Capacious Hold-all: as any good purse should be!

This was inspired by a purse card-holder by "SheStampsHeCamps" on s.c.s here. She so kindly provides easy directions here. What I especially adore about her design is that you can put standard cards in it (with room for a little tissue, or shred, on top) OR you can go for bigger cards. It holds 5 and a half inch square cards like a dream (or 5x6 inches or 6x6...GRIN!)

If you'd like a template for the handle pieces and corner pieces just let me know. I made one with four of each of them on it; it adds speckles to whatever cardstock you run through the printer. (I just photocopied a piece of naturals card stock.) I can make a non-speckly version if you'd like...
ETA Here's the post with that speckle free template for the purse parts :0)

I used Stazon ink(timber brown) to stamp the "Baroque Motifs" flourish on the Basic Grey Paper( BLI-348) Polar Blue, from their Blitzen Collection. I touched up the flourish with a black stamp'n'write marker for some depth. The faux leather pieces are cut out of "Close to Cocoa" cardstock then daubed with "Chocolate chip" classic ink on a sponge dauber. The paper piercing was done with a 1/16 inch hole punch & a mechanical pencil to "emboss" the stitches (then I went over top of the stitches with a "Close to Cocoa" stamp'n'write marker. The brads are from the new vintage set. For details on how the flower for the tag was made please see this post.

Thanks for taking the time to look!
:0) Mel

Gift Boxes Galore: 2-5-7-10 Box

This purse/bag/box is super super super easy to make (especially if you use designer papers!--No stampin!) The tutorial for this box is here. I just changed one thing to ensure a great fold in the top:

After step 4 where you have scores all of your lines and you cut as it says to do, I chose to score along the middle of the side pieces--from the top down three-quarters of the way (they are 2 inches wide, so I scored in the middle.) This eliminates step 8 and makes it super even.

The beads were inspired by NancyRuth's great halloween bags on s.c.s. The paper is Inspire by Basic Grey from their Infuse collection (inf-834). The beads are from the dollar store. The ribbon is S.U.'s taffeta in "Chocolate Chip."

Happy Stampin'
Mel

P.S. ETA: here's a great video tutorial series on how to make a 2-5-7-10 box part 1 SCORING, & part 2 CUTTING, & Part 3 ASSEMBLY & part 4 FINISHING

Stocking Stuffer Boxes!

EDITED TO ADD: I've spent the whole day trying to rescan and email this double-template (with a migraine) I am goin' nuts! (I figure it's okay to vent about my own technical ineptness, no?) So, here is the source for the template. I hope it works for you ( I REALLY hope it works for you, LOL!): s.c.s. thread double template...

This is originally a carrot box from the Stampin Up demo website, but these are perfect for hanging on the Christmas tree. My family has a tradition of putting Christmas cards on the tree and people search out their card; makes you feel like a kid again! With little name tags, these could be used the same way. You won't believe how easy these boxes are. You can whip one together in 10 minutes or less. These have lip-gloss in them, but would also fit mascara, candy or toys, jewelery and other baubles or trinkets...even money or paper gift cards rolled up for those hard to buy for people. I'm dying to do these in Stampin Up's "Wintergreen" Designer Series Papers, but I'm waiting to add that paper order to my friend Kim's card party. Oh the torture of waiting!!! LOL.

If you'd like the template, just leave me your contact info. (I've scanned it to fit two on one page, so it wastes much less designer paper; can't stand waisting that stuff, and I rarely use scraps--shame on me!) ;0)

To make your own:

Supplies:
All you need is patterned paper, a hole punch, some double-sided tape & ribbon.

1. Simply cut a piece of patterned paper to 8.5 width and run it through your printer (just be sure the 'inside' of the box is receiving the ink.) It looks great with double-sided paper.

2. Trim the outline, score the dotted lines and punch the holes (that are already marked on the pattern) and

3. Simply adhere one side and run the ribbon through so you have two strands at the front (like on a shoe lace.) Then, tie a standard bow. Use the two tails of the bow to make the hanger (tie a knot where the very top of the hanger would be and trim.) Easy Easy Easy! :0)

[The papers used here are Basic Grey (on the left it's Berry Branch from the Fruit Cake Collection--FRU-598) and (on the right is Tree Skirt from the Dasher Collection--DSH-630.) The middle (one in the back) is retired Stampin Up Christmas paper. Ribbons are all retired S.U. but any would look lovely.]

Just click if you'd like the double template: s.c.s. thread double template...

Here's a Halloween variation.


Thanks for Checkin' these out;
:0)
Mel

Kard for Kimmy!

Going out for sushi tonight with da Girlz. This is to say thanks to Kimmy for all the little things she does that make such a big difference in my life. Hence the phrase: "It's the little things that make life BIG." In hindsight, I would've stamped that sentiment a little lower and over to the right---Sigghhhhhhh---but there it is...

The sentiment is embossed with "Not Quite Navy" craft ink and clea embossing powder. The patterned paper is Basic Grey "Jack Frost (BLI-337) from the Blitzen collection. The rest of the paper is "Not Quite Navy," "Blue Bayou," and "Soft Sky." The snowflake is embossed in silver e.p. then mounted on an image from "Baroque Motifs" (tricked you! Still using it.) ;0)
The "Motif" image is stamped in silver ink then embossed with heat'n'stick powder with "Iridescent Ice" on top. The brads are all current S.U. The ribbon is too; it's the double stitched with the lighter stitches coloured in with a blender pen and "Blue Bayou" reinker to take the contrast down a notch.

Thanks for checkin' this out!
:0) Mel

Square Card set...

...again! This time it's the lucky number 13 though. ;0) Does this card look familiar? It should. It's pretty much the same as the last batch. A couple things are different though:

The "Baroque Motifs" stamping is done in "Not Quite Navy" Craft ink, on solid "Blue Bayou" cardstock instead of patterned paper. I've used the scallop again, but this time in "Soft Sky" with the 1 1/4" circle punch in the middle (makes it so easy!) I've embossed the snowflake with silver embossing powder on "Not Quite Navy" and then added a detail with my zig painty--of dots around the scallop. The main card is "Not Quite Navy." Here's the whole batch:

Thanks for Lookin'! I promise to stop repeating myself soon. LOL,
:0) Mel

Okay, so I had to do a wee bit of stamping. I'm going through withdrawal! This is an invite for Kim's card party. (She'll be having one with me in November.) Since she's my only customer--:0)--I make her invites. The homemade "primas" that I made a gabillion of came in handy for these cards. I made ten fairly quickly. The flourishes are from the"Baroque Motifs" set--again (or still!) :0). They are done in "Chocolate Chip" craft ink (which I never do, since I'm shamefully addicted to embossing everything.) It gives a nice chalky quality, though, which lets the embossing on the flower stand out more. Here are all ten:

One feature that seems to make people happy to receive these is that they're reusable. I just put a sticky note in them and then they can write in them and give 'em away. I was lucky to get (that should read: steal with permission, but I woulda snuck 'em anyway!) sticky notes from Charles that are great colours for inside cards. These ones are a little paler than "Tempting Turquoise." Makes it easier to write in dark cards, and it goes nicely with the background of turquoisey Basic Grey paper (Lollipop Shoppe Blueberry LOL-199.) What a paper-dork I am, huh? Put Basic Grey paper on invites to an S.U. card party! I have to admit, though, that I enjoy stamping a million times more now that I don't worry about schtuff like that.

The edges of the Blueberry paper are sponged with "Chocolate Chip" ink using a Stampin' Up sponge dauber (love those little suckers!) The mat behind it and the scallop (S.U. punch) are "Chocolate Chip." The scallop is sponged with "Chocolate Chip" ink too. The card is Not Quite Navy." Wanna make your own "primas" so you can be lazy like me? See this post. :0)

Thanks for stopping by,
Mel

An Old Card in Honour of New Stamps

I haven't been stamping; I've been cleaning the house like a maniac (by some miracle, LOL.) I've been attacking closets and purging and sorting, so I can go empty out my storage without having junk overload when most of it comes back here to be sorted in turn. I am such a hoard'o'saurus !! It's genetic; I swear! (No really it is) :0)

So, here's a card I made a while back but never posted. I made it for my marvelous friend Kinkers (Kim), who gave me this adorable StampaBella--my first one, but soon to be 'not my only one.' I ordered a couple recently (with my allowance) heehee! I love her little suitcase (gotta get me one of those!) It's cut out and mounted on top for a little dimension... And that is just how my hair looks in the morning (only not as tidy, haha.)

Ingredients: Black stazon, blender pen and reinkers ("Chocolate Chip" hair, "Tempting Turquoise" dress, "Basic Black" stampin' suitcase...) Cardstock: Whisper White, Cool Caribbean blooms with clear embossing and "Tempting Turquoise." The flowers are from the "You make me Happy" stamp set and have beads in the center. The Basic Black background mat has the "Doodle This" flourish embossed in "Whisper White" with clear embossing powder.

Thanks for havin' a look,
:0) Mel

Sick of boxes yet? This is the easiest one in the (under)world, teehee!

You are gonna be tired of me ramblin' on about boxes, but I'm too excited not to share. (Yup, I'm a big stamp geek!) This is so easy! The pattern is just one big rectangle with rounded corners. If you'd like the pattern just lemme know. :0)

Rambling details about our bloodsucking friend and his bat buddies:

I have to admit it, I was feeling sooooooo lazy that I didn't want to get out all my reinkers etc. to water-colour Dracula. Then I wanted to make a moon, and my laziness paid off a little. I leave big messes wherever I go in the house...paper pieces and so on; well, there was a piece of Basic Grey paper and I thought "Hmmmm... that'd make a neat moon," so I used it. I was trying to figure out how to emboss the "River Rock," and I figured I'd use the versamark on the stamp first then the coloured ink. It worked. (Though, I hafta say I wish S.U. had craft pads in the in-colours---and markers and multiple accessories...) Anywho, there's clear e.p. over those inks. Dracula is embossed on the same pattern paper (Basic Grey, Stella Ruby collection "morning on the heath STE-726) with black craft and e.p. He has a dimensional under his noggin and his feet are glued on with crystal effects, so they don't get torn off.

The bats presented a challenge. I have no little bat stamp, so I freehanded with the versa marker. I was left with a bit of a messy looking bat. (The wing tips were rounded because of the thickness of the versamarker.) So I embossed first and then went in with a black stamp'n'write. They are on the patterned paper too, then shaded with a blender pen & black ink. (The moon and Dracula are also shaded with the blender pen and a touch of black ink.) Couldn't be easier :0)

Stamp sets: "Lovely as a Tree" (embossed with black e.p.) A moon stamp from ebay.

Cardstock: retired S.U. Halloween d.s.p. and inside the Basic Grey (listed above) glued on to give the S.U. paper some stiffness. The wire is from the brass one from the "Wire Works" kit.

Thanks for checkin' this out,

:0)= <---Vampire teeth!
heehee,
Mel

Booglie Box with Sproingy Spidey

This box was so much fun & way too easy. I used to be scared witless to do 3D projects! Now I think I like 'em more than cards. This is done with a template from the S.U. Demo site. It's actually a "carrot box" but not anymore. :0) I'll gladly send it to anyone who wants to make one. Just leave me your email.

I just printed it directly onto the designer series paper, by cutting it to 8.5 x 11 and printing on the (white) back. Then I ran a sheet of "Mellow Moss" cardstock through to print it again. I cut the two of them out and placed them both pattern side up. I glued the "Mellow Moss" cardstock on top of the white side of the d.p. (with its pattern facing up.) Then, I scored the dotted fold lines. It was easy to fold and get a perfect point. The top is also super easy to punch, because the holes are marked right on the pattern.

I just stuck the embossed "Boo!" on (it's done by using a stamp'n'write marker to stamp just the boo from "Happy Boo to You!"--and the exclamation mark too.) Then, I just traced over the letters with my versamarker and dipped it in black detail embossing powder. The shadow is done with a stamp'n'write marker. The hodge podge hardware is fastened on the before using thin double-sided tape to close the box along the side. I used the antique brass wire from the "wire works" to attach the spider tot he hodgepodge before I stuck it on with the matching brads. Click on the picture below for a closer look. :0)

For details on how to make this little guy please see the previous post. Thanks for Looking,


EDITED TO ADD: For a template to make the box with (one that prints two to a standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch size page) see this source for the template. Hope it works for you: s.c.s. thread double template...

Here's my Christmas version with clearer directions (and on one sheet of thicker cardstock.)
:0)
Mel

Happy Boo to You: Booglie Box

This box was super easy to make. I just...

1) Printed the easy template on the (white) back of a piece of black designer paper that I'd cut to measure 8.5" x 11 "
2) Then, cut along the solid lines & scored on the dotted lines.
3) Stamped on it-The web stamp is from "Web Wishes" and is embossed in silver embossing powder.
4) Punched out the holes (which are marked right on the template).
5) Put it together with wire.

It is the perfect size for an empty Epicure fruit dip jar filled with mocha beans (for a grown up Halloween treat!) The fruit dip part is important since the garlicy dip jars retain the smell and who wants garlic-y chocolate?

Here's the top of the jar with a circle of cardstock and the embossed phrase from the S.U. "Booglie Eyes" stamp set:

The spider is also from the "Booglie..." set. He's embossed in black and coloured in with a blender pen. His legs (on the stamp) are really hard to cut out attractively, so After stamping 2 spiders, I've made legs this way:

Used black floral centers (or butterfly antennae) from the dollar store for legs...

1) Cut the floral centers in half.
2) Stuck 8 halves onto the back of the spider with double-sided tape.
3) Cut out an extra spider for his back (to cover the legs & tape).
4) Coloured it dark black to obscure the eyes.
5) Adhered the extra spider on the back over the stuck on legs.

He is on a wire that is just stuck inside the box (with double sided tape and cardstock to cover.) There's googlie eyeballs on the top of the jar too.

(this will likely need to print
on borderless printing to fit)

with score lines:
Download PDF on Acrobat here

or click this picture, then right click
& select "save as PNG" (or "all files" for JPG):



with NO score lines:
Download PDF on Acrobat here

or click this picture, then right click
& select "save as PNG" (or "all files" for JPG):

with no score lines no dots:
Download PDF on Acrobat here

or click this picture, then right click
& select "save as PNG" (or "all files" for JPG):

Happy Boo to You!

Mel

Kit's a Treat! Smell Our feet! Thanks for Something Good to eat!

The title of this post---"Kit's a Treat! smell Our feet! Thanks for something good to eat!"--- is what this card says inside, because it was a thank you to our friend Kit who put together a Halloween Treat bundle for us. Just a simple Halloween card with the "Booglie Eyes" set. Something is bugging me about the design, too simple maybe...? But the details were fun to do. You can't see it very well in the photo, but I've used the square punch to punch out the window that the mummy is popping out of. He has a dimensional behind his head to make him 3-d and his hands are shaped to curl out a little. The bat also has a dimensional behind him and his wings, feet & ears are shaped to curl out. Couldn't leave Dracula out of the paper shaping; his cape collar and bottom have swoops. :0) You can glue little wee google eyes on these guys too (I haven't.)

They're all coloured in with water-colour pencil crayons then washed with water to make the colours richer. The "Happy Boo to You" is embossed with white craft ink & white embossing powder. The metal frame is from the dollar store attached with silver S.U. brads.. The card is "Basic Black" cardstock & the yellow squares are "Summer Sun" cardstock stamped with the "Weathered" background in "Only Orange ink."

There's also a black organza ribbon a "Horizontal slot" punched through both layer of the card. I had originally tied it together. (You can slide a candy bar in there that way!) :0)

Have a Happy Halloween! :0)
Mel

Colour Me Awake: nifty net finds in the middle of the night

I've been unable to sleep at night for eons now, and I always find myself lurking around the world wide web, so I thought I'd make myself useful and share some nifty net finds. Tonight my interests seem to be colour-based:

Sophie Landry is amazing at colouring techniques, & she's put together some great tutorials:

Sophie's Basic Marker Tutorial Part 1a

Sophie's Basic Marker Tutorial Part 1b

Sophie's "What's Best?" (3 Media for Colouring) Tutorial


Thanks to Nancy Riley for sharing this wicked sweet

Stampin' Up Colour-Combo Generator


Oh, the wonders of colour that I never learned in high school art class!:

An Incredible Colour Theory Tutorial

Lan's Marker Tips

EDITED TO ADD: Marni's Amazing hexcode & RGB code chart for S.U. colours.

Have a colourful day!
Mel

Challenges are Rockin' my Little Stampin' World!!!

Okay, I've already confessed to doing nothing but challenges all day (and sadly this amounts to 3 cards, "heeheehee oops!"--said in my best happy ditsy falsetto,) but I just hafta tell you (what you probably already know) that challenges are AMAZING sources of creativity. Whoever first came up with 'em was made up of sheer ingenuity. :0) So here's a third challenge post, and it's deceivingly simple-seeming: take a card you've already made and redo it changing nothing but the stamp used. (This Monday's SplitCoastStampers technique challenge.) Here are mine:

Pretty basic, right? Except, this challenge subtly forces you out of your left brain ("hemisphere of organized thought"--place of routinizing, labeling, and other standard modes of thinking) and into your right brain--what I like to call "the upside-down-happy-creative hemisphere" (based on drawing exercises from the astounding book Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards.) When Beth titled her technique challenge "Think Fast" I assume she meant 'Think on your toes.' (She had left a stamp set behind and needed to figure out one, to borrow, that would fit her design); however, "Think fast" also touches on the idea that when you have to think quickly & creatively you cannot resort to your rational mind. Instead, you just tap into your intuitive (right-hand) side.

So why the excited babbling? I found this process absolutely fascinating. It really does become a technique in its own right: you use prescribed supplies to achieve a somewhat prescribed method, but that can have unexpected results. When I wanted to use black or blue ink I had to stay with "Always Artichoke" (I'd NEVER stamp an artichoke snowman! Just wouldn't occur to me.) Then, I would've coloured him blue-my 'default' colour (Nope, had to use "Cranberry Crisp.") I also would have never beaded him. (I bead flowers--that's my schtick,) but turns out I like the artichoke-cranberry-snowman-all-beaded much better. So there you have it, my thoughts in a nutshell (and now I'll stop beating you over the head with my right brain! )

Thanks for the mental challenge Beth! ;0)
Mel

I'm a big square! Challenge for Ginger's "The Ink Spot Blot."

I was a bad girl and did challenges all day, muhahahahaha! That and changed my blog template & colours to include pink in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am pledging to start doing a regular self-exam and am going to pester everyone I know to do the same. That means you, even if I don't know you. You are very important!

This card is for Ginger's square card 'October Sketch Challenge.' I've made square cards before, but her sketch inspired me to go for the big 5 & 1/2 " square for the first time. I LOVE her layout madly, so I tried to capture it element for element. You can barely make it out in the picture, but I did include the sentiment around the circle (it's in the wee brown circle mat & says 'Happy Birthday!' repeatedly.)

Ingredients: Stampin Up cardstock in "Chocolate Chip," & "Close to Cocoa" (sponged with "Chocolate Chip" craft ink on a sponge dauber.) The center circle is Basic Grey paper--from their "Motifica" collection (Jade Pattern MOT-070.) The "Doodle This" flower is embossed with "Chocolate Chip" craft ink and clear embossing powder. Then Washed with a gabillion reinkers: "Blue Bayou," "Soft Sky," a wash of "Always Artichoke" with a hint of weak "Chocolate Chip" wash on the outside edges as well as "Ruby Red," and "Pumpkin Pie." The brown center of the flower is just stamped with the 'Spring Bouquet' punch and daubed with "Chocolate Chip" classic ink for depth. The swirls are (what-else-but-my-beloved "Baroque Motifs" flourish) stamped in what-else-but "Chocolate Chip" craft ink. Ribbon is the scrumptious "Tafetta" in "Chocolate Chip." I gotta get more of that stuff. The white is dyeable (I know 'cuz I dyed the "Chocolate Chip."--I'm going for a world's record for how many times I can say "Chocolate Chip" in one post, sorry... :0) Silver eyelets and an ice gem brad in "Soft Sky" are also on here.

What absolute joy to make cards just for fun; I think I might schedule in fun-card-making-days every once in a while in place of mere 'productivity.'

Thanks to Ginger for the divine inspiration! (but not for inadvertently prompting the 'Huey Lewis and The News' song to play over and over in my brain.) If "It's hip to be square," then I'm VERY hip!
;0) Mel

Caardvarks Challenge: scalloped pocket bookmark card

This is for a Caardvarks challenge; I just found their awesome blog. This challenge was to use scallops. It's open until Tuesday October 2nd at midnight, so get on there! :0) There are three scallops on this card: the circle scallop frame is a piece of cake; it's done by punching a 1 & 1/4" circle into "Blue Bayou" cardstock, then centering the scallop punch over it. (Inspired by Kristina's scallop frame tutorial here.) The vertical "Blue Bayou" scallop is made by taking the guard off of the S.U. corner rounder and punching along the edge of cardstock; to get the little frayed pieces between scallops just leave a little space as you go along (and then pull off the little triangular piece that's left.) The third scallop is a standard one (at the top of the pocket) done with the same technique as the vertical "Blue Bayou" scallop, but with no spaces left.

I dug into my designer paper for this one. LOVE that Basic Grey Baby! The papers used here are from two different Basic Grey collections. [The flowered one is from "Fruitcake" (Jubilee/Spearmint--FRU-609.) The more solid one is from "Stella Ruby" (Morning on the Heath--STE-726.)] Other cardstocks used are my faves Stampin' Up "Blue Bayou" & "Soft Sky." The ribbon is double-stitched "Blue Bayou" (gently singed with a lighter flame on the ends--to keep it from fraying.) The stitching is done by paper piercing first, then going through with a needle and thread (thread's dyed by sponging with "Not Quite Navy" craft ink.) The "Soft Sky" card is sponged with "Certain Celery" ink on a sponge dauber. The round sentiment is from the "Circle of Friendship" set; it's stamped twice on the solid Stella Ruby paper (once in "Blue Bayou" and once in "Chocolate Chip." The pieces are punched using the 1 & 1/4" circle punch and the 1/2" circle punch and backed by a 1 & 3/8" circle of "Blue Bayou."

This is the bookmark that slides into the pocket:

It's made on "Naturals White" cardstock with the "Oh SO Lovely" set embossed in "Chocolate Chip" craft ink and clear embossing powder. The flowers are water-coloured with reinkers ("Blue Bayou" & "Soft Sky") and have a bit of Crystal Effects painted on them to give gloss. The white portion of the bookmark is cut using the 'out of the box' technique (<--click the link for a great tutorial by Leslie Miller.) I've softened the contrast with a sponging of "Certain Celery." (It looked stark.) The wording is stamped with the 'Thank You' sentiment from the "Stem Silhouettes" set (in "Blue Bayou") and the 'Gratitude' sentiment from the "Define Your Life" set (in "Soft Sky.") There's a second scallop circle on the back (with no hole in it) to hide the "works."

Thanks so much for looking,
:0) Mel

Back to Christmas Cards: peaceful poinsettia

This is a much more traditional card than I usually make. I've had poinsettias on the brain. (Next it'll be non-stop Christmas carols!) I built this around the the designer paper, 'cause I love love love it! You gotta see it in person--It's by Basic Grey, their Dasher collection (Tree Skirt DSH-630).

This poinsettia is a (retired) set "Paint Prints" stamped on "Ruby Red" cardstock in "Real Red" craft ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. The center is beaded with crystal effects. The leaves are clear embossed too (with Versamark.) The circles (so addicted to those little suckers right now) are done with the Creative Memories cutting kit (again.) The other papers are S.U. cardstock (as usual) in "Ruby Red," "Always Artichoke," and "Mellow Moss." The phrase is Versamark & clear e.p. and is from the "Peaceful Wishes" set (go figure, huh?)

Have a snookum kinda day,
:0) Mel