sniff... sniff

My time has come to step down from Sunday Stamps. It's been a wonderful two years designing with many lovely ladies along the way. You've seen some new faces on the DT over the last few months and I know that these ladies will continue to wow you with their awesomeness!

For my last post as a DT member, I wanted to give a little sneak peek on new products coming out in January. I kept the card fairly simple because I wanted to showcase the delicate butterfly - a new Framelits collection from the Occasions catty. Do you recognize that stamp set? Probably not... but you can earn that beauty for FREE during Sale-A-Bration!

These delicate Framelits will take a little patience (clearly I've got to spend a little more time cleaning up my cutouts in the future), but I think well worth the effort! I am a sucker for butterflies after all and I think these Framelits are a definite WOW! Can't wait to play with them a little more...

You've got three weeks - until Friday, January 2nd - to play along with us this time around and hope you'll join in the fun! 

Until next time, stay crafty!

Steph

RECIPE:
Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight
Challenge: Sunday Stamps

Magazine Gift Bag - Tutorial!

A while back I posted my magazine gift bags and the post was quite popular... but I didn't include a tutorial. Well, I have one now!

As I was preparing my tutorial, I discovered that I never wrote down my measurements. haha. I spent hours and countless tries designing that bag and I never jotted down the details!! Argh. Well, perhaps this was good news because I came up with a much better design. I've always said "everything happens for a reason"...

Check out the full tutorial here. I've also entered it into a contest, so I would appreciate your vote and feedback. :)

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

How To...

Have you ever been frustrated when gift wrapping? Annoyed that your presents don't sit flat because you've got a knot at the bottom in order to tie a bow on top? Well, here is my "how to" so you can avoid that!

Easy peasy. Hope this "how to" was helpful and the pictures were able to help you achieve a beautifully wrapped present!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

It's All Plum at Sunday Stamps!

Well, what can I say? This time of year is completely nutty for me and my business. On top of that, I'm still without my craft studio & half my house is under renovations! Needless to say, my Blog has been neglected, and probably will be until the end of the year unfortunately.

The good news is that I have a colour challenge to share with you today from Sunday Stamps!

I had a wee bit of trouble with this colour challenge. Perfect Plum is not a colour I use often, but I think I made it work. I inked up my Age Awaremenss stamp set for the first time with this card. It's such a fun & versatile set.

Stampin' Up!'s Photopolymer stamps sets are AMAZING!! If you haven't used them yet, you have to give them a try. The best I've ever used or seen. They're at a great price-point and you can see exactly where you're stamping every single time. :)

Anyway, hope you'll challenge yourself and join us over at Sunday Stamps this round. Check out the other DT members too because they rocked this one!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Naturals, Very Vanilla, Perfect Plum & Wisteria Wonder
Ink: Perfect Plum, Wisteria Wonder
Stamps: Age Awareness, Flower Shop, Petite Flowers
Tools: Flower Punches
Accessories: Jewels
Challenge: Sunday Stamps

Colour Challenge for Sunday Stamps!

Welcome to another week at Sunday Stamps! This week we've got a colour challenge - Cherry Cobbler (red), Daffodil Delight (yellow), Pumpkin Pie (orange) & Tempting Turquoise (blue)... neutrals are also always welcome, should you choose.

This one was tough for me! Not just the colour combo, but also because I was challenging myself not to make a Fall or Thanksgiving card (these colours were screaming me to do so!).

A while back I did many posts around buttons, and today I went back to them again. I knew I still had some of these colours in there. I added some jewels to them (because who doesn't love bling?!) and placed them on top of some punched butterflies.

After stamping the butterflies on the base layer, I embossed it with the Honeycomb TIEF for some added interest. After all was glued, I felt like it needed something else. I remembered seeing a project with baker's twine and I thought that would be a nice touch. Turns out I was right!

Hope you'll be able to play along with us. I know you the colour scheme may be tough, but I hope you'll challenge yourself. That's what this is all about anyway, right?! Don't forget to check out the other DT Member Blogs and link up before October 31st!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight & Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Stamps: Kinda Eclectic
Tools: Big Shot, Honeycomb TIEF, Bitty Butterfly & Butterfly Punches
Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Buttons, Jewels
Challenge: Sunday Stamps

Paper Pumpkin - August 2014 Kit

Are you a Paper Pumpkin subscriber? If not, it's so much fun and I encourage you to join! I love the kits, but always challenge myself to design more with it. I'm a bit behind, but today I wanted to share with you the August 2014 kit. Here's a video of what you got and what you were suppose to make. :)

These are the only cards I made that were similar to the featured projects:

The trick for creating many more projects with a kit is to be willing to cut up any pieces you get - I cut up card bases and envelopes to be able to accomplish what you'll see below. In this particular kit, you received four striped card bases... just cutting those in half and mounting on plain card stock would give you eight cards.

These cards use other stamp sets and punches, but I used the "garbage" pieces from the circle punch outs that people would normally throw away. I utilized them as part of my design!

I used two card bases from the kit, cut them in half and strategically used some Framelits to cut pieces for three different card designs, making four of each of these cards:

This one also uses a "garbage" piece - the piece that was left behind from the banners included in the kit. I cut it into quarters, covered the first three banner punch-outs and used the fourth as part of my design. :)

The majority of the circles (that were meant for all the envelope closures), I used to make flowers.

I cut this laser-cut "congrats" down a bit, backed it with part of a pink envelope, added a small scallop border to the bottom and then fussy cut a heart that was meant to be a small note card (you can see that heart in the card following this one).

The kit included eight shaped mini cut out pieces (i.e. the heart below) and four mini card bases. Like the larger card bases, I cut them in half and used them in various ways.

When my husband saw this card, he said "why would you make a card that says "hell". But you can see that the flower is an 'o', right?! I brayered the white piece with the laser-cut "hello" in it and then die-cut it with my Ovals Framelits (the negative was used on the inside).

All in all, I've made 36 full cards (so far)! 

Yes I know, I used other tools, stamps & card stock, but I really made these pieces from the kit go far! Plus, look at all the pieces I still have to work with. I'm thinking I can get another eight cards made with these leftovers. :)

Hope you've enjoyed the inspiration! I always love reading the comments.

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Create a Gift Bag from a Magazine!

I've been toying with many ideas for bags I can use to package my products in after a sale. I've always used paper bags, both for the environment and to promote/coincide with my paper goods. When I could avoid to do so, I reused bags instead of purchasing them and have used everything from spiced-up brown lunch bags to kraft bags to my DSP bags found here. This is a new venture for me - bags created from old magazines… and what better magazine than the oh-so-inspirational catalogues from Stampin' Up! ?! :)

This is certainly not a new idea, but this bag design is all me. It uses two catalogue pages and I don't even want to admit how many pages I went through before I finally designed something that worked and that I liked!

Three important factors I needed in my design - that it folded flat (for transporting & storage), it was sturdy enough to hold a good amount of product & that it was still 100% recyclable if the recipient didn't want to hang on to it (no staples!).

I'm just so thrilled with my what I came up with. I'm excited that I don't have to just throw all my old magazines into the recycling bin and that I can both advertise my Stampin' Up! business and my love for paper good products with this packaging.

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Blendabilities for Sunday Stamps

Welcome to another challenge at Sunday Stamps! This time around we've got a great sketch for you and I think you'll agree it'll be one you'll use again and again!

A long time ago, I did a series on using up scraps and had made up a bunch of card fronts using strips of DSP to create a herringbone design. There were a few where I only used half a card front and did this sketch scream for me to use those pieces or what?!

For the other half, I embossed a piece of Naturals Ivory CS with the Honeycomb TIEF. Once those pieces were glued to the front, I popped up my flower that I colored using some of the skin tone assortment of Blendabilities.

I actually stamped the middle part of the flower separately and popped that up as well. Behind the flower I added a few leaves from a retired Sizzlet and then finished things off with a bitty butterfly and some jewels coloured with the same blendas. :)

Hope I've inspired you to play along with us this week! Check out what the other DT members have done and then link up your design by October 17th.

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Various DSP
Ink: Memento Black Ink
Stamps: Blended Bloom
Tools: Bitty Butterfly Punch, Skin Tone Blendabilities, Little Leaves Sizzlet, Big Shot
Accessories: Jewels
Challenge: Sunday Stamps

DSP Butterflies

Today is a very simple card and a quick post - one that has been sitting in my "drafts" for months now. :)

Using scraps of DSP (Designer Series Paper), I punched using the two butterfly punches from Stampin' Up!. I wasn't concerned about which patterns to use, I just punched and glued two different patterns together. There really wasn't a match that didn't work.

After embossing my card layer with the Honeycomb TIEF, I adhered my butterflies and added some pearls for extra texture and interest.

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Naturals, Very Vanilla, Various DSP Scraps
Tools: Big Shot, Honeycomb TIEF, Butterfly Punches
Accessories: Pearls

It's All About Gold at Sunday Stamps!

Welcome to another challenge over at Sunday Stamps... and another post from me after about two weeks. :) What can I say, life has been busy! This time around we've got a colour challenge - Blackberry Bliss (so yummy!), Rich Razzleberry, Garden Green & Gold.

I needed some wedding cards, so I thought this colour combo would be perfect. The picture doesn't do this card justice. The gold foil really looks like a gold bar in real life and as if the gold foil wasn't glam enough, I used gold for the card base and sentiment, lots of embossing, gold-threaded ribbon & gold-wrapped baker's twine. :) Since I didn't want to add too much green, I only used a hint of it to peek out from behind the sentiment.

Hope you'll be able to play along with us. You have until Friday, October 3rd. We love to see your creations and don't forget to check out the other DT member blogs to see what they came up with!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Gold Specialty, Gold Foil, Rich Razzleberry, Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White, Garden Green
Ink: Gold
Stamps: Label Love
Tools: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper TIEF (retired), Decorative Dots TIEF, Snowburst TIEF (retired), Perfect Polka Dots TIEF, Artisan Label Punch, Fun Flowers Bigz Die (retired)
Accessories: Gold Baker's Twine, Gold Ribbon
Challenge: Sunday Stamps

SAVE BIG!!

It's true. Today is my birthday and rather than showing you a card I created, I wanted to celebrate with you and offer you a discount on cards and handcrafted items I've made - all found in my online store! This offer is only available today, so make sure you take advantage!

If you're still looking for a little crafty inspiration, I created this flyer in My Digital Studio (MDS) in less than five minutes. MDS is so easy to use and you can quickly and easily create flyers, posters, scrapbooks & more with text, images, stamps, punches & embellishments. :) I'd be happy to chat more with you... contact me anytime to learn more!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Tag Topper Card for Sunday Stamps

Welcome to another week at Sunday Stamps! So excited to have you join us, and to welcome our new DT member Leena! For the next two weeks, we've got a sketch for ya, and here's what I came up with.

I stuck very closely to the sketch, as you can see. I used some specialty paper from the retired Candlelight Christmas DSP as my focal point. I loved the felting on acetate. From there, I stuck with the reds & used some card stock & glimmer paper along with some Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon (retired).

The tags I punched using the Scallop Tag Topper Punch but instead of using paper that was 2" wide, I cut it down to 1-1/2" and it fit nicely between the scallops at the top.

On the inside, I added some more ribbon, anchoring my sentiment. I really love how this turned out!

I hope that you'll be inspired by this sketch and play along. You have until Friday, September 19th at 6 p.m. to link up and don't forget to check out what the other DT members have created to inspire you!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Ink: Early Espresso, Real Red
Stamps: Seasonal Sayings
Tools: 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Tag Topper Punch, Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper TIEF (retired)
Accessories: Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)
Challenge: Sunday Stamps

Hummingbird Collage

Here's a card I did (before the summer, even!) featuring one of the Best of 25 year stamp sets. This one is Best of Shelli and features a good assortment of random images - perfect for collages!

I don't usually use so many bright colours together, but this card makes me happy. I had created several punched embellishments from scraps, so I picked two colours and built from there. Using (seven) different colours on a card is also new for me. ha. It works though because I let the collage be the focal point.

Collage stamping is fun and turns out different every time. I think I'll have to look through my other sets now and see what other creations I can come up with. With the right set, projects can come together really quickly. Great for when you need a card in a hurry!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Crumb Cake, Pistacio Pudding, Tangerine Tango, Melon Mambo
Ink: Calypso Coral, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay
Tools: Big Shot, Decorative Dots TIEF, Flower & Butterfly Punches
Accessories: Sequin Trim, Organdy Ribbon (retired)

The Holidays!

The holidays come early today for all Stampin' Up! fans... the holiday catalogue goes live!! It's always an exciting time for me and gotta love all the new products! Unfortunately, I was only able to put in a tiny pre-order and have not been able to play with what I got yet. :( BUT, I do have a holiday card for you today to celebrate. Check it out:

Now, you may be asking yourself "what Christmas set is that?". It's not! I used a few key pieces from the Flower Patch stamp set in the Annual Catalogue. As I wrote yesterday, it's a MUST-HAVE set, in my opinion. So much versatility, "bang for your buck" and the Photopolymer is so awesome for the layering effects you can achieve with this set!

For the inside, I stamped the same pattern and added a few more key sequins. I opted out of any inside text. I always decorate the inside to match the outside, but it's not often I add a stamped sentiment.

What do you like to do on the inside of your cards?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Baked Brown Sugar, Soft Suede, Gold Foil, Whisper White
Ink: Pistacio Pudding, Old Olive, Real Red, Baked Brown Sugar
Stamps: Flower Patch, Petite Pairs
Tools: Big Shot, Stylish Stripes TIEF, Punches: Word Window & Modern Label
Accessories: Buttons (all retired), Sequins

Ink Fix

Earlier today I posted a picture on Instagram (find it here) about a completed project that landed on top of an open ink pad. Argh! That'll teach me to have a messy cluttered "working" desk because I have several projects on the go. ;) Although, this isn't the first time this has happened, so no lesson learned! ha.

Anyway, here is the fix:

In all honesty, the strip at the bottom really works. It's like it was meant to be! Although, if it were really meant to be there, I would've left more room to the right of the sentiment. :) I used the new (and in my opinion MUST-HAVE) stamp set Flower Patch. It's an awesome Photopolymer stamp set with tons of layering options AND coordinating Framelits!

The inspiration for the card came from some button-holed wood flower pots I had laying around. Having to pack up and move to a temporary space left me searching through my "must haves" of all my craft supplies... and all the stuff I've been hoarding saving for a rainy day. It came down to a "use them or lose them" sort thing.

I stamped the stem in Mossy Meadow and adhered some flower buttons (I'm trying to use more buttons!) to the top with a jewel in the middle of each that I coloured with my darkest Old Olive Blenabilities marker. Love those too!

Anyway, stay tuned tomorrow for something a little different that I've done with the Flower Patch stamp set. You won't want to miss it!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Summer Starfruit (retired), Mossy Meadow, Whisper White, Fresh Prints Paper Stack (retired)
Ink: Mossy Meadow
Stamps: Flower Patch
Accessories: Thick Baker's Twine (Summer Starfruit, retired SAB 2014), Buttons (retired), Jewels

Something's Fishy at Sunday Stamps

I'm so glad to be back designing with this great team again - and excited to have a couple new members too! I took about a two-month hiatus and it feels good to be getting all inky again. This week we've got a colour challenge - Pink Pirouette, Old Olive & Marina Mist.

I've been wanting to make this type of card for a while now and since I never inked up my By the Tide stamp set yet, these colours were calling me to do so! My paper was cut down to 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" and I scored at 3-1/2" and 6". Next, I rant my Window Framelits through the Big Shot, making sure to only have my cutting plates over top of where I wanted to cut. Once that was done, I stamped all my images.

Lastly, I ran my card base through again, this time with the Fancy Fan TIEF. I actually ran it through twice because I wanted the texture to be running a certain way. I thought this TIEF looked like fish scales. ;)

To finish things off, I stamped on a separate piece that I cut with the same Window Framelits and then  layered with my various pieces & some twine. The sentiment is from the new And Many More... stamp set. I love the birthday font and the entire set is fast becoming my go-to for sentiments!

Hope you'll play along with us. You've got two weeks to link up, the collection closes on Friday, September 5th. Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT for great inspiration... and welcome the new members too!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph


RECIPE:
Paper: Old Olive, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink: Marina Mist, Pink Pirouette
Stamps: By the Tide, And Many More
Tools: Big Shot, Fancy Fan TIEF, Typeset Alpha Bigz Die (retired), Modern Label Punch
Accessories: Twine
Challenge: Sunday Stamps