"Miniature Masterpieces"

I have my first Stampin' Up! workshop this week and wanted to create a little something for my door prizes. I already had the little post it notes created, but decided I wanted to take it to another level. I decide to create a "miniature masterpiece" for a cover - each using a different technique. I used Brayering, Punching, Emboss resist and Reinker float for this set.

Christmas in August - Embossing Folder Experiment

This was done using the Stampin' Up! petals a plenty embossing folder. It was a lot of work to setup, but the results came out nice. I made myself a "cutting pad" out of cardboard that matched the thickness of one of the sizzix cutting pads. I did this by cutting up a cereal box and made 4-5 sheets the size of the pad. I then punched a hole using a nestability circle. I lined up the holes and glued the cardboard together. To emboss, I used a regular pad, then the folder with cardstock inside, then with the cardboard "pad" on top, shimming with some cardstock till it went thru well enough to emboss. The result is a nice embossing with an unembossed circle in the center to embellish. I wish I could say this was my idea but I saw this ages ago somewhere and don't remember who came up with the idea.

The rest is done with delightful decorations - I made a stencil by punching a piece of cardstock, then pounced in cherry cobbler, then some early espresso for shading. Covered with Versamark and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. Punched another hole in a piece of cardstork and masked off the embossing. Pounced in Daffodil Delight and the Peach Parfait around the edges.
The tree branches are done using the big pine tree top from lovely as a tree stamped in Crumb cake, Pear Pizzazz and Always Artichoke.

Sentiment is from heard from the heart stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Hook is a gold paper clip opened, and the ribbon is from my stash.

Workshop card

Someone finally agreed to hostess a Stampin' Up! workshop for me next month! Yay! But now I need to come up with something to demo. Experimenting today alittle and came up with this based on something I've seen before. Very easy to do, took about 10 mins. It's the first time I used the bird punch as it's intended.

Beachy Girls

I've got a new web site linked on the right side of my page called: Blinkin', Thinkin' and Inkin'. Ellen does the most wonderful work with punches! She claims not to be an artist, but she can see things in punches that I certainly can't. These little girls were inspired by her using Stampin' up! punches - butterfly, circle, oval and wide small heart. Not sure what I'll do with them yet - maybe brayer a beach scene for them.

Organization

I don't have a dedicated scraproom, unless that's what you call my living room (and dining room). My husband and I are both crafty. He scrapbooks, I stamp and make cards, and when we really go wild, we both do tole painting. He does the big yard cutouts while I do smaller things. So we have "stuff" everywhere. My son is always saying "why does it take so much crap to scrap?". The problem is, when my little table becomes messy, I totally lose my mojo. Yet at the same time, I need my things nearby and in some semblance of order. It's very difficult.

I have the Stampin' up! ink caddy and I love it. The problem is that it actually takes up too much room and I can't see all my colors. I found this on the stampin' up! demo sample pages and had to try it. It's made of foam board and although it was rather easy to make, it was very, very time consuming. On top of that, I measured so well but it still didn't come out square. But it works well - I need to add some more glue to the shelfs as they are sagging, but the footprint isn't that big and I can see all my ink! Won't be able to see my husband anymore when he sits in his recliner, but he'll have to deal with that. :)

Monkey cards

A friend of mine is always looking for Monkey cards for his daughter. I'm not happy how they turned out, but I'm sure he'll like them. The monkey face stamp rang up for .01 (yes, 1 cent) at Michaels. How cool is that?

Post it Note Key chains

Found this on the Stampin' Up! Demo sample page and had to give it a try on a lazy Sunday. These are 1.5x2" post it notes - the little tiny ones. Broke each into 3 to make 3 keychains. The rings are 1" binder rings. Kind of cute as little thank you and/or hostess gifts.

My own designer paper

Stampin' Up! makes a paper called presto patterns design papers. It's really cool because it looks white until you sponge or brayer ink over the top of it. I don't have any of that paper, but I have some nice stamps and figured I could make my own. So here's my attempt at doing just that. It's done by stamping with versamark and then heat embossing with clear embossing powder. Then simply sponge colors right over the top. It makes the embossed image pop. And it's very easy, you can't make a mistake. If you don't like the colors you pounced, just pounce some more until you like it!! I used 3 colors - Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight and Early Espresso. The hummingbird is Night of Navy.

Inspired by a head cold

Actually, was very inspired by the product I am taking for the cold. I took one look at the bottle and thought to myself "I can make that". So here it is!

Back from a long vacation in NY and recuperating from a very "liquidy" head cold - let's just say that in one 8 hour period I went thru a whole box of tissues.

My chocolate "cake" which I posted last month was a huge hit. So much so that I think I'm going to make another to enter in the AZ State fair this year.

I've also been doing weight watchers since April, and proud to say I have lost over 16 lbs so far, but what's even more amazing is that I am down 2 sizes! Even with vacation I lost 1 1/2 pounds all while being on the Friendly's Forbidden Chocolate and hot fudge diet (yes, I love Friendlys and we don't have them here in AZ). I should say I supplemented my ice cream diet with Slim fast and Lean Cuisines and Salad, and hardly ever sat (as compared to my regular working day where my butt spreads out on a chair for 8-9 hours a day).

Father's Day Cards

Scrapbook Sunday with some of my friends! Was able to get my father's day cards done!

Card with preview stamp set

This is one of the new level 1 hostess sets - Because I care coming out July 1 with the new Stampin' Up! catalog. The yellow paper and ink are also new in the upcoming catalog and it's called Daffodil Delight. Waiting for this new catalog was like being a kid waiting for the annual Sears wishbook. Now I have it and am marking up all the pages for things I eventually want to get!

Looks good enough to eat!

I haven't posted in a while, but it's because I've been making this cake. Doesn't it look great? But you can't eat it - it's 100% made of paper! It's a favor cake! Each slice is a box and each opens to hold little trinkets, gifts etc. This one is for my husband's parent's 60th anniversary (that's not a typo, it's really 60!). We bought the personalized M&Ms and we are going to put them in little organza bags and fill each slice. I think we are also supposed to be working on a little "thank you for coming" scroll...eek, don't have much time left to do that. Thanks to Helen...she always has very inspiring items on her blog...who knew you could be making a cake from paper.

Award

I got this lovely award from Helen at http://www.helenmade.blogspot.com/. Please check out her blog as she does wonderful 3d creations! I borrow her ideas many times. Thanks Helen!!

In need of cards

I gave a huge stash of cards away to my son's band to use in a fundraiser next week. I hope they make alot of money - it's a silent auction - I hope they are nice enough that people want to bid on them. I also gave them all my purse gift card holders - I know they will be popular, especially with the end of school coming up. They will make perfect gifts for female teachers (of course filled with a starbucks or other gift card!).

So with that, I have nothing left and May is a huge month for birthdays plus I have two nieces graduating college and a nephew graduating high school. I needed to get my act together today to make some cards. The music of the night card is for my nephew...he loves Phantom of the Opera and composes his own music. Thought it would be fun to distress some paper to make the music look old. The Congratulations card is for one of my nieces, and the happy birthday for one of my sis-in-laws. One more graduation card and one more birthday card to make (I think) to get thru May. I have scrapbook day with some gals tomorrow, so hopefully that will work out perfectly.

Playing with new stamps

Just some fun with some new stamps. This set is called awash with flowers and when it first came out I wasn't thrilled with it. At least until I saw things made with it. Then of course I had to get it. The words are also from a set I just got called Heard from the Heart. I'm kind of shocked I just made a simple and clean card!

Paper Piecing Mother's day card

This was fun to do. I stamped the flower on 3 different papers, cut out all the petals and then put it back together again on a piece of white paper. I am finally becoming half way decent with an exacto knife after 40 years. I was always amazed how well my mother could cut things out when she used to do intricat decoupage back in the 70s. I can only hope to be as good someday.

Even more purse gift card holders

I sold 9 of these last week with all $ going to my son's band's fundraiser. So decided to go through my double sided paper and make more!

Loving the purse gift card holders

Hoping that people will buy them at my son's band fundraiser! The pics look a little funny...they are perfect trapazoid shapes - maybe I had the camera on wide angle or something.

teacher gift card holder

My husband is a teacher and gets gift cards all the time. Made me think of trying to make a gift card holder. My mind's eye saw something with a chalk board, but I'm not sure I'm loving it. I want to try to sell as a fundraiser for my son's band - the fundraiser is in May which is right at the end of our school year, so it would be perfect timing.

Purse Gift Card Holder

Found the idea online...if you google, you'll be sure to find it. So cute!! Will definitely be making more.