Tag Archives: Big Shot

Poinsettas a Plenty

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‘Twas the night before Christmas…and the elves they ‘twer flying!

A quick post and a quick card for a busy day…I think this one could use something more, but everything I tried annoyed me.  My creative muse is a fickle creature (no relation to me, of course) and cannot be rushed.   I’ll leave this one as a simple card and be satisfied with that.

Poinsettas a Plenty

  • Berry Christmas stamp set
  • Real Red, Glorious Green, Brushed Gold and Whisper White card stock
  • Real Red Classic ink pad and Encore Gold ink pad
  • Scallop Trim punch
  • Big Shot and Petals a Plenty Embossing folder

Just one more sleep ’til Christmas!

Looking back, looking ahead

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I know I repeat myself…certain persons in my household have accused me of it on multiple occasions just to be sure I’m aware of that flaw.  Guilty as charged.

There are some sets on the Stampin’ Up! Dormant List that will retire in January which I will be very sorry to see leave.  One of the challenges of being a demonstrator – yes, we DO have challenges – is when a stamp set retires, we have to decide if we will allocate precious storage space to stamps we can no longer demonstrate.  If you’ve followed this blog at all, you know I don’t often do a very good job of letting go of retired things.  It’s partially because I get attached to the images, and partially because I’m something of a pack rat.  Eventually, I have to let go to make room for all the wonderful images being released.  It’s that time of year.

Wonderful Watercolors SC 260

  • Wonderful Watercolors and En Francais stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Regal Rose, and Pretty in Pink card stock
  • Mellow Moss Designer Series Paper from the Hostess Prints Pack III
  • Mellow Moss and Regal Rose Stampin’ Write Markers and Ink Refills
  • Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint and Aquapainter
  • Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon and Mini Glue dots
  • Scallop Trim Border (SAB  sneak peak) and Stamp-a-ma-jig
  • Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die and Elegant Bouquet Embossing folder

This is a SplitCoastStampers Sketch Challenge layout, SC260.  I’ll add the sentiment later when I’m ready to sent the card.  The little flowers look like the flowers on what I only know as Butterfly Bush, although I think the originals only come in lavender.  Artistic license! There’s Shimmer Paint mixed in with the Regal Rose ink refill on those little flowers.

The crazy Mainland weather has created some chaos in our household.  My middle daughter had an epic journey home from university in Boston, and her dear roomie who was to spend Christmas with us will instead arrive Christmas night.  They’re laughing about it now, in agreement that it will be one of their best college memories, but on Sunday as they dealt with cancellations, delays, and planes that loaded and de-planed without going anywhere, none of us were laughing much.

Safe travels.

Sometimes simple is best

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I’m a huge fan of the Clean and Simple (CAS) look…I just can’t seem to pull it off myself.  I come from the “More is More” school of card design, finding it hard to hold back from adding just one more ribbon, brad, or texture.

Today’s card is more of a CAS style than anything I usually do, although it still has more layers than a purist would use.  It’s a pretty card, and an easy one to make in quantity.  (Did I mention I haven’t made my cards yet?  Are we wondering where all this recent discussion about “production” has originated?  No mystery there.)

Clean and Simple Petals a Plenty Tree

  • All Holidays stamp set
  • Shimmer White, Brushed Gold, Real Red and Always Artichoke card stock; Vellum
  • Real Red Classic Ink pad; Champagne Mist shimmer paint
  • Big Shot and Petals a Plenty embossing folder
  • Small star punch; 1/16″ hand held circle punch; gold brads; sponge dauber

You can stamp on vellum with Classic ink – just be sure to give it plenty of time so it doesn’t smear.  The Plenty Petals on the tree are brushed with my favorite Champagne Mist Shimmer paint and a sponge dauber.

To create the tree, cut your triangle piece first, then run it through the embossing folder.  You’ll get a cleaner edge than if you try to cut that heavily embossing paper with your paper trimmer.

And that Petals a Plenty folder is GOING AWAY, girls and boys!!!  That’s a mini-catalog item and if you want one, you’d better get yourself to my Online Store and click that Shop Now! button and order one!  Pronto!

Build-a-Santa-Bear

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Last weekend was the final class in Anne and Crystal’s fantastic Holiday Series.  This bag definitely got high marks in the cute department, and would make any boy or girl – big or small – anxious to get a look inside.  We all agreed that you couldn’t put a gift for Just Anyone in such a cute bag…it would have to be a special someone, a someone who would appreciate both the Cute Factor and the effort that goes into attaching all the little pieces that make this bear so darn…well…cute!

BAB_bag

  • Big Shot, Stampin’ Up! Bear die, Stampin’ Up! Beary Merry die
  • Stampin’ Up! Pawsitively Embosslit, Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds 1 Texturz plate
  • Real Red, Old Olive, Whisper White, Basic Black, and Summer Sun cardstock
  • Many Merry Messages stamp set
  • Scallop edge punch, 1 3/4″ circle punch,  Gold Elastic cord, Old Olive 1/2″ striped grograin ribbon
  • Purchased kraft handle bag

I’m a big fan of gift bags.  In addition to being the easiest wrapping job you could imagine, they’re re-usable.  I’ve noticed a big difference in the amount of trash we collect on Christmas morning since we’ve started using more bags.  They’re not peek-proof, though, and I usually have all the gift bag gifts hidden (and hidden well, I might add) to be placed under the tree on Christmas Eve.  Just because my kids – and dear husband – are mostly grown up is no assurance that they won’t peek.  They all like to poke, prod and shake, and gift bags are just too great a temptation.

 

 

Autumn leaves

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Another of the projects that I’ve wanted to tackle forever has made it to completion.  There’s a beautiful wreath on page 92 of the Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and Catalog made with the Leaves #2 Originals die (113459, $15.95).  I had my own color scheme in mind, and over the past couple of weeks I’ve cut out leaves and figured out what to use for a form.  I finally took a big breath and starting attaching the leaves to the base.  I often get stuck at that commitment point – my idea seems so clear in my head, and I get all the components ready to go, but putting the project together makes my fingers go all shaky.

Yesterday the wreath came into being and I am very pleased with the results.

Leaves_Wreath

  • Big Shot, Sizzix Leaves #2 Originals Die, and Stampin’ Up! Backgrounds 1 Texturz plates
  • So Saffron, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, and Soft Suede cardstock
  • Thoroughly Modern, Old Olive Patterns, and a retired Designer Series Paper
  • 12″ Wire wreath form, cheesecloth, hot glue and gun, and purchased Gold 1 1/2″ wire edge ribbon

Here are the basic construction steps:

  1. Wrap cheesecloth around the wire frame and secure with loose basting stitches
  2. Cut 24 sheets of leaves (4 leaves per sheet)
  3. Attach leaves to outside edge of wreath, one at a time, using hot glue and overlapping
  4. Repeat process for inside edge of wreath
  5. Fill in the center of the wreath, balancing for shape and color
  6. Attach ribbon and bow; hang wreath and admire!

Here’s what the wreath form looked like before the leaves went on:

Wreath_bones

Wreath_first_l;ayer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you’re inspired – it was much easier than I thought it would be.  It’s a great way to use up those odd sheets of Designer Series papers, too, as each page yields 4 sheets of leaves.  Now pull out that Big Shot and get crankin’!!

 

 

Sparkly and Bright

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Crystal and I did a Christmas tags class a few weeks ago.  I would plan anything with that woman.  She is extraordinarily creative, fun to be with, and to top it off, she appreciates my off-the-wall sense of humor.  We had two shifts of crafters come through her living room one Saturday, and there were a LOT of tags that went out the door.

Sparkly_Brite_tag

  • Sparkly and Bright stamp set
  • Kraft, Whisper White, and Handsome Hunter card stock
  • Chocolate Chip Classic stamp pad; Real Red Stampin’ Write marker
  • Real Red 3/4″ Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon
  • Big Shot and Stampin’ Up! Two Tags die
  • 1 3/8″ circle punch, Circle Scallop punch and UniBall Signo gel pen

I absolutely did NOT need this Bigz die until Crystal bought it.  As soon as I saw this tag, I knew I was in big, big trouble.  I could envision so many things in that little circle – Christmas trees, jack o’ laterns, birds, party hats, flowers, butterflies…any and every occasion.  She is a very bad influence.  It takes me 30 minutes to drive to her house (ie her craft room), but fortunately, she is only a few blocks from a) my husband’s office and b) my son’s high school.  I am trying to convince her to move next door to me, but so far no go.  Something about her house being 5 minutes from work.  Can you imagine how much trouble we could get into if she was only steps away??

 

(P.S.  Do not try to convince me to move closer to her.  Yes, I know it would be closer to my husband’s work.  Yes, I know it would be closer to my son’s school.  But I am a 5 minute walk from one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world and I am staying put.  I will buy my own Bigz Two Tags die if I have to.)

November, the month that gets cheated

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I love Christmas.  It’s a wonderful family holiday, and for me as for many, it’s a holy season as well.  I don’t like over-commercialization though, and it makes me crazy to hear Christmas music in stores in October.

(Quick diversion – my local Chico’s was playing Christmas music in early October, around the 7th or so.  I commented to my friend who works there how much I objected to it and she suggested I send an email to corporate.  I did, and received a nice reply  – then learned a week later that my email was forwarded to all the stores and they took the music off!!  WOO HOO!!  A company that listens…what a concept.)

So, back to topic…Christmas is in December.  And in my opinion, Christmas decorations and music belong in December.  That would be AFTER Thanksgiving, one of the best holidays in the American calendar.  But I am in the craft business, and everyone knows you cannot do all of your Christmas crafting in one month, especially when that one month is also crammed full of holiday parties, Christmas cookies, Christmas shopping and wrapping, school Christmas programs, Nutcrackers, Messiahs, Festivals of Trees, and the arrival of Santa in his Canoe (and yes, he does come in a Canoe, I have seen him myself).  I’ve posted a few other Christmas cards, and starting today you’ll see a few more.  You won’t see them every day, because this is the Thankful Month, but you’ll see enough.

All right, I’ll get off my soap box now.  I do tend to rant and rave.

Kraft_Navy_Ornament

  • Delightful Decorations, All Holidays, and Snow Swirled Stamp sets
  • Night of Navy, Whisper White and Kraft card stock
  • Night of Navy and Sahara Sand Classic Stamp pads
  • Big Shot and Petals a Plenty Embossing folder
  • Linen twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals and the Ornament punch

This is a card that is simple enough to produce in quantity without making a crafter any more insane that she/he already is.  (See how Politically Correct I am becoming??)  There are nearly endless color combinations you could use on this card too.  And note the tone-on-tone background on the card front – using a couple of sentiments is one of my favorite ways of adding texture to a card front.  I used to stamp randomly, but that didn’t work well because the words didn’t like being stamped on top of one another when I didn’t leave adequate space between images.  Now I start with one image and stamp it diagonally down the page.  I fill in with a second stamp in line with the first one, and continue across and down the paper.  If I have a third sentiment I’ll use that next , but as often as not, I just alternate two stamps across until the page is full.   A wheel would work really well too – I was just too lazy to go find my Jumbo Handle.

Enjoy Christmas crafting…but don’t forget the Thankful month.

 

I think I found my MOJO!

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It’s been a long time coming.  I’ve tried a number of the Mojo Monday sketches and looked at way more than I’ve tried.  More often than not, I’d look at the sketch and think it was out of my league.  The few times I did attempt the sketch, I felt dissatisfied with the results.

Until today.  Ta da!  Mojo110.

Mojo110_friendship

Mojo110 Mojo Monday Challenge

  • Inspired by Nature and Wings of Friendship stamp sets
  • Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Yoyo Yellow, Brocade Blue and Whisper White cardstock
  • Old Olive and Bashful Blue Classic ink pads;  Bashful Blue Craft ink pad; Champagne Mist Shimmer paint
  • Big Shot and SU Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die
  • Iridescent Ice Embossing powder, Embossing Budy, Powder Pal, Heat tool, pop-up glue dot and Stampin’ Sponges
  • Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon, Rich Razzleberry polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, and Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware flower ribbon slide

Do you like it?  I do!  I wouldn’t say it’s my absolute all time favorite, but I’m happy with it – especially considering how much I’ve agonized in the past, and by contrast, how naturally this card came together.  I was working with the color combination for a bag topper for my ribbon share, and decided that with a few changes it would make a great card.  The changes grew and expanded and the Mojo Sketch suddenly popped into my head.  Maybe the reason I’m so happy with this card is that it flowed from that point.

If you’ve never tried a sketch challenge, there are an abundance of them.  Here’s the MojoMonday site.  You can also find them in a multitude of blogs and stamping community sites.

The photo doesn’t pick it up, but there’s Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint Magic Elixer (1/4 tsp shimmer paint with 3-5 Tbsp of rubbing alcohol in a mist bottle) on the sentiment.  It goes on everything these days – we even used it on my girlfriend’s Halloween costume!

The moral of this story?  You may have to kiss a lot of card stock before you find your Mojo!

Big Shot Daisies

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It took me a while to break down and buy these daisies.  I already had some Big Shot flowers.  Why did I need more?

I kept seeing samples.  Creative people doing beautiful things.  Cards.  Scrapbook pages.  Package toppers.  It went on and on until I couldn’t stand it any more.  Shoot, it only cost $19.95 (114520), and I could use my demo discount, so what was the big deal?

I’m so glad I bought this Bigz Die.  These graduated flowers are such fun.  It took me a while to figure out that they need an itsy bitsy curve in the petals to look their best.  You can do it with the side of a pencil or even your finger – just give a little roll to the edge of the petal and suddenly you have dimension!  Don’t whine, it’s not that much effort, and it looks great…

Daisies_No2_crop

  • No stamps!!  No Ink!
  • So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Kraft cardstock; Sale-a-bration 2009 Designer Series Paper
  • Big Shot, Daisies #2 Bigz die, and Stampin’ Up! backgrounds 1
  • Piercing tool and mat pack; retired colored buttons (substitute Fresh Favorites)

You could easily add a message on an oval punch – this card was for a custom order without sentiments.

Love these little boxes

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I love containers of all sorts.  Fortunately for me, the company by that name does not have a store on Maui.  If they did, it would be a very dangerous thing for my wallet.  Knowing that, it’s clear how quickly the Stampin’ Up! Bitty Box and Envelope Bigz XL die (115967, $42.95) would catch my eye the first time I browsed through the new Idea Book and Catalog back in July.  The envelope is just right for a tiny 2″ x 2″ gift card, and the little box is sized to hold the cards and envelopes.  It’s also just the right size for a favor box.

Tower o' Bitty Boxes

Tower o' Bitty Boxes

I’m not even going to begin trying to tell you what all these papers are.  Not one of them is current.  I’ve been diligently trying to use up my hoard of retired Designer Series Papers and this seemed the perfect way to do it.  The Big Shot is pretty cool that way – it takes odd bits and scraps and grinds them up and gives you cute little playthings in return.

These boxes are for the members of my Hostess Club.  There’s a little something that fits perfectly inside to give them sustenance, and then they get to embellish the box and bring it to the next club for Show and Tell.  It’s the gift that keeps on giving!