Need a Quick Last-Minute Card?

Yes, Christmas has officially passed, but you're still well within the "I just got my cards out late this year" window! So if you need a really quick idea, try this one. :-)

The supplies are really simple--just Night of Navy cardstock, the Jumbo Snowflake Punch and the single Simple Snowflake stamp. Add some simple 1/4" Whisper White Organdy Ribbon and you're all set!

It's tough to see in the photo, but I did stamp the Jumbo Snowflake in Night of Navy ink on the card.

The inside of the card has an insert of Whisper White cardstock, or you could leave the inside navy and use a White Gel Pen for your greeting.

**TIP** Need a ribbon tying tip? If you tie the knot on this card and it looks backwards (you see the cross-over instead of the neat knot in the picture above), it's easy to fix. Just slide the ribbon off the card, invert it, and slide it back on. The "nice" side of your knot will show now!


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Stamps: Simple Snowflake (115554)
Ink: Night of Navy
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Whisper White
Accessories: Jumbo Snowflake Punch, 1/4" White Organdy Ribbon, Stampin Dimensionals

Are You Sure You Can Wash Those?

Yesterday I posted a note about my really cute Decor Element Flurry plates, using the self-adhesive vinyl.

I thought I'd show you just a little more, in case you'd like to see the dishes in action.

That's the little Coffee Corner in my Stamping Studio. My new dishes are the perfect complement and spot for preventing moisture rings on the furniture.

So next time you're here for a stamping event, make sure you get a cup of coffee, and check out the Flurry dishes!


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Decor Elements: Flurry (White 117753)

Need a Quick Hostess Gift?

If you're headed out to a New Year's Eve gathering, this is the perfect quick gift to take along!

My friend and fellow LovenStampfuls Demonstrator, Amy Nicely, made these plates for the gift swap we did at the LovenStampfuls Holiday Stamp-A-Thon this month, and I was lucky enough to get to keep them!

The plates are from a big-box store, so the price is perfect, and the snowflakes are from the Decor Elements Flurry set of self-adhesive vinyl. I love using the Decor Elements to decorate.

I know you're wondering, so I'll just tell you... the dishes are fine to wash by hand, although they shouldn't go in the dishwasher.

Thanks again, Amy! If you want to see my project from earlier this month with the same Decor Elements, click here.


And if you'd like to see more ideas on how to use the Decor Elements in your home, be sure to check out some of my other Decor Element posts.



To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Decor Elements: Flurry (White 117753)

Cool Cardstock Candy Keepers

I know, I couldn't come up with a good 'c' word for 'something you put candy in' for my blog post title, so I had to go with a 'k' word. Honestly, we're in the midst of kindergarten spelling at my house. Did you know that you can't spell a word wrong in Kindergarten? I wish the rest of the world was so forgiving :-)

I wanted to share this holiday treat with you. If you still need a quick Christmas gift, you can whip one up just like this (gotta love the flocked Christmas Cocoa Specialty Paper). Or if you are ready for Christmas (good for you!) then you can save this idea for your pink and red Valentine's paper.

The tag I used here is also from the Holiday Mini Catalog, and the stamped bird is in the Berry Christmas stamp set.

This cardstock basket is really easy to make. Thanks to my friend and fellow LovenStampfuls demonstrator, Leslie Sollars, for sharing the idea with me.

Start with any square of cardstock (9x9" is simple) and score it into 9 squares. Then add the corner score lines and decorative Designer Paper (like in this little picture).

If you'd like a full tutorial, you can download my free direction--Merry Christmas! :-)

And yes, I made the little "how-to" picture using My Digital Studio... so handy! The little score lines are done with the Whisper White Stitching embellishment.

DON'T FORGET! Today is the LAST DAY to order on the 12 Days of Stamping Specials sale, and get your Free Card Kit from me. Click here to get the details on the sale, or click here to shop now on my website.


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Stamps: Berry Christmas (116509)
Ink: Real Red
Paper: Real Red, Certainly Celery, Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper (116770)
Accessories: Big Shot (113439), Stampin' Up! Embosslits Merry (116820), White 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (109025), Silver Cord (109866),

FREE Stamp Set of the Month Winner is...

For November, the lucky FREE Stamp Set of the Month winner will receive the Limited Edition (and retired) Older & Wiser stamp set. This was a Level 3 Hostess Stamp Set, available to those who hosted a Stampin' Up! party that totaled $500 or more.

I assigned everyone a number and had Random.org choose the winner.
And the winner is....
Kathleen C.! Congrats, Kathleen!

Good news! You can still enter for my December drawing! Just place an order through my online ordering system. You get an entry for each online order you place through my website during a month. For December, I'll be giving away a Level 3 Retired Hostess Set again: Older & Wiser!

If if you order before December 22nd, you can take advantage of the 12 Days of Holiday Sales, PLUS get a FREE Card Kit from me! (click here for details)


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!

A Few Done, 300 To Go

They're coming soon... here's the sneak peek for my customer & LovenStampfuls Group Calendars for this year.

This year I used the Inky Embossing Folder technique. If you missed that one, be sure to check my Video Tutorial.

I'm looking forward to not only getting these all finished and on their way!

You can probably see that this is a huge undertaking... the stack of unfinished pieces is MUCH larger than this stack of nearly finished ones.

Okay, just needed a quick blogging break... back to work for me! :-)


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!

The Gift of Warm Steamy Cocoa

Provide your own cup and hot milk, of course! This cute project was one of our Stamp Club projects this month. It's a terrific twist on a project that's been around for years and years. The top hat actually pulls off and the snowman is an envelope that holds a cocoa packet.


My friend and LovenStampfuls demonstrator, Mary Ellen Stites, shared this at a recent LovenStampfuls Shoebox Swap. Here's how to make your own:

1. Begin by sealing a Whisper White Medium Envelope. Cut off about 1 ½” from the side, then crimp the remainder with the crimps running perpendicular to the cut.
2. Fold a Big Shot Top Note so that it creates a brim for the “hat”, attach to non-crimped envelope piece of the envelope.
   
3. For the marshmallows, cut two of the large scallop circles from Scallop Circle #2 die, and use a 1 ¾” Circle Punch to punch a hole for the Sweet Treat Cup. Attach to hat with Gold Cord.
4. Decorate with punched circles, sponged rosy cheeks and a cardstock triangle nose.
   

To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Stamps: any Christmas greeting
Cardstock: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, Whisper White Medium Envelopes (107301)
Ink: Basic Black, Regal Rose (sponged for cheeks)
Accessories: Sweet Treat Cups (116802), Paper Crimper (101618), Big Shot (113439), Stampin' Up! Top Note Die (113463), Scallop Circle #2 Die (113469), Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad (109110), 1-3/4" Circle Punch (112004), Jumbo Snowflake Punch (116628), 3/4" Circle Punch (107217), 1/2" Circle Punch (104390), 3/4" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon Real Red (115608), Gold Elastic Cord (109867), Sponge Daubers (102892)

Let the Giftwrapping Begin!

Every year my husband and I say that we're going to start wrapping Christmas gifts early. And every year we sit down and look at what seems like a mountain of things that need to be wrapped.

Part of the reason our wrapping adventure takes so long is that we like to add riddles to each tag. I'm told this tradition comes from my Swedish heritage, but in my family we always wrote little notes on the gift tags, in addition to the regular "to/from". Then on Christmas morning, we read each tag and the recipient takes a short guess or two about what's inside the package.

So for the tag on a funny blogging tshirt we're giving my brother, we've written, "the unofficial guide to social media". (I don't think my brother reads my blog, so I'm safe here ;-) But if he gets it on the first guess, I'm going to have to watch what I write here in the future!

Anyway, we need a little more room on our tags than the traditional sticky tags allow, so I used my Big Shot and the all-purpose Top Note Die to make our tags this year:


It's really easy to add Designer Series Paper (Merry Moments shown here) to your Big Shot diecuts:

1. Adhere your Designer Series Paper piece to the cardstock backing.
2. Put cardstock and paper through Big Shot

The Big Shot Bigz dies will cut through up to 4 layers of cardstock at the same time with no problem, so you can make quick work of your tag creations.

As you're wrapping gifts this year, consider using some of your stamping or scrapbooking supplies--punches, Designer Paper, ribbons, rhinestones whatever you have on hand--to dress up your packages or tags.


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Big Shot (113439), Merry Moments Designer Series Paper (115672), Stampin' Up! Top Note Die (113463)

Build-A-Bear Goodies: Kids Can't Resist

This past Friday night I held my LovenStampfuls demonstrator group Holiday Stamp-A-Thon. Wahoo! Hooray for sleepover stamping nights, and staying up past 2 am stamping with friends!

Oh, and of course the snacks... so many yummy snacks, so many fun project ideas (we held a Shoebox Swap), and so much coffee and Diet Coke!

Since there was plenty of time to relax and stamp, I put together the Build-A-Bear bookmarks I'd been planning for my daughter's kindergarten holiday party gift bags. Of course their goodies need to include a stamped gift!

Each bookmark is cut from the Stampin' Up! Table Setting Bigz XL die (Holiday Mini Catalog), but you could also use the darling Two Tags Bigz Die (115954, on sale until Dec 22 for $18.66!)


The bookmarks feature the Scallop Circle Punch and the 1 3/8" Circle Punch, and the super-cute Seal of Pawthenticity stamp set.

The girl bookmarks feature the Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink color scheme. I also added a Clear Rhinestone Brad and some Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon for each girl bookmark--every little girl needs some 'bling', right?

The boy bookmarks use Dusty Durango and Bermuda Bay for colors, and their brads are the Designer Circle Brads. The backs of all the bookmarks have "Seal of Pawthenticity" stamped on them.


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Stamps: Seal of Pawthenticity (118054), (alphabet & sunglasses - retired)
Inks: Basic Black (101179), Melon Mambo (115656), Bermuda Bay (115655)
Cardstock: Whisper White (100730), Melon Mambo (115320), Bermuda Bay (115317), Pretty in Pink (100459), Dusty Durango (115321)
Accessories: Big Shot (113439), Stampin' Up! Table Setting Die (116819), Scallop Circle Punch (109043), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (104401), Melon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (115611), Bermuda Bay Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (115610), Clear Rhinestone Brads (113144), Designer Circle Brads (112571),

Pennant Banners for Every Occasion

Just think of the possibilities!! Have you looked at all the goodies on sale for the Big Shot this week? (see details) You have until December 22nd to place your order with the discount.

One of the sale items is the fabulous Bigz XL Pennant Die. Not only do you get the awesome pennants (the larger pennant measures about 6 x 9"!!), but you also get the stitched scallop circles on this die.

I've had fun making some great projects with this die. Here's my Big Shot Baby Banner (click the link for the original post):

Isn't it CUTE?! So STINKIN' CUTE!! I also did a fun banner for Thanksgiving last year:

You can still order and get your Pennant Die before Christmas--just think of the cute New Year's projects you could make! To order, you can visit my online ordering website, or you can email me with your order and I'll get back to you with a total. In any case, these banners are SO popular right now--don't miss out on the chance to add this die to your collection at a discount!! Oh, and my FREE CARD KIT, when you order before December 22nd!


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Big Shot: 113439, Pennant Bigz XL Die: 113483

Big Shot Goodies Under Your Tree and Card Kits in Your Stocking!

SO cool! It's not too late to order and get Big Shot goodies for your friends, family or YOURSELF! The next time someone asks what you want for Christmas, you can say, "Big Shot Dies--and they're on sale!" Then just send them here to shop online!

From Dec 11 to 22nd, you can order any of these dies at a fabulous discout, PLUS the NEW Stampin' Up! colors of raw vinyl are also available early! This means you can make your own Decor Elements using your Big Shot. The possibilities are endless.

Don't forget--you can add a Big Shot (113439) to your order if you don't already have one. It's a perfect Christmas gift! The price is usually $99.95 and you'll find every penny worthwhile in your crafting projects, whether quilting, sewing, stamping or scrapbooking.


From Dec 11 to 22, I'm offering an ONLINE ORDERING special! Place any order online through my website, and you'll receive a FREE CARD KIT in the mail:

• features NEW Papers, Punches and Big Shot embellishments from the upcoming Occasions Mini Catalog
• makes 4 different new cards--just use the inks and stamps you have on hand at home
• order more than $50* and you'll receive 2 CARD KITS, for 2 copies of each card! (*$50 before shipping and tax)
  
• Card Kits will ship January 7th or before

Click here to shop now, and order by December 15 for Christmas delivery!
Then for Big Shot Special, click "12 Days of Holiday Sales" on the right column





To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!

12 Days of Holiday Sales: Begins Tomorrow

That's right! Tune in tomorrow (Friday, December 11th) for the beginning of 12 Days of Holiday Sales! This is the perfect time to get last-minute holiday gifts and stock up on your own supplies with a fabulous sale.

Details tomorrow--or visit my online ordering website beginning December 11th to see the sale!


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!

If It Doesn't Move, Stamp It

And if you can't get a stamp to stick, try Rub-Ons!

This cute little ceramic candy dish was given to me by my friend Kathi R (thanks Kathi!) and I wanted to share it here.

The red ceramic dish is a perfect reminder that pretty much any clear surface is just waiting for a Stampin' Up! embellishment of some kind, whether it's stamps & ink, rub-ons (like this one) or even Decor Elements (like these recent projects).

And of course don't miss the Striped Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon that Kathi used to tie the bag of peppermint fudge!

These exact rub-ons Kathi used are a retired set, but if you wanted to duplicate this project at home, it's not too late to order if you'd like to get a current set.

The Merry & Bright Rub-Ons from the Holiday Mini Catalog would actually be perfect!

And speaking of retiring sets... did you know that there are several stamp sets retiring at the end of December? Don't miss the chance to get these sets! Click here to download the list (6 pages with pictures), and then visit my website to place your order.


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Rub-Ons: Merry & Bright (116801)

Scrapbooking Inspirations: BFF

I don't know about you, but I absolutely LOVE to take half an hour and page through my favorite scrapbooking magazines. Maybe you prefer card magazines or even the Stampin' Up! catalog (yay!), but I'm sure you can identify with seeing dozens of fabulous project ideas and figuring out what you want to create next.

The other night I flipped through the pages of a popular scrapbooking magazine, turning page corners over to earmark ideas that I wanted to use. This layout featured a little girl and the colors were pinks and reds, but I adapted them for a picture of my 2 kids:

The pages of this layout use Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio digital papercrafting program exclusively, and all the elements are in the basic My Digital Studio program.

Here's a sampling of the elements in my layout:

• "friend" embellishment, from the Happy Bday Designer Kit
• Oval Punch (Real Red with a Whisper White mat)
• Designer Series Paper, from the Happy Bday Designer Kit
• corner words, in Whisper White, font: Arial
• photo corner heart, from the Holiday Blitz stamp set
• corner heart embellishment: Real Red button, Certainly Celery Ribbon Knot, heart in Real Red from the Best Wishes & More stamp set, bordered label from the Happy Bday Designer Kit

An extra tip... don't forget to add drop shadows to anything you want to appear dimensional. For example, look at the bottom of the corner tag embellishment: it has a drop shadow, which helps it to stand out from the page.

For these two pages I started with an idea in a magazine and customized to fit my own picture and theme. Now you can start with my layout and adapt it to your own needs!


To Order Stampin' Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
My Digital Studio: 118108