DATES TO REMEMBER

  • Current Host Code: QQKZT7UM
  • April 10: Last Day to sign up for April Paper Pumpkin Kit
  • April 30th: Last Day of January-April Mini Catalog & 2023-2024 Annual Catalog
  • May 1: First Day of 2024-2025 Annual Catalog

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

After Christmas Sale

I'm having an After Christmas Sale on my retired stamps and accessories!
Check it out and contact me to let me know what you would like to buy!
Happy shopping!


Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday with family and friends!


Sydne & Gypsy
(this is the 1st year we've had a fireplace to hang our stockings!)


Friday, December 23, 2011

Spark-A-Ly!

This is the 5th and final card from the November Stamp-A-Stack


I love the Stocking Builder Punch and am so bummed that Stampin' Up! announced that it will not be available again once the Holiday Mini Catalog is done or the supply runs out, whichever comes first. If you haven't purchased it yet, order it now before it's gone!

The greeting for this card is from Hand-Penned Holidays

Colors: Real Red, Whisper White

Red and Silver Glimmer Paper

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the cards from the November Stamp-A-Stack! I wish I could schedule another, but I'm not sure how long we'll be living in my classroom! Keep your fingers crossed that we find a house we like SOON!

The Holiday Mini Catalog goes until January 3, 2012. Order today so you don't miss out on anything you want/need! I think I need to stock up on the Glimmer Papers!

Order online anytime: www.denalenneman.stampinup.net
(click on Shop Now in the upper right hand corner)

Or you can call or e-mail with your order

 

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Make Your Own Embossing Plate

This was the 4th card from the November Stamp-A-Stack:



No stamps! Just the Snowflake #2 die and Glimmer Brads!

Colors: Whisper White, Blushing Bride and Concord Crush

Cool, but did you notice the background?


I made my own embossing plate using pieces I cut from the Snowflake die!


This is what my "embossing plate" looks like. It's a thin piece of cardboard with pieces of the snowflake cut out of thin cardboard attached. If you look closely, you can see the sticky strip that I used to attach them. The first time I ran this thru the Big Shot the cardstock ended up stuck to the tape. So I went over it with the Embossing Buddy and it's not sticky anymore!

Here's the "sandwich" I used:

cutting plate
silicone pad
card stock
embossing plate
cutting plate
Multi-Purpose Platform- Tab 1

The silicone pad is the Standard Texturz Silicone Rubber #114615 on page 215 of the Idea Book & Catalog. It allows the card stock to really push into the texture of the embossing plate. You get 2 very disctinct looks on each side of the card stock- one is raised and the other is indented. I liked them both and did one of each for my samples. The pink one has the snowflakes pressed in, the purple one has them popped out. This wasn't my original idea, but I haven't seen it done for awhile and thought it was something worth sharing! Let me know if you try it! I'd love to see your cards!


Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Christmas Lodge With A Different Fold

I would love to say I came up with this beautiful card, but someone else beat me to it! Of course I can't remember where I saw it now. I'll keep looking and update my post when I find out.


Christmas Lodge

Colors: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

Starburst Embossing Folder, 3/8" Quilted Satin Ribbon, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle punches

It doesn't show well in the pictures, but the tree and branches with the birds have Dazzling Details on them- very sparkly and so easy to use!

 

Here's what the card looks like open. When a card like this opens sideways it's called a "Z Fold". I'm not sure what you would call this one since it's up and down.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Buy It While You Can- the Stocking Builder Punch!

This was just posted on the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Website:

Our occasion-specific mini catalogs allow us the opportunity to share the latest seasonal products with you and your customers, and we often carry over products from our mini catalogs into the following Idea Book & Catalog. This time, however, we have decided not to carry over the Stocking Builder Punch (item 124095) from the 2011 Holiday Mini Catalog into the next Idea Book & Catalog. Instead we will offer other great designs in its place--not to mention a trendy, new design planned for next holiday season.

The Stocking Builder Punch is SOLD OUT!
Once the current inventory of this punch has been depleted, it will no longer be available for purchase. We hope many Stampin' Up! stockings will adorn cards and brighten holiday projects this season and look forward to seeing what you create with the next seasonal design.

Gently Falling Birthday- SAS Card #2

This was the 2nd card from the November Stamp-A-Stack:


Gently Falling, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Colors: Lucky Limeade, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

Modern Label and Scallop Trim punches, gold brads

The Brushed Copper card stock is retired and was from a pack of specialty papers several years ago. It just looked righ on this card so I decided to go ahead and use it.

Monday, December 19, 2011

What's Been Happening & The First Card From The November SAS

I can't believe it's the 19th of December already! I've missed a lot of blogging this month! Life has been really interesting with selling the farm, packing, and moving to our Building in Rockville, which we have jokingly dubbed "The Homeless Shelter"! It's a little crowded in here with all of our stuff, but most of it is stored in the shop above the kitchen. That's what made packing so interesting- trying to decide what we needed and then packing the rest to store. We did end up donating quite a bit too! Once I get a few more things arranged around here I'll take some pictures so you can see what it looks like with us living in my class room!

OK, awhile back I promised I'd share the cards from the last Stamp-A-Stack, which was November 18th. Life got in the way and I completely forgot about posting them! Sorry! Here's the first one...


Medallion stamp and Spice Cake Designer Series Paper Medallion

Greeting is from Hand-Penned Holidays
Colors: Soft Suede, Pool Party, Very Vanilla

3/4" and 1" Circle Punches, Clear Rhinestone Brad, Sticky Strip


Close up of the Medallion- this is a strip of DSP that is 1" x 12", scored every 1/4", folded back and forth to create the peaks and valleys. The ends are overlapped and adhered with Sticky Strip. The medallion is then attached to a circle of card stock with Sticky Strip to hold the medallion together- it is about 2" in diameter. The small circles and brad are also attached with Sticky Strip.

The Spice Cake DSP and Hand-Penned Holidays are only available until January 3rd, 2012! Order them soon before they are gone! And don't forget about the Clearance Rack Blitz!
I'll be back tomorrow with the next card!

Friday, November 18, 2011

What A Crazy Month!

Sorry I haven't been posting lately...it has been crazy around here! The auction was on the 5th and there was a lot to do to get ready for it. We had a good turn out and sold everything, including the farm! We're closing on the 30th, so there's lots more work to get everything packed and ready to move the weekend after Thanksgiving. Other than getting ready for the Stamp-A-Stack today, I haven't done much stamping so I don't have anything to share. I will post the S-A-S cards next week. This will be the last class for awhile. Hopefully we'll have a new house soon so I can offer classes again!

Place an order anytime!

Don't forget I'm still taking orders for the 2012 My Digital Studio Calendar!

I'm also working on more Product Shares

and still have lots of great Retired Stampin' Up! products for sale!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Organizing Your Clear Blocks

Have you tried the new Clear Mount Stamps yet? What do you think? It seems most people either really like them or really don’t. I like them! They’re the same high quality rubber stamps I’m used to, but you can see better where you are stamping, they take up less space, and you only need one set of clear blocks. Since those blocks don’t come in a stamp box like the Wood Mount Stamps, how do you store them?



The Clear Block Storage Caddy on page 205 of the Idea Book & Catalog is ideal! It has a spot for each size block and the foam insert keeps the blocks in place without letting them get scratched. It folds up and has a nice handle that makes it easy to carry, and it’s not too big so it’s easy to store. I’ve heard from other demonstrators that they have put our Décor Elements on it to personalize it! And it’s reasonably priced. Perfect!

Because I do classes and Stamp-A-Stacks, I find that I need more than one of each block. So while I would love to use the Storage Caddy, it’s not practical for me. I don’t want to have to carry multiple caddies! So I keep my blocks in a Snapware container. They’re all together, stacked strategically so there’s minimal movement and less chance for scratching, and it’s easy for me to grab the container and take it with me.


Have you seen the Clear Block Cleaning Cloth? Love it! It’s just the right size and really does clean the blocks. If you get too much ink or oil from your hands on them, the stamps don’t stick as well. I keep my cloth with my blocks so it’s always handy.

Did you notice the Clear-Mount Perfectly Placed Guides? They’re clear plastic and cling to the blocks. You place them on the coordinating size block to help you line up your stamps to make sure they are straight. This is especially nice if you’re putting multiple small stamps (like an alphabet) on a large block so you can stamp them all at once.

Do you have trouble getting your Clear Mount Stamps to stay on the blocks? Here are some tips to help:

* Place the stamp rubber side down and put the block to the stamp, apply steady pressure and hold for 5-10 second. If you look closely you can see the stamp adhering to the block.

* Make sure your block is clean. Sometimes rubbing it on your pant leg will clean it and warm it up so the stamp will stick better.

* Breathe (huff) on the block before sticking it to the stamp- your breath will warm it and add a little moisture

* If none of these ideas work and your stamps just will not stay, try adding a small drop of Multipurpose Liquid Glue on the block or the stamp. Spread it around with your finger and let it dry. It will be tacky and your stamps will stay put!

Next Month: Cards

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Our Cute Halloween Pumpkin

I didn't get a chance to post these yesterday- better late than never!
 Here's Gypsy, all dressed up in her pumpkin costume. She's such a ham!





Hope you had a fun Halloween!

Monday, October 24, 2011

2012 "Through The Year" My Digital Studio Calendar Kits FOR SALE!

CalendarCover2

Get ready for 2012!

These calendars would make excellent holiday gifts, too!

* Designed with My Digital Studio software from Stampin’ Up!
(Based on the design of the “Creating Fabulous Hybrids with My Digital Studio” +FUN class at Convention 2011)

* Professionally printed in full color on glossy paper

* January – December 2012

* Pages measure 5” x 10”

* Spiral Bound with black wire

* On an easel, stands 5 3/4” tall and 3” wide when open

* As pages are flipped, matching Designer Series Paper for each month displays on the back side 

* Great as is or embellish to add a personal touch!

The kit includes punched cardstock, Designer Series Paper and Glimmer Paper, button, Baker’s Twine, Rhinestones and Pearls to embellish the calendar!

CalendarMayPeak
example of embellished page

PRICING:

Calendar only – $25.95

Calendar with Embellishment Kit – $27.95

Shipping – $4.95 for Priority Flat Rate Envelope
(if shipping is needed- no charge for local orders)

Please contact me for pricing on multiple calendars, with or without kit.

TO ORDER:

Send me an e-mail or call me (320.492.9502)
All orders must be prepaid before I will order calendars from the printer

Payment by check, cash or Credit Card (accepted via PayPal- I will send you an invoice)

Calendar1January2
get ready for the New Year – Stampin’ Up! style!

Friday, October 21, 2011

No Tricks, Just Treats!

 

Halloween-001

October Stamp-A-Stack Card #5

Aren’t the little stockings in Stitched Stockings cute? And the matching punch makes them so easy to use! Last month we used a stocking to make a stick horse, this month we did a card with a traditional Christmas stocking.

SASStocking

Unfortunately this one didn’t have a name in it or on it, so I don’t know who to give credit to. Whoever you are, cute card! The colors are Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla. The greeting is from Christmas Greetings (page 41 in the Idea Book & Catalog- it’s so small it kind of hides in the middle of the page!). It also uses the 1 3/4” Circle and 2 3/8” Scallop Circle punches, the Snow Burst embossing folder and Quilted Satin Ribbon. Cute, cute, cute!

If you would like to order any of the supplies to make the cards I’ve shown this week, you can order on my website: www.denalenneman.stampinup.net, e-mail me or give me a call. I hope to see you at a class sometime soon!
Have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

October Stamp-A-Stack Card #4

I really like the Always Thankful stamp set in the Holiday Mini Catalog, but I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Then I received this swap card from Carol N.

SASGrateful

I did change it up a little. I didn’t have the stamp she used on the card base, so I improvised and used the “splatter” from French Foliage. I also stamped the image in Crumb Cake so it was lighter. The colors are Peach Parfait, Old Olive, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla. The image is colored using the same ink pads and blender pens. The little pumpkin is on a dimensional.
Did you notice the fold? Instead of just being folded in half or doing a gate fold where both sides are even, this one has a small, 1” flap on the right and the left side is 3 1/4”. Something different that adds some visual interest!

I’ll be back with the last card from the Stamp-A-Stack tomorrow. The next class will be Saturday November 19th. If there is enough interest I will also have it on Friday November 18th in the evening.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

October Stamp-A-Stack Card #3


This was my favorite card of the five. It was made by my upline Betty. She sent it to me with my prize for achieving a sales goal. She’s so good to her group!

SASLeavesOfATree

I didn’t have the greeting set used on the original card, so I made a new one and used Teeny Tiny Wishes! That set works for everything! I love it! OK, what I liked most about this card was the color combination (I never would have thought to do a white tree on More Mustard!) and every piece has something done to it. The card base is Chocolate Chip and has the Woodgrain background stamp on it with Chocolate Chip ink. The Leaves of A Tree individual stamp (from the Holiday Mini Catalog) is stamped in Versamark and then embossed with White powder. The middle piece is Baja Breeze and was punched with the Scallop Edge Border punch and is edged with the Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen to make it stand out from the bottom layer, which is Spice Cake DSP that has the corners rounded. Tie a bow around it all with Chocolate Chip Scallop Dots Ribbon and attach with Dimensionals. Voila! The perfect fall card that can be used for many occasions!

If you would like to receive cards like this and take part in all the fun of my upline’s Stamp Shares, all you have to do is sign up to be a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator on my team! If you’re thinking about it and would like to see what all we do, our next Stamp Share is November 14th. contact me for more details!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

October Stamp-A-Stack Card #2

The second card from the Stamp-A-Stack also uses the Gently Falling set from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

SASThanksgiving

This was made by Jennifer W. Colors are Tangerine Tango, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla. Also uses the new Snow Burst and Designer Frames embossing folders, Quilted Satin Ribbon and the Extra Large Oval Punch. The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes (of course!).

Want a FREE Big Shot? Or $100 in Stampin’ Up! products? Join the Stampin’ Up! family and you can choose which you would like! Contact me for more information, or check out the “Join My Team” page (click on the tab at the top of the blog). I’d love to welcome you into the family!

Monday, October 17, 2011

October Stamp-A-Stack Card #1

The October Stamp-A-Stack was last Saturday and the theme was Fall. Because of everything that is going on around here to get ready for the auction, the cards I used are all swaps that I have received. I just didn’t have time to create from scratch!
The first card uses my favorite fall set, Gently Falling.

SASGentlyFallingThanks

It was made by Natalie S. and uses Spice Cake DSP. The card base is Pear Pizzazz, the Top Note is Soft Suede (it looks much darker in the picture), the leaf is stamped in More Mustard, Pear Pizzazz and Soft Suede, and the banner is Pool Party. Happy Thanksgiving is from Teeny Tiny Wishes (my absolute favorite set!). Did you notice the Rhinestone? It’s yellow! You may be thinking to your self that Stampin’ Up! doesn’t carry colored rhinestones. You’re right! But the rhinestones we do have can be colored with a Sharpie marker! The Pearls, too! How cool is that?!? 

I’ll be showing the other 4 cards from the Stamp-A-Stack each day this week. Check back for more!

Friday, October 14, 2011

I Love The Spice Cake DSP & Fabric!

I’ll say it again…I do not sew. But I LOVE the Spice Cake fabric! And those big buttons! How cool are they? Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the colors! So for our latest group Stamp Share, I made my swap cards with the Gently Falling and Hand-Penned Holidays stamp sets, Spice Cake DSP, Fabric and Buttons. I CASE’d this from Connie B. and just changed the colors because of which DSP and fabric I used.

GentlyFallingStampShareGroup
I did 3 different colors based on the buttons

GentlyFallingStampSharePool
Pool Party

GentlyFallingStampSharePear
Pear Pizzazz
GentlyFallingStampShareMustard
More Mustard

It doesn’t show up well in the pictures, but the solid part of the leaves are stamped in More Mustard and then I added Pear Pizzazz around the edges before I stamped them. Other colors used are River Rock, Soft Suede and Whisper White. I also used the Scallop Edge Border Punch.

Hope you have a great weekend and get some stamping done!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Sweets For The Sweet Umbrella

This is the last card I have to share from my upline’s group Stamp Share this summer. If you haven’t seen the first two, just scroll down to read them.

SAMSUNG

This card uses the umbrella image and a cute beach scene. The “sand” is Crumb Cake card stock spritzed with Crumb Cake ink and a distressed edge. The other colors are Pool Party, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade and Whisper White. Also uses the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Small Oval punch, Hemp Twine and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.

If you would like to make projects like this while spending a fun evening with other Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators, sign up to become a Demonstrator and join my team!  We get together every other month to stamp, share ideas, celebrate achievements, eat, and have fun! And if you sign up during the month of October, you get a FREE Big Shot or up to $100 in FREE products! Check out the Join My Team page for more information or to sign up!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Sweets For The Sweet Pinwheels

This is the second card from my upline’s group Stamp Share. Scroll down to yesterday’s post to see the first card.

SAMSUNG

This card uses the pinwheel images and the greeting from Perfect Punches. Colors are Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade and Whisper White. Also uses 1 1/4” Square, Extra Large Oval and Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punches.

There’s one more card to share with you tomorrow…

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Sweets For The Sweet Candy

I’ve been going thru files on my computer trying to organize things and I found some pictures from a Stamp Share with my upline’s group that I haven’t shared here. These were the projects Betty had for us to make and they all use the stamp set Sweets For The Sweet on page 65 of the Idea Book & Catalog. Here’s the first one…

SAMSUNG

This one shows the candy images and the colors are Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Calypso Coral & Whisper White. Also uses the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, 1 3/4” Circle Punch and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.

Check back tomorrow for the next one…

Monday, October 10, 2011

Angry Birds Birthday

A good friend of ours just celebrated a birthday, and since my husband got him hooked on Angry Birds, I knew I needed to make him an Angry birds card!

 
I’ve seen a couple different versions from other demonstrators and that’s what gave me the idea. I Googled Angry Birds to see the details for their faces. I had so much fun creating these guys! I used a variety of circle punches and cut some pieces by hand. I love how the yellow bird’s “hair” turned out! The greeting is from Bring On The Cake (p. 66 of the Idea Book & Catalog). The colors I used are Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Pacific Point, Basic Black and Whisper White.

 

Thursday, October 6, 2011

One More Halloween Card...

One more Halloween card that almost was the make-n-take at a workshop. This one is a CASE (Copy And Share Everything!) from the Holiday Mini Catalog.


Instead of making it 3 x 3, I made a standard 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" card. The card base is Rich Razzleberry, embossed with the Spider Web folder. The stamp set is Out On A Limb from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The branch is stamped in Soft Suede, the bats in Rich Razzleberry, the owl in More Mustard, cut out, and attached with a dimensional. The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, stamped in Lucky Limeade, attached to a thin strip of Crumb Cake to make the banner. The scallop square is Lucky Limeade from the Scallop Squares Duo die. I used the matching Lucky Limeade 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon to wrap around and tie a knot. I am seriously bow challenged!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Another Out On A Limb Halloween Card

This was another card I came up with when I was trying to decide on the make-n-take for a recent workshop.
For this one I used the backside of the card stock I embossed with the Spider Web folder. I’m not sure which way I like it better! The branch and spiders are from Out On A Limb (Holiday Mini Catalog) and are stamped in Soft Suede and Basic Black on Whisper White, punched with the 2 1/2” Circle Punch. The Trick or Treat greeting is from Grateful Greetings (IB&C page 27) and is stamped in Basic Black on Lucky Limeade, punched with the Postage Stamp Punch. The Happy Halloween is from Delightful Dozen and is stamped with Basic Black and Tangerine Tango markers on Peach Parfait and punched with the Modern Label Punch. The card base is Lucky Limeade. This was pretty to easy to make, but just didn’t WOW me.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Out On A Limb Halloween

This is the make-n-take I had for a recent workshop. The hostess asked me to demonstrate the Spider Web Embossing Folder so that was where I started when I was designing the card.


The stamp set is Out On A Limb from the Holiday Mini Catalog. I stamped just the end of the branch three times to make it look like there were trees at the bottom. The "moon" was made by punching a post-it note with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch, placing it on the card stock and sponging More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze ink around it, then removing the post-it. That piece is layered on a Basic Black scalloped square from the Scalloped Squares Duo die (page 223 of the Idea Book & Catalog). The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes (my favorite stamp set in the whole catalog!) and is stamped in Pumpkin Pie, punched with the Word Window and layered on Basic Black punched with the Modern Label punch. Two Basic Black brads add the finishing touch! 



I had to stamp some spiders on the inside! Everyone liked the card and it was a fun workshop!

Would you like to get together with family and friends, do some stamping, and earn FREE Stampin' Up! products? Let's have a Stamping Party! We call them workshops, but they really aren't much work. All you have to do is invite your friends and family, even if they don't stamp, have some refreshments if you like, and have fun! I'll do the rest! We can even have it at our Building in Rockville so you don't have to worry about cleaning your house! Give me a call or send an e-mail so we can schedule a time!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Organizing Your Ink Spots

Did you know Stampin’ Up! has two sizes of ink pads? Along with the standard size ink pads, they also have Stampin’ Spots, in both Classic and Craft ink. They are about 1” square and come in sets of 10 for each Color Collection. Neutrals only have 8 in the Classic set, as there is no Classic ink in Very Vanilla and Whisper White. The spots are listed in the bottom half of the Color Collection pages (177-180) in the Idea Book & Catalog, under the Assortments heading and on page 202. Classic Spots are $19.95 (15.95 for Neutrals) and Craft Spots are $21.95.
Ink Pad / Ink Spot
Spots are a less expensive alternative for buying all of the colors. I have lots of customers who have purchased the spots to see which colors they use the most, then buy those colors in the full size pads. Some people buy the Spots so they can take them with to stamp away from home. They are much easier to transport than full size pads. I have a lot of the Craft Spots since we no longer carry the full size Craft pads in every color. I store them in a stamp box, which is great for keeping them together, storing them, transporting them and being able to see what I have.
Next month: Clear Blocks

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps are a brand-new product that will appeal to crafters and non-crafters, alike--not to mention kids! The easy-to-use cookie stamp has a solid wood handle with three interchangeable stamp images: a heart, a jack-o-lantern, and a snowflake. Just make your favorite shortbread cookie dough (or one of the two included recipes) and stamp away! Create beautiful, hand-stamped cookies in a flash. The stamp images are completely food-safe and child-friendly. Use the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps to add that personal touch to what you do! They are easy it use-no ink required!

Item
Description
Price
  125152      Includes solid wood handle with three interchangeable               $16.95
                    stamp images, two recipes, and tips for use


In addition, we offer these coordinating products:

Page
Description
Price
19
20
Simple Snowflake Single Stamp
Homemade Single Stamp
$8.95
$9.95
162
194
224
Creatively Yours Set
Baker's Twine
Lots of Tags Sizzlits Dies Set
$18.95
$2.95
$21.95

To order: go to my online store, e-mail, or call me!

    Friday, September 30, 2011

    September Stamp-A-Stack Card #5

    Don’t you love it when you buy a product and then find out there are other ways you can use it? That’s what I love about Stampin’ Up! punches! They can be used to make so many different shapes and designs! Have you seen the Stocking Builder Punch in the Holiday Mini Catalog? It coordinates with the Stitched Stockings stamp set and makes it so easy to get cute little stockings! But wait…there’s more!

    Ta da! It’s a stick horse!

    StockingHorse

    Isn’t this cute?!? I wish I could take credit for coming up with it! I’ve seen several of these made by other demonstrators (I love how everyone shares their ideas!) and had to make one myself. The colors for mine are Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Marina Mist and Wild Wasabi. That’s the new Houndstooth embossing folder. The greeting is from Short & Sweet. I also used the 2 1/2” Circle, Large Oval and Word Window punches. The ribbon is 1/8” Taffeta in Early Espresso. I used an Early Espresso marker to draw in the eye and mane. Cute, cute, cute!

    Hope you have a great weekend! I hope to see you soon at a class, workshop, or craft sale!

    Thursday, September 29, 2011

    September Stamp-A-Stack Card #4

    I do not sew. I took a Home Ec class in Junior High and enjoyed the cooking/baking part of the class. The sewing, not so much! We could make whatever we wanted and I chose a sweatshirt. It was supposed to be easy. I ended up getting sick and missed a week of school and we went on vacation so I missed another week. The teacher graded me on what I had done and luckily I passed the class. I never did finish the shirt. John’s Mom gave me her old sewing machine when she bought a new one. I’ve never used it, except to put things on top of it. Smile 

    Then Stampin’ Up! came out with fabrics. I thought they looked nice, but didn’t plan on ever buying any. What would I do with it? At Convention, there were several projects demonstrated with fabric and some of them were NO SEWING! Woohoo! Sounds perfect for me! So when demonstrators were given the opportunity to pre-order items from the Holiday Mini Catalog, I bought a pack of the Spice Cake fabric. It took a while for me to open it up, but when I did, I was impressed! It is really pretty- the picture in the catalog doesn’t do it justice! It took even longer before I was brave enough to cut in it and use it for a project. But look at what I made: 

    FabricThanks

    This was a card that was demo’d at Convention. Again, it looks much better in person! But it was “sew” (ha, ha!) easy! Did you know that fabric tears in a straight line? I didn’t! Just make a small cut to get it started, then pull! Perfect strips every time. I liked this card so much I decided to use it for the Stamp-A-Stack. Everyone liked it!

    The greeting is from the Hand-Penned Holidays set in the Holiday Mini Catalog. It’s stamped in Soft Suede on Naturals Ivory cardstock. I swiped the edges on the ink pad to pick up some color. The fabric strips are adhered to a Naturals Ivory card base with Sticky Strip. I found using a Bone Folder to really rub the Sticky Strip onto the fabric helped it to stay when I pulled the backing off.

    I still don’t think I’ll ever sew, but at least I know other ways to use fabric now! I stepped out of my box! Good thing I went to Convention! You should join the Stampin’ Up! family and come with me next year!

    I’ll be back tomorrow with Card #5.

    Wednesday, September 28, 2011

    September Stamp-A-Stack Card #3

    Have you heard of a Telescoping circle card? I’m not sure who originally came up with the idea, but they are really clever! Here’s what one looks like when it’s all together:

    TelescopingLeaves

    Here’s what it looks like when you open the first circle:

    TelescopingLeaves2

    And this is what it looks like all the way open:

    TelescopingLeaves3
    The large More Mustard scallop circle is a Big Shot die (113468) and the diameter is 4 3/8”. The Very Vanilla layer on that scallop circle and the middle circle are the same size and are 3 1/2”. The top More Mustard circle is 3” and the Very Vanilla layer on that is the 2 1/2” Circle Punch (120906). I don’t have all of the circle Big Shot dies so I’m not sure which ones would work for which sizes, but you can use the Circle Scissor to make any size you need.

    Isn’t this a cool card? The ribbon loop on top (Lucky Limeade 3/8” Ruffled Ribbon) acts as a pull to open the card. The stamp set is Gently Falling from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The solid leaves are stamped in More Mustard, the outlines in Early Espresso and the acorns in Lucky Limeade. The greetings are from On Your Birthday and are stamped in Not Quite Navy 3 gold brads act as the pivots for the circles. To assemble them, I lined the middle circle upside down on the bottom circle, punched a hole at the top and put in the brad. I opened them up, held them so the middle layer was on the bottom closest to me and lined up the top layer right side up, punched the hole and put in the brad. Then I opened it all the way up and punched the hole at the top and attached the ribbon loop with the last brad. I found that was the easiest way to get all the layers lined up correctly. Hopefully I explained it so it makes sense!

    If you would like to make cards like this, book a workshop or come to my classes! I’d love to teach you some new techniques! Check out my Calendar of Events page for upcoming dates!

    See you tomorrow for card #4!