"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project is one that my stampin' friends got to make at my Inkerbelles' class this month, and it was super easy!  The muslin bag is 3' x 5", and we used Stampin' Up! Basic Gray and Real Red Classic inks to stamp the images from "Elementary Elegance" and "Petite Pairs" stamp sets.  The bag can't be laundered since we used Classic ink, but I figured the Hershey's® Kisses that went into the bag would make most people forget that there was ever a bag around them.  Ha!  The images were stamped on both sides of the bag, and a heart (from the "Full Heart" punch and Red Glimmer paper) was threaded onto the strings before tying the bow.  I was really pleased with this project--it's such a quick treat for someone special!

GUMBALL NECKLACE, BOX, AND CARD

Remember when you were a kid and used to get the little candy necklaces?! I remember putting mine on (usually at a birthday party), taking little nibbles out of it, and trying to make it last as long as I could. Here’s a fun project, designed by Heidi King, that your birthday girl (or boy) will love and will probably remember when they grow up too! Makes a cute little party favor too!  The tutorial for this project is posted today at Craft Project Central.

ATTIC BOUTIQUE GIFT BOX & "TWO TAGS" CARD

My grandmother (92 y/o) enjoys getting together with her quilting friends each Monday morning, and I think it's sweet that they honor and celebrate birthdays.  Someone is having a birthday tomorrow, so I made this box and coordinating card for mamaw to take to her friend.  It actually turned out even better than I had hoped!  I wanted something sturdy, so I used the thin cardboard (that comes with Stampin' Up! designer paper) for the box and lid and decorated it with "Attic Boutique" designer paper.  The birthday sentiment is from the "Something to Celebrate" stamp set.  Other Stampin' Up! products used to create this ensemble include Scallop Circle and 1-3/8" Circle punches, Soft Suede, Whisper White, and Pool Party card stock, linen thread, Pool Party seam binding, Sizzix "Two Tags" die (for the small card), Soft Suede taffeta ribbon, and a pretty button from the "Twitterpated" designer button collection.

"FRESH VINTAGE" THANK YOU

I seem to be having some issues with my cameras, and neither seems to be doing a very good job for me.  Still, I wanted to share this card that I designed for the Creating Pretty Cards - Challenge #7 sketch at Craft Project Central.  You can play along, too!  All you need to do is follow this sketch and upload your card to be in the drawing for a free one-month subscription to CPC.  Stampin' Up! products used to create my card include "Fresh Vintage" and "Petite Pairs" stamp sets, "Twitterpated" designer paper, 1-3/8" Circle punch, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, and Basic Gray card stock, rhinestone jewels, large pearl jewel, and taffeta ribbon.

"BURSTING WITH SPRING" GIFT BOX & CARD

Sometimes you need a really special gift box for a really special person!  This is a pretty one that you can use! With its generous size and decorative top, you will be just as pleased to present this box as you are with whatever you choose to place inside. The recipient of this "bursting with Spring" gift box will surely consider it a keeper. The coordinating greeting card is the perfect accompaniment with plenty of visual interest of its own!  I designed this project for Craft Project Central, and the tutorial was posted there today.  It's not too late to get your subscription to the site and gain access to all of the project tutorials that have been posted this month!

"FREESTYLE FRIDAYS" AND A SWEET VALENTINE



It's hard to believe that the month of January is almost gone, and it will soon be Valentine's Day!  With her Freestyle Fridays post last week, Julie issued a mission for me to create a Valentine . . . BUT . . . it had to be 4" x 9.25".  I'm here to tell you that when you are addicted to making 4.25" square cards, 9.25" seems like a lot of card to design/decorate!  It just seems that way, though.  Once I got started, this card actually came together rather quickly and, if you think about it, this card isn't that big by Hallmark standards.  I can remember when I first came to know about Stampin' Up! and fell in love with their products (and stamping), I thought 4.25" x 5.5" was a small card.  All of the products used to create this card are from Stampin' Up! and include the following:  Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, and Calypso Coral card stock, Stamp-a-ma-jig (can you imagine trying to stamp the heart-shaped bicycle image in the heart-shaped window without it), Hearts Collection Framelits, Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon, Adorning Accents Edgelits and embossing folder, "Sweet Shop" designer paper, In Color printed designer brad, Square Lattice embossing folder, rhinestone jewels, and the following stamp sets - "Take it to Heart," "Occasions Alphabet," and "Something Sweet."  Julie, thank you for continuously thinking of ways to challenge me--I really enjoy the missions!

"MISS YOU"

I had a class last Friday, and one of our stampin' queens wasn't able to join us, so I made this card for all of us to sign and send to her.  She recently had surgery, was having a rough time, and it just seemed right for her stampin' friends to let her know that we were missing her.  She's really a very special lady!  For her card, I used Stampin' Up!'s "Have a Seat" stamp set?  Do you love it as much as I do?  When I first laid eyes on this set in the catalog, I was ready to order it but then started wondering how I would actually use it.  I hated that my mind was drawing a blank, but I thought that I should have plans for it before I ordered it and ended up not buying it right away.  Every time I saw it in the catalog, I was drawn to it and finally decided that it was calling to me and that I should have it, so I finally ordered it.  I have NO regrets--I just love this stamp set!  "Have a Seat" has taught me that sometimes a card doesn't need to be fussy or busy.  I even used this set for one of my Christmas cards last month!  Other Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include the Designer Frames embossing folder, Wide Oval and Scallop Oval punches, Pool Party seam binding, Very Vanilla card stock, and "Attic Boutique" designer paper.  The "miss you" sentiment is from the "Three Little Words" stamp set, and the oval was cut with a Spellbinders die.  You can't tell from the photo, but the chair was stamped with VersaMark and heat-embossed with gold embossing powder. 

VALENTINE PETAL POUCH & CARD

This super large Valentine Heart Pouch can hold a load of fabulous treats for your Valentine! It has accordion folded sides that give it lots of room inside, and the ribbon hanger on the top makes it a super cute door hanger treat!  The matching card makes this a great gift for any sweet Valentine!

The tutorial for this gorgeous project, designed by Julie Beltramo, posted to Craft Project Central today!  It's not too late to subscribe to this month's project tutorials!!

AN "ART PHILOSOPHY" HAT

The card that I'm sharing today was designed with a Gypsy and cut with my Cricut Expression machine.  On the cartridge that I was using, the shape is called a tab but, as you can see, it makes a nice hat!  Most of the images are from the Cricut cartridge, with the exception of the following from Stampin' Up!:  Scallop Circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch (tiny scallop circle), "Short & Sweet" stamp set, designer button, organdy ribbon, Baker's twine, "Twitterpated" designer paper, and rhinestone jewels.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"



It's time for another MISM project, and I decided to make a card with an interior pocket to hold a tea bag.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a tea bag to include with this project.  Except for the Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon on the front of the card, the design was created using My Digital Studio and the following digital images:  "Tea Shoppe" stamp brush set, Eyelet Border punch, and "Everyday Enchantment" designer paper.  I used the 1-3/4" Circle punch on the printed "tea for two" sentiment and the 2-3/8" Scallop Circle punch on the Baja Breeze layer.  Inside the card, I stamped images from the "Vintage Vogue" stamp set.