Nested Hearts Gift Set

Happy Sunday!  I’m sharing with you my third project using the FREE Sale-A-Bration Bliss stamp set.  This elegant 3-card gift set contains 4-1/4” x 4-1/4” hand deliverable cards with  matching envelopes. Hand deliverable because I 3D-ized the envelopes too!

I was inspired by a similar gift set found in the Stampin’ Up! 2010-2011 Catalog on page 10. Of   course, I add my own little tweaking to make it my own while keeping the elements that attracted me to it – like that scrumptious scalloped edge! 

I love creating a box that uses some of the elements of the card to enhance the overall display while still hiding the overall card design.  The nested heart belly band does the trick by hiding a cute element of the card beneath but using the Bliss design element as part of the overall beauty of the set itself.

All the heart elements were punched twice, stamped, distressed and carefully separated to create 4 light weight hearts and add fun detail to the cards, envelopes and box itself. I love that layering effect, don’t you?

My color choices were a bit different from the traditional Real Red, Basic Black and Vanilla that you typically see with the Newsprint Designer Series Paper.  But I am very pleased with how the Concord Crush is off the beaten path but still creates a beautiful softness.

Stamps:   Bliss, En Francais 
Papers:  Very Vanilla, Concord Crush. Newsprint Designer Series Paper
Ink: Concord Crush, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Hemp Twine Antique Brads, Basic Pearl Jewels, Very Vanilla Seam Binding, Vintage Trinkets (mini safety pins), Mini Glue Dots 
Tools: Extra Large Scallop Punch, Full Heart Punch, Scallop edge Punch, Heart to Heart Extra Large Punch
Techniques Used:  Distressing, Tearing

Use these cards for a hand delivered thank you, wedding cards, valentines, thinking of you or get well.  I know the recipient will be wowed by your creativeness!

This coming week, I’ll show you how you can make your own custom half box for your creations.

Enjoy!

Stamping Bliss

Don’t you just love how it rolls off your tongue when you say it?  Bliss, Bliss, Bliss.  Mmmm isn’t that how you feel when you stamp?

This Bliss creation is a little simpler than the last card I created.  It is more simpler in design and easier to create multiples if that is what you need.  Did you see the beveled glass frame?  I just love how it creates a focal point on the card. This is the smallest of 3 different sizes.

Stamps:   Bliss
Papers:  Sahara Sand, Basic Black, Baja Breeze
Ink: Versamark, Jet Black Stazon, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Beveled Glass Frame, Clear Embossing Powder, Dimensionals 
Tools: Paper Cutter, Heat Gun, Snail Adhesive
Techniques Used:  Heat Embossing, Stamping Off

 

Change up the Baja accent color to change your mood! The sun was so bright the day I took this photo that you can’t see the flourish design on the card base.  If you click on the photo you should be able to see the placement in the larger view.

Thanks for stopping by!  I’ll have another project using Bliss for your inspiration tomorrow!

Enjoy!

Place a $50 order through my online store now and earn the Bliss Stamp set for FREE or any one of the amazing items that are contained in the Sale-A-Bration Brochure for FREE!

Three Days of Bliss

I still get excited about getting FREE stamps during Sale-A-Bration. Who couldn’t, right? This year was no exception when I saw the upcoming Sale-A-Bration brochure and what it contained!

Over the next three days, I’m going to share with you some projects that include my favorite FREE stamp set from the 2011 Stampin’ UP! Sale-A-Bration brochure, Bliss.   If you didn’t get the brochure in the mail from me, you’ll need to email me so I can get you on the list to receive the next ones.  In the meantime, you can view the brochure here.  Sale-A-Bration Brochure. Remember all it takes during Sale-A-Bration is a $50 order to get your own Bliss stamp set for FREE. As an extra bonus, anyone that places a Sale-A-Bration order with me, will get one of the “bliss”ful cards in the mail for your own use.

This is what I call a scrap card because it was made of all the scraps that I’ve been holding on to since I started stamping.  This card is a little bit rustic and a little bit vintage..would you call that rustic vintage? It reminds me of all the old barns that I see on American Pickers. I guess you could say that I was “picking” through my scraps for the treasures I needed for this project! This card would be perfect for a wedding, a valentine, a love note or any extremely happy occasion.

Stamps:   Bliss, Elements of Style
Papers:  Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Bravo Burgundy, First Edition Designer Series Paper
Ink: Crumb Cake, Bravo Burgundy, Bravo Burgundy Craft Ink
Accessories: Crumb Cake and Bravo Burgundy Stampin’ Write Markers, Sponge, Antique Brads, Vanilla Seam Tape, Dimensionals 
Tools: Handheld Punch 1/16” Circle, Snail Adhesive, Extra Large Oval Punch, Designer Label Punch, Cutter Kit (Distresser) 
Techniques Used:  Sponging, Ink Direct to Paper, Distressing

Thanks for stopping by!  Watch for another creation using bliss tomorrow.

Enjoy!

 

 

Place a $50 order through my online store now and earn the Bliss Stamp set for FREE or any one of the amazing items that are contained in the Sale-A-Bration Brochure for FREE!

Round Clothespin Gift Topper

This year has got me trying out some new items to decorate!  So I thought this might be the perfect item to share for Shelli’s New Year Creative Challenge.  

This is another fun little item that I bought this year…round clothespins with holders.  I never saw the holders before so I had to buy those too!  I’m glad I did because the holders allow the clothespin to stand up without toppling.  What a perfect idea…keep the topper as a decor item!   

On this project, I used one of the mini lunch sacks* from the Holiday mini, folded the top over to create some thickness added the 3 x 3 card which added more thickness and designed a quick little ornament to attach to the top of the clothespin.  I pushed the holder to the very top of the clothespin and attached to the package.  Easy peasy!

A couple of things to note: How did I do that?

Heart Ornament:  The little hearts were punched out of DSP and again out of Very Vanilla Cardstock.  I attached the DSP hearts together and then attached some linen thread to the top and then covered the back of the hearts with the Very Vanilla hearts to create a more stable ornament.  I just love how this turned out – Simple and Lovely.

Ribbon:  The ribbon I used was the 1-1/4” striped black and vanilla grosgrain ribbon.  I used pinking shears to create a couple of strips and attached to the card and the topper.  It shred easily to create a vintage feel.  So fun!

Enjoy!

 

 

*The heart to heart punch, the two-step bird punch, jewelry tag medium punch and Newsprint DSP are currently available for purchase.  The mini lunch sack from the Holiday Mini is no longer available.

Thread Spool Card Holder How To

These are some samples of some mini thread spools that I created this past week.  This post is to show you how I created the spool with the card holder.

You’ll need wire, the spool your using and some pliers.  I used Stampin’ Up!’s retired Wire Works 20-guage brass wire. I chose a heavier wire so that it wouldn’t bend easily when inserting the mini card. I kept the wire on the wire spool while wrapping, but if you prefer to have a section of wire, use a piece approximately 5” long.

 

 

First, wrap the wire around the spool so that you have two complete loops. 

 

 

 

Next, take your pliers and bend the wire ends so that they are at right angles (approx) from the spool.

 

Gently remove the wire from the spool so that it stays intact and bring the back loop over the front loop.  This creates a bit of tension so that when you place your mini card between the two loops it is held there.  **Don’t forget this step.**

 

Using the pliers, twist the two ends of the wire together and then bend towards the loop.

 

 

 

Clip the ends of the wires using your craft and paper scissors and squeeze together as necessary so that it will fit into the spool hole. You may need to widen if your spool is larger so watch how much you clip off.

Decorate your spool as desired then dip the end of the wire into some crystal effects and insert into the spool.  Allow about 3-5 minutes to dry and it is ready to hold your mini project.

 

 

 

Create one or a bunch of them.  A fun way to create words or names sitting on a shelf or mantle!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin’ UP! Mini Card Fun

I’ve been sewing again…watching too much DIY channels I think!  I’ve been busy making some new pillows for the old couch to liven it up a bit!  So, when I got back to my stamping room the first thing I picked up was some of the new Designer Fabric that is available in the new Occasions Mini!  I just love the sweet flower prints from the Springtime Vintage pattern and created a cute mini card using Stampin’ Up!’s new Sew Suite set using my clear blocks.  I never made cards this small but a stamping friend back in Illinois paved the way for this cute little thing.  (Thanks, Peggy!)  The size is a mere 1.5” x 2”. 

Now that size might ring a bell with you if you have purchased any of the beautiful Simply Adorned jewelry that Stampin’ Up! has available! This cute little card fits just perfectly (of course it does!) into the 1.5” x 2” Simply Adorned beveled glass front charm.

These charms are so great because they can change with the season, with a holiday or with your mood!  A great gift when you include some of your special pieces of hand crafted art (a mini Artist Trading Card (ATC)) or a mini card such as this one with a special message inside.  Is that sew cool or what?!  Think about using a strip of that same fabric for your chain!  I’ll have to go do that after I’m done here!

Now I couldn’t stop at the charm so I played a bit more with some mini thread spools that I just recently purchased.  I don’t know why I purchased them, I just knew that I would come up with some kind of amazing project.  I am sure you have done that before too, right?  Well, in case you have any spools laying around you can create this fun project too! It doesn’t matter what size spool because any size will do.

I covered the spool with a strip of the Designer Fabric with Stampin’ Up!’s Snail Adhesive and added a wire loop to the top to create a mini card holder.  Tomorrow, I’ll post how I created the loop with a couple other samples.

My mini card holder can be used to hold mini cards,  business cards, seating place cards,  extra inserts for your Simply Adorned charms or perfect to hold any mini pieces of your art work. 

Any of these projects can be used as little acknowledgments for birthdays, graduations, get well wishes or any occasion that you can create a card for.  They remain a memento that the recipient can cherish forever!

Enjoy!

 

Stampin’ Up! products from the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog or the Occasions Mini Catalog can be purchased through my online store or through me at 214-383-4551 or 630-930-4801!  Sale-a-Bration starts on January 25th!  Qualifying Online orders and orders placed through me earn you free product!