Our New Border and Corner Punches

These are the new border and corner punches. The Scallop Trim border punch is one of the FREE Sale-A-Bration items that you can choose (until March 31st) when you purchase $5o in Stampin’ Up! products. It has been wildly popular along with the coordinating Scallop Trim corner punch, so I thought I would prepare a tutorial on how to use them.

To get a perfectly punched border all around the card stock you do need to begin with specifically sized pieces of card stock.

The sizes that work  best for cards are……
4 3/4″
4 1/4″
3 13/16″
3 1/4″
2 7/8″
2 3/8″
1 15/16″ (this square uses only the corner punch and layers perfectly with our two largest square punches)

Want a rectangle mat? Just use one of these dimensions for two of your sides and choose another dimension for the other two sides for lovely  rectangle mats. Many thanks to Gretchen Barron for doing the math on this!

Begin by punching the corners of the mat. Flip your punch over and insert the paper from the back. You will place your card stock squarely in the corner of the viewable area of the punch. I have added arrows to this photo to indicate that you will bring the card stock right up to the corner, the paper will not slide back further under the punch.

This card stock was cut to 3 13/16 square. Continue until you have punched all 4 corners

Your card stock will now look like this.

Line your corners up over the corner markings printed on the border punch as indicated by the white circles. This is the only size where the corners will line up exactly. For other sizes you will start on one side or the other and punch across.

You will line your corners up and only punch once on this size card stock.

After you punch, your card stock should look like this.

When you have punched all 4 sides you should have  a lovely scalloped mat. The inside square of this card will measure 3 3/8 inches. So you would want to cut your next layer at 1/8″ or 1/4″ smaller.

Belinda

 

Vintage Vogue

Vintage Vogue

This is another card that we made for Stamp Camp last month. It looks really involved, but it was actually a fairly simple card to make. That is the great thing about a wonderful stamp set and really cool tools.

 

The background piece is made using the Very Vintage jumbo wheel. It is wheeled in Not Quite Navy and Sahara Sand, easy peasy! When you don’t have the perfect background paper, you can always make your own in the exact colors that you need. The pretty mat is made using the Sale-A-Bration Scallop Trim Border and Corner Punches. We cut out a few flowers and added some micro-beads to the flower centers and added a faux bow. Fun and not too much work!

 

Stampin’ Stuff

Stamps: Well Scripted, Vintage Vogue, Very Vintage jumbo wheel

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand

Paper: Not Quite Navy and Very Vanilla card stock

Fun Stuff: Scallop Trim Border punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Micro Beads, Crystal Effects

Stamp a Stack

These are the cards for this weeks Stamp a Stack

This month’s Stamp Camp is a Stamp a Stack! Your first stack is $7.50 and each stack after that is $5.00. Each stack is 5 cards of 1 design. Stamp 5 stacks for $25. You may also stamp one of each design for $10.  Join us at the Bixby Community center on Thursday, March 11 at 6:00 PM. Please RSVP with your card choices if you plan to attend. This is an all occasion SAS, so there will be several sentiment options as well as a few image options. Don’t forget to bring your favorite adhesive!

Two step bird punch

Card one uses the new Two Step Bird Punch and Scallop Border Punch. Very quick and easy card!

This card is also quick and easy and you will have a few image options.

Le Jardin Boutanique

Card 3 is our masculine option, however it can work for several occasions and also will have alternate image and sentiment options.

Another quick card with alternate image choices. This card uses one of the Sale-A-Bration sets.

Beautiful Butterflies

Our last card choice uses those Beautiful embossed Butterflies. This card utilizes several Big Shot elements to step it up, but it is still a fairly simple card. I couldn’t get the lighting right, so the picture doesn’t do it justice. The colors are Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White.

An Inspirational Treat!

Today I have an inspirational treat for you! This beautiful card was created by Katie McCullough and is published in the current issue of Paper Crafts magazine! If you have attended stamp camp or StampFest, then you have probably met Katie. She is a little bundle of enthusiasm and sunshine and just great fun to stamp with!

 

Katie created this card for World Card Making Day and submitted it to Paper Crafts magazine. Hers was one of 20 chosen from almost 1000 entries! I think you can see why. It is a great design; simple but striking, wonderful color combination, great use of white space and of course, impeccably stamped and assembled.

 

I am so excited  for her and proud of her accomplishment! Katie wishes to encourage everyone to submit their creations, as she says “you just never know.”  I do suggest you follow her lead and begin with a great design and pay attention to detail. She has definitely inspired me.

 

Each publication is different in the way that they look for submissions, so check out your favorite magazine or website for details. You can read more about the contest that Katie entered here and while you are there read about Paper Crafts next contest, the 2010 Stamping Royalty Card Contest. They have some fabulous prizes up for grabs and one of them is a copy of Stampin’ Ups new digital software, My Digital Studio!

 

Congratulations Katie, thanks for sharing your artwork with us!

Good Neighbors

Good neighbors

What a fun little set! This is one of the exclusive Sale-A-Bration sets this year. It’s kind of like playing with building blocks only you are building a little neighborhood! When I first saw this set, I thought it was adorable, but I wasn’t sure if I would find many uses for it. I have been amazed at how many sentiments work with it. Everyone loves the Whimsical Words set shown here (another great SAB set) and 4 of the 6 phrases are great with this set. The one pictured here was perfect, but I also like “follow your heart it knows the way”, ” You’re too kind” and “happiness always”. This set works for a lot of non-traditional cards like-We’ve moved, welcome home, miss you, congrats on a new home, welcome to the neighborhood and many more that I haven’t thought of, I am sure. Oooodles of fun!

 

Stampin Stuff

Stamps: Good Neighbors, Whimsical Words

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose, So Saffron and Certainly Celery classic inks

Paper: Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White card stock

Fun Stuff: Polka Dot embossing folder, Rose and Celery grosgrain ribbon, oval dies, Pop Dots

Beautiful Wings Embosslit

One of my favorite new tools for adding the WOW factor to cards are these wonderful little Sizzlet Embosslits. This card was made using the Stampin’ Up! Beautiful Wings Embosslit from the Occasions Mini Catalog. One quick little run through the Big Shot Machine gives you these beautiful butterflies, cut and embossed.

 

This card was incredibly quick and easy. I ran the Kraft card base through the big shot using the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, stamped the sentiment and then attached the butterflies. So much fun!

 

Stampin Stuff

Stamps: Well Scripted

Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic Ink

Paper: Kraft, Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose and Apricot Appeal card stocks

Fun Stuff: Big Shot Machine, Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions folder, Stampin’ Up! exclusive Beautiful Wings Embosslit die, Pop Dots

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Here is a sweet little valentine we made at stamp camp last month. This is such a great set from the last mini catalog. Another one that I will keep forever.

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s day full of sweet thoughts, sweet notes and all else that is sweet with your favorite sweetie!

 

Stampin Stuff

Stamps: Wandering Words

Ink: Real Red Classic Ink

Paper: Real Red and Whisper White card stock retired DSP

Fun Stuff: Ticket Corner Punch, Real Red Satin Ribbon, Small Heart Punch, Heart to Heart Punch

Holiday Best

Quick and easy valentine treat!

Holiday Best

I adore this little saying set. It is a level one hostess set and it is at the top of my don’t miss list. I love the fonts and I love the graphics that are incorporated in the sayings. The sentiments cover all my favorite holidays and as you can see, make a perfect (and quick) focal point for any project. This one is definitely never leaving my stamp library. You only need $150 in sales (or purchases) to earn this little cutie pie, so if you know a couple of friends who also want to earn a sale-a-bration set; you’ve got yourself a catalog party (or a regular party if you need an excuse to stamp)! I love Sale-A-Bration! It is so easy to earn lots of FREE goodies!

This was one of our projects from last months Valentine camp. The Bigz Petal Card die makes a perfect sized envelope for Ghirardelli chocolate squares. Mmmmmm……… what a fun little treat. This project is super quick and easy. Don’t you love the little embossed heart? It is a Sizzlet die that cuts and embosses at the same time. I am already addicted to these little jewels. Alas, so many addictions, so little time!

 

Stampin Stuff

Stamps: Holiday Best

Ink: Rose Red Classic Ink

Paper: Rose Red and Very Vanilla card stock, Rose Red Patterned DSP

Fun Stuff: Bigz Petal Card die, Stampin’ Up! Embosslits heart of hearts die, Rose grosgrain ribbon,