Jingle All The Way - card

Rubber stamp image from Stampin' Up! (retired Alphabet Soup) colored with markers.

Cuttlebug embossing folder

Wide striped grosgrain ribbon, linen thread, card stocks and markers from Stampin' Up!

Thanks for looking =)

Jar of Nothing

The Nothing Jar

Did you say nothing?

When you were asked what you wanted for Christmas

(or your Birthday, Anniversary, etc)

Don't you remember saying "NOTHING." ?

Well, this time someone heard you,

searched high and low

and found the perfect gift for you ! 

I saw this poem / gag gift idea online somewhere a year or two ago and saved the poem for "some day".

I think it was posted at a recipe site of all places!  It had a very simple, plain tag printed out on sticker paper and adhered to the jar. 

I decided to finally put it to use this year and made a version using Stampin' Up! products / My Digital Studio.

The idea is to give the recipient an empty jar with absolutely nothing in it. If you really want to give the person "something" and they truly want "nothing", perhaps make a donation to a worthy cause in their name or offer your time and talents (wash their car, walk their dog, etc). 

punches to create the embellishment:

punch out an oval, fold in half lengthwise then trim the edges with scissors to make the scallops

unfold and add details with marker, ink pad and aquapainter

glitter glue on the 1/4" circle punch berries

super thin sliver of card stock used as "thread" for the corduroy button

This is a great project for repurposing items, too !

• reuse and old jar
• ribbons from past gifts 
• a button from an old shirt or jacket
• gift wrap, old greeting cards or magazines for the decorative paper background

This project can be as plain and simple as you want or over the top decorated, creating a piece of home decor / art worthy of display year round. 

My project was created using supplies from Stampin' Up! 

and the My Digital Studio program from Stampin' Up!

Card stock:

  Very Vanilla

  Crumb Cake

  Always Artichoke

  Cherry Cobbler

Always Artichoke classic ink and marker

Wide Striped Grosgrain ribbon, retired

Corduroy Button, retired

Small oval punch 

1/4" circle punch 

Scallop edge punch

Red glitter glue

I designed the printed paper piece with My Digital Studio, printed it out then mounted it to several pieces of card stock. The back ground designer paper image is found in the  "Deck The Halls" Designer Kit add on, paper 1. 

I layered the textured background stamp over it, reduced the size and opacity, the color was changed to Early Espresso.

I used a square digital punch, elongated it and resized. I then added a Cherry Cobbler mat and drop shadow in Early Espresso  (100% opacity, full blur, centered). 

Insert a text box, resize to fit the square punch, type in the poem using Early Espresso "ink". 

The title is another text box with Very Vanilla type, drop shadowed with Basic Black. 

Thanks for looking  and Happy Holidays =) 

Assorted Christmas Cards

I'm finally getting around to finishing a few handmade holiday cards and sharing them ! I must have been a bit burned out after making so many to send to Operation Write Home, I didn't feel much like making anything. I  didn't make near the amount I normally do this year (and every one of my cards is always different). I believe most people I gave them to don't really care anyway and they are thrown away, plus with postage being so high for "bulky" cards (nearly every one I mailed out this year required the extra postage, ugh!) I decided to cut back. I'll share a few of my favorites over the next couple days. 

Closeup of Santa's beard. I used dimensional paper paint I bought years ago.

That is also a wooden star that I painted.

I put the images and ribbon a square cornered card after taking this photo; it looked so wrong having the rounded corners on the bottom to me.

Snowman Ornament - Petal Cone Die

I've made many, many different snowmen projects over the years. Some are very similar to this project. This year I decided to put the Petal Cone die to use to see if I could make it into a snowman face ornament. I knew it would be a bit more work than other snowmen I've made. I think it turned out okay (but I won't be making any more !). So here it is, another fun use for the Petal Cone die from Stampin'  Up! 




Most supplies used were from Stampin' Up!:

Big Shot die cut machine

Petal Cone die

Snowflakes die


Scrap of Whisper White card stock


Clear drying liquid glue

Dazzling Diamonds glitter

Button ( Night Of Navy from the Fresh Favorites collection)


Linen thread

Fabrics

Polyfil

Hot glue

Twine or ribbon

Scrap of Pumpkin Pie (or any orange) card stock

Two black brads, buttons or 1/4" circles of Basic Black card stock

Cut two petal cones out of fabric. I used an old white bedspread that I tea stained.

Hot glue edges together (or stitch) to create the cone. Run a little bit of Fray Check along the raw edges of the fabric first to help keep them from fraying.

Stuff with polyfil.

Carefully glue the bottom flaps closed. Or hand stitch. 

Die cut a snowflake, brush on clear drying liquid glue, cover with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. Set aside to dry.

Make a simple hat from a tube of fabric (or old sock or sweater !).

Hot glue hanging loop to pointy end of cone.

Slide hat over pointy end, hot glue in place. Tie twine (or ribbon) around the top.

Glue on snowflake and button.

Make a "carrot" nose out of a long skinny  triangle piece of card stock rolled tightly. Glue to face. I would normally use orange clay or a piece of dowel rod sharpened and painted, but decided to show a simple way to make a nose for paper crafters. You could also use an orange pipe cleaner curled up on itself or a piece of orange felt / fun foam. 

Glue on two 1/4 " circles of Basic Black card stock for eyes. I used a white Signo gel pen for the highlights. You could also use buttons, brads, knotted embroidery thread, felt or fun foam instead of the card stock.

Brush blush (Stampin' Pastels) on the cheeks if you'd like. I didn't on this particular project because it wouldn't work well on the knobby material.

I cut a strip from a fleece blanket (cheap way to buy fleece for craft projects) to make the scarf. It was hot glued on. The above photo shows the finished snowman before putting the scarf on (which is optional).

Thanks for looking =)   

Birthday Cards I Received

From a "pen pal".  She used Basic Grey papers. 

This one was made with My Digital Studio from Stampin' Up !

and came from Stampin' Up!

It was all printed, inside and out, with two rhinestones added to the front.

Santa Suit Plant Wrap

I received these gorgeous poinsettias from my parents for my birthday. They had a plastic "wrapping paper" type of wrap around the pot, as you normally see around potted plants. I decided to make something fun to use instead and came up with this Santa Suit Plant Wrap. You could also repurpose an old tin can by using paint and perhaps a real belt if you want something more sturdy to use year after year or give as a gift. 

All supplies from Stampin' Up!:

12x12 textured Real Red card stock

12x12 Basic Black card stock

Whisper White card stock, scrap

Silver metallic card stock, scrap

Texturz Plate Perfect Details

Embossing Folder Frames

Big Shot die cut machine

1/2" Circle Punch

Brass Template - I don't recall the name; circles and squares

Stylus

Paper Piercer

Tearing Edge

Scissors

Sticky Strip

SNAIL Adhesive

Velcro - sewing notions 

I cut two strips of the textured Real Red card stock to 5 1/2" x 12" to fit around my pot. I pieced them together using Sticky Strip to make one 19" long strip to wrap around the pot. When you are assembling this, be sure that the seams are off to the sides. You want the smooth 12" portion for the front of the Santa Suit Plant Wrap.

I adhered Velcro with Sticky Strip along the short edges so I can easily remove the wrap and store it flat for next year. However, as I was making this, I thought it would have been better to punch a few holes along the short edges, reinforce the holes then lace up the seam with ribbon. By doing it this way, I could wrap a pot that was larger. I may still do this if I am able to remove the Velcro without damaging the wrap.

Using the Perfect Details Texturz Plate, emboss a scrap of Whisper White card stock. Tear the two 5 1/2" long edges and glue to the front middle of the Real Red card stock.

Cut two pieces of Basic Black card stock 1 1/2" x 12". Piece them together to wrap around the length of the Real Red card stock, leaving seams off to the sides, out of sight from the front view. Don't glue to the Real Red wrap just yet !

Run a scrap of silver metallic card stock through the Big Shot in the Frames embossing folder. Carefully trim around the outer edge of the frame with scissors then use a hobby knife and straight edge to cut two slits inside the two short edges the middle. This will allow you to run the black strip of card stock through.

Run the Basic Black card stock strip through the "buckle". Glue to the Real Red card stock, centering the buckle over the Whisper White "fur trim".

You can use real buttons, but I didn't have any black ones the size I wanted so I made my own. There are also dies to make buttons out of card stock, but I do not have one. To create my paper buttons, I punched two 1/2" circles from Basic Black card stock. Using a stylus and brass template, I dry embossed just inside the edges of the circles. I then punched two small holes with the paper piercer in the center. Glue to the Whisper White "fur trim".

Thanks for looking =) 

EEK!

NOT what I want to find first thing in the morning..... a snake skin stuck to a pot ? Or do lizards shed, too, its a skin from one of them ? Either way, CREEPY to find in the cabinet.......... now I am leary of being in the kitchen ! My two cats are slacking off on their critter catching duties - or is that they caught something and brought it in to show me and it got away ?

Kitty did catch two large lizards in the house earlier this year....ahhh, the joys of rural life.

Operation Write Home - received and thanks

I received an email letting me know that Operation Write Home received my 365 cards =)
My name was also listed among the many that were thanked on their blog on December 8th.
I've shared many of my cards on my blog over the past couple of months.

Let It Snow

Barely a dusting of snow today

365

That is how many cards I sent to Operation Write Home today !

I originally had 341 after sorting, stamping, tucking and counting the large amount of cards I've made the past couple of months. I whipped out a few more, tucked them in and finally got the box sent out today. I enjoyed making all of those cards the past couple of months.