Featured Stamper: Karen Herrmann

One of the really great things about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is meeting all the other demos, who so generously share their ideas and teach you what they know! I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Karen Herrman, a demo from Tecumseh, this past year. She has agreed not only to allow me to post this project that she taught at our monthly area demo meeting, she even wrote up the directions! (Note the beautifully decorated envelope that makes such a card a pleasure to receive even before you open it!)

Drunken Leaves

This technique used our classic re-inkers, our Encore gold pigment ink, and either rubbing or denatured alcohol on our glossy cardstock. It is actually known as Polished Stone. Since we are making 2 cards, go ahead and do both of the glossy pieces at the same time. They will take just a few minutes to dry or you can dry them with the heat gun.

1. Using the felt and wood block or cotton ball as an applicator, soak felt in alcohol. Add a couple of drops of re-inker in each color to the felt. Tap and slightly twist the felt pad onto the glossy white cardstock. Try not to over-blend, but also be sure that you are spreading the ink around. Add a drop or two more alcohol to the felt and a drop or two of the gold ink to the felt pad and repeat. Set aside to dry for a few minutes.
2. Using all of the ink colors (clean between colors, please) and your choice of the leaf stamps, add a few stamped-off images to the Naturals Ivory piece that goes inside of the card. Attach to the inside of the card.
3. Ink one of the larger leaf images in Dusty Durango and stamp twice, on the square of Naturals Ivory cardstock.
4. Use the stamp-a-ma-jig if desired, stamp “thanks” on the square, over the leaves. Layer it onto Dusty Durango. Stamp sentiment on inside, over leaves.
5. On the Soft Suede layer, ink one of the stamps in Soft Suede and stamp it a few times around the edge, for texture.
6. Be sure the glossy cardstock is dry, then stamp a few leaves on the polished stone piece – use a couple of colors and/or images, if desired.
7. Attach polished stone piece to the front of the Soft Suede card. Use plenty of adhesive around the edge, since the paper may have a slight curve to it as it has dried.
8. With the hand held punch, punch a hole on the left side (through both layers) or where you want the ribbon’s knot to be. Using the dotted grosgrain ribbon, thread the ribbon up through the hole, from the backside…holding the “tail” that is on the front-side down, wrap the long piece of ribbon all the way around the card until you are on the backside again. Thread the ribbon up through the same hole, so both ends are now on the front side – one tail on each side of the ribbon as it goes across. Tie a half knot, adjusting the ribbon so the dots are showing, if desired.
9. Add stamped leaf, layered square to the front of the card.

Stamps: Autumn Splendor, Many Thanks

Inks: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede classic re-inkers and ink pads; Gold Encore pigment ink

Paper: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Naturals Ivory, Glossy White CS

Misc: Dusty Durango or Soft Suede polka dot grosgrain ribbon, Rubbing or de-natured alcohol, cotton ball or felt for an alcohol ink applicator, stamp-a-ma-jig

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Thanks, Karen! This card was my first chance to use the Autumn Splendor stamp set and I'm still in love with it! Best of all, no raking necessary... Kathy

Santa and Elf Box in a Bag

Materials: All materials are Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted.

Paper: Whisper White, Kraft, Old Olive, Real Red, Basic Black and Shiny Silver*.

Punches: Scallop Edge, Tab, Curly Label and 1/2" Circle.

Ribbon: Mistletoe Originals and Basic Black Velvet.

* Non-Stampin' Up item.

Good Morning all,

I saw these cute little guys posted on a website by Lenee Pearson and couldn't pass 'em up! Sooo cute! I have Rudolph rolling around in my head trying to figure out how I could create him. Wouldn't they make a fun trio? :) It's your basic Bag in a Box pattern then decorated up like Santa and the Elf. Stay tuned, I'm going to give Rudolph a try!

Have a great weekend!

Monique

Christmas 1950s Style - Part 2

Here we go again with my red-and-black-and-apricot scheme! I love the fact that I've used Halloween paper to make a Christmas card, it feels somehow like "setting things right". This is a standard 4.25" x 5.5" card that hinges at the top. I've glued the Night & Day DSP and the strip of red to the apricot base, then sponged around the edges with Creamy Caramel. I've also pulled a little of the Real Red into the black and white DSP. "Joy" and the holly leaves are from SU! chipboard I had stashed, which I've simply sponged with craft ink directly. It's backed with a piece from the Christmas Cocoa DSP (mini catalog). I glued the letters to the rectangle so that I could work with them as one unit, then centered it and made a light pencil mark to position the white snowflake rub-on (another mini catalog find) before attaching the joy rectangle.

One more sneaky trick. For my "brads", I've simply used the 1/4" punch topped with a dot of Crystal Effects. You can use a drop of Tombow, a dimensional, or pop dots to adhere them, depending on how high a profile you want them to have.

Enjoy playing with this one,
Kathy


All supplies Stampin' Up!

Paper: Almost Apricot, Real Red CS; Night & Day and Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP
Ink: Creamy Caramel and Real Red classic; Real Red and Sage Shadow craft
Accessories: 3/16" black gingham ribbon, Icicle Rub-ons, Chipboard elements; Crystal Effects

Working on New Studio Look!

I hope everyone likes the New Look!
Header Photo Credit goes to our Very Own Kathy.
Header Design Credit: I'll take credit for that one.
Background Credit: (I will have to double check on that one; I just forgot the name)
Brain Freeze:0

Take Our Poll and Let me know; Like or dislike!

Christmas 1950s Style

I was playing around with the Sweet Centers stamp set again, and realized I hadn't made anything with the ornament top... and I hadn't made anything without a treat cup! Of course one thing led to another, and this is what emerged. The color scheme of apricot, red and sage for some reason made me think of the 1950s, so I worked with that idea in mind and completed a couple of cards using the same set of materials (watch for upcoming posts).

I began with a 5x5" base, hinged at the top. After adhering my DSP (pieces from both Christmas Cocoa and Day & Night), I started sponging. I always try to "pull" a bit of the color from one section into its opposite, so here the DSP on top (and the ornament) got hit with caramel to age it (the neutral caramel is similar to the peach in tone and effect) and I "rosied up" the section of apricot base that shows at the bottom. This approach makes for a more unified look on the piece.

As I was trying out placements, I decided that the ornament by itself was a bit "flat" so I hand cut some simple holly leaves from sage scraps, sponged the edges with caramel, and added the large white snowflake rub-on as background and the smaller one as "sparkle" on the 1 3/4" circle that is the ornament (the white highlight is just a scrap of white made by using the same punch). The sentiment is embossed in white. When you attach the ornament, you could pop the center up on some dimensionals and glue the edges flat to add curvature to the surface... or not!

Kathy

All supplies Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Sweet Centers and Yuletide Christmas (Holiday Mini Catalog)
Ink: Creamy Caramel and Real Red classic
Paper: Almost Apricot, Sage Shadow and Real Red CS; Night & Day and Christmas Cocoa specialty DSP
Accessories: 1 3/4" circle punch; Icicle rub-ons, Stampin' Dimensionals

Snap Cracker

Materials: All materials are Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted.

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Old Olive, Holiday Wrap*.

Ink: Real Red.

Stamps: Christmas Punch, Cute and Curly (Retired).

Punch: Scallop Edge, Curly Label.
Ribbon: Real Red and Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain.
* Non-Stampin' Up products.

Hi there,

I saw these in a magazine and thought they would make a nice change to the traditional stocking stuffers. There were also some smaller ones wrapped up with striped paper and some clear cellophane to look like candy, then tucked in between the branches on the tree, super cute! I hope with the cold weather and the change of season's your getting inspired for the holiday's, they're just around the corner.

Thanks,

M.

Thank You Tom

Materials: All materials are Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted.

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal, Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa and Basic Black.

Ink: Pumpkin Pie.

Stamps: Cheery Chat and Best of Cluck (Retired).

Punches: 1/4"*, 3/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle and Slit.

Ribbon: 1/4" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain.

Misc.: Wiggly Eyes*.

* Non-Stampin' Up products.

Hello again,

I made these little guys as a thank you for a workshop I'm having next week. I was wanting a way to give my business card a little "wow" factor and figured you really can't go wrong with chocolate right? And, being so close to Thanksgiving I figured Tom would do nicely.

Hope you like it!

Monique