A Hostess Gift
I wanted to show you the gift that I made for Lynda and Sharron, my most recent Hostesses.
I purchased the instructions for this Mix & Match box of cards from Lee Anne Greff. At the moment I could purchase 4 Tutorials for the price of 3 and I am absolutely thrilled with the two that I have already received. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow.
I have used the Pink Pirouette Roses from the Bella Blue Designer Series paper to cover the outside of the box. I then made a focal strip using A Rose is a Rose Stampset and Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red and Kiwi Kiss inks. This piece was wrapped with Red Riding Hood Tafetta Ribbon.
I used Brocade Blue, Apricot Appeal, Mellow Moss and Kiwi Kiss Card and matching ribbons. The wide Brocade Blue ribbon and the striped Kiwi Kiss ribbon also have a Clear Rhinestone brad in the centre of the bow. The card fronts were made by running Whisper White card through the Big Shot using the Manhatten Flower Embossing Folder. I stamped matching envelopes using the Manhatten Flower Stampset and co-ordinating inks. I stamped a variety of sentiments using inks and cardstock in each of the four colours and attached dimensionals to the back. Now all that has to be done is add the sentiment required to the top right hand side of the card. I love the way it turned out and so did Lynda and Sharron.
If you would like to see more information regarding this then I recommend that you visit Lee Ann’s blog. She is amazingly talented and I am sure you will be inspired when you see all her beautiful projects. I will post my project when I have completed the other tutorial.
Bye for now, Kris.
COASTER GIFT BOX
On Friday night I did a workshop for Lynda and Sharron. These ladies have a special place in my heart as they hosted my very first workshop. Sharron wanted me to design a box to hold a single wooden coaster. She has four of these she wants to give as special gifts to some classmates of hers.
Designing boxes need not be something to shy away from. I have found that the Grid paper Stampin’ Up! sells is fantastic for just this purpose. All you need to know is the dimensions of what it is you are going to house in the box. In this case a coaster 9cm x 9cm and less than 1cm deep.
I started with a 16cm square of Handsome Hunter card for the base and scored it at 1.5cm and 3cm from each. I cut away most of the corner sections, leaving a tab on one side. Then it was a simple matter of folding the outer scored section into the inside of the box, enclosing the tabs. This makes a very strong box.
This diagram is not to scale and is to be used as a guideline only.
I made the lid of the box in the same way but using a 15.8cm square of Blush Blossom Cardstock. This was scored at 1.4cm and 2.8cm on each side. I stamped the top of the cardstock with the Medallion Background stamp using Blush Blossom ink and making sure that it left a clear margin on the right hand side of the top of the box. The box is assembled in the same way as the base.
I stamped a 9.7cm square of Ruby Red cardstock with the Medallion Background and attached this to the inside of the Handsome Hunter base.
I stamped the large flower from the Vintage Vogue stampset onto Whisper White card using Ruby Red ink three times and cut them out. I stamped the small flower from Vintage Vogue onto Whisper White card using Blush Blossom ink three times and cut them out. I also stamped six leaves from the Vintage Vogue stampset onto Whisper White card using Handsome Hunter ink and cut them out.
After I cut the flowers out I scrunched them up into a ball and carefully opened them up. I layered a small flower onto a large flower and inserted a Ruby Red brad into the centre. I once again scrunched each flower up and around the brad, opening them carefully. I attached two leaves behind each flower and then attached the flowers to the right hand side of the box around the medallion using dimensionals.
I love the way the box turned out and so did Sharron and Lynda. I believe they will be busy this weekend making several more boxes.
If you have any questions about this project, please contact me k.mcintosh1@optusnet.com.au and I will be only too happy to help.
Bye for now, Kris.
Inspirational Mother’s Day
Well this is my third post for today. I hope you are as impressed as I am. This card is for the Inspiration in Action Weekend Sketch Challenge on Gretchen Barron’s blog. The colours are a little bright so you might need your sunnies.
The base card is Lovely Lilac and I have layered it with a piece of Pink Passion card which I stamped using the small 3 flower stamp from the Cottage Garden set using Versamark ink. I then added a piece of Lovely Lilac, punched along one side with the Eyelet Edge punch (are you sick of this punch yet?). I wrapped this piece with Tempting Turquoise ribbon and added a bow with a Clear Rhinestone centre using a mini glue dot. I ran a piece of Whisper White through my Big Shot using my favourite Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder and layered it onto more Lovely Lilac. I stamped “Happy Mother’s Day” from the Occasional Greetings Set using Pink Passion Ink onto Whisper White card. This was layered onto Pink Passion card. I stamped the two-step single flower from the Cottage Garden set 3 times, using Pink Passion ink, Tempting Turquoise ink and Lovely Lilac ink. I used a third generation impression for the “solid” flower and a first generation impression for the “outline” flower. I cut these flowers out, added a small Clear Rhinestone brad to the centre and attached them to the card using dimensionals. I love how “happy” this card turned out.
Bye for now, Kris.
Party Hearty
This card was created following this weeks Saturday Sketch at Stamping 411.
This sketch has very clean lines, something that appeals to me, so I was happy to play along. I used Kiwi Kiss for my base Cardstock and added a piece of Whisper White which I ran through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. I wraped the bottom of the card with Kiwi Kiss 5/8″ striped Grosgain and attached it to the Kiwi Kiss card. The cupcake image from the Party Hearty stampset was inked up using Kiwi Kiss and Summer Sun ink. I stamped the cupcake and then masked it before stamping the candle 3 times also using Kiwi Kiss and Summer Sun ink. I mounted the Whisper White piece onto Summer Sun and then Kiwi Kiss card. This was attached to the top right hand corner of the card using dimensionals. I inked “party” and “hearty” individually with Kiwi Kiss ink and stamped them onto a scrap of Whisper White card which I punched out using the small oval punch. I sponged the edges with Kiwi Kiss ink, used my Crop-A-Dile to punch a small hole in one end and then used Linen Thread to attach it to the Kiwi Kiss grosgrain ribbon. I also placed a mini glue dot on the back of the oval so that I could position it on my card front. It is my sister-in-law’s birthday soon and I am going to give her this card. I am pretty sure she will like it.
I would love to hear what you think of this one.
Bye for now, Kris.
A Vintage Medallion
This weeks challenge for Just Add Ink is to Just Add Vintage. I am a bit of a fan of the vintage look. I am not sure that I always bring it off but I love to “play” with this style.
I started with Close to Cocoa card. I stamped it with the Sanded Background using Versamark ink. Then I stamped it with the En Francais Background using Close to Cocoa ink which I stamped off once first. Then I sponged the edges using Close to Cocoa ink. Next I stamped onto Very Vanilla card using the Sanded Background and Versamark ink and then overstamped with the En Francais Background using Close to Cocoa but only finger walking the impression so that it was faint and haphazard onto the card. I stamped the Medallion Background stamp over the top using Close to Cocoa ink and making sure that I had stamped off the left hand side of the card. Then I tore around the Medallion shape, inked the edges with Close to Cocoa ink and distressed the edges using the distressing tool from the Cutters Kit. This piece was then attached to the base Close to Cocoa card. I stamped the Medallion again onto scrap Very Vanilla Card and punched out the centre using the 1 3/4″ circle punch. I scrunched the circle up and distressed the edges before inserting a 5/16″ Chocolate Chip Jumbo brad into the centre. I attached this to the centre of the medallion using a dimensional. I stamped the large flower from the Vintage Vogue stampset onto Very Vanilla card 3 times using Close to Cocoa ink and cut them out. I also stamped the small flower from Vintage Vogue onto Very Vanilla card using Chocolate Chip ink 3 times and cut them out. I shaped the flowers slightly and then scrunched them all up into tight balls before flattening them out, layering then together and adding 5/16″ Jumbo Chocolate Chip brads through the centre of the 3 flowers. These were attached to the top right hand corner, one with a Mini Glue Dot one with a Dimensional and one with a Pop-Up Glue dot.
I think it has turned out rather nicely. Do you agree?
Bye for now, Kris.
A Birthday Birdie
I decided to play along with the Just Add Ink colour challenge this week. I love Chocolate Chip/Kiwi Kiss but hadn’t thought to use these colours with Barely Banana, however, I think they work great together.
I started with a base of Kiwi Kiss card and then decided to use my Big Shot and Top Note Die to create the focal piece. The first layer is Chocolate Chip and the second layer is Barely Banana card with Kiwi Kiss Designer Series Paper and also a Chocolate Chip strip of card with one edge punched with the Scallop Edge Punch. This layer was trimmed to fit on top of the Chocolate Chip layer. I wrapped this piece with Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon before attaching to the card base. I tied the bow separately and attached it with a mini glue dot (these are just fantastic). I used my new Two Step Bird Punch to create the focal image at the top, using Kiwi Kiss cardstock for the branch, Kiwi Kiss DSP for the wing and Chocolate Chip card for the body. I stamped my greeting (from Sincere Salutations) onto Barely Banana card using Chocolate Chip ink and punched it out with the Scallop Oval. I layered this onto a Wide Oval punched out of Chocolate Chip card.
I really liked the way this has come together. What do you think?
Bye for now, Kris.
Special Order Card Organiser
A friend of mine asked me to make a card organiser book for her, using her favourite colours – pink or purple.
I decided to use Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Old Olive and Whisper White. The instructions to make this type of Card Organiser can be found on Splitcoast Stampers. The stampsets I used were A Rose is a Rose, Baroque Motifs, Vintage Vogue and Cottage Carden. I am very happy with the way it turned out and hope that she will like it too.
The floral strip on the front cover was created by stamping onto Whisper White card using the flowers and the leaf from Vintage Vogue, stamping the large flower from using Regal Rose ink, the small flower using Pretty in Pink Ink and the leaves randomly in Old Olive ink. I love the new Clear Mount stamps because I can see where I am stamping straight through the Clear mount to get perfect placement every time. The Regal Rose card has had both edges punched with the Eyelet Edge Punch (bet you can’t guess I love this one). The Pretty in Pink card has been run through my Big Shot using the Perfect Details Texturz Plate (present from my sister). These plates add such a subtle texture to the card. Although they are not currently available in Australia, I am hoping that we get some of these fabulous plates when our new Idea Book and Catalogue is released in September. The letters were cut from Regal Rose card using my Big Shot and Timeless Type Junior Alphabet (a Stampin’ Up! exclusve die).
The pages inside were stamped so that the left and right hand sides matched each other. I used lots of masking to create the pages with A Rose is a Rose and also with the Vintage Vogue stampsets.
Because it is a book that will be used over and over again, I added some clear covers to the front and back when the book was bound for extra protection.
All in all I am happy with the way it has come together. Let me know what you think.
Bye for now, Kris.
Open House
Last Friday night Sarah, Shirley and I held an Open House to launch the new Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue.
Everyone got to make one each of these three little note cards. Each card gave them a chance to try out some new and some old product. I can tell you they were all impressed with the new products in this mini. The Big Shot and its accessories, Two-Step Bird Punch and new Clear Mount Stamps were all a big hit.
After they had made these cards, the ladies had great fun trying out all the different dies.
I would like to say a big thank you to Sarah and Shirley for helping to create a great night and also thank the ladies that attended. We had a great time showing the products and were glad that you were all as excited as we are by these fantastic new products.
For those of you who missed out, you will just have to contact me to attend a class or organise a workshop, so that you can see these gorgeous new products for yourselves.
Bye for now, Kris.
Thank You
Just wanted to pop in an say thanks to everyone who visited my site and commented on my Blog Hop post. I am overwhelmed by all your kind words. I hope that I can keep up the “good work”.
Can I just say that I had a rather full day yesterday. It was the last day of term for my eldest granddaughter and my husband and I were delighted to be able to attend her school for the Easter Bonnet Parade. I was also delighted to be able to visit my newest granddaughter Ava Elizabeth at the Mater Hospital yesterday afternoon. I now have four granddaughters and two grandsons. My life is blessed.
Anyway thanks for visiting and I hope that you will come back soon to see what else I have to show you.
Bye for now, Kris.
Let’s get hopping
Today marks the launch of the fantastic new Autum/Winter Mini Catalogue. and this Blog Hop so you can see all the fantastic ways that some absolutely fabulous Stampin’ Up! demonstrators has used the gorgeous new products in this Mini. You may have come to me from the fabulous Kelly Nelson’s blog (aren’t those robots just adorable) or you may be starting here, either way you are in for a treat as you continue on through all 26 fantastic blogs participating today. In fact we had so many demonstrators wanting to showcase all the fabulous things in this mini, we are having another blog hop on the 7th April, but more about that later.
This is a long post so you might need to top up your cuppa.
Now this Blog Hop has been organised by ESAD-SU a fantastic group of Extra Special Australian (and New Zealand) Demonstrators. I love being a part of this amazing group which has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement to me. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know-how and the regular cyberstamps.
So if you are a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator from Australia or New Zealand then please feel free to join our group.
Now before I share my project with you I also want you to know that as my customers, if you make it around to all the Blogs involved in today’s Blog Hop, and if you make a comment on each one, you are then in the running for some Extra Special Blog Candy. The participating demonstrators have donated candy for this blog hop and if you are the lucky winner you’ll be getting all sorts of parcels filled with fantastic Stampin’ Up! product. Now if you do get to all and comment on all the blogs send an email to Sharlene Torres at stampwithsharlene@hotmail.com with your name and email address and then everyone who has also visited and commented on all of the blogs will go in the drawer for the ‘extra special’ blog candy.
Ok, so on with the show.
Today I am sharing with you the things that I have made for my five gorgeous grandchildren for Easter and now you will understand why I haven’t been blogging for the last week or so.
I am so excited to share that we now have the fantastic Big Shot Die Cutting Machine available for you to purchase. This is an absolutely fabulous Die Cutter. Not only that but we have some exclusive dies available for you to purchase. Today I have used one of those dies – The Fancy Favour Box – to create these cute little easter baskets for my grandchildren.
I have used Pretty in Pink for the girls and Bashful Blue for the boys. Before assembling them I rolled each one with the Spot On Jumbo Wheel using Versamark ink. The handles are 1 ¼” strips of matching cardstock, punched down both sides using the Eyelet Edge Punch for the girls and the Scallop Edge Punch for the boys. The handles are attached using silver brads and for the girls I have also added a Pink Pirouette flower punched out using the Trio Flower Punch. The cute little bunnies on the front were inspired by one that I saw on Connie Babbert’s blog .
Punches used –
1 3/8” Circle for face (Pink Pirouette/Close to Cocoa)
1” Circle for cheeks (Whisper White) with ¾” Circle layered on top (Pink Pirouette/Close to Cocoa)
½” Circle for nose (Pretty in Pink)
Scallop Oval for Ears (Whisper White) layered with Large Oval (Pink Pirouette and Close to Cocoa).
½” Circle for Eyes (Whisper White) layered with ¼” circle punched using the Crop-A-Dile (Basic Black).
The bows are made using Pretty in Pink and Bashful Blue Tafetta Ribbon. Inside is a little bag of mini chocolate easter eggs.
Of course I had to make each of them a matching card.
The colours are again Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa and Whisper White card. The Whisper White card has been run through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (love it). I have again used the Scallop Edge Punch on the Close to Cocoa card and the Eyelet Edge punch on the Pink Pirouette card. The bunnies were inspired by one I saw posted by Kim Score .
I thought the bunny was absolutely adorable and had reproduce him/her on these cards. Punches used –
1 ¾” Circle Punch for body
1 ¼” Circle Punch for head
Butterfly punch for legs (cut in half)
Small Oval for ears.
All pieces were punched in either Bashful Blue or Pretty in Pink and each piece was sponged with the matching ink. The tail is made using the Boho Blossoms Punch. The three pieces are used and I have sponged them either with Pretty in Pink or Bashful Blue ink. I layered them and then pierced a hole, inserted matching brads, then I scrunched them up to give them some dimension.
Ribbon is again either Bashful Blue or Pretty in Pink Tafetta and I have added a bow to the girls cards.
Now along with their box of choccies and their cards, the boys are getting the construction sets shown in the first picture in this post and the girls are getting these gorgous little rag bags.
These are made using the Stampin’ Up! exclusive Top Note Die. I cut all the material on my Big Shot, cutting four layers at a time but I am sure I could have cut at least six layers at once. Then I stitched them altogether following a tutorial I purchased from Lynn Pratt . I love the way they turned out and I am sure the girls will be delighted with them. They have a pocket each end on the outside and a large pocket on the inside.
Now I am the last blog on this hop but if you haven’t done the full loop just go back to the beginning with the lovely Andrea Buckland . She has some fabulous cards to show you using the gorgeous stampset Autum Days.
Now don’t forget to leave a comment on all the blogs you visit in this hop to be in the running for some fabulous blog candy.
If you live in my area and would like to see these products and more, then email me and reserve a place at the Open House which Shirley, Sarah and I are hosting on the 9th April.
Bye for now, Kris.
Stamping with Kris 