Monthly Archives: March 2012

Are You Hungry For Some Cookies?

Stampin' Up! Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

Are you hungry for some good homemade cookies?  With the recipes enclosed in the Stampin' Up! Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps, you can bake a delicious cookie and have fun stamping at the same time….the dough, that is! Stampin' Up! tells you how to bake cookies that work well with the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps…..shortbread works well to hold the design of the cookie stamp.

And after you bake some cookies, you might like to share a few….and we all know presentation is everything!  Here are some ideas from the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference displays!

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps2

Sweet Pressed Cookie Jar

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps Kraft Gift Box

These Kraft Gift Boxes are found in the Occasions Mini along with the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps.  What a cute idea to add the Paper Doily as part of the gift-wrapping!  And then you can decorate the Kraft Gift Box any way you would like!

Be sure to check the Occasions Mini Catalog for these wonderful products!

Stampin’ Up! San Antonio Regional Teabag and Cookie Holder

The next day after the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference ended, Stampin' Up! held a Regional Event for a day.  One of my favorite projects (and there were many!) was this Teabag and Cookie Holder demonstrated by Debi Pippin, a very talented Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. We could wander from one demonstrator booth to another watching a new project or idea and taking pictures of their samples on display.

Teabag and Cookie Holder

Don't you just love this project made with the cute Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper #125408 plus the Sweet Shop Designer Stickers #125584?!

By the way, the cookies I put in the holder are Girl Scout Thin Mints, in honor of the Girl Scout 100th Birthday today! The Girl Scouts were founded by Juliette Low in 1912.

Teabag and Cookie Holder Side

The way I saw it demonstrated, she put the bag of cookies in the middle area of the bag with a tea bag on each side in the pouches.  You could do it however you like….maybe a bag of candy in the center?!

I just thought it was the cutest idea with so many possibilites!  What a nice little gift for someone!

Daylight Savings Time: Did You Change Your Clocks?

Daylight Savings Time Postcard in My Digital Studio

It's Daylight Savings Time! Did you remember to change your clocks today? "Spring forward" an hour! And they often recommend to check your smoke alarm batteries when you change your clocks.

I know Daylight time is earlier nowadays than it used to be, so I was surprised to hear it was starting this weekend already.  But it makes us think spring is coming soon!

I made this little reminder postcard in My Digital Studio. So fun!

Houston’s River Oaks Garden Club Azalea Home and Garden Tour

This is the big weekend for the annual River Oaks Garden Club Azalea Trail in Houston. Unfortunately, the weather is a little iffy but I hope there is more cloudiness than rain for the weekend so everyone can see the beautiful homes and gardens. Sometimes you just tour the garden and sometimes you get to walk through the house to get to the yard and garden in back….that's my favorite part, to see the inside of the private homes!  The Garden Club makes beautiful floral arrangements inside all the rooms in the house that you get to see and you often can get decorating ideas or just enjoy the lovely homes.

Our home is not on the Azalea Trail, but we do have blooming azaleas!

Azaleas

Azaleas Close-up

Azaleas

Azaleas

Azaleas


St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Treat Bag

St. Patrick's Day Treat Bag

Are you looking for a St. Patrick's Day shamrock treat bag idea? This one was easy to make with the new Stampin' Up! Labels Collection Framelits Dies #125598 and the Small Heart Punch #117193. I used the Framelits Die to cut the Pear Pizzazz label and folded it in half to cover the small cello bag. Then I used the next smaller size Framelit Die to cut the Whisper White card stock and stamped with a greeting from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

The shamrock is made with the Hearts Collection Framelits Dies #125599, the smallest heart, cut out of the Twitterpated Designer Series Paper #125406 and then smaller hearts from the Small Heart Punch. The Designer Printed Brad #122940 adds a cute decorative touch!

If you need any of these new fun dies to use with your Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine for future projects, you can order online at my Stampin' Up! Store.

St. Patricks Day Treat Topper

My Digital Studio 2012 Calendar

Here are some photos of the pages I made in My Digital Studio for my son's calendar. After his was finished, I made another version for myself by just changing and adding photos and elements or designs on some of the pages, while keeping others the same as his.

Austin MDS Calendar Cover

This is the cover with a photo of Austin from a high point.  The background paper, stripes I added, ribbon and label on the front are all designed in My Digital Studio.

Calendar spread

Here is the full calendar spread.  I added photos from our trip on the top page.  On the bottom I made a photo box the size of the whole page and inserted a photo from our trip….then reduced the opacity and sent it behind the calendar grid!  That way you have a pretty background to your calendar page without interfering with writing your dates.

You can do lots of things with this Stampin' Up! software for digital papercrafting, My Digital Studio!  Try the 30-day free trial for My Digital Studio Express and see how you like it! Click on that link and see what you think!

My Digital Studio Calendar

Karen's Calendar 2012-010

Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2012

Here is a page from my My Digital Studio calendar. These are photos from our yard last year.  I simply chose a design in the Photo Layout section of My Digital Studio and plunked my photos into the boxes. I chose a background paper and added the stamps (branches) to the page, plus some text.  I love how this page turned out!  My Digital Studio can be as simple or as involved as you want it to be. If I wanted, I could play around with more embellishments or borders or colors or anything and make the page even "jazzier"….and then if I didn't like it, I could just delete those items.  The ease of changing any element in this program is its greatest strength, I think.

If you want to try it out, take the free 30-day trial of My Digital Studio Express!  Make all the projects you want during that time and see if you don't end up loving My Digital Studio! It's not only about scrapbooking!

By the way, the River Oaks Azalea Trail Home & Garden Tour is this weekend in Houston, March 9 – 12.. This has been a tradition every year with us and we always enjoy it.  My favorite part is getting to go inside some of the beautiful homes!  Sometimes you just see the gardens. The weather forecast, though, is for a rainy weekend…so sad!  But if that turns out to be wrong, be sure to head over and see the stops on the Azalea Trail!

My Digital Studio Downloads

MDS Downloads_Mar 06 2012

Here are the most recent My Digital Studio downloads available for purchase.  To see prices and more information about what is included in each download, go to my Online Store, click on Digital Designing, Newest Downloads, and then today's date…or click HERE.  Then you can click on each image to enlarge it and see the details of its contents!

Remember, there is a 30-day Free Trial for My Digital Studio Express! Read about it and then contact me if y0u have any questions. It's a great way to try it out!

Sweet Shop Stationery

Sweet Shop Stationery Designed By You

Make your own designer Sweet Shop Stationery!  It's fun and it's easy and the end result is darling!!  Just take some plain white paper from a tablet or cut some printer paper in half and then decorate with these adorable Sweet Shop Designer Stickers #125584 from the Sweet Shop Product Suite in the Occasions Mini Catalog. You can also use the Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper #125408 to cut a strip and adhere as a border on your plain paper.  On another sheet I used the Scallop Trim Border Punch #118402 for the bottom border and then pasted a strip of Sweet Shop Stickers over it.

But don't just let this paper lay in your drawer!  Make someone's day and write them a letter….yes, in your own handwriting…and let them get something delightful in their mailbox! Can you imagine someone opening an envelope and unfolding this cute paper with a LETTER from YOU?!

Sweet Shop Stationery Edges

Add these Sweet Shop Designer Stickers and Sweet Shop Specialty Designer Series Paper to your next order and then just play, play, play! There are so many creative things you can do with these products!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online 24/7!

How to Make an Easy Bow

If you aren't good at tying bows, here is how to make an easy bow. Back when I first started stamping and joined Stampin' Up!, these were the kind of easy bows everyone made. I guess they were actually "fake" bows.  I don't remember what they were really called, if anything….maybe a "faux bow". I know my friend used these on all her daughter's wedding programs!

We used to use the Hand-held Rectangle Punch, but today I used the larger hole on my Crop-a-Dile.

Tea Tag Bow

Next I put my ribbon through the two holes from the front.

Tea Tag Bow Front

In the back, criss cross the ribbons and from the back, stick the ribbon back through the holes (the opposite of which side they went in).  You'll have to pull the ribbon over a bit to find the space to put the ribbon through.

Tea Tag Bow Back

When they come out on the front of the tag, just play with it to get it to look right and trim the ends of the ribbon.  Voila!  You have a decent-looking bow!

Tea Tag Bow Complete

You can use this easy bow-making method on cards, scrapbook pages, tags, bags, any projects!  Try it!

Stampin’ Up! Twitterpated Designer Buttons

IMG_9774
Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2012

I love these Twitterpated Designer Buttons in the Occasions Mini Catalog! You get two different colors and two different designs…..but I wonder if you realize how small and cute they are!  Here is a card on display at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference back in January, of course made even cuter by the whole container of buttons all scattered around it!

IMG_9777

Images copyright Stampin' Up! 2012

Here is another example of cute ways to use these little buttons!  The card on the left actually has stitching on it and real thread through the buttons, but if you weren't so inclined (I wouldn't be!) to get out your sewing machine, you would draw diagonal lines with your white Gel Pen or even score diagonally now that we have the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate. Then just stick adhere the little buttons with Glue Dots.

And if you wanted to, you could even jazz up these buttons further by adding some bling on top!

Pearl on Twitterpated Button

Little embellishments like these often add a lot to your project!  Be sure to add these Twitterpated Buttons #125579 or something similar to your next order!

Shop Stampin' Up! Online any time here at my Online Store.

Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss!

Cat-in-hat

Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) was born on this day in 1904 and I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about the children's books he wrote. Either you read them as a child or you read them TO your children..or both! As I remember, one of our kids' favorites was Fox in Socks.

In honor of Dr. Seuss, here is a stamping poem I made up myself!

Stamps.

Ink.

Paper.

Blocks.


Paper and such.

You can't have too much.


Paper and ink and blocks and stamps.

Ink on stamps and stamps on blocks.

Stampers with stamps come.

Stampers with ink come.

Stampers with stamps and ink and blocks come.


Look, ma'am.  Look ma'am. Sally Stamper ma'am.

Let's make cards with inks and stamps ma'am.

Let's make cards with stamps and blocks ma'am.


First, I'll make a quick trick card fold.

Then I'll make a card punch look old.


You can make a quick trick scrapbook.

You can bling out a fancy note book.


And here's a new trick, Sally Stamper….You can make a paper sampler.

Sprinkle on glitter on cards and pages.

Put ribbon and bows on boxes in stages.


Stamps and ink and paper and blocks.

So much fun, you can even stamp socks!


Stamps on blocks and ink on stamps.

Everyone can stamp and look like champs.

 

Here's a fun website about Dr. Seuss! http://www.seussville.com/

Stampin’ Up! Simply Scored Diagonal Plate for Simply Scored Scoring Tool

 

Diagonal Score Plate

The new Stampin' Up! Simply Scored Diagonal Plate #125586 is available TODAY to use with your Simply Scored Scoring Tool #122334. Put it on your order with some other items to reach $50 or more and earn a free Sale-a-Bration product as well!

You'll love this new diagonal plate for scoring to use with your Simply Scored!  Just place it in the base and use it to make envelopes, boxes, and any number of projects.

Click to watch the video below by Donna Griffith who works in the Stampin' Up! Home Office. She'll tell you the features of the Diagonal Plate and give your instructions on how to make envelopes or add texture to your cards!    

Item

Description

Price

125586

Simply Scored Diagonal Plate

$11.95

 

Product Features

  • Sits on top of the Simply Scored base
  • Held securely in place by rubber pads on back of the plate
  • Has etched grooves every 1/8"
  • Can score any size card stock up to 12" x 12"
  • Includes instructions for creating common envelope size

Be sure you put this on your next order HERE.

Coordinating products you might be interested in:

  • Simply Scored (item 122334)
  • Simply Scored Place Markers (item 125625)
  • Simply Scored Stylus (item 125624)
  • Bone Folder (item 102300)