BLOG HOP . . . COURTESY OF NC STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATORS

The NC Stampin' Up! demonstrator Facebook group is having their first monthly blog hop today, and I'm so excited to participate!  If you started at the beginning of this hop, then you are coming from Shavon's creative blog.  As you probably know by now, this hop will feature products from Stampin' Up!'s Occasions catalog and Sale-a-Bration brochure, and I'm pleased to share the project that I created:

My card features the following products:
Cardstock/Specialty Paper:  Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Gold Glimmer Paper, Botanical Gardens Designer Vellum Stack
Stamp Sets:  Birthday Blooms, Botanical Blooms
Ink:  Mossy Meadow, Calypso Coral (ink pad and marker)
Sizzix:  Botanical Builder Framelits
Accessories:  Rhinestone Jewel
And here's one more (close-up) photo for you.  Isn't that die-cut flower gorgeous?

Thank you visiting!  Click the photo below to continue to the next 

blog or click on Tamra's name in the list below the "next blog" button.


Following is a list of the blog participants and links to their blogs:

Shavon Borders 

YOU ARE HERE

Tamra Davis

Kitty Helton

Jo Anne Hewins 

Amy Ingram 

Michelle Irinyi 

Melissa Kerman 

Tracie Langley

Sharon Maranich 

Mary Robinette 

Sue Root 

Pam Staples 

Lisa Tedder 

Frances Wagner 

BAKER'S BOX CREATIONS

This tutorial includes three different treat and gift boxes made with the Baker’s Box Thinlits Dies. There’s a little treat box that holds a Ghirardelli candy bar perfectly, a tall Baker’s Box that can hold a full-size candy bar or anything around the same size, and a wide Baker’s Box that can hold a lot of treats or a little gift. The boxes also feature the Garden in Bloom Stamp Set and English Garden Designer Series Paper. This would make a great product-based class for the Baker’s Box Thinlits Dies.

This ensemble, which was designed by Christy Fulk, is the January bonus project at Craft Project Central.  Qualifying for the bonus tutorial is easy . . . just subscribe to two or more months in a row, put the Craft Project Central badge on your blog, or refer a friend to the site.  When your friend subscribes, just let us know!

A LITTLE VALENTINE DECORATION IN WOOL

Lately, I've been seeing some patchwork backgrounds on wool appliqué projects and have been wanting to try to create one.  I designed my pattern last night and cut out the pieces today, feeling more and more apprehensive about how it would turn out.  It looks easy enough, but wool (maybe a lot of other fabrics, too) has enough stretch and thickness to it that will cause it to do some shifting once stitching begins, which was even more of an issue considering that there would be a backing to which the pieces would be stitched.  I wasn't sure what would happen once I started to join all of those small pieces with their unique shapes but, despite a couple of small challenges, I was quite pleased with the end result.

Working with wool is so enjoyable!  The only downside that I can see (besides the ouch of having to pay for the wool and then not wanting to cut it up) is that I don't want to stop once I start a project.  Fortunately, I seem to keep choosing small projects that don't take a lot of time to complete.  ;-)  And now I'm decorated for Valentine's Day!

LITTLE LETTERS FELT BOARD BIRTHDAY SET

What can you do with the Little Letters Thinlits?  A lot!  This tutorial will walk you through how to use your thinlits in some fun ways!  Learn how to create felt letters with a felt board, a felt letter holder, and a festive birthday card!  We will use both the positive die cut letters and the negative spaces they leave when they are die cut!  Let’s explore what you can do with these versatile thinlits! 

The tutorial for this project, which was designed by Michelle, can be found at Craft Project Central.

BOTANICALS IN SYMPATHY

A sympathy card was needed for a sweet lady last week, and I think the corrugated paper was a perfect background for these pretty botanicals.

Stampin' Up!'s botanicals products are so easy to work with--they're the total package!  That leafy border . . . ahhhhhhh . . . I'm addicted to it, and what's not to love about the die-cut flowers with the cut petals? 

My card features the following Stampin' Up! products:
Stamp Sets:  Botanical Blooms (#140757), Teeny Tiny Wishes (#127802)
Ink:  Cajun Craze
Cardstock/Paper:  Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow, Pear Pizzazz, Very Vanilla, Corrugated Paper (#138317), Botanical Gardens DSP (#140583), Botanical Gardens Designer Vellum Stack (#141019 - FREE Sale-a-Bration product), Hello Honey, Soft Sky
Sizzix:  Botanical Builder Framelits (#140625)
Accessories:  Rhinestone Jewels
Of course, all of the products can be ordered from my web site www.regina.stampinup.net, and the current Hostess Code is shown at the top of the right sidebar.  I'll even send a hand-stamped card to thank you for your order!



CRASH THE (DSP) STASH!

I'm excited to share a sneak peek photo collage of the project that I designed for this month's edition of awesome Craft Project Central tutorials!  But first . . . following is the introduction that I wrote for my project:

Ask any stamper or paper crafter and, if they’re honest, they’ll admit to having more designer paper than they’ll probably live long enough to use.  The problem (for lack of a better word) is that there are too many gorgeous paper collections coming and going all the time.  This tutorial will demonstrate a fun, colorful, and creative technique that will not only have you using that paper you’ve been hoarding, but it also gives the green light to mixing and matching colors and patterns that you would normally never use together.  While you are putting your hoarded stash to work, you will thoroughly enjoy some trendy techniques such as the quilt and tag cards, tag-shaped window, glimmer pinwheel card, and a colorful, fun Bargello design.  Of course, you’ll need a pretty place to put your stack of cards, and this tutorial includes a handy pocket portfolio for that purpose.

Did you click on the photo to open a larger view?  There are lots of fun techniques in my tutorial that will have you wondering what took so long to start digging into your stash of designer paper!  As usual, I have a FREE one-month subscription to Craft Project Central to give away, and getting entered in the drawing is really easy . . . just click ON THIS LINK and leave a comment about my project.  On Sunday, January 31st, I will announce the winning name right here on my blog, so be sure to check back then.

BEAR HUGS VALENTINE SET

This super cute Bear Hugs set is perfect for the baby bear in your life! Featuring a pop-up card, treat bag, and banner, it is a great way to show your love on Valentine’s Day or all year round.  The treat bag is a great size for cookies or candy. The banner is easily customizable to any length name. The pop-up card is quick enough to make multiples of while still being exciting to open. This fun trio would also make a great class or club project.

How cute are those bears?!?!  This fun Valentine set was designed by Yapha Mason, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

 

I CONFUSED MY GREAT-NEPHEW

Earlier this month, all of my family gathered at my house to celebrate my husband's birthday.  I gave my great-nephew (who is 6 y/o) two $1 bills because he *LOVES* money.  I mean . . . the sweet little guy has been saving dollars for quite some time, and it's the cutest thing to see how his face lights up when he counts his wealth.  One of these days, I think he'll literally be rolling in mountains of bills!  Anyway . . . hours after everyone had left my house (after the buckets of rain stopped), I was walking down the driveway to the  mailbox and spied something lying on the ground.  That something turned out to be a one-dollar bill.  Oh, poor Campbell . . . it looked like he probably dropped a dollar while rushing to get into the vehicle in the pouring rain.  I laid the dollar out to dry and, in the mean time, I started thinking of what kind of card to make so I could send the dollar to Campbell.  When I came across a web site that showed how to make a heart-shaped fold from a dollar bill, I thought that would be a fun way to send it! 

I heard from my niece yesterday that the money was well-received, but Campbell was really confused as to the occasion for which he was receiving a card with  money (yes, I wrote a note in the card).  It seems that the balloons on the card were interpreted as celebratory (which they normally are) for an occasion such as a birthday, so he was trying to figure out if he had a birthday coming up soon.  I guess the heart-shaped money could have given the impression that it was a Valentine's treat, or  maybe his great-aunt just doesn't know how to send a dollar in the mail without prompting lots of questions.  LOL  This is the card:

Campbell probably thought that I didn't even know how to fold a card, but at least I know how to mail one . . . and didn't forget to include a dollar.  :-)



MEMORIES IN THE MAKING BIRTHDAY CARDS

It’s your best friend’s birthday, and you don’t have time to make a card. Don’t break down and run to the store to buy one! Here are 12 simple, cute, and quick birthday cards you can create in a snap with the Project Life Memories in the Making Bundle. Using the Card Collection, Accessory Pack, and Photopolymer Stamp Set with a few other tools you probably have on hand, you’ll have a card for every month. You’ll also repurpose the packaging to make a box to hold your cards and envelopes. This project would make a wonderful gift or a fun stamp camp or class as well! 

The tutorial for this project, which was designed by Buffy, can be found at Craft Project Central.

 

MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY

Today's MISM project was designed in combination with Craft Project Central's Creating Pretty Cards - Sketch Challenge #55.  Each month, there's a brand new sketch challenge at Craft Project Central, and it just so happened that this month's sketch is especially simple.  You can find the tutorial for the sketch HERE, and you could be the lucky winner of a FREE one-month subscription if you upload a card for the challenge and your name is drawn. 

SKETCH #55

The sketch is shown above, and this is the card that I designed:



 

Since the handle of my teacup was on the right side, I decided to flip the placement of my sentiment and embellishment from the sketch.  Stampin' Up! products featured on my card are as follows:

Stamp Sets:  A Nice Cuppa, Timeless Textures

Ink:  Perfect Plum, Crumb Cake

Cardstock:  Crumb Cake, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla, Lost Lagoon

Punch:  Large Oval

Sizzix:  Cups & Kettle Framelits, Elegant Dots embossing folder

Accessories:  Rhinestone jewels, linen thread, Stampin' Dimensionals, Venetian Crochet Trim, Stamping Sponges

After stamping the subtle background and embossing the Very Vanilla cardstock, I lightly sponged Crumb Cake ink over the embossed design.  The die-cut cup and punched sentiment were adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals.



AMORE BANNER GIFT SET

Add some lovely décor to your home for Valentine’s Day with this Amore banner featuring sparkling ribbon and sequin tassels, glittery hearts, and beautiful pennants. Give this lovely banner as a gift with the coordinating gift box to nicely package the banner and the matching card.

The tutorial for this project, which was designed by Amanda, can be found at Craft Project Central.

 

IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE . . . WITH CAKE!

Celebrate any occasion…with cake…and the calories don’t count!  This project begins with a card that features the Party Pop-Up Thinlits Dies…with a fun Hip Hip Hooray front and center!  The card also uses the It’s My Party Designer Series Paper Stack…and it’s bright and fun colors and patterns carry over to the cake picks and the birthday box.  This easy, sweet little project sets the lucky recipient on the way to celebrate any occasion…in a delicious way!

The tutorial for this project, which was designed by Sue Plote, can be found at Craft Project Central.

MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY

Today's MISM project is a fun fold design inspired by a card that I saw on Pinterest.  It looked easy enough to figure out--and it was.  My 4-1/4" x 11" card base was scored at 4-1/4, 8-1/2, and 9-3/4 inches.

The stamped image is from Stampin' Up!'s Silhouettes & Script stamp set, and I chose the image because we have been having too much rain lately!  Following is a close-up of the folds:

Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Whisper White and Marina Mist cardstock, Hello Honey ink, and rhinestone jewels.

 



VALENTINE 12X12 SAMPLER & SQUARE CARD

This Valentine Sampler is sure to wow your friends and family when you tell them you made it yourself! Add a 12" x 12" frame of your choice and make a beautiful focal display!  The square card uses product from the Love Blossoms Suite. The Love Blossoms Designer Series Paper Stack, the Love Blossoms Embellishment Kit, and the Love Blossoms Cardstock Pack make it easy to make the card look so pretty and elegant! These projects coordinate beautifully together and would make a great gift for someone special! Get your friends together,  share the product needed and help them create their own gifts for giving!

The tutorial for this lovely project, which was designed by Lynn Starzl, can be found at Craft Project Central.  Have you subscribed yet?

 

PERPETUAL CALENDAR & PEN HOLDER

The beginning of a new year always means purchasing new desktop calendars. Make this calendar, and you’ll never need to purchase another desktop calendar again! This perpetual calendar is perfect for any desk. It includes two square cubes with numbers for the days of the month, and three long, rectangle cubes for each month of the year. All of these are inserted into a floral calendar base. This tutorial also includes a coordinating pen holder to go along with the calendar. This would also make a great calendar class.

The tutorial for this fabulous ensemble, which was designed by the very talented Christy Fulk, can be found at Craft Project Central.  The colors are just so gorgeous!

 

OVENEX "THE NEW BAKING METAL" . . . UPCYCLED

During the last several years when I visited my grandmother, I always got a wee bit excited when she'd ask me to either take something to or get something from her basement.  She didn't seem to mind that a quick trip downstairs would end up as a fun stroll--an exploration--for me.  I loved walking around in her basement looking at old, packed away things.  I didn't stir in anything--just looked at what was in clear view.  I have a lot of memories of times spent in her basement--my memories and memories of time that she spent down there, too.  She did a lot of crafting there, and I did a lot of playing.  It was really cool in the basement and sometimes, when I would get too warm upstairs, I'd just go sit on the steps in the basement and fan myself.  I was often tempted to just fling my face against the cold concrete floor, but I always managed to resist.  Recently, my parents, sister, and I started the process of going through (what I call) the basement treasures, and I was excited to put two Ekco Ovenex "the new baking metal" pans in a box of things to bring home.  This is how I upcycled the pans:

Although I brought a clear vase to use as a pedestal, I decided at the last minute to use the clear Boost (nutritional beverage) bottle instead.  Mamaw drank Boost, and my mother had cleaned some of the bottles two summers ago so we could use them as vases to hold gorgeous bouquets of wildflowers from daddy's garden, and they've been very handy for that purpose!  Since the bottle originated from mamaw's house, it seemed fitting to use this one for the pedestal.  I used E6000 adhesive to attach the three pieces together, and this handy vintage upcycled project will now be put to work on my stamping table.

 

MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY

The craziest thing happened over the weekend.  All day Saturday, I was convinced that it was Monday.  Once I realized that it was Saturday, I still had to keep reminding myself of that throughout the day.  Late that night, it occurred to me that I had not posted the project that I had planned for MISM, so I rushed to the computer and began typing my apology for being late.  As often as I have neglected to post a MISM project in the past few months, I don't know why it seemed like an urgent matter this time.  ;-)  As I was trying to finish the post so that I could get a bath and think about going to bed, I glanced at the date on my computer and it didn't read 1-4-16.  What????  Instead of being late, I was almost two days early with the MISM post this week!  And here is a photo of this week's snappy card:

The hardest thing about this card was deciding what color the flowers would be.  Besides the stamped images, my favorite design element is the hand-drawn line border.  There's just something fun (and so easy) about getting the green light to draw straight lines that are anything but straight.  Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include:
Stamp Sets:  Flowering Fields and What I Love (both of these are Sale-a-Bration products that will be available tomorrow)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad; Marina Mist and Wild Wasabi markers
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Thick Whisper White, Marina Mist
Accessories:  Metallic Sequins Assortment

Thank you for visiting my blog!  Have a stampin' good week!



ROMANTIC DINNER ENSEMBLE

Valentine’s Day is approaching and the restaurants will be crowded! Why not plan to stay in the comfort of your own home with this Romantic Dinner Ensemble? Surprise your Valentine with all of the trimmings! You can eat dinner by candle light with taper candles and custom gold rose candle holders, while enjoying the beverage of your choice with a decorative bottle topper. The place setting will be perfect with coordinating silverware sleeves and a matching card for your sweetheart. Add some scattered sequins and heart shaped gold doilies for the finishing touch.

The tutorial for this project, which was designed by Julie, can be found at Craft Project Central.

A YEAR FULL OF MEMORIES

Do you remember all those special times that happened over the past year? Maybe some of just the big events?... Well this sweet project is meant to help you take the time to write down all those things, big or small, that made your day, week or month memorable! Maybe it’s a little thing someone said or did, but write it down and place it in the jar. And won’t it be fun to open the jar next year and read all those moments that made your year special! Make it a family jar that everyone contributes to! In the tutorial, you’ll learn how to decorate the shimmery jar. You’ll make an Open-Top Box to put the decorated Note Cards in – all ready to set out and be written on and put into the jar! Plus, make a set for a gift and include the coordinating card!

This creative and gorgeous project, which was designed by Julie, kicks off a brand new month--and a brand new year--of awesome tutorials at Craft Project Central.  Now is the time to begin your subscription and make a jar of your own to fill with a year full of memories.