Stampin with the Goddess

Together Forever Wedding Favors

Last week I read on Facebook that my niece is getting married (BTW, Congratulations Megan!).  Her older brother is also getting married this summer.  These two upcoming weddings will be the firsts for the younger generation of my husband's family.  This is kinda amazing when you consider that we have 19 nieces and nephews ranging in age from 29 to 3! Heck we have great-nieces and great-nephews who are older than our youngest niece. 

Anyway, the engagement announcement got me thinking about weddings, and wedding favors, so I decided to see what I could make that could be recreated  quickly and easily.  The result is this cut little box made with the Bitty Box, a Stampin' Up! exclusive die.  While the box is small, it will hold 2 Ghiradelli Chocolates- yum.

Supplies Used:

• Stampin' Up! Bitty Box & Envelope die and Big Shot machine (also used the Extended Premium Crease Pad)
• Basic Gray card stock
• Whisper White card stock
• Together Forever stamp set
• Basic Gray classic ink
• Going Gray classic ink
• Whisper White Organza Ribbon

To order any, or all of the supplies used to create this project, click here.

Thanksgiving Treats

Now that Halloween is over, many stampers start to turn their attention to Christmas.  I, on the other hand am notorious for putting off working on my Christmas projects until well into the first week of December.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a Thanksgiving project that I made tonight.  If I can get myself organized enough this year, I'll make these little bags for my Thanksgiving dinner guests this year, maybe filling them with chocolate covered espresso beans to counteract the tryptophan from the turkey!

Surprisingly even though this looks elaborate, these were really easy to put together.  From start to finish it took less than 10 minutes to make,

If you'd like to see this up close and personal, give me a call.  It will be one of my featured projects at my November workshop and private classes.  There are still several dates available, so if you're in the Greater Cincinnati area, give me a call at 513-541-8173 and let's pick a date!

 

Supplies Used:

• Bag w/ Scallops Sizzix die and Big Shot machine (also uses the Extended Premium Crease Pad)
• Sticky Strip (essential for holding this bag together)
• Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper
• Chocolate Chip Corduroy Button
• Falling Leaves Stamp Set
• Soft Suede classic ink
• Always Artichoke classic ink
• Whisper White card stock
• More Mustard Card Stock
• 1/2", 1" and 1 1/4" Circle Punches
• Stampin Dimensionals
• Stampin Sponge
• Linen Thread

To order any or all of the supplies used in this project, click here.

Deal of the Week #2

The second deals of the week are from October 12, 10 AM (MT) through October 19, 9:50 AM (MT).

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Special Price
115961	200	Perfect Setting Bigz XL die	$42.95	$25.99
114515	195	Flower Burst Embosslits die	$11.95	$5.99
116760	201	Pop-Up Three Tier Cake Bigz XL die	$39.95	$25.49

Sweet Centers Halloween Bouquet

The days seem to keep getting shorter and the night air a bit cooler.  Fall is almost here.  And with fall comes Halloween.  Now I know that not everyone "celebrates" Halloween, but I do.  I enjoy making Halloween cards for family and friends (maybe because I'll use most any excuse to send a hand stamped card to brighten someone's day!).  I also LOVE making little Halloween treats- I really miss making these for class treats for my kids, but for some reason it's just not cool for a teen-aged boy to take treats to high school to share with the guys- go figure!

Any way, tonight's project is a fun little one that I create with the new Sweet Centers stamp set and Sweet Treats Cup (now available in the Holiday Mini Catalog!)  This project is also my entry in this month's So Shelli Contest.  I realize that no matter how great this project might be, my chances of winning are probably small since I just won a few months ago, but it doesn't hurt a girl to try again!

So, with no further adu here is my Sweet Centers Halloween Bouquet...

Supplies Used:

Sweet Centers and Batty For You stamp sets.

Lovely Lilac, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive and Whisper White card stock.

Basic Black and Old Olive classic ink

Sweet Treat Cups, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Pennant Die (for the EEK scallop), Crimper, Old Olive 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, and Crystal Effects (for adhering the elements to the sticks)

Non-Stampin' Up: Halloween M&M (don't the colors match so well) wooden skewers, small bucket, and floral foam.

One of the things I would really like to point out about this project is the custom raffia- To make some filler to cover my floral foam, I simply cut really thin strips of card stock, ran them through my crimper, then balled them up in my hand.  This made perfectly matching raffia for the project.

The only thing I wish I could have also done, was to add one of the cute Rub Ons from the Spooky Treats Rub Ons, but I don't have any left!

Well, wish me luck and Shelli, if you read down this far, HI from Cincinnati- it was so much fun meeting you at the Cincinnati Rationals this past weekend.

Click here to place your Stampin' Up! Order 24/7. 

Better, yet, drop me an email at colleen@stampingoddess.com and schedule your very own Stampin' Up! workshop.  I'll make one of these for you as a special hostess thank you gift.

Pumpkin Patch Suckers

Here's another great project from Stampin' Up!.....

 

Stamps

• Frightful Fence Stampin' Around jumbo wheel

Paper

• Basic Black card stock
• Old Olive card stock
• Pumpkin Pie card stock
• Basic Gray textured card stock

Ink

• Basic Black jumbo cartridge

Accessories

• Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon
• Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up!
• Pumpkin #4 Sizzlits Die
• Pumpkin Faces Sizzlits Die
• Florist foam
• Suckers

Instructions

1.       Wheel fence image in Basic Black ink on Basic Gray textured card stock. Assemble card stock into box.

2.       Cut pumpkins from Pumpkin Pie card stock using Big Shot and Pumpkin #4 die.

3.       Cut pumpkin stem and faces Basic Black and Old Olive card stock using Big Shot and Pumpkin Faces die. Adhere faces and stems to pumpkins. Adhere pumpkins to suckers.

4.       Tie Basic Black ribbon around sucker sticks, and insert into florist foam in the fence box.

Celebrating Build A Bear

I'm still feeling a bit out of sorts from the events of last week.  I haven't been stamping, I have been doning much of anything other than feeling sorry for myself.  In any case, I still want to share something new with you, so I'm sharing a project from Stampin' Up! which was created with the Build A Bear Sizzix die cuts coming next week in the Holiday Mini Catalog.

In addition, I wanted to thank everyone who has been sending such kind thoughts over last week's events.  It really means a lot to me.

 

Celebrate Page (8-1/2" x 8-1/2")
Stamps: Celebrate Everything Stamp Set	Paper: Card Stock Whisper White 8 1/2X11 Card Stock Chocolate Chip 8 1/2X11 Card Stock So Saffron 8 1/2X11 Card Stock Regal Rose 8 1/2X11 CARD STOCK SOFT SUEDE 8 1/2 X 11 PAWSITIVELY PRINTS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER
Ink CLASSIC STAMPIN PAD SOFT SUEDE	Accessories: Punch 1 1/4 Inch Circle Stampin Dimensionals Mat Pack Punch Corner 3/16 Inch Sizzix Big Shot Machine PAPER-PIERCING TOOL SZX BIGZ BASICALLY BEAR SZX BIGZ BEAR ESSENTIALS SZX SZLTS BEARY GIRL

Instructions

1. Adhere Pawsitively Prints Designer Series paper (8" x 8") to Whisper White page (8-1/2" x 8-1/2").
2. Adhere photo to page.
3. Stamp “Friendship” in Soft Suede ink on Whisper White card stock. Punch out using 1-1/4" Circle punch. Adhere to page above photo.
4. Stamp “Celebrate” in Soft Suede ink on So Saffron card stock. Punch out using the 3/16" Corner Rounder punch. Adhere to front of page using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
5. Cut bear from Soft Suede card stock using the Sizzix Big Shot and the Bear die. Cut the bear eyes, nose, and mouth from Chocolate Chip card stock using the Bear die. Cut the muzzle from Whisper White card stock using the Bear die. Cut two hearts from Regal Rose card stock using the Bear die. Cut shirt from Pawsitively Prints Designer Series paper using Beary Essentials die. Cut skirt from Pawsitively Prints Designer Series paper using Beary Essentials die. Cut purse from Regal Rose card stock using Beary Girl die. Cut hair bow from Pawsitively Prints Designer Series paper using Beary Girl die. Cut belt from Whisper White card stock using Beary Girl die.
6. Layer bear pieces and accessories and adhere to page. Adhere second heart over Whisper White punched circle using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
7. Pierce holes below So Saffron card stock and around Whisper White punched circle using the paper-piercing tool.

Bitty Box = Big Surprises

Tonight I pulled out another one of my new goodies from the new Stampin' Up! Catalog- the Bitty Box & Envelopes Bigz XL Die.

This is a super quick and easy project to make- the Bitty Box and the coordinating die cut envelope assemble quite easily.

For the box, I used a piece from the Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper.  The envelope is Crushed Curry textured card stock.  Both of these are cut with the Bitty Box & Envelopes Bigz die, using the Big Shot machine.  They are folded along the crease lines and then secured using Sticky Strip (Snail just isn't strong enough to hold, especially for the textured card stock). 

Assembled, the box is 2 1/2" square and 3/4" tall.  The envelopes are 2 1/4" square.

For the little greeting card, I cut a piece of Bermuda Bay card stock to 2" x 4" and folded in half.  Next, I cut a piece of Watercolor paper to 1 3/4" square.  Using Jet Black Stazon ink, I stamped the tea cup  from Fast & Fun Notes onto the Watercolor Paper and then water colored them with the following classic ink pads: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, So Saffron (I tried Crushed Curry, but it was too dark), Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, and Always Artichoke.  You can't really tell from the picture, but I used the Close to Cocoa Stampin' Write Marker to color in the center of the Black Eyed Susans.

I fit four of the little cards and coordinating envelopes into the Bitty Box.

Once it was closed, I decided that the box needed a little something, so I tied a piece of Bermuda Bay Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon and added the beaded hat pin from the Pretties kit.

Even though the finished cards are certainly small, they still can pack alot of Wow.

To order any or all the items that I used to create this project, click on the shop now button.

Happy Stampin'

Exciting News: Stampin' Up! and Build A Bear Workshops Partnership

 

Yes, you read that right, coming September 1, Stampin' Up! and Build-A-Bear Workshop are teaming up to bring you exclusive stamp sets, designer series papers, along with Sizzix dies and embosslits.

STAMPIN’ UP!^® AND BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP^®  ANNOUNCE UPCOMING PAPER-CRAFTING LINE

Stampin’ Up!’s exclusive offering to include stamp sets, Designer Series papers and Sizzix dies—available September 1st

Stampin’ Up! ^®, a Utah-based manufacturer of rubber stamps and accessories for paper crafting, scrapbooking and home décor, has partnered with Build-A-Bear Workshop^® to produce the first-ever paper-crafting products featuring Build-A-Bear Workshop brand. The exclusively designed product offering includes stamp sets, Designer Series papers and Sizzix dies providing young and young-at-heart Build-A-Bear Workshop enthusiast endless hand crafted possibilities for scrapbook pages, cards, invitations, home décor and more. 

“I’m excited about the opportunity we have to partner with Build-A-Bear Workshop,” said Shelli Gardner, Stampin’ Up! cofounder and CEO. “The company has a strong reputation for inspiring creativity and encouraging imagination with its products, which is what we have done at Stampin’ Up! for more than 20 years. This is a great partnership that will provide unlimited opportunities for creativity—I know I will be spending hours playing with my grandchildren, making all kinds of Build-A-Bear creations.”

Transforming Build-A-Bear Workshop characters into a crafting line is one of the many ways Stampin’ Up! and its demonstrators plan to excite the next generation of crafters while revitalizing the art of creating and giving handcrafted items. 

“Like Build-A-Bear Workshop, Stampin’ Up! is a company that offers a variety of ways to express creativity. We are excited to partner with them to inspire the imagination in kids of all ages and to encourage this great hands-on activity.” said Maxine Clark, founder, chairman, and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Stampin’ Up!’s Build-A-Bear Workshop Collection will feature products portraying the beloved Build-A-Bear Workshop mascot Bearemy^® and other furry friends.

I will  be hosting a Build-A-Bear Workshop on September 5, 2009 to show-off the collection of Build-A-Bear products. If you are interested in attending this event or to schedule a personal crafting event with me, drop me an email at colleen@stampingoddess.com.

New Deal of the Week- Big Shot Doctor's Bag

Don't miss out on this week's Deal of the Week: Sizzix Big Shot Doctor's Bag.  Order this handy carrying case for your Big Shot die cutting machine and save 30%.  Regularly $69.95, it is on sale for $49.99 from now until 9:50 MT on Monday, July 13. 

A Banner Fourth

 

Today I wanted to share the last of my projects for the upcoming Fourth of July Celebration in our neighborhood.  I have been working on this banner in my mind for the past week or so, and tried and tossed several prototypes, but with the help of my DS, of all people, I came up with this version.  It used NO rubber stamps, just card stock a punch and a few of my Big Shot Dies.

I tried out several variations on the traditional red-white-blue theme, only to return to the tried and true combination of Real Red, Brilliant Blue and Whisper White card stock.

  

The star banners were made using the Serif Essentials Alphabet, Scallop Circle #2, and the Stampin’ Up! exclusive Pennant dies with my Big Shot machine.  The stars were punched using the smaller of the two Star punches from Stampin’ Up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the striped banners, I cut 1/2" strips of Whisper White card stock and layered it over the Real Red banner.  Like the star banners, I used the Serif Essentials Alphabet, Scallop Circles #2, and the Pennant dies for the Big Shot.

 

 

After I finished each of the pennants, I strung them together with a long piece of Real Red Organdy ribbon (which unfortunately Stampin' Up! discontinued quire awhile ago, but I still have tons left over from my Christmas cards that year!)

 

 

Now that I am done, I can sit back and relax with my new Catalog and enjoy the holiday weekend, but before you do, don't forget to stop back here tomorrow for a link to the brand new 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog.  It is wonderful.  If you have not received your copy and would like to order one, I still have several copies left from my initial shipment and more on the way.  Just drop me an email and let me know.