VC_Rocks Punches, Big Shot , Simply Scored Blog Hop

Well this is it friends.  It is the last blog of the Rockers season.  My heavens, the summer has flown this year.  We will be using three of my favorite items that SU has.  I don't know many things that I make that doesn't use a punch or the Mr. Big Shot.  If you get lost on the hop you can always go back to the home page.  www.vcrocks.blogspot.com

You must have just come from Gwyn Crawford's blog.  Doesn't she do great work?  I have some of her original masterpieces from some card swaps!!  If you missed it here is her addy  www.mustlovestampin.blogspot.com

I have a certain creative process that I use when I make things.  It usually ends up with a very messy room.  The first pic I have to show you is what my stamping island-desk looks like after I have completed this project.  Roscoe is still down in the Tree House resting after he helped me put this card together.  I have to clean it up because my baby sister is coming down tomorrow so we can work on her wedding invitations.  Look at this craziness.



I made a card using a different opening than your normal card for this blog hop.  Mr. Big Shot and my punches were used for this.  I seldom make a creation that I don't use the Big Shot and/or my punches and/or my Simply Scored. 

Stampin' Writers:  Lucky Limeade, Daffodil, Delight, Melon Mambo

Ink:  Jet Black Staz-On

CS:  Same as Writers

DSP:  Floral District

Stamps:  Apothecary Art

Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits

Scallop Edge Border Punch

Festive Paper Piercing Pack

Paper Piercing Tool and Stamping' Pierce Mat

Lucky Limeade 1/8" Everyday Enchantment Organdy Ribbon which is retired-boo hoo

The first thing I did was make a Lucky Limeade Apothecary Art that had a fold so it was two pieces.  Let me show you what I mean.

See how it folds in half in the middle?

Here is how to do it.  To die-cut a label shaped card, place the card crease over the top cut edge of your die template.  Then slide the template down so you can see the cut edge.  This will ensure that you don't cut through your fold.  I will show you some pics to show you how to align your Framelit so it won't cut the edge.

I have folded my CS in half at the top.  I am holding the Framelit in place with two Post-It notes.

This is where you will put the inner edge of the Framelit.



It is kind of hard to see but the arrows are pointing to the outer edge.  The folded edge of the paper just comes to the bottom of the Framelit.  This will make sure the fold is still intact.

Cut out the paper by rolling it through Mr. Big Shot.  I used the second largest Framelit for mine.  The next size down was for the Floral District DSP.  I then stamped the Apothecary Art on Whisper White and colored it.  I used the appropriate size Framelit to cut that out.

The next thing I did was open the Lucky Limeade Framelit and make pierces around it using the appropriate size stencil with the Festive Paper Piercing Pack and all the appropriate materials listed above.  I don't know about you but I find I have to tell myself to relax my hand or it starts cramping.  It sure is worth the work though.  It comes out great.

Next I opened the Lucky Limeade.  On Whisper White I stamped another Apothecary Art and used the appropriate sized Framelit to cut it out.  I matted this on a bigger Daffodil Delight cut with the bigger Framelit.  I mounted these to the inside of the Lucky Limeade.

I made a 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 piece of Daffodil Delight CS and punched a piece of leftover DSP.  I adhered a piece of leftover Organdy ribbon to this just for a little more punch.  Then I adhered the back of the Lucky Limeade card to this. 

Closing the Lucky Limeade I adhered the appropriate pieces to the front.  It needed something else.  I know!  How about a pretty?  The Organdy ribbon made a beautiful triple bow using my handy dandy bow maker from my friend Lee.  I know it isn't SU but I couldn't do it without this.  I am VERY good at making bows but this bow was too small for me to use my skills.  Isn't this a darling bow?  Can you see how it is a triple bow?  I couldn't get any closer with the camera.

How about a picture of the finished product?



I think it is pretty nice If I do say so myself.  Now how about some blog candy?  (Ria I still owe you something from last time don't I?  Bad Carey-- I will send it out this next week)  If you want a little something that is special and is blog candy leave me a post by Sunday night at midnight Central time.  Thank you so much for visiting with me. 

You will be moving onto Jane Reister's blog if you click www.junescreations.blogspot.com  I can't wait to see what she is going to do.  She is so fun.





VC_Rocks Hop 3- Hostess Gifts and NonCards

If you just came from Karen's blog you are in the right place for the hop.  Didn't she do a great job?  Be sure and go through all the great ideas everyone has on the blog hop.  If you get lost you can go to the VC Rocks Home.  http://www.vcrocks.blogspot.com/  If you are just starting here that is ok because it goes in a circle.  At the end of my blog is the address for the previous and next blog in the hop.

I can't believe it has been since February since I have posted.  Nothing new has been happening other than I am now in the Rockers since the middle of April.  The theme of this blog hop is Hostess Gifts or something or other.

I have a roomie in the Lighthearted Hotel (hi Kristi) who should stop reading right now if she wants to be surprised with some of roomie gifts.

I went to the dollar store and went crazy last Christmas buying things that I planned to make gifts with.  Needless to say I didn't get to all of them.  I did find some GREAT candle holders, candles, fake candles, mirrors and other stuff.  Don't ask me how much each one cost.  Would you believe people do go in the Dollar Store and ask how much something costs?  Duh!!

Wonderful smelling red candle, round mirror, and darling candle holder each costing $1 each!!

I already had a roll of metal roof flashing I had gotten from my local hardware store.  This cost all of $12 for a roll big enough I can make each of you something out of it.  With this sheeting you have to use scissors you don't plan on using on anything else.  They dull quickly so I just bought some from the Dollar Store (seeing a theme here aren't you).  This flashing can cut you like a knife so be sure to wear your protective gloves.  After you put it through Mr. Big Shot it is not sharp anymore.

I used my brand new out of the Stampin' Up box Snow Flurry Bigz Die which is available in the new 2012 Holiday Catalog.  This goes live next month on August 1 for people who are not demonstrators. 

I found that just using the usual 2 cutting pads was not enough to cut through the flashing.  I had to add 2 pieces of cardstock below the Die.  This made it thick enough to cut all the way through the flashing.

This is what the three pieces on the die look like next to a ruler when they are cut out.

I then decided to try using some beautiful colored metal paper I had.  It worked fantastically with the Barn Red I used.  I am not going to show this since it is what I ended up sending to roomie.

I adhered the snowflakes to the candle holder using glue dots.  I don't think these are going to hold if a real candle is lit.  Instead I am sending one of those battery operated candles.  I got a card of three at the Dollar Store for ...... well you know the rest.

This is what the red candle looked like in the holder with the snowflakes made from flashing.  Pretty snazzy don't you think?  I am going to get something to adhere the snowflakes better and then give them as presents this Christmas.  Bridget (youngest sister) I hope you aren't reading this.

As usual if you are reading this and leave me a message someone will get some blog candy!!  Let me know what you think.

Now you are going to go to my friend Angela's blog with her great Wiener dog Frank.  Tell him woof from Roscoe.

Previous blog Krafting with Karen                          Next blog Life with a Wiener Dog

SU Stars Stampin' Spaces Blog Hop

I am so excited.  I love looking at other people's stamp spaces.  There are so many ways out there to do things and I am always looking for something better.  My place is the Stamping Tree House named by my BFF Patrice Herrera.  Our house is in the country at the top of a bluff that is covered by trees.  The trees are of various heights and she thought it looked like a tree house.  You can see views of what I see out my windows on one of the first posts on this blog.  Roscoe will not be joining us on this trip. When he saw I was cleaning he said "I am out of here, she might make me clean!!"

When you first walk in my room this is the view (also before I clean it up).  I don't have curtains up on the windows yet (give me a break-- we have only lived here 6 1/2 years--procrastinator).  I plan on making some little valances some day.

First thing you see when walking in the room.

If you notice on the back wall I have a saying.  Some of them are from our Decor Elements.  The instructions say the Decor Elements are for smooth walls.  I have texture on my walls and it worked.  I did have to really work for a bit but it was worth it.

The flower is SU!

Shari you said you were excited to see how other people had their punches.  This is the back of my door and a cabinet.  I have two of these holders for my punches.  The other one is hanging on the door of another closet.  I got them at a garage sale but I have also seen them at a big box store.

Punches on back of door on right and ribbon (non-SU-gasp) on the left. 

The ribbon holder is on the side of a cabinet.  DH and I ordered a couple of these for our bathroom then found out they weren't going to work as well as we would have liked.  Living in CA and trying to design a house without being in the same state is difficult to say the least.  Since we had them special ordered we were stuck with them.  I put them both in my stamping tree house and LOVE them.  However, they were a little too expensive to do this.

The cabinet opened with boxes of cards stored.

DH went in those boxes and got me a card for Valentine's Day.  It was a welcome baby one since he said he couldn't find the one he wanted.  He did write a beautiful letter in it.

The next picture is my closet opened.  A church nursery was throwing away this piece that is in my closet.  It was pretty rickety.  I just put a few boards in the back of it and it is now very sturdy.  I have a variety of things in it.  Very organized!!  DH says it is easy to make.

See the red apron from a Boy's Name Big Box Store?  I used to work there (double gasp).

This next pic is my Big Shot station.  It looks out one of my windows on our woods.  I have seen a doe and her fawn, a fox, some turkeys, and a bobcat out that window although not all at the same time, of course.

Pictures of Bubba (Roscoe's dearly departed big brother) and Roscoe are both on the window.

The next picture is of my island.  It is like a kitchen island but I stand at it to do my stamping.  I have ALWAYS done my stamping standing up so I knew this would be OK.  It has a top that hides a multitude of stains.  The doors open up to reveal my SU stamps in alphabetical order, my adhesive and other stuff drawer (I need a whole drawer for those)  and a pull out drawer for my CS scraps organized by color).  I also have an electrical outlet on it so I can plug in my OTT light and my heat tool.  My SU inks and Stampin' Write Markers are organized by color on the black spinning thingy (technical term) that is on the right top of my cabinet. 

The two top drawers are all current SU stamps.

I originally wasn't going to add a sink but I decided what the heck.  Boy am I glad I did!!  It is so easy to to clean up.  There is the other cabinet.  I opened the bottom so you can see that part.  I store all my gift bags and tissue paper since I make a LOT of presents in the Stamp Tree House.

The next two pics are of my organized stuff.  The first pic is my SU ribbon rolls.  These holders were available in the SU Clearance store this past December and I snatched them up.  The cabinet is two mailbox sorters that I got years and years ago when I first started stamping.  I have all my 8 1/2" X 11" non-SU paper in them.

SU ribbon on top of Iris cabinet that holds a lot of SU stuff.

The material usually covers the paper so it doesn't get dusty or faded.

My last picture is a set of cabinets with a counter.  The counter holds a lot of my non-SU ink pads.  They
are in the cassette holders.  I have an electrical outlet every few feet on the cabinet so I set up different stations for heat embossing when I have classes.  The bottom right cabinet that is opened holds all my current SU paper.  The papers are in SU plastic paper holders according to colors.  I have a list on the inside of the door so I can make a check mark when I am getting low and need more of a color.  I also have a plastic paper holder for my DSP.  On the outside of this is a list of all the current papers and what colors coordinate with them.  The cabinet on the far left holds retired DSP and cardstock colors.  I also have all my Christmas DSP in a plastic paper holder on the left.  The other cabinets hold paperwork, books, catalogs, projects and other stuff.   Hanging on the cabinet knobs are things I use a lot like my punch patterns, and some other knick knacks.

I would love some ideas of things that I can do to make my Stamping Tree House even better.  Thanks for taking the tour with me.  Anytime you are in southeast MO come on by.  Roscoe and I would love to see you.  Next you will go to Denise Foor's stamping studio.  I can't wait to see what she has.  http://www.denisefoor.blogspot.com/ 
If you have any problems just go back to the SU Stars home page.  http://su-stars.blogspot.com

Hi everyone. I hope you are enjoying the hop.  You should have come from Charlotte's blog.  www.stampingismytherapy.blogspot.com  Doesn't she do great work?  She lives really close to where I live but I have never gotten to meet her.  Maybe someday we can meet for lunch or something.


I am so excited about Christmas.  There has been lots of fun and excitement at the Rogers' house. First and most importantly is Roscoe (the swap eating dog) got a bath!!  Dad had to give it since mom had to go to work and make doggy biscuit money, tee hee.  Isn't that so sad I didn't get to help.  We have my dad, my sister and niece and nephews coming over on December 23 then DH's kids coming over on Christmas Eve.  Christmas Day is going to be spent with just DH and I celebrating the birth of our Lord together.  Roscoe will be there too.

The house is mostly finished decorating except for some things on the walls.  I usually hang a ribbon around the walls of the living room and dining room.  Then I put all the cards I have received this year and the special ones that I have received in years past.  My BFF Patrice has a number of cards up on the Wall of Christmas Fame.The two she sent me this year are no exception to the rule.  They are just great.  She is so talented!


This blog hop is about winter holiday or winter decorations for the house.  I am still very much in the mood to do Christmas stuff.  I usually am still in the mood to make decorations and presents through the end of January.  Since I need more decorations this year I decided to make a Christmas banner that says NOEL.  I made the letters out of the Red Glimmer paper.  You can also change it up and have a celebration for your friend LEON or use it for your child's first birthday (ONE).  Stampin' Up! came to the rescue with all I wanted to use to make everything great.

This is a picture of my banner that is above my Santa Claus table in the front entrance hallway.  Notice the Santa right in front of the antique thread spool on the right of the Santa holding the Christmas cards?  Roscoe has adopted that one this year.  He has taken it down 4 times.  Twice I found it on his bed.  Once dad saw it in Roscoe's mouth as Roscoe was on his way outside and once I saw him just starting to take it down.  I finally moved it up to the top of the book case where he can't get it.  I just moved this Santa back here for the picture.  FYI I also made the Santa mail box and the snowman and tree on a chalk board.  This was in my "I think I want to do decorative painting stuff" phase that lasted the one class I made these.


Mr. Big Shot, Perfect Penant Biz Dies, Simple Letters Alphabet Dies and some of the great embossing folders got a work out with this decoration.  Thanks heavens for Mr. Big Shot.  He makes everything so much easier.  I love how everything coordinates.  SU has taken the guess work out of everything going together.  They even tell you what colors go with the DSP.  I used the Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla, Real Red and Winter Cobbler cardstock. 


OK, I am going to ask a question and see who guesses the answer. I'll give the answer at the end of the blog.  Look at the Cherry Cobbler Rose.  What did I use to make the Rose?  It will probably surprise you. 

Back to the description.  I used the Holly Berry Bouquet Designer Series Paper (DSP) with the coordinating buttons for the Rosette Banner.  

There is a coordinating Pines and Poinsettias stamp set with this DSP.  You can see it on the background of this banner. 

Did you see that cute green wreath and the holly and berry?  That is made with our Winter Wishes Stitched Felt that is in the Holiday Mini Catalog.  Can you believe that catalog is only available through January 3?

With this next banner I used my embossing folder with snowflakes, sponged Real Red ink on top of it.  Then I punched snowflakes and put two coordinating papers together.  The red dot on top of the snowflakes is one of our great pearls that are colored with a red permanent marker.

OK now it is time to reveal the answer to my question.  Did you guess the Owl Builder punch was used to make the rose?  I got the idea from Valita's Designs Fresh Folds. http://valitasfreshfolds.blogspot.com   Just go to her blog and see what she has done with these.

I hope you have a wonderful and special holiday season.  I am sending you hugs and Roscoe is sending you licks.  Now you will go on to the great Shari's blog.  http://sharisstamppad.blogspot.com  If you get lost here is the home page of the SU STARS http://su-stars.blogspot.com

The Blog Candy Winner and Other Things

Thank you everyone for visiting my blog.  I really appreciate all of your comments.   There were 29 posts out of over 500 visits.  The winner of my candy was lucky 13.

Anonymous said... Great idea adding a pocket to the step card, I will be doing that - thanks for the idea. Love the simply sent box, very clever and cute! Janice Heighway

 

Janice please send me your email and snail mail addy.  I know you were a Rocker but I want to be sure your info that is on the Rockers RAK Database is still the same as this summer.  My email is the same so that is where to send the info.

 

I had a lot of questions about how I did the other projects so I will be posting instructions on how to do those.  Since this week is Thanksgiving I am not sure exactly when I will be posting the answers to all the questions.  Monday is my cleaning up the house, doing laundry, and cleaning the Tree House day.  I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 7 PM till 7 AM.  Friday I will recover for a bit from working 3 nights in a row.  Then Saturday and Sunday I have family gatherings at two different  places and two different families.  I am really tired just reading all of this, aren't you?  So just keep looking at my blog for when I post the answers to these questions.  Thanks again for all the looking.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and please remember all the things that have blessed your life.

P.S.  I can't figure out why my blog looks like this and can't change it.  Oh well.

November 2011 SU Stars Blog Hop

Hi and here we go again.  You are on the SU Stars blog hop.  You may have come from Dawn's blog.  http://www.stampinatdawn.blogspot.com/  I love her work.  Don't worry if you are starting here because the hop makes a circle.  If you get lost here is the home page.  http://su-stars.blogspot.com/


I love this time of year and really enjoy wrapping all my gifts for special people with my fantastic Stampin' Up! stuff (you know how I love stuff).  Today besides showing you some great ideas I am going to give a tutorial on making a Center Step Gift Card Holder.  This was inspired by Dee Slater's blog.
You will need a piece of 4 1/4" x 12" cardstock (CS).  Put your CS in your Paper Cutter with the 4 1/4" at the top of your cutter.  Position CS so the 12" side is at the 1" mark on the cutter.  It would be as if you were going to cut off 1" but don't.  Cut a line from 1" to 6 1/2" using the blade guide.  Flip card to the other side and repeat.  I realize my picture shows to stop cutting at 6", I really meant 6 1/2".  Oops

Using your Simply Score place your CS with 12" at top where you began 1"cut on left.  Score at 1", 2", and 6 1/2" to where you made the cut.  Flip and do the same on other side only scoring to where you made the cut.  Now score all the way across at the 11" mark.

To fold this the right way make a mountain fold at 1", valley fold at 2" and mountain fold at 6 1/2".  Fold the one inch bottom piece that will be on the inside with a valley fold.  Tape this piece closed only on the left and right side to make the pocket.  This will be hold your gift card quite nicely.  When everything is closed you will smoosh the middle piece so it is folded.

Embossing on the side panels is a super easy way to decorate the Center Step card.  To do this weave the Embossing folder so the middle strip of the card is outside the folder.  Then close the folder.  Put it through the Mr. Big Shot.

 Decorate your card as you wish. Layer a 3/4" x 4" Designer Series Paper (DSP) on bottom panel and on the inside holder for your gift card.   The middle panel of the card has a piece of DSP that is 2" x 4 1/4".

Now I have some other ideas.  The first one uses our great lollis, rosettes or whatever you are calling them.  They are made with our Simply Scored tool.

This second one I made a box out of our Simply Sent Everyday Elegance kit.  I love them.

Blog Candy:  Please leave me a comment today with your favorite project here and I will send of my Center Step Gift Card Holders.  No, there won't be a gift card or $$ in it.  Yes, I know this is a cheap way to get comments on my blog but I love reading them.  

Now go on to Shelly's blog http://www.stampinandscrappingnews.com/  Wait till you see the great gift boxes she has made.  Thanks for visiting and come back to see me.

October 2011 Blog Hop: Holiday Hoopla

Welcome to the October SUStars blog hop.  I have some fun for you today.  This hop uses some of the new and great products from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog.  I chose to use the Warmest of Wishes Hostess stamp set.  I love this set because it uses my punches (I love my punches) with the stamps.  I made a Halloween treat box card and a Fall or Thanksgiving card.  Plus I got to use my new Simply Scored from the Mini Catty.  I love that and didn't even know I needed one.  How did I exist without one before? 


Let's get to it.  My inspiration for this box came from Splitcoast Stamper's tutorial by Melanie.  Here is the link if you are interested in learning more.  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/treatboxcard/

With the card I used one of my favorite and versatile dies for Mr. Big Shot - Tags.  I also used the 1-3/4" Scalloped Circle punch.  The Design Series Paper (DSP) in the catalog is Pick Your Poison but this bad person didn't get it int time this year.  I used the DSP from last year which isn't available any longer.  The colors were Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie.  Besides the Warmest of Wishes stamp set from the Mini Catalog I also used Wicked Cool from the big Catty.  To make the window in the box to show the candy I used the Modern Label punch.  The tutorial will show you how to do this.

The card and box already cut with some paper.  This is the front of the card.

Here's the other side of the box.

This view is the card closed with the box not put together.

The box put together with the card on the right.

For the Owl's costume I made the skirt out 2 of the scalloped circle punched papers.

The scalloped circle punch scored with the Simply Scored from one side of the petal to the other.  Then I cut one petal and accordion folded it.

                

The darling owl in her costume.

To make the owl's costume I first stamped her in  Rich Razzleberry on Whisper White and punched her out with the Owl Builder.  Then to make the mask and bag I stamped them in Rich Razzleberry on Pumpkin Pie paper and cut them out.  I  added some rhinestones to the sides of the mask.  To make the witch's hat and boots I stamped and embossed from the Wicked Cool stamp set using black embossing powder.  The moon behind her is the 1-3/4" circle punch of Pumpkin Pie and sponged the edges.

I bet you have been asking what do I put in the box portion.  I used Hershey's Nuggets.  My personal favorite is the extra creamy Milk Chocolate with toffee and almonds, mmmmm.  I cut my paper 1"x3" and wrapped it around the nugget.  I really wish I had the It's a Wrap Holidays stamp set from the Mini Catalog  but it didn't get here in time since I didn't order it in time (duh).

The finished product.

Isn't this card and box set great?  I am really excited about this and can't wait to make more for Christmas presents.  Do you think I should make this for all my co-workers at the hospital?  I think it would be a ball and I would only need to make about 40 of them. 

My next project was a card I made for a Fall/ Halloween card exchange.   It isn't the same exactly since I added a few things.  Of course, I got to use my Mr. Big Shot to make the impressions on the three papers. 

I used Basic Black CS and Cherry Cobbler CS to mat the wreath stamped in Early Espresso on Whisper White paper.  I punched it out first with a circle punch in the middle then the rest of the wreath with the large scalloped circle punch.  The leaves were colored with my Stampin' Write Markers in all the colors used as CS. 

Here are the particulars of the card. 
Cardstock:  Garden Green, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, and Whisper White
Punches:  1" circle, large 2-3/8" scalloped circle, scallop oval, and large oval
Textured Impressions Embossing Folder: Square Lattice, Vintage Wallpaper, and Perfect Polka Dots

I really enjoyed making these projects.  If you have any questions let me know.  Thanks for coming by.  The next blog on the hop is Janice's.  www.stampingwithjanice.com  There are 13 lucky blogs on this hop.  If you get lost go back to the SUStars home page. http://su-stars.blogspot.com  Thanks for stopping by and hugs to you from me and licks from Roscoe (the swap eating dog).