Blog Hop Project Details

Happy Monday!

I hope you enjoyed this past weekend's Retiring Blog Hop!  As promised, here are some more details about my projects...

So first off, the altered mini clipboard.. this was so much fun to make!  I bought this mini clipboard for a little over a dollar at an office supply store.  It's the perfect size for one of those smaller memo pads, or to hang from a wall with a mini calendar or treasured photo.

I first measured and cut a piece of Whisper White cardstock, punching the top end with the Scallop Edge Border Punch, then adhered a piece from The Write Stuff Specialty DSP.  Make sure you use adequate amounts of adhesive.. you want this to be completely adhered to prevent air bubbles.  I then applied a découpage medium to the back of the Whisper White piece, as well as to the clipboard.  Next, I laid the paper down, smoothing out all air bubbles with my bone folder.  With the help of my Stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the little guy from the stamp set in the corner with Soft Suede Classic ink, and colored him in with ink pads/Blender Pen and markers.  (Remember that even though Blush Blossom is retiring, SU! will still carry the Stampin' Write marker.)  I then inked up the edges of the entire thing with Soft Suede ink and a Stampin' Sponge, and tied some Crushed Curry ribbon along where the DSP ends.

I wanted to cover up the office store's name on the clip, so I decided to try out one of those paper roses I had been seeing everywhere.  To create my rose, I actually followed an awesome tutorial by Julie Williams, which you can see here.  I tied some Linen Thread around the clip, then attached the rose with some Pop-up Glue Dots.  It adds so much to the clipboard, and makes it a little feminine.  So cute!

Altered Mini Clipboard supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful (retiring)
Ink:  Soft Suede, Tempting Turquoise and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Whisper White and Crushed Curry (retiring) cardstock, The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper (retiring)
Accessories/Tools:  Pretty in Pink and Blush Blossom Stampin' Write Markers, Blender Pen, Linen Thread, Crushed Curry 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (retiring), Scallop Edge Border Punch, Stampin' Sponges

I also created a matching gift card holder, based by Holly K.'s 3-D Challenge over at Stampin' Addicts:

It's very simple!  Holly gives instructions and measurements in the link above, so be sure to check it out!  I colored the little guy the same way as on the clipboard.  I'm not sure if you can see, but I forgot to mention that I gave him little pink cheeks with the marker as well. :)

One of the fabulous things about the Textured Impressions embossing folders is that you can emboss just part of your paper!  I love the folders, and I always just have to buy a new one as soon as SU! comes out with another exclusive.  When I ran it through, it didn't create a crease there at the end of the embossing (since the paper hangs out of the folder, it may show that part by creasing), but I wanted to set it apart from the image with the Crushed Curry ribbon.  I applied a rub-on from the Chit-Chat pack on two lines, then punched it out with the Large Oval punch, matting with the Scallop Oval.  Here's the inside view:

I know the Panera Bread gift card doesn't really match, so just imagine it does!  I had a Starbucks gift card somewhere here that matched perfectly with my color scheme, but of course I couldn't find it in the wee hours of the morning!  LOL  Anyway, I created a layer with Soft Suede cardstock, and just eyeballed where the Slit Punch would need to be to hold in the gift card.

By the way, the Slit Punch is retiring, so be sure to snatch one up.. it is just perfect for gift card holders and other projects!  I use it all the time!  Plus, this gift set would be just perfect for about anything... just change out the stamped images and sentiment, and you're good to go!

Gift Card Holder supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful (retiring)
Ink:  Soft Suede, Tempting Turquoise and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Whisper White, Old Olive, Soft Suede, and Crushed Curry (retiring) cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  Pretty in Pink and Blush Blossom Stampin' Write Markers, Blender Pen, Crushed Curry 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (retiring), Stampin' Sponges, Vintage Brads (retiring), Chit-Chat Rub-ons (retiring), Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Big Shot, Slit Punch (retiring), Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch

Ok, now here's the standard-sized card I created, using Mojo Monday's sketch #142 and Stampin' Celebration's Inspiration Challenge #6...

I won't go into too much detail, as I don't want to bore you and you can probably figure out what I did... well, I colored in the cute little turtle and his cart of love with ink pads and a Blender Pen.  I then cut out a couple of shapes from the Pink Flamingo DSP (same sheet as behind the embossed piece) and adhered that to the turtle's shell to give it a little something extra.  I guess everything else is pretty self-explanatory (maybe??), but let me know if you want to know anything else about it!

Very Thankful card supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful (retiring)
Ink:  Jet Black StazOn ink, and Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Basic Gray, Going Gray, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, and Creamy Caramel Classic Stampin' Pads (the last 4 are retiring!)
Paper:  Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper (retiring), and Certainly Celery, Garden Green and Whisper White cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  Blender Pen, Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Certainly Celery 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Circle Designer Brads, Vintage Brads, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder, Big Shot, Eyelet Border Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, Mat Pack

On to my next project!  This is one of my favorites, as I really love making these Simply Adorned Charm inserts.  Here are two photos of the insert.. one inside the charm, and one outside of it:

Making this was very simply too!  I first cut down a piece of Kraft cardstock to 1" x 1-1/4", then stamped on it several times with More Mustard ink, using the vine part of the peacock stamp.  I then stamped just the peacock with Real Red, then layered over the image with the "thankful" part of the turtle stamp (see card above) in Chocolate Chip.  Finished it off with a couple of flowers cut from the "Thanks so Much" stamp from the set to create some pretty accents.  I cut off the backs of the Small Clear Rhinestone Brads with my Craft & Rubber Scissors (these babies cut through so many different materials!) so that it won't be too thick to fit in the charm, then adhered these with Mini Glue Dots.  I love it!

Simply Adorned Charm Insert supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful (retiring)
Ink:  Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Kraft and Very Vanilla cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  More Mustard and Real Red Stampin' Write Markers, Simply Adorned 1" x 1-1/4" Rectangle Charm, Simply Adorned 18" Chain, Small Clear Rhinestone Brads, Paper Piercing Tool

One more project!  Hope you've been sticking with me so far. :)  I wanted to show off all of the stamps in the set, so here's the fourth and final one (the flowers are also shown in the above charm insert):

This adorable little card is perfect for tucking in with a gift!  I love the look of a clean white card with images stamped in colors.  So pretty!  To create the rows along the bottom, I paper pierced using the Mat Pack template.  I'm glad the Mat Pack isn't retiring.. that's definitely a tool I use a lot too!

Simply Adorned Charm Insert supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful (retiring)
Ink:  Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad
Paper:  Whisper White, and Soft Suede textured cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  Bermuda Bay 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Piercing Tool, Mat Pack

Thanks for stopping by!

Stampin' Addicts Retiring Mega Hop!

Hi!

It's that time again!!  Welcome to another Stampin' Addicts blog hop!  This hop is all about the stamp sets on the Last Chance Lists (ask your demo for more info), and will run Friday, June 11th, through Sunday, June 13th.

I am stop #27 on the hop!  You may have just come from Jason's Stampin' Pad.  Didn't you just love what he did with the One of a Kind stamp set?  So many different looks!  If this is your first stop, don't worry!  All of the blogs are linked in a big circle, so you can always find your way around.  If you get lost, you can see a complete list of the participating blogs here at Stampin' Addicts!

My projects feature the stamp set Very Thankful.  Have you checked out this set yet??  It comes with a great variety of images, each with a different way of saying "thank you", in different fonts.  I used it in this way in my projects; however, it's more than just for "thank you" cards!  You can easily ink up the images alone and use them for whatever purpose, or even just use the sentiments.  And if you purchase this set through your demonstrator, $2 of each sale goes to the Ronald McDonald House Charities!  How awesome is that!  :)

By the way, I'll just be posting the supply lists for these projects.  Be sure to come back on Monday after the hop to read more details!  Stick around, because I'm also giving away some scrumptious blog candy!

Here is my first project, a gift set using this cute little guy from the stamp set.  You could easily create a girl instead by extending the hair with the coordinating Stampin' Write marker after stamping!  This particular gift set would be perfect for a teacher, or anyone else who works with children.  The card to the right of the mini clipboard is a gift card holder.. who doesn't like gift cards?

Gift set supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful
Ink:  Soft Suede, Tempting Turquoise and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper, and Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, and Old Olive cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  Blush Blossom and Pretty in Pink Stampin' Write Markers, Blender Pen, Linen Thread, Crushed Curry 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Vintage Brads, Chit-Chat Rub-ons, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Big Shot, and Fancy Flower XL, Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Slit, and Scallop Edge Punches, Paper Piercing Tool, Mat Pack

My next project is a card using this week's Mojo Monday sketch, with inspiration sparked by this week's Stampin' Celebration challenge!

Isn't the little turtle cute?  That's probably my favorite image from the set, tied with the peacock!

Very Thankful card supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful
Ink:  Jet Black StazOn ink, and Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Creamy Caramel, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Going Gray, and Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper, and Certainly Celery, Whisper White and Garden Green cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  Blender Pen, Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Certainly Celery 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Circle Designer Brads, Vintage Brads, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder, Big Shot, Eyelet Border Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, Mat Pack

Onto our next project!  Here is a Charm Insert, shown inside the Simply Adorned 1" x 1-1/4" Rectangle Charm.  On Monday, I'll have a picture of the insert outside of the charm, so you can see the details more clearly.

Charm Insert supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful
Ink:  Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Kraft and Very Vanilla cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  More Mustard and Real Red Stampin' Write Markers, Simply Adorned 1" x 1-1/4" Rectangle Charm, Simply Adorned 18" Chain, Small Clear Rhinestone Brads, Paper Piercing Tool

Last, but not least, I have a clean and simple 3" x 3" card.  This size card is great to slip in with a gift!

3" x 3" Thanks card supplies:
Stamps:  Very Thankful

Ink:  Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad

Paper:  Soft Suede textured and Whisper White cardstock

Accessories/Tools:  Bermuda Bay 1/2" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Piercing Tool, Mat Pack

Ok, now about that blog candy!  I have an extra Very Thankful stamp set up for grabs!  Leave a comment by June 13th, 11:59PM EST telling me what your favorite project is, and I'll use Random.org to pick a lucky winner!  Make sure you come back on June 15th, when I'll announce the winner of the stamp set!

I hope you enjoyed my projects using this stamp set.. thanks for stopping by!  Your next stop is Sarah's Ink Spot.  You'll love her spooky, yet cute, projects!  And feel free to join us over at Stampin' Addicts!

Next blog ---->

From the Heart card and Simple Joy tile details

Hi there!  I hope the weather is nice where you are!

Today I am providing more details on two more of the projects featured in this past weekend's Summer Mini Blog Hop.  First, the card I created using Mojo Monday's sketch #136 and colourQ's color combo #30:

It is a 5" square card.  Almost all of the layers have distressed edges, courtesy of the distressing tool in the Cutter Kit.  The Cutter Kit is a wonderful mini collection of 4 tools, including a distressing tool and three rotary bladed tools - for scoring, cutting and perforating.  The distressing tool is very easy to use!  Simply run your paper across one of the 7 edges, and it roughens it.  Definitely easier (and safer) than using scissors.

I also sponged the edges of all of the layers with Always Artichoke ink.  Don't you adore the Bravo Burgundy piece, embossed with the new Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder?  Love it!  Now, you may be wondering where in the world I got the larger scalloped circle... I created it with 1/2" circle punch-outs!  Very quick and easy.  And of course, I carried the distressed look through with some spritzing from the Color Spritzer and the Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke Stampin' Write Markers.  The little label to the side of the stamped circle is one of the die-cuts you get from the Lots of Labels Sizzlits die set.  I just attached a little piece of it.  The rest of the label die-cut was actually used in my scrapbook page in the blog hop!

Ok, and next we have the tile:

So as I wrote in my blog hop post, I bought this tile (approximately 4" x 4") at a home improvement store.  Be sure to get the tumbled tiles, as the glazed ones won't work for stamping!

There are two main ways to stamp on tiles - one is the way I have shown here, using Craft ink and embossing powder.  To tell you the truth, if you do this method, you can use Classic ink if your ink pad is juicy enough.  You must emboss it if you use Classic ink, because otherwise, it will rub off when you use it as a coaster.  I stamped both of these images, then heat embossed.  (You'll also want to make sure you use an Embossing Buddy when embossing on tiles, to eliminate static and prevent stray powder from sticking.  Trust me on this! :)  )  Have a little patience, because heat embossing on tiles DOES take a long time.. you have to wait for the tile to heat up enough to melt the powder, and then be careful, as it does get hot!

Another way to stamp on tiles is to use Craft ink.  Stamp your image, and then once all of your stamping is done, bake in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, then let cool.  I have quite a few coasters that I have made last fall that have held up to daily usage!  Please note that since Classic ink is water-based dye ink, it will rub off if you don't emboss it.. even after you bake it.  I know I said it already, but that's important to note!

I stamped the definition from Define Your Life using Jet Black StazOn ink.  Did you know that you can even watercolor on your tile?  Stamp your outline image, then use an Aqua Painter and Craft ink to color your image.  After you're satisfied with the look, bake it in an oven for the same amount of time and at the same temperature as above.

Try some stamping on tiles!  I'd love to see what you create.  Thanks for stopping by!

From the Heart card supplies:
Stamps:  Watercolor Trio
Ink:  Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy and Cameo Coral Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Bravo Burgundy, and Sage Shadow cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  Whisper White satin ribbon, Always Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy Stampin' Write Markers, Vintage Brads, Lots of Tags Sizzlits dies, Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 1/2" Circle Punch, Linen Thread, Stampin' Sponges, Color Spritzer, Cutter Kit, Circle Scissors Plus, Big Shot, Whisper White Medium Square Envelope

Simple Joy tile supplies:
Stamps:  Watercolor Trio, Define Your Life
Ink:  Old Olive and Regal Rose Craft Stampin' Pads, Jet Black StazOn ink
Accessories/Tools:  Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, tumbled tile

Altered Art Journal Details

Hello!

It's a gorgeous day outside!  After I get done here I think I will take my furbaby to the dog park.. after taking Benadryl, of course!  :)

Here are some more details on the 5" x 5" Art Journal that I altered for the Stampin' Addicts Summer Mini Blog Hop this past weekend!  It originally started as a "raw" chipboard album that looks like this (forgot to take a picture of mine, so here's a photo from the SU! online store):

The covers are actually 5-1/4" x 5-1/4", and the book has 20 5" x 5" sheets of Very Vanilla cardstock inside - so they stamp beautifully!  The Spiral Punch works wonderfully for adding extra pages inside.  If you are covering the journal covers with paper, or just adding paper around the binding like I did, the Spiral Punch also helps you create a nice finished look.

Here's my decorated one:

I first spritzed the journal with a bit of Log Cabin Smooch Spritz.  This color is gorgeous!  It's a sort of copper/bronze shimmer, and just creates a beautiful vintage look.  The Smooch Spritz can be a little unpredictable at times (in a good way!), so you'll want to protect your work area with something like our Color Catcher.  I then stamped each flower image with Craft ink - Old Olive, Whisper White and Regal Rose - embossing each one with Clear Embossing Powder.  I just love the opaque-ness of the Craft inks and how beautifully they layer!

After punching the scalloped border along the Soft Suede textured cardstock, I lined up the paper against the binding, making a mark where the first binding hole would be at the bottom of the journal.  Using Paper Snips, snip the mark on the cardstock.  You can then slide that slit into the guide of your Spiral Punch to begin your punching, then go back and punch that slit into a spiral as well.

I used a little Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon, then felt to really amp up the botanical garden look, I needed some Hemp Twine!  (Don't forget that Mellow Moss is one of the colors retiring in June!)  I used the new Mini Vintage Tags to create cute little accents to hang off the Hemp Twine bow.  The tags come with thin Vanilla string attached, and I shortened the one attached to the "m" tag.  I stamped the butterfly from the Watercolor Trio set with Soft Suede ink, onto Regal Rose cardstock, and attached it with a Mini Glue Dot.

I also stamped the inside of the pages.  I will probably go back and add more stamping.  The pages inside are the same ultrasmooth Very Vanilla cardstock that stamps like a dream!

Here I used Old Olive Classic ink to stamp the flower image.  I actually stamped it off once onto scratch paper to make it a little lighter.

I love this journal!  I can't wait to start using it and also to get more of them!

Have a wonderful day!

Art Journal supplies:
Stamps:  Watercolor Trio, Calendar Alphabet & Numbers
Ink:  Old Olive, Regal Rose and Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pads, Soft Suede and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Soft Suede and Regal Rose cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  On Board 5" x 5" Art Journal, Scallop Edge Border and Spiral Punches, Clear and White Stampin' Emboss Powders, Log Cabin Smooch Spritz, Mini Vintage Tags, Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon, Hemp Twine, Linen Thread, Color Catcher

Stampin' Addicts Summer Mini Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome to stop #10 of the Stampin' Addicts Summer Mini Blog Hop!  The hop runs from April 30th through May 2nd.  You may have hopped on over from Dawnmarie's blog - didn't you just love all of the fabulous things she did with the new Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper?  If this is your first stop, don't worry!  The blogs are linked full-circle, so you can find your way through the entire hop.  You can find the complete list of the blogs in this post at SA.

I am featuring the stamp set Watercolor Trio... remember that you can order this and other Summer Mini products beginning May 1st from your demonstrator!  I'll just be including supply lists for these projects in this post.  If you like what you see, please remember to bookmark my blog and come back after the hop is over for more details!

Have you checked out Stampin' Up!'s awesome On Board Art Journals?  They come ready for your personalization, and are wonderfully durable!  Here is a 5" x 5" one that I have stamped.  I'm not sure what I'll use it for yet though!

Art Journal supplies:
Stamps:  Watercolor Trio, Calendar Alphabet & Numbers
Ink:  Old Olive, Regal Rose and Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pads, Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad
Paper:  Soft Suede and Regal Rose cardstock
Accessories/Tools:  On Board 5" x 5" Art Journal, Scallop Edge Border and Spiral Punches, Clear and White Stampin' Emboss Powders, Log Cabin Smooch Spritz, Mini Vintage Tags, Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon, Hemp Twine, Linen Thread, Color Catcher


Next, I have a 5" square card with a coordinating envelope, created using this week's Mojo Monday sketch and ColourQ Challenge #30:

From the Heart card supplies:

Stamps:  Watercolor Trio

Ink:  Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy and Cameo Coral Classic Stampin' Pads

Paper:  Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Bravo Burgundy, and Sage Shadow cardstock

Accessories/Tools:  Whisper White satin ribbon, Always Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy Stampin' Write Markers, Vintage Brads, Lots of Tags Sizzlits dies, Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 1/2" Circle Punch, Linen Thread, Stampin' Sponges, Color Spritzer, Cutter Kit, Circle Scissors Plus, Big Shot, Whisper White Medium Square Envelope

On to our next project, a coaster.  I feel the images in this set go perfectly with this saying from Define Your Life!  You can find tumbled stone tiles at your local home improvement store.

Simple Joy Tile supplies:

Stamps:  Watercolor Trio, Define Your Life

Ink:  Old Olive and Regal Rose Craft Stampin' Pads, Jet Black StazOn ink

Accessories/Tools:  Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, tumbled tile

And finally, I have a 12" x 12" scrapbook page to show you!  These pictures were taken at Maymont Park, near where I lived in Virginia.  Love spending time there!

"Spring" 12" x 12" page supplies:

Stamps:  Watercolor Trio

Ink:  Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Bashful Blue Classic Stampin' Pads, Whisper White and Old Olive Craft Stampin' Pads

Paper:  Barely Banana, Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Always Artichoke, and Whisper White cardstock, Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper pad

Accessories/Tools:  Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers, On Board Timeless Type Chipboard, Mini Vintage Tags, Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon, Clear and White Stampin' Emboss Powders, Brayer, Stampin' Sponges, Word Window Punch, Lots of Tags Sizzlits dies, Big Shot

I hope that you have enjoyed my projects, and I thank you for stopping by!  Your next stop is Mary's blog.  She is showcasing our wonderful Simply Adorned charms - I can't wait for you to see what she has done with them!  Enjoy the rest of the hop!

Birthday blog hop projects (lots of pictures!)

Hi!


As promised, I'll be taking a closer look at the projects I showed during the Stampin' Addicts Birthday Blog Hop this past weekend.  First, the card I made:

I used the fun layout from Mojo Monday last week, as well as ColourQ's colors last week.  The cupcake and balloon were paper-pieced with Designer Series Paper from the Pink Flamingo pack, and the cupcake was also watercolored with ink pads and a Blender Pen.  The sentiment was inked up with the Real Red and Brilliant Blue markers and stamped.  I used the coordinating Cupcakes wheel with the Real Red ink pad to create a matching Whisper White envelope.  SU's Whisper White and Very Vanilla envelopes are great for stamping on, with the same smooth surface as the cardstock.  Many of the stamp sets have coordinating wheels, and it just adds the extra little touch to your envelope for your recipient!


Cupcake Celebration card:
Stamps:  Crazy for Cupcakes, On Your Birthday
Ink:  Jet Black StazOn, YoYo Yellow, Real Red and Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Kraft, Brilliant Blue, Whisper White, Real Red, and YoYo Yellow cardstock, Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper
Accessories/Tools:  Real Red, Tempting Turquoise and Brilliant Blue Stampin' Write markers, Blender Pen, Whisper White satin ribbon, Linen Thread, Pewter Mini Library Clip, Cupcakes wheel, and Scallop Trim Border, 1" Circle and 1-1/4" Circle punches


My next project was the treat holder made with the large cupcake stamp, Simple Birthday Thanks:

If you have seen the image of the stamp in the catalog, you know that it actually has a little "thank you" message in the body of the cupcake.  It was meant for a child to use to make "thank you" cards, with blanks to fill in to personalize them.  Well, I don't see myself needing that part of the stamp, but I just loved the cupcake itself, so when I received the stamp I used my craft knife to carefully cut out the message.  I kept it in case I needed it one day, but now I don't have to worry about only inking the cupcake when I want to use just that part!


I started out the treat holder by stamping the full cupcake in Chocolate Chip Classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock twice.  I also stamped partial images (using strategic placement of the stamp onto the paper) onto the Old Olive piece of Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper and onto Real Red cardstock.  I cut these out with my Paper Snips (love these for cutting images!) and paper-pieced the image onto the Very Vanilla cupcakes. I colored in the stem of the cherry with my Old Olive marker, and the sprinkles with my Regal Rose marker.  I used a cotton swab to apply Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint to the sprinkles to give an extra little sparkle!  I set these aside while I created the box in between them...


First, start with a piece of cardstock measuring 8.5" x 3".  Score according to the photo below:

Then snip triangles out along the lower scored line to form "flaps", so the box will be easier to put together.  Cut the smallest flap off the left side and place a double-sided strong adhesive (such as Sticky Strip) as shown:

Ok, now the next set of photos I placed in a collage to cut down on the number of photos that needed to load here... 

Remove the liner from your Sticky Strip, and adhere the box sides together.  Use Sticky Strip again to adhere the flaps down, forming your box.  To create a handle for your treat holder, use a Crop-a-dile (or similar; however, the CAD is so easy!) to punch 3/16" holes for Jumbo Eyelets, and set those.  To set the eyelets, I used "A1".  I have a regular CAD, so I'm not sure if it's the same on the Big Bite.


Now, insert your ribbon of choice through the eyelets and tie to create your handle.  Adhere your cupcakes to each side of the box using Sticky Strip, and finish decorating as desired.  I added a picture also to show where the box sits in relation to the cupcakes.  

You can adjust the box size if you want a bigger one - I did not want my box to show past the cupcakes when looking at it from the front.

Cupcake treat holder:

Stamps:  Simple Birthday Thanks

Ink:  Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Old Olive and Real Red cardstock, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper pad

Accessories/Tools:  Old Olive and Regal Rose Stampin' Write markers, Real Red polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate Chip 1-1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Sticky Strip

Ok, now one last tutorial!  Here is the little box I made that holds an actual cupcake..

This box is very easily made with the SU! exclusive Scallop Envelope Bigz die!  Start by using the die to cut out 4 of these...

Then you will need to cut off the side flaps from two of them (shown in the back):

Adhere all of the envelopes together along the sides as follows: "envelope-envelope with no side flaps-envelope-envelope with no side flaps".  Confusing, I know, but see if you can figure out what I mean from this picture:

You'll see that the envelope on the left has side flaps, and the one on the far right does not.

Ok, next you'll want to use Sticky Strip to adhere the box sides together, then to close the bottom flaps to create your box.

Cut a piece of cardstock measuring 3-1/8" square, and adhere this inside the box bottom.  This will reinforce your box.

Now you can decorate your box as you wish!  I adhered a strip of Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper, then glued the top flaps down over the DSP.  I then tied some Whisper White satin ribbon around the box and created a little tag out of the Modern Label and Word Window punches.

Next, you'll want to create an insert that will hold the cupcake in place.  I cut a piece of Soft Suede cardstock 4-3/4" square, scoring it all around at 3-7/8".  I then used my Circle Scissors Plus to cut a 2-1/4" circle out of the center.  The lines on the glass cutting mat and the Circle Scissors helped me line up my circle perfectly in the center of my cardstock.  Please note that you need to use temporary adhesive on your glass cutting mat to keep the cardstock from moving!

You may find it easier to snip from the edge of the cardstock to the score line to create small flaps to form your insert.  (Ask me if you'd like a picture of the flaps)

At this size, the insert fits perfectly in the box, as does a regular-sized cupcake!

I created a cover out of Medium Window Sheets, but I can't seem to find it.  So when I do, I'll be sure to post that!

Cupcake holder box:

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad

Paper:  Kraft, Soft Suede, Whisper White, and Pretty in Pink cardstock, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper pad

Accessories/Tools:  Whisper White satin ribbon, So Saffron Flower Designer Brad, Scallop Envelope Bigz die, Modern Label and Word Window punches, Sticky Strip


Hope you enjoyed my tutorials!  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about anything! :)

Stampin' Addicts Birthday Blog Hop!

Hello, and welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Birthday Blog Hop!  This weekend we will be celebrating Stampin' Addicts' first birthday by showcasing birthday-themed projects.  Stampin' Addicts is a free website dedicated to supporting Stampin' Up! stampers and demonstrators alike. Our motto is "Positively Creative! Positively Stampin' Up!"  If you have not been to Stampin' Addicts, you should check them out as soon as you finish the Birthday Blog Hop!  And be sure to give me a shout-out (known as "Melissa" on SA) - I'd love to see you there!  This weekend Stampin' Addicts is also having a STAMP JAM, with Challenges, Stampin' and lots of Inspiration!

If you have been following the hop in order, you probably just came from Dawnmarie's blog, where she showed you a lovely gift ensemble suitable for females.  Didn't you just love her projects?  They're so gorgeous, I'd love to receive them as a gift myself!  If this is your first stop, don't worry... the blogs are linked in a full circle, so you can find your way around!

I am featuring cupcakes in my projects!  I just love cupcakes.. somehow they just appeal to me more than cakes (although I love cakes too!).  Maybe because they're so cute!

Here is my first project, a card inspired by ColourQ's color and Mojo Monday's sketch challenges this week:

I love the colors, they're so bright and cheery!  Perfect for a birthday card, and particularly a masculine one!  To reinforce that masculinity, I added a little Pewter Mini Library Clip on the side. ;)  I also created a matching envelope by using the coordinating Cupcakes wheel.

My next project is a little treat holder using the Simple Birthday Thanks stamp.  As soon as I saw this stamp in the catalog, I knew I had to have it!

This little cutie would be fantastic as a party favor, a treat holder for a gift, or really anything you want!  There is a little box in between the cupcakes to hold the goodies, and Jumbo Eyelets hold the ribbon in place for a handle.  It is a little hard to tell from the picture, but the sprinkles sparkle with the help of a little Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (which is still available to order through your demonstrator, by the way).

And finally, I have a cute little cupcake holder box.. yes, to hold an actual cupcake!  :)

I made a top for it out of our window sheets, but apparently left it out of the photo.  There is also an insert that holds the cupcake securely in place.  Check back on Wednesday for a view of those and more info on this and my other projects!

Now, I have a special little treat for you!  Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite birthday treat is, and I'll put you in my drawing for a package of the new Chocolate Chip Epoxy Brads from the Occasions Mini!  Come back on Wednesday (February 24th) to see if you've won, as well as to check out how I created my projects above.

Your next stop is Marie's blog, where she has fabulous birthday ideas for a little girl.  I just love all of her projects, especially the first one!  Enjoy the hop, and thanks for stopping by!

--------
Recipes:


Cupcake Celebration card:
Stamps:  Crazy for Cupcakes
Ink:  Jet Black StazOn, YoYo Yellow, Real Red and Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pads
Paper:  Kraft, Brilliant Blue, Whisper White, Real Red, and YoYo Yellow cardstock, Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper
Accessories/Tools:  Real Red, Tempting Turquoise and Brilliant Blue Stampin' Write markers, Blender Pen, Whisper White satin ribbon, Linen Thread, Pewter Mini Library Clip, Cupcakes wheel, and Scallop Trim Border, 1" Circle and 1-1/4" Circle punches

Cupcake treat holder:

Stamps:  Simple Birthday Thanks

Ink:  Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Old Olive and Real Red cardstock, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper pad

Accessories/Tools:  Old Olive and Regal Rose Stampin' Write markers, Real Red polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate Chip 1-1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-dile

Cupcake holder box:

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad

Paper:  Kraft, Whisper White and Pretty in Pink cardstock, Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper pad

Accessories/Tools:  Whisper White satin ribbon, So Saffron Flower Designer Brad, Scallop Envelope Bigz die, Modern Label and Word Window punches

SA Occasions Mini 2010 Blog Hop!

Hello!  Happy New Year and welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Occasions Mini 2010 blog hop!  The hop will run from noon today, January 1st, through January 3rd.  The products featured in the hop will be available for purchase from your demonstrator beginning January 5th!

If you have been hopping along in order, you've just arrived from Heather's blog.  How adorable are those new chipboard books?  And such an awesome deal too!  If this is your first stop, don't worry!  You can continue on from here and find your way around.

I am showcasing the new stamp set "Little Angel", which includes four stamps.  Here is my first project:

The little journal is SU!'s 5 x 5" Art Journal.  Wouldn't this be a fabulous gift for new parents?  There is a space to insert a picture on the front (fits a wallet sized photo), and it's a great way to keep track of all those little memories you don't want to forget!  I also made a little 3 x 3" card to go along with it.

Little Angel Journal and 3 x 3" card supplies:  Little Angel stamp set; Soft Suede and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads; So Saffron, Pretty in Pink and Soft Suede textured cardstock; Whisper White cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; On Board Loads of Letters chipboard (heart); Pretty in Pink button from Sherbet Designer Button pack; Sweet Pea Stitched Felt (available Jan. 5th); Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Soft Suede and So Saffron Stampin' Write markers; Scallop Oval punch; Large Oval punch; Scallop Edge punch; Photo Corners punch; Spiral punch; Scallop Circle punch; 1-1/4" Circle punch; 1-3/8" Circle punch; On Board 5 x 5" Art Journal; sponge dauber


So at first glance, you may think this stamp set is only for baby projects... not so!  Here is a card that is perfect for saying "I love you":

Sweet Pea Scalloped card supplies:  Little Angel stamp set; Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad; Kraft, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, and Very Vanilla cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon; Kraft corduroy button; Linen Thread; Heart to Heart punch; Scallop Square Clear Bigz die


Last but not least, I have a 6 x 6" scrapbook page featuring my favorite subject.. my furbaby. :)

Sweet 6 x 6" scrapbook page supplies:  Little Angel stamp set; Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad; Whisper White and Old Olive Craft Stampin' Pads; Regal Rose and Pretty in Pink textured cardstock; Whisper White cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; Lovely Flowers Designer Series Paper from the Lovely Lines Level 3 Hostess Bundle; On Board Loads of Letters chipboard; Pretty in Pink 3/8" taffeta ribbon; Regal Rose, Old Olive and Crushed Curry Stampin' Write markers; Clear embossing powder; Scallop Edge punch; Corner Rounder punch; sponge daubers


Here's a quick look at the stamp set, available both in wood-mount (117684) and clear-mount (118574):

(images copyright Stampin' Up!)

If you'd like more information about these projects, I will be posting more details on Monday.  Please also feel free to leave a comment with your question, and I'll be sure to answer!

I hope you enjoyed my projects!  Your next stop is Yapha's blog - she is featuring the set "My Matryoshka".  I just love Yapha's clean yet beautiful style.  If you get a chance, also check out Stampin' Addicts, a positive place to be!  Thanks for visiting, and enjoy the hop!!

SA Dormant Retiring Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Retiring Dormant List Blog Hop!  The blog hop will feature some of the different stamp sets that are retiring January 4th, 2010.  These are just a few of the 32 sets that are being retired.  Don't miss out on them.. soon they will be gone for good!

If you have been following the blog hop in order, you've just come from Michelle's awesome blog, where she showcased Classy & Fabulous.  My projects feature Flowers in Silhouette (#114498), one of Stampin' Up!'s gorgeous "Under $10" stamps.  Whenever I see this image, I can't help but think of elegance and simplicity!

This first project is a set of 3" x 3" Whisper White notecards and an adorable little box to hold them.  The box was made with inspiration from Holly (catrules on SA), using Stampin' Up!'s exclusive Scallop Envelope Bigz die.  The box will easily fit at least 8 notecards and envelopes, and is stamped with Flowers in Silhouette in VersaMark.  What a fabulous gift!

3" x 3" Notecards and Box supplies:  Flowers in Silhouette stamp and Short & Sweet stamp set; Bermuda Bay and Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pads; VersaMark ink; Chocolate Chip, Bermuda Bay and Whisper White cardstock; SU! exclusive Scallop Envelope Bigz die; Scallop Circle punch; 1-3/8" Circle punch; Whisper White organza ribbon

My next project is a card.  I love the colors brown and blue together...

And how gorgeous is the Eyelet Border Punch punched around a square like that?  It instantly adds more "frills" to your project!  Not to mention those pearls...

Newlyweds card supplies:  Flowers in Silhouette stamp and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set; Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip Stampin' Pads; Very Vanilla, Kraft, Bashful Blue, and Chocolate Chip cardstock; Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper; Eyelet Border punch; Bashful Blue 3/8" taffeta ribbon; Half-back Pearls (Pretties Kit)

This brings us to my final project!  I've always admired pop-up cards, so I tried my hand at one with that beautiful stamp:

If you ever want to use a stunning color combo, try pairing a saturated color with black!  One of my favorite colors is Rich Razzleberry, and I think it looks amazing with Basic Black.  I'm not sure who was the original creator of the pop-up card, but whoever it was, they also designed it to fit into a standard sized envelope.  Here is my card "closed":

You can't see it very well, but the Flowers in Silhouette is stamped all over the Basic Black cardstock with VersaMark.

Pop-up Birthday card supplies:  Flowers in Silhouette stamp and On Your Birthday stamp set; Jet Black StazOn; Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad; VersaMark ink; Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White and Basic Black cardstock; Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper; Word Window punch; Large Oval punch; Scallop Oval punch; Rounded Tab punch; Whisper White organza ribbon; Pewter Jumbo Eyelets; Button Latte Designer Buttons; Linen Thread; Sticky Strip (important to hold the card together!); Crop-a-dile
 
I hope you enjoyed your stop at my blog!  Be sure to check out Krystal's beautiful creations using Grand Soirée, another beautiful and elegant stamp set!

The blog hop is over, but you can see all of the blog hop posts here:
1) Mary R - Branch Out - {scrap and stamp with mary}
2) Michelle - Classy & Fabulous - Come Stamp with Me
3) Melissa - Flowers in Silhouette (you are here already!  :) )
4) Krystal - Grand Soirée - Krystal's Cards and More
5) Yapha - Man's Best Friend - Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha
6) Cindy E - Ocean Commotion - Heart's Delight Cards
7) Kim - Quilt Quips - Stitchin n Stampin' on Paper
8) Heidi - Sip by Sip - RunningwScissorsStamper
9) Holly K - Sweet Stems - Rubber Redneck
10) Rhonda - Wonderful Watercolors - The Stampin' Bunny