Snow for Christmas (Just not too much)

     I don't know about you but I am feeling a little bit of pressure to finish all the things I want to before my kids come home.  When I had a headache for three days, I stopped and thought hard about things and decided the most important thing for me about Christmas this year was to enjoy the family that is coming to visit.  My kids (4) and their families only come home for Christmas every 2 years so I do not want to be so stressed out by trying like a madwoman to get everything done that I can not enjoy them. So, here's to enjoying what we do even if we do not complete all the items on the list.
     This card was the make n take for one of the Jubilant Butterfly meetings.  Here are the reasons I like this card.
   1.  The image is from one stamp that you can buy individually.
   2.  The colorful background is made using strips of Holiday Cheer designer paper.
   3.  There is a little bit of glitter on the snow using the Silver Dazzling Details.
   4.  The card can be completed in under 10 minutes.
What are the reasons that you like this card?

Supplies needed:

Holiday Cheer designer paper

Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green card stock

Silver Dazzling Diamonds

Frosty Friends, Sweet Essentials stamp sets

Owl punch ( heart)

Gumball Green 3/4"stitched satin ribbon



Kissmas Trees by the Dozen

     Aren't these the cutest things.  I have seen samples all over the internet and actually watched a video on how to make them.  I wanted something simple to take to Knollwood with me when I went last week so I made 12 trees.  I never know how many ladies will show up and wanted to make sure I had enough for everyone.  I came home with extras and gave them to the Scrapbook Your Life ladies that came last week.  They were a lot of fun to make but I had one serious problem with them.  There was leftover candy.  I have a serious problem with milk chocolate so the leftovers kept calling out my name.  I solved that problem really fast by eating everyone of the leftovers in one evening. Who would you give a cute gift like this to?

Knollwood leftovers

     I usually take two cards with me when I go to Knollwood.  Making the cards with the ladies,takes about 1 hour and by then the ladies are ready for a different kind of activity.  When I made the card I posted on Sunday, I had lots of punched pieces leftover.  Not one to waste, I wondered what I could do with those punches and came up with this card.  The ladies loved the card and I loved that the leftover pieces had a use that I liked.  So, what did I do ahead of time for this card?  I punched out one more ornament, embossed the Cherry Cobbler ornament with polka dots, punched out the Decorative Label, and tied 45 bows.  Yes, that is not a typo, I tied 45 bows.  It was not as hard as it sounds, because I did it while watching, listening, to a TV show. What would you do with the leftover ornament punches?

Supplies needed:

Polka Dot designer paper

Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler Old Olive card stock

Old Olive ink

Ornament, Decorative Label punches

Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive 1/8" taffeta ribbon



 

Ornament Exchange

 

     When the Super Snails, my downline group, met this month we had an ornament exchange.  It was really fun.  Each person that came brought an ornament or two that they made and we played a simple game to decide which one would be ours.  I loved the variety in the ornaments that were exchanged.  The last picture is the ornament that I made.  I had seen an ornament like this on Patty Bennett's website which led me to a video on how to make the ornament.  Basically you use the Circle big shot die, cut it in half, and glue parts together.  The lacy look on the skirt was made by the Paper Doily Sizzlit.  The only item on the angel that is not a StampinUp  product is the pearl I used for the angel's head.  I used the wonderfully sticky Multipurpose Liquid glue to hold all the parts together. Wouldn't these look great all over a Christmas tree?

Supplies needed:

Snow Festival designer paper

Whisper White card stock

Circle die, Paper Doily sizzlit for big shot

White baker's twine

Neutral button 

 

Stampin at Knollwood

     Once a month I go to a local Assisted Living Facility and make cards with a wonderful group of ladies.  Most of the ladies who come are in their 80's and it feels like I am once again with my mom when I go.  I have learned a few things about working with Seniors from the four years I have been going to Knollwood.
    1.  Simple is best.
    2.  It is hard for most of the ladies to use the punches, so I prepunch everything that I can ahead of time.
    3. When stamping a saying, stamp on something that can be attached onto the ,in case something ends up being crooked, it can be re stamped.
    4.  They love to place a stamped by you stamp on the back of the card.
    5.  They will love whatever I bring for them to make.
    6.  It can change my attitude in a positive manner for the rest of the day.

     I prepunched the ornament on the front of the card holding both the accent sheet and the card front together as I punched.  The ladies stamped the inside ornament and I punched it out for them.  The inside ornament was glued into the punched out hole on the front and therefore perfectly placed. A simple but cute card.

Supplies needed:

Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White card stock

Old Olive ink

Ornament punch

Candlelight Christmas designer paper (Holiday catalog)

Rhinestones

Cherry Cobbler seam binding

Leslies Awesome Gift bag

 

     As a demonstrator for StampinUp I joined under my sister Karen, who joined under a friend Leslie.  Leslie is called my Upline.  She came to one of my downline meetings and brought some show and tell.  This Christmas gift bag is what she brought.  Look how simple it would be make a bag like this. 
  First, you would need a brown or white bag with handles
  Next do some stamping of images you like for Christmas
  Punch them all out with the same sized punch
  Attach them to the bag in the shape of a tree
  Finally, tie some Christmas colored ribbon around one handle
   Voila, an original Christmas bag that can be used over and over again.

Thanks Leslie, for a great Christmas What images would you use if you created a bag like this for that special Christmas gift?
 

Darcy's Gift card holder

     A group of interested stampers have been meeting for some creative time a couple of times a month.  Darcy brought a really cute gift card holder idea for us to make.  She had everything scored and ready to go and we just put it together. I like the ornament on the front of the box attached to the Cherry Cobbler Tulle. Then on the inside there is a spot for a gift card and my favorite some rolos wrapped in foil.  What is there about chocolate that tastes so good you just want more?  What gift card would you put in the holder and what small candy would you wrap as an additional treat? By the way, I have not given the gift card holder away yet, but the Rolo candy is gone.

A Delightful Christmas Tree from Alison

     

     At a recent gift exchange at the Jubilant Butterflies meeting in Springfield this is the gift I received.  I loved it as soon as I laid eyes on it. Here is the story of how it became mine. We each drew a number and had our pick of the packages in the center of the gift table.  I was lucky enough to pick the number 3.  So, I knew there were only two other people that could pick this great gift before me. The person with number one chose a different gift and there was no one that had number 2, so I knew this tree was mine. 
     I found out that Alison made the tree and she did an awesome job.  Here is how she described making the tree to me.  She punched out scalloped circles, glued them in place on a styrofoam tree and actually used an entire package of designer paper punching out all the circles.  In between some of the colorful layers she has added a layer of Front Page designer paper (looks like the pages of a book).  What is your favorite part of this tree? and do you agree with me that I got a wonderful gift?

Snowman Candle

 

     I can't remember where I saw this sample candle.  I just knew that I liked it a lot and wanted to make one myself.  I had quite a journey to find the battery operated candle.  Nothing to be found in Jacksonville, so off I went to Springfield.  Nothing at Michael's so off I went to Hobby Lobby.  Success.  When the battery is turned on then the nose lights up like a candle flame.  I plan on having these on a tiny tree at Christmas as ornaments. They would also make really cute place cards for a special meal. The grandkids are coming and I know they will love having one of their own.  Where did I find black pearls you might ask yourself?  Easy peasy.  I used a black Sharpie to color the pearls.  You have to use a Sharpie, otherwise the ink rolls right off the pearl.  Who would you make some of these for?

Supplies needed;

Snow Festival Designer series paper

Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green cardstock

Pearls

Sweater trim

Extra large, Large Oval, and 1/2 inch oval punches

The Three Wise Men

 

     One of my favorite tools is a punch.  So, any time I can find a card that uses punches I am automatically drawn to it.  This card was a convention swap that was posted in the Hispanic section of the display area.  Did you know that we publish an Hispanic catalog?  Some of the stamp sets, and papers are the same but some are sets that reflect celebrations that are not common in our regular catalog.  If you know of any one that might be interested in seeing a copy of this catalog let me know and I will get them a copy.  Can you figure out what punches were used to make these wise men?  Reply with your guesses and I will send you something special in the mail. 

Peek-a Boo for Christmas

 

 

     My friend Linda and I get together once in a while and made cards. We wanted to use the Peek-a-boo die for the Big Shot and found a really cute card similar to this on the internet.  I hope you can see that you open a door for each of the shapes and a Christmas design is underneath.  This is a fun card to send out to kids.  The window punch was used to create an opening in the designer paper and the saying was stamped inside the hole. On what kind of cards would you love to see a peek-a-boo window?

Supplies needed:

Whisper White, Silver glimmer cardstock

Polka Dot Parade designer paper

Peek-a-Boo frames die

Jolly Bingo Bits, More Merry Messages stamp sets

1/8" taffeta ribbon, old olive

Merry Minis punch pack



A Gift from Me to You

    
     I call this tree the giving tree.  The ornaments hanging from the tree were created using My Digital Studio.  But there is more to each ornament than meets the eye.  On the back of each ornament I have written the name of something that can be ordered from the current catalogs.  No Peeking Please.  When you submit an order in December you will be able to choose an ornament from the tree.  The item listed on the back of your order will be my gift to you. What do you hope is on the back of the ornament you might pick?

Ready for 2012

     StampinUp has a great calendar with plastic stand offered in the Holiday catalog. 
The calendar has space to write down your special events for each month.  Well, I don't know about you but I need a book to write down my weekly and monthly events.  So, I found a great idea through Create with Connie and Mary to decorate each month with a special theme, and use that calendar as a place to check out the dates for the month.  I am having a class this Monday where you can decorate your calendar.  There are a couple more spaces if you are interested in attending.  Just call me, email me or text me and we'll talk. I am making several of these calendars as gifts to give friends and think they turned out to be quite cute.  Like I do  with a lot of my projects, I took some of the ideas from Connie and Mary and made them my own.  Thanks for the idea!

Sparkly Santa

     One of my regular stampers, Judy, brought me some seasonal cocktail napkins,( what we used to call them years ago) that she had tucked away in her house.  She wondered if theywould work for the Sparkly Napkin technique.  The was another card I showed off on Tuesday as an example of how to incorporate the technique in a card.  I tried a smaller size and different shape than I had used in any of the other cards.  I really liked the results and yes, this is another Sushi Original.  I used the scalloped tulle ribbon for the bow, and embossed the background of the card using the Polka Dot embossing folder.  I made the Santa into a tag so that you could remove it from your card and perhaps hang in on the tree.  Or, since I am a big recycler, use it as a Christmas tag for next year. Which is your favorite card using the Sparkling Napkin technique?

Supplies used:

Old Olive, Whisper White cardstock

Cherry Cobbler scalloped tulle ribbon

Candelight Christmas Designer paper

Old Olive ink

More Merry Messages stamp pad

2 1/2 circle, Large scallop, 1 3/4" circle punches

White Baker's twine

Rhinestone colored red with a Sharpie marker
Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds glitter



Sparkling Snowflake

Close up of the sparkly design

 

 

   Tuesday was the monthly meeting of the Jubilant Butterflies and I was signed up to present a technique to the group.  I immediately decided I would show the demonstrators how to use a napkin or a kleenex to make a bright sparkly card.  I knew from watching previous demonstrators that I needed more than one sample of my technique and only had two cards already made.  So, I had an hour or two to spare and made this card and the card I will show you tomorrow.  I had so much fun and for once was stamping for enjoyment.  What surprised me was how much I liked the cards I made and they were my original ideas. I call cards I have not copied Sushi Originals.  What do you think of this color combination? Can you find the blog entry where I gave directions for this technique? 



Supplies I used:

Island Indigo, Old Olive, Basic Black cardstock

Island Indigo ink

Rejoicing with You stamp set

Northern Flurry embossing folder

Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds glitter

small tissue packet for the snowflake design     



 

Vintage Snowflake

     This was one of my favorite cards that we made in the Christmas card stamp camp held a couple of weekends ago.  What do I like about it? I like the colors for one thing, and I am usually not a lover of anything blue at Christmas. I love the old touch the First Edition designer paper gives to the card, and I love the little bit of glitter with the Champagne Glitter paper. That was another surprise I learned about myself.  I usually do not like anything with bling to it, but I think I am beginning to like a little bit as an accent.  To me the smaller snowflake adds just the right amount of sparkle to make this a card that stands out as different.  What is your favorite part of the card?

First Project for the New Year

   I am testing out a new link I have figured out with this blog.  This post should be automatically linked to Facebook.  We shall see.  This picture is a box full of free goodies I found on my pillow as the Hilton Head trip I earned this year was ending.  Inside the box is a variety of supplies I am planning on using to make a scrapbook to commemorate the event.  A great start off the New year project.  In the months ahead look for the finished project.  What will be your first project to complete in 2013?

Embossed Angel Card

     When I first saw this stamp set in the catalog I was immediately drawn to the angel image.  It has the look of a woodcut to it and that is a look I love.  I often search the StampinUp site for card ideas to start my inspiration and this card was one I loved.  I made a few changes to make it my own.  It was a featured card in my Christmas card stamp camp last month and ended up being the favorite.  What part of this card do you like the best?

 

Supplies needed:

Rose Red, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Vellum card stock

Rose Red seam binding

Crochet trim

Gold embossing powder

Apothecary Framelit

Rejoicing with You, More Merry Messages stamp sets

Hot Chocolate Treat Box

    
     Isn't this the cutest box, and inside is some hot chocolate mix and a sleeve of marshmallows. My friend Dina had this posted on her blog and I thought it would be a great item to make at my Anything But a Card stamp camp.  I can think of several people I would like to remember at Christmas with this gift.....the mailman, my favorite guy, the UPS driver, the girls at the salon where I get my hair done, my friends at the Times Square Sewing Center, and the list goes on. Who would you give this gift to? Come back tomorrow for my Hot Chocolate recipe and to see how I have packaged the mix inside the box.

 

Supplies needed:

Fancy Favor Box for the Big Shot

Tasteful Trim Bogz die for the Big Shot

Bird Builder punch ( moustache0

1/2 " circle punch

1 by 8" cellophane bags

Googlie Eyes (Holiday catalog)

Something for You from the Garage

 
    Picture yourself opening the lid of a cutely decorated box, unwrapping some tissue paper inside the box,and then lifting this cute necklace out of the tissue paper.  How on earth was this cute necklace made you might ask yourself?  The answer is very simple, and here are the steps to make one for yourself.
   1. Go to the garage
   2. Find the bin with the many sized washers in it.
   3. Choose the size you want for your necklace.
   4. Find the circle punch that matches the washer and punch out a variety of circles.
   5. Apply the circles to the washer using Crystal Effects.
   6. Apply Crystal effects to the finished washer, front and back.  Make sure one side is totally dried before applying to the other side.
   7. String some ribbon, leather thong, or string of your choice through the center of the washer and it is now ready to wear.
  This is one of the projects you will make at my Anything But a Card Class on December 7 and 8.  Check out my website for further details.
www.sushi.stampinup.net.

Not Just for Tea

     One of the things I enjoy doing on Sunday morning is relax with a cup of Chai Latte tea and plan out my week.  The tea is one of the International Coffees and comes in a tin.  Now, I am a saver, note I said a saver not a hoarder.  I just can not make myself throw out the tins so I save them.  I decided this is the perfect time of year to make a cute container for a gift for a friend.  So with a little stamping, cutting and punching I came up with this design.  What would you put inside this cute little container?  Come back tomorrow to see what I decided to put inside.
    Would you like one of these for yourself, then come to my Anything But a Card class on the weekend of December 7th and 8th. Check out my website for the time and place for this class.  www.sushi.stampinup.net

 

Supplies needed:

Snow Festival Designer Paper

Scentsational Season stamp set

Holiday Collection Framelits

2 1/2" circle punch

A Little bit of Color for Christmas

     I love the simplicity and elegance of this card.  In November my monthly stamp camp featured only Christmas cards and this was one of the favorites.   So why did this card get my attention.  First the idea of stamping and punching is quick and easy, I love that. Secondly, changing a simple piece of cardstock by using an embossing folder to create a background is equally easy and quick. The bit of glitter added to the design gave some glitter without overwhelming me with sparkle.  But, I think what appealed the most to me was seeing an all white card  with one burst of color. 
    I found this design while searching for ideas online...called CASEing.  I changed a couple of aspects of the card I found to give it my twist.  What is your favorite part of this card?

Supplies used:

Whisper White cardstock

Dotted Scallop, 1 1/4 scallop circle, 1" circle, 3/4" circle punches

Ornaments Framelit

Ornament Keepsakes, Mixed Medley stamp sets

Raspberry Ripple ink

Silver Glimmer paper

Whisper White 5/8" Organza ribbon

Christmas at the Senior Center

  

   Today I went to the Senior Center to make cards.  I usually go once a year at this time and bring 3-4 cards and sometimes some Christmas tags.  I always worry over what to bring.  I want to make sure the experience is fun so I don't want the cards to be too hard, or too easy.  I guess I chose the right cards today because everyone seemed to have a great time.
   This card I am showing off today was fun but also easy.  I learned a long time ago to prepunch shapes that the seniors would need to punch a lot of.  It takes too long to have eveyone wait while each person punches 8 squares.  I also learned that not all the seniors are able to squeeze the punches to get a good clean cut.  But even thought they did not punch out the squares, they had a great time deciding which side of the designer paper to use, how to arrange the squares and where to put the mug stamped piece. I colored some rhinestones with a red sharpie pen because I knew it would take too long for the glitter glue to harden.
     Would you like to have made a card like this with the Seniors today?

Supplies used:

Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla cardstock

Snow Festival Designer series paper

Scentsational Season, Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets

Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler ink

Rhinestone

   
   

Glitter on a Napkin

 

   Recently I held a class called Shimmer and Shine.  All the cards we made in the class used some kind of sparkle that StampinUp carries.  This card was my favorite.  I received a swap at convention that used the same technique which is where I learned the steps. I looked everywhere in town, even the Hallmark store, and could not find any cute cocktail napkins.  As a last resort I went to our Dollar store (where everything is actually a dollar) and voila I found a pretty cute one.  I think Kleenex can also be used with this technique. Here are the steps......
     1. Cut a piece of adhesive sheet to match the size of the cardstock you will be attaching the napkin to.
     2. Pull one side off the adhesive sheet and attach to the cardstock
     3. Pull apart all the layers of the napkin and cut into a piece about 1/2 inch larger, on each side, than your cardstock.  Lay this piece upside down.
     4. Place the sticky side of your cardstock in the center of the napkin and press all edges
     5. Trim off the extra napkin
     6. Press Versmark all over the napkin until you are sure it is fully covered.
     7. Cover the cardstock with Heat and Stick powder and heat until the powder melts and is sticky.
     8. Cover the melted powder with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. Then reheat one more time to set the glitter in the melted powder.  Notice not much of the glitter comes off.

Lots of steps, but easy and you'll love the results.

Supplies used

Heat and Stick powder

Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

Tempting Turquoise, Primrose Petals, Basic Black cardstock

Tempting Turquoise, Primrose Petals ink

Apothocary Framelits

Layered Labels stamp set

Large oval punch

New use for a Napkin

 

   One of the things I love researching is new techniques to use on cards.  I remember years ago trying out a technique called Faux Linen.  When one of my downline brought me some Kleenex with Christmas decorations on it I immediately thought of using the Faux Linen technique to turn it into a card.  How does one create a card using Faux Linen you might ask?  4 easy steps is all it takes.
        1.  Cover a piece of cardstock thoroughly with glue stick
        2.  Crumple a precut piece of Kleenex into a tiny wad
        3.  Unfold the wad but don't spread out all the wrinkles
        4.  Place the wrinkled Kleenex on top of the cardstock piece and spread it out, managing to keep some wrinkles in place. The edges can be glued to the wrong side of the cardstock.
   Check out the card I made using this easy technque. I would love to see a sample that you make using the Faux Linen technique.

 

Supplies used

Snow Flurries embossing folder

Island Indigo, Basic Black and Gumball Green, Whisper White cardstock

Island Indigo Ink

Saying from Rejoicing with You stamp set

 

More about Sushi

      My mom was a Home Ec teacher and as a result I have been exposed to a lot of different crafts.  It seems that stamping and sewing are the two that have stuck the most with me.  I love this card because it kind of combines my two loves into one card.  I remember mom using a dress form to make sure that the outfit she was sewing for me would fit just right.  So, when I saw this stamp set I just had to have it.  Do you notice anything else on this card that I mentioned that I love?  You guessed it, the embossing folder which creates a great background for this simple card. What is your favorite memory of your mother?

Supplies used; 

Stamp Sets: Established Elegence, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Embossing folder: Vintage Wallpaper

Apothocary Framelits

Whisper White, Basic Black cardstock

Stazon Black ink

Ready Set Go

 

I am ready to jump in with both feet and try blogging out in the Big World. I have had a blog as a part of my stampinup website for over a year  and love posting and blogging.  But I want to reach more people so after watching a webinar on blogging I decided to take a stab at it. This feels scary to me because it is such a new experience.  But here goes...One Two Three Jump!

 I love stamping in every form possible and I love StampinUp and all their products.  So, today for my first blog I will share with you a card I made recently that has a lot of the products from StampinUp that I love....embossing folders, stamps, and designer paper. What do you think?

Items used:  Fancy Fan, Polka dot embossing folder

Sassy Salutations ,Embellised Events stamp set

Dahlia In-Color designer flowers

In-Color Designer Series Paper Stack, Primrose Petals

Crumb Cake, Midnight Blue, Whisper White cardstock

Gumball Green, Early Espresso ink