Anne and Crystal’s Annual Bag and Tag Extravaganza

Posted on November 14, 2010 by mauistamper

Yesterday was Anne and Crystal’s Annual Bag and Tag Extravaganza (ACABTE). We enjoy these events so much – but I always forget to take photos. Crystal’s son Isaac was the star of the event and we all enjoyed watching and playing with him, but I didn’t take even one picture! My bad.

A couple of people had last minute conflicts and weren’t able to attend, and I promised I would get project photos up right away. They’ll get packets with all the pieces to put the bags together but having a photo as your guide is a big help.

This bag uses stamps from Tree Trimmings, Delightful Decorations, and Many Merry Messages. The ornament on the panel is 3 stamped ornaments punched with the ornament punch. Each one is scored down the center and then adhered back to back to make a 3-D ornament. These are also fun to do as 360 degree ornaments – I use six punched shapes to make a paper ornament. I thought I’d posted some of these a while back, but I can’t seem to find them – I’ll have to take some photos to show you what they look like.

This bag uses the Peaceful Season Level II Hostess set and the Tags for Christmas set that is currently offered at a 20% discount when purchsed with the XL Decorative Label punch. I think Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler were designed with brown paper bags in mind!

If you’ve never made one of these punched paper flowers, don’t be intimidated – they look fabulous but they’re easy as can be. You can use a scallop circle, a plain circle or any of the flower punches to create the flower, and each shape yields a slightly different result. Punch 6 to 8 circles, stack them and pierce the center with a pokey doodle (piercing tool!) and piercing mat. Secure a brad through the stack and use a mist bottle to dampen the circle on the top. Use your fingers to “smoosh” that first circle up into a standing clump; I advised a woman at ACABTE yesterday to imagine it was her boss’s head and my goodness did she do a fine job of smooshing!!! Once you’ve gotten the first circle smooshed, continuing dampening and smooshing the rest of the layers one at a time. When you’re done, lightly press the top of the flower to open it back out and just let it dry in place. Here’s a flower close-up:

As you can see, I was liberal with the Champagne Mist Shimmer paint spritz (a few drops in 70% isopropyl alcohol in a mist bottle). It’s Christmas time – you’ve got to have some sparkle!!

Cookin’ with Cherry Cobbler

Posted on October 27, 2010 by mauistamper

Cherry Cobbler has won me over. When I first saw it, I thought it was too dark. Silly me.

Peaceful Season stamp set
Naturals Ivory, Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke card stock
Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke Classic ink pads
Champagne Mist shimmer paint
Always Artichoke Seam Binding; Linen thread; Deck the Halls buttons
Piercing tool and mat

This was one of the cards we did at Anne and Crystal’s Annual Christmas Card Extravaganza. I know some of the ladies grumbled because my assembly instructions were to sew on the button – one lady even asked for the “Glue Boogers”. But those big ‘ole buttons are gonna take an elephant trunk full of glue boogers to stay on, and if you pre-punch your stitching holes with the piercing tool and mat the sewing is as easy as pie.

If you missed the card class, we still have a couple of spots in the afternoon session of the Bag and Tag Extravaganza – send me an email for details.

Adding Texture with Embossing Folders

Posted on October 26, 2010 by mauistamper

I was a little late jumping on the Big Shot Textured Impressions Embossing Folders bandwagon. My “gonna be hot” intuition isn’t especially well-tuned and I actually get it wrong quite often. I’ll see something – of course, it’s going to be something that I absolutely love – and I’ll be convinced that the rest of the world (read here “My Customers”) will be crazy about it. Case in point: there was a hostess set a couple of years ago with a gorgeous rooster. The less said about that stamp set, the better.

So where was I? Ah yes…Embossing Folders. I wasn’t quite sure if I would use them. (Sorry, did you just snort your morning coffee all over your monitor? Yeah, me too.) I should hasten to add that once I got my hands on those folders I quickly realized the error of my ways. But last fall when the Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder came out in the Holiday Mini I didn’t buy it. I did borrow it from my upline, and I ran a bunch of quarter sheets through my Big Shot in holiday colors. Let’s define “a bunch” as WAY more than I needed, ok? So when I saw a project this fall that would use multiple quarter sheets, you can bet I paid attention:

Jolly Old St Nick and Peaceful Season stamp sets
Real Red and Whisper White card stock
Basic Black, Wild Wasabi, Old Olive and Always Artichoke Classic ink pads
Real Red Stampin’ Write marker; Stampin’ Sponges
Blushing Bride ink refill and an Aquapainter; Gold ink
Real Red satin ribbon; Linen thread; Deck the Halls Buttons
Stampin’ Dimensionals and Sticky Strip

There’s a great tutorial for this project at Splitcoaststampers and it was very easy to follow. I want to point out that when I say Kleenex box, that is what I mean: this is the genuine article, not Brand X. The tutorial dimensions are for a Kleenex brand box, so if you use another brand be sure to check your dimensions. And pay attention when the instructions tell you to sponge the edges of the box and across the embossing – it matters.

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