A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW



I recently shared a card featuring a die-cut window, and this one features a larger window.  I made this card to send to my grandmother and hope that it will brighten her day and that it will find her feeling better.  The Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include Itty Bitty Shapes (scallop circle) punch, pearl jewels, Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White card stock, Soft Suede ink, Daffodil Delight satin ribbon, and "Short & Sweet" stamp set.  For the lamp image, I used My Digital Studio and two digital stamp sets . . . "Little Additions" for the lamp and "Green Tea" for the white floral burst, and I placed a Daffodil Delight colored 5-Petal Flower digital punch behind the white floral burst for a touch of color.  One of the greatest things about My Digital Studio is being able to customize stamp images and punch shapes in any size and color to fit a project!  I've already mentioned that I love the "Short & Sweet" stamp set, but have you looked at the images in "Little Additions"????  That set is NOT just for babies!  You can see and purchase any Stampin' Up! products from my web site www.regina.stampinup.net.  Just click the "Shop Now" button in the top right corner OR click the "Shop 24 Hours" neon sign in the right sidebar on my blog.

BABY BOTTLE SHAPED CARD

I {heart} shaped cards, and I used my Gypsy to design this one to congratulate the arrival of a sweet new baby.  This card is actually a fairly generous size . . . 5.75" x 3.25".  Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include images from the "Short & Sweet" stamp set, Very Vanilla card stock, and the Jewelry Tag punch.  If you haven't taken a look at the Short & Sweet stamp set, look it up because it's such a great little set!  Not only does it have perfect little sentiments, it also has a coordinating image for each sentiment.

STRAWBERRIES, GLORIOUS STRAWBERRIES

I've been having a serious hankering for strawberries lately, and I bought these beauties from the store today.  They're all washed and ready to be topped and sliced, but I wanted to snap a picture first because they're just so . . . pretty and . . . luscious!  But this post isn't just about real strawberries.  Pictured below is one of the cards that my customers got to make at my Inkerbelles' class this month.  Of course, I love it because it's square, but it's always good to have a nice, all-occasion card on hand.



TEA TOWEL

Do you want to craft with fabric, but you don’t sew? Well, this is the project for you! You can make this Tea Towel with LOVE for your mom or change the colors and words and give someone a special springtime gift. How about LUCK for a St. Patrick’s Day gift or SPRING for an Easter gift? If you’ve got an iron, you can make a bunch of these as they are quick and inexpensive!

This awesome project was designed by Julie, and the tutorial was posted on Craft Project Central today. 

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY" SHAPED CARD

I love shaped cards, and today's MISM project is a jalopy-shaped card created with a Sizzix die that I purchased during a shopping trip with my mother on Saturday.  I always enjoy our shopping trips, but I think the people in Winston must have been Christmas shopping because the traffic was horrible--bumper-to-bumper cars and parking lots FULL.  Even so, the outing with my mother was a lot of fun.  To make my card, I actually die-cut three pieces of paper.  The card base is a piece of Stampin' Up! Basic Black card stock, folded in half and placed on the die just below the cut line at the roof of the jalopy to form a hinge; Crumb Cake card stock which I adhered to the inside of the card so I'd have a light-colored surface to write a note; and I die-cut a piece of designer paper for the front of the card.  The "love" key is tied on with hemp twine, and I used a gold pen to write "luv u" on the front license plate.  All in all, I kept everything simple on this shaped card, which is why it's my "snappy" project for today.  Doesn't this card make you want to use one of your dies to create a shaped card?  Go for it!

"SWEET SHOP" BOX

Today's share is a project that I designed for Craft Project Central, and the tutorial for this ensemble was posted today! 

Using Stampin’ Up!’s Sweet Shop Designer Series Paper and Designer Stickers, you can create this set of sweet note cards and a box designed to look like a Sweet Shop, complete with a striped awning. 

BARGELLO (& A BRAND NEW OLD CALENDAR) TO THE RESCUE FOR "FREESTYLE FRIDAYS"

I don't mean to come across as conceited, but I really do like how this card turned out!  When Julie issued a mission last week for me to recycle something, I immediately thought that I'd use a calendar page since I'd just unearthed a 2011 calendar the previous day while cleaning out my inbox.  If you're thinking that my inbox had a year's worth of paper in it, then you're absolutely correct . . . the calendar looked brand new.  For my project, I chose the March picture because the colors screamed at me.  I wasn't sure what to do, but then I decided on the Bargello technique.  Believe it or not, I had every intention of gluing the cut strips into a fun shape . . . until I started gluing them on the scrap card stock which, by the way, was cut to fit a regular A2 card.  I even had the A2 card already scored and folded!  I can't explain how I ended up with a square card--it must have been destiny.  Or my standard MO.  Anyway, after cutting the calendar art into half-inch strips, I shifted each one (higher or lower) as I adhered them to my scrap card stock.  Once I was finished (subconsciously) trimming it down to a square, I adhered my Bargello design to the Whisper White card and proceeded to add the finishing touches.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include "Everybunny" and "Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp sets, Baker's twine, Eyelet Border punch, Sponge Daubers, Stampin' Dimensionals, Aqua Painter, and 2-3/8" Scallop Circle punch.  If your inbox is like mine used to be (overflowing), you might find a brand new calendar if you clean it out and then you, too, can put the pretty art to good use!

"MOCHA MORNING" DECORATED EGG

A quick share today . . . this project began with a paper mache egg and a blank stare.  After much deliberation with myself as to how I wanted to decorate it, I finally decided to punch a bunch of flowers from Stampin' Up!'s Boho Blossoms punch to cover the egg.  I knew the flowers wouldn't be recognizable on the egg, but I liked the idea of having the variety of paper patterns and the texture that the seemingly-loose flower edges produced.  You'd think it would take forever to cover the egg this way, but it really didn't take that long.  My finishing touches were a stamped message ("Inspired by Nature" stamp set) and a bow created with three different ribbons.  Even though the egg has a flat bottom, I used the Lace Ribbon border punch to create a stand for it.  All products used are from Stampin' Up!

LEPRECHAUN & POT OF GOLD

St. Patrick’s Day is less than a month away, and this happy little leprechaun wants to share his pot of gold! This cute project with a punch-art card is perfectly paired with a little Pot O’ Gold! Fill it with foil-wrapped chocolates for a special St. Patty’s Day gift! Celebrate the holiday or give as a good luck treat!

The tutorial for this adorable project, which was designed by the very talented Kim Score, was posted to Craft Project Central today.  Subscribers enjoy wonderful project ideas, and it's never too late to subscribe!

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A CARD KIT?

I recently posted this card to my blog and was asked to put together some card kits.  After my class on Friday, I have a couple of kits left.  Each kit is $4 (plus the cost to mail the kit to you) and includes the following:

1 Whisper White card, 4-1/4" x 4-1/4" scored
1 Crumb Cake layer
1 Die-cut and embossed window
1 Die-cut and embossed flower box
1 Punched designer paper "curtain"
5 Punched branches
6 Punched branches (large leaves)
5 Punched designer paper flowers

1 Pink Pirouette strip for the sentiment of your choice (I'm not allowed to include Stampin' Up! stamped images in kits, but I'll be glad to check my non-Stampin' Up! stamps to see if I have another sentiment that you'd like.)

If you'd like to purchase a kit, email me at randari@hotmail.com and use "CARD KIT" in the subject line.

DESIGNER MEAL PLANNER ENSEMBLE

This Menu Planner, Shopping List, and Notes set is designed to keep you organized when planning meals for your family! And shouldn’t something that is set out in your living space (hung with magnets on your refrigerator) be cute, too? This set is so cute and functional that you will have no problem planning meals for a week. You’ll have space to make quick notes on what you need to grab the next time you go to the store, as well as a categorized shopping list! Make several sets and give them away as gifts!

Subscribers to Craft Project Central will find the tutorial for this awesome project, which was designed and created by Carrie Rhoades.  If you haven't already subscribed to CPC, it's not too late!  The tutorials are really easy to follow and include step-by-step photos.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

MISM is all about creations that can be whipped up in a snap, and this one certainly qualifies.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card are listed below:

Card Stock:  Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Whisper White

Stamp Set:  You're My Type

Punches:  Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, Small Oval, Large Oval, Itty Bitty Shapes (circle), Boho Blossoms

Accessories:  Everyday Enchantment Brad Pack, Mat Pack & Piercing Tool

TURNING HEARTS INTO A FLOWER

Did you know that Stampin' Up!'s small heart punch, from the Itty Bitty Shapes punch collection, can be used to make a nice floral embellishment for a card or other project?  To create my flower, I punched eight hearts from "Twitterpated" designer paper and glued the tips of the hearts to a 1-3/4" circle (punched from designer paper).  Using Pink Pirouette card stock, I punched a scallop circle, used scissors to cut between each scallop to form "petals," and then adhered this shape to the center of the 1-3/4" circle.  Finishing touches to my flower were a designer button and a Baker's twine bow.  Other Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include Baja Breeze textured card stock, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stock, oval punches, sentiment from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp set, and Eyelet Border punch.  I think this embellishment has just the right amount of dimension to be perfect for a card, of course, but it would also "pretty up" a gift bag, box, or anything else that needs a little something pretty.

"FREESTYLE FRIDAYS" WITH JULIE

It's Julie's turn to give us some Freestyle Fridays inspiration and, from the looks of the sneak peek photo that she sent to me, it's sweet!  Be sure to visit Julie's blog to see all of the details of her project and to learn more about it.  I'm sure she'll have an interesting (and, possibly, challenging) mission for me to complete for next week's Freestyle Fridays share, and you might want to give that mission a try!

 

"MY DIGITAL STUDIO" . . . TRY IT FREE!!!!

If you've followed my blog for very long, then you know that I {heart} Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio software.  I'll be the first to tell you that this program has capabilities that I haven't ever tested, which is okay, but My Digital Studio is truly one of the best tools that I have brought into my stamp room.  If you have been curious about this program, then you might like to download the trial Express version, which you can explore and use FREE for 30 days!  To download the FREE trial, visit my web site at www.regina.stampinup.net, click the "Shop Now" button in the top right corner, login or create an account, and then enter item #129600 in the search box.  This should open the product information for the free trial, and you can add it to the cart and check out.

The "calendar with easel" project shown to the right is a very clever way to create a collection of recipes that's easy to use in the kitchen, and it's just one of the many types of projects you can create with My Digital Studio.  This particular project would make a really nice gift for anyone--at any time!  Of course, this easel project could be designed as a calendar, a "year-in-review" photo display, etc.  Stampin' Up! offers a professional print service for your My Digital Studio designs or, as long as your home printer can accommodate the size paper needed to print your digital project, you can do your own printing from home.  Whatever you do . . . download the trial version of the software and enjoy it for 30 days!  If you need assistance, let me know and I'll take care of you.

"EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENT" PURSE & CARDS

You’re going to love this purse and four matching cards with envelopes made with the new Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper and the Fresh Vintage stamp set. The new Adorning Accents embossing folders and the Adorning Accents Edgelits dies give this project an elegant look, especially when used with the Labels Collection Framelits die.

The tutorial for this project, designed by Glenda Calkins, was posted today on Craft Project Central.

"EVERYBUNNY" EASTER TREAT & CARD

The tutorial for my Easter project was posted today on Stampin' Fun & Friends.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this ensemble include "Everybunny" stamp set, Labels Collection Framelits dies, Lace Ribbon Border punch, Scallop Edge punch, mini lunch sack, Baker's twine, Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon, 1/8" taffeta ribbon, white gel pen, Stampin' Sponge, aqua painter, and "Twitterpated" designer button. 

"YEAR OF CARDS" GIFT BOX

Do you have too many birthdays and occasions to remember? Or . . . do you know someone who would love to receive a years' worth of occasion cards? This beautiful and sturdy gift box contains six portfolios with a pocket for each month of the year. On each month’s pocket there is a tag where you can write names, dates, and occasions for that month to help you remember all of those special dates and occasions! Each pocket in the portfolio will hold five to six A2 size cards and envelopes depending on how bulky the cards are. That means that this beautiful gift box can hold 60 – 72 cards and envelopes!

The tutorial for this awesome project, designed by Amanda Corbet, was posted today for Craft Project Central subscribers.  If you haven't subscribed yet, it's not too late!

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

It's time for MISM, and I'm sharing a quick little (square) card that I made using a cute stamp set with a coordinating die for the grapes.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include "Sweet Shop" designer paper, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, and Whisper White card stock, Dazzling Details (to add sparkle and dimension to the grapes), 1-1/4" square punch, 1-3/8" square punch, small oval punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Elegant Eggplant Scallop Dots ribbon.  

INK, PAINT & A PEARLY MIST . . . MY MIXED MEDIA EXPERIMENT

I don't normally dabble with mixed media but, as I was working on what I thought would be a strip of stamped and colored butterflies, something outside of the box reached right out and pulled me in!  I held that narrow strip of watercolor paper in my hand, marveling at how pretty the butterflies looked, and then it occurred to me to swipe a different color of ink (four of the colors found on the butterflies) on each of the four corners.  Hmmm, me thinks to myself . . . not bad . . . let's grunge it up a bit and add more stamped images.  So I did.  And then I decided to grunge it up a little more by spraying a "Perfect Pearl" mist, which added a really pretty pearlescence overall.  Don't ask where my bravery came from, but I then reached for a gold acrylic paint dabber and randomly swiped gold onto the paper.  I thought the gold looked a little too "boldish," so I lightly sanded the paper to tone it down.  I really like the end result!  It's a bit busy--but in a good way. 



VINTAGE STYLE "FAUX BOOK"

I love vintage projects, and the "how to" for this one was posted today on Craft Project Central.  This is actually a greeting card that looks like a book and would wow someone, whether or not they love books.  The compartment inside is deep enough for a gift card (perhaps to a nearby book store) or any other small treat.  Monika Davis did a great job designing and creating this project!

"FREESTYLE FRIDAYS"

With her Freestyle Fridays post last week, Julie issued a mission for me to create two cards using the same colors, same stamp set, same technique, and only ONE embellishment.  This was quite a challenge for me, and I had to give a lot of thought to what I wanted to do.  Really, Julie?  Only ONE embellishment?!?!  The "masking" technique that I used on these two cards is one that I am doing with my Inkerbelles' class next Friday, and it's one that I really, really like!  To create my mask, I used a 1-3/8" square punch on a piece of paper the same size as my card front.  Paper clips held the mask in place as I used sponge daubers to apply the So Saffron, Baja Breeze, and Soft Suede ink to the card stock exposed through the punched window on the mask.  The stamp sets that I used (I hope it's okay that I used two of them) were "Fresh Vintage" and "Perfect Words".  The lone embellishment that I chose was Pool Party seam binding and, even though it's a very different shade from the Baja blue ink, it seemed to work just fine.  Although the design is very simplistic, I am pleased with these two cards!  I love Julie's challenges, and I guess it's okay if they stump me sometimes.  I think everyone who reads this blog post should challenge themselves to create two cards using the same colors, same stamp set, same technique, and . . . one (uno, een, eine, un) single solitary lonely embellishment.  I'd love to see what you make!

LOOKING LIKE SPRING

I spent most of my time today working on projects for this month's Inkerbelles' class, and I think I'm finally satisfied--and finished.  Actually, I'm quite excited about all of the projects!  I have a rule for myself . . . if I don't really like a project, then it doesn't get made at my class so it's not unusual for me to have a pile of rejects at the end of a day.  After setting the class projects aside, I decided to play with a couple of new items that arrived today and was really excited with this card!  It makes me think of Spring and, since our Winter has been so mild, I might as well get ready for the next season, even though I dread the flying insects, slitherers, and other critters!  While some of the main products that I used for this card are not from Stampin' Up!, some of them are:  Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, and Pear Pizzazz card stock, "Twitterpated" designer paper, Itty Bitty Punch (scallop circle), Two-Step Bird punch, and "Short & Sweet" stamp set.

"EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENT" CORK COASTERS

This project makes a fun and useful housewarming or hostess gift. Pair it with the coordinating note card, and you’re all set! With all of the gorgeous Designer Series Papers from Stampin’ Up!, the possibilities are endless!!

The tutorial for this project, designed by Laurie Zoellmer, was posted today on Craft Project Central.

On Monday, I posted that I have a FREE one-month subscription to Craft Project Central, and the winner of this subscription is Judy, who wrote "Love your card. I have this set, but have yet to put stamp and ink together. Please let Dimples know that she will be in my prayers. I've walked her path. Love your blog!and would be tickled pink to receive the free subscription!"  I'd like to thank those of you who left comments!  Judy, I will contact you so we can get your subscription set up!

FAMILY-THEMED DECOR ON A 12" CLOTHESPIN

One of the projects that I worked on recently was altering a 12" clothespin.  You read that right . . . a 12" clothespin!  I decided that this would make a nice family-themed decor item, and I used Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio software and words/sentiments from assorted digital stamp sets to create the defining flags that represent what my family means to me.  Don't you just love the "You make my whole face smile" sentiment?  That one makes me smile every time I read it.  It's from the "Sprinkled Expressions" stamp set, which is one of the Sale-a-Bration products--a FREE choice with a $50 purchase this month!  Stampin' Up!'s "Live Every Moment" Embosslits die seemed like a perfect addition to this project because it delivers a reminder that I think we can all try to live by.  Life is not always perfect, but we should LIVE (appreciate and savor) every moment and try to find the good in most every situation.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY" & ONE FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO GIVE AWAY!!!

Sometimes when I sit down to create my MISM project, I don't really have a specific need--it's just another opportunity to create a quick little something to share.  Today's project, however, was born from a need to send a card to someone whom I haven't seen since 1980 . . . someone who became a friend in a class at school . . . someone with whom I shared many smiles and shenanigans . . . someone who started as a friend and later discovered that we were cousins!  Yep!  Dimples and I shared so many laughs during Chorus, which didn't make the teacher too happy, and we became instant friends.  She met me in class one morning and said that she'd been talking to her mother, mentioned my name, and learned that we were cousins.  Dimples was in my homeroom class for three years (most of that time was before we became friends), but the most fun was in English class during our junior year.  We sat in a row of three desks (directly in front of Mr. Jones' desk) with another friend, and Mr. Jones named us the Lennon Sisters--called us that all year long.  Once when Mr. Jones was sending me to the office for something, I just looked at him like, "Do you mean go by myself?" and he said, "Oh, good grief . . . take the rest of the Lennon Sisters with you!  I wouldn't want to be the one to break up the group!"  Anyway, Dimples' brother told me recently that she has breast cancer, and this is the card that I made to send to her.  This card wouldn't have been a "snappy" one to make if I hadn't found the garden hat (already colored and cut) and the white decorative frame in my stash of "prepped-for-something-but-didn't-use".  Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, and Very Vanilla card stock, Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon, and the following stamp sets - Pocket Silhouettes, Thoughts & Prayers, and Garden from the Heart.  If you wouldn't mind, I'm sure Dimples could use and would appreciate your prayers.
ETA:  I forgot to mention earlier that I'm designing for Craft Project Central this month and have one FREE subscription to give away.  I will draw a winner Tuesday evening (Feb 7th), and all you have to do to enter the drawing is leave a comment to this blog post.  Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you!  

IT'S TIME FOR A NEW "CRAFT PROJECT CENTRAL" PROJECT

This Valentine ensemble would be a great gift for a teacher or any sweet Valentine on your list! This cute little paper mailbox can hold a sweet set of 3" x3" note cards or chocolate treats for the kids! The Do Not Disturb door hanger has a pocket to hold mints or any other small treat! Once you have the templates, you can easily recreate this project for any theme or occasion.  The instructions for this ensemble, created by Holley, were posted to Craft Project Central today.  It's not too late to subscribe to this month's projects OR to participate in the Creating Pretty Cards Challenge #8.

"YOU'RE MY TYPE" HELLO

I like sketch challenges as much as I like Julie's missions every other week.  There's a pretty neat Creating Pretty Cards challenge this month on Craft Project Central that I decided to try, and you might want to try it, too.  My card features the following Stampin' Up! products:  Pool Party, Whisper White, and Calypso Coral card stock, Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon, "Sweet Shop" designer series paper, Hearts Collection Framelits die, Jewelry Tag punch, Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, and "You're My Type" stamp set.

VALENTINE GIFT BOX, EARRINGS, & A CARD

This pretty heart box has a special pair of earrings hidden inside. You can create them with Stampin’ Up! brads in just a few minutes! Not only is this a great gift for Valentine’s Day, but it would be wonderful for Mother’s Day, birthdays, and so much more!  The tutorial for this project, designed by Chris Galbraith, was posted today for Craft Project Central subscribers!

TWO "FREESTYLE FRIDAYS" PROJECTS FROM JULIE

It's time for Freestyle Fridays, and Julie has two projects!  It looks she has an interesting technique to share with us, so be sure to visit her blog to see the pictures in full and get all of the details.  I love the quilted ribbon that she used and would love to see Stampin' Up! bring it back.  Have a wonderful weekend, and visit me again soon!

VALENTINE TREAT HOLDER & CARD

On Craft Project Central, the first project this month (designed by Heidi King) is a great Valentine Heart Treat Holder filled with decorated Hershey’s Kisses and a pretty coordinating card. You only have two weeks to get your Valentines projects done, and this is a fun one to try!