Flowerbug's Inkspot

It's here! The 4-Pack of Presents!

I've had a ton of requests for my next 4-Pack & it's now ready!  Wait 'til you see this first one!  It's such a unique album or brag book.

My spring/summer 4-Pack of Projects was a huge hit for many of you.  I've had such positive feedback on those project tutorials that I have a bit of pressure to make these next 4 just as fabulous!   And I think the first one in the 4-Pack - the Star Album - fits the bill.  

This is the first project in my online project bundle of tutorials called the 4-Pack of Presents.  It consists of 4 project planners for the price of just three.  You'll get a new project tutorial e-mailed to you at the beginning of each month from September through December.  You use your own supplies to make these projects.  Each tutorial will be e-mailed to you in both Microsoft Word & Adobe format; just use the one you prefer.

You'll can make this Star Album with either Designer patterned paper & 12" card stock or any of our Simply Scrappin' kits which come with everything you need including those neat adhesive die-cuts that make it oh so much quicker.      

 

This album was made with the Christmas Cheer Simply Scrappin' kit.  You only use half a kit to make one Star Album.  Small photos (3" wide or less) will fit on any of the front panels.

This one was made with the Love Birds simply Scrappin kit.  You have enough card stock & adhesive die-cuts left from 1/2 of a kit to make four 3' X 6" cards too. 

Here's the front of both versions:

We are making these locally at our Holiday Mini catalog Open House on Saturday, September 11th from 10 - 2 pm.  Everyone is welcome to stop by & see the many things we'll have on display featuring Holiday Mini catalog products. 

Class times for the Star Albums is at 10 am & 12 noon.  Cost is $16 to make one book - but you must choose the Simply Scrappin' kit you prefer ahead of time.  RSVP with payment by this Friday at 4 pm, September 3rd please.

****But remember that if you cannot attend class (in Minot, ND) you can still get the directions to make this unique project plan from me via e-mail.  It's the first one in the 4-Pack of Presents.  Each of the 4 easy projects will be sent to you around the 1st of each month from September through December.  The easy to make projects are geared around gift-giving - not just Christmas gifts either.

You'll receive photos, templates, supply lists & step by step directions to create your own Star Albums.  All of my projects are easy to make & reproduce.  I keep them sweet & simple!

These projects are perfect for either the hobbyist or demonstrators to use in their own classes. 

Photos will not have my watermark on them, however the templates will.

Purchase all 4 projects here at my Stampin' Shop.    

Chai Tea recipe

I promised you the 'make your own' Chai Tea recipe I put in one of my Christmas gift jars seen here. 

Chai Tea

I did change it up a bit by substituting most of the sugar with Splenda.  I tried to make it a bit less of a guilty pleasure!  You really do want to grind down the spices or you'll have little bits of spice in the bottom of your glass or cup of Chai. 

Here's what I had yesterday.  Iced Chai - gotta love it!  

I make it even easier to have a glass of this when I want one.  I add a cup or so (I don't measure!) of the dry mix to a 1 1/2 quart container & add about 1 1/2 cups hot, hot water.  Shake well & fill up the rest of the container with milk.  Then store in the fridge for instant cold Chai. Like I said, I never measure & just add til it looks right.  It always tastes perfect!

I am not so sure I'm happy that my son has now discovered he likes it too......

 

Holiday Mini catalog swaps

I hosted a down-line Team Meet & Swap this weekend & wanted to show you some of the cards my gals did.  We focused on the new Holiday Mini catalog which is incredible (if you don't have your own catalog, it will be posted on Wednesday)! 

I am so very proud of them all - they did an awesome job & I love each & every one of these cards!

Annette's card.  What an amazing color combo for Autumn.  Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, Soft Suede, Early Espresso & Vanilla.  The colors just leap off the page. 

She inked the leaf stamp from Paisley Prints in Early Espresso ink & used a small sponge to add more of the above colors of ink onto the stamped image. 

The Mustard layer is textured with the woodgrain Texturz plate. 

April's card is so cute!  She used the adorable stamp set 'Merry Crittermas'.  I love her color combo of Wasabi, Real Red, Chocolate & Baja.  That glittered polka dot patterned paper is from the Candy Cane Christmas specialty pack. 

Candy's Halloween card highlights quite a few of the new Holiday Mini products.  She combined the Fang-tastic stamp set with the single stamp 'Sweet Snowglobe' (embossed in Black).  You could insert any image you want in that globe & the 1 3/4" circle punch works with it perfectly.  See the Spider Web embossing folder?  It's perfect here in Black as the background. 

Jennifer's Snowflake card is gorgeous.  Isn't the new Northern Flurry embossing folder beautiful on vellum?  This is card stock vellum - really the only one I use ever. The Baja background paper is from Candy Cane Christmas specialty paper pack.  With this patterned paper you can go bold with reds & greens or soft with pinks & blues. Stampin' Up'! is so smart! 

Sarah shocked us all with her amazing Halloween Tri-Fold card.  She embossed each of the panels with the Spider Web embossing folder & then rubbed a bit of Frost shimmer paint over it to high-light the web design. 

She used the new bat punch & Dark & Dreary stamp set plus two Halloween jumbo wheels - Midnight Musings & Haunting Hill.  The patterned paper is the Wicked Fun specialty pack.  

Aren't my gals talented!?!? 

*****I will post the rest of the swaps later this week.  Stay tuned! 

Big News!

Two big news flashes here......

If you sign up to become a demonstrator during September you get this free....

 

Stampin' Up! introduced this tote at the 2010 convention and demonstrators went crazy for it!  Now, YOU can get it for FREE ($39.95 value).  It's specially designed for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators as it uses the beautiful Greenhouse Gala design, Stampin' Up! logo and much more!

• This tote fits 12″ x 12″ products as well as 12″ x 12″ Craft Keepers, and it even holds your Paper Trimmer!
• A back-zipper pocket holds seven Classic Stampin’ Pads. 
• Outside pockets hold our Extra-Large punches.
• A detachable shoulder strap makes it easy to carry your tote.
• Value is $39.95
• Perfect for carrying your crafting supplies to crops, classes, hostess events or just organizing your crafting space.

I paid $39.95 for mine at Convention ......  To be honest I cannot imagine why you wouldn't want to join Stampin' Up!  I just love this company & my dream job!

Contact me for details.

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The Clearance Rack has new stuff!  And oh my gosh - you will not believe what they have in there & the prices!!

    

Some of the card stock that just retired..... you Brilliant Blue lovers, Only Orange, Pixie Pink & Pink Passion, Green Galore, Brocade Blue & more.  It's all just $2.77 for a full pack of card stock! 

And the Simply Scrappin' kits....  My absolute favorite ever offered is there.  Get it while it lasts.....  the I Wish Christmas kit. 

And another great one - Primary Colors:

Both kits are just $7.99 each!  If you have purchased my Accordion File album or Flip Album  projects via e-mail you will definitely want to check these out.  You can get two albums from one kit!  What a nice & inexpensive gift!

But remember these are only available while supplies last & must be placed as an online order here.  And you must designate a demonstrator (me!) to get the preferred pricing.  

And here's a few more items we all loved:

 

Felt Flurries - 29 snowflakes in 9 designs in Riding Hood Red, White & Baja Breeze.  Just $4.99 for the whole set!  And they have the little ones too for just $5.99. 

Silver & Gold cord - just $1.99!

 

Chocolate Chip & Pomegranate satin ribbon is just $3.99.

There's also printed window sheets, rub-ons, lots more patterned paper at just $3.99! 

Have I convinced you to check it out?  Contact your friends & put an order in together.  But don't wait.  Each hour something runs out. 

Gotta go now & put my own order in......

Pull-up Present card

I have two more versions of the Holiday Pull=up Present card I showed last week here.

You can get the measurements & directions on this link as well. But here is a quick list:

Measurements:

• Folded top in Old Olive - 2" X 4 1/4" - score at 1"
• White stamped piece - 4" X 2 5/8"
• Old Olive layer - 4 1/4" X 2 7/8"
• Patterned Paper - 3 5/8" X 8 1/2" - folded in half

We made these at August's Card Clubs.  I had all sorts of patterned paper for them to choose from.  Here are a few of their finished cards:

Wouldn't these be cute in a wedding version?  I can see them in gorgeous embossed white or vanilla with black accents.  Add a gift card to the pull-up piece & you're set!

The idea was cased from Kelly Ward here.  Check it out - she has a unique bow topper on her card. 

Scalloped Flower

I was playing around with my Scallop circle punches last night & came up with this for Punch Art Wednesday.

I used the gorgeous Sweet & Sour Specialty paper for it.  You just need three scallop circles - 2 of the new size 2 3/8" & one of the 1 3/4".  And one small circle for the center fringe.

The large scallop for the base is whole, the second 2 3/8" one has one scallop removed & the end scallops glued together, which lifts them up a bit to form a slight cone.  I also cut in between each scallop a bit so they flattened out some.

The last top scallop on the right is the 1 3/4" size & has two scallops cut out.  I snipped between each of those scallops too.  Adhere the edges together & let sit to dry a bit.

When you're putting these 'cone shaped pieces' together you will need to flatten the base a bit to glue them well.  It's about impossible to glue a point onto a flat surface! 

The center fringe is a 1 1/4" circle punch.  I snipped into it all around to create the fringes & pinched it together to form the flower center.  Glue that down in the center of the flower & add the brad.  Then fluff up the fringe.

I also had fun playing with the new Elegant Lines embossing folder.  I embossed a piece of Vanilla card stock & cut out the curvy base of the leaves & stem.  I highlighted it a bit with a sponge dauber & Pumpkin ink & added a bit of those lovely pearls.

• Card stock - Very Vanilla, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet & Sour Specialty paper
• Ink - Pumpkin Pie
• Accessories - Elegant Lines & Square Lattice embossing folders, Big Shot, sponge dauber, Pearls, Scallop trim punch, 5/16" neutral brads, 1 3/4" & 2 3/8" Scallop circle punches, 1 1/4" circle punch, Pumpkin taffeta ribbon, paper snips   

See more of my Weekly Punch art here!

Aviary Fun Fold

We made this card at my Card Clubs in August.

As you can see, it's a different fold than usual. 

Score your 4 1/4" X 11" card in half at 5 1/2", then score one of those halves in half again at 2 3/4". 

If you noticed two different sayings at the bottom & the way these cards fold, you may be confused .....  It is two different cards.  The fold is the same, but the So Saffron patterned paper is placed in different spots on the card.  This makes the card either pop out on top or on bottom, depending on how you want it.

Card stock measurements:   

• So Saffron patterned paper - 2 5/8" X 4"
• White birdcage pieces - 2 1/8" X 2"
• Basic Gray birdcage layers - 2 1/8" X 2 1/4"
• White Greeting piece - 1 1/4" X 2 1/4"; add 1/4" to that piece for the Basic Gray layer & another 1/4" to the Basic Gray layer for the outside So Saffron piece.
  
• See above for the main card size & fold.  
  

The neat trick here is to ink just the curvy base of the bird cage stand with Basic Gray marker. Stamp it more than an inch from the right side of the card.  Then use a marker & ruler with the Basic Gray marker to finish drawing the line (stand) all the way up to the top of the card. 

Then just place your many bird cages up the stand & add rhinestones. 

• Stamps - Aviary, Word Play, Smarty Pants
• Ink - Regal Rose, Basic Gray
• Card stock - Whisper White, Basic Gray, Regal Rose, So Saffron & Saffron prints
• Accessories - corner rounder punch, Basic Gray marker, Rhinestones, ruler, 1/8" Daffodil Delight taffeta ribbon, mini glue dots
  

Holiday Mini Sneak Peak Freak's Tour

It's that wonderful time again where we get to play with new stuff!  The Holiday Mini catalog is going to amaze you!  There are many incredible new stamps & products to suit everyone!  And this Control Freaks Blog Hop is the best place to see it all.

This is the first stop on the tour this month, but you can continue on to see them all by clicking the buttons at the end of each post. 

So you may have just arrived from Wendy Weixler's blog - I love her work!

I felt like playing with the Christmas section of this mini: 

I decorated these two jars with SU's newest undertaking - FABRIC!  Many people are creating beautiful projects with fabric, the Big Shot & dies so it's a perfect fit. There are two different assortments of three fabrics each that are not just for Christmas either. 

This one is called Candy Cane Christmas - a great assortment of polka dots & stripes that could be used for anything.  I used the new Bigs XL die called 'Tasteful Trim' to cut the 1" wide waved trim on the large jar.  LOVE THIS DIE!  And then I used the leftover trim from that same die cut on the smaller jar & added our new Big Designer Buttons with glue dots.  Inside is a homemade Chai Tea mix - yum!  I am now addicted to Iced Chai!  (I'll post the recipe next week.)

How did I adhere it to the jars??  Before I cut it out I laid a strip of the fabric to one side of the new Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets.  Then after I ran it through the Big Shot I just peeled off the coated backing & adhered it to my jars.  Press & you're done - so quick & simple.  You could adhere lots of things with this stuff & you get twelve 12" X 12" sheets of it in a package.  However it is not washable.

The flowers on the top of the larger jar are felt, cut out with the Flower Folds die & topped with our new Big Designer Buttons.

Here's a close-up of the tag on the candy jar.

The greeting is from the new stamp set called 'Tags til Christmas'. It's really a square stamp, but I used markers to omit the scallop trim around it & the 1 3/8" circle punch top punch it out.

The unique Baja Breeze & glitter Red polka dot paper scallop from the Candy Lane Christmas patterned paper is punched out with a 2 2/3" Scallop extra large circle punch which is layered on a 2 1/2" punched circle of Red card stock.  This is another brand new punch!  We are getting bigger & bigger punches - love that!

Next up is a great idea for a pocket/package card.

 

Isn't that paper just gorgeous?  It's called 'Deck the Halls'. It coordinates with Cherry Cobbler, Artichoke & Very Vanilla plus even more colors like Soft Suede & Crumb Cake.

The 'A Merry Christmas' stamp is from the 'Bells & Boughs' stamp set - a beautiful line art set.  Both of these products are part of the Vintage Christmas Suite on page 18 & 19 of the SU Holiday Mini catalog.

Here's a little collage of the steps to make this pocket slider card:

Measurements are as follows:

• Folded top - 2" X 4 1/4" - score at 1"
• Vanilla stamped piece - 4" X 2 5/8"
• Cherry Cobbler layer - 4 1/4" X 2 7/8"
• Patterned Paper - 3 5/8" X 8 1/2" - folded in half

Directions:

Fold the long piece of patterned paper in half & glue the outer edges together with a narrow strip of adhesive.  Fold the top piece in half on the score line & add dimensionals near the top fold avoiding the center.  Add your stamped & layered inner piece over the dimensionals.  Add another set of dimensionals over that.  This helps keep the top open so it slips over the pocket easily.  Punch two 1/8" holes for the ribbon bow.

This card would adapt easily to a gift card holder.  Just make the Vanilla layer a bit longer & add a fold at the bottom so the gift card slides up with the insert. 

Or add a precious photo like my nephew's pup here:

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to continue on to see the rest!  Now you're off to Danny Graves  - she always has outstanding projects!

August Technique Class

I  didn't offer Technique Class last month due to the chaos of our annual Stampin' rummage sale & Convention.  So I was ready for some new techniques for August.  I think you'll really like these!

This is called Versamark Mist - a unique look you get when stamping over sponged card stock.

This is Reverse Double Embossing.  That gold embossing around & over the Newsprint dsp is unique & gorgeous in real life!

And lastly - Photo Mosaic technique.  We stamped onto a photograph, cut it into mosaic pieces & embossed in between.  Beautiful! 

Local classes here in Minot, ND are on Tuesday August 24th at 4 pm & Wednesday August 25th at 6:30 pm.  Cost is $10 pre-paid by August 19th.  You make all three full cards plus 3 technique sample cards.  I have one spot left at both class times.

And if you live afar & would like to make these cards or learn the techniques you still can!  

You'll get all 3 techniques sent via e-mail for just $4.  They're perfect for either hobbyist's or demonstrators to use to teach their own technique classes.  You'll receive photos, step by step directions with card stock measurements & a list of all supplies in a zipped file that include both pdf & Word versions.

I have tons of different techniques to choose from.   Check them all out here at my Stampin' Shop.

Scroll down to find the class you want.