Mojo Monday 118 - Lovely as a Tree

We drove home from Calgary last night and I was inspired by the prairie sunset along the way. Even though we were driving east, we had a 360 degree view of the lingering sunset. It reminded me of exactly why I live here in spite of the cold! I used this week's Mojo Monday Sketch (better late than never). The itty bitty tag is from the new Tiny Tags set to be released January 5th and the snowflake charm is from A Charming Place.

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Tiny Tags
Ink: Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Regal Rose, Versamark
Accessories: Perfect Details Texturz Plate, White Gel Pen, Tiny Tag Punch, Grommet, Ribbon

On Board Trinket Tags

I have to put in a plug for the On Board Trinkets found in the clearance rack of Stampin' UP!'s online store. I bought the kit awhile ago, but as always waited until the very last minute to pull them out to create my tags for those extra special gifts. The regular price on these was $29.99 CAD and they are on sale while supplies last for $10.99 CAD. They come with 6 9x9 sheets of chipboard plus matching die cut patterned paper. These were so easy to make. I printed wallet sized photos and used my punches to cut them out, covered the chipboard with the matching die cut paper, added some ribbon and tiny tags and was done! If you look closely, you'll also notice a sneak peek at a stamp set that will be featured in the new occasions mini catalogue. The itty bitty tags, as well as the 4 you were stamped with a new set called Tiny Tags and punched out with a matching punch. I think I have a new favourite punch!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Season of Joy Card

I'm loving the Season of Joy stamp set this year! I sat down with my ink, sponges, and Season of Joy stamp set this afternoon and came up with this "one last Christmas card". Now I need to move on to the wrapping and tags!

Last Day of the 12 Days of Holiday Sale & A Special Offer from Me!

Today is the last day to take advantage of the great specials on select Big Shot dies and Decor Sheets. As my gift to you, from now until December 25th, I am offering the Big Shot machine for only $99.95 Canadian (sorry, Canadian customers only). That's below demonstrator cost! This promotion is my own special promotion and will likely not be honoured by other demonstrators. Because it is a personal promotion and not one offered by Stampin' UP!, sales tax and shipping will be calculated on the full price. Orders may be placed through me or through my store. For orders placed through my store, I will refund the $32.95 by cheque, so make sure your mailing address is complete. Order today to take advantage of the 12 Days of Holiday Sales as well.

Check out what I made with my Big Shot, Chocolate Chip Decor Sheet, and the Tulipe Die (all on sale). This is part of my Stampin' Studio. I rescued the change table and baby dresser from my own garage sale when they didn't sell right away. They're not exactly top quality, but the decor piece dresses them up a bit. I literally did this in exactly 10 minutes from start to finish.

Here's a bit more of the room. The chocolate chip Decor fits quite nicely with my Create Decor Elements piece, which was my very first purchase when Stampin' UP! released their line of Decor Elements.

Using Decor Elements Sheets with the Big Shot

I needed a quick and inexpensive gift so I got out my new Decor Elements Sheets and got to work on this Cookie Mix in a Jar gift. Thankfully I stockpiled IKEA jars for just this occasion! Now that Stampin' UP! has released coloured Decor Elements Sheets, the possibilities are endless.

Here's how to use your Big Shot to create your own Decor Elements.

Begin by cutting a piece of the Decor Sheet to fit your die. I used the Snowflake. Run this piece through your Big Shot following the same instructions you would for a normal piece of cardstock. Do not remove the negative piece.

Next, cut a piece from the included transfer paper to the same size as the piece you cut for your die. Remove the backing and stick the sticky side over top of the good side of your Decor Sheet.

Flip the piece over and burnish slightly with your applicator tool to make sure that the piece sticks to your transfer paper.

Next, remove the negative part of your Decor Sheet from your image. I had to use my paper piercer to pick out those itty bitty snowflake pieces.

Your image is now almost ready to apply to your surface.

Before applying, I like to flip the piece one more time and burnish the back to make sure that it will come off the transfer paper easily.

Flip it back over and remove the backing from your image.

You are now ready to apply your new Decor Element to the surface of your project. Make sure that the surface is clean. Apply your piece by carefully sticking onto the surface of your project, then using the applicator tool to burnish it.

 I found my Cookies in a Jar Mix at All Recipes. I tied a bow on the top and added a tag with the baking instructions for the cookies. It made a quick and easy gift that I know will be appreciated.

Tomorrow is the last day to buy Decor Elements Sheets on sale. Go to my store to see all the items available during the 12 Days of Holiday Sales.

Quick & Easy Secret Santa Gift: We Whisk You a Merry Kissmas

Here's another Secret Santa Gift from last week. I'm so glad I signed up at work for this gift exchange. Not only was it a blast trying to hide the fact that it was me (one of only a handful of "crafty" people on staff), but it actually got me back in my Stampin' Studio doing what I love!

I can't take the credit for this idea. It can be found at Organized Christmas (although I think the hand made tag makes it so much more personal). There are also many examples floating around on the web. The gold mesh was left over from a gift I received last Christmas. White would have matched a little better, but I don't think the recipient noticed!

I also found a chef's hat at Dollarama, which fit the theme perfectly even if it didn't match the colour scheme.

Paper Rose Tutorial: New Use for Stampin' UP!'s Ornament Punch

This project started out with me trying to figure out how to recreate a paper rose that I saw online. It was August and my Stampin' UP! preorder containing my Ornament punch was sitting on my table, when I had a lightbulb moment. Instead of trying to hand cut a dozen or more tiny paper petals, what would happen if I punched them out instead? This was my second flower attempt, which explains why it looks a little squished (I was having a tough time deciding how to glue it down flat). I've also made these flowers out of tissue paper and plain paper. See this post for a Faux Suede rose that I added to a card.

My first attempt at this didn't turn out quite as well as my second. It's definitely a practice makes perfect type of project. However, I loved the result. Here's how to make your own. Feel free to email me if something isn't quite clear!
Begin by punching out 10-12 cardstock ornaments in the colour of your choice. The points of each ornament will become petals. Spray your cardstock ornaments with water and crumple them up to distress them. To add dimension to your finished rose, use an aquapainter to watercolor the base of the petals. Here I used Crushed Curry on So Saffron cardstock.



Roll your first petal into a bud shape. Start at one end and roll to the other end, curling the petal as you go.
To create your next petal, pinch the base of the petal to create a fan shape. The higher you pinch the base, the smaller your petal will be. Use three smaller petals to add to the bud you've created. I found that SNAIL adhesive worked to hold the petal temporarily in place while adding more petals (make sure they're dry).
Keep pinching the base of the flower bud as you add layers to it.

Continue adding petals to your rose until it's the size you want it to be. I used a total of 12 petals on my finished rose. To finish my rose, I wrapped the base with sticky strip to hold the petals in place and trimmed as close to the petals as possible to eliminate the bulk. I punched four more ornaments to create the leaves for my final project.

Thanks for looking. I'd love to see your creations!

Embossed Acetate Pillow Box

This was my Secret Santa gift for yesterday. It was quick and easy to make. My new favourite technique is to emboss Medium Window sheets with the Petals-a-plenty embossing folder and then lightly sand the top of the image. The pillow box is filled with chocolates covered with a stamped design.

Simply Inspired Easel Card

I'd love to say that my Christmas cards are all done, but I must confess that I haven't finished making, let alone mailing them. I'm much better at the shopping part than I am at the getting things made part! While browsing a local shop I discovered this Peace Decoration and was inspired by the concept. Here is the card that I created as a result.

The card is an easel card. There are several tutorials around on how to make them. I based mine on the one found on Splitcoast Stampers . Cut a sheet of cardstock in half and score at the 4 1/4" and 6 1/8" marks (accordion fold these). Next cut your card front - 5 1/2" x 4 1/4". Glue the smallest panel of your folded piece to the top half of your card front. Add an element with dimensionals or a button to the base of the card to hold everything in place.

I kept this card simple in case I actually get around to making my cards this year!

Stamps: Season of Simple Grace, Serene Snowflakes
Cardstock & Ink: Kraft, Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Bella Bleu Designer Series Patterned Paper
Accessories: Frost White Shimmer Paint, Big Shot (Top Note Die & Serif Essentials Die), Chunky Glitter

Christmas Card with Ornament Vase

I'll start with the usual apology for the length of time between posts. I stepped away from my blog (and pretty much crafting in general) to take a deep breath and focus on my family and my career. Fall is always busy at school, but this year the full time job combined with an increase in time spent on extra-curricular has kept me beyond busy. While I won't promise to update every day from now on, I am planning on updating with projects counting down to Christmas. I've been back in my craft room creating projects for our "Secret Santa" at work, so it's a good time to get back into the stampin' groove!

This was one of those "quick & easy" cards. I love the new Petals a Plenty embossing folder in the mini catalogue. I also cut the tip off an ornament punched with the ornament punch for a quick vase. Check back later this week for a tutorial on how to make paper roses out of the ornament punch.

Stamps: Season of Joy
Cardstock/Ink: Bermuda Bay, Ruby Red, Garden Green

Spotlight on Decor Elements - Photo Wall Collage

I have a very large wall in my Stampin' Studio sitting area that has needed something for quite awhile. I mentioned in my last Spotlight on Decor Elements post that we recently repainted and had to remove the Home is Built of Love & Dreams image from the living room. I reordered one in black this time (to match the frames and the couch) and decided to create a wall collage out of my favourite photos and Decor Elements. The wedding photo was one of those really expensive, but what am I going to do with it 13 years later kind things. The rest of the frames were purchased from the clearance rack at Zellers. I love that they don't all match!

To create the collage, I began by ironing that long crumpled paper that comes in the Stampin' UP boxes. I then traced each frame onto the paper and cut them out. This way I was able to decide exactly where they went on the wall and hanging them was a breeze.

I initially bought the flourishes when Decor Elements were first released, but I must confess that I didn't really know what to do with them. Tucking them behind the photos adds the perfect touch and ties the collage together.

The whole project turned out even better than I imagined and adds a new warmth to my studio. Best of all, with the exception of that really expensive, somewhat dated wedding photo, I can switch out the photos to keep things fresh!

New Night & Day Paper!

How gorgeous is this new Designer Series Paper? It will be available with the release of the Holiday Mini Catalogue. I love most paper, but this is by far my favourite of all the patterned papers Stampin' UP! has ever released. I created this layout for this week's Scrapping Out Loud challenge - use tissue paper on a layout. I decided to work on it at the cabin, so I had to stick to the supplies I grabbed as I headed out the door. The result is a simple layout that came together very quickly.

Animal Stories Pop Up Card

Wow two posts in one week. It's been a long time since I've done that! I've had the inside of this card half finished for weeks, but I never got around to finishing the outside of it, probably because I kept making mistakes and adding more pieces which didn't look quite right. I was inspired by yesterday's Mojo Monday Sketch for the front of the card. The inside uses the Pop Up Cake Die and the Animal Stories Stamp Set (which also can be found in the Growing Up section of the Catalogue.

Stamps: Animal Stories, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Brilliant Blue, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Pop Up Cake Die, Modern Label & Word Window punches, Designer Series Buttons, 5/8" Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch

Paper: Tall Tales Designer Series Patterned Paper, Brilliant Blue, Chocolate Chip

Pony Party Birthday Card

I had some time to play in my stampin room today. My horse lovin' daughter fell in love with this stamp set the very first time she saw it in the new catalogue. I ordered it right away, but I must confess this is the first time it's seen ink.

This stamp set can be found in the Growing Up section of the Idea Book & Catalogue, meaning it can be used as part of an order qualifying for Stampin' UP!'s Growing Up promotion. Spend $45 CAD before shipping & taxes on stamp sets from the Growing Up section and receive a free package of Designer Buttons!

Stamps: Pony Party

Paper: Razzleberry Lemonade, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Paper Vellum, Shimmer White Cardstock
Ink: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay

Accessories: Blossom Party Die, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Build-a-brad, Top Note Die, SU Backgrounds Texturz Plate, iridescent ice embossing powder, scallop edge punch

Spotlight on Decor Elements - Change it up!

Wow, Summer is flying by and I've spent more time cleaning and decorating my Stampin' Space than I've spent stamping in it! I'm pleased to say that I'm almost done and it will be ready when clubs and classes resume in the fall. In the meantime, I want to spend the next few days showing you what I've been doing with Stampin' UP!'s Decor Elements.

We painted our house this Spring, which meant that the "Home is Built of Love & Dreams" that I earned as a hostess during the last catalogue period, had to come down. While it was tough emotionally to peel off something that I had only put up a couple of months earlier, it literally was a breeze to take down. Here's what I learned from removing this piece:

1. It literally peels right off the wall.

2. It does not take off a speck of paint.

3. It does not leave a mark whatsoever.

4. When Stampin' UP! says that it is not reuseable, they mean it. I thought I'd be really careful and save part of it. No such luck. I managed to get the "me" off in one piece and stick it on a 12x12 album cover with the intention of using it as an "All about me" album. It looks terrible - full of creases and bubbles where the vinyl had stretched. I'll be peeling that off before long! I did, however, manage to peel off the letters for Dreams. I stuck them on the front of a frame, but have concluded that rub-ons would look better because I would have at least been able to apply them straight!

After painting the walls, I decided to put the frames back where they originally were. The pictures were taken five years ago, but they still make me smile. This time I added the large family decor element piece. I managed to earn another Home is Built of Love and Dreams piece thanks to a very large pre-order from the new catalogue. I'll show you what I did with that one in a post later in the week.

Did you know that Stampin' UP! is offering a limited edition Decor Elements growth chart as part of the August/September Just for Kids Campaign? I have one on order and will also be posting pictures of what I do with it later in the month. Buy the chart for $33.95 (CAD) and receive a free applicator tool.

Also part of the Just for Kits promotion in August, spend $45 (before shipping & taxes) on stamp sets from the Growing Up section of the Idea Book & Catalogue and receive your choice of designer buttons free! Download the flyer here.

WANTED Scrapbook Page

It's been ages since I've actually sat down to scrapbook something for me - not for workshops or displays or gifts, but for me! I decided to participate in the challenge over at Scrapping Out Loud this week. The challenge was to distress a layout - perfect for me! I also stumbled across the color combination challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers, which was to use Really Rust, Not Quite Navy, and Pretty in Pink. I love the unexpected burst of pink in the combo and used it to bring out my daughter's pink riding helmet. I wasn't going to use patterned paper, but ended up pulling out my scrap box and liked the addition of the Outlaw (retired) paper. Other than that piece, however, everything else is current.

Stamp: Wanted
Paper & Ink: Pretty in Pink, Kraft, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy
Accessories: Linen Thread, Fresh Favorites Buttons, Star Punches, Chipboard, etc

Love Word Album

Deal of the Week!

I love this week's deal. This week only you can purchase the Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware for only $26.99. That's over 30% off the regular price of $41.95!

Orders can be placed through me or online through my business website (click the 24 hour shopping button on the top left of this page)

I used the Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware on the following project. I apologize for all the retired elements in this album (as well as for the fact that the album itself is not Stampin' UP!, but rather purchased a long time ago at the local scrapbook store). With the exception of the album (Bo Bunny) and charms (from A Charming Place), however, everything else is Stampin' UP!. I started it back in January with the intention of displaying it for Valentine's Day. Obviously that didn't happen and I finally put the finishing touches on it this week. At this rate it will be another month before I get pictures added, so I decided to post it as it is. Enjoy!

The scallop envelope makes a great pocket for holding photos or journalling. The paper pieces on the back of the "O" and on the "V" pages also pull out for hiden journalling or additional photos. I've also created pockets in most of the other photo mats in the album in case I decide to add more pull out elements later when I add my photos.

The last page wasn't really a part of the original album, but I wanted the "E" to stand out a little more. I covered the cardboard backing that came in the package and instantly had another page.

Supplies Used:

Stamp: Love You Much

Ink & Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Vanilla

Accessories: Big Shot (Dies: Birds & Blooms, Tulipe), Felt Flower Fusion 2, Pretties Kit, Small Hearts Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Jumbo Grommets, Jumbo Brads and more!