Friday, November 23, 2012

SNOW FESTIVAL BOXES & GIFT TAGS

I hope everybody survived their Thanksgiving feast and Black Friday!  I played it smart and had absolutely no desserts or dressing, and no way did I attempt fighting the crowds today.  I already have half my Christmas shopping done, and I'm hoping the rest will still be on sale.  I've already saved at least a thousand dollars on gifts, so I'm not going to complain.  I truly love Christmas, but I hate to shop with a passion.

Today I'm showing pictures of what my class will be doing next week.  They will be making five gift boxes -- all different sizes and shapes; and 20 gift cards with Stampin' Up's Kraft Box to store them.  Some wanted to do gift cards and others wanted to make the boxes, so I decided why not give them both!!  I really like how everything turned out.  Everybody gets a package of the Snow Festival Designer Series Paper to make the boxes and cards, and they take home more than half of the leftover paper.  I got this idea from Ronda Wade's Creative Convention (tags) and Creative Retreat (boxes), when she offered these as a make'n take and a class.  I just used different designer paper and designed a little different.  Here are the finished projects (right click and select "open in new tab or window for larger picture):

I used Stampin' Up's direction to make the bow.

This is the largest box, measuring 7" x 7", and 2 1/4" high.
 
A tall, medium box.

Small jewelry box.

I call this the "milk box." (so cute).

Twenty easy-peasy gift cards and decorated Stampin' Up Kraft Box.

Let me know what you think.  There is still time to schedule a class!

Until next time,
Sandi

"Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted."  --  Matthew 5:4

Friday, November 16, 2012

CHRISTMAS MEETS STAMPIN' UP!!

It's been a very busy week for me in my studio.  Lots of stamping and paper cutting getting ready for my classes this month.  It has been fun, but today I had to return to reality and clean my house.  Actually that was fun -- but only because it had been a week since I had done any wify duties. 

Today I'm posting the cards we will be doing tomorrow at my regular monthly class.  Out of all the cards I do, I have to say that my very favorite are Christmas cards.  Every year I say I'm not going to buy any new Christmas stamps -- but that never happens because Stampin' Up keeps making such awesome new stamps every year.  So this is what my ladies will be doing tomorrow:


This is my favorite card!!  I saw this somewhere (sorry I don't have a name  Update:  Design by Marie MEYER), and loved how the Tulle was added with the Word Window Punch.  I did change quite a few things, but ended up using this product:  Ornament Keepsakes Stamp Set; Champagne Glimmer Paper; Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, and Early Espresso Card Stock; Holiday Ornaments Framelits; Snow Flurry Bigz Die; Cherry Cobbler Tulle, Sanding Block, Dimensionals, and Word Punch.

This beautiful card is a CASE of a card Ronda Wade demonstrated at our last RubberQueen meeting.  I did change just a couple of things but stayed with her colors and layout.  Supplies used:  Snowflake Soiree Stamp Set; Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray, and Whisper White Card Stock; Silver Glimmer Paper; Illuminate Pigment Ink; Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon (retired), and Basic Jewels Rhinestones.

This is a card I CASEd from Annette Sollner.  Supplies used:  Jolly Bingo Bits and Teeny Tiny Stamp Sets; Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper; Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, and Lucky Limeade Card Stock; Silver Glimmer Paper;  Snow Burst and Polka Dots Embossing Folders; Word Window, Modern Label, 1 3/8" Circle, and 1 1/4" & 1 3/4" Scallop Circles Punches; and Basic Jewels Rhinestones.

Another beautiful card in my favorite colors, using Stampin' Up product:  Greetings of the Season, Winter Memories, and Heart of Christmas Stamp Sets; Staz On Black, Island Indigo,and Baja Breeze Ink; Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla Card Stock; Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper; Cherry Cobbler, Island Indigo, Gumball Green, Baja Breeze, and Basic Gray Markers; Apothecary Accents Framelits; Ovals #2 Bigz Die; Cherry Cobbler Ribbon; Brights Glimmer Brads; and Sponge.
Hope you like these as much as I do!!

Until next time,
Sandi

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." -- Matthew 5:3

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

STAMPIN' UP: WARM WINTER WISHES

I just got back from Ronda Wade's monthly RubberQueen meeting.  I always have so much fun at the monthly meetings.  Always something new to learn, always great demonstrations and make'n takes, and always great company!!  Cheryl Spitzley and Sandy Haynes both gave awesome demonstrations with beautiful samples.  Ronda focused on new product in the Holiday Mini that seemed to have gotten lost in all the other beautiful product featured in the mini.

Earlier today I decided to use one of those products that you haven't heard much about, but I love it.  That would be the new Silicone Craft Sheet.  I love using it when I am applying my Snail or any other adhesive.  I just put my card stock on top of the sheet and apply my adhesive without worrying about getting sticky Snail or any other adhesive all over the table when I run off the card stock.  I hate it when I'm working and left-over snail gets on my table or worksheet and the next card stock I lay down on my counter gets stuck to it.  But, there is a lot more you can do with this craft sheet.  One thing I wanted to try was to make icicles.  I had this idea in my head of how I wanted to showcase this technique, plus I wanted to make a card for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge this week.  So, this is my "first" attempt using this technique.  Now I know how I should have done it, and I will get better with my next attempt.  So why am I showing you a card that I'm not really cooing over?  Because I can -- LOL!!  And, even more important, you will learn from my mistakes.  Here is the sketch from the Paper Craft Crew Challenge:


This is what I came up with:

Basically, there is only one thing that I would change on this card.  Next time I will make my icicles thinner.  I used Crystal Effects on the Silicone Craft Sheet, and then added Silver Glass Glitter on top.  Let this dry overnight and just peel it off the Silicone Craft Sheet.  I used Dimensionals to adhere the strip to my card.  Other supplies used:  Warm Winter Wishes, Jolly Bingo Bits, and Mixed Medley Stamp Sets; Whisper White, Garden Green, and Silver Glimmer Card Stock; Apothecary Accents Framlits; White Gel Pen; and Stampin' Up Watercolor Pencils.
Until next time,
Sandi
"All things work together for good to those who love God."  -- Romans 8:28