Hand Stamped Sentiments #103 - Anything BUT A Card, Gift Items

This week at Hand Stamped Sentiments, we are asking you lovely crafters to create anything BUT a card with this gift item challenge! 

There are so many possibilities, I went to my Pinterest boards and narrowed it down to this fun paper pouch. I took photos of each step and will explain how YOU too can create this fun little package!

start with a sheet of paper 5-1/2" X 8-1/2"

attach a piece of sticky strip along the short side, peel off red backing...

and then adhere together into a cylinder shape

pinch one side together and create a fold line/crease about 1/2"...I stuck another piece of sticky strip inside before crimping but you can add the sticky strip on the first step as well.

fill your pouch with desired goodies 

and then pinch/adhere and crimp the other side but make sure you pinch the opposite direction of the first pinch. Attach a fun tag, ribbon or other embellishment to personalize your pouch, hand to a teacher or friend and make someone's day sweeter!

Head on over to Hand Stamped Sentiment to see what wonderful gift items the design team has whipped up for you this week!

The picture tutorial I spied on Pinterest had been sewn together which would be super cute BUT I don't own a sewing machine nor do I know how to sew. You can check out that tutorial HERE.

SU! products used:
Stamp Set - Just My Type, Itty Bitty Wishes
Paper - In-Color DSP, Whisper White
Ink - Craft Black, Basic Black
Other - Black Embossing Powder, Crimper,
Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon
 Square Retired Rhinestone Brad

who's ready for Sale-A-Bration 2012??

It's that time of year again...no NOT Christmas but almost! It's Sale-A-Bration time (can I get a what what!) The time of the year where you receive one FREE exclusive product for every $50* you spend January 24th - March 31st. There are so many fun amazing products in the Sale-A-Bration Catalog (buttons, DSP, fabric, stamp sets and more), click on the link or catalog to check them out!

This is also an AMAZING time to join the Stampin' Up! (r) family. You get not only a fabulous starter kit for $125.00 during Sale-A-Bration BUT you also will receive a FREE paper pack or digital download EACH MONTH for the rest of the year! Click HERE for further details or to sign up.

*not including shipping

Hand Stamped Sentiments #102 - Beach

This week over at Hand Stamped Sentiments, we're turning the heat up a bit with a Beach Inspirational photo...now seriously, who can NOT want to be there right now?! I know I could stand a kiss of sun on this winter white skin!

I looked over EVERY single stamp set I own and sadly couldn't find a beach themed stamp anywhere in the whole lot...but staring dreamily into the inspiration photo and almost hearing the crashing waves at my feet, I thought of non other than sand, crystal blue waters and orange sunsets. Thought my little speed boat looked oh so cool tucked in between the waves as it sped off to pick up the latest water skier or parasailor.

HSS#102

I used a punched circle as my sun, held it in place and sponged Tangerine Tango all around, removing the circle, what remained was a perfect sunset. The water and sand were created by ripping strips of paper and then sponging each with their corresponding ink colors. The little speed boat was heat embossed in Basic Black onto a Basic Grey cardstock with a slight bit of color in the racing stripe. I wanted the boat to look like a silhouette with the sunset in the background. 

I hope you enjoyed my take on this weeks photo, head on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and check out what lovely 'get away' creations the Design Team has put their sandy feet on and dive right into the challenge yourself, we'd love to see your warm beach' y creations!

SU! products used:

Stamp Set - Need For Speed

Paper - Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Basic Grey

Ink - Versa Mark, Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango

Punch - 1-3/4" Circle

Other - Black Embossing Powder, Tangerine Tango Marker

Baby Buggy Shower

This week at Freshly Made Sketches, I used their sketch to design a baby shower invitation.

 

FMS#18 

A bit of paper piecing on the buggy and tiny round details carry throughout with the EF, DSP and bling.

SU! products used:

Paper - Night of Navy, Island Indigo, Very Vanilla, Island Indigo DSP

Ink - Night of Navy, Crumb Cake

Punches/Dies - Top Note Bigz Die, 1-3/4" Circle, 1" Circle, 3/4" Circle

Map 'py' Birthday

Over at Moxie Fab World, MAPS are all the rage and we are to incorporate them in an innovative way on our projects. Since most maps I look at now are online or on my IPhone...I had to scramble to find one. But alas, this German/Swiss ski map was tucked into an old folder left over from when we lived in Germany. 

I couldn't waste the map, so I made two 5-1/2" X 5-1/2" cards. You can't have a ski trail map without a pair of skis, so I whittled two sets using a 1/2' strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock for each ski. I added a score line down the center of each, snipped the fronts of the skis to a rounded point and then curled them with my trusty pen! A brown button, which looks very similar to the ones attached to all of those funky ski sweaters, some red/white twine and you've got a fun winter(ish) Happy Birthday!

Hello Prince

This happens to be the very last challenge over at Wee Memories, I whipped up a card fit for a prince (or a king) which I thought an appropriate way to finish in style!

WeeMemoriesLast

I used a piece of scrap paper as my base and cuts 1/2" strips of Bashful Blue and Whisper White, lining them right up against each other. After I had the desired amount, I cut my striped background to the appropriate size, at a slant, before adhering it to Night of Navy. 

This is a trifold card and the belted crown slips off to reveal the inside.

A heat embossed golden Hello, paired with the crown is perfect to welcome a little 'prince' into the world...

don't you think so?

SU! product used:

Stamp Set - Artistic Etchings

Paper - Night of Navy, Whisper White, Bashful Blue

Punches - Scallop Border, Scallop Circle, 1-3/4" Circle

Other - Gold Embossing Powder, Dimensionals, Gold Super Fine Glitter

Wee Memories

Huge Giveaway over at Wee Memories...go check it out for your chance to enter!

Deepest Sympathy

I just have to say I'm soooo excited, it's snowing in Newport and it's sticking!! Hooray! Of course it's now raining on top, which is going to make for a sloppy mess but WOW, does a town look oh so different with a blanket of white! Not to mention my kids are going to be soooo excited when they wake up in the morning, that is if it doesn't melt by then.

Without further weather interruptions, on to my card...

I simply fell in LOVE with the sketch over at the Card Patterns blog and as much as we don't like to make sympathy cards, I was so very happy with how these turned out, I'm making loads more. Sympathy cards are needed more than we'd like to admit, no one likes to talk about death and it's hard to find the right words to say to someone who has lost a loved one or friend. But sometimes simple is best, just saying "I'm sorry" can really let someone know you care, you are willing to talk when they are ready. And you are thinking of them during a difficult chapter in their lives.

CPS148

I chose a black, white and grey color scheme cause rainy days happen to the best of us...and I didn't want to exactly make a sympathy card with a loud color like HOT PINK, too flashy for the occasion, I think so!

I kept it simple but played up the texture with my already embossed DP and patterned papers. The Sympathy sentiment was stamped in Basic Black and I added just a touch of Dazzling Details to the center swirl. 

SU! products used:

Stamp Set - Thanks For Caring

Ink - Basic Black

Paper - Basic Grey, Basic Black, Whisper White

Punches - 2-1/2" Circle, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border

Other - Black Satin Ribbon, Dazzling Details, Dimensionals

Quite the PEAR

Seems to be the season for engagements! When I spotted the colors over at The Paper Players, this pear set  grabbed my full attention. I took a bite and went with it, embossing a few of the background pieces and still keeping it simple but sweet.

I used the Sweet Stop Sketches sketch as the base for my card,

SSS141

along with these beautiful springy colors over at The Paper Players blog...

PP#78

and....I don't usually like to combine more than two challenges at once, it gets a bit confusing to say the least BUT I made sure to keep all the elements correct, so I could also enter my card over at Our Creative Corner. The lovely DT at OCC is asking for a bit of paper piecing (my pear), no ribbon (check) and only 1 embellishment (my lonely pink bling).

Many blessing to the happy couple(s)!!

SU! products used:

Paper - Calypso Coral, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, SAB Everyday Enchantment DSP

Ink - Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz

Punches - Scallop Border, Ticket Corner

Other - Lattus EF, Dimensionals

SAS Valentine/Sketch Challenge

The latest SAS (San Antonio Swap) with two of my dear friends back in TX was a Valentine/Sketch Challenge. Here's my take, hope they like it, I know I wish I had made more than two of them!

We used this old sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

FMS#15

SU! products used:

Stamps - You Are Loved

Paper - Real Red, Everyday Enchantment DSP, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla

Other - Cherry Cobbler EP, Dimensionals

Banner Give-Away Featured!!

I'm excited to tell you about a banner I made that's being featured in a GROUP GIVEAWAY over at Awesomely Awkward! Go check it out, it's listed among a huge slew of other great prizes and you have loads of chances to enter and win something for FREE!! Happy Tuesday!

Made with heavy card-stock, ink and strung on natural hemp twine. This red and natural banner features 7 triangle pennants spelling the words be mine, separated with a heart. Each piece measures 4-2/4" X 3-1/4". The negative letters have been created with a brown/brassy smooch spray. 

Hand Stamped Sentiments #101 - Shaker Technique

It's time to SHAKE IT over at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week! 

I had so much fun watching this card come to life before my eyes...I pulled out my SWEET TREAT CUPS and knew I wanted to make a rattle for this challenge...so on went my thinking cap and I was off in lala creative land (or shall I say, shaker land)!

I used one of the flower petals from the BIGS Flower Die as my handle, edging it in brown ink. My little onesie was stamped and cut out, for a fun surprise once the glitter has been shaken the bottom of the Sweet Treats Cup. My circular outline of the rattle was made with first the 1-3/4" Circle punch and then lining up the 2-1/2" Circle punch on top of it. I then used the Lattus EF to bring a little bit of texture to my rattle. A sweet little bow for tiny touch of elegance, so cute! This is perfect for a sweet little boy that was just born to our old neighbors back in Texas. Life's too precious to not add some sparkles and 'shake it' once in awhile!

Head on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to check out what the Design Team has shaken up this week...put some tunes on your radio and get your own shakin' goin' on!!

SU! products used:

Paper - Bashful Blue

Stamps - retired SAB Whimsical Words

Punches - 1-3/4" Circle, 2-1/2" Circle, Large Oval

Die/EF - Lattus EF, Clear Flower Bigz Die

Other - Early Espresso 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Sweet Treats Cups, Lg. Blue Chunky Glitter

BIG congratulations!

Freshly Made Sketches has a fun, fresh and simple sketch this week, I flipped it to fit my stamps and send some BIG Congratulations to two of my friends! Way to go ladies!!

FMS#17

I paired the sketch with these fun colors over at The Play Date Cafe, Burgundy, Gold & Plum.

 PDCC114

I stamped my b, preggo gal and g directly onto the Brushed Gold cardstock. I thought she could use a little jazzing up, so a bit of Perfect Plum paper piecing gave her some sass. The stripes are small strips of gold cardstock and some of that fun Japanese tape, which my brother brought me for Christmas. I'd never used it before but thought it would be fun to try out on this card and it was!

I showed this card to my DH (dear hubby) and his statement was..."I hope you don't offend anyone with that!" MEN...haha...

SU! products used:

Cardstock - Bravo Burgundy, Brushed Gold, Perfect Plum

Punch - Word Window

Stamp Set - Baby Bundle

Technique: Paper Piecing