Blog Candy Winner Diane Gardner received her goodies safe 'n' sound.
It has taken a bit time to organize it because I offered to order the winner their choice of ink pad. When my latest order was delivered, I was ready to package it up and send along the Blog Candy.......and this is where I have fun.....packaging is one of those areas we can go in any direction!

I chose to go a bit whimsical by dressing up a plain white coffee bean bag!  You know the type in the grocery store?  I don't know about you - but I constantly 'see' things that I think " I could decorate that!"   Especially blank white things, lol!

But it turns out to be quite an effective choice for a small package of goodies.....here's a shot of how I played with packaging a few bits and bobs that made up Diane's prize.....

here you go....see? Not so bad!

Close-up of greeting, and you can see the mesh I glued to the bag - it sparkles!  Love anything that glitters! It's hard to see, but there is a gem on the letter 'O' in 'You'.  

TIP - to glue the mesh, I brushed the back of it with glue, pressed it to the bag, and using some wax paper to act as a barrier, applied a weight to it (use a heavy magazine) until the mesh had remained attached - otherwise all those different threads can get a bit whiley!

Here is the blog candy!  

Here is the ink pad - Diane wanted Melon Mambo - great choice! 

I used the same mesh now to wrap around the stamp, decorated with an extra die-cut flower.

More die-cuts, a ribbon ring, chipboard pieces and a circle mini-album. 

I was able to fit all you see into that coffee bag except for the mini-album,

 sprinkled tiny flowers in, topped it with tissue to keep them from bouncing around,

 secured it closed and punched 2 holes through the bag to create a sheer ribbon bow. 

Then the bag and mini-album into

 a bubble pack! 

So lesson here - look to your local grocery store for your 

next gift bag! 

LOL!!!

Watermelon Popsicle Card

Fold kraft paper cardstock in half.  Cut a template of a watermelon complete with popsicle stick.

The tip of the watermelon popsicle is part of the fold, so don't cut the tip in other words!  Then, it can stand on its own....

Afterwards decorat with pretty paper such as pink cardstock like our retiring Razzleberry or Kaleidoscope SU! Designer Papers - they are retiring June 30!!!   

By cutting some pairs of slits across the bottom section, you thread the ribbon through - and  pop on a cute button! 

Makes a great invitation! 

Summer pool party anyone? 

Good afternoon!  It's Friday - and I bet the end of school for a whole lotta students who are thrilled to be free!!! So enjoy your summer with your children, grandchildren - every day is precious!

I am back today with a project I worked on for almost 2 days - but that's because I was designing it as I went along - so you could do it in about an hour if you had instructions, etc.  I will be offering instructions for this once I make a PDF file - so look for it!

OK. I love this!

I started by making a folding card - well, more importantly, I started because I wanted to use some of the fantastic new things that have been accumulating around the studio! I have also been wanting to do some of the 'vintage' style that is exploding all around the world!

So - a folding card which ended up looking pretty much how you see the middle section and the two wings.

And while I was staring at it, the wings wide open - it struck me that I should turn it into a TRAY!

Then, a tray that could be useful around our cluttered home - I always can use catch-alls to threw my rings onto, spare change or to keep some perfumes - anything really!

I created a template for a tray - which basically is following the shape of the center & sides, deciding how far the front of the tray should extend, and creating "FLAPS" to secure the tray to the vertical sides. The front of the tray has a lip - a flap that folds up and over itself.  And that was it.

Then I had another inspiration - I wanted a smaller container to catch little things - pennies, rings, who knows! So I grabbed some velvet ribbon and made a flower and a leaf and attached them to a golden coloured votive candle holder. Some gems and a pearl - its so cute, I think I'll make more of them!


OK - here the pictures!

The small velvet flower on votive candleholder! 

.....used as a spot to drop my rings in! 

Die-cuts, stamping (the shadow stamping on the brown) ...

Securing the sides with paper twist turned 'decorative'...and a close-up 

of the tray's front 'lip' - which is also stamped, inked.....

The interior of the tray is stamped in a monochromatic matching shade....

and to protect the tray's bottom from damage, I cut a vellum cover - which I stamped on its 'reverse' side

using white CRAFT ink - because of the smoothness of the vellum's surface (warning - let it dry first!)...

...vellum cover in place, and because I stamped on its underside, those white floral images

will not be harmed either!  Gotta think of these things, right?

Close-up of the flower I made using 3 layers of flowers in descending size and a white brad

to tie in with the background colour of that delicious exotic paper!

I made a border pulling out some of the 'orange' of the paper, and to make the top as interesting as the 

rest of the piece, I used some SCALLOP punches and tucked them in behind the scallop border.....

So here it is again!  It's strong It's pretty 

and it's my new favourite! 

Hope you enjoyed it! 

Hi girls and guys!

I AM sooooooo excited - I put a large order in again last night, and I just LUV waiting for it to arrive!  It's like that Christmas Eve feeling when we were kids, you know?  Or your birthday is around the corner and you can't stand it!!! Ha ha - that's my general feeling - particularly when I am waiting for a package to arrive by mail!

I am sure the rest of you are like that, right?

So just a gentle reminder that June 30 is fast approaching - LAST CHANCE products are available as supply last.

OK - back to work for me!

Hope y'all had a nice week-end! Great weather here!

Hi to all you stampers and crafters!

I am feeling perkier!  Still have to take it easy but I did clean up my awfully messy craft table!  Gosh - what a process that is!  Don't you wish the Crafting Clean-Up Fairies (or Elves - equal opportunist here!) would come in the night and do it for us?

Well - I did have a fire lit up underneath me to do something for  a nice person, as I only had 1 opportunity to see them before Father's Day.  And to show my appreciation to this person, I decided to do it in a round about way and help their son make his own Father's Day card!

So a card kit was born!

I threw the supplies all together, and I took the liberty of doing one or two steps for them. They will assemble everything - and I left it so they have some 'choices' in the final design.

I created a word document to outline instructions, and printed it off and tucked it in with everything.  Here's is how it looked - the separate elements are there including: a card base, two layers for the card front, and several accent pieces including the greeting, and lastly the instructions.

Here is my suggested version - which I included in a illustration I made in the instructions.  But they can do as they wish - maybe put the greeting on the inside?  

Because this is for a young person, I personally coloured the image as it was a bit complicated to do without the right tools - and I was unsure as to what they had.  But there is plenty for them to do to assemble this card - and sign it with a few words, a poem, or add a picture inside......lots of ideas!

Last thing - I embossed a plain envelope with the same design.  I put this all together into a clear cellophane bag and dropped in a fresh glue stick.  So its going to transform into a one-of-a-kind  Father's Day Card that any young person would be happy to give their Dad!   I have found from experience, that young people really appreciate getting some help and LOVE to give their parents a gift, and without costing them money - and the parent(s) are especially THRILLED to find a little appreciation without the need to help the young person themselves.  So its a win-win!

If you have some supplies to make a CARD KIT - why not do it and share with someone who may have nothing in this craft at their disposal.  You'll all appreciate it in some small measure. 

Cheers! 

Aww - check these out!  

I'm very happy that I have some felt to play with!  

You can see how a few simple layers can make a fun accent for ....a card? ....a scrap-page?   

 On the stuffed pink heart piece, I used the Hem Stitch to close the edges.

Hi - looking for a Baby Shower Gift?

I designed a notecard set which uses really simple shapes and soft colours which could be used as a gift for an expectant Mom - or even for yourself if you'd like to have a sweet collection of ready-made cards.  I chose soft colours when I was first experimenting, and liked the results, but you could substitute many colour combinations!   

Recycle some scraps. Create a fun grid of polka dots by using the small 1/2 inch circle punch......and our RETIRING Trio Flower Punch (can't believe it!) to add interest.  

A butterfly - highlights the polka dot as well.

The box is 9 inch x 5-1/2 inch  with a 1/2 inch base scored in the middle. Two strips of paper, scored to make 3 sections, each 1/2 inch wide, are attached along the sides. 

The front panel has a half -circle cut away to create a pocket to tuck a tag into.

Embossing the cardstock with polka dots and a simple design means the cards can be used for many purposes - thank you, birth announcement, 1rst birthday......etc. Flexibility! 

To help the appearance, I staggered the height of the cards - this way,

 all the colours show when stored in the box. 

Close-up of box and cut-out front section with tag. 

Time to make: 1 hour or less. 

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Hope you try this - email me for instructions if you like! 

Beverly

Look what I discovered while playing around -  a butterfly in my window! Or over at my cupboard...

Over here , over there!  One could make a few of these for table decorations -- or in trees!

Soon I'll be back to show my finished project by tomorrow!



Have a great week-end!

You'll have to forgive me but its strange what you get up to when you are not feeling well, but feeling sick of lying around - suddenly at 4 am, you find weird things by accident {you know the weird little titles in the corner ads - yes, well I clicked on one of 'those'}...when you go looking on the net......like my little gem here, and the title of this post - "what do the words Carnivory, Ping Pong and Sponge have in common?"


This apparently.

Ahhh - its soooo pretty!  And its called a Ping Pong Sponge Tree!    

Welll - I can see that, not too hard to imagine. I was a little surprised to find out it was a sponge, but that's ok!  Sponges conjure up exotic images and pretty coral reefs - right?  But this is a special sponge! It belongs to the Chondrocladia family of sponges. 

Here is the description:  

"Chondrocladia sponges are stipitate, with a stalk frequently anchored in the substrate by rhizoids and an egg-shaped body, sometimes with branches that end in inflatable spheres.""

ummm, right.  Then, this....

"These sponges gained media attention when a new species, a gourd-shaped carnivorous sponge, was featured in reports of finds off the coast of Antarctica."

I'm sorry - did you say, carnivorous sponge?  

"Carnivorous sponges, which use hooked spicules to capture small crustaceans, have been known only since 1995..."....and..."Carnivory has since turned out to be common and typical for this sponge family..."

Carnivory ?  I didn't even know that was a word! 

So you find out that those beautiful blue orbs are actually the means for this cute, pretty Ping Pong sponge tree - to catch its meal!  Well, thank goodness, it lives in the really, really deep levels of the ocean - where it can't try to bite off our fingers.  

Actually, I like to look at all sorts of things to get nice colour 'imaginations' in my head, so I will leave you with a slightly more boring, but the still beautiful 'Gersemia Rubiformis' - a pinky-red soft coral - which does what all sleepy lil corals do, eats plankton. So what's that - 'planktivory"?

Well - just had to share! 

You know the feeling that you may as well give in?   Well, I'm too sick and so last time I fell into a comfy spot, I decided to stay there awhile and not get up - one good thing you can do when you're ill........so I am off posting for a day or two yet!

image courtesy of the 'net'

Hope to see you soon
hugs
B

Hello....

i am miserably sick today - ice bags all over my head all last night, no bright lights - that kind of blah!

So this morning I am cautiously moving about - tenderfootin' it - so I tried to sit in the craft studio for just long enough to create my latest!

But hey, I picked some felt up in several colours recently, and for my first move I am sticking to something simple. So a scrunched up ribbon sounded good.

I ran my felt through my cutter to make a 1/2 in ribbon, threaded my needle with green crochet thread and stiched a line straight down the middle of my felt strip. After knotting one end, I tried scrunching the felt strip by pulling on the loose end of the thread til I was satisfied with my result, then I knotted the final end of the thread. I clipped one end of the felt into a banner shape - and that was it!

I stamped a piece of Whisper White with a repeating pattern of one flower from FIFTH AVE set, in either Taken with Teal or Brocade Blue.  I stamped an extra flower on a scrap of paper - and painted around it with my watercolours and my Aqua Painter. Then I cut that flower out, decorated its center with a few crystals.

I set this cut out flower on top of the felt 'ribbon' I created, and mounted them onto the stamped whisper white. Finally a few layers of blue cardstock and a blue/green pattern cardstock - an it was ready!

Ok, must go and rest - that was too much chatting, phew. :(  Me, no like being sick!

Here are 

THE LAST CHANCE LISTS

CLICK ON A LINK BELOW - 

LAST CHANCE STAMPS pdf

LAST CHANCE - EVERYTHING ELSE pdf

To VIEW the lists - when they open on your screen, you can adjust the size shown as a percentage along the top bar - it may say 54% or 147% - {honestly, what's wrong with 100% !} - so change the size to suit your vision using the Down Arrow beside the number shown. Or after you click on that Down Arrow -  at the very bottom of the , it should say 'Actual Size'  - click that and it will show up as 100%

Whew - just had to get that out! 

Don't ask me why!  

We are given updates so I will be happy to answer anyone's question! 

JUNE CLASSES ARE HERE!    I want to give you the chance to do one of the fabulous bird house projects that have been a favourite amongst demos and stampers - and I am dying to do one too!!

So here is a peek at some of the fantastic projects done  in the name of bird house cards and projects - but I will not reveal the final project - you'll just have to come and see!

Enjoy - and sign up by contacting me for class - see the side bar for Class Dates and TImes. Cheers!

Cheryl Parker

Teresa Payne-Neal

Tammy Shaia

  

Good evening!

Here is a simple card I've made for my Aunt Elsie today. I haven't mentioned her before but she is 96! And just now is having to go into a retirement home, she has gone this far all by herself with the help of her other neice who lives near her - but I am sooooo proud of her.  She's always been there for me since I was a wee grasshopper (I am from Saskatchewan, lol)....so I owe her a lot! She is also the last of 3 sisters and 1 brother, so I hope I can brighten her day a little with this:

I actually made it while having coffee at Tim Horton's today - so I could purchase my coffee for their TH Camp Day.  Too bad the weather went sour afterwards - those camps are really nice ones, so I hope their campaign went well!

But I simply made a couple of quick stamps with my stamp, and then placed a border stamp onto a scrap of paper which I cut out to make my 'window box' shape.

The idea is to keep the colours straight and simple, and then add a couple of trendy bits such as the Vintage Voque border stamp, and our Scallop Trim Border Punch.

That is also one of the buttons from our embellishments section. Even 1 button can make a difference!

*******

Off to make something else!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:  Happy Moments Stamp Set, Vintage Vogue Stamp Set; Bermuda Bay and Whisper White cardstock; Classic Black Ink Pad; Punches =  Scallop Trim Border, and  1/2 in Circle;   hole piercer, button. 

Hurray - I can announce the WINNER of MY BLOG CANDY !!!! 

For leaving a comment on my blog, I will be sending my Blog Candy to...

Diane (Dee Dee)

Yeah!!!!! Thanks for participating Dee Dee 

and if you can please get in touch with me by email 

{see side bar}

and THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME BY, COMMENTED AND JOINED MY BLOG FOLLOWERS!  

mORe bLOg CaNDy in the year ahead!

Good Morning!

I am back playing with Punch Flowers!  I was at a craft auction on Saturday - I had $113 dollars to bid with - which sounds like a lot until you discover the woman next to you has $800, lol, but it was "free money" I earned and so I wasn't spending real money and it was just for fun. But - I bid on some stuff and won a few nifty things, so I was a happy camper. I picked up this paper - and at first it was because I liked the kraft paper part - and the flowers were nice too.

This is from ScenicRoute's Sonoma Collection - the Kraft Pink Garland

however, for some reason, mine is the same design but with the Red Bouquet colours. Their collection is very nice. But like I said, I was mainly wanting this just for the 'kraft' section and planned to cut off the flower border.

It wasn't until I got home and googled the paper that I saw women had done amazing things with this paper!  So I perked up!

After musing for awhile, I knew I'd need some "depth" to this paper as a SCRAPBOOK PAGE PROJECT. So I turned my thoughts to PUNCH FLOWERS.

But I really did not know how well this was going to turn out until I made my first flower!

MY FLOWER......USING STAMPIN' UP!
Looking at the detail of the print flower on the paper, I think the designer had the ruffled scallop circle flower in mind - certainly seems that way once you punch out a scallop circle, cut it and make a few creases!

So I'm on 'motor drive' now!  And I off to make my flowers!!!!

1)  I grabbed my a scrap of left-over (but returning) RED RIDING HOOD CARDSTOCK and punched out some SCALLOP CIRCLES.  I cut the scallop circles with scissors and using my bone folder, made folds and creased each one for every section. I didn't even care if the fold was centered or not - this is very casual!  I used some co-ordinating ink to darken the edges - distress them if you wish.

2) Now I grab some SO SAFFRON CARDSTOCK and my BIG SHOT and the 'SPARKLE' Sizzlit Die.  Made my 'sandwich' using the Cutting Mats and the Multipurpose Platform set on Tab 2 ....and ran it through with 2 layers of cardstock. I am making at least 2 flowers, so that saves time. 

***The Sparkle die is a busy design with lots of edges - so I don't try to make a bunch in one go, I rather 'repeat' the process. Other plainer cuts are easier to stack a bunch of cardstock to run through the Big Shot in one pass. 

3) Now I grab some BRAVO BURGANDY CARDSTOCK and one of the four Sizzlit dies in the BIRDS and BLOOMS 4 Pack Die Sets. Its the SCALLOP BUTTON - which has 2 sizes - and I want 'both', so this is great!  I make a pair for each flower. 

Once I make them, I ALTER each one by creating a SLOPPY CIRCLE - just using my scissors, and cutting the edge off all around each one in just a haphard way - no real thought involved!  Like that, heh heh! .....and they end up looking like 'raisins' - one large and one small!

4) Last part - I repeat the 'small' Scallop Button in So Saffron - and inked its edges with some CRUSHED CURRY INK - and made one for each flower. 

Here is how my flower parts [ steps #2, 3 and 4] look like - the darker burgandy  'raisin' shapes are shown beneath the Scallop Button that I made them from, and so:  

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER - AND YOU HAVE ONE COOL FLOWER!  

1 Large Scallop Circle (red) + 1 Sparkle die cut (yellow) + 1 larger Scallop Button (burgandy) + I small Scallop Button (yellow) + 1 small Scallop Button (burgandy)

=

Can YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?   Isn't it so similar to the flowers printed on the paper - or what! I thought this worked out so cooool!  Really did!   

Here is a larger view and where I altered the photo:

 

Now, I've started my Scrapbook Page and it remains to be seen how it will turn out - so stay tuned!

UPDATE:

Here I am adding 3D LEAVES  I've created to my scrapbook page - and here's the process......CLICK to see a closer look

1. DRAW a leaf outline   2. Cut it out.  3. Apply Watercolour veins to leaf.  4. Aqua Painter brushstrokes to soften the watercolour veins, pulling some of the colour to the edges. 

These are made in the image of my project's paper, but you could do this in any colour or leaf shape.  

Alright - I have punched more flowers out using the BIRDS and BLOOMS 4 PC Sizzlits Pack - and made a BUTTERFLY using our BIGZ Die 'BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES' .....and what else, oh yes, my TOP NOTE BIGZ Die which I will use to make my title on (later)......and here is how I've laid things out so far...

Getting busy - I know!  But I think this will be for a picture of myself and my dog in a nice garden somewhere, so I can afford to 'fluff' it up! :)

Besides - I may make more changes, ha ha! What you see is not all glued down yet, aha! 

To emphasize where I shall place a 5x7 photo, I  made a central background layer with some Kiwi Kiss paper and our SCALLOP BORDER TRIM PUNCH - it has a pattern, but its small compared to the larger pattern of the flowers - so it will work. 

I've also followed the principles of proportions by making some things large, small and in-between. 

I needed to have some highlights on the page - so I made my Birds and Bloom's flowers out of white cardstock - then toned them down a little with some pink and brown ink on the edges. Then I topped them with buttons. 

Anyways - that's it.  Won't be done till I find that perfect shot of my dog and I....thank goodness for digital cameras these days, can you imagine when we had to take photo after photo and wait till our photos got developed - and even then, cross our fingers that at least 'one' of them came out nice?

Oh, how we have changed!