Welcome to Reverse Spotlighting

This card is an adaptation of one that I received in a Convention Swap from Cathy Fluellen of Surprise, AZ. I needed a quick "Welcome" card that would be suitable for a man or woman, and this one with a geometric pattern and "Reverse Spotlighting" was perfect.  Fast and fabulous.  Thanks, Cathy!

I cut a 5-1/4" x 4" card front in Very Vanilla to go over a Night Of Navy card base.  It was easiest to place my hexagons first and mark where the final hex should be punched.  Then the large oval was easy to punch using the edge of the card stock as a guide. (Hold the punched "upside down" so that you can see through the window on the underside of the punch and get exact placement) I used the oval template from the Occasions Paper Piercing pack to space the piercing - FYI:  The Large Oval Punch corresponds to the Oval Framelets dies - it's one size smaller that the smallest framelet.  The Very Vanilla card stock was attached to the base using Stampin' Dimensionals to give it some depth.

Supplies:

Fabulous Phrases Set; Hexagon and Large Oval Punch; Occasions Piercing Pack, Piercing tool and mat; Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, and Real Red card stock;  Night of Navy ink pad; Night of Navy Designer Series Paper (now restyled for 2013);  Stampin' Dimensionals; Woodgrain embossing folder and Big Shot; Merry Minis punch pack -little star (discontinued)

Enjoy!

Convention Swaps, part 3

Back to my convention swaps!  I made about 130 card fronts in 6 different designs to trade with other demonstrators at the Stampin' Up convention a couple weeks ago.  This is design #3 - Fiesta!  

The technique trick for this card is the selective cutting technique.  It works great for matchbook style cards as well as backgrounds!

Here's how:  

1.  Cut strips of Old Olive card stock to be 5-1/2" long and 2-5/8" wide - the exact width of the corners of framelet.  

2.  Weave one end of the strip under the cutting edge of the die and placed my cutting pad just over the area to be cut, leaving the tail end on top of the die.  

3.  Crank it into the Big Shot and back out again without going over the whole piece of card stock so that there are no marks or wrinkles on the rest of the strip.  

4.  Flip the strip and do the same to the other edge.  

Afterwards, I sponged the edges in Old Olive ink, and ran it through the Big Shot with the Honeycomb TIEF.

Supplies available from www.creativeflare.stampinup.net

Stamp Sets:

Mixed Bunch:  wood mounted set item #128442 $27.95; cling mount set item #125537 $21.95 (block D is recommended)

Fabulous Phrases: wood mount set item #128557 $37.95; cling mount set item #120501 $26.95  (block B, C, or G is recommended)

Card stock:

Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight - available together in the Brights Collection multi-pack; item #113190 $6.95 for 20 sheets, includes all the colors listed above.

Ink:

Pacific Point:  item #126951 $5.95

Old Olive:  item #126953 $5.95

Punches: 

1-1/4" Scallop Circle: item #127811 $15.95

7/8" Scallop Circle:  item #129404 $12.95

Big Shot Die Cutting Machine: #113439 $99.95

Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder:  #129378 $7.95

Window Frame Framelets Dies: #129021 $26.95

Sponge Daubers:  item #102892 $10.95 for a dozen daubers.

It was so awesome to get to swap cards with other demonstrators.  It amazed me how all of us could take the exact same supplies and make such a variety of cards!  You're all fabulous!

Enjoy!

Card Swap I

In giddy anticipation of attending Stampin' Up's annual convention this month, I have been making card fronts  for swaps.  It's traditional to make cards to swap with other demonstrators, looking for fresh perspectives and new friends.  The dunes were traced from a french curve drawing tool onto Sahara Sand card stock and  sponged with ink.  The shell was a folded piece of Crisp Cantaloupe punched 3/4 of the way into the punch.

Supplies for this card are all available from my website: www.creativeflare.stampinup.net

Stamp Sets:  sentiment- World Treasures(132100w $$23.95/126767c $17.95)
seaweed - Papaya Collage (132055w $31.95/126612c $23.95).  Block E is recommended for both sets

Ink:   (131171) Bermuda Bay
(126959) Wild Wasabi
(126983) Calypso Coral
 (126976) Sahara Sand
(131179) Smoky Slate

Card Stock:
Background: (131297) Coastal Cabana
Seashell: (131298) Crisp Cantaloupe
Sand:  (121043) Sahara Sand
Oyster: (131202) Smoky Slate
Sentiment:  (131203) Soft Sky

Punches:  7/8" Scallop Circle (129404 $12.95)
Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack (118309 $16.95 set of 3 shapes)

Sizzix Big Shot die cutting machine (113439 $99.95) with the Apothecary Accents Framelets (127003 $24.95)

Also used were Sponge Daubers (102892 $10.95 for 12), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430, $3.95 for 300) and last but not least, Pearl BasicJewels (119247 $4.95 for 150)

Adorable Treat Bags

Here's an uber-adorable gift bag to make for sweet party favors ...

Supplies:

1 sheet 12 x 12 Designer Series Paper 

Stampin' Trimmer (126889 $29.95)

Simply Scored Scoring Tool (122334 $29.95)

Simply Scored Diagonal Plate (125586 $11.95)

Adhesive (SNAIL shown here - 104332 $6.95)

Paper Snips (103579 $9.95)

Ribbon and decor...

Step 1.  Cut paper to be 8-1/2" by 12".

2.  Place long-ways on the Simply Scored Board (aka S2B) and score 1" from the "top" and 1-7/8" from "bottom"

3.  Turn 90 degrees and score at 2-7/8", 5-3/4", 8-5/8", 11-1/2" - this will form the sides of the bag (2-7/8" square)

4a. Score the gusset (optional):  slide the paper 1/2 segment to the right and score at 1-1/2 and 7-1/4.  This will divide the first and third sides of the bag in half for folding when not in use. (score lines are at 1-7/16 and 7-3/16)

4b.  Score the bottom angles of the gusset:  Place the S2B Diagonal plate on the S2B and score from the 

1-7/8" score line (the bottom of the bag) to the center line of the gusset.  Do this for both side gussets.    

4c. Turn the paper 90 degrees, and score the other angle of the gusset from side center line to bottom line.

5.  Using scissors, trim along vertical score lines from bottom edge to 1-7/8" line.  This forms the bottom flaps of the bag.

6.  Mountain-valley fold the bag sides and gussets as appropriate, use adhesive along 1/2" side tab to secure bag together.

7.  Fold bottom tabs of bag under and secure with adhesive.  To make the bottom of the bag sturdier, you can place a 2-7/8" square of card stock in the bottom of the bag.   

8.  Fold top 1" edge down to create bag "top".  Punch holes for ribbon on non-gusset sides (optional). 

9.  Now you're ready to decorate! I used 3/8" Stitched Satin ribbon in Summer Starfruit (126846 $8.95) to create my bag handles.  Other embellishments are Calypso Coral card stock (flower -Blossom Punch 125603 $16.95) and Summer Starfruit card stock with "Dream" sentiment (Loving Thoughts set 125843w $29.95/125845c $23.95)

 It's a very versatile pattern, you can make them as tall or short as you like, add a decorative edge instead of reinforcing and ribbon, or keep it simple by stamping on 12 x 12 card stock and using that in place of the Designer Series Paper.

Enjoy!

    

Card Challenge 7

Supplies by Stampin' Up:
Basic Gray, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Whisper White, Old Olive, and Tempting Turquoise card stock; Night of Navy ink pad;  Blossom Builder, 5 Petal Flower, Large Oval and Curly Label punch; Beautiful Butterflies and Clear Oval Accent Bigz dies, Labels Framelets, Red Glitter paper, crystal effects, Betsy's Blooms and Vintage Labels stamp sets; Stampin' dimensionals, Hexagon and Chevron embossing folders,
Other Products
Nestabilities Dahlia

I love the look of glitter paper, but like all glitter, it can be a bit messy.  Die cut or punch a shape from the glitter paper, then coat it with the crystal effects and let it dry for about an hour.  Keeps glitter on the paper and off your hands (and work space and clothes and floor...)

I love the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die from Stampin' Up, so as a result, my scrap bin is often filled with various colors of butterflies.  

Supplies:  

Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Labels Framelets.  Punches:  Small Tag, Large Tag and Right Way; Paper: Pocket Full of Posies; Card Stock: Garden Green, Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Not Quite Navy;  Ink:  More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso.  Stamps by Stampin' Up.

Inking the dots helps them "pop".

Enjoy!

Spring Break Scrap Card Challenge 4

This is a 5x7 notebook holder (see my previous blog on how to make those).  The base was left over from a class, and I cobbled together some fresh elements for the front.  They make great little gifts, and fit nicely into a hand bag.  The Blossom Builder petals were adhered to a 3/4" card stock circle using a glue gun and low temp glue sticks. The center was rumpled, flattened, and sponged for texture and interest. I'll add a sentiment nested on the label in the lower right corner when I'm ready to give it away.

Supplies by Stampin' Up:
Sizzix Big Shot:  Labels Framelets die, Oval Accent Bigz Clear die; Punches: Boho Blossoms, Scallop Edge Border, Blossom Builder Punch;  Ink:  Old Olive; Card stock:  Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Midnight Muse, More Mustard; Paper: Pocket Full of Posies; Tools: sponge daubers, stampin' sponges
Other:
Nestablilities Lables 2; glue gun and low temp glue sticks.

Scrap-Cookbook

Welcome back from Summer Vacation!  Part of my vacation was taking the kids to visit my parents, and whenever Mom and I get together there's got to be craft time.  She had quite the project set up this summer.  In addition to my showing her all the new stamping techniques I'd been teaching in my classes this year, Mom had a stack of fresh scrapbooks and card stock just waiting for us to play with.  The project was to create 4 copies of a Scrap-Cookbook, one for me, my brother and our cousins.

Mom has done Scrap-Cookbooks before, usually to commemorate a family cook that's passed on.  While none of us are world renowned chefs, each matriarch has a genre that she's remembered for.  My great-grandmother Nana West's scrapbook was about cookies and candy making; Grandma Moore's book was all New Orleans food - Etoufee, Gumbo, etc...  Gammy, my grandmother Wilson, is still alive and kicking, and will be the first to be the first living cook in our family to be "scrapped".  Having been raised in Southeast Texas, her forte is "Tex-Mex", so we went with a bit of southwestern flair for the page designs.  

We used 1 package each:
Very Vanilla
Crushed Curry
Calypso Coral
Pool Party
and So Saffron card stock with some to spare.
2 packages of Domestic Goddess Designer Series Paper.  "Domestic Goddess" has retired, but 2 packages of any DSP can be used.
Tools of note:
Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die
Perfect Pennants Bigz L die
Scallop Circle, Scallop Square, and Scallop Square Duo Bigz dies
Window Frame (new!) and Labels Framelets dies,
Little Labels punch pack
2-3/8", 1-3/4" and new1-1/4" Scallop Circle punches
Scallop Trim Border and Scallop Border punches... even the old Eyelet Border punch made it into the book...

This is the new Window Frames Framelets set from the Holiday Mini Catalog by Stampin' Up.

Not all of her recipes are "Texican" and we went with a 1950's theme using the Domestic Goddess suite from Stampin' Up.

The paper clip heart on this page is a Sizzix die.

The paper clip flower is also a Sizzix sizzlits die.

Mom already had some of the recipes prepared - she took photos of the recipes that Gammy had penned and fired into tiles hanging in her kitchen.  This particular recipe is for sourdough bread, a signature favorite.  Funny though, it requires a starter, and right now she's the only batch holder... I'm still trying to figure out how to get a starter going and keep it going... Any bakers out there? Advice is welcome.

It's great to have some recipes in her own hand writing.  The opposite pages will have photos of Gammy through the years, from childhood onward.  The little "Kiss the Cook" tag is about the only thing that didn't come from Stampin' Up, and while I'd like to give credit where due, they had been in Mom's stash so long who knows where they're from, but they sure are cute...

The color "Calypso Coral" balances nicely with "Pool Party" and "Very Vanilla" - pass the cream puffs please.  That cute little scallop circle is part of the Perfect Pennants Bigz L die from Stampin' Up.

Here are the title pages and back pages - both are photos of tiles she painted and has on her kitchen wall...

Here's the ensemble all together, the 8 x 8 scrapbook with the pages.  Together Mom and I made 4 copies of this in less than 3 days.  She's putting the photos and the type-written recipes in the books, and making a few surprise additions that I'm looking forward to seeing at Christmas.

Enjoy!

Inspiration Everywhere...

Someone recently asked me where I get my inspiration for making cards.  There's inspiration everywhere!  A few good places to look are paper crafting magazines, which are great for demonstrating new products and techniques, another is blog-surfing - also a sure-fire way to find something new to try on your own projects.  Today, we're talking textiles.  In a recent blog, I demonstrated a card modeled after one of my grandmother's needlepoint creations.  This blog is about taking what you see everyday, and letting that fuel your creativity.

My 5 year old son took this photo of me in my favorite T-shirt.  It's a gray background with red, yellow and orange filigree chairs, and it says blah blah blah "coffee" blah blah etc... (I love coffee).  It's a very simple everyday item...

So now, here's the T-shirt in the form of a card - Basic Gray card stock, with Summer Starfruit lattice die cut, and a Riding Hood Red blossom.  The "Thank You" sentiment comes from the Perfectly Penned stamp set, #122890w/112892c stamped in Riding Hood Red classic ink.  Basic Gray is a fantastic launch pad for zany color.

This is a sweater from my church's coat closet... There's no telling who's sweater it is, but as I was hanging up my coat before church one morning, this sweater was there and I had to take a photo of it, it was just too brilliant.

I cut some concentric squares with my paper trimmer, 1-1/2", 1-1/4", 1" and punched a 3/4" circle of Whisper White card stock for the center.  The colors here are:  Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Wisteria Wonder (purples); Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink (pinks).  Sponge the edges in the darkest color, pierce the center of the stack, give each layer a good scrunch, and hold it all together with at brad.  Stampin' Dimensionals are the best way to adhere the flowers to the card front, they give the brad a little cushion as well as popping the flower up off the surface.

The background is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of vellum card stock, run through the Big Shot with the Houndstooth embossing Folder.  The Label background is Basic Gray card stock cut with a Label Framelets die, and run through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder.  The leaves are Summer Starfruit, Lucky Limeaid and Old Olive card stock.  Like the flowers, I sponged the edges in the darkest layer color (Old Olive) and gave each a scrunch.  The leaf shape comes from an old stencil of a rounded triangle, and a little free-hand extrapolation.  Stamp set is Loving Thoughts #125843w/125845c

While neither of these examples are exactly like the originals, the inspiration comes from the forms and colors of the fabrics.  Take a fresh look at your decor, closet , or coat rack, and see what inspires you...

Enjoy!

Ode to the Ornament Punch - Part 4

Ode to the Ornament Punch - Part 4 - Flowers

Recently my mom sent me a great birthday card with a focal point of a flower made out of punched circles.  It was such a cute embellishment, it seemed to be a great match for the Ornament punch!

Supplies (available from my Stampin' Up demonstrator website)

Real Red Designer Series Paper (From the Brights Collection Stack, #117155)

Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper (#125409)

Lucky Limeaid, Whisper White, Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Island Indigo card stock 

Island Indigo and Real Red Classic Ink Pads

Pursuit of Happiness set (#121907 wood, #121970 cling)

Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (#120805)

Ornament Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, 1" Circle punch

Step 1:  Punch 5 ornaments from the Real Red Designer Series Paper, 2 circles from the Real Red card stock, and 2 circles from the adhesive sheets.  Stick the adhesive circles to the card stock.  

Step 2:  Pinch a pleat into the base of the ornament to create a petal shape.

Step 3: Overlap the petals on the adhesive circle base.

Step 4:  Use second adhesive circle to cover the center and secure the petals in place.

Step 5: Embellish the flower center, here I used the Boho Blossoms Punch and layered a couple little flowers on the center, and polished it off with an adhesive pearl.  Flowers adhere best using Stampin' Dimensionals on the back center.

The background paper shown here is Stampin' Up's Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper.  

Enjoy!

25 Scrapbook Borders

Hello!  Here was a personal scrapbook challenge for myself:  How to build a 30 page scrapbook in 4 days.  It was for a dear friend who was moving, and I had to get it done in time for her going away party.

1. This was a series of 1-1/4 inch strips of paper cut with the Blossom Builder Punch

2a.  Dark and Dreary raven stamped 3 times, the middle raven was stamped on a separate piece of card stock and heat embossed with Basic Black powder, and adhered with a stampin' dimensional.  The edge is trimmed with the Scallop Trim Border punch.

2b.  Close up

3. Paz y Amistad heart globe - one of the Spanish sets from Stampin' Up in the 2011-12 Celebrando Creatividad. 

Used with the Full Heart Punch and Small Heart Punch

4. Here's one of my new favorites:  the Tasteful Trim Bigz  XL Die  -#120893 for the Big Shot die cutting system.  It has 4 different borders/trims 12-1/2 " long for cutting scrapbook borders or fabric and ribbon.

5. Again, the Tasteful Trim Bigz die and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Punch

6a.  I used the Sunflower background stamp with a Pacific Point  classic ink pad and a

Basic Black Marker to shade the center, and sliced it up and spliced it with Basic Black card stock

6b.

7.  This is a decorative swirl from the Kindness Matters set, stamped 2x on each Large Oval, layered on a Basic Gray Scalloped Oval, all on a Basic Black Extra Large Oval

8.  Punch art with 1" circles, 1-1/4" circles, and the old Decorative Label Punch (discontinued) which can be substituted with the new Ticket Duo Builder Punch coming out June 1, 2012.  

9.  Scallop Trim border punch, 1-3/4 Scallop circle, cut in half, and 3/4" circle, cut in half

10 a. Scallop Trim Border and  Small Oval Punch - Perfect for the Easter party photos! 

10b.

11.  Circle Circus stamp set with circle punches

12.  Again the Tasteful Trim die, ric-rac on a strip of Basic Black

13a.  Tasteful Trim die (large background scallop) Scallop Dotted

Ribbon Border (SDRB) Punch

13b.

14.  Tasteful Trim die again - this time centered for a little variety

15.  Tasteful Trim and the "SDRB" punch again, also with "negative"  cut from border

16.  Tasteful Trim - love it....

17.  Tasteful trim...

18a.  More Tasteful Trim, combined with left over negative space from the black ric-rac...

18b.

19a.  Tasteful Trim with the Small Heart Punch

19b.

20.  Ornament Punch - see my previous blog on how to do this one..

21.  Nature's Nest stamp set, 1" Square Punch,  and the Tasteful Trim die...

22.  Adorning Accents Edgelits die, 1/4" Taffeta Ribbon (Basic Black)

23.  Tribute to our retired Large Star punch...

24. Here's a 2012-2013 Catalog sneak peek - the butterfly is from the new set Papaya  Collage.  There are no papayas in the set, but it is definitely a vintage must have!...Scallop Trim Border punch, and 1" and 1-3/8" punches...

Look!  More Tasteful Trim...  OK, I won't count that one.

25a.  Stamped border (from Rue Des Fleurs, from the Occasions Mini Catalog 2012) with 1/4" Taffeta Ribbon

25b. Repeated the same pattern and turned it 90 degrees...

Any of these designs can be turned, right, left, upside down, centered, used 12" or 8" depending on what size book you're working on.  Layers and ribbon dress things up, Designer Series Paper adds a little spice to any design.  Because of the small size, I kept it very simple, but the designs are easily expanded upon.   For her journaling blanks, I used Whisper White card stock cut with the Scallop Squares Duo Bigz die, one for each layout.

Enjoy!