Adding Fabric to our Cards!

These are two of my samples from the demonstration I did last night at our Quarterly stamping meeting. I showed how to make the flower out of the many fabrics Stampin' Up carries. (The second card seems to have floated to the bottom of the post...not sure how I did that!!)

The flower is not hard to make but it is a little time consuming. The sizes of fabric I started with are 2 3/4" x 12" and 2" x 12". This width will make two flowers. The fabric needs to be accordian folded down the full 12" in 1/2" folds. Too bad that fabric doesn't score like paper does...that would make this so much easier. Without repeating everything on this post, I am going to suggest that if you want to see a very good video to make this flower, that you go to this blog ... www.jackietopa.typepad.com . You will have to go back a few pages on Jackie's blog as she has posted quite a few days since this was on the front page. She shows all the steps to make the flower.

Just a quick note about the sparkly brad in the centre of the "sister" card, it is not a new product but a combination of 2 current products in the large annual catalogue. I took a silver brad from the 5/8" brad assortment...112534...$9.95 (page 199) and covered it with our Basic Rhinestones...119246...$6.50 (page 198). I didn't add any glue as the rhinestones have adhesive on the backs. I used 7 large for the top and around the edge I used medium rhinestones. I really didn't count them, just put them close together and they fit perfectly around the edge of the brad. The silver brad base makes the rhinestones reflect and really sparkle in the right light!

I have more things to show you from last night but I won't put everything up today!!

Check back in a day or two for more!

So long for now,
Chrissie

Some Cards We Always Hope We Won't Need!

These are two cards that I made for some friends of mine who have lost loved ones this week. As you can see they are very similar, but not identical.

I used Baja Breeze as the card base and the floral decorations are punch outs from the Mini catalgue on page 18. There are two sheets of flowers and one sheet of pink rhinestones...125410...Blossom Builders...$12.50. The flowers match 8 different colours so there are lots of combinations! Some are solid and some you just punch out the pre-cut holes in the petals. Also on the first card, I added some linen thread to make an exact copy of the card on page 18!

Don't forget all the catalogues have great samples in them...just ready for us to copy!! There are some extremely talented designers at Stampin' Up so why not use their creativity to the max.

I have some more cheerful cards to share after tomorrow evening. I am demonstrating how to make a pretty flower, like the one on page 11 in the Sale-a-Bration catalogue at our quarterly stamping meeting. They are beautiful but do take a bit of time to make. If you would like to learn how to make them, please let me know and I can direct you to a video that is very well explained.

This post is short as I am not totally ready for tomorrow evening so I better get that done today!! Be back soon!

So long for now,
Chrissie

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...at Stampin' Up!

Sale-a-Bration time!!! More on that after the card...

This is a copy of the sample card that comes in the monthly magazine that demonstrators get for free!! (You can get Stampin Success, too, if you join my team!)

This Valentine is non-traditional colours of Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, and Wisteria Wonder. They look gorgeous together!! The Hearts Designer paper is from the Sweet Shop package on pg. 33 of the Occasions Mini, 125408...15.95. The heart was cut using the new Hearts framelits dies and the Big Shot. The little heart was punched out of Wisteria Wonder and a small rhinestone was added for some bling. I used some of the Sale-a-Bration (we shorten it to "SAB") free ribbon in Lucky Limeade to edge the front of the card...it is a bit shiny so adds some extra sparkle. The "love you" stamp is from the set, PS I Love You, and was stamped on the inside of the card which shows through the heart hole. I used the lined paper from 124339
...Just Add Cake designer paper...$13.50 in the Idea Book and Catalogue, for the base of the inside of the card. I love this simple, unusual card for Valentines!

More on Sale-a-Bration...
For every $60 you spend on regular items from any current catalogue, you get one item free from the special Sale-a-Bration catalogue. You could choose a stamp set, paper, buttons, brads and ribbons, or even a DVD for your My Digital Studio program. (The $60 has to be before shipping and taxes.)

The other exciting part of Sale-a-Bration is that you could join my team for only $150!! That gives you about $400 of Stampin Up supplies and there is no tax or shipping on this kit!! Think about giving it a try...or just get a lot of product for an amazing price. You have until June 30, 2012 to decide if you are going to continue your demonstratorship, or not. It doesn't matter to me what you choose, I just think this is an amazing deal. (If you don't want the business supplies that come in the kit, I will buy them from you for $20...that makes your kit only $130!!!

Be back soon,
Chrissie

Exciting Week - Not!!

Hi! I just noticed that when I look at other demonstrators websites, I am always looking to see what they created, and then I read the rest of the post. So I thought you might want me to do that to!!

My exciting week started off on Monday with me not feeling well and knowing that I shouldn't be driving BUT I had a dentist appointment not far away so I thought I could manage. Well, I was doing fine until I got into our parking lot and then I stopped watching where I was going. I was digging in my purse for my key card that opens our underground parking garage and I drove right into the post that stands in front of the machine. So to tell you how well I was feeling...not breathing well from my asthma, both sides of my mouth with freezing in them...I parked, looked at the front of the car and didn't see any damage!! Lewis goes out the next day and tells me there is about a 16" square of bright yellow paint on the front fender!! Big surprise to me!!

I decided that I am probably not the first, nor the last person to hit the post, as it IS bright yellow and was just recently painted. They will have to paint it again as half the paint is on our car.

So I decided to stay home for as many days in a row as I can to get more rest and take antibiotics to get things cleared up in my lungs. So far I haven't had any household accidents...touch wood...and hope to get a lot more crafting done in the next few days! (Also I am hoping the weather stays cold for a bit...not bone chilling like today but this mild and rain to cold and snow flip-flopping is really hard on my asthma.)

Okay, so what do you think of this Valentine? I used the other cards that are in the same package as the one I made for New Year's (you get 4 of each style and envelopes). Remember I told you they are FREE with a $60 pre-tax order starting on Tuesday. I am putting in an order on Tuesday so if there is anything you want soon, let me know by Monday. I will be doing lots more orders before the end of March so don't worry if you don't catch me on this order. (There are lots of other items you can get for free instead of these cards in the Sale-a-Bration catalogue...I will put the link on my side bar today if you don't have a catalogue.)

I used lots of other new products on this card...
...the Blushing Bride pleated ribbon...125570...$9.50
...the Paper Doily die...125592...$26.95
...the Hearts Embossing Folder (comes with 2 other narrow folders) ...125601...$10.95 
...the Stamp Set "Take It to Heart"...clear mount 125522...$28.95 and wood mount 125520...$36.95
...Framelits Heart Collection of Dies...125599...$32.95
and our Pearls...119247...$6.50 for 150, 50 each in 3 sizes (I used the medium ones.)

I see that I wrote way too much already so I will be back soon with another card or two for you.

So long for now,
Chrissie

PS: I really love my Dentist, Dr. Laurie Baybayan, none of Monday was anything she did!! LOL!!

First Valentine!

I want to share a variation on a Valentine we made at our stamping meeting on Thursday at Lisa's home. I love this card because it uses so many of the new stamps and products in the new Occasions Mini.

There are the 2 nested shapes, hearts and labels, the P.S. I love you stamp for the verse and the Take it to Heart set for the main heart shaped image. This also showcases the new pleated satin ribbon...here in Blushing Bride, one of the In-Colours.

I have never done this before but I would love to offer you a share of each of the four colours of the pleated satin ribbon. The pleated satin ribbon comes in Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red, Pear Pizzazz, and Baja Breeze (shown in the new Mini on page 12).

I am offering you........
1 (one) yard of each of the 4 colours for $9.45 if you pick it up, and $10. if you want it mailed to you.....
You can buy more than one share if you want to or you can buy your own full rolls!! Lots of options!!


(As Stampin Up is an American company, all measurements are in yards and inches.)


I have all the colours on hand so let me know if you are interested in a share of these four ribbons and I will send them right out to you. (I can't take credit cards for this transaction...but cash, cheque, email money transfer, or I can send you a paypal invoice, are lots of options for paying.


(FYI - Pear Pizzazz is a great match for Old Olive, Riding Hood Red is a pretty close to the former colour Ruby Red, Blushing Bride is a tad darker than the former colour Blush Blossom, and Baja Breeze goes with any neutral...black, white, Night of Navy, etc. So if you don't have the new colour, you could use it with some colours you might have on hand!)

The colours used for this card are white, black and Blushing Bride. So what do you think?


I only have a couple of appts and meetings out of the house this week so I will be making lots more Valentines to inspire your own creations!


So long for now,
Chrissie

New Years Cards

I just love the New Years card that I made and sent to some family and friends who I didn't see at the holidays. I used the cards from the Simply Sent kit, Everyday Elegance. You can buy this set for $14.95, page 193 in the big catalogue OR from January 24th to March 31st, you can get it FREE!! For every $60 order you place from any current catalogue, you can choose 1 item free for the Sale-a-Bration catalogue! It is the most wonderful time of the year!!

I also used our silver glitter paper for the numbers and silver glitter brads. The inside verse is so appropriate..."Imagine the possibilities". Love that saying!

Isn't this card cute!

I will be back in a few days with another creation. Have a Dr. appt tomorrow (hope the roads don't get too messy from the snow) and Dentist appt on Monday...these appts keep me hopping!

Have a great weekend, I'll be back soon with a Valentine for you!

So long for now,
Chrissie

New Year, New Me!!!

Hi everyone...

Welcome to 2012...may this be the year that you feel content, if not always happy, with your lives...or that you do what you need to do to get to that place. I am very blessed with my small family and my large circle of friends...I do feel content at the moment!!

My eyes are fixed and as of the end of July, I got the eyeglasses I needed to do up close work, or reading.

I worked like crazy this past fall crafting lots of items for my friends to take to the craft shows they were part of...helped me make a little money, and helped them with more items on their display tables. I had such a great time doing that but I am going to start earlier this year!! Trying to pack it all into 2 1/2 months was silly!!

We also had Maddie and Blake stay with us every weekend for a couple of months as Sean was working a whole bunch of time at his plant while they had a shutdown to maintain their huge equipment. Brenda could only work on the weekends as someone had to get the kids off to school and be there after school. It was great fun as we had such a beautiful fall but sometimes I was too busy crafting to spend a lot of time with them! They are pretty independent so as long as their TV worked, Maddie had something to craft, and Blake had lots of Lego everything went well!

We had a bit of a rough Christmas as both Lewis' Mom and my Step-Mom (of 40 years!) are both fighting critical illnesses. We know Lewis' Mom at 85 will never recover, but we have the highest of hopes that my Step-Mom at 68 will come through her illness now that she is getting the necessary treatment. A lot of situations happened in the couple of days before Christmas with both of them.

For the first year in many, many years, I did not make Christmas cards or send them out. Still feels off but I am doing some New Year cards! (I may have missed sending them out in the past 35+ years but that would of been the exception to the rule!

I wanted to share that I am back, and healthy, and hope to post at least twice per week on my blog to keep your interest in papercrafting alive and well!

I also wanted to share that I am on the weight-losing program of Weight Watchers on line and getting weighed every second week at my dietician's. In 2011 I lost 26 pounds (most of that this autumn), and have started off 2012 with another 2 lb. loss. I hope to achieve another 25 lb loss in 2012 (or more if I can). Things have just clicked with me this time! I have been on so many plans in the past 40 years and I always put the weight back on, so I have huge hopes that I can eat in moderation from now on. (I have lots of treats but in moderation!!)

So I thought I would start off the New Year with a Christmas project. I made 6 of these to sell and they are all gone. I have 3 more of the project pieces if anyone wants one for next year! It is a reusable Advent calendar and you can put anything like Dollar store trinkets, or notes, or anything else you can think of (into the small, 1 1/2 cubic inch drawers, especially if you don't want your child or children to start the day of with chocolate!!)

So here is an upclose photo of the center of the Advent calendar and then a wider shot showing all the boxes in place. (No two have been identical so any that I would do this year might be different from this one!)

Thanks for checking in, I will be back by mid-week with another creation!

Chrissie