Snowflake Christmas Bag

I love the Top Note Die and my Big Shot. I also used the new Snow Burst embossing folder. Very cool!! This is a very quick little bag to make. I actually used a small white bag as the inside, I just cut it down to about 23/4 inches tall. You could make and assemble a small white box if you would rather. I used pool party and whisper white. I also used the pool party ruffled ribbon, a blue glimmer brad (subtles), Merry Christmas from Contempo Christmas, a corner rounder, black stazon, the small oval punch, and DAZZLING DETAILS to add just a touch of sparkle to the centers of a few random snowflake centers. Like I said, quick and easy!

Reindeer Box (Stocking Die)

Anyone can make a stocking out of a stocking die. The challenge is to see what else you do with it. I turned it upside down and cut out two in soft suede to create this darling reindeer box. The smaller stocking pieces became his ears. I did decorate both sides of the box. I cut a piece of Frostwood Lodge DSP for the bottom at 11/2x3/2 and added a strip of real red cardstock cut 3/4x31/2. I taped the suede to the back of the dsp about halfway up. I added a red satin bow with a fire circle brad on the front side only. His antlers are cut freehanded. I drew a pattern on a piece of typing paper that was 51/2x6. Then I cut out two in chocolate chip. I sponged his body, antlers, noses, ears, and reins with chocolate chip before assembling. I used the large scallop circle to make the reins, then I added some large rhinestones (punch one time on the edge of red cardstock making half a punch then punch above that punch again, cut to fit). His eye is a 1/2 black circle with highlights using a white gel pen. His nose is a 3/4 red circle. The box is 41/2x81/2, scored at 2, 4, 6, and 8. Then I turned it again and scored 3 inches from the top. I used my new SIMPLY SCORED SCORING TOOL. What a dream!! I cut the bottom flaps and assemble using red sticky tape. Attach both decorated heads to the box with red sticky tape. I added the patterns of the antlers and the box to help you out. I feel a class coming on!

Thank You!

Thank you all so much for the beautiful cards and uplifting emails during the past few months. For those of you that do not know, we lost our teenage daughter in August. Then I had emergency gall bladder surgery. We also just lost our brother in law. That is why I have not been posting. I have been having classes as I am trying to get back into the swing of things. I just finished making some cute Christmas things that I will begin posting. Again, thank you for the cards and emails. Most of all, thank you for keeping us in your prayers while we were going through all of this. We are okay, and will continue to heal with God's help.

Creative Elements Gift Card Book and Box

Gift cards are so popular! Here’s another pretty way to package your gift cards to make them extra special! This project is also a quick and easy club or class project as well as a great item to sell at craft fairs!

This pretty project comes to you designed by Sharon!

 

To get the instructions for Sharon’s project, just subscribe to August, and please leave Sharon a comment and let her know how much you like her project!

Quilled Aster Flowers and Get Well Card

It’s amazing what we can create simply by rolling up a little Designer Series Paper. Quilling is a fun technique and these Quilled Aster Flowers are a fun and simple take on rolled paper. They’re also a great way to cheer up a sick friend. Paired with the whimsical "get well" card, they’ll brighten anyone’s day and last a LOT longer than real flowers!

This fun and simple project is brought to you designed by Julie!

 

To get the instructions for Julie’s project, just subscribe to August! And please leave Julie a comment and let her know how much you like her project!



Craft Project Central Guest Designer

           

I am a Craft Project Central  Guest Designer for August!!!

Craft Project Central is a great blog where you can find great ideas for 3D Stampin' Up! projects. There are 11 projects per month, and you can get tutorials for them all for only $10! I have links right here for you or you can click on the designer blinkie on the bottom left.

I am excited about being featured as a Guest Designer this month. I'll be posting the other 10 projects on my blog as they are posted as well as my own. I hope you love them all.

Now it's time for some Blog Candy!!! I'm giving away a free subscription for August to one lucky follower! There are 3 ways to enter:

1. All you have to do is become a Follower of my blog and leave me a comment letting me know you've done so. My current followers can also enter just by leaving a comment.

2. If you have a blog of your own and you post the link to my blog you'll also get an extra entry. Just let me know where you posted the link.
3. If you place an order with me during August for $50 or more, you'll get THREE extra entries!!! This can be an on line order delivered straight to you (be sure to choose me as your demonstrator), or you can let me place the order for you if you live in the Memphis area and want to stop by and see my wonderful stamping room and some of the cards/projects we have made during classes while you are picking up your order.

Fabulous Florets Gift Cards

Need a Stampin' Up! gift card? Inside these cards are stamps, ink, ribbon, paper, and so much more. You can choose the amount you want to give to a special person. I will do the rest. The front can say happy birthday, thinking of you, thank you, whatever you need. Contact me for details. I'd be happy to contact someone on your behalf and let them know YOU want a gift card.

Sets: fabulous florets, petite pairs, other

Cardstock: whisper white, pear pizzazz, melon mambo, marina mist, daffodil delight

Ink: black stazon, pear pizzazz, melon mambo, marina mist, daffodil delight

Accessories: pear pizzazz seam binding, scallop circle punch, 13/8 circle punch, slit punch (retired), dimensionals

On the Grow

I am doing the marker technique with Stampin' Up markers again to get shading, shadows, and depth.  I have discovered this process only works with small spaces but look at the results! I promise I know nothing about shading and making shadows. You can't tell me to pretend to shine a light from one direction and color darker in the places the light hits because I have no idea what that means. If I can do it YOU can do it. All you need are markers in the same color family that go from light to dark. The great thing about Stampin' Up markers is that you know they will match each other as well as our cardstock, ribbon, designer series paper, brads, buttons, the list goes on. The white gel pen is a must to add depth. A sahara sand marker gives shadow and even more depth.

Remember to start with you lightest color, add the next color over that, then add a dot of the deepest color. For this card I found it easier to color the leaves first so I knew which ones they were. The ground is a bit of of celery and wasabi markers with sahara around it. For the water I used the white gel pen and scribbled back and forth over bashful blue where the water should be then I colored over the gel pen with bashful blue.

Sets: on the grow, sincere salutations
Cardstock: whisper white, marina mist
Ink: black stazon, marina mist
Accessories: big shot, lattice embossing folder, scallop square duo die, 21/2 circle punch, neutral brads, mat pack and poker, white ribbon, marina mist designer paper (subtles collection), sponge, dimensionals, white gel pen, markers in pink pirouette, pretty in pink, melon mambo, certainly celery, wild wasabi, bashful blue, marina mist, and saharah sand

This card is for SU Only Challenges. Come and play along!

Raining Flowers

Here is another card of mine that was published in Stampin' Success magazine this month. I wanted to show that you really could do a simple card with this set. I used two strips of the red sticky tape to hold down the ribbon. If you take your bone folder and really push the ribbon into the tape it helps it not come off later. The double scallop edge is a really nice but quick accent. I added the stamped white cs, then the punched designer and punched whisper white. Then I put all of that through my Big Shot together using the tulip embossing folder lining it up with the white edge.

Sets: raining flowers, a word for you
Cardstock: melon mambo, whisper white
Ink: black stazon, melon mambo, pear pizzazz
Accessories: scallop edge punch, white brads, red sticky tape, big shot, tulip embossing folder, pear pizzazz dsp (designer series paper)

Raining Flowers

This is one of my cards that was published in the August Stampin'  Success magazine. Only Stampin' Up! demonstrators can see the magazine so I will post my projects here for everyone to see. I was sworn to secrecy until the magazine came out. It was a huge honor to be asked to create for the magazine. Of course when I got Raining Flowers in the mail my mind went blank. In the end I was very pleased with what I came up with. This card uses the stair step fold and lots of cutting out. I used the big shot to texture the background. Dimensionals hold are holding up the layers.

Sets: raining flowers, short and sweet
Cardstock: daffodil delight, whisper white, marina mist, melon mambo, pear pizzazz
Ink: melon mambo, marina mist, basic gray, daffodil delight
Accessories: big shot, dotted embossing folder, beautiful wings die, pearls, circle brads, little leaves die, dimensionals, scallop oval punch, medium oval punch

Suny Fun Pop Up Card

We made this pop up card at my workshop last weekend. It was really fun. The popsicle is made from the oval punch. The bite is from the scallop oval punch. The trick is to cut your cardstock thin enough to pull it through the punch so the tail hangs out and you only punch the top. Then you pull it out and cut the bottom off straight. I also sponged around everything which gives it dimension. I love the new striped embossing folder. What would I do without my Big Shot? To get this pop up tab I cut a one inch square out of the middle top (do not cut across the bottom- just the two sides). Push that tab in the opposite direction of the fold while closing the card. I cut another piece of cs to run through the big shot and so it would cover the hole left by the pop up tab. It is taped on over the base.

Sets: sunny fun, happiest birthday wishes
Ink: black stazon, tempting turquoise, pumpkin pie, daffodil delight
Cardstock: tempting turquoise, whisper white, melon mambo, daffodil delight, pumpkin pie
Accessories: bright brads, big shot, striped embossing folder, large scallop punch, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, circle from the big shot, markers in card colors plus pear pizazz (I think), dimensionals

Snowflake Pop Up Card

I have discovered the world of pop up cards. They are so fun to make! This one pops out on the right and left instead of just the middle. On the last picture you can see that I cut a scallop square (scallop square duo), folded it in half, then snipped it twice on an angle on the left of the center and again on the right of the center. You push the snips out in the opposite direction of the fold then tape this to the inside of the card. The angles let your pop ups stick out over the card edges when open but still fold to the center of the card for mailing. The swirls and snowflakes really come alive. I did all white on white for a challenge with the Late Night Stampers group. If you don't have a Big Shot yet this card will really push you to order one. You can have a class or a catalog party and earn one for half price. Let me know if you want more details on how to get your very own Big Shot. Christmas is coming!!

Sets: contempo christmas
Card Stock: whisper white
Ink: black craft
Accessories: black embossing powder, Big Shot, northern flurry embossing folder, rhinestones, white satin ribbon, scallop square duo die, dimensionals, swirls scribbles die, northern frost die