Countdown to Christmas!

Another fun project you might like to make at my upcoming Bountiful Buffet. This great coaster countdown calender was invented by Kim Bolzenthal and her calendar may be seen here: http://stitchinnstampinonpaper.blogspot.com/2009/09/over-10000-visitors.html My calendar begins on December 1 and has just 25 days (I guess you could begin at 29 technically.)

Christmas Gift Tag Tin

Today's post is of the assortment of gift tags I'm offering at my Bountiful Christmas Buffet on October 22, 23 and 24. (See my events blog for details.) The tin below has the lovely Christmas Cocoa Designer Series paper and is $3.50.

As you can see a complete set of all the tags I am offering fit in the tin. You could also just store other gift tags you may have in it. (Currently mine are in a zip lock bag, so I really needed one of these.)

Set #1-Merry: Unfortunately the picture turning is still my nemesis on blogger! I received these great swaps at Stampin' Up! convention from fellow Stampin Addict member Cris1467...she's my friend Stacy's mom :). I think they are so classy...go ahead-turn your head and see if you don't agree! :) 5 for $2

Set #2-Sweet: The tags below are a combination of the gift tag make and takes from Convention after a bit of stirring in my mind. They fold up and the "to: from:" is inside. 4 for $1.50

Set #3-Cocoa: I combined Cris's great design with loops and the Christmas Cocoa designer series paper for these cuties. 4 for $2

Poinsettia Lattice Ornament

When choosing an ornament for my upcoming Bountiful Christmas Buffet, I found this adorable creation by Kristin Moore. http://sunshinesmilesstamps.blogspot.com/2009/08/hanging-lattice-ornament.html I gave it a color scheme I hope you will enjoy with the Berry Christmas set and Merry Moments Designer Series paper with Very Vanilla, Real Red, Old Olive and More Mustard and finished it off with Stampin' Up!'s Real Red Polka Dot Ribbon.

Teacher Gifts

I made these frames for my daughter's teacher who likes red and black and Gerber daisies. I used the new Night and Day designer series paper and the Daisies #2 Big Shot Die. The flower pot card is small and uses Patty Bennett's pot tutorial, but I put the flowers in and made it a pocket card like the cards that were so popular this summer. Easy and inexpensive...I like that!

Stampin Addicts Technique Challenge

This week's Stampin' Addicts Technique Challenge was Cracked Glass. My sample had the Good Cheer Santa and Reindeer stamped in Bravo Burgundy and smudged. Then I added my three layers of Versamark, placed it in the freezer, took it out and cracked it. I used Paula's SASC24 sketch, and this is a very close CASE of her card (different set, colors and some embellishments).

Build A Bear Workshop Paper Bear Magnetic Tins

Here's the first project that will be available at my Christmas Project Bountiful Buffet (times available on October 22, 23 & 24). The bear has a magnetic sheet on the back, and everything can be stored inside the carrying tin. There are four shirts, three skirts, a pair of jeans, a pair of pants, a cheerleading outfit, pajamas, a teddy bear, 3 shirt decorations (flowers and heart), a purse, three hair bows and four pair of shoes. The idea for this came from Patty Bennett's blog, but I'm not sure hers had magnets?

This would make a great little stocking stuffer type gift or a cute little gift for a niece or neighbor's daughter over 3 years in age. (We help Santa with the stockings at our house, but not everyone does I realize.)

edited to add (eta): Binky is fully magnetized and can be removed and stored inside the tin with her clothing.

Here's Binky Bear dressed for a day of shopping:

The contents of the tin (not including Binky herself):

Binky modeling her cheerleading regalia:

Concurrent enrollment:

Hot Cocoa Mug Card

This Cute and Cuddly stamp set Cocoa Holder can be considered a card or a 3-D project. I made this project smaller in both directions that the original, so that it would fit in a medium SU! envelope (Very Vanilla shown), but it was based upon this cute creation I found on SCS: http://kjskorner.blogspot.com/2009/08/cold-and-cuddly-meets-warm-and-yummy.html

I used the snowflakes from Branch Out with White Craft Paint, stamped Percy the Polar Bear in Versamark and heat-embossed with White embossing powder, and painted the ice with Stampin' Up!'s Frost White Shimmer paint from the Holiday mini catalog. The snowflake die cut is from the Merry Details embosslit.

A place for you at the table....

I thought it might be nice to have an example of a napkinring and placecard that my customers could make even if they don't have the Big Shot and/or the Tablesetting die. I really enjoy the Autumn Meadows designer series paper, and I accidentally used it with Dusty Durango cardstock instead of Really Rust. Oh well, I don't think it looks bad at all. I used the Eyelet Border punch and then punched holes in the oval scallop and scallop circle to coordinate the pieces even more. The leafs was cut out from the Autumn Meadows paper, and the acorns are real.

Build A Bear Big Shot Dies

I finally ordered the Stampin' Up! Big Shot Dies, and they arrived today. The girls made their first paper Build-A-Bear Workshop Bears tonight....Sara had to have hers glued together....She couldn't stand the paper doll idea! Her clothes were falling off!

Emma's is ready for bed, and Sara's is ready for church. Emma had the idea to add the bear from All in the Family Accessories, so they could have a snuggly. I cut out the bears for them by request.

Stampin' Addicts Sketches

I finally got around to taking pictures of some cards I made for the SA sketch challenges. I love having a starting point for cards sometimes! Here's a link to the SA challenge forum: http://www.stampinaddicts.com/forums/challenges/ Every SU! fan is welcome to play of course!

This card uses the new Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series paper from the Holiday Mini...The snowflake sheet at the top has a metallic glossiness which is so pretty I think. The Merry Details embosslit snowflakes covered with Dazzling Diamonds add a simple trio focus for a simple but cute card.

I love these colors for baby girl cards, and I think this Hostess set (Love Bugs) makes such sweet baby cards!! (The Hello Baby sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.)

Votive Shield/Lantern

First cut your Real Red Cardstock to 8-1/2 X 5-1/4 inches. (Cutting from 5-1/2 to 5-1/4 inch allows the top note die cut to be more placed evenly on the cardstock.)

Next, score at 2-1/8 (flip & repeat on other side) so that the center panel is 4-1/4 wide and will fit in a medium SU! envelope. I trimmed about 1/16 inch off each side so that the gates met evenly, but you may not need to do that. You definitely don't want to trim first because that would affect your center panel size.

I just placed the cardstock on the top note die by eyesight. Of course the die is placed with the long side with the short side of the paper. I just made the top and bottom edges of the die even and the side scores the same distance from the edge at top and bottom. I didn't have a problem with sliding as it went through the Big Shot, so hopefully, you won't either.

Next, I inked the edge of the sentiment panel and the inside of the top note hole in the cardstock with Versamark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder. For the inside of the top note, I used the Versamarker with extra ink from the Versamark reinker.

I completed the sentiment panel by layering an embossed gold on Real Red on top of the vellum. I attached gold cord to the inside side edge of the top note hole with a mini glue dot and took it out the front and around to the back on each side. I used half of a mini glue dot under the cord at the edge where the Real Red gates meet to hold the cording neatly. Then, I tied it into a bow and added knots in each end of the cording.

Next, I added the gold brads and embossed the main image in gold onto the vellum. I embossed the star separately, cut it out and attached it with a mini glue dot. (I often mistake proof my projects by doing these types of things. :) ) Finally, the vellum image panel which measures about 5-1/8 X 4-1/8 inches is attached to the inside of the open lantern using a mini glue dot in each corner.

Below are pictures of it with full/too bright flash and then with natural light and a candle in a jar glowing behind it.

Easy Gold-embossed Candle

I did something just a little different for this simple Holy Family Candle. First, I stamped in Versamark, added Gold embossing Powder, and heat embossed the images as usual.

Because I was afraid that the image/gold embossing powder might stick to the waxed paper during the heating of the candle to melt the tissue paper onto the surface, I flipped the image over onto its face.

Then I just placed the tissue onto the candle surface, held it on with waxed paper and heat embossed just until the wax was slightly visibly melted on the surface.

Completed project

Holy Family

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Happy Holidays Blog Hop! Our Hop will feature sneak peaks of the different stamp sets and accessories the Holiday Mini Catalog has to offer. There are 40 jam packed pages of the Holiday Mini Catalog that will fill many of your holiday stamping and gift-giving needs! Be sure to visit the Stampin' Addicts gallery and forums for great Stampin' Up! ideas!

If you have been following the blog hop in order you've just seen Dawnmarie's wonderful Berry Christmas creations at DM Dezigns.

Just sit back and imagine a few of the things you might make with the Holy Family stamp set as you see what I have for you here. :) I took several pictures, while I was creating, of both the candle and the card shade, so look for tutorials next week if you are interested.

First, I wanted to create a home decor item, but a Nativity scene limits the possibilities just a bit. My downline Kris suggested a candle, and candles are one of my favorite quick and easy projects. I merely embossed on white tissue paper, turned the gold embossing powder toward the candle and melded the paper into the candle. (Turning the gold embossing powder toward the candle created the reversed image you see.)

I had already decided to create the home decor/card combo creation below which is also candle-centered. The "front" of the card has a gatefold appearance and is tied by gold cord. The Real Red sentiment panel is mounted on vellum edged in gold-embossing. The "gates" allow the card to stand on its own.

The "back" of the card has a top note-sized hole with the gold embossed image on vellum. I edged the Real Red image frame in gold embossing powder by using the Versamarker and added three gold brads. The star is cut out and attached with a mini glue dot. I apologize for the poor/fuzzy picture quality...I wanted the candle glow to shine. Safety first...be sure to allow proper distance between your shade and votive candle holder.

This last picture is of three regular cards using different image treatments. I wanted the card on the left to be easy to duplicate so the image is stamped in Chocolate Chip ink on Vanilla. I used the Big Shot Join in the Cheer die for the word JOY.

The center image is stamped in StazOn ink on our watercolor paper and watercolored using classic inks and an aquapainter. I used the sentiment from Christmas Cardinal to create a simple card.

The card on the right has a base of Very Vanilla cardstock cut with the Big Shot Scallop Square die. The image and the Merry Christmas from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set are gold-embossed and layered with gold cardstock for a design that looks a bit more elegant. These cards are in the Stampin' Addicts gallery individually.

Please continue to Kat's Kards to see what gorgeous things she's done with the Delightful Decorations set and Punch.

For your added convenience we have added directional arrows to help you find the previous or next blog spots.

Halloween Week Day 5

For today's Halloween post, I CASE'd this beautiful card by Holly Krautkremer/catrules on Stampin' Addicts. I think the brocade background image is so similar to the spooky one in From the Crypt that it just lends itself to tweaking :). I used the spider as the "stamped off"/more subdued image in the background where Holly had used the Brocade background. Stamping off is nice because it achieves a lighter saturation when using Versamark. You can of course use it with colors as well such as in generational or shadow stamping.

A few words about CASEing..... (copy and steal everything) If you're stuck for an idea, using something about another's card can be a great Mojo magnifier. :) Sometimes the color or layout can be just the thing to get your mind going in a totally different direction. This card is SO close to the original that it is almost an exact CASE, though an exact CASE would just be a copy. A CASE like this one shows that often just changing the stamp set on a card you have in your possession will make it easy for you to create a fun card quickly. When uploading your CASE'd card online, a shout out to the creator and a link to the creator's blog or online gallery is polite and recommended.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow at noon to travel the Stampin' Addicts Holiday Mini blog hop!