Saturday, August 31, 2013

Hand Sanitizer Treats

Happy Saturday, again ...

As you can see my "enjoy the weather" mission didn't last long.  I asked the girls if they wanted to go for a bike ride with me ... they didn't.  :(  Humph.  OK ... so I made a Halloween costume in about 45 minutes (one of those no-sew skirts ... I may or may not show that project one day ... it certainly doesn't do my HIPS any favours having 6 meters of tulle added to them *lol*)

I had an e-mail from my friend Tina asking for details on how to make these cute little treats:
Yay!  A project!  She was looking for dimensions and punch sizes.  Just so-happened that I had a baggie of yet-to-be-completed projects in my "to-do-one-day" bin ... so I thought I'd throw up another quick post to share with everyone!

If you are any sort of self-respecting crafter you will have a stash of themed hand sanitizers that you bought on sale after-the-season *lol*  Go get them.  Then you need to use your Two-Tags Die (sorry, it's retired so hopefully you have one already!!).  Punch out a tag from a 2" strip of card stock
 Score it from the flat end at 1 3/4" and again at 2 1/2" plus 2 ticks :)
 Now take your 1/2" circle punch and punch it in the centre ... well, I tried but it didn't quite make it to the centre ... so punch it once from each side, as far in as your punch will go:
 Now unscrew the lid for your sanitizer and slide the tag on top:
 ... then screw the lid back on.  This will keep the tag in place even when you pick it up by the ribbon.
 Then you just decorate as desired!
For mine I used my white gel pen to hi-light the scallops.  I used the 1 3/8" and the 1 1/4" circle punches for the green layer and pumpkin image (that set is retired but there are TONS of images that are current that will work!)

There you have it!  Make these for Halloween or for Christmas for the teachers and your friends.  Quick and oh so cute!

OK  ... dinner ... gotta fly!  Have a stampy night!


Tam

First Day of School is fast approaching!

Happy Saturday!

What a beeeaauuuuuutiful day it is out there today!  Too nice to be at the computer, so I'll make it *brief* ... ya, ya, I know ... my *brief* is others' *long* ....

As all us moms know, the first day of school is fast approaching (*insert jump with high-five air slap here*!)  I'm pretty sure I must be procrastinating on something (hmmm ... maybe labelling all the kids' stuff or buying lunch supplies ...) because yesterday I decided I neeed to make "Happy First Day of School" treats for all the staff at the girls' school.  Yep.  That meant I needed 30 *somethings* ... by Tuesday morning.  Luckily last night was Craft Night and two of my favorite stampin' gals came over to play.  I struggled to make a quick and easy *something* but after about an hour I had it.  Check it out:
REALLY basic ... which I REALLY needed it to be!  On my fourth trip to Costco this week (yes, fourth!!!) I bought a box of the to-die-for Brookside chocolate covered snacks ... blueberry, acai amd goji berry ... $9.99 for a box of 40 treats.  Perfect!  I grabbed my retired hostess set from last year "Carry On", stamped it in Real Red and used my Deco Label Framelits to punch them out.  My crop-a-dile punched the holes and I threaded through some of the SAB green ribbon to attach them!  It only took about an hour to put them all together ... so quick and easy once I got my poop together and came up with the design!!

This morning I decided I needed a card to go with the treats, which I'll leave in the staff room Tuesday morning.  I also needed cards for my girls .... again, it took a bit of fiddling to figure out what the heck I was doing but in the end I got there and really like the end result:
As always I couldn't quite seem to stop  and the layers just kept building *lol*.  The card is standard size in Whisper White.  The layer is 5" x 3 3/4".  I used the "Measuring Stick" builder wheel (page 103 - $5.95) in Early Espresso for the ruler image.  I used my retired (and forever will keep) Happy Everything set for the "happy" ... in Pacific Point and cut that out (the strip was 4 1/4" x 1 1/4" and then I made a dovetail).  The red strip is 4 1/4" x 1/2".  The black is actually leftover scrap of 5/8" grosgrain ribbon from my paw print card yesterday.  The "First Day of Scho0l" is from another retired "keeper" set ... "First Day", I think it's called.  I punched it out with the large oval punch and popped it up on dimensionals.  Oh!  And the apples are also from that retired set ... I stamped them in Espresso and colored them with REal Red and Old Olive and then popped it up on dimensionals too.

Sorry for all the retired products!  But hey ... I originally got into this stampinbg gig so I could have sets and supplies on hand to make gifts and cards for the kids ... and these keeper sets are just what I had in mind :)

Right!  I'm off to enjoy this lovely fall day!  Until next time .. have a stampy Saturday!!


Tam

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Paw Print Fun

Happy Wednesday!

I'm happy to say today turned out to be a great day.  Long story short Alicia went to mom's for a sleepover so Rebecca and I spent a lovely afternoon browsing on Whyte Ave. 

She's playing with a friend right now so I thought I would take a minute to post a card I whipped up while the girls were still sleeping early this morning.  I needed a card in a hurry as I just found out a friend's dog just passed away and I wanted to send the family a card.  I also have another friend who just got a puppy ... so I wanted a card for her.  10 minutes later I had come up with these:
 
LOVE!!  I can't take credit for the paw print idea ... that was CASEd from Mary Fish a while back. 

This is such a quick, easy card and perfect for any dog-related situation.  Both cards are made with Very Vanilla card stock, Basic Black card stock and the (retired) First Edition DSP.  The DSP layer is 3 1/4" x 3 1/4", the black is 3 1/2" x 3 1/2".  The ribbon is also retired - I think it was 5/8" grosgrain.  The pawprints are made using the Full Heart Punch and the Small Oval Punch.  The sypathy card uses the "So Sorry" Set ... the Congratulation is from Sassy Salutations.  The sentiments are stamped with Black Staz-on.  A pearl for a little accent and you're done!

Here are all the products, codes and prices to make these projects:

Very Vanilla card stock - item # 101650 - $9.25
Basic Black card Stock - item # 121045 - $8.50
First Edition DSP (retired)
5/8" Black Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)
FullHeart Punch - item # 119883 - $22.95
Small Oval Punch - item # 120908 - $15.95
Basic Pearls - item # 119247 - $6.50
So Sorry - item # 126527 - $20.95 clear; item # 132585 - $26.95 wood
SAssy Salutations- item # 126707 - $21.95 clear; item # 132070 - $28.95 wood
Black Staz-on ink - item # 101406 - $10.50

Click here to place an online order and have the items shipped directly to your door.

That's it for tonight.  Until next time ... have a stampy evening!


Tam

Monday, August 26, 2013

Numbers Birthday

Happy Monday ... again!

So, I was merrily drinking my coffee this morning and surfing through blogs ... as I do EVERY morning with a cup of coffee ... and I headed over to Pink Paper Bakery.  Ever popped in there?  If not check it out - they have some great cards there!  www.pinkpaperbakery.com ANYway ... I popped in and was scrolling through the posts when WHAM!  This card jumped out at me that I absolutely fell in love with.  Now this is not an unusal occurence for me ... every morning I find dozens of great cards and I Pin them, convinced I will one day case them.  Of course there simply isn't enough time in the WORLD to do that ... but this one was fresh in my mind when I hit the craft room today so this one made it through!  The original card came from Pamela at http://fishydesign.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/cfc-53-24th-birthday/ .  I love it:
Isn;t it fabulous??!!  I really couldn't tell from the picture if the numbers were punched OUT of the top layer or if they had been punched out seperately and glued ON to the top layer.  It really didn't matter though because I only have the ability to do the latter!  Before I go into detail about what I did I suppose I should show you MY version, yes?  OK - here it is:
Love it!  As you know, Alicia's birthday is in about 6 weeks - I figured I'd make her brithday card using this layout (for the record I have NEVER made either child their birthday card this far in advance!!  I'm usually making it the day before, at BEST!)  It was easy to decide on a color scheme - Bermuda Bay is her new favorite color ... followed by neon green ... and black!  I originally tried this layout using black layers, as Pamela did ... but it just didn't work ... so Bermuda Bay, Whisper White and Basic Black it was!  I used the Typeset Alphabet Bigz die to punch out the numbers.  I used my Memorable Moments stamp set for the "Happy" and "TH".  As always seems to happen I dropped the "TH" stamp just and globbed ink all over the almost finished card.  Grrrr - HATE when then happens!  ... so I had to do it again on scrap, punch it out and cover it up.  I popped the 8 up on cut pieces of dimensional and added a few rhinestones ... after all, a girl's gotta have some bling, right??  I like this card ... a LOT!  It works for all ages and both genders.  Perfect!

Here are the products I used for this card:

Bermuda Bay card stock - item #  131197 - $8.50
Whisper White card stock - item # 100730 - $9.25
Basic Black card stock - item # 121045 - $8.50
Typeset Alphabet Bigs Die - item # 127553 - $110.95
Memorable Moments stamp set - item # 126682 - $26.95 clear; item # 132039 - $36.95 wood
Dimensionals - item # 104430 - $5.50
Basic Rhinestones - item # 119246 - $6.50
2-way glue pen - item # 100425 - $5.95
Black Staz-on ink - item # 101406 - $10.50

Click here to place an online order and have it delivered straight to your door!

I suppose I should go finish those invitations ... I HAVE promised them to you twice now and not delivered.  Sorry.  I hang my head in shame.  They are HALF finished ... so soon!  Very soon!  Until next time ... have a stampy day!


Tam

Expressions Christmas

Happy Monday!

Not much to report this morning ... just a "go with the flow" kinda day again today.  We might hit the fabric store to pick up supplies to make our costumes for Alicia's birthday party (it's a Halloween party!!)  Other than that ... I got nuthin' ... so let's check out a Christmas card, shall we?
I like the clean look of it.  It came together pretty quickly.  I used my Expressions Thinlits with Cherry Cobbler Cardstock for the "Merry" and stamped the "Christmas" in Cherry Cobbler with the stamp from Joy to the World.  I used a post-it note to cover the "wishes" party of the Christmas Wishes sentiment, inked the stamp and then removed the post-it-note.  Yes, I could have just used my marker to color the word Christmas but it really doesn't give the same deep color as when you use an ink pad!  The ornament is stamped with one of the ornaments from Ornament Keepsakes in the Encore Silver pad and then punched out with the matching framelit.  If I were to do it again I would just stamp the image directly on the whisper white layer and skip the framelit part.  Since the ornament isn't popped up it really doesn't add anything to the card other than to add another step!  I used some Smoky Slate card stock for the strip behind the white layer along with a little strip of the Silver 1/8" Silver Ribbon.  A few rhinestones and I was done!  Quick and cute.  Just they way I like my Christmas cards!

Here are all the Stampin' Up! products I used for this card:

Whisper White card stock - item # 100730 - $9.25
Smoky Slate card stock - item # 131202 - $8.50
Expressions Thinlits - item # 132171 - $30.95
Joy to the World stamp set - item # 131799 - $20.95 clear; item #  131796 - $26.95 wood
Cherry Cobbler card stock - item # 119685 - $8.50
Cherry Cobbler ink - item # 126966 - 7.25
Basic Rhinestones - item # 119246 - $6.50
2-way glue pen - item # 100425 - $5.95
Silver 1/8" Ribbon - item # 132137 - $6.95
Ornamnet Keepsakes stamp set - item # 128051 - $31.95 clear; item # 128048 - $42.95 wood
Holiday Ornament Framelits - item # 127816 - $30.95
Encore Silver ink - item # 132142 - $12.95

Click here to order on line and have your items shipped directly to your door.

If time permits I'll get cracking on those birthday invitations and post them.  Until then, have a stampy day!


Tam

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Thankful for ...

Happy Sunday!

What a great day I'm having so far.  As you all know I LOOOOVE Sundays ... especially in the fall.  I know, I know ... I shouldn't be mentioning the "f" word but the air definately has that fall to it these days!  I had no real plans for the day and I just went with the flow.  That resulted in me spending all morning baking!  Yes, I CAN bake ... I just generally choose NOT to ... I only end up eating it *lol*  Be that as it may I decided today I was going to bake some muffins for my neighbours.  They have been in Poland for the last month and we have been checking on their house and looking after their yard.  The bonus of THAT has been that they said we could help ourselves to anything in their garden.  I took full advantage of that and have been thuroughly enjoying the home grown cucumbers, tomatoes and raspberries.  So I baked some blueberry muffins.  They were AMAZING!!!  TOO amazing, apparently because Craig said I wasn't allowed to give them away!  If THAT doesn't say "keeper recipe" I don't know what does!  So I had move on to plan B ... which was Pumpkin Spice Loaf!  I bought a mix at Costco last week (hey ... no shame in mixes!  I have my baking limits, after all!)  I made a large loaf for our neighbours and some mini loafs for lunches.  After baking of course I needed a card to go along WITH the loaf ... to say thank you for letting us raise the garden ... so that's what my project is for today.  First up, a picture of the loaf and card (Craig thought I was NUTS decorative wrapping a loaf!  He says now we're going to have to watch their house all the time *lol*)
Ta da!  Once the loaf was cooled I wrapped it in some wax paper.  I then used half a sheet of the DSP from Sweater Weather.  I added some of the yummy 1 1/4" burlap ribbon to coordinate with the card and I was done!

Sweater Weather DSP - page 18 of the holiday mini - item # - 132184 - $13.50
1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon - page 18 of the holiday mini - item # - 132140 - $9.95

(I honestly wasn't sure what I was going to DO with an entire roll of the burlap ribbon but after making 10 of my toilet paper treats and this loaf I now have to buy a second roll!  It always seems the things I don't think I'll use I DO and the things I think I'll use lots I DON'T!!)

So now here is the card on it's own:
Love it!  Although my design card took about an hour to come together the second card (the one I actually gave to my neighbours) only took about 5 minutes.  I love all the texture to it ... along with the simplicity.  It looks great in person! After cutting out the leaves with my Autumn Accents Die I ran them all through the Woodgrain Embossing Folder for extra texture.

Here are all the products I used:

Very Vanilla Card Stock - item # 101650 - $9.25
Baked Brown Sugar Card Stock - item # 131296 - $8.50
Always Artichoke Card Stock - item # 105119 - $8.50
Crushed Curry Card Stock (there's that color again!!)
Cajun Craze Card Stock - item # 119684 - $8.50
Cajun Craze Ink  - item # 126965 - $7.25
1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon - item # 132140 - $9.95
Naturals Designer Buttons - item # 127554 - $6.95
Mini Glue Dots - item # 103683 - $5.95 (I used snail to attach the burlap but glue dots for all the embellishments)
Thankful wood stamp - item # 133313 - $9.95
Woodgrain Embossing Folder - item # 127821 - $9.95
Autumn Accents Bigz Die - item # 127812 - $26.95

Click here to place an on-line order and have your items shipped directly to your door!

I know I said I'd share Alicia's birthday invitations ... but I haven't finished them yet ... so you have to wait :)  I DO, however, have a Christmas card to share so pop back tomorrow to check that out.  Until then, have a stampy Sunday!


Tam

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Make sure you schedule some time for YOU!

Happy Saturday! 
 
Another beautiful day in the neighbourhood! After a full day of movies, shopping and errands with the girls it's time to hide in the cool basement and get some work done! I'm finishing off my toilet paper roll treats (no, the treats aren't the toilet paper rolls ... the treats are inside the decorated toiled paper rolls ... check out below for that project) and I'm also heading into full production of Alicia's birthday party invitations (yes ... I know her birthday isn't until October 5th but if I don't get them done now I KNOW I'll be scrambling to finish them at the last minute ... as usual!!)

So ... I've wanted to send out a not-so-quick e-mail for quite a while now ... I just didn't have the time ... but now I'm making the time because I think it's really important for us gals to think about, especially at this time of year when the speed of life starts increasing at a scary rate and as we start planning our fall activites for the kids. This week I just happened to stumble across two magazine articles that perfectly outlined what I wanted to say about this ... so I'm now going to copy parts of those article to get my point across (faster and phrased a lot better than I could come up with!)

Last week I sent out an e-mail and a blog post inviting you all to join my stamping club (I only have 3 spots available, by the way, so e-mail me if you would like *in*!!). Often when I invite people to come to my classes, my craft nights or join my clubs a very common reply I get is "I don't have time". I often find a lot of women feel guilty taking the time for such a "frivilous" night out. After all, we all have that never-ending pile of laundry that should be done, we're tired after running the kids to all of their activities and many of use feel it's somehow unfair to "saddle" our husbands with the child care after they have been hard at work all day/week. I get it. I'm a wife and mother too ... and I have the same chores nagging at me and the same guilt issues ... but I DO manage to shake them off and take some time for me. Of course my form of escape and *me time* is crafting. Yours may be yoga class, reading a magazine or just going for a walk. Whatever you choose to do it is SO important to have some time for yourself ... and another article I read states that it's very important for that time to not always be BY yourself ... but face to face with others.

This is part of what Gretchen Rubin's article says (taken from the April 2013 issue of Good Housekeeping)

"Create a Happier Life"

Whether you're knitting a scart of starting a blog, creating something is one of the most delightful ways to enhance happiness. When you collect ideas and combine them in an original way, you can't help stretching yourself. And when you do it with others, you strengthen your relationsips - one of the best ways to increase joy.

Except, most people - busy women especially - don't take the time to be creative. For one thing, creating means pausing , playing, and sometimes failing. It' doesn't always feel productive, ...

Gretchen then goes on to share some techniques to help you spark ideas ... but her above message says exactly what I believe. Creating is an amazing journey. So many people say (and truly believe) "I'm not at all creative". That's not true. EVERYONE is creative. Adults have just forgotten how to "let themselves go" - they are so critical of the end result that they consider their creation an epic failure. That's sad. Have you ever watched a child color or draw? What child doesn't love to make things?? And at what point does that child STOP loving to create things?? I'll tell you when - when their inner voice tells them that their drawing is terrible or the coloring isn't inside the lines enough. Adults simply sensor too much. Again, that's sad. Have you ever been in your car alone and sung out loud at the top of your voice knowing that the sound is right up there with the sound of a thousand nails on a blackboard ... but you're alone, so it doesn't matter and it feels great just to belt out a song you love??? THAT'S the feeling that creating can give you ... if you are brave enough not to be self critical and sensor your own self.

 I read a second article in the same issue of Good Housekeeping. In this one Elizabeth Berg makes an excellent case for getting together - face-to-face - with friends. Not FaceBOOK or e-mail but to actually go for a coffee with a real body! She says:

"The Case for Face"
...

Dealing with only one person at a time goes against our now ingrained need to multitask. It doesn't just feel like a guilty pleasure to take time to see friends; it feels a little nuts. The myriad of things I am ignoring in my own life in order to make real-time, in-person inquiries into the life of another!

But there's a cost to not seeing people ...... So much of what we feel is revealed in the way we lean forward or back, raise an eyebrow, blush before delivering a sentence, laugh or tear up. Tone adds so much to what we say. Silence does, too.

Yet when we try to make a plan to see someone, it often ends up being three weeks away, and by then something else has come up and we have to cancel - again. We fill our lives with more because we can, and after a while it feels as though we must fill them.

We make excuses for ourselves not to see people in person. We convince ourselves that we reailly don't have time to do that. But the truth is, we do have time. We just need to make it as much of a priority as the other things that eat up our days and nights.

So what's the point of this post?  Well ... of course I would love for you to be creative and get some face-to-face time with a great group of ladies by joining my club or coming to my class(es) but that really isn't what I'm all about ... and it isn't the point of my post. This month, as we spend hours and hundreds of dollars researching and signing our KIDS up for all kinds of extracurricular activities I encourage you to sign yourself up for something that interests YOU ... and that involves face-to-face time with other like-minded people. Don't just focus on expanding your KIDS' interests and skills ... focus on expanding YOUR interest and skills as well. You deserve a few hours a week for YOU; your wellbeing, your interest and your friends. Take a cooking class, learn a new language, join a book club ... or join my club ... but do something for you. I'm pretty sure you'll be happier if you do :)

That's my sermon for today. Thanks for reading. Now go do something fun. I'm going to the park with my kids.

Have an awesome night :)


Tam

Friday, August 23, 2013

Tea Party Toilet Paper Favours

Happy Friday!

MAN what a beautiful week!  I can't handle 25 - 30 degree heat in the summer but I LOVE 25 - 30 heat in the fall.  My morning walks with Koda are heavenly!  It's cool enough to wear a hoody but warm enough to wear short WITH the hoody.  FABulous!!!  I think we'll head to the outdoor pool a little later today to soak up the sun, splash around and for those of us who were cats in previous lives, read a magazine!!

So on to todays project!  This quick and easy project is the one that had me absolutely giddy as it was coming together ... and it came together so quickly!  Once again the Stampin' Up! products coordinate SO perfectly together it makes creating a breeze!

While I LOVED the little muslin bags I posted yesterday I didn't have enough to make for my 10 Month Club Members ... so I needed to come up with a packaging idea that was just as cute and quick but more economical and with supplies I had on hand.  I started off trying to emboss the same little "You're just my cup of tea" image from yesterday's project on one of the transluscent bags ... but as I feared it melted the bag.  If I would have been more patient and held the heat tool further away I think it would have worked ... but I'm all about quick when I have to make 10 to 20 of something so ... ya, no.  I needed something else.  I thought rather than embossing the cello bag I could wrap the treats (tea and "Thin Addictive" biscuits) in tissue paper, stamp and punch out the sentiment and attach THAT to the bag.  As I headed for my stash of tissue paper I spot 4 toilet paper rolls that I had saved for "some project, some day".  Bing bing bing bing bing!  That was it!  Use the toilet paper rolls!  Brilliant!!  15 minutes later I was done.  Here's what I came up with:
LOVE it!  So quick, easy and economical!!  It's SO straight forward!  It actually took me a lot longer to photograph the steps and blog them than it did to make them!  Here is a pictorial of what I did:


I used Summer Starfruit Cardsotck - cut 6" x 4" (plus a tick or two just to make sure you have total coverage).  I used the scalloped image from the Tea Party set to decorate the long edge of the card stock
I then took my bone folder and "curled" the paper with it, to loosen the paper fibres so that it stayed curled and adhered to the toilet paper roll easier:
I applied my Multipurpose Liquid Glue to the inside ...
... and attached it to the toilet paper roll:
Ta da!
Then I used my paper snips to trim the excess.  (Notice this picture has the stamped edge whereas the picture above doesn't?  Ya.  My first version didn't have the stamping ... I decided after I glued it down it needed a little something ... this was the little something :))
I stamped the "Tea Party" image with Soft Suede on Very Vanilla card stock and used one of my oval framelits to punch it out with the Big Shot and my FABULOUS magnetic plate ... LOVE that thing!!!  Sorry, you still can't order it ... it was SO popular that they sold their 13 weeks supply in just 3 weeks!  They are on backorder and until their stock is replenished it can't be ordered!).  Now!  Before I could USE my Big Shot I had to FIND my Big Shot!  Oh ... there it is ... under the chaos from yesterday's crafting session *lol*
... and of course I needed to find more toilet paper rolls to finish all 10 ... I found 3 more in the recycling .. then things were desperate ... so I had to raid toilet paper rolls that were still in use!  *lol*
The finishing touch was the burlap ribbon that I simply cut and tied with a piece of linen thread!  The Tea Party image is attached with 3 dimensionals.  To get the biscuits in without crushing them to bits I gently squashed the tube so it was a little more oval than round.  I popped in the treats and Wa-Low!  10 quick, easy, economical gifts for my club gals.  Genius!
Here are all the Stampin' Up! products I used to make them:

Summer Starfruit card stock - item # 126991 - $8.50
Very Vanilla Card Stock - item #  101650 - $9.25
Linen Thread - item # 104199 - $5.95
Multipurpose Liquid Glue - item # 110755 - $5.95
Soft Suede ink - item # - 126978 - $7.25
Tea Party stamp set - item # - 129138 - $20.95; item # 129135 - $27.95
Ovals Collection Framelits - item # 129381 - $32.95
Dimensionals - item # - 104430 - $5.50
1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon - item # 132140 - $9.95

Click here to place an on line order and have it shipped directly to your door!

That's it for now!  Pop back soon to see the cute little birthday invitations Alicia and I designed last night for her upcoming party.  Again, quick and cute was the theme for the day!  Until then, have a stampy day!


Tam

Thursday, August 22, 2013

MuslinTreats - Quick, Easy and AWESOME!!

Happy Thursday!

... and breeeeaaaaathe ..... ahhhh ... that's better :)  I have had the fun of crafting for the last 3 hours straight.  Woo hoo!  I feel whole again *lol*.  Seriously - I DO go into withdrawal if I don't get my fix ... and today I did!  Not ONLY did I manage to spend 3 hours crafting, I managed to make some AWESOMELY AWESOME, QUICK AND EASY treats!!!  I LOVE when that happens!  I feel like I'm some sort of crafting superstar when I come up with (what I think is) an original idea.  Now I KNOW there are probably hundreds of crafters out there who have come up with something very similar ... after all I AM using the new little muslin bags from the holiday mini ... there are only SO many things you can do with them, right??  But I came up with the decoration all on my little own and feel like a genius!  ... and just wait until TOMORROW!!  Not only did I come up with super cute and super quick TODAY but TOMORROWS made me all giddy ... you know how I get :))))  SO!  Before I burst I have to show you!  CHECK.  THIS. OUT.!!!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  LOVE IT!!!!  Ok, ok ... I know ... it's just a bag ... but it's so stinkin' cute I can't STAND it!  I needed some little treats super fast.  My Summer Stamp Club order came in yesterday and I like to deliver ASAP ... but I didn't have my little treats ready yet ... nor did I even have an inkling what I wanted to make this month!  I decided Tea and Biscuits were the way to go.  Now.  How to package them?  Well ... in my ongoing mission to use what I buy before it retires I grabbed my pack of Mini Muslin Bags.  I saw in the mini catalogue that they could be stamped on.  So that was my plan.  I grabbed my Soft Suede ink pad, knowing that was the perfect color to go with the bags.   Now ... what to stamp?  Well duh!  How about the "Tea Party" set I bought a month ago ... with no idea how I would use the set on a card!  Bam!  Approximately 3 minutes later I had the above piece of loveliness staring back at me!!!  I whipped up the other 7 bags in about 20 minutes flat!  I put some "Thin Addictive" biscuits from Costco ... and a bag of tea in each one and Wa-low!  Quick, easy treats!!!  
 
Don't you just love them????  I do!  Of course now ... although my mission is to use what I buy before it retired I also have issues with running out of things before they retire so now I have to order more muslin bags and In Color Boutique Detials! ... sigh ... perhaps I need to call a therapist ... apparently I have a lot of confilicting issues *lol*
 
Here is a pictorial of the assembly ... oh, and to attache the In Color Boutique button thingies I just used 2 mini glue dots and they stuck just fine!  Oh, and I punched the hole in the tag with my craop-o-dile ...
 
 
 
 
 
 
So here are the products I used for these little yummies (wouldn't these be great to have on hand for little thank-you's for teachers, friends or hostess gifts??!!  Just sayin ...
 
Mini Muslin Bags - item # - 132180 - $14.95 (for 8)
Soft Suede Ink - item # 126978 - $7.25
Pistachio Pudding Ink -item # - 131177 - $7.25
Pistachio Pudding Marker - buy the set of In Color Markers - item # 131260 - $19.95
Crisp Cantaloupe Ink - item # - 131176 - $7.25
Crisp Cantaloupe Marker -  buy the set of In Color Markers - item # 131260 - $19.95
Very Vanilla Card Stock - item # 101650 - $9.25
In Color Boutique Details - item # - 130938 - $11.50
Tea Party Stamp set - item # - 129138 (clear) - $20.95 - item # 129135 (wood) - $27.95
Large Tag Punch - oh poop - it's retired ... oh well - use your paper snips!
Mini Glue Dots - item # 103683 - $5.95
 
Click here to place an on line order to make your own!
 
So that's what I got up to today!  Pop in again tomorrow to see my second fabulous project (assuming I find 45 minutes to post it ... lots of pictures for that one!)  Until then ... have a stampy day!!
 
 
Tam

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Deck the Halls with Season of Style

Happy Tuesday!

Once again it's 1:53 pm and I've accomplished diddly squat!  I'm really starting to crave routine ... and children out of the house! 

Yesterday I finally managed to head downstairs after dinner.  I had a few ideas for cards I wanted to make but only managed one ... because I had to spend half an hour looking for the top of my desk!  It always looks like a Staples store threw up on it after I make a card ... and of course once I'm done creating I don't feel like cleaning up the mess *lol*  Be that as it may I DID make a complete card ... here it is:


I wanted to try a christmas card using this layout which I cased from a Mary Fish card a while back.  I recently cut all the paper for my Pansy Kits hence the layout was fresh in my mind ...
A quick, easy, clean Christmas card.  Perfect for my upcoming Christmas Stamp-a-Stack :)

Here is the recipe for the Christmas card:

Whisper White Card stock - item # 100730 - $9.25
Crumb Cake Card Stock - item # - 120953 - $8.50
Season of Style Designer Series Paper Stack - item # - 132181 - $8.50
Mosaic Punch - item # 131267 - $21.95
Holiday Ornaments Framelits - item # 127816 - $30.95
Rhinestones - item # 119246 - $6.50
Dimensionals - item # 104430 - $5.50
Christmas Messages Stamp Set - item # 131793 - $25.95 cl; item # 131790 - $35.95 wood
Gumball Green Ink - item # - 126861 - $7.25
Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder - item # - 117335 - $9.95


The girls and I are off to the zoo tomorrow with Miss Sara and Baby Brock tomorrow so I won't be crafting in the morning ... but there's always the afternoon!  Pop in again soon to see what I'm up to!  Until then ... have a stampy day!


Tam

Sunday, August 18, 2013

FREE DRAW when you join my Fall Club!

Happy Sunday!

This post is mainly for my Edmonton followers, but if you are in Canada and would like to be a part of the fun drop me a line and we can discuss your long distance participation!

I am looking for members to join my 10-Month Club that starts in September ... and I have a FREE DRAW for everyone who joins by August 31st ... I will be drawing for the soon to be released Envelope Punch Board - a $24.95 value!

 
This is such an amazing tool!!! ... and yes, I will be posting a video showing how it works just as soon as one is posted by Stampin' Up! Like the Big Shot, this will be one of those *MUST HAVE* tools!!
  • It creates totally customizable envelopes in up to 66 different sizes (not to mention a million different color and pattern options depending on the paper you want to use. Does anyone else have a stash of DSP as tall as a small child to use up??). Even tried and true envelope sizes will only take you moments to create!
  • It's super easy to use; It looks intimidating at first glance, but when you see that all you have to do is measure for the first punch and from there you just turn and score you'll go crazy (in a good way).
  • It's small and lightweight; it's super portable and easy to store. It's small and light enough that you could use it while watching a soccer match, at a park, at a friend's for craft night-anywhere.
  • It even has a slick scoring tool as well as a punch that lets you create rounded corners on your envelopes.
  • It's easy to keep it all together; the stylus storage compartment and two punches are designed into the tool so you don't have a bunch of little pieces to keep track of (even the instructions are printed right on the tool so you won't lose them!).
  • It will be in next year's annual catalog, so it's here to stay.
All you have to do to be in the FREE DRAW is to e-mail me before August 31st to let me know you want to be in the club!
 
Here are the details:
What are the benefits of joining the club?
    • At least $40 in free product
    • A FREE Ink Pad (for new members) or $13.50 Designer Series Paper (for returning members) of your choice
    • 20% discount on your order during your hostess month
    • Entries into free draws
    • Free Catalogues
    • Discounts on classes
    • Buying the craft supplies you need on budget
    • A little "Thank You" card or treat in your bag each month 
Here is how it works:
    • 10 members commit to making a minimum $25 (+ GST and s&h) purchase each and every month for 10 months from September 2013 through until (and including) June 2014.
    • Each month, one stamper gets to act as the hostess and earns the free hostess benefits. Everyone gets to pick the month they would like to be the "hostess" on a first-come-first served basis (with Sale-a-bration months being chosen by a draw.) If 2 members want the same month a draw will be made to decide who gets that month.
    • With 10 members adding at least $25 to "the pot" each month, each hostess is guaranteed a minimum of $250 in the pot, providing her with a minimum of $35 in free merchandise ... but I will personally top the pot up to $265, if need be, to get the free spending up to $40!!
    • The hostess may increase her hostess benefits by hosting a workshop and/or collecting outside orders (but is NOT required to do so)
    • Members receive a free current Idea Book and Catalogue and all seasonal Mini Catalogues and the new Idea Book and Catalogue when it comes out in June, 2014
    • The monthly orders (along with payment) must be submitted by the 15th of each month. If for some reason your order is NOT placed on time then an order for (4) Snail Adhesive Refills will be ordered on your behalf (totalling $26.00 + s/h/gst)
    • During your hostess month you will receive 20% off your personal order
    • *** There will be exclusive, monthly draws for products - everyone will win!!
    • Club members receive discounted rates for attending my technique classes and craft nights and get priority at these events if they reach capacity seating
    • Returning club members receive a free package of Designer Series Paper (a value of over $13.50!) of their choice during their hostess month as a "Thank You" for re-joining
    • New club members will receive a free Classic Ink Pad (a value of over $7.25!) of their choice as a "Thank You" for joining
    • As I stated above ... all members of the club will be entered into a draw for the FREE Envelope Punch Board which will retail for $24.95 starting September 1st!!!
So would you like to join? Go ahead - send me an e-mail or comment on this post and let me know you're *in*. I LOVE my club gals and would LOVE to have a full club again this fall!!
Enjoy the rest of the day. Until next time ... have a stampy day



Tam


Saturday, August 17, 2013

Link for Braided Paper Technique

Oops!

I posted the wrong link address for the template you need for the Braided Paper technique from Sandy Hancock.  Click here for the template to print off.

Sorry about that!

Have a stampy day!


Tam

Braided Paper Tutorial

Happy Saturday!

As promised I'm here to share a tutorial on the Braided Paper Technique (do you call it a technique?  Sure.  LEt's call it a technique).

I've seen this a few times lately and just had to give it a try.  I credit "Brandy" from "brandyscards" when I stumbled across her YouTube video via Pinterest.  I couldn't find her website but if you google "brandyscards" you will be able to see a video tutorial from her.

Subsequent to seeing the video I came across another tutorial and lovely card from Sandy Hancock at http://sandystamper.typepad.com/.  Here is the card she made using this technique:
Love it!  I adore how she used the woodgrain folder for the background.  It really pull the shole card together!  You saw my Christmas Peek a Boo card from yesterday but I have anotherone to share today.  I wanted to try a different card using the same braiding.  Here is what I made:
Love it!!  Here is another shot that shows the gold behind the braid a little better:
This braiding is SO quick and easy - you HAVE to try it!! 

First off you need to print off this template that Sandy provided on her website:
http://sandystamper.typepad.com/files/braidedtutcardtech.pdf

Simply cut off one of the template provided and line up the edge of her drawing with the edge of your card stock:
 Then you use your paper snips to cut JUST up to the edge of each line:
Once you have made all of the cuts remove the template.  Here's what you have: 
Open your card with the *mountain*  up (ie the front of your card stock facing up):
Fold down the first "V" like so: 
 Cut off AND KEEP that "V":
Now fold down every other "V": 
... until they are all folded: 
Now for the fun part ... the "braiding".  Simply tuck the point of each "V" under the pokey-uppey part of the previous "V" (don't tell me you've never used the word pokey-uppey before.  It's a word! *lol*) 
Continue tucking all of the "V"s ...
 ... until they are all tucked:
Now you take the "V" that you cut off at the beginning and we are going to glue it onto the very top portion ... like so: 
I used my 2-way glue pen ... 
Ta da!  ... or should I saw Wa-low!  Haven't used that word in a while!!  This is how it looks closed.  Easy, yes?  Yes! 
OK ... now I'll just show/tell you a little bit about the card I made (let's review ...)
I used my Lattice Square Die (page 193; $40.95) with Basic Black card stock.  Yes!  Another item I bought months and months ago that was STILL IN THE WRAPPER!!!  (I hang my head in shame ...) and attached it with my 2-way glue pen.  To make the sentiment piece I stamped the sentiment in the new Encore Gold Ink Pad - holiday catty page 28 - $12.95 (oh look!  I took a picture with my first attempt which was, in fact, black Staz-on ... oops!)  The sentiment is from Blessings from Heaven - page 76; $17.95 cl; $22.95 wood.  I punched it out with my Extra Large Oval punch (page 182; $22.95) and then punched a basic black piece out using the Decorative Label punch (page 181; $22.95).  This is how the punched pieces fit together:
I didn't like the little pokey uppey parts (SEE!  A very useful and versatile word!!) so I cut them off with my snips: 
... and then popped the sentiment up on dimensionals.  Now for the Gold accents.  I used my Elegant Butterfly punch (page 183; $21.95) for the butterfly using the Brushed Gold card stock (page 156; $9.95) and a little strip of the same card stock to put behind the first two braids.  To do that I applied my 2-way glue to the top 2 braids ON THE BACK OF THE CARD:  (in future I would use my Tombow ... oh, the "Multipurpose Liquid Glue" as it is now called - page 175; $5.95 - it will give a strong, flatter bond):
 
I added a few rhinestones and Wa-low!  Fabulous!~ 
Love it! 
 Now off you go to try it yourself.  Betcha can't stop at just one!!  *lol*

Thanks for popping in.  Until next time, have a stampy day!


Tam