Category Archives: Stampin' Up!

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.

The cutest little designer bags you’ve ever seen

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At our team meeting last month, Lisa brought this card as a shoebox swap:

Lisa's Purses card

I don’t know all the details, because she had most of it prepped for us to put together.  She did tell us the little handbags are made from a section of the Build A Cupcake punch.  Can you stand it?  This card is a punch-a-holic heaven…the scallop ribbon, scallop and regular squares, scallop and regular ovals, and a few round punches too.  The handbag handles are made by punching a small circle out of cardstock and then using a larger circle to frame the small one and create the handle.  This was our favorite card!

She had another version she’d made, but I don’t have a photo of it.   You could go so many directions with little changes in this design!  I think she CASEd it, but I didn’t hear her mention the name of the crafter so if it’s you, please let us know.

Spring is Blossoming

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There’s a little taste of good things to come this month from Stampin’ Up!  From April 1 to 30, when you spend $20 on Stampin’ Up! products (I KNOW.  Who are they kidding?  $20??) you can purchase the Four Frames stamp set and the Petals Designer Series paper that will be included in the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.

I have mixed feelings about these sneak peaks.  Part of me gets really excited and wants to jump right in, and part of me feels disappointed because when I come to that page in the new catalog I’ll see that set and say “oh, I’ve already got this”.  Weird,  I know.

So let’s check in with the excited part of me, ok?

Four Frames with Paisley Petals

  • Four Frames Stamp Set
  • Not Quite Navy, Bravo Burgundy, Certainly Celery and Whisper White card stock
  • Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper
  • Not Quite Navy, Bravo Burgundy and Peach Parfait Classic ink pads
  • Decorative Label  and Eyelet Trim punches
  • Marina Mist 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon
  • Big Shot and Lattice Textured Impressions embossing folder
  • Aquapainter
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals

This is a pretty simple card, and I love how the frame on the stamp finishes off the edge of the punch so I don’t feel compelled to mess around with matting it.   That Certainly Celery trim was an inspiration that shocked me a little, but I’ve come around to it and like the way it looks.  (Honestly?  There was a narrow piece of Certainly Celery card stock sitting on the craft table right in front of me as I was making the card.  I have no idea how it got there.)

The papers the Paisley Petals group are gorgeous.  I’m not a big Paisley fan, and these papers are a stylized paisley on one side and stunning florals on the other.  I broke down and ordered both the stamps and the papers, reasoning that I loved them both and by spending the money now, I would have more to spend in July when the full IBC comes out.  How’s that for creative financing??

Here are the details on the offer:

 

If you need help figuring out what to spend the $20 on in order to qualify for this promotion, just let me know!  I have LOTS of ideas 🙂

Shop in your jammies around the clock at my Online Store.

Thank you in any language

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It takes a very special person to make a girl feel at home when she’s 8,000 miles across the world – give or take a few.  Every time I talk to Sara, she has a story about Isabel, her host mom.  I would love to meet this woman, but since a trip to Spain isn’t possible right now, I made her a card:

 

5th Avenue Gracias

  • Gracias, Four Frames and 5th Avenue Floral stamp sets
  • Wild Wasabi, Rose Red and Whisper White card stock
  • Black Stazon ink pad
  • Wild Wasabi and Rose Red Classic ink pads
  • Black wide stripe grosgrain ribbon
  • Decorative label punch
  • Champagne Shimmer paint mixed with rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle
  • Aquapainter

How can you not love a woman who insists your daughter MUST eat breakfast so that she won’t faint on the walk to school?  Who cooks hamburgers (made with ground chicken, a better choice) for the first time in her life for her American student?  Who treats my daughter as her own…of course I am going to love this woman, even if I never meet her.

My daughters tease me, telling me it’s my own fault they’ve traveled so far.  I raised them to be confident, strong young women.  I live on Maui, for goodness sake, you would think they might like to spend time here!  But they are both where they belong, and they both call to check in regularly.  They don’t fool me, though – it’s not always the first question, but it’s never long before they ask “How’s Pookie?” (That’s Captain Stupidhead in Girl-Speak.)

I’m writing my message to Isabel in English, and Sara will have to translate.  I want to get it right, and I’m sure Sara will make sure she understands.  Isabel is a mother, too, and I think the language is the same.

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.

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Down Under

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Today is Carol’s birthday, except of course it’s tomorrow when I’m writing this, but it’s yesterday in Australia.  Thank goodness for Google or I would be entirely lost – I rely on my time widgets to keep me organized.  I’m going to break one of my rules and show you her card.  I don’t think she’s gotten it yet, because I sent it a little late and the Australian Postal Gorillas will likely decide to throw it on the ground and STOMP on it for a few extra days, and oh yeah because I forgot to calculate an extra day because it’s tomorrow there…ok, I’ll stop.

Now, I need to warn you that this card is  made with a lot of retired Stampin’ Up! product.  If it drives you crazy to see retired things that you can’t get, then go look at another post:

Happy Birthday Carol

  • So Happy for You (SAB) and the wheel that coordinated with Carte Postal
  • Pink Pirouette, Old Olive and Whisper White card stock – Current!
  • Pink Pirouette and Rose Red Classic ink pads – Current!
  • Eyelet border punch – Current!
  • Rose Red seam binding – Current!
  • Pearl jewels – Current!
  • Those cute little felt flowers, who knows what they were called, but I bought this batch on the Clearance Rack

The ruffled ribbon is made by laying down a length of Sticky Strip and folding the ribbon into little pleats and sticking it down as you fold.

As difficult as it is to be so far from my daughter, I know she is exactly where she belongs, and she is very happy.  I talk with her face to face as often as we can manage thanks to Skype.  What more could a mother ask?  Happy birthday, sweetie.

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.