Stamps, Paper, and Ink

My First Video Tutorial

I know I'm a wayward blogger who's been distracted gone for way too long. Enough said.

The good news is - I'm back with the video tutorial I promised you! After two or three consultations with my Apple guy, and an hour long phone session for tech help with my son - I discovered that my old camera was NOT compatible with my new Mac. So I went to great lengths for you, sacrificing *wink* to buy a new camera and figure out how to use it. Please bear in mind that I have BARELY figured out how to use it after much trial and error.

The project I'll be showing you is from the post  A Gift of Love and features a box and matching pouch or gift bag using Box #2 Die. If you have any questions, please let me know in my comments box. I'd love to know what you think of my project and video too! If you'd like to see more videos, I'd love suggestions of what you'd like in the future. Thanks for joining me today!

 

 

Pleated Paper Tutorial

Hi there! I know I've been MIA a bit again and I have good reasons I'll share with you soon. In the meantime, I hope to encourage you to try something new today.

When I posted THIS card, I got requests asking for instructions on how I did the paper pleating, and I'd like to share a tutorial today for this simple technique. Pleating paper is a great way to add interest to your cards. I know we all have scraps of designer paper to use up ( and reams more, probably!) and it's fun and a good value to make your own embellishments.

Pleated paper also lends itself well to the shabby chic style which includes vintage or distressed items combined with other elements to achieve a soft, feminine style.

1. Begin with a strip of designer paper which is 2-1/2 times the length of the finished project you want. That's about 8" for a 4-1/4"  pleated piece. It can be any width you want, mine is 1-1/4" wide.

2. Score your paper at 1/4", and at 1/4 again. Go over 3/4" and score again, go over 1/4" and score, and 1/2" and score.

Instead of giving you the exact numbers for scoring, I'm giving you a pattern to follow. It is:

1/4, 3/4, 1/4, 1/2, 1/4, 3/4, 1/4, 1/2, 1/4 and so on for the length of your strip. A tab of 1/4" may be added at each end as in my sample.

3. The 3/4" pleat is on the top of your row, the 1/2" pleat is the bottom where the 1/4" edges fold. If this doesn't seem clear, get a piece of paper and just try it!

4. Fold and pinch your pleats beginning with the lines around the 3/4" sections. I make sure those lines are crisp and then fold the 1/4" tabs to meet in the middle of the 1/2" piece.

I adhere my pleated paper to the project with a glue dots on the 1/2" pieces along the bottom. You may add ribbon, punched borders or twine to your pleats to further embellish.

Now that you see the pattern and get the idea, you can vary the size of your pleats.

 I sure hope you'll give this a try!

I'll be back tomorrow to share something very beautiful and special even though it involves no stamps, paper or ink! (if you can imagine that <g>)

Have a great day!

 

Nifty Notepad Gift

Happy Monday!

I am so excited about what I have to share with you today, because it's the kind of gift I know is really practical and very easy for you to reproduce. This was one of my club projects last month and the ladies loved this clear mount stamp case holding a notepad inside.

We used patterns from the Santa's Helper Designer Series Paper and the variety of designs was fabulous! Inside the case is a notepad where you can keep all those holiday lists you need and a handy pocket for receipts is made by adhering an open-ended envelope.

This is such a great way to use your extra sheets of double-sided patterned paper! Cut a piece at 10-1/2" x 7" and slip it inside the plastic cover. It stays put, I found no need to adhere it. For the notepads you can buy inexpensive packs of Jr. Legal pads at an office supply store. You will need to have these cut at the store to 6-7/8" otherwise they're about an inch too long to fit in the case.

You'll need a 2 x 5" strip of paper to wrap around the top of the notepad, and another piece to line the envelope. "My receipts" was stamped using the Empire Alphabet Lower stamps and Early Espresso ink.

The cases (#119105) come in a pack of four for $5.95. Do you have children on your gift list? Imagine their delight to receive a personalized notepad with their name spelled out on the front. Adding a pocket for stamps, or a loop for a pen instead of the envelope are other ideas and I'm sure you have more. Hope this inspires you today.

 

  All supplies by Stampin' Up!

This and That and a Tip

I do all sorts of things and never give a thought about how I do them until someone asks what die I used, or how I layered tags or comments on a bow I've made. Today I want to share a bit of this and that, and at least answer the BOW question for you with a mini tutorial.

Want to know what's my very favorite new product?  Antique brads, I love them! I wanted to use one on yesterday's card, (you may scroll down to see it) but it just didn't fit by itself with the focal image. Ribbon and a bow to the rescue!

  

Here's how I made it:

Begin with about 8" of ribbon, add a glue dot in the middle and have some cotton thread handy.

Fold the edges of the bow in and make an X over the glue dot. Keep it pinched together with your fingers.

Wind the cotton thread tightly around the center of the bow and knot in the back.

I LOVE the way the new brads look, but they are so practical because you can pull the prongs out to make them long enough to wrap around the bow and STILL bend it back after you poke it through the card stock. Try it! Finally, I trim the ends using our Craft and Paper Scissors, they are the best for ribbon! I resisted getting them and now I want an extra pair.

 

My lovely photographer got a bit carried away while waiting for me to assemble my bow, so here's an embarrassing picture, I really MUST quit stamping long enough to tidy and organize my craft studio.......

  .......which may have to happen another day. Right now I'm gonna write this tutorial and munch on my yummy healthy summer snack <chuckle> 

Here's the funny part. Puppy Josie's crate is in the kitchen, and when it's time for her nap, I sneak out of the kitchen with everything I'll need for a couple of hours.  WOE to the person who wakes her up during my work/stamps hours, lol!  I mean, I've fed and watered her, played with her, taken numerous trips outside with her, wiped up a couple of accidents, hugged her and used bits of apple to coax her to Sit, Down and Stand to her heart's content. So of course she (and I) are tired!!!

I'd like to know if these tips (or maybe the 'this and that') are helpful to you, please leave a comment!

Color Renovations - new combos!

I am not stamping today, I have a very busy day ahead. I had fun with the NEW colors over the weekend~ I'll be showing these to my stamp club tonight, but I decided to invite you along while I play with some new combos! 

I received a single sheet of each of the new Colors - Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Early Expresso, Cajun Craze, and Marina Mist - and they are so, so pretty!  I decided to play around with my card stock, so I punched samples of each NEW color with my butterfly punch.

Next, I punched circles of the returning colors and In Colors and assembled them in families!  This was so exciting and I really think that you should give this a try. I really got a feel for how the new families will look. For instance, the subtles aren't just pastel shades anymore - many of them are muted shades that vary in intensity.

Here are some of the color combos, and it's JUST a beginning! Imagining the proportions of color and the rest of the card is up to you! Hope this whets your appetite for things to come.

I love the new neutrals :Crumb Cake, River Rock and Early Expresso

 
Regals: More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Cherry Cobbler

Marina Mist has so many possibilities! Here it is with Old Olive and Pretty in Pink

I LOVE Marina Mist with Daffodil Delight and Bashful Blue, isn't it light and summery? Want to see a couple more?

Or, add Early Expresso and here's what you get!  As the name implies, Early Expresso is a bold and strong brown that will be a great neutral on it's own and every bit as stunning as black. Trendier!

This may well be my new favorite for masculine cards: Very Vanilla with Marina Mist, So Saffron and Not Quite Navy.

Isn't it fantastic that we have 4 great pinks that work together?!?

Cherry Cobbler is absolutely my new favorite color, hands down! Here I paired it with Crumb Cake (kraft), Very Vanilla, and Pink Pirouette.

Here's one I think will be for next fall's cards: Garden Green (or is that Wild Wasabi?), So Saffron, and Cherry Cobbler.

Well, now I want to hear from you and this will be easy!  Let me know which new or returning In Color you are most excited about - and your fav combo so far. (choose from mine, that's OK!) 
I can't wait to see what you're going to say!

 


 

Note Card Box and Ribbon Rosette tutorials

Want to know what I did today? I invited a delightful thirteen year old friend to help me make those table decorations I showed you a couple days ago.

Know what I didn't do?  I didn't post my tutorial that I promised you - yet. But here it is! 

First I want to show you how I altered the Stampin' Up! Box #2 die to hold my note cards that I posted HERE.

I ran the Box #2 die through the Big Shot machine to cut. I cut off the two small tabs on the box top, leaving the larger one.Then, I added a strip of designer paper and adhered it, being sure to crease the folds first. At this point, my box looks like this:

 

To support the 3.5 x 5" note cards, I needed to add two layers of card stock. Cut one
3 - 3/4" x 5 - 1/4"  panel to place inside the box. This is the piece that makes your box taller! Cut another panel at 3-3/4" x 2- 1/4". This piece goes behind the box at the top, with the bottom edge tucked under the ribbon for the purpose of covering the score line. These two pieces are even at the top and make a sandwich with the box tab in the center.

Adhere the panels with sticky strip and decorate your box as desired.

To make a ribbon rosette is really fun and our Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon makes it easy! Cut a small length of ribbon - about 3 to 4". All you need to do is wiggle a bit of the white stitching loose and gently pull this thread until your ribbon gathers.

Think of it as if you are sliding the ribbon along the thread, like gently moving hangers along a closet rod. As you go, form a circle. When I liked the size, I knotted the loose threads together, tucked the raw edge of fabric under and secured it with a few stitches done with a needle and thread.

I made two of these circles and attached them with just a couple of hand stitches. You could use Tacky Glue if you don't sew. Then add a large brad or button in the middle to anchor, and you've made a cute embellishment of your own!

Here's the finished project, try your hand at making your own.

 

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial. It's my way of saying how much I appreciate you!

I want to wish my U.S. readers a very wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  I'll be taking a couple days off from posting to celebrate with my family. I'll be back soon, see you then!

Yummy Treat!

Hi all! Do you have plans for the big holiday weekend? I do plan on spending some time relaxing with my family. Can't wait!

I finally got to playing with the Sweet Centers set from the Holiday Mini! The images all focus around a treat cup which can be filled with candy, buttons, or other goodies. I figured out one way to assemble the card so that the sweet treat is accessible without having to rip the card. Here's the card. Then, I'll show you how I did it.

I began with a chocolate chip card base. I layered the Thoroughly Modern DSP on white card stock. I planned where to put the opening and used the 1-3/4" circle punch. I adhered this to the card base.Before assembling the treat cup and the flower, I used my hobby blade to cut a big X in the circle through the chocolate chip card stock.

Next, I assembled the flower and embellished the front of the card. Did you notice the corduroy button? It has a closure like a brad. My idea uses a brad on the front of the card and a panel on the inside...

 Only the brad secures the panel (there is NO adhesive!) Swivel the panel and it reveals the chocolate layer with the opening.

That's my quick post for today, have a great weekend!

Supplies~
Stamps: Sweet Centers, Short & sweet
Paper: chocolate chip, whisper white, kraft, Thoroughly Modern DSP
Ink:Bermuda Bay, Rose Red

Accessories:corduroy buttons, Big Shot, Lots of Tags Sizzlet Die, uni signo gel pen, scallop edge and 1-3/4" circle punches,1/2" polka dot ribbon

 

Order from me at my online store anytime HERE or e-mail  HERE with any questions you have!

Very Asian Vase

 

I wanted to use the elegant color combo of very vanilla, bermuda bay, and gold with the Asian Artistry (114399) set.  I came up with a creative twist by using the Lattice Die and the Big Shot to make a vase for the delicate flowers. Watercoloring was done with reinkers and the Aqua Painter. For the panels and the vase, I used the Finial Press Textured Embossing Folder. (115964)

I haven't posted a tutorial in awhile. You'd like me to share with you how I did it, right?!?

First, use the Big Shot to cut out the Lattice Die. I used metallic gold card stock. The finished Lattice  looks like the photo below.

1. Use your cutter to cut out one circle following the directional arrows.

2. Use a hobby knife to cut the bottom edge of the vase straight across. Also, trim out the inside of the oval at the top for the vase opening.

3. Add a circle to the back of the vase.Trim edges as needed.

 

4. Out of a scrap, cut one oval. You will use this to shape the opening at the top of the vase.

Here's a close up of the vase when finished.

 

Thanks for stopping by today! If you've enjoyed what you've learned, please tell your friends about my blog!

Place an online order with me anytime! Click HERE

Stamp with me, Saturday! ...Slumber Party Specialty Papers

Come and stamp with me today! Below are directions for making this card and I'd love for you to stamp with me! I will offer this feature every other Saturday on my blog. For seasoned or beginning stampers alike, here's a quick card for you to try. If you have a gallery, I'd love to have you post a link to the card you make with me in the comments section.

This card features the beautiful Slumber Party specialty papers and I thought they were perfect for a baby boy card. The specialty papers are almost as heavy as card stock, they have a delightful textured, slightly crinkly surface. I've listed this card in the Twice is Nice category because it has the same basic layout as THIS card.  You can make the card either way using your own sets, creativity, and embellishments.  Here are the directions.

1. Cut the card stock to measure 4-1/4" x 11" and score so that the fold will be at the top.

2. If using designer paper, cut it to measure 4 x 5-1/4" and attach to card base.

3. Cut the image panel to measure about 1-1/2" x 4"  Cut out and add your image and sentiments or embellishments. Tip: you need an image with vertical height, it's OK if part of the image is a tiny bit wider and hangs off the edge.

4. Prepare a scalloped strip or cut 1/2" circles to adhere down the long side of the image panel. Apply foam squares and attach to card.

5. Add a 1/4 x 5-1/2" strip of patterned paper on the right side of the card front.

Enjoy and admire your card!

Make a Card Portfolio

Here is my long-promised tutorial for you! I shared my Folio Card project with you on this post. Notice that the right pocket on the Holiday portfolio is folded in half vertically and wrapped around to the front of the card when finished. This card is perfect for sending with a photo or small gift inside.

I wanted to use this pattern for a portfolio to hold note cards and 4x6" envelopes for a Christmas gift, so I tweaked the size and the right pocket as you will see in today's photos. I will give measurements for the small (finished size 4-1/2 x 5-1/2") and the larger folio (5-1/2 x 7-1/4".) Maybe you still have time to make one of these before Christmas or get an early start for next year! It's so easy!

1. Small: Cut two pieces of patterned paper to measure 9" x 5-1/2". Score the width at 4-1/2"
     Larger: Cut two pieces 10-1/2 x 7-1/4". Score the long side at 5-1/4."

2. Lay the scored pieces side by side, left to right. Fold the top left corner inward to meet the seam in the center. Do the same with the top right corner. These will be the pockets.

3. Cut a long strip of patterned paper for the spine. Small: 5-1/2" x 2". Large: 7-1/4" x  2". Score in half lenghtwise. Apply adhesive to the binding edges and adhere the card front and back being sure to leave a little space at the fold so that the card opens easily.

 

4. Use Sticky Strip around the edges of the pocket as shown.

5. This is the inside. Now you get to decorate and embellish!

6. Use ribbon or a band of card stock to hold your portfolio shut. Scroll down to see the finished gift! Have fun making these and happy stamping! I'd love to know if you make one and find this tutorial helpful, send me a note!

 

Edited to add: You will find the notes I included HERE.