Thursday, June 30, 2016

CUTIE PIE CREATIONS - BONUS PROJECT

If you want to use your Cutie Pie Thinlits Dies for more than just cake pieces, this tutorial is for you. This tutorial includes three different ways to use the dies. The projects are a triangle treat box, mini treat basket, and a hanging basket. These projects feature the new Swirly Bird Bundle, Thoughtful Banners Bundle, and the Playful Palette Designer Series Paper Stack. These projects would make a great product-based class.
 
 
This fantastic project, which was designed by the talented Christy Fulk, is the June bonus project at Craft Project Central.  Qualifying for the bonus project 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!

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

FLOWER CARD SET WITH "VERTICAL GREETINGS"

I had the pleasure this month to create two project tutorials for Craft Project Central, and following is the introduction for the second one:
 
With this tutorial, create a colorful set of greeting cards that feature the same design with assorted colors and sentiments.  That same lovely design is carried over to the envelopes, which will give the recipient a glimpse of the beauty that is waiting inside.  You will love how quickly this set can be made, including the decorative box!  This project would be perfect for a product-based stamp class.


Craft Project Central always has fantastic project tutorials, and this month is no exception!  If you would love access to a plethora of great projects or maybe you could appreciate some ideas that feature some of the newer Stampin' Up! products, then you would enjoy becoming a subscriber. 

Sunday, June 26, 2016

"BIRTHDAY FIESTA" - SKETCH CHALLENGE #60

This month's Creating Pretty Cards - Card Challenge #60 is such a neat one, and it was just the challenge that I needed to create a card using Stampin' Up!'s Festive Birthday Suite. 
 

The photo isn't the greatest, but I love the bright colors in this suite!  When I was first introduced to Stampin' Up!, I was drawn to the Bold Brights (that's what the Brights Collection was called way back then) but, during most of my years as a demonstrator, the Brights have been my least used colors.  That might be changing now.  The colors featured on this card include Crushed Curry, Tempting Turquoise, and Melon Mambo. 

It's not too late to create a card following this month's sketch.  When you upload your card HERE, you might have a chance to win a FREE one-month subscription to Craft Project Central.  For every ten cards that are uploaded, a drawing will be held for the free subscription.  What are you waiting for????


Saturday, June 25, 2016

BUTTERFLY CARD SET & SHAKER BOX

Make this beautiful butterfly greeting card set with elegant designs. Learn how to work with your dies and stamps making the most out of them:  such as inlaid die-cutting and making your own stamped background. You will also learn to add a shaker window to the box holding your cards. This is a technique you’ll want to know to jazz up any craft project.  Great for a stamp camp, or as a class project.


The tutorial for this gorgeous project, which was designed by Monika Davis, can be found at Craft Project Central.  Have you subscribed yet to the awesome tutorials this month?

Friday, June 24, 2016

CHAD'S BIRTHDAY AND LE MANS

Last Sunday, was my son's 25th birthday, and it was also the weekend of the 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans.  Chad was excited to watch the race and, when I saw this race car cutting file at SVG Cutting Files, it was just too perfect.  I asked Chad what colors he wanted me to use on his birthday card, and he chose Carolina Panthers' colors.  I should have known that's what he'd choose, and they were very easy to incorporate on this shaped card:


We had a lot to celebrate last Sunday . . . my mother's birthday, Chad's birthday, and Father's Day, and it was a really fun day!

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

"WINTER SLEIGH RIDE"

One of my newest hobbies is wool applique . . . something that I've only been working with for the past year and a half.  On my first visit to a quilt show, I fell in love with the bundles of beautiful wool that some of the vendors offered, and I was determined to be able to use them.  My only dread was that I have never, ever wanted anything to do with a needle and thread.  Needless to say, I have learned a lot during the past year and a half, and I now have quite a selection of threads and even a small stash of beautiful wool.  The piece pictured here was first seen at a quilt show earlier this year, and my mother commented that it was something that my daddy would probably love.  And so began the process of ordering the kit and then completing it.  My first thought was to give this to daddy for his birthday in April, but I soon realized that that plan was a bit too ambitious--it's approximately 13.5" x 37".  My piece is not without mistakes, but that's the thing about wool applique . . . it is so forgiving!  This design, Winter Sleigh Ride by Jan Mott/Crane Designs, is part of her panoramic four seasons series and they are all four gorgeous!  One thing that I had to add to the design was the cute little dog.  The kit that I received for this project didn't have one long "snow" piece, so my mother had to sew two short pieces together, and the dog (designed by my son) was an adorable cover-up for those stitches.  Upon completing the project, I had it framed and presented it to my dad on Father's Day.  My mother, who sews and quilts, has helped me tremendously, and it's been kind of fun since March to walk past the living room in their home knowing that this piece would eventually hang above their fireplace--while daddy had no idea that mother and I had secret plans for that blank space.

PAINTER'S PALETTE ART MAGNET SET

Turn your refrigerator into an art gallery!  In this project you will learn how to take a stamped image and turn it into a magnet for your refrigerator.  You will create three blank art easel magnets and learn how to temporarily attach and replace the art that gets framed in each of the magnets.  You will also construct a tiny envelope to store your blank art "canvases" and your completed works of art!  The entire set of easel magnets, "canvases" and Velcro attachment pieces are stored in a custom box perfect for gift giving!  This is a wonderful gift for a child as they will have a ton of fun creating their art masterpieces for framing on the refrigerator!

 
The tutorial for this creative project, which was designed by Michelle Wecksler, can be found at Craft Project Central.  Have you started your subscription yet????

Saturday, June 18, 2016

POPPIN' PARADISE ENSEMBLE

It’s time for summer!  With summer comes loads of reasons to be in touch and to celebrate the season.  These designs scream fun!  In this tutorial you’ll learn how to use Pop of Paradise Stamp Set, Pop of Pink Specialty Designer Paper and Swirly Scribbles Thinlits to create three of the box cards and a summery box that’s perfect as a party favor or a gift box for a special something or someone.
 

The tutorial for this ensemble, which was designed by Sara Levin, can be found at Craft Project Central.

Friday, June 17, 2016

AND THE WINNER IS . . .


With my 6/12/16 blog post, I mentioned that I have a FREE one-month subscription to Craft Project Central to give away, and I appreciate those who took a few seconds to leave a comment, which got their name entered for the drawing.  The winner of that subscription is . . . [drum roll] . . . JANE MCAULAY.  Jane, if you'll contact me at randari at Hotmail dot com, we will get your subscription started!
 


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

GRATEFUL BUNCH OF CARDS & FRAME

This bright and cheerful ensemble of three cards and a sweet little frame using the Grateful Bunch Stamp Set with the Blossom Bunch Punch and Hello Thinlits is sure to put a smile on someone’s face. The projects all come packaged in a cute little bag to boot. This project is also absolutely perfect for a demonstrator to use for a Product Class - tips are given throughout the tutorial showing how to organize the class so it will flow quickly and smoothly for attendees.


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

Monday, June 13, 2016

CREATING PRETTY CARDS - CARD CHALLENGE #60

The sketch for this month's Creating Pretty Cards - Card Challenge #60 is quite fun . . . and easy!  You could easily use the scraps on your desk to create a card for this challenge, and that's exactly what I did.  This is the sketch:


And I used designer paper, stamps, and embellishments that were on my desk to create this card:


The picture isn't a very good one (it was taken really late at night), and it looks much better in person.  I  used an Aqua Painter to (not so well) add the blue coloring to the fish, and the Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush was used on the seaweed.


If you're like me, you really want the "red" in the By the Shore DSP to be . . . well . . . red, but it's actually Calypso Coral.  I'm still trying to get used to that, but I really like all of the designs in this paper collection!  And the stamp set (Seaside Shore) . . . it is just too fun!  My favorite part about it is the sentiment, "Hoping your day goes swimmingly".  That's a cute one, huh?

Now is the time where I invite you to hop over to Craft Project Central where you will find a FREE tutorial for this month's Creating Pretty Cards - Card Challenge #60.  Follow the tutorial to create a card, upload it HERE, and you might be lucky enough to win a FREE one-month subscription to Craft Project Central.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

BUTTERFLIES OF ENCOURAGEMENT

One of the projects that I designed for Craft Project Central this month is featured today, and following is the introduction that I wrote for my ensemble:

Sometimes a special someone just needs a little encouraging, and this tutorial includes three uplifting greeting cards (with elegant and exciting design features) and a delicately-designed treat box.  One of the cards is a fun double Z-fold, and another one has a pop-up rainbow of butterflies on the inside.  You’ll enjoy how easy the cards are to make and how well they’ll be received!


As usual, I have a FREE one-month subscription to Craft Project Central to give away, and winning is easy!  All you need to do to get your name in the drawing is click THIS LINK and leave a comment where you see the sneak peek photo of my project.  I will use random.org to choose the winner and will announce the winner's name on my blog on Friday, June 17th. 

Friday, June 10, 2016

PAPER PUMPKIN PROMOTION . . . ONLY $5!!!!

Today only (ending at 11:50 p.m. MT), you can subscribe to the June Paper Pumpkin kit for just $5!  If you have ever wanted to try Stampin' Up!'s awesome monthly project kit OR if you haven't tried Paper Pumpkin since the project designs and kit contents were revamped and improved, now is the time to treat yourself!
 
 
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
 Just click this link:
and be sure to enter the promo code:  ONEDAYDEAL


Thursday, June 9, 2016

WINE BOTTLE BOX & CARD

A bottle of wine is a nice gift for so many occasions, from a quiet dinner at a friend’s house to a milestone celebration. This fantastic hexagonal wine bottle gift box is a great alternative to the traditional bag. It is easy to make and even easier to customize in the colors and patterns of your choosing. This project includes the wine bottle box, a matching tag, and a coordinating card. This would make a great project for a club or class, but make sure everyone brings their own bottle of wine!
The tutorial for this great project, which was designed by Yapha Mason, can be found at Craft Project Central.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

POP OF PINK PARTY ENSEMBLE

Get ready for those summer parties with this Pop of Pink Party Ensemble! Garlands are all the rage for decorating walls, hanging from ceilings, spreading along table and counter spaces – they’re super cute and flexible for décor! And you’ll learn how to systematically make one, without any sewing! Plus you’ll make three creative Gift Bag versions using the Gift Bag Punch Board, all of them being easy to open and close, ready to fill with any party treat or favor! Plus you’ll make a sweet and simple coordinating card that can be quickly replicated for multiple thank you notes!  

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

Saturday, June 4, 2016

INDEPENDENCE DAY PARTY POPPERS & LUMINARIES

It’s summer – time for picnics, family reunions, fireworks, and celebrations of all kinds. Add some zing to your parties by repurposing used coffee pods to create adorable party poppers for summer confetti. The easy-to-create luminaries add a fun touch to picnics and parties. Create a cute shaker card with leftover confetti to use as an invitation or thank you card. This set was designed for a US Independence Day party, but you can easily change the colors and paper to work with any party theme.
The tutorial for this festive ensemble, which was designed by Buffy Cooper, can be found at Craft Project Central.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

FATHER'S DAY GIFT SET

Father’s Day is just around the corner! Are you wondering what to give the man in your life? Here are some great ideas that can be given as a set or as separate gifts for the grandpas, dads, husbands and brothers that you know. The World’s Greatest Dad album is the perfect gift to let dad know just how special he is. All you have to do is fill in the blanks! The toolbox gift box can be made in two different sizes, and holds either full size Hershey’s Chocolate Bars or Hershey’s Nuggets. Top the gifts off with fun tags and a masculine card and you will be ready to celebrate Father’s Day!
The tutorial for this project, which was designed by Julie, can be found at Craft Project Central.  Subscribe to this month's awesome tutorials, and you'll be all set for Father's Day!