"Hoot Hoot Hooray" for the Matchbox Die!

With so much to be excited about in the Occasions Mini Catalog, the Matchbox Die (114890, $42.95) has created the biggest buzz. Or in this case, everyone's 'hooting' about it... har har har... ;-)

This Bigz die is so slick to use... the Big Shot cuts, scores and practically assembles it for you. Okay, you caught me, you do have to assemble yourself, but it's REALLY easy. The die cuts 2 pieces for the cute little matchbox: the drawer and the sleeve that goes around the drawer.


The die itself doesn't add the cute Curly Label Punch in the center of the sleeve. That I did myself, with the Curly Label Punch. I also tucked a piece of Medium Window Sheet on the back side of the sleeve so that my blue jelly beans wouldn't fall out ;-) The stamp set here is Owl Together Now (111534, $29.95) which is the set I received for FREE on the Stampin' Up! Cruise to Bermuda last spring. Ah, the joy...free stamps AND free cruises!

Here's the drawer open... and the best part of this box? The jelly beans, of course! I had a bag of mixed beans, so I was FORCED to dump out a whole bunch and pick out the blue ones for my box. And since it would be SO unsanitary to put the rest back in the bag, I had no choice but to EAT the non-blue ones. Such a sad story ;-)

Oh, one more best part... the April special is still going on, so if you order the Matchbox Die before tonight, you'll qualify for the free item from the "Under $10" page in the catalog, since the die is from the Occasions Mini Catalog and it's over $40 :-) If you didn't remember about this special, you can read more about the details...

And did you notice my "Favorite Color of the Week" featured here? Yup, Pacific Point on the Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper!!

What To Do When 50 People Want to Sign A Card

Isn't this the greatest idea? It's a twist on the Big Shot Matchbox Die Box--check back for more ideas tomorrow!

Instead of a regular matchbox drawer and sleeve, fabulous LovenStampfuls stamper Mary Ellen Stites created this simple box using the Birthday Wish stamp (114486, $6.95 OR one of the ones you can choose for FREE from the "Under $10" page in the catalog--April 31st is the last day! see details...)

She added a strip of zig-zag folded cardstock on the inside of the box so that when the drawer is pulled out, the paper folds out to the side. Clever!

The stamp set used is Friends 24-7 (113218, $25.95) and the Designer Series Paper is the Parisian Breeze Specialty Paper (113993, $11.95).

And of course the success is in the details... the fold-out strip of paper is sponged with Baja Breeze Classic Ink, and there's a Clear RhineStone Brad in place of the "o" on the top of the box. Too clever!!

Tucker's First Easter Egg Hunt

Can you remember your first Easter Egg Hunt? If you were 16 months old, then the answer is "probably not". But my son Tucker will have every chance to recall this fun event, all through the miracle of scrapbooking!

You may not know, but I'm a scrapbooker at heart. I was a scrapper before I started as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, and I still get excited whenever I have a chance to sit down and commit some fun photos to a page.

This page uses the In Color Pacific Point, which is my "Favorite Color of the Week". The blue is so strong, but in a perfect color to complement photo elements, strengthening the colors without washing them out. (oh, and don't miss out on Pacific Point--it's only available through June 30th, and then it will retire from the Stampin' Up! catalog. To shop, click here then "shop now", then put "Pacific Point" in the 'search the store' box to see what yummy products come in this color)

Here are a few extra highlights on this page... Kiwi Kiss die-cuts (yay, Big Shot!). I even put the Top NotePacific Point Grosgrain Ribbon on my cardstock before running it through my Big Shot. That way the ribbon got cut perfectly in line with the edge of the Top Note die-cut. Cool, eh? :-)

I also used the negative cut-out from the Top Note die (the scrap frame left over after you use the fun die-cut) as a mask so I could sponge Pacific Point Classic Ink on my Textured Pacific Point cardstock behind the "JOY" letters. The framing is subtle this way, but gives the lettering a little extra 'oomph'. I also used a Top Note mask so that the stamped lily flower from the 5th Avenue Floral stamp set (113734, $24.95) DIDN'T end up behind my "JOY" letters, even though it's all over the rest of the background paper.

And yes, those J-O-Y letters are Big Shot, it's the fabulous Serif Essentials Alphabet Die Set (113464). I used Tombow Multiadhesive to attach some Tangerine Tango Textured Cardstock to chipboard before putting the chipboard through my Big Shot. Finally, couldn't let the center of the "O" in JOY go to waste... it looked like a little Easter egg once it had been cut out! So I stamped it and added it as an accent piece.

More Pretties Kit Flower Fun

A few days ago I posted some Pretties Kit flower "BLING" ideas with lots of glitter (check out that project). But glitter isn't for everyone... Yes, you know who you are! ;-)

So here's a less 'glittery' idea on the Pretties Kit (109114, $29.95) flowers. This card uses a Red Riding Hood button from the Button Bouquet (112092, $7.95) with a piece of Hemp Twine tied through the center (100982, $2.95). The Red Riding Hood paper is textured and the Washington Apple Designer Series Paper (112461, $9.95) matches perfectly with the Pumpkin Pie card.

To color the Pretties Kit flower, I used a Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write Marker and added some ink to the white silk flower: I put a Pumpkin Pie stripe down the middle of each petal. Then I used my Stampin' Mist to wet the flower so that the ink would run and color would disperse over the flower evenly. Water would work fine, too...it's just that my Stampin' Mist was handy :-)


By the way, did you know that the Pretties Kit pieces come in multiples of 10? So this is a perfect kit for using for stamping classes or stamping with friends--just plan to use each element once. You could have 5 people making 2 of each project, or 10 people making 1 of each!

Decor Elements in Every Room

No, I don't quite have them in EVERY room, but I have really enjoyed putting them up around the house! Really, they are simple to use, quick to apply and they give a great look.

These Eastern Blooms (set of 5, Large Chocolate, 116084, $18.95) now dress up the formerly blank wall in my freshly painted lavatory. Of course I waited until about 15 minutes before my in-laws were set to arrive, but not to worry, 15 minutes was plenty of time to get them set and applied.

I just love how the chocolate color compliments the handtowels that I found. Okay, you caught me, I actually picked the handtowels out AFTER selecting the chocolate flowers ;-)

But really, the first time I saw these Eastern Blooms in the Decor Elements catalog, I didn't think they fit into the decor in our home. Turns out they fit very nicely though!

The moral of the story? Take another look at the Decor Elements catalog--there are definitely elements that will fit in your home decor, too!

Last Call: Walk in the Park Kit

Last call for the Walk in the Park Card Class or "To GO" Kit!

Don't miss your chance to sign up for this fun class! Attend Monday, April 27th or order a "to go" kit and create your projects at your convenience in your own home!

You'll make 8 fabulous springtime cards for all occasions (2 each of 4 designs) plus an elegant Designer Series Paper Tote--a design you'll want to use over and over again.

Keep them all yourself, or present them as a perfect gift for Mother's Day or another occasion!

To sign up or see the full details, check the online registration: http://walkinthepark.eventbrite.com

Last day to sign up for class is Friday, April 24th, but "To Go" Kits may still be available. Visit http://walkintheparktogo.eventbrite.com and purchase online.

Hand Made, Hand Stamped

Imagine my excitement when one of my all-time FAVORITE snacks appeared on my doorstep on Easter morning! Yup, you can see it here, chocolate-covered pretzels. Yum :-)

And even better, my friend Heather had left the cute pretzels complete with a hand-stamped tag to decorate them. Yes, a hand-stamped, hand-made gift. What could be better?

I figure that if I was this thrilled to receive this gift, then we're all on the right track with our stamping projects! Just think of all the happiness created when we share the craft we love :-)

Okay, it's a bit mushy, but I just couldn't help it... ;-)

Why NOT to Give Your Brayer to a 5-Year Old

Aren't you curious? Just why NOT give your brayer (covered in Real Red Classic Ink) to your 5-year old daughter?

Do you know what a brayer is? Stamping Glossary: a brayer is a handled tool with a rubber roller that is rolled on ink pads, then rolled on cardstock so that the cardstock is covered in ink.

Well, in my personal experience, asking said daughter to take the brayer into the bathroom and put it in the sink can result in some alternative brayer techniques.

And these techniques (mainly, rolling the brayer on every surface in sight) were practiced by my daughter on several surfaces... the stepping stool... the top of the sink... the toilet seat lid... the back of the white door...

The funniest part? I didn't realize what had happened until one of my Stamp Club members asked about my 'alternative decor' after visiting the scene of the crime (my stamping room bathroom)! :-)

Fortunately the ink washed off all the surfaces except for the stepping stool. And now the stepping stool just gives me a great story to tell at Stampin' Up! parties :-)

Explosion Box Card: An Online Tutorial

This project is an "oldie-but-goodie". You can stamp a greeting on the inside of the 'box' part, and when the receiver opens the box, the sides fall down and the greeting shows in the center.

Other ways to use this? Put a cute little gift inside! It IS a box, after all ;-) Or try it as a simple scrapbooking gift. Just cut photos to fit on the side panels so that when the lid is removed, the photos fold down. The center would be perfect for a bit of heart-felt journaling.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Fresh Cuts
• Inks: Sage Shadow Stampin Write Marker
• Cardstock: Brocade Blue, Chocolate Chip Patterns Designer Series Paper, Sage Shadow, Whisper White, 4 Fresh Cuts Note Petal pieces
• Accessories: White Grosgrain Ribbon, Large & Small Tag Punches, 5-Petal Flower Punch

1. Begin with a piece of Brocade Blue cardstock piece (8.5 x 8.5”) and score at 2-7/8” on all sides, plus score on each corner on the diagonal (score line to score line). Next cut off the 4 corners as shown.
2. Fold the box along the straight score lines, then fold in on the corner score lines as shown in the picture.
3. For the lid, score your Designer Series paper (6x6”) at 1.5” on each side. Use scissors to cut up to the score line on one side, then again on the opposite side (see picture).
4. Fold along score lines so that tabs will go inside the box lid. Add adhesive to the tabs (Tombow Multiadhesive, Sticky Strip or SNAIL) to hold the lid together.
5. Decorate the top of your lid: stamp the “for you” in Sage Shadow on the Whisper White tag. Layer with the Brocade Blue tag. Use adhesive to stick 4 of the petal piece punch-outs from the Die Cut Notes on the top of your box to create a flower. Cut the Sage Shadow 5-Petal Punch piece into individual petals and add two as leaves for your flower.
6. Close up box and put lid on top, then tie ribbon to finish.

This is actually a project from one of my previous rounds of my Stamps in the Mail Club. If you're interested in signing up for the next round, you can sign up now! The Club begins at the start of May!

Major Flower BLING with the Pretties Kit

I'm a girl, so I must like 'glitz' as much as the next gal, right? Well this project shows you just HOW much I like 'bling' on my cards :-) This was one of the Make N Takes at my April LovenStampfuls Stamp N Share (aka downline meeting ;-)

The large silk flower is from the Pretties Kit (109114, $29.95) which usually makes me think of brocades and gentle or elegant florals and pearl. But when I combined that silk flower with the major bling power of the Fine Supernova Stampin' Glitter (114287, $13.95 for 5 colors), you can just see what happens to that petite elegant flower... it jumps off the card!

So never let it be said that I don't like glitter. ;-)


Want to know how I did this one? It was pretty simple, though fairly messy. This project isn't for the glitter-faint-of-heart. I pulled out my trusty Tombow Multiadhesive (110755, $3.95) and used the squeegie tip (that's the technical term) to spread glue all over the large white silk flower. Then I dumped the pink Supernova Glitter into my Powder Pal tray (102197, $19.95) and pressed the flower into the pile of yummy glitter. I pulled the flower up, let it dry a bit, and used Sticky Strip to attach the half-back pearl (also from the Pretties Kit) and added the flower to my card.

Other supplies? Tea Party Designer Series Paper, Pink Pirouette Textured Cardstock, Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Certainly Celery Cardstock and Ink, and the Garden Greetings stamp set (113716, $21.95).

Happy Stamping!

Big Shot Daisy Gift Bag Tag

Do you see Big Shot projects everywhere? Don't you have your own yet? Here's one more project that will have you wanting to move the Big Shot Starter Kit even higher on your Wish List! Don't forget that you can still sign up for my Big Shot/Big Deal Club and get extra FREE items with your Big Shot purchase!

This project uses the Flower Daisies #2 Die, 114520, $19.95. If you like dimension on your projects, and you find yourself turning to flowers as flexible design elements, you're going to want to add this Big Shot die to your collection!



This tag also uses the Bella Birds Designer Series Paper (113981, $9.95) and the Scallop Circle Die (113468, $19.95), as well as the NEW 5/16" Jumbo Brads (112534, $7.95).

Bag with Scallops Big Shot Wedding Favors

Wouldn't you love to have someone volunteer to make 150 favors for your wedding? Well my friend Jennifer Matsuoka is making these little Scallop Circle Bags for her brother's wedding this coming June. You better hope to be invited so you'll be able to take one of these babies home :-)

She's using the Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper, along with the coordinating inks and cardstock and ribbon (think Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red and Pink Pirouette).

Won't those reception tables look gorgeous and special with one of these little gifts at each place? That Big Shot die-cut machine certainly comes in handy!!

For more wedding ideas, view some of my past wedding posts.

Baby Girl Scrapbook Gift

Friends of ours recently had their first baby last week, a darling little girl. Since the new mom doesn't scrapbook (yet!) I wanted to give her a gift that she can put to use right away.

You guessed it, I created a simple scrapbook for the new little one. I used a Simply Scrappin' Kit and created 10 two-page 6" x 6" spreads, plus used some of the extra Designer Series Paper to decorate the front of the album.

All 20 pages took me about 2 hours to create and assemble (shhh! don't tell the new mom!) so this was a fairly easy project. I can never get over how easily the Simply Scrappin' Kits go together. Plus there were PLENTY of paper and embellishments to do the whole album.

The front of the album I decorated using my Big Shot. The background is the Top Note Die, done in Textured Sahara Sand cardstock with a strip of Designer Series Paper. The letters are light chipboard (from the back of my Designer Series Paper packs!) covered with paper and cut with the fabulous Serif Essentials Alphabet dies.

The tag on the end of the album is there so that when the book is on a shelf, it's easy to see which memories are inside. I created the tag with a thicker piece of cardboard and added Designer Series Paper to both sides before running it through my Stampin' Up! Pennant Banner Bigz XL die for the Big Shot. Not only does this die create fabulous banners, but it also has a series of scallop circles with darling perforations. So yes, those perforations were created by the Big Shot die.

Looking for more baby projects? I have several fun posts to share here!
Looking for more Big Shot ideas? I have LOTS of great ideas for you here!

One Week Boutique starts Saturday!

Do you have kids? Grandkids? Friends with kids? Do you live in central Illinois? Then you probably know about the One Week Boutique, or OWB.

OWB is a twice-a-year children's consignment sale where hundreds of consigners bring their gently used or new kids items--clothing, toys, furniture--and hundreds of shoppers can find exactly what they're looking for, and at a great price! It's almost like a giant garage sale of children's items, except that the quality is impeccable :-)

I've been going to the OWB for over 5 years now, and the sale has grown SO much! I've also been helping the sale's owner, Donna Pepper, with a scrapbook of the sale over the past years. I always enjoy putting these pages together--nearly as much as I enjoy shopping at the sale ;-)

I thought I'd share a few of the latest pages that I created for Donna. The sale actually runs this weekend--April 11 to 13th--so you can see the scrapbook in person if you shop.

You can find details on the times for the sale on their website: www.oneweekboutique.com

And if you have sharp eyes, then you may have noticed a celebrity among those pictures... Yes, that IS Trisha Yearwood signing that guitar! Donna and the OWB held a special fundraiser for a friend who was diagnosed with melanoma in 2006. One of the items in the auction was an autographed guitar, signed by both Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks.

Anyway, hope you enjoy a few scrapbook pages--and I'll see you at the OWB this weekend!

NEW Walk in the Park CLASS or "TO GO" KIT

Take a Walk in the Park this Spring!!

You'll make 8 fabulous springtime cards for all occasions (2 each of 4 designs) plus an elegant Designer Series Tote--a design you'll want to use over and over again. One card design even features the NEW Stampin' Up! Window Sheets!

Keep them all yourself, or present them as a perfect gift for Mother's Day or another occasion!

• Date: Monday, April 27th, or “to go” kit in your mailbox
• Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm
• Cost: $18 for card and tote kit (add $5 for “to go” kit)
• Best value: include Summer Love Rub-Ons for $6 more (40% discount!)
• Location: Za’s Restaurant by Marketplace Mall, Champaign, IL

Kit includes:

• All pre-cut, pre-scored cardstock & embellishment materials to create the cards and tote above, except adhesive
  
• Printed directions including step-by-step photos, cutting details and detailed final project photos
  
• Provide your own stamps and inks OR add the "Best Value" option and receive the Summer Love Rub-Ons with your kit
  
• “to go” kit with Best Value option includes all necessary materials except adhesive
  

Class had ended, but purchase a "To Go" kit online until June 1st:
http://walkintheparktogo.eventbrite.com/