Category Archives: 3-D

Bloomin’ Madness

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The Blossom Petals punch from the Summer Mini catalog inspired me to think about a flowers class…one that would show lots of ways of embellishing with flowers.  The Bloomin’ Madness class last Saturday was the result, and one of our projects was a bookmark:

Bloomin' Madness Bookmark

  • Charming and All Holidays Stamp sets
  • Shimmer White and Baja Breeze card stock
  • Baja Breeze and Rose Red Classic ink pads
  • Big Shot and Two Tags Bigz die
  • Blossom Petals and 1 inch circle punches
  • Vintage Flower Adornments
  • Crop-a-dile
  • White 5/8 inch satin ribbon
  • Tombo the Wonder Adhesive

Peggy’s idea was to use this as a bottle tag when you give a gift of wine.  I like the way that woman thinks.

When I construct a flower like this, I invariably start with a small circle of cardstock.  I get enough Tombo (the Wonder Adhesive) all over my fingers as it is without having to keep track of all the pieces.  The punched circle provides a platform to build on so that I can concentrate on getting Tombo on just the ends of my fingers instead of halfway up my arms.  (Don’t laugh.  It’s been done.)

Those little Adornments have really grown on me – I only have a couple left from the package of 24.  They’re not being carried over into the Summer Mini catalog (which I have in my hot little hands) and we can only hope that they’ll make an appearance in the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  Honestly, I would love to be in on one of those meetings when they decide what stays and what goes.  Is it based on sales?  Trends?  Shelli’s favorites?  A dartboard?  Seriously, you’ve got to wonder sometimes.  (Don’t get me started on Branch Out.)  Make a note of June 1 on your calendar, though, because that’s the traditional release date for the Retirement list for the current year catalog.

Re-use, reduce, recycle

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I was in search of a bigger basket, one that would be sturdy enough to hold more than a couple of pieces of chocolate.  I found a beautiful example on Mary Jo Albright’s blog, complete with a tutorial:

Mary Jo Albright's scallop envelope basket 1

  • Elements of Style stamp set
  • Marina Mist and Rose Red card stock
  • Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper
  • the stiff white 12 x 12 sheets that come in the back of the Stampin’ Up! DSP package
  • Marina Mist Classic ink pad
  • Victoria Crochet Trim;  Tombo the Wonder Adhesive
  • Vintage Flowers Adornments; brads
  • Big Shot and Scallop Envelope and Fun Flowers Bigz dies

You read that right – this basket is made from the Scallop Envelope cut out of the stiff white sheets from the back of the package of the DSP.  I stamped on them to disguise them , and I was pleased with how strong they made the project.  And it’s so green!

I really need to go back and give this basket a little step-up treatment.  It was a club project, and I knew we would be challenged to finish in the amount of time we have, so I left the handle pretty plain.  We did make a layered flower to put on the top, but it looks a little lonesome sitting there by itself.

Scallop Envelope basket 2

I wanted the bottom to be finished, and I also wanted to stabilize the base to make the basket sturdy.  I cut a hexagon from Marina Mist to put inside, and a second one to finish the bottom.  Wow.  It looks so simple, written like that.  Have you tried to cut a hexagon lately?  A nice, symmetrical one?  Let’s just say it’s been a long time since geometry!  I tried a number of techniques, but in the end I do what I generally end up doing:  I winged it.  And for being winged, I thought it came out pretty well:

Scallop envelope basket 3

Ha – oops, you can see my stitches.  I get teased all the time because I like to sew things on.  I hate it when things fall off!!  Just don’t look too closely at my hexagon, ok?

 

 

Why you shouldn’t roast Peeps

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I have permission to share this with you:

Cheryl with a roasted Peep

That’s what a Peep looks like when it’s been roasted at Girl Scout camp!  And if that isn’t the perfect sweatshirt for a Girl Scout Leader, I don’t know what is.  The best part was when Cheryl started to eat it…but I think I was doubled over laughing so hard I didn’t get that photo.

Moving on…

QBee's basket

  • Well Scripted (Retired) stamp set
  • Pear Pizazz, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White and Pretty in Pink card stock
  • Pear Pizazz Classic ink pad
  • Scallop oval, large oval and oval punches
  • Pear Pizazz 1/2 inch stitched poly ribbon and white crochet thread
  • Ice Cream Parlor (retired) buttons
  • Big Shot, Scallop Circle Bigz, Petals a Plenty Embossing folder and Beautiful Wings embosslit
  • Tombo, the wonder adhesive

I would love to tell you that I came up with this idea myself but I cannot tell a lie; I did not.  Brenda, aka QBee, designed this deceivingly simple basket and even made a video tutorial that is clear and very easy to follow.  Please check out QBee’s Quest, and tell her I sent you.  She put the little handle across the narrow portion of the basket, but I switched it to the wide end.  It’s cute either way.

Here’s another view:

QBee's Easter basket from above

You could make a bunch of these very quickly, because once you’ve done one you can do oodles.   These would be very cute little Easter place card holders, filled with chocolates (aaack!  no!!) or an Easter egg on a bed of grass.

 

A Paper Carrot for Peter

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I’ve been on a basket theme lately.  There was the basket class, and the basket club, and a few other baskets that I did just for fun.  Here’s one from the class:

  • Teeny Tiny Wishes, Woodgrain and Forest Friends stamp sets
  • Pumpkin Pie, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stock
  • Play Date and Ice Cream Parlor (SAB) Designer Series Papers
  • Pumpkin Pie and Early Espresso Classic ink pads; Versamark ink pad
  • 1 1/4, 1 3/8, 1 3/4 inch circle punches; 2 1/2 inch scallop circle punch
  • Crop-a-dile and Pear Pizazz Seam Binding
  • Embossing powder and heat tool; Pearl Jewels; Stampin’ Sponge
  • Big Shot and Petal Cone Bigz die

I’m still on my “carrot” kick, and I’ll confess I had a lot of fun with this project.  I thought the Woodgrain background stamp was perfect for carrot texture.

Looks like I need to find some tangerine Jelly Bellies to put in a cello bag and tuck into the cone.  Actually, I need to bring Jelly Bellies into my house about as much as I need the proverbial hole in my head.  I’m a nibbler, and little candies like Jelly Bellies or Dove Chocolate eggs (Dark Chocolate, please) or little snack size ANYTHINGS are my downfall.  I’ve actually purchased some Easter candy, but it’s well hidden.  I purchased it because when you live on a small island if you see something you want you’d better buy it Now.  Heaven forbid we arrive at Easter and the only things left on Mr. Safeway’s shelves are the yucky kind of jelly beans and Peeps.

Speaking of Peeps…I don’t eat them, my kids don’t eat them, but I generally buy a package for each kid and put them in their baskets just to be silly.  About 5 years ago, I took a group of high-school aged Girl Scouts to camp and at the last minute threw in a couple of boxes of Peeps with the marshmellows for our campfire.  Honestly, you have never seen anything so strange as a roasted Peep – except perhaps for the look on Cheryl’s face when she decided to eat one.  (I have no idea what posessed her to attempt such a thing.)  According to Cheryl, not only are roasted Peeps vile, but they do this kind of foaming thing.  I wouldn’t know.

Honestly…I’d better quit now.  Such a ridiculous story, and I haven’t even gotten to the part about the Roasted-Peep contest at my son’s birthday party.

 

 

 

A tisket, a tasket

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Try to get away for a little anniversary weekend and what happens?  Captain Stupidhead thinks he’s been abandoned (he wasn’t, my son was here) and hasn’t left me alone for a second today.  He’s like a two-year-old, and if you could see me this very minute you would see his big orange cat-self leaning on the keyboard.   In case I miss that, he gets up every few minutes and sticks his head in my face.  This has the effect of showering me with cat hair, which is oh-so-pleasant. (It’s better than him yawning, because his cat-breath is indescribable.)

Earlier today, when I was putting dishes away, he wrapped himself around my legs and cried like a baby.  I swear he’s saying “UP! UUUUUPPPP!!” in that briefly endearing but quickly annoying way that toddler’s have.  Prior to that, I was trying to take some photos for you:

Square Eastern trimmed basket

This is the “before” basket,  a 2-4-6-8 basket trimmed with retired Designer Series Paper bits and pieces run through the Big Shot with the Tasteful Trim die.  I had a better idea and my plan was to show you the two projects, but I had “help”:

Hmmm...what have we here?

The photo is  blurry because he is in motion, rapidly approaching my “photo shoot”.  This is after a lot of whining and winding around under my feet.  Since I failed to acknowledge him, it became necessary to move in a little closer.

The head-butt

I’m attempting the photo of the second basket, but it’s impossible to get a picture because A) there is a cat in the way and B) he is giving me the “head-butt” treatment so it is impossible to focus the camera.

Action Jackson

I tossed him to the floor but he must have hit the trampoline, because before I could get a photo HE WAS BAAACK.

Say, what's this?
However, I’m experienced in the art of diversion and found some shreddies for him.  They make a great rustling sound, which always gets his attention, and I can get them to wiggle just a bit which means he has to inspect.

Just plain silly

He’s checking the shreddies to see if they’re tasty.  This photo cracks me up, because he looks like a fat orange Easter bunny – sans the ears.

The trimmed Easter basket

  • Flourish stamp set
  • So Saffron and Bashful Blue card stock; retired Designer Series Papers
  • So Saffron Classic ink pad
  • Designer Button and Pretty in Pink 1/8 taffeta ribbon
  • Oval Scallop Frame and Tasteful Trim XL Bigz dies and the Big Shot
  • Eyelet border punch
  • brads (to attach the handle)

THIS is the project I was trying to photograph.  I apologize for the crimped handle, but as you can imagine, I was happy to get this picture as it was.  The Flourish stamp set is one of the single stamps that were available as a Sale-a-bration option, and you can see it better from the side.  You realize, of course, there isn’t a photo of the side.

And yes, Mr. Maui Stamper and I had a lovely weekend on Lanai celebrating our 30th anniversary, which is actually today.  We stayed at the amazing Lodge at Koele, and did whatever we felt like doing.  Apparently next year we will be expected to take a companion with us.  Oh, as if that would ever happen.

 

P.S.  Ha!  Just as I was about to click publish, he leaned over and hit the speakerphone button with his chin.  It’s very childish of me, but I always crack up when he does this as the dial tone is loud and he looks around to see who or what did this annoying thing.  Serves him right.  Knucklehead.

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s a…carrot??

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Here’s Not Quite Ready For Carrot Time candidate #2:

Petal Cone with butterflies

  • French Script stamp set
  • Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizazz and Always Artichoke card stock
  • Pumpkin Pie Classic ink pad
  • Big Shot, Petal Cone Bigz Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit
  • Scallop Circle punch, gold brad, Always Artichoke Seam Binding

I tried a number of arrangements but finally had to content myself with these carrot-crazed butterflies – they looked better in my head than on paper.  Don’t you hate it when that happens?  It’s always fun to play with all of the butterflies you end up with using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit – each crank of the Big Shot turns out 5 from itty bitty to thunb-sized, and I confess that I love just seeing them heaped up on my desk.

Captain Stupidhead has been especially needy recently.  He was really stressed out by all the noise and disruption that Builder Dan brought indoors, and now that the house is quiet he spends too much time worrying about where I am and what I am doing (and why it does not involve scratching his head).  I was trying to apply some rub-ons yesterday afternoon, and he kept shoving his head against my hand.  He ruined 3 rub-ons that way, pushing them out of alignment while I was trying to rub them in place.  Big Baby.  If he could have his way, I would hold him and brush him and feed him and open/close/open/close the door all day long.  He is seriously mis-informed.

 

Renovation Update

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It’s too dark to take photos, but Builder Dan has been packed up for a week and things are slowly but surely returning to normal.  There are no longer extraneous pieces of furniture in my living room, the Room Formerly Known as Carol’s Room now contains a bed complete with bedding, and my gorgeous stamping space is orderly enough that I can once again create without saying bad words.

A few things are MIA, most importantly my “handmade by Anne Matasci” stamp.  I’m sure it will turn up eventually, but tonight I ordered a new one as I’m not willing to waste any more time searching for the old one.  Of course, since I’ve placed the order, the old one will miraculously appear in front of my face.  Never fails.

My son thinks my stamping room and its beautiful, broad work space are a perfect place for doing homework.  The first night he worked up there he asked if it would be okay, but since then he just disappears and pretends he doesn’t hear me when I come into the room.  He has a desk, mind you, it’s just piled with so much, um, STUFF that he can’t sit there.  So be it.  I can share for now.

I do have a project to share:

Easter Petal Cone with leaves

  • Texture Jumbo Stampin’ Around Wheel
  • Peach Parfait, Old Olive, and Pumpkin Pie card stock
  • Peach Parfait Classic ink pad
  • Big Shot and Petal Cone Bigz die
  • 2 Step XL Bird punch; Boho Blossoms punch
  • Pearl Jewels; Crop-a-dile; Tombo the Wonder Adhesive
  • Old Olive 1/4 inch grosgrain and Linen thread

I made a series of Petal Cones that were supposed to be “carrot-like” but in my opinion they failed to look like any vegetable whatsoever.  I still like the way they turned out, I just don’t think they have any resemblance to carrots!  This one is pretty simple – I rolled the card stock with the wheel, assembled the cone, and attached miles and miles of little green stems and a whole bunch of Pumpkin Pie Blossoms using Tombo (whatever did we do before Tombo??).   The “carrot top” is 8 pieces of grosgrain folded over, with one piece measured double the length and folded twice to make a loop.  I wrapped the whole thing with one more piece of grosgrain and tied a tight knot, then used Linen Thread to attach it to the top of the Petal Cone die.   Somehow it works as most of the grosgrain stands upright, but the pieces closest to the outside of the bunch flop over.  Not a very sophisticated description, is it?

One last thought…because this renovation involved so many rooms in our house, I had to empty closets that hadn’t seen the light of day in a while.  Who knew that I had collected so much memorabilia?  I’ve had the best intentions to scrapbook so many things…trips, milestones, family photos…you know what I’m talking about.  All of those boxes are carefully stacked in the guest room, and beginning next week I will sort through SOMETHING every day.  My goal is to sift through and keep the meaningful mementos, then give myself the freedom to discard the junk.  I’ll keep you posted.

 

 

Thinking in blue and green

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There’s a color thread running through my days:

Bliss Circa Cover

  • Bliss (Sale-a-bration) stamp set
  • Old Olive, Whisper White, Marina Mist, Pear Pizazz and Night of Navy card stock
  • Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper
  • Old Olive, Marina Mist and Night of Navy Classic ink pads
  • Old Olive taffeta 3/8 inch ribbon
  • Piercing tool, template and mat
  • Sticky Strip and Mini Glue Dots
  • Corner rounder punch

DANG!  I just noticed that I rounded the corners of the cover and not the DSP panel!!  I really don’t like it when I miss details like that.  Back to the drawing board!

Ah, but I still like this cover for my Circa Notebook.  I love shades of blue and green together.  Even the vivid tones seem restful to me, and using natural elements like flowers and butterflies enhance the peaceful feeling.  Good thing, because when I open those pages and see all the stuff on my list, I can use a little deep breathing!  Nothing ventured, nothing gained – so I put it all on my lists and put the pedal to the metal!

One little construction note for you…the Old Olive taffeta ribbon is laid down on Sticky Strip, with a little flap created above each butterfly panel.  After the panels were attached, I added a Mini Glue dot under the ribbon flap to make it stay down.  It’s more 3-dimensional in person.

I’m off to tackle my list!

Caffeine + List = Inspiration

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Do you keep a “To Do” list?  I can’t function without one – or two!  My lists serve two functions.  First and most obvious is that lists help me keep track of what has to be done and when it has to be completed.  The second function is even more important; lists allow me to clear my mind.  If a task is written down, I can let my ideas simmer on the back burner without worrying I’ll forget them.  I even keep a pad of paper and a pen on my bedside table for those invasive dropping-off-to-sleep thoughts.

Being an organizer, I need a place for my lists.  I’ve mentioned the  Levenger Circa notebooks here, and here.  I’m a big fan of this system, and I love the fact that I can easily customize my covers.  It was time for something new:

Perk Up Circa cover

  • Perk Up, Baroque Motifs and Fabulous Phrases stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Old Olive and Whisper White card stock
  • Play Date and Springtime Vintage Designer Series papers
  • Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Old Olive and Pear Pizazz Classic ink pads
  • Marina Mist taffeta ribbon; Scallop trim border punch; Aquapainter
  • Piercing tool, template and mat

This is the Junior notebook, and the cover is 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches.  That’s BIG when you’re used to a 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 inch card front!  A little caffeine for inspiration and voila!  I had my cover.   If it were only this easy to finish the tasks on my list.

A clipboard can make you smile

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When you are looking for a quick and easy project that lifts your spirits, try a clipboard:

Greenhouse Gala Clipboard

  • Convention Special “Share What You Love” Stamp; Vintage Vogue stamp set
  • Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper
  • Real Red, Marina Mist and Whisper White card stock
  • Real Red, Marina Mist and Pear Pizazz Stampin’ Write markers; Versamark stamp pad
  • 1 3/4 inch and 2 3/8 inch scallop circle punches
  • Big Shot and  Tasteful Trim Bigz die
  • Real Red, Marina Mist and Pear Pizazz ribbons
  • Royal Decoupage Medium and a clipboard

These clipboards are super easy because I am careful to get this style of clip.  The measuring around the top is pretty simple, and you don’t have to try to hold the clip part open because it doesn’t close onto the paper but rather onto itself.  Clear as mud??

My other hint is to use your Decoupage medium on a quarter of the clipboard at a time.  Maybe some of you Mainland crafters can get the whole thing painted up without parts drying, but here on Maui that doesn’t happen.  Doing one section at a time allows me to get complete adhesion and to work my paper down the front of the clipboard slowly and carefully so that everything lines up.  I use my bone folder to make sure it’s all smooth and bubble-free, too.

Want to see the back?

Greenhouse Gala Clipboard back

Clipboards are diabolically dimensioned at 12 1/2 inches tall, so that 12 inch Designer Series paper is just a smidgen too short.  My solution is to cut two pieces of paper, one at 9 1/2 inches and one at 3 inches, and butt the seam closely.  (You can see I split it up for the back.)  I like to add a little trim to cover the seam and create extra visual interest, but it’s really not necessary.  Most clipboards are right about 9 inches wide, so the 3 inch piece you cut off to create that width can often be used to fill in the space on the bottom.

The renovations are coming along, but I will confess that I am growing weary of the chaos.  I’m one of those  “a place for every thing, and every thing in its place” kinds of girl, so having all surfaces covered with STUFF from all over the house is getting tiresome.  Builder Dan and his crew have been doing a fabulous job though, and my stamp studio has walls of a glorious hue.  All 3 days this weekend I kept stopping in the doorway, imagining myself putting all my things away In Their Places!!!  Soon, soon…but in the meantime, here is a little clue as to why I am so fond of Builder Dan:

Builder Dan's tool box

Honestly, what more could you ask for?  I’m hoping he’ll leave it behind when he’s finished.