Still Stamping

A Get-Well Cup of Tea

I'm frantically trying to finish up projects for swaps and roommate gifts at Convention, but I don't want to forget my loyal blog readers, either.  I guess I work well -- relatively speaking -- under pressure.  When I have a deadline and start stamping, I get far too many ideas to actually implement.  I get easily distracted from the task at hand, but it's all good, if you look at it from the standpoint of originality and creativity.  On the other hand.... my stamping room is a total disaster (worse than normal), and the chaos has spread to my kitchen table.

When I leave for a trip, I make sure the house is clean, refrigerator cleaned out of perishables that my husband won't eat, garbage is taken out, dishes all washed and put away, laundry done, et.   If anything happens to me on my trip and I end up not making it home, I don't want anyone to think badly of me as a housekeeper.  Well...... I am not entirely sure I'll get this stamping mess cleared up before I leave on Monday, but oh well... I'm sure having fun.

The card at the left is actually the third of a trio of project I made with the same tools and materials.  Colors:  Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Green Galore.  I chose the colors from the Designer Series Paper I had left from the Razzleberry Lemonade pack I've been working my way through.  Such fun colors, and tons of variety, too!

  Here's the other card I started with.  It's a tiny one, only 3" x 3" for a swap I'm involved in at Convention.  I began by choosing the stamp, knowing that I was limited in size.  This one is from Fun & Fast Notes on page 56 of the current Idea Book & Catalog.  It was a gift from Stampin' Up! at a prior Convention, and it's a very versatile set, with 8 images and greeting for various occasions.  The image and corresponding greeting are on the same block of wood, but you can custom mount your stamp or use markers or masking to eliminate the words and substitute a different one.  This could be a Happy Birthday or Thank You card instead of Get Well.

The circles are cut with the Sizzix Originals Circles die.  I used markers to color in the image, using a very quick motion to achieve a whimisical look and avoid marker streaks.  The greeting is punched out with the Word Window punch and matted with the new Modern Label punch.  And the ribbon is the new Polka-Dotted Grosgrain in Crushed Curry.

This card evolved, however, into a 3-D item.  Take a look at it.  On the surface, it looks just like this little card.

But slip off the Belly-Band (the ribbon is actually looped around the layer and not adhered to the card) and you have a little gift.  It's a holder for a tea bag.  Carol Duvall used to call tiny inexpensive gifts like this "tuck-ins", because they're so nice to tuck into a card, a bouquet of flowers, a gift box.  They're also great to use on their own as a little something for someone special.

Sorry about the shadows.  It is a very dismal rainy day here in Hanover, PA, and I couldn't get a good shot even with lamps.  Also, the belly band slipped on the first picture before I noticed it.  I know you'll be forgiving - I don't have time to take another shot and do everything I have to do to it to change this shot.  Click on any photo to see a larger version of it.

Here's the entire "Trio".  Give it a try - challenge yourself to create three projects (or more) with the same elements.  Be sure to let me know if you do, and I'll share your projects on my blog.

Until the next time, Happy Stamping!  I'll do my very best to post again while I'm at Convention.

Carol Taggart

Razzleberry Lemonade Melon Pizza Box

Sounds like an unlikely combination for a pizza, doesn't it?  Melon and Razzleberry (aka Raspberry) Lemondade.  Well, they're the colors and paper I chose for a little gift box I made -- actually I made 7 of them! -- using the mini Pizza Box template and instructions.  If you need a refresher on how to make the box itself, I'll post one tomorrow for you.

This easy, one-sheet box measures 4" x 4" x 1" and is perfect for little gifts.  Inside is a gift I made for my Convention roommates (shhh - don't tell them.  I'll show you the gift itself later.)  The card stock is Melon Mambo with a square of Crushed Curry bordering the designer series paper, Razzleberry Lemondad.  The flowers are cut with the Daisies # 2 die for the Big Shot.  Hope you enjoyed it.  Check back for instructions tomorrow.

Royal Blog Tour

Welcome to the Bermuda BayTour. If thou art just beginning the tour, thee will be better served by beginning thy travels at the home Castle. Thee may reach it from here simply by clicking on my CROWN!

Welcome to the Bermuda Bay Path of the Royal Blog Tour.
Ye are currently at Castle Number 18.

Welcome to the Royal Blog Tour!   I've decided to show you a little sampling of what you can do with Razzle Dazzle, page 194 in the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog.

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 Today we'll start with this Embossed Resist card. The great colors are all new In Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Bermuda Bay.  And layering punched images makes the accent easy

The monochromatic card below is really a fast card, and would make a nice gift set done up in a variety of colors.  Bermuda Bay is a beautiful color, don't you agree?  Use your Big Shot on this one.

 

Stop by after the conclusion of the Royal Princess Blog Tour for more Razzle Dazzle samples done with  completely different techniques. I'll also have complete details for you on how I did the ones you're seeing today. See you on Wednesday, July 29!

Until then, I'm Carol Taggart and I'm stamping my art out!

Once this path hath reached its end, thy royal coach will travel back to the Royal Blog Tour - Home Castle where more paths await thee!

Take the Tour - You Might Even Win a Big Shot

GO TO THE ROYAL BLOG TOUR HOME PAGE ON SUNDAY, JULY 26TH TO START THE ROYAL BLOG TOUR AND ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A BIG SHOT DIE CUT MACHINE!

The Royal Blog Tour is three days long, and you'll be happy it is! There are four tours - a total of 80 fabulous blogs!

That's not all! The Royal Blog Tour Home Page is offering their own Blog Candy. And it is -- a Big Shot Die Cut Machine!!!! Honestly - you don't want to miss this tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This drawing is open to all countries represented by Princesses in this tour, including Canada and Australia!

 

Already own a Big Shot?  If you win, you can share the joy of die-cutting with your friend, your Mom, your daughter, even your grandchildren!  A few days ago, I taught my 3-yr. old daughter Ava how to make butterflies using my Big Shot and the Beautiful Butterflies die (exclusive to Stampin' Up!).  She loves crafting, she loves learning new things and she LOVES butterflies.  Needless to say, she loved using the Big Shot, and she was very good at it, too, insisting on cranking it all by herself.  But the end of our session (when we ran out of paper), she was even loading up the plates, die, and paper all by herself. 

 

That's younger sister Charlotte "assisting".  By this time next year, she'll probably be ready to use it herself.  And their Mommy mentioned how great the Big Shot will be when the girls have school projects to do a few years down the road. 

 

I hope you'll join the tour starting tomorrow.  There will be lots to see!

Elegant Bouquet - Quick and Simple, too

I finally got time to play with some of my newest Stampin' Up! stamps and accessories yesterday.  I have a deadline to meet to prepare my masterpieces projects for the Royal Blog Tour later this month.  Check out the link on the right, and mark your calendar to come back on one of the days of the tour, July 26, 27, and 28.  In fact, because there will be four simultaneous tours going on, you might want to come back all three days!

In the meantime, however, I had a gift to complete for my Mother.  Her 90th birthday party is on Saturday, and I wanted to make her some Thank You cards to send out afterwards.  I didn't have a lot of time to dedicate to the project, because I am still finishing up the banner (made with the Stampin' Up! Sizzix SL Pennant Die) and the favors (made with the Sizzix Bag with Scallops die).  I'll take a picture of those when they are actually in place at the party - they're not very impressive folded up in the box I'm transporting them in.  Anyway, back to the Thank You cards.

I picked up the new Elegant Bouquet embossing folder (item # 115964- a Stampin' Up! exclusive and hard to resist at only $7.95) and cranked out a dozen cards in no time at all.  All I had to add was the simple but elegant "Thank You" from the Fresh Cuts stamp set and they're done, ready to send.

But I had to try out something else with the embossing folder while I had it out.  As lovely as the simple cards are, I wanted to add some layers, color, visual interest.  This is the result:

The coloring was done with Stampin' Pastels, applied with tiny pom poms and an alligator clip I have.  It allows me to apply the chalk very precisely.  A Q-tip would probably work, too, but I have better success with the pom poms.  The Greeting is from Oval Alls, punched and layered with two coordinating oval punches, and the butterfly is from Flight of the Butterfly (the white layer is cut out with scissors, and the turquoise layer is punched with the new punch.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've already colored a couple of others using different color schemes, and I will probably use this design as one of my Convention swaps.  What do you think?

Happy Stamping!

Carol Taggart

Movers & Shapers Die Cuts Without The Card

Once you've discoved the fantastic layering possibilities you'll have by combining the Stampin' Up! punches with the Movers & Shapers shapes, you'll be using them over and over again, I am certain.  But I'm equally certain that you won't want every card to be made with the die - and it's not necessary to cut out the card just to get the little shape you want for layering.

These are the materials you'll need to make the card I posted yesterday.  Notice that the smaller black rectangle has the shape cut out of it.  I used the rectangle for the mat for the stamped image, and the black shape as the mat for the punched greeting.  The white piece covers up the "hole", so nobody is the wiser.  You save a little card stock, but that is minimal.  If you're making multiples of the same card, you'll save lots of time this way, because the die can cut 3 or 4 layers at a time!

Follow these simple steps.  You'll need one extended cutting pad, the Movers & Shapers die (base), a magnetic shape insert for the Movers & Shapers, and a smaller acrylic cutting pad for the top, and scraps of paper just big enough to cover the magnetic insert.  Pictured here is a cutting pad made for the Sizzix Sidekick, a little bitty machine just for Sizzlits.  You can also use the standard cutting pad.  But there's no need to use the extended pad for this cutting method, and two reasons NOT to: cutting will be faster and easier with a smaller pad on top, and a small cutting pad is less expensive when time comes to replace it. 

Lay the Movers & Shapers die onto the extended cutting pad.

Insert the magnetic piece into the "well" on the Movers & Shapers die.  The placement is not important.  In fact, you could get two different shapes into the die and cut them both out with this method.

Carefully place the small pieces of card stock (large enough to comfortably cover the insert) on top of the foam portion of the insert.

Cover it with the small cutting pad.

Roll it through the Big Shot.  It will not be necessary to roll the entire length of the long die, just enough to get the upper cutting pad passed through.  You'll hear a click and pop, but don't worry - that's normal.

Remove the upper cutting pad and lift off the die cut(s).  As you can see here, I made three at one time.  Also notice that the rest of the card stock pieces got pushed down over the foam portion when the die passed through the machine.

Just gently pry them off and either discard them or use them as a bottom layer/ mat.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My Mother is celebrating her 90th birthday today.  We're having a party, but not until later this month.  In her honor, I'm sharing two cards today.  The first is the invitation I made to send out for the party.  You'll recognize the very popular Top Note Die Quilted Card, and maybe you'll also remember the DSP as the one from Sale-a-Bration.  Mom loves to quilt and always has, so I thought this was very appropriate.  On about half of the cards, I actually used my little sewing machine and stitched the "seams".  On the rest, I used faux stitching (with stamped stitching lines).

The second card I'm sharing today was just created an hour ago.  Once a month, my upline Connie Heisey has a Stamp and Share at her home here in Hanover, PA.  We do a shoebox swap, with everyone bringing the stamps, accessories, tools and supplies for everyone else to make their card or project.  I wanted to use something new - you know how much fun it is to play with your new toys, don't you? 

 The stamp set is a new Level 2 Hostess set from the 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog.  It's called Oriental Art (or Arte Oriental.... I ordered the Spanish set by mistake, but that's okay.  The images are just the same.)  The simple oriental style called for a clean, simple design, but I didn't want it to be boring, either.  The "sun" is created by punching out a card stock "stencil" with the 1-3/8" circle punch, and stippling color onto the card with a brush.  Markers accent the bamboo and color the bird.  The background (and bird) are in the new Dusty Durango color.  I love it!  And to add just enough texture to the large, unstamped background, I used a texture plate.

The greeting is from the set called "Embrace Life", punched out with the new Fancy Label Punch and matted with a cut-out made with the new set of add-ons for the Movers & Shapers Die.  The four dies are perfect matches for Stampin' Up! punches --- and you just HAVE to get them, they are wonderful.

I'll be sharing a tip tomorrow on how to cut out just the mat without cutting out an entire card with the Movers & Shapers die, and also sharing a paper-saving technique.

This isn't a birthday card, but I don't know too many people who truly embrace life like my Mother does.  So as they say, "This one's for you, Mom!"  Love you lots.  See you soon, and we'll party hearty!

Ride The Royal Blog Tour

Good Evening everyone! Happy Fourth of July weekend! I am very excited to announce that our blog tour is only a few weeks away and the team is hoping to bring you a fantastic tour of creativity and fun! If you haven't signed up to ride the tour yet, you should stop by the blog as we have posted some fantastic interviews of some of your favorite stampers! There will be more to come and lots of surprises, so make sure you sign up to follow the blog today!   http://www.RoyalBlogTour.blogspot.com

Happy New Year! (A New Stampin' Year, That Is)

There is much to celebrate this July 1.  A new Idea Book & Catalog, a new Definitely Decorative brochure, a fabulous Summer Fun deal on the Demonstrator Starter Kit, and new summer entertaining ideas from Country Living Magazine.  The links to more information on each of these is on the sidebars, right and left.  Scroll down and click on the buttons, or visit the Stampin' Up! homepage for all the details.

Each month in July, there will be a Deal of the Week, too, beginning with a 30% discount on the Scallop Edge Punch. 

You'll also find four new projects to try: the Project of the Month, a Card, a Scrapbook Page, and a Gift.  Those will be updated monthly.  And be sure to try the new Color Combination Machine on the left-hand sidebar.  That's a tool you'll be sure to come back to again and again.

The biggest news, of course, is the gorgeous new Idea Book & Catalog.  You can access it online by clicking here , but you can get your very own copy by contacting me.  I'd love to share this great publication with you. 

It's full of new samples, tips, techniques, and so many new products that you will just have to see it to believe it.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be showing you some of the things you are in store for when you host a workshop, join a club, attend a class or just order online.  Come share the fun.  I know you will love it!