STRIKE A POSE!

I am in seventh heaven!!  This past week I have devoted all my crafting time to scrapbooking!!  I decided I better dust off my skills before Ronda Wade's Creative Escape Weekend in 12 days.  Let me tell you, it has been 6 months (at her last Escape weekend) since I have scrapbooked -- and I can tell.

I am working on my granddaughter's album, which was on her 2012 Christmas gift list.  Well, I just started this week but have 18 pages done, so that means I have only about 7-10 more pages to do (depending on how thick my embellishments are, and I love embellishments!!).  She wants the album done for her school graduation open-house.  My daughter, Holly's Mom, goes to retreat with me and she hasn't even started her album; so I'm feeling prettee good right now.

Holly is an artist in her own right and has helped me a lot when I'm doing big projects or just comes over to create.  I really hope she likes her album when I am finished (she intimidates me sometimes, but I know vintage is her favorite).  Here is a two-page layout I finished today:

This is Holly!! Yes, she loves to take pictures of herself to express her moods. You will notice some discontinued product on these pages -- product I saved especially for my scrapbooking!! The discontinued Well-Worn Alphabet and Numbers Stamp Sets on the right page were stamped on vintage muslin material from my mom (Holly's great-grandma). I thought Holly would really like that added touch because she liked my mom and is constantly asking for her stuff.

A close-up of left page. The background was created by cutting strips of the discontinued Everday Enchantment Designer Series Paper, and then sponging the edges with discontinued Charcoal Stain. The large flower brad was also made with vintage muslin fabric using the Fun Flowers Bigz L Big Shot Die and a discontinued Naturals Assortment Brad in the material (colored with black perma-marker).



Close-up of right page.

I hope you like my vintage/shabby chic layout and maybe see some ideas for your pages.

Until next time,
Sandi

"He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed."  --  1 Peter 2:24

MARCH STAMPIN' UP CLASS EVENT

I had such a great time yesterday at my stamping event.  I actually had time to sit with my friends and visit for a change.  It was also nice because I got to see and visit with some ladies I hadn't seen in quite a while.  And of course, we always have fun stamping!!

Here are the cards we made:

This was my favorite card, featuring a new single stamp, "Spec-Tacular;" and as of this week, the discontinued "Vintage Versus Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set."  I will have a hard time not using this stamp in future classes (but I will keep it forever!!).

This was another favorite of mine, featuring the "Million-Dollar Moments Hostess Stamp Set," from the mini catalog.  The sentiment is from the "Rain or Shine Stamp Set," also from the mini catalog.

This is the inside of the above card using the "So Sorry Stamp Set" for the sentiment, and the hearts and duck from the "Million-Dollar Moments Stamp Set."



 



 A very quick but WOW card featuring the "Flowering Flourishes Stamp Set" and "Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp" for the sentiment. After stamping and adding the flowers and sentiment layers, the entire Whisper White Card Stock layer was put through the Big Shot using the "Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder" and then the pearls were added.



Until next time,
Sandi

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up."  -- Galatians 6:9

CHALKBOARD TECHNIQUE & STUFF

Been playing with my stamps the last couple of days.  I rarely get a chance to do this, and really didn't have the time the last couple of days.  But I'm the kind of person who prefers to start a design then leave it overnight, so I actually only spent about an hour each day when I was watching TV and didn't want to fall asleep in the middle of a show like I would if I was just sitting on the couch -- LOL!!

So today I'm going to show you the good and bad (this is how I learn).  I have been wanting to do the chalkboard technique for ages after seeing so many beautiful cards done by others.  The technique is easy, just emboss your stamps in whisper white embossing powder, add a few highlights using your white watercolor pencil, then sponge a little Whisper White Craft Ink on your Basic Black Card Stock.  EZ, PZ!!  So here is my favorite one out of the group:

I just love this for a child's birthday!!  Stampin' Up supplies used:  the new Photopolymer Designer Typeset and Henry Says Stamp Sets; Calypso Coral and Basic Black Card Stock; Natural Composition Speciality Designer Paper; White Watercolor Pencil; White Gel Pen; Sponge; Whisper White Embossing Powder; and Word Window Punch.

I used the Blooming with Kindness Stamp Set for this card, with Summer Starfruit Card Stock for the card base.

This was my first try -- so be kind!!

I was just messing around with my new Dress Up Framelits for this card.  After I made this one I did some really gorgeous dresses -- but can't show them right now -- LOL!!  I really like to make my own "material" for the dresses.  I'll let you figure out how I made the material for this dress.



And lookie here!!  My new addition to my stampin' studio -- a ribbon storage unit!!  I so love it -- thank you Ronda!!!  If you look closely (or enlarge the picture by right-clicking and selecting "open in new tab"), you will notice some neat little tricks I have picked up from other stampers.  I love the idea for using the clipboard, with tin foil, for embossing.  You just clip your card stock to the board and heat (no more burnt fingers).  I also keep my embossing powder in a Keurig K-Cup Coffee Carousel.  (I love it, but need to get another for all the new Stampin' Up colors!)  I also use coffee filters to catch my embossing powder instead of the trays because I can dump the excess back into the jars without it sticking to the paper.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I do in my "off-time."  I would love to get your comments.

Until next time,
Sandi

“And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, understanding, knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze…” --  Exodus 35:31-32

VINTAGE SCRAPS!!

Last week I decided to get out my designer paper scraps and do something with them.  My other goal was to get some gift packaging done so I wouldn't have to create something at the last minute, which is the "usual" for me.  So putting those two goals together, this is what I came up with:  two gift boxes to hold cards, tags for the boxes, and two pillow boxes to hold little gifts.  Sounds easy -- but with all the boxes I have made, I had never gotten around to making a regular gift box to hold at least ten cards and envelopes.  Plus, I thought I owned the pillow box die only to find out I had never bought it and it is now a discontinued product from Stampin' Up! 

So, I decided to use up some toilet paper rolls that I had been saving for another project to make my pillow boxes.  First problem fixed!!  Next I sat down and did the math to make my card boxes for standard A2 cards -- so easy peasy with Stampin' Up's Simply Scored Scoring Tool!!  Wahoo, all problems fixed and here are the finished projects.

Main Stampin' Up supplies used are the Fan Fair Designer Paper; Riding Hood Red Card Stock; Basic Black and Riding Hood Red Ink; Petite Pocket Bigz XL Die; Linen Thread, Victoria Crochet Trim, Vanilla Flower Trim, and Pink Pirouette Two-Tone Ribbons; Silver Soda Pop Tops; Crystal Effects; White Creped Filter Paper (large flower); and  Pretty Petites Sale-A-Bration and Postage Due Stamp Sets.

Don't these toilet paper rolls make cute pillow boxes (recycle, recycle, recycle!!).  This card box was made for a male gift.  Believe it or not, males love to receive a box of cards so they won't have to shop!!  Same products were used except I used the Sale-A-Bration Island Indigo Sycamore Street 1/4" Ribbon and Island Indigo Card Stock.

Close-up of the back/inside of tag. 

 

Close-up of the front of tag -- which is terribly out of focus!!



Pillow box close-up.



This is my favorite!!  I cut the ribbon in half as it was a little too wide for this box.



Picture of the box lid before adhering sides.  And to save you time here are the measurements for the box (if you don't already have): 

Top Lid of Box:  Cut 6 7/8" X 8" piece of designer paper.  Score 1" on all 4 sides and crease on score lines.  Cut the 4 corners as show in the picture above and apply Sticky Strip on the front side.  Adhere the 4 corners to finish the lid.

Bottom of Box:  Cut 7 3/4" X 9" piece of card stock.  Score 1 1/2" on all 4 sides and crease on the score lines.  Finish directions as written for top of box.

Until next time,
Sandi

"I remember the days of old."  -- Psalm 143:5
Fellowship with Christ is the secret of happiness now and forever.