Category Archives: 3-D, Gifts & Things

Decorating a Baby Gift Bag

Decorating a baby gift bag

While I had this shiny blue gift bag, it needed something to be appropriate for a baby gift.  I just stamped a panel to put on the front of the bag. The animals are from the retired stamp set “Animal Stories” (do you have it in your stash?). Even the greeting is retired but from one of my all-time favorite, how-can-we-live-without-it stamp sets, “Sincere Salutations”. Of course the panel still needed some jazzing up. I used some pieces of the Silver Glimmer Paper die cut with the  Tasteful Trim Bigz Die for the top and bottom edges and tied some Silver 1/8″ Ribbon in the Holiday Catalog around the panel.

You can do this with any plain gift bags you have.  I like to save the handled gift-bag-type bags you sometimes get at stores or you can buy at the craft store. Then you can use those for gifts after you decorate them!

If you are looking for a similar cute animal stamp set, perfect for baby cards and gifts, try Zoo Babies available in wood- or clear-mount.

Witches’ Brew Designer Series Paper Framed Art for Halloween

Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper Framed Art

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Happy Halloween!  Today is the day!  I can’t believe October 31st is here and with it, the end of all things crafty for Halloween!  I don’t think I got my fill of making cards and treats for Halloween. Today’s project is probably the easiest thing you can make with Stampin’ Up! designer paper!  Two of the sheets in the Witches’ Brew Designer Series Paper are this printed design with lots of Halloween treat words on it.  Just cut it apart and you can frame this top portion of the sheet!  It fits perfectly into a cheap frame.  If you have a larger frame, just use a larger piece of card stock or designer paper as a mat behind it.  You could also add some extra elements and embellishments to this sheet and even leave the glass off for a real 3D piece of framed Halloween art!

You can still order this Witches’ Brew paper and save it for next year! Go ahead and make the frame and you’ll have a pleasant surprise next year when you get out your Halloween decorations!

It’s probably going to be a wet and muggy Halloween night here in Houston! It is raining like crazy and supposed to keep up all day.  With our flat landscape, that’s not good for streets that flood easily.  But I hope it stops so I will have some trick-or-treaters at my door tonight!!  Usually I have quite a few!

Last Thank You Thursday Stampin’ Up! Deal

Thank You Thursday Chevron Ribbon Deal

 

Get these colors of Chevron Ribbon on sale, today only!

Basic Black, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Island Indigo, Smoky Slate 

Place your order today before you get busy with Halloween! Don’t forget the Weekly Deals as well!

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Halloween Treat Bag Idea

Halloween Treat BagYes, it is almost Halloween!! Here is a Halloween treat bag idea that you could easily do!  Just grab a 4″ x 6″ Medium Cello Bag, decorate the outside, and fill with delicious Halloween candy! I applied some strips of Witches’ Brew Designer Washi Tape (so fun!) to the front of the bag and added a tag to the front.  The stamp is from the Halloween Bash stamp set. To get the multi-colors on the stamp, I inked up the border with my Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Write Marker and the words with Basic Black. Breathe on the stamp before you stamp on Very Vanilla card stock to remoisten. I cut out around the edge with my Paper Snips (on sale on the Weekly Deals this week until Monday!).  The black background is easy to cut out with the smallest of the Labels Collection Framelit Dies.  Just adhere with Mini Glue Dots. Tie the bag with some 1/8″ Pumpkin Pie Taffeta Ribbon and you are all set!  Easy to make for class parties, neighbor gifts, treats for your kids, etc.

Check out the Weekly Deals at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

 

 

 

 

Decorated Halloween Candy Tin

Halloween Candy Tin

What could be more fun than decorating some candy and a tin for Halloween? I had this tin with the clear window on top in my “stash” but if you couldn’t find an exact match, I’m sure any tin or container would do. I have always loved these tins because they make sure cute, quick and easy gifts to make up in minutes for someone. Of course you could use different types of candy or other contents in the tin, but this is just to give you some ideas!  I used Hershey Nuggets for my candy and wrapped each one with a 1″ x 3″ strip of designer series paper. You just want to be sure when using adhesive and candy that you don’t let the adhesive make contact with the candy. I just used a Mini Glue Dot to secure the strip of paper to itself so it is not attached to the candy piece.

To decorate the tin, I just took a strip of designer paper and wrapped it around the tin for a bellyband. You could also layer it on a strip of card stock if you wanted. For the flower on top, just use one of the flower punches to punch about three or more flowers or even one of the scallop punches. Crinkle up each layer of the flower if you like that look, then reopen and layer one on top of the other.  Secure in the center with a brad of some sort (looks like I used a retired one!). Adhere to the bellyband with Stampin’ Dimensionals or Mini Glue Dots.

The Witches’ Brew Designer Series Paper was used in this project. My friend I gave this gift to really liked the little skulls on the paper!

If you would like some Witches’ Brew paper for your Halloween projects and cards, now is the time to order some! Just go to my Stampin’ Up! Online Store here for all your stamping supplies!

***Don’t forget the 25% Off 25 Stamps Offer only available through October 28th!***

Halloween Framed Art for a Friend

Halloween Framed Art

We got back home Saturday from a wonderful fall vacation to Michigan! There has been no sign of fall here in Houston, Texas except for the date on the calendar, so to see REAL fall, with colored leaves beyond expectations, cooler (okay, sometimes COLD!) weather, that overcast fall look was just a wonderful change! The people up there decorate for fall, not just Halloween, because it IS fall there!  I saw so many pumpkin stands and corn shucks and fall flowers plus Halloween decorations. I loved it all!

The Halloween framed art above was a gift for my friend we were visiting. I happened to have a frame with a square opening of 10″ x 10″  so I was able to use 2″ squares for the “art”. As you can see, I made two elements 2″ x 4″ to fit into the design.  Some of the stamps were retired ( I couldn’t resist going through some of my “old” Halloween stamp sets) and some designs were ideas I got online or at least got me started on my own ideas.  It was fun to make and an easy project for anyone to make.  Make it as small or large as you want.  Check to see what picture frames you already have in your stash and start there.  You could do something with four squares or 16!  Whatever you like! There’s a glare because I did put the glass in the frame but you can also omit the glass, especially if you want to put a lot of 3D layers on your art.

I’ll tell you more about my trip when I get all the photos sorted out. The trees were unbelievably gorgeous – if they weren’t at “peak” color, I don’t know how they could be any more beautiful. A lot of my photos were shot through the car windshield or passenger window, sometimes through the windshield wiper and raindrops!  Here’s a sneak peek of some trees along the highway when we first arrived!  I just held my camera in my hands at all times as we were driving!

Fall trees in Michigan

Fright Night and Zombie Party for My Digital Studio

Halloween Downloads for My Digital Studio

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

My Digital Studio isn’t just about scrapbooking!  Look at the great things you can make for a Halloween party with these two new downloads, Fright Night Ensemble #135642 and Zombie Party Printables #135713.

Stampin’ Up! adds new downloads to the collection every Tuesday!  Be sure to check every week! Even if you don’t own My Digital Studio, you can still use the download if you have some other design software, such as Photoshop.

Stampin’ Up! started a new blog feature on the My Digital Studio blog, called Our Favorite Things. The Stampin’ Up! My Digital Studio Team is sharing their favorite Halloween downloads! Can you even begin to imagine what you could do with all these downloads?!

If you want to see their favorites on their blog post, check it out HERE.

You might like to look around www.mydigitalstudio.net and see all the information that is there for demonstrators and customers alike.  You’ll be able to learn anything you want about My Digital Studio right there, but really it is almost intuitive enough that you won’t have much trouble just learning on your own!

Here’s My Digital Studio in my Stampin’ Up! Online Store.

Make Your Own Holiday Gift Tags Easily and Early!

Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

The other day I told you about the new Stampin’ Up! Pop & Place Holiday Gift Tags and the coordinating Christmas Tagables Photopolymer Stamp Set and the combination bundles you can purchase. These all look to me like a fun way to get a head start on your gift wrapping by making these tags NOW so they will be ready when you start wrapping your holiday presents!

Watch this video from Stampin’ Up! that shows you what you get with this new product and then go to my Stampin’ Up! Online Store to place your order!

Simply Created Spooky Halloween Banner

Spooky Halloween Banner

One thing I easily passed up in the Holiday Catalog  was this Build a Banner Simply Created Kit.  But after seeing several banners created at the Stampin Up! Convention this summer, it was one of the first things to go on my next order!  The Build a Banner Kit has the canvas pennants with grommets and all the stencils.  All you need to do is decorate it!  To make that easy for you, purchase the Halloween Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit and you’ll have everything you need!

I found it worked well to use Sponge Daubers to dab on the ink from the ink pad over the stencils onto the pennants.  Most videos show using alcohol and reinkers sprayed on (lightly!) with the Spritzers, but some people were having trouble with that, and it just seemed easier and cleaner to use the sponge daubers.  I think the Black Stazon works better than the Basic Black, although then you have to scrub that Stazon off the stencil!

This might look like a complicated project, but I really found it pretty simple and quick.  I could have made two more rosettes on my own, but I mostly stuck with what came in the kit, although I used my own modifications a little bit.

Put these supplies to make a Halloween banner on your next order!  I’m sure you will enjoy making one!

Here are some close-ups!  You can use your own imagination and decorate yours how you like.

Spooky Halloween Banner close-up

Spooky Halloween Banner Close-up end

Please order your supplies on my Stampin’ Up! website HERE or contact me with your order.

Pop’ N Cuts Dress Form and Card Base Birthday Card

Pop n Cuts Birthday Card

These Pop’ N Cut Dies were introduced in the Stampin’ Up! Spring Catalog and honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to them.  I think I had already added so many things to my order that by the time I got to their page in the catalog I wasn’t interested. I didn’t take any time to see what they were about, although I did order the Dress Up Framelits Dies.  Those seemed easy enough.

But then as so often happens, I started to see really cute things other people made and also watched some videos made by the designer of the dies, Karen Burniston. That’s when I put them on my next order!  The shape of the Card Base Pop’ N Cuts Die is a Stampin’ Up! exclusive, made with the decorative edge and made so you can tuck it into the slits to close. You can use just this without the pop up portion.

Pop n Cuts Birthday Card Inside

The pop up portion is easy to do once you get the hang of it. You want to be careful not to fold things that shouldn’t be folded.  In order to get the pop up going, it works best if you get your fingers behind that table part and then you will see and feel where the score lines are and how to get the pop up to pop up!

Dress Form Pop n Cuts Inside Card

Once you get the pop up popped up, you can adhere it to the card base.  Just be careful to see where the adhesive should go and shouldn’t go.  I haven’t gotten the hang of that yet! Even though I think I’m being careful, I always get adhesive where it shouldn’t be!  But as long as you pay a little bit of attention, you’ll be okay!  Then you can embellish and decorate your card however you like on the inside and on the front!

Pop n Cuts Birthday Card Side View

This is what the pop up looks like from the side.  You want to get that rectangle shape from the side.  That’s how you know you have it right!  Once you get that shape, then the rest will take care of itself.

These Pop’ N Cut dies are easy enough to use and fun besides!  You can also trim that dress shape off the pop up and add another piece of card stock for a gift card holder or for a message or other design.

Here are the Pop’ N Cuts dies I used plus the framelits:

Just go to my Stampin’ Up! Online Store any time! Just think what magical cards you can make with the Pop’ N Cuts Dies!

A Birthday Jar of Notes!

 Birthday Jar of Notes

My daughter, last weekend, did so many things to make my $%&^th birthday the best one I ever had! I’ll just say it was one of the milestone ones!  She took all the sting out of turning this age with all her surprises, the best one being her flying in from California and surprising me! In addition there was a beautiful birthday cake and a mother-daughter cooking class at our neighbor’s house. I couldn’t have imagined anything else, but she had one more surprise up her sleeve!

I don’t even quite know the FULL story, but apparently months ahead of time she contacted friends, neighbors, and relatives and sent them packets with colored note cards and asked them to write some special memory or story or birthday wishes to me or about me.  Then they sent them back to her and she put them all in this jar she decorated with a ribbon and button.

It was SO much fun to read all of them, see who they were from, and see the old photos some people included!  Even all 8 of my brother’s children wrote notes! My one long, long, long time friend and college roommate even copied excerpts from her diary when we were in college and about when I met my husband. My other equally long-time friend sent photos of when I was a bridesmaid in her wedding and our story about how hard we’ve laughed over all my Quilt Show purchases through the years (before stamping) that I would drag out when she visited. Some neighbors talked about all our activities with our kids through the years; swim team, Cub Scouts, even college graduations! My sister-in-law mentioned her visit when our girls were little-bitty and I bought them matching outfits. Not only were the memories and nice notes great, it made clear the connections I have with all these people, built up through all these years. If you are looking for an exceptionally special gift to give someone for whatever occasion, this idea is certainly it!!

birthday jar of notes

 

New Single Stampin’ Up! Holiday Stamps

Single Stamps Flyer Holiday 2013

Stampin’ Up! has just released some new holiday single stamps you can purchase! Sometimes you don’t need a whole set, you just need one stamp of a certain style or greeting. Here are some great choices you can use on your holiday cards, scrapbook pages, and projects. Click the image above to read the whole flyer.

To purchase any or all of these holiday single stamps, just go to my

Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE.

Projects on Display at the Stampin’ Up! Convention

I can’t get enough of these photos I took of the display boards at the Stampin’ Up! Convention! Such creative projects and cards!  It’s amazing!  You should be able to click on each photo to enlarge.

USA MapImages copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

Honeycomb Embossed Friend CardImages copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

Designer Paper bits and pieces on a scrapbook page

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013 

Altered Printer's Tray

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

Altered Tin Mailbox

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

Decorated Round Boxes

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

Convention display projects

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

Dressy Paper Projects

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

Fall leaf garland

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

Lego Scrapbook page

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make Fun Holiday Banners

I think one of the many hits at the Stampin’ Up! Convention was seeing the making of the holiday banners offered in the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog and variations using the kits. Shelli Gardner’s daughter Sara fascinated all of us with her holiday banners made from kits and the extra projects she also made. It was one of those products that I didn’t necessarily think I was interested in from the catalog until I saw her demonstrate them at Convention. They were in my first order home from Convention!

Build a Banner Simply Created Kit

You can purchase this Build a Banner Simply Created Kit  and receive the canvas banners with grommets, the stencils with the designs and lower-case alphabet, jute twine, stencil mask and spritzer. In the spritzer you mix 70% rubbing alcohol and reinker and spritz VERY lightly and from a distance with the stencil on the banner.  When I saw it demonstrated I thought that surely wasn’t enough color to show up, but it was! The moisture will pool on the stencil so you have to be careful lifting the stencil off. Some demonstrators have found using a spray adhesive on the back of the stencils help hold them in place better.

Canvas Banner Spritzed with Reinker

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013 Here Sara used Gumball Green for the chevrons and Coastal Cabana I believe for the letter.

Using Sponge Dauber to ink up stencil

Here’s another technique you can use. Dip a Sponge Dauber into ink and apply to stencil. This method may work better than spritzing but might take a little longer. Sara only colored some of the dots so it wasn’t a big job to fill in all the dots.

Banner with Sponge Dauber Dots

Images copyright Stampin’ Up! 2013

I haven’t been able to play with my banner kits yet but hopefully soon!  You can purchase extra banners in the Banner Simply Created Kit depending on your project, or if you don’t want the stencils you could just buy these banners. Then if you would like to jazz up your banner without making everything yourself, purchase the Halloween Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit or the Christmas Banner Simply Created Accessory Kit.

Check out these banner kits in the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog and see if you are up for a new kind of project made easy with these kits!

Shop online at my Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE.

Make a Snowman with Stampin’ Up! Clear Blocks

Clear Blocks Snowman

Out of the many things on display at the Stampin’ Up! Convention, here is one I thought was so cute!  Use three clear blocks to build a snowman!  Then dress him up how you like! Christmas isn’t that far off, especially for us crafters.  Always good to start collecting some good ideas early!

If this is REALLY the last week of July (I think it is!), don’t forget to take advantage of the Designer Series Paper Buy 3/Get 1 Free special offer  before Wednesday, July 31, the last day!  What a great time to stock up on the new papers in the new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog!

Stampin' Up! Special Promotion Buy 3 Get 1 Free Designer Series Paper

 

 

More Stampin’ Up! Convention Display Board Samples

Just a few more I chose from my photos!  Enjoy!

Stampin' Up! Apron Dress Up Framelit Die

Stampin’ Up! Apron Dress Up Framelit Die

Paper Doily Die Card

Paper Doily Die Card

Beautiful Embossed Pumpkin Card

Beautiful Embossed Pumpkin Card

Sample Cards

Sample Cards

Fall Inspiration Cards

Fall Inspiration Cards

Doggie in the Dog House Punch Art Card

Doggie in the Dog House Punch Art Card

Summer Smooches Cards

Summer Smooches Cards

Cute Red Bird Card

Cute Red Bird Card

Oh Hello Scallop Tasteful Trim Card

Oh Hello Scallop Tasteful Trim Card

Make an easy hot air balloon card!

Make an easy hot air balloon card!

Epic Day Designer Paper Triangles

Epic Day Designer Paper Triangles

Hello Card with Epic Day This and That Designer Paper

Hello Card with Epic Day This and That Designer Paper

Cupcake Punch Birthday Card

Cupcake Punch Birthday Card

Apothecary Accents Framelit and Epic Day DSP

Apothecary Accents Framelit and Epic Day DSP

Epic Day This and That Designer Paper

Epic Day This and That Designer Paper

Cute Little Embellishments to Make

Cute Little Embellishments to Make

Yellowstone Natl Park Scrapbook Page

Yellowstone Natl Park Scrapbook Page

Patio Party Designer Paper

Patio Party Designer Paper (Retired)

Cork board

Cute little cork board

Label Love

Label Love Stamp Set and Artisan Punch

3D Box