January Club Projects: Valentine's Day!

In January, we created two beautiful projects for Valentine's using products from the Spring Seasonal Catalog.

First, a vintage inspired gift box using the Tea for Two designer series paper and the Hearts a Flutter, Collage Curios, and That's the Ticket stamp sets (all of which carried over to the Annual Catalog).  Accessories used were:  Soda Pop Tops (small), Paper Doilies, Vanilla Flower Trim, Pink Pirouette/Rose Red Two-Tone Ribbon, and the Large Rhinestone jewels.

The Card we made was created using the More Amore product Suite and the Honeycomb embossing folder (A favorite!).  We used the chalkboard technique as outlined in this video tutorial I put together for the class. I plan to use this technique A LOT in my upcoming projects... especially with the new Chalk Talk stamp set!

June Club Projects with Tutorials

I never got around to posting the June club projects, so here they are now!

First was a birthday card using all of the new 2012-2014 in-colors: Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, and Primrose Petals. We used the Patterned Party and Itty Bitty Banners stamp sets with the coordinating Bitty banners framelit die. We also used the Large Scallop Edgelit die:

Click here for the class tutorial in PDF format

For our second project, we used the Clear Mount Stamp Cases and created a notepad holder:

We used the Pleasant Poppies stamp set to create the design for the outside cover along with patterned paper from the Polka Dot Parade DSP and designer series paper patterns stacks. We punched our butterflies using the new Elegant Butterfly punch.

On the inside we created a handy pocket (perfect for coupons) and added a few more butterfly touches with the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die and the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder:

Click here for the class tutorial in PDF format

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Tips & Tricks for the new Paper Doily Sizzlits Die

With the Paper Doily Sizzlits Die (item 125592) you can now create the intricate designs you've grown to love with our Sizzlits Dies, in a new, larger size!

A few tips and tricks:

• Because of variations in materials, you will most likely need to use a shim (such as piece of card stock) when you send it through the Big Shot. 
• The detailed intricacy comes with a little added work. The negative pieces will not come out automatically when you cut the die. 
• It may take a little time to remove all the cut pieces from the die-cut paper. Remove the pieces by poking or punching them out. Carefully, push the pieces through the cut design and remove them from the back. Make sure you work from the front side of the doily (the side that was face-down when it was cut) and push the pieces through; if you try to pull them out from the front or if you push them through from the back side, the doily might tear. To make it easier, gently roll the die-cut paper to pop out some of the larger pieces.
• Push the pieces out using the Paper-Piercing Tool or the small end of the Simply Scored Stylus. 
• The front side will look completely cut through, however, the back side may not. This is normal with this die, and if you follow the directions of removing the small pieces you will find that the die has cut through the paper. 
• Because of the intricate design of this die, small pieces might stick in the foam on the actual die. Clear all small pieces from the die before using it again. This will ensure you get a clean cut every time. Remove the remaining pieces by using your Paper-Piercing Tool, being careful not to tear the foam on the die.
• One of the techiniques I've head about (and used) is to take a lint roller and roll it over the foam to help remove all the small pieces.  While it doesn't always remove all pieces, it definitely helps in cutting down the amount of work! :o)

The most important thing to remember is that with the intricate delicacy and detail comes some added work. The larger Sizzlits dies require a bit more time to use than other dies and there is a certain amount of hands-on effort involved in creating with these detailed designs. However, you will find with the gorgeous finished piece, the little bit of extra effort is totally worth it!

June Club Project

This was our last club before I took my "baby hiatus", so I decided to go all out!!!  I gave my hostess club members a choice of three different stationary box sets to make:

Choice #1 used the Woodland Walk DSP & Coordinating Colors:

Choice #2 used the Love Letter DSP & Coordinating Colors:

Choice #3 used the Elegant Soiree & Coordinating Colors:

When folded up, the boxes looked like so:

And each box contained 4 different card designs and 4 mini notecards:

Here is a link to the tutorial I put together for the workshop!  

It is very easy to adapt to any other DSP collection!

Everyone did such a wonderful job on their projects... I am going to miss all my lovely stampin' gals while I take my little break!  I'll see all you beauties when we start back up again next year!!! :o)

Custom Smooch Spritz in SU Colors!

If you're a regular here, you know I am completely in LOVE with the Smooch Spritz accent ink.  Besides the beautiful sparkle and shimmer they add to any project, I am enthused about the re-fillable little glass bottles they come in. I have a goal to eventually have a Smooch Spritzer in every single SU color... and I am already well on my way to that goal (Yes, I use THAT much Smooch Spritz.) :o)

So, here is my own little  way I have developed for refilling my empty smooch bottles:

What you'll need:

• 70% Rubbing Alcohol (dries very quickly and won't wrinkle your paper)
• Empty & Clean Smooch Spritz bottle
• Champagne Mist (116806) or Frost White (116854) Shimmer Paint
• Classic Stampin Ink Refill (in color of your choice)
• Empty Shimmer Paint Bottle (optional)
• Labeler (optional)

First of all, I keep my empty bottles of shimmer paint as well for this process.  Why?  Because that little metal ball inside does a great job of mixing up the alcohol and shimmer paint.  So I highly recommend keeping these empties around (at least 1 white and one champagne).  If you do not initially have these on hand, you can use the empty Smooch bottle instead.

So, given that little tidbit of information, the first step is to decide whether you want a champagne-based or frost-based smooch spritzer (or see variations at the end of this post).  In this example, I will be making a Pumpkin Pie smooch spritz and have chosen Champagne Mist as my base.  

Start with your empty shimmer paint bottle (or mix directly in empty smooch bottle).  I fill my empty shimmer paint bottle with alcohol and then add about 1/3 cupful of shimmer paint.  I close it up and shake the heck out of it. (That's where the little metal ball comes in really handy)

Once I have my shimmer mixture, I pour it into the smooch bottle until it is 3/4 full.  

Then I add my chosen reinker color.  How much to add?  Well, that's up to you.  If you want a faint hint of color when you spray, just add 4-5 drops.  Want a rich and saturated effect?  go for 15-20 drops.  Your best bet is to start with a few, test it, then add more later if necessary.  

So after you have added your re-inker color, close up the smooch bottle, shake it up and test it out!  It's seriously hard to stop spritzing... it always looks so beautiful!

Don't forget to label your bottle when you are done.  Some colors are very hard to tell just by looking at them.  If you have any left over shimmer mixture, save it for next time!   

Other options and variations:

• I have also taken a nearly full bottle of the Gold Glow, Silver Foil or Vanilla Shimmer Smooch and just added a re-inker color to it.  For example, I added some Concord Crush to a Silver Foil smooch spritzer and the result was absolutely stunning!!!!
• I have also used Pearl-Ex powders in neutral colors like gold or silver.  I have not used the colored versions, as I want to try and keep my Spritzers as true to SU colors as possible.  A note of caution when using Pearl-Ex... be careful how much powder you use... too much can potentially plug up the nozzle.  Also, stay away from the "flaky" versions of Pearl Ex.  I have one of these in copper... the metal flakes are much too big to fit through the tube and nozzle of the spritzer.

Stay turned for projects I'll be posting using many of these custom Smooch Spritz Colors!!!  In the meantime, here are some of my favorite colors I've made so far:

• Baja Breeze and Frost White
• Crumb Cake and Frost White
• Early Espresso and Champagne Mist
• Cherry Cobbler and Champagne Mist

Hope everyone has as much fun as I have making your own custom spritzers! :o)

October Club Projects

Here are the projects we made in my hostess club this month!  

At the request of this month's hostess, we made a slider card for Christmas.  These cards are so much fun!!! I mean, who doesn't love a card that surprises you? ;o)

We used lots of fun new products in the Holiday mini:  Designer fabric, waffle paper, big shot dies, punches, ribbon and stamp sets!  The color scheme we used was Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede.  The card was based off of this tutorial on the SCS website.  

The stamp sets we used were Christmas Collage and Bells & Boughs from the holiday mini.  We also used the Winter Post set from the IBC (one of my favs).  We die cut the fabric using the new Tasteful Trims XL die from the mini.  To get the "distressed" look in our fabric, after cutting it, we wadded it up and rolled it around a bit in our hands.  After placing it on the card front, we added a few pearls for an added touch.

Our second project was my twist on the ever-popular Sweet Treat Turkey Guy!  I switched it up a little using the gorgeous "Day of Gratitude" stamp set and the ornament punch, and I mounted him on a tent card so he can stand on his own for perfect placement at the Thanksgiving dinner table!  Wanna know how we did it?  Read on!

First, you will need to ensure you have all of the following pieces (Click on pic for a larger image).  

The color scheme I chose was to coordinate with the fall-themed m&m packs that are out right now.  So I used Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and More Mustard.  Notice that several pieces have little "nips" taken out of them using the 1-3/4" circle punch.  

To get the beautiful gradiated stamped image, I created my own ink pad using a piece of felt with a plastic tray underneath and SU re-inkers.  I started with a circle of Early Espresso, added some Cherry Cobbler around it, and then some More Mustard as the last ring of color.  

I made sure the finished ink pad was big enough to accommodate my image, and then started stamping away.  Honestly... I couldn't stop.  The image was so gorgeous and striking, I filled about 5 sheets of Whisper White card stock. LOL.  I am going to make these for my own thanksgiving table, so I figured I'll have a head start! 

Then, I used my craft knife to cut out the flower image and then used the 1-3/4" punch to cut out my circle.  You can use the image above as a guide for placement.  Basically, I used the mini-flower in the center of the image as my guide.  I placed the top of the circle right at the top of that image.

Meanwhile, you'll also want to stamp two of the leaves in Early espresso and cut those out.  Don't forget to "nip" them, too! 

To assemble your turkey, Start with a sweet treat cup and adhere the 2-1/2" circle with the 1-3/4" circle punched out.

Add the ornament punch-outs starting with the sides and moving to the top:

You can then add the stamped flower image and then the two stamped side wings.  (I used a dimensional to adhere the "wings").   For the face, add your choice of "google" eyes and craft a simple beak out of scrap cardstock.

Once you've got all the front pieces on, you can flip your turkey over and fill 'er up!  Use the solid 2-1/2" circle to close up the back.  

If you plan to mount your turkey on a tent card, you should have the tent card assembled like so:

Before I mounted my turkey on the tent card, I used my custom ink pad and stamped the "Happy Thanksgiving" sentiment from the Thankful For stamp set onto whisper white cardstock.  I curled the middle and ends a bit using a pencil and lined it up with the bottom edge of the tent card.

Then I added my finished turkey!

 

Halloween Extravaganza - Day 1

I am kicking off my Halloween Extravaganza with one of the projects we made at club last month!

These sour cream treat-holders are just perfect when you are pressed for time and need to make several at one time!  They are so simple!

There is an excellent tutorial here on SCS for these quick and easy treats! Check back tomorrow for Day 2 of the Halloween Extravaganza! I'll be giving you a sneak peek at one of the Stamp Camp projects!

Supplies used: "Wicked Cool" stamp set; "Wicked Fun" Specialty DSP; Pumpkin Pie patterned DSP (retired); 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch; 1-3/8" Circle Punch; Spider Web Embossing Folder; Ribbon: "Raven" 1/2" Lace Trim, Concord Crush 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon, Rich Razzleberry 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon; Paper Crimper; Crop-a-dile

May Club Projets

Here's the projects from the May club!

We did a Father's Day card using the "King of the Grill" stamp set from the Summer Mini, as well as a great Emboss-resist technique with the Big Shot Square Lattice Embossing folder. (Thanks to my upline, Alecia Connelly, for teaching me this awesome technique!)

Click Here to download full supply list and instructions.

Next, for National Scrapbooking month, we did a mini album made with envelopes and pull-out journaling cards! It featured the gorgeous "Elements of Style" stamp set. I added my photos and the punched sentiments (using "In a Word" stamp set) to show how the album can look completed and with additional embellishments.

Here you can see how the journaling cards pull out from behind each photo:

Click Here to download the complete supply list and instructions.

Color Renovation Activity Board

This is the idea I came up with for introducing the new color collections to my club members - A Color Renovation Activity Board! It features the 4 new color families and the retiring colors. Once the new in-colors are announced and I receive them, I will make a new section with butterflies to replace the section with the retiring colors.

The board itself is a tri-fold project board that I set up to sit up at an angle to make it easier to play with. I placed eyelets and cord through the edges of the outer flaps to help the board stay in this position:

I created print outs for each color family (links provided below) and then stamped each color (except for the new colors - which I do not have ink for yet) using the Flight of the Butterfly Stamp set. Then I punched each color of card stock using the butterfly punch and added a bit of re-positionable adhesive to the center back of each butterfly to place over the stamped images:

Here are some close-up of how the 4 color family sections turned out:

And here's the retiring color section. It only consists of stamped images using the small butterfly. I also included the 3 retiring in-colors at the bottom:

Now, here's the fun part! I created a blank page so that you can remove each of the butterflies (remember, they have re-positionable adhesive on the backs) and create different color combinations using the new color palette:

Here's a few examples (from left to right): (1) Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake and Wild Wasabi; (2) Rose Red, Marina Mist and Early Espresso; and (3) Cherry Cobbler, Pacific Point and Daffodil Delight:

When a butterfly is removed, you can see the stamped image remains to help with re-placement:

Also, on the back of each butterfly, I wrote the color name and family it belongs to - to also help with re-placement:

Overall, I think this is a really neat way to get familiar and excited about the new colors coming out in July. I've already had lots of fun playing around with it! :o)

For any of the demos out there who would like to download the files I created to make your own Color Renovation Board, here they are!

Brights | Subtles | Regals | Naturals | Retiring Colors

You can also use these files to just simply create color-chart handouts and stamp/punch whatever images you like!

Note: The only thing I would have done differently (and I may re-do it this way) is to laminate the sections. But sheesh... that means I have to go dig out my laminator from the attic! yikes!