"PLAID TIDINGS" QUILT CARD

 

I did a thing last week.

I did a thing that sealed a commitment.

I'm sorry if your mind went to the gutter, but I sealed a commitment . . .  to sewing . . . by purchasing a sewing machine.  

Of course, I had to sew all day on Saturday, and it was just as nice as any other time that I've sat down to sew except this time was a wee bit more fun.  I haven't read the manual just yet (I plan to) but, so far, I haven't managed to mess up anything.

About the plaid quilty card.  I went to a sewing center last week because I was hoping to get good insight and information, and the lady who helped me was . . . well . . . really helpful.  I called her the afternoon following my initial visit to see if I could come in to purchase the machine she demo'd, but there wasn't going to be enough time for me to get there before she needed to close.  She had a physical therapy appointment scheduled for that afternoon, but she ended up cancelling that appointment (said she really didn't want to go anyway--ha!) so I could go in and take a brand new machine out of her store.  She said she wanted to sit down with me to make sure I understood how to wind a bobbin, thread the machine, and a couple of other things.  I very much appreciated EVERYTHING that she did to make it possible for me to bring that new machine home, so I made this card for her.

Featured Stampin' Up! products include:

Cardstock:  Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss

Designer Series Paper:  Plaid Tidings

Ink:  Pretty Peacock

Stamp Set:  Daisy Delight (retired)

Die/Embossing Folder:  Autumn Accents (retired), Quilty Top (retired)

Embellishments:  Linen Thread, Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Don't you love the Fall colors?  I love that the Plaid Tidings DSP has patterns/colors suitable for Fall, Winter, and Christmas.

"BACK ON YOUR FEET" - (YES, IT'S ANOTHER TRIPLE CUBE POP-UP CARD)

What can I say?  The Triple Cube Pop-Up cards are too fun to make and, from what I hear, they're also fun to receive.  This one features a sweet turtle who's having a hard time, but the thing about being on his back means he doesn't have any choice but to look up, right?

I know the photos aren't the best, but it was dark and I was trying to get the card ready for the next day's mail.  That gorgeous designer paper is from Stampin' Up!'s Forever Greenery collection, and it was fun choosing which patterns to use--and where to put them.  The card really didn't need much else so I added a punched butterfly . . . and, of course, the punched heart because every turtle who's having a hard time needs lots of love.

MY (UNCONVENTIONAL) PERFECT STORAGE FOR MOST USED SEWING TOOLS + MY FIRST ZIPPER PROJECTS

For most of my life, I had z-e-r-o interest in sewing or anything that required a needle and thread.  It seemed comical when I brought a sewing machine into my stamp/craft room years ago, but it was purchased for the sole purpose of sewing on cardstock.  I didn't do much of that because I knew I'd have to watch a video many times (or refer to the instruction manual) if the machine ran out of thread.  I knew nothing about sewing machines, and I didn't really care to learn.  Since getting my sewing corner set up several weeks ago, I have really enjoyed a few small sewing projects.  With each project, there have been certain tools that just needed to be out and within reach.  Thinking about how to have them within reach without having to dig around to grab what I needed, I thought it would be perfect to have a base that I could just stick them into that would keep them upright and a bit separated.  I ended up filling my wool basket with BBs.  See how perfect it is?

In the bottom of the basket, there's approximately 1" of tiny rubberbands.  I needed a few more BBs but, instead of buying more, I just used something that I had that provides a perfect cushioning and lifts the BBs closer to the top of the basket.  So far, I am LOVING this tool basket, and it seems to be taking care of my tools.

When I decided that I wanted a sewing corner in my stamp/craft room, I had a big interest in making projects that could be started and finished rather quickly, as well as projects for which I had a real need.  The same type of projects that first sparked my interest in stamping were kind of the same that sparked my interest in sewing.  I couldn't stop making boxes and 3D items when I was a new stamper, and suddenly I was looking for all kinds of baskets and zippered pouches/bags to sew!  Of course, it would be ideal to have a zipper foot when sewing zippers, but I have to do the best I can without one.  Following are a few projects that I've made.  Don't judge too harshly--I know that my sewing is far from perfect.

Below is the first zippered pouch that I made, and I was sooooooo proud that the zipper looked okay and worked perfectly.  The fabrics used on this project (exterior, lining, and strap) are retired from Stampin' Up!.  The pouch was substantially larger than what I had in mind, so I had to make another (smaller) one:

The smaller triangle pouch is approximately 3.25" or 3.5" on all sides, and it's really cute.  I don't know if I somehow pinched the zipper before taking the photo, but it looks normal in real life:

And then there's the popcorn pouch:

I was nervous and excited to make this pouch, and it's such a nice size.  This was my first project with binding, and there was a hiccup or two:

So this has been a little sewing update.  As for the tool basket, there are probably a lot of items that could have been used but, if you need a similar basket and don't have the perfect filler on hand, try BBs!

ANOTHER TRIPLE CUBE POP-UP CARD

 Tomorrow is aunt Betty's birthday, and this is the triple cube pop-up card that I made for her:

She had to have something special, right?

Decorating all of the panels on this card was so much fun, and I fell in love with it again and again along the way.

It's too bad that the flowers on the die-cut cake didn't coordinate with the designer paper, but I at least tried to make sure the coloring was a close match.

Aunt Betty loves flowers, and I suspect that she'll enjoy looking at this card.  I hope so!  Afraid that she might have a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with the card, I included a photo that showed how it should be unfolded and displayed.

Sing "Happy Birthday" to Betty.  And have a cupcake, too!

A FALL THANK YOU (TRIPLE CUBE POP UP) CARD

 

I have been a tad addicted to making Triple Cube Pop Up Cards.  Have you made one yet?  The one that I'm sharing today is a mini version that was designed to easily fit into an A2 envelope.  I used instructions that Dawn Griffith shared.  It's really easy to make . . . score a piece of 7" x 7-1/2" cardstock (with the 7-1/2" edge at the top of the scoring tool) at 1.75", 3.5", 5.25", and 7".  Turn the cardstock so that the 7" edge is at the top of the paper trimmer, and cut two strips that are 1.75" wide.  These two strips are the short cubes that get adhered to the tall one.  I adhered the DSP to the tall cube prior to assembly, but I waited until the sentiment corner strips were adhered before adhering DSP to the short cubes.  

I used Stampin' Up!'s Plaid Tidings DSP to decorate this project.  I am in love with those plaids!  As you can see, I also used the Forever Gold Laser Cuts to embellish this card.  Two non-Stampin' Up! punches (which I have had for YEARS) were used to cut the tiny leaves from a scrap piece of mirrored gold that I didn't use from the laser cuts.  It's hard to tell from the photos, but I used one of the Greenery embossing folders on the Very Vanilla squares.

Those two leaf punches were also used on the DSP that I adhered to the back of the tall cube.  The other "back" section is where my message was written for the recipient of this card.

Lastly, I used Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, and Crushed Curry inks to color the envelope.  The stamped leaves are from the Forever Fern stamp set.  As you can see, this card folds as flat as possible for mailing.

FESTIVE CHIPPY PUMPKIN

 

I recently received a Chalk Couture order that included Pumpkin Cutouts (which you can see HERE or at the bottom of this post).  While they looked so smooth and pretty right out of the box, I was anxious to put some stain and paint on the tall one.  I had a design in mind, and it was 100% inspired by a pumpkin that one of my team leaders had created.  She had used images from the September Club Couture transfer ("Fall Blessings") in such a unique way, and I fell in love with it.  Following is a photo of the transfer:

Unless you have worked with Chalk Couture's products, you may not understand the thrill.  The good news is . . . there's a fix for that!  Do yourself a favor and visit my web site to see all that Chalk Couture has to offer.  While my pumpkin took some time, effort, and supplies, I normally just grab one of my framed chalkboards and some Chalk Paste when I'm ready to create a festive decoration.

And just for your viewing pleasure, following is a photo of the Pumpkin Cutouts as they arrived--naked and ready for dressing up:

Aren't they adorable?  I haven't completed the smaller pumpkin yet, but I'll either paint it or use one of background transfers to decorate it.