Sketch Saturdays - Numero Uno!

Yay! My first post for my weekly segment I'm calling Sketch Saturdays. Every Saturday I'll be posting a project based on a sketch, found or created by me. Today's sketch was found on Pinterest. The link lead me to Basic Grey. Here's the sketch...

…and here's my design:

My design is loosely based on the sketch, but you can still see it, even though I omitted a couple of things. :) When I looked at the sketch, I immediately saw a flower pot with flowers bursting out of it, so that's what I created. The pot was easy. And so were the flowers for that matter, thanks to the Flower Shop stamp set and coordinating Pansy Punch!

I've been dying to play along at Colour Me…! and so I'm thrilled to be entering this into the challenge this week. It's a two-colour challenge - Melon Mambo & Marina Mist. My neutral colour is Early Espresso. Since there were only two main colours to work with, I stamped off the flower image three times to get varying shades of Melon Mambo. This, along with curling the petals & popping up the flowers at different heights, gave a lot of dimension to the card.

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

RECIPE:
Paper: Early Espresso, Whisper White, Marina Mist
Ink: Melon Mambo
Stamps: Flower Shop, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Tools: Big Shot, Stripes TIEF, Square Lattice TIEF, Pansy Punch
Challenge: Colour Me…!

12x12 Bag with Written Tutorial!

The internet is a lovely place, isn't it? A while ago, I searched out how to make a 12x12 bag from DSP.  I found many lovely examples, but nothing like what I was looking for. I wanted to use only one sheet of DSP and I wanted it to be big enough to fit my standard-sized cards in it.

I am a paper hoarder and thought creating bags from my retired DSP to sell and give away would be perfect for all the shows I was doing in the fall. I could use them for a promotional tool, and people could buy them and use them to give my cards as gifts.

They were a hit! They were also a hit with my fellow Demos when I brought one originally for show and share and then taught them how to make their very own. Now I will teach you too…

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Stampin' Up! 12x12 DSP (If not SU!, must be double-sided) 
• Simply Scored 
• Paper Snips 
• Sticky Strip 

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Choose your preferred side of your paper. Make sure you score properly so that the area you want showcased works. For my sample above, I had to make sure I scored it properly to accommodate the pattern (that was only on part of the DSP). You also want to make sure that a pattern won't be upside-down when you flip over the top flap.
2. Score your 12x12 paper at: 3/8", 5-3/8", 6-1/4" and 11-1/4".
3. Turn your paper a quarter turn and score at 2" (top) and 11-1/4" to make a 3/4" bottom. Again, make sure you score the right sides that you want to be the top and bottom of your bag, if your paper isn't a consistent pattern throughout.
4. Cut your tabs. Cut along each vertical line, up to the 3/4" score line (bottom of the bag).
5. Optional: cut angles in your tabs at the bottom of your bag. I do this because I think it's a cleaner look.
6. Crease along all your score lines and fold over your top "handle".
7. Run a piece of Sticky Strip down the 3/8" side. It's important to run it as close to the edge as possible.
8. Peel and stick your two sides together. Do not overlap the two sides past the Sticky Strip, otherwise your bag will be wonky. (Note: This is the only way I could make my bag work properly to the dimensions I needed from one piece of DSP). :)
9. Add a piece of Sticky Strip to one of the bottom tabs and adhere together.
10. Pinch & crease the sides slightly at the top to give the bag a little more dimension.
11. Punch your handles using the XL Oval Punch from Stampin' Up!. Punch one side at a time.
12. Optional: create tags from the punched-out ovals. You know me, I like to use every last bit of paper! ha.
13. Your bag is complete! Use it how you like. I've used mine for cards (fits anywhere from one to eight 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" cards & envelopes depending on how many embellies you have on them). I've also used them for small gifts.

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial. I'd love to hear what you think! I also don't mind you sharing this, but please do not sell my tutorial because I have given it to you for free. I would also appreciate you credit me/my site if you share.

Until next time, stay crafty!

Steph

Seriously?!

Are we seriously already a week into 2014?! I can't believe a week has gone by already. I hope you're reading this from somewhere warm... it's been crazy cold here lately! I think it's about -16C (3F) right now. That's much better than the -40C with windchills the other day!

On top of the frigid temps, we've had it all over the last few weeks - an ice storm, snow squalls/blizzards and a huge dumping of snow. Have you ever got to experience "frost quakes"? Freaked me out the first time I heard one (before I knew what it was). It's when water gets down into the soil and then freezes. The pressure causes somewhat of an explosion in the earth and creates a big BOOM! If it's close, it shakes the house. After knowing what the noise was, it was pretty cool hearing it...


Anyway, with the crazy weather, holidays, sicknesses, etc., I have not been able to get down and inky in my craft space. So I have a couple of older projects to show you until I can create some new stuff.

This card was pretty quick to put together. I stamped the delicate doily design several times in Pool Party and then did the same, but heat embossed with Smokey Slate. I also heat embossed the sentiment in Silver. I added some velvet decorative tape (non SU!) for some added dimension. I thought it suited the design well.

Until next time, stay crafty!

Steph

RECIPE:
Paper: Pool Party, Smokey Slate, Whisper White
Ink: Pool Party
Stamps: Happy Day, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Tools: Heat Tool
Accessories: Jewels
Techniques: Heat Embossing

A New Year!

Can you believe you haven't seen me since last year? ha. I know, corny joke... but somehow it sounded better than saying you haven't seen me in over two weeks! :-|

Anyway, Happy New Year! I hope you had a great night and will have a great year ahead. I have lots of things planned after a busy end to 2013. I've been thinking a lot about what 2014 will bring. Here are a few things that are coming up at Hofkissed:

Try It Tuesdays

Will feature projects that I've tried based on challenge sites, things found on Pinterest, etc. It might not always be papercrafting, but it'll be fun!

Throwback Thursdays

Will feature my projects from way back when (some from 15 years ago!) and I'll recreate my design, I guess CASE myself, but make it better. I've learned a lot over the years - I used to cut everything by hand (gasp!).

Sketch Saturdays

Whether it's based off a sketch I created myself, or from one I found online, I'm going to create a project based on a sketch. Every Saturday. It'll be fun, and will help get my mojo back after the holidays... and maybe help you out too!

Weekly Series

I've got a couple things lined up here already - one on organization & another using up scraps. These are week-long series about various things. I've done both of these before, but they were both hugely popular, I thought I'd concentrate on these areas again. :)

Sunday Stamps

I'm still happily designing for Sunday Stamps and it is a bi-weekly challenge. If you haven't played along with us before, add that to your "to do" list for 2014! It's fun and will surely get your mojo working as we switch between colour and sketch challenges.

This past Sunday, we had a sketch challenge. One that I created, actually. I'm late in posting my design because on top of the busy holiday season, I was suffering a lot from migraines. Feeling better now and I was glad to be able to get down and stamp!

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I thought it was time to get started on some cards. Simple design, but I love how it came out! Why not pop on over to Sunday Stamps and play along with us?!

Sorry for the extra-long post today! There was so much to tell you about. :) If you made it through, thanks for reading!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Feeling Neutral at Sunday Stamps

Love the colour combo we've got going on at Sunday Stamps this time around. It inspired me to create a manly card - those are always hard to do, aren't they?!

The colour combo is Tan, Black & Saffron. I used Sahara Sand & Soft Suede as my "tan", as well as some of that awesome Burlap Ribbon. I used the stamp set Wetlands that I wasn't fond of at first, but grew to love it. Actually, I always loved those tiny birds because they reminded me of the birds my dad always take pictures of on the shorelines in Florida when on holiday. It was the Goose that grew on me. ;)

Hope you'll join us over the next two weeks. We always love seeing your creations! You have until December 27th to submit your entries...

Until next time, stay crafty!

Steph

RECIPE:
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Sahara Sand, So Saffron, Ivory
Ink: Soft Suede, Sahara Sand
Stamps: Wetlands, Sincere Salutations (retired)
Tools: 1" & 1-1/4" Circle Punches
Accessories: Burlap Ribbon

Challenged!

You may or may not have noticed that I've been MIA lately... there are many reasons for that. One of the main ones is that I've lost my stamping mojo. :( Probably has a lot to do with the busy time of year, working on Christmas cards since July, etc.

I needed to be challenged. I needed something to get my mojo back. Hence, my attempt and entry into this week's Technique Twist Challenge:

Okay. So technically I created two cards for this challenge, but I think they're still somewhat the same card, no? I had this awesome vision in my head and these two cards are my attempt at getting it out on paper. Unfortunately, neither does it for me. ha.

So why am I still blogging about them and entering them into a challenge?!

1. I wanted to show I'm making progress at getting my mojo back
2. I don't think they're "bad" cards 
3. They still involve the Double Stamping Technique

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

RECIPE:
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, So Saffron, Calypso Coral
Ink: StazOn Black, Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, So Saffron
Stamps: Swallowtail, Papillon Potpourri
Accessories: Jewels
Techniques: Double Stamping
Challenges: The Technique Twist

Team Swap

Every month for the last few months, we've done a team swap. This past month the idea was a holiday card in non-traditional colours. I was still feeling Christmas cards, so that's what I did:

I got the inspiration from a card on Pinterest by Vicki Wu and the Eastern Elegance DSP. I love the colours and designs in it and thought "I could make that work for a Christmas card!". I pulled the colours from the DSP - Summer Starfruit and Smokey Slate and as my neutral, I used Naturals White.

I heat embossed the Beautifully Baroque stamp in Smokey Slate and used the coordinating TIEF of the same name for the background. I heat embossed the sentiment (inside & out) using Silver because I wanted it to stand out more... and what's a Christmas card (or any card for that matter) without some bling?! I randomly adhered some jewels and used some Silver Glimmer Paper. I gotta tell you, I am loving the look of scattering jewels randomly on a project. You should try it out!

Until next time, stay crafty!

Steph

RECIPE:
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Eastern Elegance DSP, Summer Starfruit
Ink: Summer Starfruit
Stamps: Beautifully Baroque, Petite Pairs
Tools: 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Beautifully Baroque TIEF, Big Shot
Accessories: Jewels, Summer Starfruit Satin Stitched Ribbon
Techniques: Heat Embossing

It's Sketchy at Sunday Stamps!

It's a sketch bi-week at Sunday Stamps, starting today. It's a great one too, designed by fellow DT member Hayley! Check it out:

Can you believe it's December already?! I can't believe how fast this year has flown by... I've been making Christmas cards since August and although I'm getting a bit sick of doing them, I still have a few more left in me. :) I got creative with the Merry Little Christmas Simply Created Card Kit that's in the Holiday Catalogue. It's a great kit, for only $11.95, you can make 8 cards! It's even better when you stretch it... so far I've made double that, and I still have pieces left over. :)

This was one of the designs I came up with for my card buffet yesterday. The ladies really loved it. So simple and so easy, thanks in part to the kit & Hayley's awesome sketch!

Hope you can join us and don't forget to check out the other DT member's designs. Visit their Blogs and leave them some love too!

You have until December 13th to play along!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

RECIPE:
Paper: Coastal Cabana, Real Red, Gumball Green
Ink: Gumball Green, Real Red
Stamps: No Peeking (retired)
Kit: Merry Little Christmas Simply Created
Tools: Big Shot, Holiday Collection Framelits (retired)
Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details (on sale now until December 2nd!)