Stamp with Annette

Are you coloring-challenged?

Some people love to color. Others, not so much. If you are someone who shies away from line art because you can't stand the thought of coloring the whole image, I invite you to rethink your tendencies.

I received this super cute box filled with yummy brownies from my friend/customer Angela for Valentine's Day. She is such a sweetie! I'm showing this to you now because 1) I didn't get to it in February, and 2) what Angela did is relevant for any line art image.

Angela used a marker to highlight just a couple of things in the image, the things that shouted "Valentine" to her, things that shouted "color me red," things that made the card coordinate with the package. She didn't take the time to figure how to color flesh and hair or what other colors would coordinate with her package. She added some embellishments (ribbon - non-Stampin' Up!; scallop border punch) and created a project that was quick and easy, super cute, and made my day! Thanks, Angela! :-)

You could do this same thing with any of the images from the Greeting Card Kids set that Angela used. For the school kids- color the apple, the girl's hairbow, the books, the lunch bag, the boy's suspenders. For the Christmas image- color the tree, the girl's hat and mittens. For the Halloween image- color the pumpkin and the girl's hat. You get the idea.

Now, go dig out a line art stamp set and see how easy it is to make a cute, quick card!

Happy stamping, everyone!

Annette

Cupcake Cuteness

We had stamp club last night, and the theme was cupcakes. Zoey was ready!

This is my precious new granddaughter. I'm sure you will be seeing plenty of scrappin' projects featuring her! Emily put this little onesie on her yesterday, not even knowing that I had cupcake themed projects for my stampin' ladies. Thanks for indulging this new grandma. :-)

Ok, on to our club projects! I promised the ladies that I would provide all of the measurements today, so they can recreate these fun things at home. This is what we made:

There is a little pocket that slides off the card:

and you open it from the top:

The card is Pretty in Pink, cut 4 X 11, scored at 5 1/2. We ran just the front through the Big shot with the Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder then punched a hole in the bottom right with the 1 3/4" circle punch. A 3 3/4 X 5 1/4 Very Vanilla layer is inside. The greeting is stamped with Early Espresso. Close the card to position the cupcake through the circle window.

 To create the top piece, cut your card stock (mine was Early Espresso) to 3 1/2 X 5 1/4. Score at 1/2" from each end, turn, and score down the middle at 1 3/4. Fold on score lines, and trim off two of the little flaps. It should look like this:

Use the scallop border punch on the two long sides. Use Sticky Strip on the two flaps to form a little pocket. I adhered at 3/4 X 4 strip of Pretty in Pink along the front and wrapped Vanilla Seam Binding and Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta all the way around, tying a knot in front.

To make the cupcake box, cut a piece of card stock 8 1/2 X 8 1/2, and score at 2 3/4 all the way around. Trim the corners from score line to score line. Fold on all score lines. Trim along score lines on one side, stopping at the intersecting score line. Repeat on opposite side. It should look like this:

If you want a window in your box, use a punch on one of the sides with the triangles still attached. I used the 1 3/4" circle punch. The lid covers a small part of the window, but I decided that was ok. I adhered a small piece of window sheet on the inside of the box to cover the hole. Place Sticky Strip along fold lines of the triangle pieces to hold your box together. You want it to look like this:

Note that I turned my card stock over after folding on the score lines. You want the Sticky Strip to be on the side with "mountain" folds. The triangle pieces will be on the inside of the box when you put it together:

For the lid, cut your card stock to 5 3/8 X 5 3/8; score at 1 1/8 all the way around. On two opposite sides, trim along score lines until you meet the intersecting score line. Like this:

 Use the scallop border punch all the way around. (You may want to do this before you fold and trim on the score lines.) I didn't worry about trying to match the scallops at the corners. I trimmed the scallops off the flaps, so they wouldn't show when I put the lid together. You want your lid to look like this before you put it together:

Sticky Strip on the flaps holds the lid together.

If you do not want to have scalloped edges, your box lid will be 4 7/8 X 4 7/8, scored at 7/8 all the way around. The pocket for the card will be 5 1/4 X 3, scored at 1/2 on both short ends, and 1 1/2 long ways.

 Here is a close up of the tag on the box:

The cupcake on the card is the same. Love the Create a Cupcake stamp set and coordinating punch from the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Hints for this stamp set/punch combo:

• Stamp one image at a time on a strip of card stock and punch it out. I made my strips about 1 1/4" wide.
• I used two Dimensionals, placed half on the cupcake top and half on the cupcake bottom, to hold the pieces together. These also hold the whole cupcake image to the tag or card.
• To make the "frosting" on the cupcake, I scribbled a small amount of the Tombow Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue on the stamped image, sprinkled with clear embossing powder, and heated with the heat tool until the e.p. was melted and bubbly. Careful, though; if you heat it too much your frosting will turn brown. Let it cool completely before suing the punch on it.
• Cherry Cobbler card stock, of course, makes the perfect cherry. :-)

I think that covers everything, but if not, give me a shout, and I will answer whatever questions you might have.

(Huge thanks to Wendy Hawkinson for inspiration on the cupcake box, and Catherine Harwood and my friend Katy Zamer for inspiration on the card design.)

Oh, I also made cupcakes with the intention of giving everyone a super cute cupcake to put in their boxes. Ummm... super cute they were not! I will try again, though, because super yummy they were! Click here for the recipes for the cupcakes and frosting. And note that a stand mixer will be your best friend for this recipe! (I did not do the sugar water spray and didn't wrap the cupcakes in plastic wrap.)

Happy stamping (and baking), everyone!

Annette

Stamp Club Valentines

Stamp Club was last Monday, and we made a couple of Valentines.

It's hard to tell (I really should have used my other camera. I will remember next time!) but this is Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler. The Vanilla layer was run through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. The heart was embossed and cut out with the Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit. There were several little tips/techniques on this one card:

1. We made the scalloped edge by trimming off the top of two hearts (cut with the same heart  Embosslit), snipping the two "humps" apart, and attaching the pieces to the back of the stamped strip. 

2. We used the Clear Mount I {Heart} Hearts set with the F (4 7/8" X 6") clear block.  We were able to arrange several hearts on the block at once to create a background image that could be stamped all at once.

3. To gather the ribbon, we frayed one end with our fingers, grabbed one of the fibers and pulled. 

Happy stamping, everyone!

Annette

Frankie Box Tutorial

This little box has been very popular! And I must admit, it's pretty cute. Wanna make some? Here's how:

Use the Big Shot to cut the Fancy Favor Box out of a piece of 6X12 Old Olive card stock. Trim off the "fancy" part to use on another project. Save the scraps of Old Olive to punch out eyes and a nose for Frankie.

Fold on the score lines to make it look like this.

Apply adhesive as shown above. I like the Tombow Multi Liquid Glue for this project.

Fold the edge over to glue the flaps together. Leaving it flat on the table makes it easier to get it lined up. Set the box aside.

Tip: When I'm using this glue, I like to leave it upside down in a punch so that the glue is always ready in the tip of the bottle.

Use your paper snips to cut little wedges out of a 1X11 piece of Basic Black card stock to create the hair. I just snipped what will be the front.

Hold the hair piece on the front, and fold it around the corner.

Continue doing this around the box...

until the hair piece looks like this.

Apply adhesive to the front section of the hair piece, and attach it to the front of the box.

Work your way around the box, gluing the hair on one side at a time. (Note that the bottom of the box is still not put together.)

With a 1" circle punch, punch out two half circles. If they end up being very different sizes, just put one on top of the other and trim the larger one with your scissors. Easy fix! While you've got those scraps handy, use your 3/4" circle punch to make a circle for the nose.

Sponge both eyelids and the nose with Old Olive ink.

From Basic Black card stock, punch two 3/4" circles. Add a little white detail with the fabulous uni-ball Signo Gel Pen.

Use the Tombow Glue to adhere the Basic Black circles to 1" Whisper White circles. I like mine toward the bottom of the white. Use a Dimensional to attach the 1/2 circles on top.

Attach the eyes right up against the hair, centers touching. Attach the nose, sticking it under the eyes. The top of the nose is right where the two eyes are touching, so you can't see it.

 
Use the bullet tip of the Basic Black marker to draw his mouth and some stitches.

Fold three flaps in and apply glue to the remaining flap. Fold it over.

Turn the box right side up, and apply pressure to the bottom until the glue is dry enough to hold. A bone folder will also work, if you don't want to stick your hand in there.

Apply a generous amount of adhesive to a Rolo.

Place the Rolo on the side of your box. Hold it for a minute until the glue holds. Repeat for the other side.

I like to prop my box on top of a stamp pad until both sides are dry.

Isn't he cute! Mine has a medium flat cello bag filled with popcorn and candy corn, tied with 5/8" Old Olive grosgrain.

Happy stamping, everyone!

Annette

Big Shot Baby Card Tutorial

Ok, when working online, save often! I had this tutorial started, the power blinked, and now I get to start over. Hmm. I should know better. :-)  Here we go!

This is the final card that I made at Sharon's last week.

I love this little lamb! This card combines the Big Shot and punch art. What a fun project!

We will start with the lamb. You need these punches:

scallop circle, small oval, and 5-petal flower

Punch two scallop circles from Whisper White card stock. You want one scallop circle to remain whole. On the second scallop circle trim three scallops two times. You want two little pieces with three scallops each.

Punch one small oval from Blush Blossom card stock, and cut it in half. (This is a retiring color, but I think Pink Pirouette will work in the future.) We will only be using one half.

Punch one 5-petal flower from Basic Black card stock. Trim so that you have a piece with two petals. These are your lamb's legs.

Glue one of the half-ovals to the full scallop circle. I like to use the 2-Way Glue Pen or Tombo Multi when doing punch art. If you use the Tombo Multi, just remember that a little dab'll do ya!

Glue one of the 3-scallop pieces to the top of your half-oval.

Glue the second 3-scallop piece above the first, so that the straight sides are meeting. Now your lamb has a head. :-)

Glue the Basic Black piece to the back of the scallop circle to create legs for your lamb.

Use the bullet tip of the Basic Black Stampin' Write marker to make some eyes.

Tie a knot in a piece of grosgrain ribbon (I used Certainly Celery on this one), and attach it with a mini glue dot.

Now for the card to put your lamb on. I changed the colors, so you would be able to see the placement better on the die. Black on black is hard to see in a photo!

You need the Big Shot and the Scallop Circle Bigz Die.

You need a 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" piece of card stock (mine is Barely Banana) folded to 5 1/2" X 4 1/4". Place the fold on the die so that five scallops are above the fold on the card stock. Run your sandwich through the Big Shot (cutting plate, die, card stock, cutting plate).

Your card comes out looking like this. The flat part is the fold at the top of your card.

To cut the layer for your card, line up your scallop card with the scallop circle on the die. Place a 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" piece of card stock on top of your card where you will want your layer to be. I wanted my layer parallel to the top fold. Carefully remove the card, leaving the layer piece (Certainly Celery here) and run the die through the Big Shot (sandwich = cutting pad, die, card stock, cutting pad).

You get a piece like this that should fit on the bottom half of your card front.

Adhere the Certainly Celery layer to the Barely Banana card. Attach lamb punch art. Stamp greeting. (Mine is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, stamped with VersaMark and embossed in white.) I added a Whisper White taffeta bow to the fold.

What a fun baby card! Thanks for hangin' in 'til the end! Now, go make some sheep!

Happy stamping!

Annette

Triangle Box Revisited

I was first introduced to the triangle box at Leadership a few years ago. Then at convention last August (I didn't get to go, but I saw pictures!), Shelli, the co-founder and ceo of Stampin' Up! demonstrated this box again. Her demonstration has triggered a new-found interest in this box, and demonstrators everywhere are overflowing with creative ideas for it. I demoed this box at my Oct. 3 stamp camp in Topeka. Here are the ideas I shared:

This one was based on Shelli's convention demo. I stamped with VersaMark ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. A half pearl from the Pretties Kit provided the finishing touch. (Rich Razzleberry card stock, Razzle Dazzle stamp set, Rich Razzleberry polka dot grosgrain)

For this one, I used Kraft card stock and stamped with Serene Snowflakes in Whisper White Craft ink. I embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder and tied it closed with the Whisper White Organza ribbon. A loop of silver cord allows you to hang this one. Wouldn't it be fun to have a tree full of these? Everyone coming to your holiday party could take one as they leave. What a fun favor!

You want to fill this one with candy corn, of course! No stamping, just Whisper White, Only Orange and Yoyo Yellow card stock, tied together with black gingham ribbon. I don't remember where I saw this idea, but I love it!

I saw this idea on Heather Summers' blog and just had to make one. It uses the Halloween Frights stamp set, Basic Black, Old Olive and Elegant Eggplant card stocks, Old Olive grosgrain, linen thread, Silver Encore ink, Basic Black Classic ink, circle and square punches. There is an extra strip of card stock that creates the rim of the hat.

Are you seeing the possibilities with this pattern? Here's how to make the basic box:

Begin with a rectangular piece of card stock. This is Kraft, cut 3X6. It works well if one side is twice the length of the other side. (3X6; 4X8; 2.5X5; etc.)

Score in the middle of the long side. I scored at 3" on the 6" side of my card stock.

On the shorter ends, just make a little mark at the half-way point. I did a tiny score mark at 1 1/2" on each 3" side of my card stock.

 

Turn your card stock so that you can score from the middle of a long side to the middle of a short side. Do this four times to get all of the sides.

Fold on all of your score lines.

Fold two sides together and punch through with the Crop-a-Dile. Do this on both sides. Then thread your ribbon of choice through the holes. No adhesive! The ribbon is what holds this box together.

I would love to see your ideas! If you make a triangle box, be sure to leave a comment with a link to your creation.

Happy stamping, everyone!

Annette

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Cutter Kit - Cutting Tool

I really didn't forget about my promise to show you how to get good use out of your Cutter Kit. This summer has just been a little crazy. When I was at convention, my friend Karen was kind enough to give me one of her 6X6 pages that she had made to swap - even though I didn't get any swaps made to be able to trade her one! I think the first thing I said was, "Can I post this on my blog?!" One, it's a very nice page. I love the colors and the Designer Series Paper that she used. Two, I immediately thought of my promise to you all about Cutter Kit instructions! Here is Karen's page:

She used the new Dreams du Jour stamp set, Pink Piroutte, Riding Hood Red, and Whisper White card stock, Riding Hood Red Classic ink, Bella Rose Designer Series Papers, Scallop Edge and Trio Flower punches, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain, and the Cutter Kit.

The Cutter Kit was used to make the wavy strips of paper. I love the way Karen overlapped several strips and then accented them with the flower punches. Here is how she made the strips:
You will need the Cutter Kit (of course), a self healing mat, and a piece of Designer Series Paper or card stock. The paper is easier to work with since it isn't as thick. If you choose to work with card stock, just apply more pressure as you roll the cutter.

Holding the cutting blade straight up and down, simply press it into the paper and roll it along. If the cutting blade is at an angle, it will not work as well. This is a free-form deal; don't worry about being exact. You will achieve smoother cuts if you roll quickly rather than trying to go slowly and get it just so.

Cut lots of strips and layer/weave them together as Karen did, or just use one as an accent. Either way, have fun!

Spiral Pop-Up Card

I've done pop-up cards before, but I had never seen one like this until I was at convention a couple of weeks ago.
Wouldn't that be a fun surprise to find inside a card?! Want to know how to make one? Good, 'cause I'm excited about it and want to share! These are the basic supplies you will need: sharp scissors (SU! Paper Snips here), Tombo Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive, and a circle punch. I used the 1 3/8" punch. Our new 1 3/4" punch might be a better option, but, alas, I do not own it - yet.Punch out your circle (I used the new Baja Breeze card stock).Use your snips to make a spiral out of your circle. The spiral needs to be wide enough for you to attach small images to. Mine is about 1/8".
  Place a dot of adhesive on the end of your spiral, and attach it to the inside of your card. The size of the circle you start with will determine how far from the fold you will want to be. A larger circle (thus more coils in your spiral) can be farther from the fold.

Compress your spiral, and place a drop of adhesive in the center. Close your card. Wait just a few seconds to allow the adhesive to dry a little.

When you open your card, the spiral will coil from one side of your card to the other. Use just a drop of adhesive to attach images to the spiral. I placed one butterfly over the spot where the coil attaches to the bottom of my card.

To cover the other spot where the coil was attached, I used two layered 5-petal flower punches.
Warning! Be sure you use just a drop of adhesive! If any seeps out the edges, your card will be stuck together. And that would be a major bummer!

Another tip: If you want to stamp on the front of your card, be sure you do it before attaching everything on the inside. With the coil and images on the inside, your closed card is a little lumpy. Guess this particular card will have layers on the front rather than stamps directly on it. :-)

Supplies used: Flight of the Butterfly stamp set, Rose Red, Old Olive, More Mustard, Baja Breeze and Whisper White card stock, Rose Red Classic stamp pad, 1 3/8" circle punch, 5-petal flower punch, Paper Snips, Tombo Mono Multi Adhesive.

Ka-chunk!

That's the sound of my new scallop edge punch. I love this punch! It is so much easier than using the slit punch or the corner rounder to scallop the edge of my project. I think you need this punch! So I decided to give you a quick tutorial on how to use it.

This is what the punch looks like. Notice the little notches that help you line up your paper.

Position your card stock in the center of your punch. Or use the silver scallop image on the punch to determine what you want at the end of your card stock (whole scallop, half scallop...). Push down on the lever.

If you pull your card stock out, this is what it will look like.

Put your card stock back in the punch, and slide it to one side. Match the scallops on your card stock to the silver scallop image on the punch. Push down on the lever.

This is what you should have now.

Slide your card stock in at the other end of your punch, and match up the scallops again. Push down on the lever.

Voila! The edge of your card stock has a perfect scallop! Even better, it was quick and easy! The little strip you see at the right in the picture is a bonus. Use it as a great coordinating embellishment on your project!

This punch really is one of my must have items from the new catalog. Let me know when you want one of your own. :-)

A Rainbow of Color

Have you ever been in the middle of a project and decided that you need a specific color of ribbon, only to realize you don't own that color? Happens to me way too often! So here's a quick fix to that problem: dye your ribbon! It may sound like a hassle, but, really, it's easy.
You need white ribbon (grosgrain is shown here, but our taffeta will work as well!), a dye based ink pad (here it's Rose Red), and a sponge dauber. Simply lay your ribbon on your ink pad, press it down with the dauber, and pull the ribbon.You will need to pull the ribbon across your ink pad several times. Alternately, you could just lay the ribbon on the ink pad and tap it with the dauber, moving the dauber along the length of the ribbon until you have the desired color. Your ribbon will look splotchy at first, but just keep going. The color will even out. When it does, set the ribbon aside to dry. If you are in a hurry, you can zap it with your heat gun to hurry along the drying process. And, just like that, you have the potential to use 48+ colors of ribbon!