One card, Three ways

At my last club classes, I wanted to show the double embossed frame technique -- see this link for step by step how to do this. It is such a cool technique that is really not that hard to do.  The only thing I did differently, is that I made the opening in the chipboard for the back of the first folder, slightly larger than the size of designer frame, so that a larger rectangular non-embossed section was created.  Hope that makes sense...

Here are the cards they could choose from:

This first one uses the "Happy Hour" stamp set

 For this second one, I used the "World Spectacular" stamp set -- pretty much a CASE of the idea Dawn had in the video link above.

 And this one uses the "Just Believe" stamp set -- which is soon to retire.  Boo hoo!

We used Crystal Effects on the leaves to make them shiny, as well as on the tips of the peacock feathers in the above sample. 

The colors used here, are Lucky Limeade (soon to retire), Midnight Muse, and Whisper white -- along with several strips of designer paper from various packs.

If you haven't gotten all the retiring products you are longing for, be sure to get them before they're gone!  Hope on my website in the link below and check out all the treasures that are 40% off!  My favorite accessory that's retiring, is the Blossom Petals Builder punch.  You can search my blog for amazing things I've made with this punch -- including dogwood flowers.  In my book, you simply can't live without this punch! :)

Happy Sunday to each of you!!!

55 and counting!

For any of you who DIDN'T know, this is Teacher Appreciation week! :) and how I do appreciate Bryn's teachers VERY much.  I am involved in the PTO for his school, and this year we decided to make gifts to give all the teachers and staff at West Valley School during Teacher appreciation week.  In the PTO meeting, guess who they all turned and looked at for heading up the gift creating campaign? :)  Yep!  You guessed it.  Me!  And, I was gladly up for the job, provided I had a little help putting them together.

The volunteers to help with the project, were a little on the sparse side, and I was feeling a teeny bit overwhelmed before I had even started.  Then low and behold, my wonderful, super crafty friend, Leah, (whose children don't even go to West Valley!), came over and spent the entire afternoon cutting out purses and gluing them together. When she left, the purses were all cut out an mostly assembled and I was feeling like I really could pull it together.  What a great friend!!!

There are 55+ teachers/staff at the school, so it was a bit of craftiness to put them all together.  We are giving out little gifties on Monday, Wed, and Friday of this week.  Here are the Monday ones: Decorated water bottles with a little hand stamped tag and a pouch to hold a Crystal Light packet.

The tag measures 2 1/8" by 11 and scored at 2 1/4" and 8".  Then, simply fold the bottom scored part up and adhere with brads on either side, and use the 1 1/4" circle punch to punch the hole in the top flap to go over the water bottle.  I cut strips of designer paper 1 1/2" x 12" to put around the bottles and adhered with sticky strip.  Easy embellishments using the large and small butterfly punches layered together.  Simple gift, but definitely brought a smile to every recipient!

 Today's gift, was a little purse (using the SU purse die) with a chapstick inside that was donated by my generous boss, Connie Small, DDS.  I used Pretty in Pink card stock here -- a color that is soon to retire, and embellished the fronts of the purses with a little rossette -- from the rossette trim in the spring mini catalog -- simply snip off a rossette, dab its petals on an ink pad, and you have an instant classy embellishment.

 For the guy teachers, we made this "manly version".  Simple tri-fold with a section of designer paper on the front and back, and a star embellishment.  Sorry the photo isn't better...

I somehow missed taking a photo of the Friday giftie -- it is a pint jar filled with mulit colored salt water taffy (courtesy of Costco).  I punched out a circle of designer paper (using my 2 3/8" circle punch -- which fits perfectly on a narrow mouth jar lid, just FYI) and adhered that to the top of the lid, then tied a cute stamped tag around the top with colorful ribbon.  Another PTO person is delivering those, as I am working on Friday, so she came and hauled them all away -- thus no photos -- sorry!  I feel glad to have them finished, but is sure was rewarding to see the smiles on their faces as we went from class room to class room delivering our gifts.

To all you teachers out there, THANK YOU!!! for all you do for our children!!!

If you haven't checked out the retiring stamps and accessories, take a look!  There are some fabulous goodies on sale while supplies last.

Happy stamping and crafting to each of you!

Going, Going, Gone! Card Buffet!

Tis' the season where Stampin' Up! retires a bunch of stamps and accessories to make room for new treasures soon to be released in the new catalog -- June 1st.  I always feel compelled to give my favorite sets a final debut!  I am having my "Going, going, gone! card buffet" on Saturday, May 18th at 10 am, and here are the treasures there will be to choose from.  These are easy cards to create -- 10 min or less kind of cards.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post to check out the stamp sets and accessories (some marked down to 40% off!) that are retiring, and get them before they're gone!

This first card features the single stamp -- Quint-Essential Flower -- for $8.95.  It coordinates with the 2 3/8" and 1 3/4" scallop circle punches and 1" circle punch. Simply stamp in three colors -- here Pumpkin Pie, Cherry Cobbler, and Old Olive -- and punch out with the punches.  Layer together using stampin' dimensionals, and you have a great, easy card.  Other retiring products used here, are the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, the Tiny Tags stamp set and Jewelry tag punch, and the polka dotted scalloped ribbon. 

 This cute little trendy vase with the flowers, is from the all occasion set -- "Button Buddies".  I simply colored the vase with a red marker, the flower stems with an Olive marker and punched out little flowers with the Itty Bitty punch pack.  Added some rhinestones and what a cute little card!  Other retiring products used here: Bashful Blue card stock and ink, and the sentiment -- from the Made for You stamp set.

 A topiary card made with the retiring "Circle Circus" stamp set -- and a variety of circle punches.  Super easy card, but a really fun effect.  For the flower pot, I used the decorative label punch.  Other retiring products used here: Certainly Celery card stock and ink, the "Friendly Phrases" stamp set.

 "Just Believe" stamp set is one of my very favorites!  So sorry to see it go...  Here I did a simple color blocking technique -- use your clear block, ink it up, and "stamp" it onto your white card stock panel.  Then stamp your image on top in a darker ink.  The background inks used here are Certainly Celery and Baja Breeze -- both of which are retiring.

 A simple sympathy card featuring "French Foliage" stamp set.  A lovely set for fall, of course, but also great for summer cards, too.  The lacy brocade embossing folder used on the little strip of Lucky Limeade card stock, is also retiring.  Boo!!!

 I put Crystal Effects on the little blue leaf to give the card some dimension.

 "Sweet Floral" is a lovely background stamp.  Here I simply inked the stamp in Riding Hood Red ink (a retiring color) and stamped it on the same color card stock -- added pearls to the flower centers, and a sentiment from the also retiring "Punch Pals" stamp set.  Added a butterfly punched from designer paper, and some ribbon.  Easy peasy, but lovely just the same.

 "Elements of Style" stamp set takes Vintage to a new level.  Here I stamped the floral branch image on a Labels framelits die cut, used a sponge dauber to add some Marina Mist ink to the flowers, layered it on a strip of dsp from the poetry print pack, added some crochet trim, and some Crystal Effects to the flowers -- and punched out the sentiment.  Done!

This final card features the retiring Build a Blossom stamp set and the matching Blossom Petals builder punch.  Of all the things retiring this year, this punch makes me the saddest.  I use this punch ALL the time -- for leaves, fancy flowers, you name it.  So versatile!  Sob!  Anyways, I simply stamped the petals on Baja Breeze card stock, punched them out, and created the focal flower by adhering the petals to a punched circle using Tombow multi glue. 

Hope this inspires you to do some crafting, too!  Hop on my website and see what retiring treasures YOU can't live without.

Happy Sunday!