Stamp Dreams

New Punches

 I love using punches for cardmaking and 3-D paper crafting. I have a lot of them (but I've cut back!), and don't use them nearly enough.

The new punches from Stampin' Up! are "flat." This first picture shows two of them side by side, when in their locked (flat) position.

You can see a picture of what the punch image is, which is great for when you store a lot of them--you can see exactly the punch you need.

I'm showing the new pinking hearts border punch and tiny tag punch, both of which are in the Occasions mini catalog. (The tag punch coordinates with a stamp set also in that catalog.)

The second picture is of the back sides of the punches. You can see the latch that controls whether or not the punch is locked closed.

You just push the button to lock/unlock the punch. This protects the die-cutting surfaces and also keeps the punch flat for smaller storage.

I've got the punches still locked in that second photo.

In the third picture, I've unlocked the punches. Now they are no longer flat. There's an opening through which you can put your paper to be punched.

Stampin' Up! punches are exclusive to SU! They are make by EK Success. I only buy EK Success punches, because they are so superior to those of other companies. Yes, I've learned that the hard way!

The last photo is of the back side of the tag punch when in the open (unlocked) position.

It is perfectly OK to store these new punches in the open position, but the option to store them flat (and still be able to see which punch is which) is a great option.

It's so easy to collect a lot of stamping supplies and to need a place to keep it all. It's nice when the supplies themselves are full-sized, yet compact at the same time!

Happy Stamping!

New punch storage: Bygel

I love using punches. I have a LOT of them, and I think I've shared in a previous post how I store many of them.

The large punches I kept in drawers, but I was running out of drawers, and their weight was pulling those plastic drawers off of their runners slightly.

I'd heard a lot of people talk about these rails, and I really liked them. When a year had gone by and I still wanted them, I went and got them. They are SO inexpensive ($3 each).

I only have my large punches on them, although they will hold all of the sizes.

The baskets underneath are also a steal.

Just another idea for you!

Happy Stamping!
 

Fun gift from Karen

I got a nice surprise in the mail the other day--a belated birthday card & gift from Karen S.

Here's the card. Karen has always been a super-talented crafter. Each year DH and I proudly put the tole painting ornaments she made for us on our tree.

Isn't this a great card!?! She spoils me by sending cards for a variety of occasions. I make cards, but I'm not so good at sending them off in time! (This card was made by Karen Stegman.)

Here's the gift. This is a Paper Edger punch by EK Success. Yes, they are the same company that makes the exclusive Stampin' Up! punches!

This punch is called. appropriately enough, "Swiss Cheese." Of course, you could also use it for bubble effects, as well as just a very fun border. Any other ideas, anyone?

There's also an interesting new innovation to it (which I forgot to photograph for you). It has a lever to keep the punch in a "down" position for storage--to take up less space.

So here's my card I made with it.

I used Glorious Green for the base, and stamped the sentiment (from the "Cute & Curly" set in the Curly Label Punch bundle) in Handsome Hunter.

My mouse is a take on Leo Lionni's book character Frederick. I used Basic Gray punched with the Wide Oval punch--with 1/4" circles punched out for the eyes, then mounted on Whisper White also cut with the WO punch. I added pupils with the Basic Black marker. The ears and tail are Going Gray--the tail was freehand cut, but using the edge of the paper after punching a Small Oval out (which I cut in half and used for the ears).

Finally, the cheese is Very Vanilla punched with my new punch from Karen. 

Hope you like it!

Thanks, Karen, for the inspiring gift! Wow!

Happy Stamping!

--Janis

Glorious weekend!

As I was walking the dog yesterday (I was actually eager to get outside all day!), I thought of what a beautiful weekend it was--and that the word to describe it was "glorious." Not a word I use much, but it sure fit!

Hard to believe it snowed so much less than a week before, and then we were in shorts all weekend. I couldn't soak up enough sunlight and warmth. Can you tell I'm a California girl and my least-favorite season is winter?

I didn't stamp all weekend--except for working on unfinished projects Saturday morning. Here's a card to show you, though.

• I used a base of Certainly Celery cardstock (although it's looking more like Kiwi Kiss in this picture...). 
• I cut a strip of DSP from the free set in the Sale-a-Bration (SAB) mini catalog, then punched the long sides with the Scallop border punch. 
• I used the Horizontal Slot punch to cut the slots (I had to lengthen it because the ribbon is so wide--but it was EASY.) 
• The ribbon is the So Saffron available free in the SAB ribbon bundle set.
• I used a rub-on from the Level 3 hostess bundle It's a Loop Thing. 
• Like the button? It's from the new Button Latte set. 

If the weather stays nice, I may not be indoors much. However, we get a lot of rain here (especially this past year), even if the weatherman is always saying we're behind the normal amount. Rain will keep me indoors--and the dog stir-crazy!

Happy stamping!

--Janis

P.S. Hope you remembered to "Spring Ahead" for Daylight Saving Time. (I just learned that's the proper name, not "Savings.") I made sure not to lose any sleep by napping both days this weekend!

Cute mini card

Well, after waking up yesterday morning at 3 a.m. after a nightmare (being chased by a shark!), I was not good for much last night. I fell asleep early, so I was ready for action this morning.

Don't you love getting unexpected mail? (I do of course mean NOT bills nor junk mail--after all, those are all-too-expected!)

This cute little card came yesterday from my up-upline (actually my fourth-level upline), Linda Gutierrez. She had a contest for her downline demonstrators, and I got a sweet little gift from her (I'll share it tomorrow--it deserves its own post!).

I'm sorry the colors look a bit off in the picture--it's Real Red, Kiwi Kiss, and Whisper White. You can see the texture from the Texturz plates on the WW cardstock. Also, she used the cute new eyelet border punch. I've got that punch but have only done a quick try with it. (As I'm sure you've noticed, I hadn't done much stamping in the past 2 weeks. I plan to fix that sorry state this weekend!).

We always think of the standard card sizes, but you can pack a lot of style into a little card like this. 

Thanks for looking!

Happy Stamping!

--Janis

Images copyright Stampin' Up! Card created by Linda Gutierrez.

A little giftie

Ooh...I needed to stamp! It had been SO long. So I did 2 projects this morning really quickly.

Aren't these cute? Pardon the odd angle (one looks bigger than the other!)--I had to take it from the side to avoid my camera-holding shadow getting in the photo!

These are SO easy! I used the Bigz Top Note die to cut and solid and a patterned shape. Then I folded one edge of the patterned paper over--since it's patterned on both sides, it adds more fun!

I adhered them with Sticky Strip around 3 edges of the now-shorter piece. Then I stamped images on Whisper White (I used 2 different celebration sets) and punched them out (1 3/" square punch, 5-petal flower punch)--one I colored in with So Saffron marker (using the brush tip). 

The bookmarks were fast--Bashful Blue cut 1/4" smaller length and width than the Sahara Sand back. 2-step stamped Elegant Eggplant first, then Lavender Lace. Ran 1/4" grosgrain ribbon through the 1/4" circle. (I didn't use my Stamp-a-ma-jig, so one flower is not as aligned as it should be!).

These are little gifts--and the recipients could put a gift card in the pocket and regift them!

Sorry for the rushed instructions. The papers and stamps are all available in the Sale-a-Bration mini as FREE items. 

Now to get ready for work--I'm late in prepping!

Happy stamping!

--Janis

St. Patrick's Day card

I love tools that can be used in more than one way!

I got the Full Heart punch (you know me and punches!), and haven't even used it for hearts yet!

Instead, here's a shamrock I made with it. I stamped the heart design from the Sale-a-Bration (free!) set "Polka Dot Punches" in Handsome Hunter on Glorious Green cardstock, then punched them out with the Full Heart punch. They are on a So Saffron base.

The ribbon is the Certainly Celery 5/8" poly-twill from the Sale-a-Bration ribbon bundle. I glued down a strip for the stem, then cut "leaves" from another piece.

For the grass, I cut multiple times into a strip of Glorious Green cardstock, being sure to keep the bottom edge uncut. Then just ruffle the cut edge with your fingers and adhere to the base.

Remember, you can get all 6 Sale-a-Bration items for FREE. Each $50 you spend in regular products means 1 free SAB set--no limit!

Watching the money? Why not hostess a workshop? Hostesses get a free SAB set for each $300 in sales at the workshop (again, no limit!). Email me at janis@stampwithjanis.com for more information.

Happy Stamping!

--Janis

Open House samples: Inauguration specials

OK, OK, it's a cheap tie-in!

I can vouch that prayers are answered, and God does say YES! Last night, my husband mentioned that it was supposed to snow. Now, I had been saying for about a week that it really needed to snow on Inauguration Day--not in Washington, DC, but here in North Carolina. A lot of staff at our school and in our district were going to be out, and I was envisioning how crazy it would be--when things are out of the norm, kids get overexcited (or maybe the "over" part is just what an adult would say!). When I woke up at 4:30 and peeked out, it didn't seem like much snow, and the district website didn't say school was cancelled. Oh, the sadness! However, at 6 it was announced, and I was happy. The kids are happy, and the puppy got to experience her first snow.

One last side note--I wish all the best for President Obama. May God watch over him and help him with a very difficult job.

OK, on to Open House stuff! We were a small but happy bunch--even staying an extra hour, but nobody complained! I was so glad to finally meet people with whom I'd only emailed. My only concern--I was the only one to eat! Having skipped lunch, I was starved! DH and the kids enjoyed the spoils of the day, though!

We had 2 projects. This was the first one. OK, I admit it is pretty simple. I will reveal the truth now--I didn't make either sample until a half-hour before the Open House started. I had the ideas in my mind, but still needed to make the projects and cut the materials for everybody in preparation. I had planned on using ribbon, but I was out of time!

Anyway, this is the beautiful Pink Pirouette cardstock, with textured Riding Hood Red cardstock strip over it. I punched the strip with the new Heart to Heart punch. The sentiment (in Real Red) comes from the Short & Sweet set.

Ashley made use of the extra materials that were out and made this card. She ran the Very Vanilla 1/4" grosgrain ribbon through a Classic ink spot (Gable Green?). She punched Pink Pirouette cardstock with the Wide Oval punch, and stamped a sentiment (again, from Short & Sweet). The "Best Wishes" at the top comes from the Sincere Salutations set. Ashley was sharing that she didn't have many sentiment sets (she got back to stamping when she needed to make a card and didn't have a "Get Well" message)--both of these are great ones--Short & Sweet includes small outline images. Sincere Salutations is my workhorse set that I always rely on--and yes, it has a get well message!

Here's the second project. (Please ignore the multiple wrinkles in the tablecloth. The clothes dryer's wrinkle release didn't work its miracle--and did I express that I was strapped for time?)

This bag topper was something I've wanted to make for awhile. It uses the Top Note die. The Top Note die was created as a bag topper--folded in half this way, it fits the small flat cello bags. Folded in half the long way, it fits the medium ones. (It was only later that creative stampers found so many other wonderful uses for it!).

The paper is Riding Hood Red. The strip behind it comes from the new Memory Lane DSP collection. (I'd cut the strips--then just set it on the Top Note die where I wanted it to be, and it trimmed the sides to the proper curve. You could also attach the strip the the paper and cut out both layers together--but I probably wouldn't get things straight that way!). Oh, then stamp (Riding Hood Red ink)--this came from the Punches Three set (it was a Level 2 Hostess set from the last catalog), and punch it out with the Scallop Square punch (turn the punch upside down to be sure you're cutting it out straight!). Fill the bag and attach with staples to the topper.

Thanks for looking!

Happy Stamping!

--Janis

The Heart to Heart punch is sweet!

As a demonstrator, I was able to preorder the Love You Much bundle. I was really excited to see the Heart to Heart punch. As you may know, I have all of the Stampin' Up! large punches (and I'm working toward getting all of the others). People were missing a heart punch (I guess SU! used to sell one). This one is great--3 hearts on one punch!

I am glad that the hearts have a free-form look to them, too, instead of the "perfect" look. I don't know about you, but I can never draw a perfect heart. I always had to make a fold and then draw a half-heart and cut the paper out while folded (remember learning that "line of symmetry" in school?)

As usual, the punch has the thumb lever, so it's super easy to use, even for those with arthritis or other fine motor difficulties.

I made use of this punch for today's card.

I punched the images out of the front of the card.

On Pink Pirouette cardstock, I stamped "love you" from the Short & Sweet set on twill tape. I stamped with Craft ink in Real Red. I really should have ironed the twill tape in order to make the design permanent.

I punched a large oval out of Whisper White cardstock (I'm out of Very Vanilla, which would have looked better!), stamped in Real Red (classic ink), and used the horizontal slot punch for threading the tape, lining up the phrase on the tape with the phrase on the punched paper.

You can see a peek at what's inside, too...

I cut a piece of Candy Lane designer series paper and adhered it inside the card, so it would show through the punched hearts from the card front.

Then, being a "waste not, want not" kind of gal, I adhered the punched out pink hearts inside the card.

Again, this card was very easy to do. Customers are now able to purchase the Love You Much bundle--I think you'll really love it! (And, isn't it fun to get something before others have even gotten to see it in the new catalog?!)

Happy stamping!

--Janis

A project to show at last!

I've been so busy working on Christmas cards (which I won't post here until they are sent and being received!), so I hadn't done any other stuff.

However, we had our staff party today, and I did make a bag decoration for it.

Mr. Snowman was inspired by ones by Gretchen Barron and especially Elizabeth Terrell. I was in a rush, so I didn't add the extra finishing touches, but I'm very pleased with him!

Again, the ever-versatile Top Note Sizzix die was used as the base and the hat. The brim was rounded with a corner rounder. The eyes were made with the oval and large oval punches (cut in half). The coal mouth was 1/4" holes punched out, and the carrot was freehand cut.

The cardinal was made with the Sizzix Birds & Blooms Sizzlit. as were the leaves behind them. Sizzlits are thin dies. The wing is 3-D--a perforation is made when you run the Sizzlit through the Big Shot.

I attached the design on a paper sack. Easy as can be!

Happy Stamping!

--Janis