 calendar sheets by the time the class ends at 5 p.m.  Class cost is $20 which includes all supplies.  Extra CD case/calendar files are available for $5/set for class participants who wish to make multiple calendars for gifts for family and friends.  Class size is limited to 7 students per session; so please contact me to reserve your place.  I've included a photo of the 2009 calendar made by the SASS Stamp Club and a photo of the calendar and CD case as it would sit on a desktop.

 

Hope you'll decide to join us for an afternoon of creativity and fun!

 

P. S.  For more information about the CD Calendar, check out these posts by Catherine Harwood (click here and here).

A "Favor"able Idea for an Ornament

Hi there!  I'm glad you were able to stop by for a visit.

I'm pretty excited to show you a project I designed for a class I'm teaching this weekend.  Isn't it adorable?  [Edited to add:  I also submitted this project for the Pals Paper Arts "Anything BUT a Card" Challenge (PPA13) on 10/22/09.]

The first time I made this ornament was during an Appreciation Event conducted by my Stampin' Up! upline, Catherine Harwood.  I was so tickled by the simplicity of the design, I just had to make a bunch as Christmas cards for my family in 2008 (and let me tell you, that's a pretty large group of people!).  My sister-in-law Michelle, a school teacher in another part of the state, was so impressed by the design that she asked me to come teach a group of her friends how to make these in the Fall.  So what you see is what they'll be making this weekend.  Are you wondering what that shine is on the letters?  That's White Frost Shimmer Paint applied to the three-snowflake stamp from the Serene Snowflakes stamp set. 

For those of you familiar with Stampin' Up! punches, it's pretty easy to figure out how this is made.  The trick is in the assembly process.  I have found that the easiest way is to use the Stampin' Up! grid paper and mark the paper for each of the scallop circles (1 3/4"), the spaces between the circles (3/4"), and identify the placement of the star (the center of the star is 1 3/4" above the top edge of the closest scallop circle).  I've included a photo of the grid paper with all the pieces laid out.  The pieces to the left of the ribbon are placed on top of the ribbon moving from those closest to the ribbon and finishing with those furthest away from the ribbon.  For the lid, a piece is shown to the right of the ribbon; that's because this piece of paper is attached to the inside the lid.

Once you do that, it's easy to place the ribbon on each cardstock scallop circle with Sticky Strip and layer on the rest of the pieces with SNAIL and Stampin' Dimensionals.  For the loop, use Sticky Strip to anchor the end of the loop to the inside of the star and to attach the top piece of the star to the ribbon to ensure that all the pieces will remain attached; especially since this is the part of the ornament that will be handled most.  For the lid of the box, use Mini Glue Dots for the Designer Series Paper attached to the inside and outside of transparent lid.  Then add the large snowflake and stamped image with Mini Glue Dots and Stampin' Dimensionals.

The ornament folds into the favor tin from the bottom up.  Place the first scallop circle top down in the bottom of the favor tin and fold the rest in accordion-style so that the loop is on top when the lid is opened.

If you have a bunch of circle punches gathering dust in your crafting space, knock off the dust by making a few of these ornaments for family and friends.  You could replace the letters "N-O-E-L" with "2-0-0-9", punched photos, or small holiday messages.  

I hope you enjoy your weekend!

 

Stamps:  Berry Christmas, Simple Snowflake, Serene Snowflakes, Punch Pals, Pure & Simple Alphabet-Upper (Retired); Classic Inks:  Real Red, Old Olive, White Frost Shimmer Paint; Designer Series Paper:  Merry Moments; Cardstock:  Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White; Embellishments:  Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Adhesives:  SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots; Tools:  Paper Snips, Grid Paper, Sponge Dauber, Large Star punch, Jumbo Snowflake punch, Scallop Circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch; Other:  Favor Tin