Amanda Mertz ~ Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator ~ didyoustamptoday@gmail.com
Sunday, January 31, 2010
January Stamping Projects
My group of stamping ladies got together earlier this past week to make card organizers to get us organized for the start of 2010. We all had a blast and I think everyone enjoyed learning how to make these simple pocketed books and the cards that went along with it.
Thanks to my father in law we were able to bind our books right away and not have to take them to an office supply store for that part. He recently closed down his business and I was the proud inheritor (is that a word??) of some really cool office equipment and other supplies. Among my treasure was a binding machine! Very cool!! I did get a lot of binding spines from my FIL but there weren't any 1 inch white spines in the stash so I just ordered a box of those from a local paper supply company. Now I can make about 90 more card organizers if I want to!
We used the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Pack found in the Occasions Mini to make our pocketed pages. The ladies had a great time picking out the papers and even had a hard time choosing because all the designs are so pretty in this pack. We embellished the front covers with the coordinating Sweet Pea Stitched Felt pieces. This really made the cover pop and added a lot of interest.
For the 2 cards we made to go along with our organizers we used some new goodies from the Occasions Mini & the Sale-A-Bration as well as my new Big Shot. The first one I choose to do a masculine birthday card as that seems to always be the hardest kind of card for me to make. I can do girlie and little kid with the best of them but guys cards can be hard.
We ran a quarter sheet of Very Vanilla through the Big Shot using the Top Note Die. Then the stack of gifts from the Happy Moments Sale-A-Bration set (FREE!) was stamped with Stazon and water colored with an aquapainter. The "happy birthday" sentiment is only inked once and then stamped 3 times to get the fading color. 2 brads dress up the edges of the Top Note. A few drops of Crystal Effects on the Polka Dot gift finishes this card off. Sweet & Simple for that birthday guy!
Stamps: Happy Moments
Cardstock: Dusty Durango, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla
Ink: Stazon, Not Quite Navy, Bermuda Bay, Dusty Durango
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note die, brads, Crystal Effects, aquapainter
Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner we had to make a card with the new I {Heart} Hearts set in the Occasions Mini. We also used the new Scallop Trim Border punch (FREE during Sale-A-Bration) along the bottom edge.
The sentiment from Well Scripted (Occasions Mini) was stamped in Close to Cocoa on textured Pretty in Pink cardstock and then punched out with the heart punch and popped up on dimensionals.
A Valentine wouldn't be complete with out some Rose Red ribbon.
Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Well Scripted
Cardstock: Kraft, Pretty in Pink (textured), Whisper White
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Rose Red
Accessories: Rose Red grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, Scallop Trim Border Punch
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sweet Cupcake Tags
Last fall I did a craft fair at my son's preschool. It was a bust as far as sales and contacts go but I had fun chatting with the other vendors I was sitting near. One of the ladies I was sitting next to had her own custom cupcake business. She saw a card that I had for sale using the cupcake in the Party Heart set. She asked me to make her a set of tags using the cupcake and the the colors she uses in her business brochures. She wanted to use them on her packaging for her holiday treats.
I colored the cupcake using the Chocolate Chip & Pink Passion markers and then stamped on Whisper White. I used the 11/4" circle punch to punch out the cupcake layer. Then I stamped the frosting again in Pink Passion and cut it out using my paper snips. I added some dazzling diamonds to the frosting and then popped it up on dimensionals. I layered the cupcake on a 13/8" Tempting Turquoise circle and then on top of a Chocolate Chip scalloped circle. A little bit of green embroidery floss and we have a cupcake tag!
Stamps: Party Hearty
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pink Passion
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: 11/4", 13/8" circle punches, scalloped circle punch, dimensionals, markers, dazzling diamonds
Sunday, January 10, 2010
12 Pocket Card Organizer Class - January 26
For my January class I will be teaching how to make this 12 pocket card organizer(colors will be different for the class). Each month has a pocket and a perpetual calendar to keep track of birthdays, anniversaries and other special dates. You won't misplace that special card or forget a birthday once you have this organizer!
For the class we will be making it using the new Sweet Pea Designer Series paper in the new Occasions Mini (pg.33) as well as making 2 cards to go along with the organizer(also using new products!). The cover was designed using My Digital Studio and I will adjust it to match the colors in the Sweet Pea DSP for the class.
I am waiting (very impatiently) for my big box of new goodies from Sale-A-Bration & the mini to arrive so I can play!
The cost of this class will be $15 or FREE with a $50 merchandise order (before tax & shipping). Please contact me if you're interested in attending.
Stamps: None
Ink: None
Paper: Tea Party Designer Series Paper
Accessories: My Digital Studio, binding comb & machine
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Merry Christmas---A Little Late!
So I know Christmas is long gone and everyone is looking forward to Valentine's Day & Easter but I just had to put up a quick post of my Christmas card from 2009. I had decided to use Loads of Love way back in July. I just love that cute little truck and had break it out for a Christmas card. I ended up making 100 of these cards so I wanted it to be something fairly easy with few layers.
I stamped the truck in Stazon on watercolor paper then masked the truck and stamped the presents in the back. I colored the presents in with markers and used a reinker and aquapainter for the truck. Then I sat on the couch watching TV (for several nights!) and cut out what seemed like an endless number of little purple trucks! Thanks goodness for my trusty paper snips!
The trees were stamped in Old Olive several times without reinking to get the faded background look. That was done several times to get the forest. Then the trees were spritzed with shimmer mist made from Shimmer Paint and rubbing alcohol.
The trees were layered on a Rich Razzleberry panel. The truck was adhered in front of the trees and popped up on dimensionals.
Stamps: Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories
Ink: Stazon, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry (reinker)
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, watercolor paper
Accessories: aquapainter, markers, paper snips, dimensionals, Shimmer Paint