Stampin' & Scrappin' with Donna

APPARENTLY, MARCH IS BABY MONTH

A year ago this month our family was blessed with our first grandbaby ... it's hard to believe she's already a year old, and at the same time I can't remember what life was like without her being a part of our family... I am in Grandma Heaven!

On the same day our granddaughter arrived last year, my cousin Sherrylee in St. Catherines became a grandmother for the first time too! Her little grandson is quite the handsome dude.

 

And my nephew's little angel celebrated her first birthday this March out in British Columbia with her big brother and sister.

Now fast forward to March of this year ... my cousin Marlene became a grandmother on March 2nd in Guelph, ON; ANOTHER cousin  (yes, I have a lot of cousins, lol) became a first-time daddy about week ago in London, ON (yay Scott!) and today a good friend and member of the Artful*Inkers team, Janessa, gave birth to her second child up in Barrie, ON!

Something tells me I've missed one in there somewhere ... no doubt I will hear about my forgetfulness, pronto.

It's doing me a world of good to hear about all these new little babies ... it reminds me that life goes on, even after someone you love passes away. I look forward to telling little Miss Norah all about her great-grandad someday.

Here's an adorable birth announcement card that I recently received from another friend, neighbour and team-mate, Joanna - celebrating the birth of her precious little girl in December.

This card was made using Stampin' Up! punches, cardstock and embossing folder ... inside is a picture of her sleeping beauty and all the details of her birthday.

Go ahead, click on the photo for a closer look. Now, how cute is that!

GOODIES FROM LEADERSHIP

I have a confession to make - there are sooo many brand new products sitting here on my desk that I don't know what to play with first! What a terrible predicament to be in, eh?

I blame it all on Stampin' Up! - they really spoiled us at the Leadership Conference last week .. just look at this list of loot I brought home with me:

• Totally A-maze-ing stamp set (Occasions Mini)
• pkg of Maze Games (Occasions Mini)
• Sale-a-Bration MDS Downloads CD (SAB)
• Fresh Vintage stamp set (SAB)
• Mixed Bunch stamp set (Occasions Mini)
• Loving Thoughts stamp set (Occasions Mini)
• pkg of Jumbo Pearls (Occasions Mini)
• pkg of regular Pearls (IB&C)
• pkg of Rhinestones (IB&C)
• roll of Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon
• pkg of Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (SAB)
• Blossom Builders designer Printed Kit
• On Board Art Journal (IB&C)

PLUS two sneak peek stamp sets that I can't even talk about until they come out in the new Idea Book & Catalogue - what a great haul, right? Stampin' Up! is the most generous and supportive Direct Sales company I have ever come across and I will always be glad I joined their ranks, that's for sure!

I still have to finish the five make & take projects that we were given - I was too busy talking with folk to get them done in the allotted time; big surprise there!) .. I'll post pics once they're done.

In the meantime, here are some of my favourite swap cards from Leadership ... enjoy! (I neglected to get the creators' names so if you see your work here, let me know and I'll give proper credit!)

And if you'd like to join the fun as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator so you can go to the events and get the freebies too - I'd be honoured to have you on my team, the Artful*Inkers. Now, during Sale-a-Bration you can purchase either of the Demonstrator Starter Kits for only $150 and you'll also receive a free pkg of Designer Series Paper or free My Digital Studio downloads every month for the rest of 2012! YOu can read all about it (and sign up online as an Artful*Inker) by clicking HERE

 

IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER

For the last three evenings wehave been busy sorting, pricing and setting up for my big Catalogue Launch and Tent Sale (minus the tent). Here's some things you can expect to see this Saturday:

• Retired Product Sale in the air-conditioned dining room (since the outside temp is an expected 38 degrees celcius on Saturday!!)
• Catalogue Purusing and Order Placing out on the deck (with lots of chairs & ice cold lemonade!!)
• Bake Sale out on the picnic table under the big umbrella (proceeds go to WEEKEND TO END WOMENS CANCERS)
• Select studio fixtures are being sold down in my basement studio (white boards, counter, folding tables, paper rack, etc - see the full list on the wall in the studio)

And here are some of the specials I'm running during the sale:

• Place an order from the new catalogue equal to the value of the retired products you pick out, and the retired stuff goes home with you for FREE! (Hint: shop the retired tables first for best selection, then get a total + order form & catalogue from my assistant, THEN grab a chair outside to write out your catalogue order)
• Single stamp sale (fill a container with the individual   stamps YOU want and pay a flat price for the container - $10, $15, $20 and $25 sizes available to choose from!!)
• Launch of my new line of SCRAP IT papercrafting kits - get an up close and personal look at my latest endeavour!!
• Sign up for any of my Clubs and get a FREE Hostess Set from the new catalogue, in addition to regular club membership perks!! (BIG SHOT CLUB, PUNCH CRAZY CLUB, CHRISTMAS CARD CLUB, or TECHNIQUE CLUB - 4 month committment required; clubs start in September in Guelph)
• Join in my RIBBON & DESIGNER PAPER SHARES - details were emailed earlier this week to everyone on my subscription list; many different product shares are available with five spots per product. As soon a list is filled, I'll order that product & deliver asap! (Mailing service is available for an extra charge if you live too far away to come in person - Canada only, please)

I've probably forgotten to mention something (and I'm sure my helpers will let me know, lol!) - but I think you get the idea ... it's the last Tent Sale I'll ever have here in Guelph, and there's so much going out the door that you can't afford to miss it!! The sale runs from 10 am til 1 pm ...

See you on Saturday!!

HOW MANY PROJECTS CAN ONE STAMPER HAVE ON THE GO?

Sounds like the start of a bad joke, like ... how many stampers does it take to ... never mind.

I'm one of those gals who can't finish anything in one sitting ... as a result, I have TOO MANY unfinished projects on the go on any given day (week, month, even year!)

Funny thing, but In the last six days (coincidently the same length of time my dear daughter has gone past her due date to deliver my precious grandbaby) ... I've had the urge to pick up several half finished projects and as they say, "get 'er done"

So I thought I'd share what I've managed to finish this past week or so ... and I'd love to hear your comments: are you a multi-tasker like me, or one of those "must-finish-this-before-I-start-that" type of crafter? (I can't imagine what that lifestyle would even feel like!)

 

First, a quick card I made for my son-in-law's birthday earlier in March ... with a retired set from Stampin' Up! that fits our family's activities so well that I kept it in my stash. SiL is an avid canoer, camper & fisherman ... I tied the bike onto the back of the jeep to represent all the kiddy stuff he's gonna have to start taking along on their camping trips <grin>

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next - here's a super fun and easy pop-up card that I found online and used as one of the make & take projects at my team's March meeting.

It starts with an 8x8" piece of card stock, add some scoring, glue one corner, and decorate to your heart's content - couldn't be easier! We used the "Ice Cream Parlor" designer series papers, self-adhesive die cuts, printed ribbon and buttons - all of which are FREE with purchase during SALE-A-BRATION this month - gotta love the free stuff!!

Next up is a personal favourite .. this bookmark was our second make & take project at March's Artful*Inkers Team meeting .. designed and presented by Joanna.

I love the bright colours that Joanna used - this also looks great in Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, and Melon Mambo - all from the Brights Collection, which coordinated perfectly with the stack of Brights Patterned Designer Series Papers ... clever girl, our Joanna!

 

We used five different Stampin' Up! punches to make this - can you name them all?

I loved the bookmark project so much that I added it to the roster for my "Mom & Me" March Break class, held last Wednesday afternoon. We all wore hats (for the Mad Hatter Tea Party theme) and decorated them with these flowers, made on the Sizzix Big Shot die-cutting machine:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our final project at the "Mom & Me" class was a Friendship Book .. a mini scrapbook made from plain drink coasters bound together using my little sprial binding machine.

The girls had a grand old time choosing their papers, ink colours and chipboard embellishments to give each book it's own special touches.

Of course, we had to leave room inside to add photos of our best friends later, along with lists of our favourite movies this year, books we've read, and anything else we wanted to remember about 2011!

Then we wrapped up the afternoon with a tea party upstairs in my dining room .. I wish I had gotten photos of everyone who came; but here's one of the person who travelled the farthest to attend!

Thank you all for sharing part of your March Break vacation crafting with me!

Ok, more projects to share tomorrow ... for now, make sure you've ordered all the freebies you want out of the Sale-a-Bration brochure 'cause it ends March 31st.

Also, this Wednesday is the last day to register for our final session of the Techniques Stamp Camp - this time to be held in Waterloo on Sat April 2nd.

And I'm still offering 10% off orders placed before my grandbaby arrives .. something tells me you shouldn't dawdle on this one! <grin>

cheers

 

 

QUICK AND EASY VALENTINES

Busy, busy, busy ... why is that phrase always on our lips? Before I tell you WHY I'm so busy, I wanted to share some QUICK AND EASY Valentines I made yesterday - all four of these 3"x3" cards took about 20 minutes total ... which is about all the time I could spare, lol. (PS - I LOVE Stampin' Up!'s new GLIMMER PAPER ... it's so red and sparkly!)

I try to stamp something every day, but this week I've been occupied with getting ready for this Saturday's STAMP-4-FUN day with my team of demonstrators - I LOVE getting together with these gals ... Artful*Inkers, you ROCK!

And of course, there are a lot of details to iron out for the SALE-A-BRATION TECHNIQUE STAMP CAMPS - my team is putting on this event on four different Saturdays in four different towns - how's that for ambitious! What can I say; we just love creating and we want to share the fun with everyone!

Have you registered yet?

• GUELPH: EVENT DAY: Sat Feb 5th, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wed Jan 26th
• CAMBRIDGE: EVENT DAY: Sat Feb 26th, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wed Feb 16th
• CARLISLE: EVENT DAY: Sat Mar 5th, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wed Feb 23rd
• WATERLOO: EVENT DAY: Sat Apr 2nd, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wed Mar 23rd

You can check out this blog post to see what we'll be making - it's gonna be a FULL day of stamping!

And you can click on this link to register for Guelph's event, or contact me to register for one of the other three events ... I'll be participating at all of them!

cheers,

DAY FOURTEEN: CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Check out today's surprise in the Artful*Inkers' Countdown to Christmas swap ... made by Karen of Fergus (got it right this time, Karen & Sandra D!)

I love this card front - red glitter stripes, polka dots, and a clever use of stamps and scallop circle punches to make a wreath! Who'da thought Pirouette Pink and Baja Breeze would make perfect holiday colours along side Real Red and Garden Green - not me! (All supplies are from Stampin' Up!)

The most versatile card ever designed is the matchbook card - it can hold anything flat; I've used it in the past to hold a gift card, photo, invitation, recipe, candy, chocolate (which as we all know isn't candy but a food group), my business card, hot chocolate, microwave popcorn, perfume sachet, calendar, coupon, mini sewing kit ... well, you get the idea.

Look what Karen put into her matchbook card .. I'm gonna enjoy a lovely cuppa Lady Grey tea today while I finish up addressing my family's Christmas cards! Thank you, my friend!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the reveal of Dec 15th's swap surprise!

cheers

DEC 1st: CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

OMGosh, am I ever glad to see the back-side of November ... it was such a horrible month - full of bad news for so many of my friends and family. And in traditional style, I ended it yesterday with a triple header involving cars, neighbours, and computer glitches that ended up costing me $$$.

But it's now December; the bad vibes are gone (BE GONE, I SAY!) and it's time to focus on & celebrate all the goodness in our lives!!!

The Artful*Inkers (my team of Stampin' Up! demonstrators) organized a really fun swap for December. Each one of us make up little goody bags/gifts/surprises for one specific day this month, leading up to the BIG present day on the 25th. How kewl is that?!

And today I get to open my first gift!!!!!!

The photo at the top of this post is just a little teaser ... the first 10 days worth of goodies - don't they look terrific? My gals are sooooo talented (that's who I get a lot of my ideas from; seriously!)

Each day I'm going to post the unwrapping of a little treasure here so that you can enjoy right along with me ... and maybe get some ideas for those little gifts you still have to make this month!

And now it's time for December 1st's treat ... created by Samantha in Carlisle. Check out the cute little paper bags from the Holiday Mini, all stamped with tiny snowflakes in Whisper White craft ink.

And how cute is that snowman - made from punches!! Even the tag is adorable; it is stamped "Do Not Open Until" and the date is handwritten ... too cute!

And inside, I found this beautiful blue sparkly star ornament, which I've already hung on my computer screen to start the month off in a festive light. Wouldn't it be easy to whip up a batch of these little bags with the kids for their teachers, sitters, crossing guards, bus drivers, neighbours & friends? An inexpensive way to teach them this season is about giving as well as receiving, and have some fun quality time with mom or dad, too!

Thank you, Samantha for sharing your creativity with the rest of us!

I'll be back tomorrow with December 2nd's surprise of our Christmas Countdown; see you all then!

IT'S LATE, BUT I JUST HAD TO SHARE

The last of the GIRLS NIGHT OUT stampers just left, and before I turn out the studio lights I wanted to share some of the things we were working on tonight ...

Diane made some gift bags for work,

Lynda played with the owl punch,

 

 

 

 

 

Lori experimented with masking and brayering,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I spent most of the night making this notebook cover, lol.

 

Hope you'll join us for the next GIRLS NIGHT OUT, Friday Oct 29th!

cheers

SANTA OWL CARD

How cute is this? I followed a CardMaps sketch that uses strips of patterned paper in the background - I thought it was a great way to use up some scraps of retired Designer series papers I have laying around! (click on the weirdly distorted photos for a clear close up look)

The sketch showed an owl sitting on a branch, so I pulled out my Owl Punch and Bird Punch from Stampin' Up! and started to play...

The snowy branches are made with the Bird Punch, the hat is stamped from "Sock Monkey Accessories", and the white fluffy stuff is Liquid Applique, which I still have in the drawer from back in the day when Stampin' Up! sold it.

My Santa Owl is popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals, and the background behind him is embossed on my Sizzix Big Shot with an embossing folder that isn't from Stampin' Up! I tried our new "Northern Flurry" embossing folder first, but it didn't quite give me the all-over coverage that I wanted this time.

Looking at this card reminds me that snow isn't far off .. but not this weekend - the weatherman is promising warm and sunny days for our Canadian Thanksgiving!

cheers

HAPPY "WORLD CARD MAKING DAY"

The first Saturday in October is "WORLD CARD MAKING DAY" - did you know that?

Stampin' Up! and many other companies have supported this day for several years now, and there are many online card-making events happening today. I hope you have the chance to check them out for inspiration .. and I hope you can take a few minutes today to make someone a card!

As for me, I'll be at a stamp party this afternoon with Linda and her friends - I've got four very kewl projects lined up for them to try.

Sorry you and I couldn't be together to stamp today ... but here are more pictures of just a few of the beautiful swap cards I received at Stampin' Up!'s Regional training event last month ... ENJOY!!

 

 

CARD 1: by Mary Rodgers, NY; CARD 2: by Samantha Forrest, ON

 

 

 

 

 

CARD 3: by Ruth Millard, ON (Can you see the shimmer mist on the purple background?)

 

 

 

 

 

CARD 4: by Brenda Lassaline, ON; CARD 5: by Lisa Jewer, ON

 

 

 

Happy World Card Making Day!

PUNCH ART from the DECORATIVE LABEL PUNCH

While I was using my new DECORATIVE LABEL PUNCH this morning to make a label for my photo box, I started playing around with the  punch and some red & vanilla scraps of paper ... I plopped them all down in my Punch Art book & then I thought I'd share it here with you all! You can find the DECORATIVE LABEL PUNCH on pg 25 of Stampin' Up!'s HOLIDAY MINI catalogue.
 
Now these are just patterns, not finished projects.

In just a few minutes of playtime (well ok, maybe an hour) I managed to make four different labels, two sets of parenthesis, two frames (one with fancy corners), a tiny banner, a cupcake or pot of pudding (I'm not sure which it is), and a purse.

I keep looking at that purse - I think I could turn it into a whistling tea kettle or a funky tulip with a little more time, but I need to move on to other projects right now, sigh.

OTHER PUNCHES USED in these samples:

• Word Window (punched at both ends to shorten it)
• Modern Label
• 1/4" Handheld Circle (retired)
• Heart to Heart (smallest heart)
• Round Tab (pudding pot)
• Large Oval and Small Oval (purse handle)

Everything else was punched from the DECORATIVE LABEL PUNCH - seriously a versitile punch, therefore a very frugal purchase! (insert a nod of approval here from THE FRUGAL STAMPER)

Remember, always look at your scraps when you punch .. you never know what ideas might pop out at you!

Oh, and if you love punchart, you really should come to the October session of CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY, featuring punches on all six cards - WAHOO!

Class Date: Wed Oct 20th, 7:30-9:30 pm; COST: $5 to my 40 Carat Club members and Artful*Inker demonstrator team; $25 to everyone else. 8 participants maximum - please register early!

cheers

 

MAKE YOUR OWN DESIGNER PAPER

This may be the kewlest idea I brought home from Stampin' Up!'s Hamilton Regionals last weekend: custom-made designer paper, using the Sizzix Big Shot!

No way? WAY!!!

Karen Long of Amherst, NY showed  us how during her Workshop WOW demonstration, and even Shelli Gardner was wowed by this one ... I tried it out for myself today, and shared it with the gals in my Big Shot club tonight:

Now these are unfinished cards; pretty simple & bold. Don't let that turn you away ... I can see a lot of possibilities using this technique.

HOW-TO-DO-IT: Cut or punch shapes, stripes, or whatever out of card stock in the colours of your choice. Adhere the shapes to a piece of card stock (or in this case, a card front).

Then, run the whole thing through an embossing folder on your Big Shot machine - the shapes will appear as if they're fused to the background .. as if it were printed paper!

 

You can see a bit better in these close-up photos - pretty kewl, eh? And it's a great way to use up your scrap pieces of card stock, too!

I can't wait to try some more - maybe some of the small bat punches to make a Hallowe'en background!

My favourite sample by Karen was just a strip of this technique down one side of the card; I want to C.A.S.E that one too, just as soon as I find a picture of it.(Nope, I didn't think to take pictures during her presentation - I was too busy picking my chin up off the ground, lol)

Try it out for yourself, and let me know how it goes, ok?

cheers

 

 

HALLOWE'EN HIGHLITES

I've spent a couple of hours today visiting some of my favourite blogs and trying out all kinds of fun Hallowe'en craft projects ... have a look! (Don't forget, you can always click on the pictures for a close-up look!)

Here's a cute Frankenstein Lantern designed by Julie Leblanc - I followed the directions on her blog and had this fellow made up in no time! I've promised the gals at Guelph Lake Commons that we'll make Hallowe'en Lanterns at next month's craft session instead of the usual cards, and I know that Frankie will suit the bill perfectly; all he needs is a battery-operated tea light. Hmm, wonder if I can make this into a witch lantern ...

Over on Creations by Patti, I discovered a new use for Stampin' Up!'s Petal Card Punch (page 202, IB&C) - I made the mummy character in a matter of minutes by following her instructions, but check out all her other Hallowe'en characters, too! Now to slip a little chocolate into this tiny treat box, and I'm all set.

And of course, a punch-art-lover and scrap-paper-saver like me can spend HOURS on Ellen Kemper's blog .. she is the QUEEN of PUNCH ART in my eyes! Here are a couple of adorable trick-or-treaters that are so easy to make - all the parts are from Stampin' Up!'s owl punch even their little feet peeking from under their costumes. L'IL ONE-EYED MONSTER  or  L'IL GHOST

I found another very kewl project on Ellen's blog - a pair of eyes staring out from the darkness ... creepy! Ellen shows how to use the butterfly punch and the small oval punch from Stampin' Up! to make all kinds of different eyes in this post.

I hope these projects and links help inspire you to get crafty soon ... we all need a little fun in our week! And if you need any of the punches you can always come use mine, or order 'em on my ON-LINE SHOPPING SERVICE.

cheers

NEW ADDITIONS TO MY ARSENAL

... my arsenal of paper punches, that is!! <grin>

Look at what showed up on my doorstep today ... the newest from Stampin' Up!'s punch collection; wahoo!!

From top to bottom:

* 3/4" x 15/16" small oval punch

* bat punch

* 2-1/2" extra large circle punch

I don't own all of Stampin' Up!'s punches yet, but someday......

Wanna play with ALL of my  punches? Bring your card stock and join me this Saturday for my 10-10-10 Crop: 10 hrs for $10 (hmm, that works out to $1 per hour!) to work on your own projects using all of my stamps, inks & tools - INCLUDING PUNCHES! Call or email QUICK to reserve your table!

cheers

THE FRUGAL STAMPER STRIKES AGAIN

Hey, remember these sheets of Valentine Boxes that Stampin' Up! sold in last Winter's Occasions Mini Catalogue?

The back-side of all these sheets are covered with pretty pink polka-dots and baby blue plaid, so after I punched out the Valentine pieces last February,I tucked away the sheets for "future use" ...

And today's the day.

I used my "Full Heart" punch and squeezed as many pink and baby blue hearts out of those scrap sheets as I could manage to fit. 

There's still room in the leftover scraps to punch some smaller hearts, so I guess I can't throw away the scraps just yet.

What am I going to do with all these pink and blue hearts? I don't know yet, but I'm sure I can come up with something ... <wink>

cheers

 

PS: I have about 15 full sheets of the Valentine Boxes for sale; let me know if you're interested!

QUICK & EASY CARD CLASS on TUESDAY

Happy Monday, everyone!

Here's just one of the four different designs we'll be making tomorrow night at my QUICK & EASY CARD class. I C.A.S.E.D this card from U.S. demonstrator Jennifer E - I love how she used all six of Stampin' Up!'s new CORE COLOURS on this card! Even though you can't BUY these colours until July 1st, I'm happy to share my tiny little sample package with everyone who comes to the class!

I've got room for a few more stampers at tomorrow's class, so either phone or email me quick and I'll save you a seat. COST: $25 for eight cards (2 of each design; one to keep and one to give away!)

cheers

WOW, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS MONTH!

New Digital Downloads for My Digital Studio

May 25, 2010

The latest group of digital downloads for My Digital Studio are now available!

Item	Description	Price
122138	Ticket Corner Punch	$1.25
122139	Boho Blossoms Punch	$1.25
122140	Cog Punch	$1.25
122141	Itty Bitty Shapes Punch	$1.25

Use the search keyword DWNLDA in my Online Store to see these new images, and place your order today!

cheers,

FUNNY CARD FOR MOTHERS' DAY!

You have to check out Stephanie Leblanc's blog ... she made the most adorable digital card for Mother's Day .. it's hilarious (especially the jail bars, lol)

I think Stephanie & her sister Julie are onto something with their digital punch art ... this could really catch on!

Happy Easter everyone ... enjoy this gorgeous heat-wave!

PUNCH ART GOES DIGITAL!

This is soooo kewl - Stephanie Leblanc made the cutest Easter bunny using punches ... but not with paper; she did it on her brand new "My Digital Studio" software program from Stampin' Up!

 

 Stephanie is my stampin' buddy Julie's sister and she's also the newest member of our Artful*Inkers team of demonstrators. Stephanie chose the "Digital+" starter kit and saved 15% off the kit price because she signed up during Sale-a-Bration ... smart cookie!

This is Stephanie's first attempt at using MDS - pretty impressive, eh? Thanks, Julie for sharing your sister's talent on your blog!

cheers

STAIR STEP CARD & MORE

Here's a peek at the three cards we'll be making during Wednesday's Step-It-Up card class: a stair step photo card with a punch art bunny (kewl because it lays flat for mailing!) ... and an accordion card (the ribbon holds it closed) ... and for our technique card: a revival of poppin' pastels with some fresh new colours!

There's still room to join us here in my studio; if you like what you see, give me a quick call or email to reserve your seat. This two hour class starts at 7:30 pm on Wednesday March 10th and costs $25.

40 Carat Club members can choose this class as their March perk and pay only $5; Artful*Inker demonstrators are welcome to attend for a $5 supply fee.

cheers

STAMP-4-FUN WITH THE ARTFUL*iNKERS

When this post hits the web, I will be smack in the middle of my favourite way to spend a Saturday ...  stampin' with my fabulous team of demonstrators, the ARTFUL*iNKERS and invited guests.

Sure, we get together every month to chat about business stuff, but once each quarter I host a just-for-fun day of stamping, displays and demonstrations - it really helps us all remember what we love about crafting and why we joined Stampin' Up! in the first place!

Today we're exploring using textiles on the Big Shot die cutting machine and turning our scraps of card stock into cute punch art creations. I'll show you our projects soon, but for today I thought I'd share some of the treats I've made for everyone attending...

This has to be the EASIEST Valentine treat ever! I made 30 or so and swapped them at Leadership earlier this month ... then I sat down and made another couple of dozen for the gals at today's event. (Actually, I can't lie - my good pal Julie came over and helped cut the pieces out on the Big Shot and punched the pink hearts with the Full Heart punch ... but I supervised!)

Inside I've tucked a wrapped Peppermint Patty and the instructions to make more - I got five of these candy covers from one sheet of 8-1/2 x 11" card stock, so it's very frugal, too.  <wink>  Here's a close up:

SUPPLILES:

• Two Tags die & Big Shot die cutting machine
• Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit die
• Full Heart punch
• 1/4" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon
• Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper
• Real Red & Chocolate Chip card stock

Then, for my three pals who agreed to demonstrate today, I burned each of them a CD of my Leadership photos & made a quick label for the cardboard cover using MY DIGITAL STUDIO - I've been using that software for everything BUT scrapbooking so far, lol!

SUPPLIES:

• Scallop Square die & Big Shot die cutting machine
• MDS images: star punch (x3, 2 are resized smaller and coloured in Kraft, the third is original size in Not Quite Navy), and stitched edge in chocolate chip on all four sides.
• cardboard CD sleeve, sponge & Not Quite Navy Classic ink.

A big thank you to Heather Arsenault of London, Ruth Millard of Waterloo and Mary Louise Hamill of Milton for helping me out today - you ladies ROCK!

cheers,

Donna

WHEN THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER FOOT

This afternoon I left my 'teaching' hat at home and attended Julie's Christmas Stamp-A-Stack event (you may have heard me mention my friend, & neighbour, & fellow demonstrator?)  ... well, it sure was weird to be on the "receiving end" of a card-making class! I soooo wanted to "pretend" to be a difficult customer and give Julie a bit of a hard time, but she had other "real stampers" there, so I really tried to behave myself all afternoon.

Ever since Julie showed me the cards for this class, I knew I wanted to make them - they are so beautiful, I couldn't pick just one to love ... each time we started another card, I would declare to anyone who would listen that "THIS ONE is my favourite" - until the next one came along! (Looking back, it's a wonder Julie didn't throw me out!)

Thanks for letting me join in, girlfriend; I had a great time today!

To see a close-up of these cards, just click on the photo to go to Julie's blog.

cheers,

Donna

HALLOWE'EN SPIDER TREATS

One of my club members Amanda showed me these adorable and easy-to-make Hallowe'en treats, using Stampin' Up!'s "Sweet Treat Cups" - check them out!

Punches used: 1-3/4" circle for the body, 1" circle, 3/4" circle and 1/4" circle for the eyes (googly eyes would be fun to use too) and the photo corners punch for the legs.

I thought they'd be a perfect project to make tomorrow (Saturday) at my "Mom & Me" Hallowe'en classes ... there's still room in both the 9-11am group and the 1-3pm group. Roy will have the yard all decorated early tomorrow so the kids can see, I have a couple of fun crafts lined up (including these spiders!), and of course there will be treats, too.

This is a good way to burn off some of the kids' energy while they wait for the main event tomorrow night! Call or email me today to reserve your spot - $25 for mom & one child; second child is only $5 more.

cheers,

Donna

DO IT YOURSELF BUTTONS!

OK, this might have been the best demo of the whole weekend at Stampin' Palooza ... well, maybe not THE best; there were SO MANY good ideas shared in Toronto ... but this sure is the best one as far as the FRUGAL STAMPER is concerned!

How many times have I wished that I had a button to embellish my card or layout, only to find that none of the buttons in my craft stash will go with the colours in my project? My creativity comes to a screeching halt until I have the time to hunt down a better match in the bottom of my sewing basket, or horrors - make a special trip to the store!

Well, with this super-easy trick I can make my own buttons using matching papers from my project, and I'll never have to sneak a button from my hubby's favourite shirt again! (Oops, did I type that out loud? Shhh, don't tell!)

Here's a quick photo tutorial: (click on the photos to see a close up)

STEP ONE: Punch five circles, all the same size (I used my 3/4" and 1" circle punches for this example).

STEP TWO: Glue them in a stack with your Tombo Multi Liquid Glue, bringing the glue as close to the outer edges as you can without having any gush out.

STEP THREE: Use your sanding block to smooth the edges and removed the "layered" look.

 

STEP FOUR: Punch two or four holes in the centre of each button with the 1/8" side of your Crop-O-Dile - it will punch through all five layers with NO problem!

STEP FIVE: Cover each button top with a coat of Crystal Effects to give them a shiny finish. Let dry.

And here's the finished card: (100% Stampin' Up!)

Frugal Stamper's tips:

     * Make up a bunch of buttons in one sitting, and store them in a clear container for future use.

     * This is a great way to use up your smaller scraps of card stock or Designer Series Paper

     * Try different shaped punches to make some really funky buttons!

     * Before you apply the Crystal effects, why not add some stamping or rub-ons to your buttons!

I hope you enjoyed this idea!

Donna

EASY BREEZY CHALLENGE

Feels like I've been doing laundry and packing for two straight days; but I really wanted to make a card for Julie's Easy Breezy Kewl Colour Challenge before we head off on our road trip - Hubby just called from work - now he wants to leave as soon as he gets home in the morning, so I actually had to drop everything and sneak down to my studio tonight to make my entry!

CHALLENGES MET:
EBKCC #4 - Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue & Crushed Curry

SUPPLIES USED: (100% Stampin' Up!)
INKS: Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue & Crushed Curry
PAPERS: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Crushed Curry & Bashful Blue card stock; The Write Stuff Designer Series Papers
STAMPS: Celebrate Everything (pg 144) & Trendy Trees (pg 112)
ACCESSORIES: Word Window punch, Slit punch, 1" Circle punch

NOTE: This card is designed to hold a gift card or certificate inside; I used the slit punch on the yellow strip on the right to make two tabs to hold the card closed.

cheers,

JUST UNDER THE WIRE ... WHEW!

I've been participating in my friend Julie's Easy Breezy Kewl Colour Challenge (EBKCC) since it's debut, and I'm determined not to miss a single week! Julie posts a new colour challenge every Friday, but since I didn't get to my stamping studio until Tuesday ... well, you know the rest. I managed to finish this card tonight, just under the wire!

CHALLENGES MET:

EBKCC -  Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue, More Mustard & Old Olive
3 CLOVERS - use a photograph on your card
ABC - C is for Circles
PILE IT ON - Threes (3 blue circles, 3 green circles) + at least one other challenge

TODAY'S FRUGAL TIP: I really enjoyed the challenge of working a photo into the card design - what a great way to use up those random, leftover photos in my shoebox - I don't even know the people in this shot!

SUPPLIES USED: (100% STAMPIN' UP! unless otherwise stated)

PAPERS - Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue, More Mustard & Old Olive card stock
INKS - Bashful Blue, Old Olive & Brilliant Blue
STAMPS - Itty Bitty Background (page 132), Seaside & Travel Post (both retired sets)
ACCESSORIES - GoGo Boots Alphabet Dies & Big Shot Die Cutting Machine; 1-1/4", 1-3/8", 1-1/2" & 1-3/4" Circle Punches, and chipboard word stickers by MemoryMakers (for the letter "u")

cheers

A NEW CHALLENGE ENTRY ... OR FIVE!

I've been neglecting my favourite card challenge sites for the last couple of weeks... it might have something to do with the arrival of Stampin' Up!'s new 2009-2010 catalogue and all the excitement and planning that goes with it ... but now it's time to stretch my creativity once again.

My fav challenge site is "Pile It On" because they encourage us to meet more than one challenge with a single card - so in their honour, today's entry covers FIVE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES (that's a new record for me!)

SUPPLIES USED: (100% Stampin' Up!©)
Wings of Friendship stamp set (Level 2 Hostess set)
Rose Red Patterns DSP
Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke & Very Vanilla card stock
Mellow Moss grosgrain ribbon
Heart to Heart, Large Oval, Scallop Oval & Corner Rounder punches
Rose Red, Mellow Moss & Always Artichoke markers
Always Artichoke & Rose Red Classic ink pads
Oval Scallop Frame die & Big Shot die cutter

TODAY'S TIP FROM THE FRUGAL STAMPER: I didn't have a small enough butterfly punch for this card, so I punched out some small hearts with Stampin' Up!'s Heart to Heart punch, and just glued them together in pairs!

CHALLENGES MET:
Pile It On (their sketch & at least one other challenge)
Makeesha's Inspiration Challenge (colours)
Creative Inspiration (stitching - faux or real)
Cupcake Crafts (Blossoms & Butterflies theme)

Our Creative Corner (pet theme - I'm stretching the theme a bit, but hey - I had a pet bird once!)

Have a great weekend everyone!

PAGE CORNER BOOKMARK: DIRECTIONS

I promised to show you just how easy it is to make those corner bookmarks from my Open House last Saturday, so here goes ... my first online tutorial!

Click on the photos for a close up view. You can also email me for printable PDF version.

STEP ONE: Cut a piece of card stock 5x5" square. Score @ 2-1/2" (middle), turn your card stock and score again at 2-1/2" - you've just divided the square into four smaller squares.

Cut off one corner at an angle - not too big, you don't want it to cut all the way up to the score lines.

STEP TWO:

Trim the angled edge with an edge punch of your choice (I used Stampin' Up!'s Eyelet Border punch)

STEP THREE:

Cut away the small square that's opposite the punched edge; then fold on all score lines (Using a bone folder makes a crisp clean fold.)

STEP FOUR: Fold the two remaining squares to the back and tape or glue in place. DON'T glue anything to the square with the punched edge - that's what makes the pocket to fit over the page in your book!

At this point, if your edges are uneven, you can trim them on your paper trimmer or with scissors. DON'T cut the folded edges, or you'll ruin your pocket.

STEP FIVE: Now you can decorate your bookmark any way you like, but keep the embellishments flat or you may dent the pages in your book when it's closed.

I used Stampin' Up!'s Small Oval punch and some Bermuda Bay© card stock - this piece will go behind my stamped message.

STEP SIX:

I stamped my message in Melon Mambo© ink on a scrap of Whisper White card stock and punched it out with Stampin' Up!'s Word Window ...

TIP:

When you want to punch out a stamped image, turn your punch upside down to position the image just right ... then punch it out! (Sorry for the blurry picture - sometimes two hands are not enough)

The finished project is on the left, and on the right is another version made by demonstrator Mary Mennie (this one is without the angled corner; if you want to make it this way, skip step two). Mary used the set "Lots of Bots" and Stampin' Up!'s Scallop Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, & 1-1/4" Circle punches.

HAPPY EASTER - PART DEUX

It's 11 pm on Easter Sunday and the last of my company just left - we had a great weekend visiting & spending time with the family - even if my sister woke me up waayyyyy too early every morning, groan.

Here's my fav Easter project this year - since I've been focusing a lot lately on my Punch Happy club, this little punch art basket was a natural to share at my team meeting and again at last week's "Just Cards" class. The original instructions came from fellow demonstrator Amy Celona, although I made a couple of minor changes during my classes. Here's the link to Amy's original instructions.

I hope you all are enjoying your long weekend, eating lots of chocolate, and getting lots of great pics for your scrapbooks! If you're one of the lucky ones who have another day off tomorrow, ENJOY (and be sure to take some time to create something with your stamps!)

"CONGRATS ON YOUR BIG NEWS"

First thing tomorrow morning I'm going to London to visit the Queen ... oops, sorry ... wrong London (Anyone else remember that particular nursery rhyme?) <grin>

I'm actually heading for London, ONTARIO for two days of visiting, restaurant meals, and of course ... STAMPING! Saturday is the big day with Stampin' Up!'s Regional Conference, but in true Donna fashion, I've lined up activities for all of my free time too, lol.

I hope to post on Saturday "live" from Regionals, especially if Shelli Gardner announces any BIG NEWS or we see a particulary AMAZING demonstration on stage ..  but just in case I don't have WiFi available I've lined up a couple of "scheduled" posts to keep you amused until I get back.

For now, let me show you one more of my Shoebox Swap projects ... the gals at my hotel will be making this tomorrow night.

To make this 4-1/4 x 4-1/4" card, I used one of my favourite word sets called "Absolutely Fabulous" (item #114914, $25.95, page 132) designed by kwerner (when she was still working as a Stampin' Up! designer). On the outside it says: "I just heard!" and inside: "congrats on your big news!"

Other supplies include:

• Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper (page 161, #113978, $11.75)
• 1-3/4" Circle punch (page 184, #112004, $19.95)
• Kraft, Basic Grey, Baja Breeze & Kiwi Kiss card stock
• Basic Grey & Sahara Sand Classic inks (the Sahara was sponged around the edges of the card & DSP)

Don't forget to sign up for "Wagon Load of Fun" class by tomorrow, March 13 so I can order your set in time for the class on March 25 ... it's gonna be a hum-dinger!

TIME TO GET PUNCH HAPPY!

It's here at last ... my first ONLINE CLUB is all set up and I'd LOVE it if you'd join us!

You've heard me mention my Stampers' Club ... a great bunch of gals who sign up for a seven month stretch and get all kinds of freebies along with their membership. They are the mainstay of my business, and I love them dearly. (FYI: new members are always welcome - if you live in the Guelph - Kitchener - Waterloo - Cambridge - Fergus - Rockwood or surrounding area, click here for more info).

Trouble is, many of my blog readers either do not live close enough OR do not have the time/transportation/childcare available in order to participate in Stampers' Club .. and that's not fair.

So, PUNCH HAPPY is my first On-line Club ... yep, now EVERYONE can join and reap the benefits right from the comfort of your own home at any time of day or night, even in your pj's!

WHY did I choose Punch Art? Well, punches are a bit of a passion with me - I already owned over 50 BEFORE I even heard of Stampin' Up! back in 2002, and I have steadily increased that number since then <grin> Thanks to fellow punch enthusiasts, I have collected a HUGE file of projects made with punched images, and I participate in Punch Art swaps as often as I can. Now it's time to share all of that with you!

The Club runs for two months starting April 1st, and by joining you will get tons of new project ideas for using your punches, plus ways to save $$ while you add new punches to your collection!

There are two ways to join, and there's a special bonus to Option One if you join during Sale-a-Bration, which ends March 31st. Membership includes password-restricted access to the PUNCH HAPPY website, where I will be posting new projects every day, along with a photo gallery and punch art contests!

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL THE DETAILS, then email me to join ... it's that EASY!

FRIDAY'S PROJECT: Magic Reindeer Food

Here's another quick project that makes a great pre-Christmas gift for all the little ones who will be waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve... Magic Reindeer Food! Sprinkling this stuff on the lawn became as important a part of our family's Christmas Eve traditions as was hanging the stockings and leaving a snack for Santa and his reindeer... Great Memories...

I mixed up some dry oatmeal with white sugar (the sugar makes it all glittery on the snow in the moonlight & it's healthier for the birds & critters who may be attracted by the oats!) I put a handful into a medium (4"x6") cellophane bag (page 167 of the Fall & Winter Catalogue), folded the top over & stapled it shut. I guess you could use a mini zippy bag from the craft isle in the dollar store too.

To make the topper, I repeated the verse several times onto a Word Document, then printed it out onto Close to Cocoa card stock. I cut the sheet into squares, then folded the top edge toward the back & stapled it onto the top of the cello bag.

Decorate the topper as you like .. I hid the staples with a piece of Real Red Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, sponged Chocolate Chip Classic ink around the edges, and added a punched decoration (stamped onto Very Vanilla card stock with the deer from Stampin' Up!'s "Merry & Bright" set, punched with the 1-3/8" Circle Punch & mounted on a Scallop Circle punch from Chocolate Chip card stock.

(all supplies © Stampin' Up!)

Here's the verse:
Just sprinkle on your lawn at night,
The moon will make it sparkle bright.
As Santa's reindeer fly and roam,
This treat will guide them to your home!

MORE FUN WITH THE SCALLOP CIRCLE PUNCH

Here's another kewl thing to make using your Stampin' Up! scallop circle punch ... a Christmas Tree!

I got the idea for the punched tree from Crazy Stamping Girl's blog and when I showed the tree idea to my very talented stamping friend Erica, she suggested a wintry scene with a snowman. That was all the encouragement I needed to play, lol.

The details: For each tree I punched two or three scalloped circles from green card stock scraps (I used old olive for two trees and kiwi kiss for the third). I cut the circles into wedges & stacked them to make the tree: the bottom layer has five scallops, the next has four, the second from the top has three and the top layer has two. (As always, you can click on the photo for a closer look). As I got better at it, I found I could make a whole tree with only two punched circles, but you might want to punch three just in case.

I edged each piece with Whisper White Craft Ink© and assembled. A scrap of chocolate chip for the trunks and my trees were done!

Stamp sets used to complete the card: Merry & Bright (snowman & flakes); All Holidays (greeting).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Just popping in to wish you and yours a happy Thanksgiving Day!

We celebrated yesterday with turkey & all the trimmings, so today is a time to kick back, enjoy each others company (and the leftovers, lol). I'm even going to play a bit with my stamps this afternoon - wahoo!

Here's a quick punch project that can be used to decorate a card, scrapbook page, napkin ring, place setting cards, or even cupcakes (attach to a short skewer & stick it into the centre of the cupcake)...this one's easy so even the kids can help assemble....

Use the Stampin' Up!scallop circle punch twice with chocolate chip card stock, and once each from ruby red, more mustard and old olive card stock (all in the Earth Elements colour family. Save a scrap of more mustard card stock for the beak.

Set aside one of the chocolate chip circles, and cut the remaining four in half (you can save the other half to make a second turkey!)

Trim the last chocolate chip circle so that there are three scallops are at the bottom (feet) and only one scallop at the top (head). As always, you can click on the photo for a closer look. Assemble all with a little glue, add 2 white dots with the uni-ball© Signo Gel Pen (page 193 of the Fall & Winter Catalogue) for eyes and snip a small triangle from your more mustard scrap for a beak.

Happy Turkey Day!