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