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Showing posts from January, 2010

Punch Happy!

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I had fun playing with my new toys this morning! I started by semi-copying a card designed by Rebecca Franks and published in the February issue of Stampin Success, a magazine sent to all Stampin' Up! demonstrators (a good reason to become a demonstrator!). But I just had to use the new Scallop Trim Border punch (free from the Sale-a-Bration catalog with a $50 expenditure) and the coordinating Scallop Trim Corner punch (Occasions Mini Catalog, 118870, $9.95). The heart is cut and embossed with the new Embosslits Die, also found in the Occasions Mini Catalog (117332, $11.95). Do you recognize the ornament stamp and punch from the Holiday Mini Catalog? Used sideways, it makes a great fish body. Punch one piece of coordinating card stock for each fish (I used Soft Suede) with our Scallop Circle punch and cut it apart to use for the fish's fins. The eyes are punched with the 1/2" circle punch and the 1/4 inch circle punch, which I fear has been retired. However, a stand

More Team Valentines

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I'm sharing two more cards designed by demonstrators on our Heartfelt Stampers team! The first one is by Kriss Huels, who took a simple design and made it pop with little extras, like the three different ribbons (Rose Red and Pretty in Pink 1/4" grosgrain and Chocolate Chip taffeta) tied around the narrow strip of Chocolate Chip card stock. Or the Dimensionals behind the Whisper White circle and two of the embossed hearts (White Embossing Powder on Chocolate Chip card stock, Love You Much stamp set, Heart to Heart punch). The verse on the bottom is from the Curvy Verses set. The card is Pretty in Pink with Rose Red designer series paper. The second card was designed by Jacki Wrebel using the Love You Much stamp set. The torn card stock and the hearts peaking out of her scalloped edge pocket make this card unique. And, of course, we can't forget the embellishment cut with the Big Shot using the Swirls Scribbles Sizzlits Die. She also embossed the Real Red card stock

Outside the Box

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I am part of an incredibly talented team of demonstrators! Once a month we get together for a team meeting and swap card fronts. Jen Rios-Raner always comes up with a very unique style for her card design. Her Valentine was designed to be suitable for a man, but it would not have to be limited to Valentine's Day. Give it to husband or boyfriend on an anniversary or just to tell him how important he is to you. Jen used a Texturz Plate from the Stampin Up! Backgrounds 1 pack (115962, $11.95) to achieve the raised design on the Real Red card stock. Her pieces of Basic Black card stock are perfect uses of those little scraps you always end up with. She used the Basic Black 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (115615, 8.95 for 10 yards), the Heart to Heart punch (113694, $15.95), the Scallop Edge punch (112091, $15.95) and the Paper-Piercing Tool (116631, $3.50). I believe her circles were made with the Circle Scissor Plus (112530, $29.95) and a brad from the Hodgepodge Hardware,

Movers & Shapers

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I decided to play around with the Movers and Shapers die for my Big Shot. I cut a piece of Bella Bleu designer paper to fit half the card and then scalloped the edge with our scallop edge punch. I then adhered the ds to the half sheet of Kraft card stock (4-1/4" x 11") and ran it through the Big Shot. Afterward, I took a scrap of Night Quite Navy card stock, laid it on top of the movable piece and ran it through the Big Shot for the same shape. It runs just a wee bit bigger than the Whisper White card stock punched with our Curly Label punch, which provided a slim frame when placed behind the stamped curly label. The stamp sets were "Sincere Salutations" and Vintage Vogue (Occasions Mini Catalog). I used Stampin' Dimensionals between the Not Quite Navy and Whisper white curly label levels.

Quilt Blocks

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I am making a crib quilt for my granddaughter. Some of the blocks have flower appliques on them. The unique thing about these is that I cut the fabric with my Big Shot and the Flower Folds die. I have two tips to offer anyone who is interested in trying it themselves, tips learned the hard way: 1.) It is worth going to the quilt shop to purchase high quality fabric even if you pay more. The weave is tighter, enabling you to applique without puckering the fabric. Also, I fear that after all my work the fabric will just pull apart with multiple washings - necessary with a crib quilt. 2) Use the modern method of applying your fabric to the quilt block. I don't know why I reverted to the way I originally learned to applique when I've used the "wonder under" to fuse fabric together and applique before. However, I backed my block with interfacing, basted the flowers on and then zigzagged them. After all the basting, I didn't want to try to match the wond

Always Valentine

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As promised, here is another Valentine card. I've come to love the Textured Impressions Embossing Folders. They add so much character to a card. For this one I used The Finial Press folder and Rose Red card stock. The heart is from Always stamp set and the greeting, punched with the Word Window punch, is from Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. The scallop edge punch on Very Vanilla card stock softened the lines of this card. I tied a knot in a piece of Rose Red Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon for that final touch. The card itself is Pretty in Pink.

Elegant Bouquet Impressions

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Valentine's Day is just over a month away, so I'm going to be sharing more Valentine ideas with you over the next week or two. For this card, I inserted a piece of Melon Mambo card stock in the Stampin' Up! Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and ran my Whisper White craft ink pad over the raised impressions to make the flowers stand out. With the coordinating Melon Mambo classic ink, I stamped the heart image from "Love You Much" stamp set on Whisper White card stock and cut it out with my paper snips before mounting on the colored card stock. I punched the greeting ("Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp set) with my Word Window punch. I then mounted the whole thing on Whisper White card stock. But I never considered inverting the textured impressions as did Debbie Rought, another demonstrator in my Heartfelt Stampers team. Her card below is so simple and so elegant. Only the greeting is stamped. The hearts are punched from Real Red and Whisp

Simple Elegance

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The Groom specialty paper from Stampin' Up! is so elegant it needs very little to dress up a card. Combined with Very Vanilla card stock and tied with wide black grosgrain ribbon, the card needed only a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes. After punching the words with our Designer Label punch, I topped it off with one of the frames and coordinating brads from the Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware. I completed the card by stamping the sympathy verse from God's Blessings stamp set on the inside. So quick and easy!