Cute Critters and a Gumball Machine

I'm excited to share a few more of my projects created for the Big Shot Roundup Event going on now with UStamp with Dawn and Friends!

This has got to be one of my most favorite projects I've made EVER...these adorable Forest Friends gift bags!!

And this fun gumball machine!

My youngest daughter was going to have a gumball themed birthday party. Wouldn't these be awesome goody bags for all the little party guests?

If you'd like to get the tutorials for these and 40 more projects come join us at the Big Shot Roundup Event!

Hope you are having a great Monday! Thanks for dropping by!

Sweet Summer

The challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments has a beach theme this week!

I thought pinwheels would be perfect on this page plus I've never used one on a project and they always look so cute on other people's pages. Here's a few close-up photos of my pinwheels.

Thanks for stopping by the little blue room today! Be sure to head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to check out the other designers fun projects. Then be sure to share your project with us by linking it to the HSS blog.

Spring Chandelier

I'm so excited that I get to share another project I created for the UStamp with Dawn and Friends online class. A spring chandelier!

To learn how to make this spring chandelier join the UStamp with Dawn and Friends event going on now to downlaod the step by step tutorial!

Along with the tutorial for the chandelier you'll find 40 projects with tutorials all using the awesome new Simply Scored tool from Stampin Up! All for just $24.99. What a deal! Hope to see you at the event!

6th Birthday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We had a wonderful time with family over the weekend!
I was able to squeeze in a few minutes between all the Christmas baking and crafting to create this scrapbook page celebrating my youngest daughter's 6th birthday.

When I have more time I will  journal beside the cupcake. I love the little '6' candle I added to the cupcake top. It's like the candle she is blowing out in the bottom picture. I used the new Labels Collection Framelits to create the cool shape behind the cupcake. I LOVE them!! So many sizes you can cut and you can layer different sizes or make frames! Awesome new product from Stampin' Up! 

I was inspired to work on this birthday page by the challenge on Hand Stamped Sentiments. 

 Head on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to see the wonderful projects the other designers created this week. Then share your creativity with us and link your creation on the HSS blog. 

Matryoshka Doll

I am thrilled to share with you the project I created for the Ustamp with Dawn and Friends!! Knock Out Punches Event!

I've always loved matryoshka dolls! As a little girl they fascinated me and today I still think they are just the cutest thing. I went to work in the little blue room with my Stampin' Up! supplies and designed a matryoshka box and a cute little card to go with it! This gift set is perfect for any occasion! From "Congratulations! I knew you had it in you!" to "Thanks! You're a doll!" and just about anything in between.
Want the tutorial to create your own adorable doll? Join us for the Knock Out Punches event to get the PDF for this and over 40 more projects! Two projects posted everyday plus bonus projects! Live chats with crafters from around the world! The party started on the 4th, but it is not too late to join. The event lasts until November 23rd! Just $24.99 to join the fun! 

I hope to see you there!

P.S. I actually posted twice today! Be sure to check out my Season's Greetings card.

Season's Greetings

I went grocery shopping the other day and Christmas decorations were everywhere. Christmas music was playing over the speakers. It really got me excited for Christmas and in the perfect mood to make this Christmas card.

 This week's challenge over on Hand Stamped Sentiments is to go overboard and create a Christmas card that is over the top! A card decked out with lots of layers, bling, and details!

And I did just that! I even created my own doily using the scallop die and the crop-a-dile to create the holes. Then I ran it through the big shot with an embossing folder to give it some texture. I love how it turned out!

Head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to see all the other wonderful examples by the designers. Then go overboard on a Christmas card and join us for the challenge this week!






P.S. Believe it or not I posted twice today so be sure to check out my Matryoshka Doll.

Knock Out Punches

I am delighted to share that I was invited to be a guest designer by Dawn to be a part of her amazing events at Ustamp with Dawn & Friends! I'm looking forward to sharing the project I've designed with you!  This event is ALL about PUNCHES. You know how much I LOVE punches!  Stampin' Up! Punches R♥CK!!  

IT'S GONNA BE A FIRST ROUND KNOCK OUT FELT AROUND THE WORLD!
Come join us! Round of UStamp "Knockout Punches" - Worldwide Championships 2011!! begins TODAY, November 4th and goes until November 23rd.  Just wait till you see the projects we have created for you!  They are diffently all Knock Outs! The Design Team is more than ready to step up to the challenge of covering all the punches in 40+ projects!! There's a whole lotta punching going on and you are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE what the Designers have waiting for you.


The Design Team - composed of highly accomplished papercrafters - are poised to...
Float like butterflies
and sting like bees
as they dazzle with
powerful punched projects
for you and me!!
(any Muhammad Ali fans out there??)


Knockout Punches will be focusing on showcasing Stampin' Up! Punches from the USA/Canada 2011 - 2012 Idea Book & Catalog as well as the 2011 Holiday Mini Catalog!! And not  just for the upcoming Holiday Season, so get ready to enjoy VAST VARIETY of FANTASTIC Projects that will still be useful long after Santa puts that last gift under the tree!!


Subscription price is $24.99 and you can find all the info you need to join by clicking on the link below. The FAST AND EASY payment process allows you to join as a member and grants immediate access to the Knockout Punches Website!!  
Can't wait to chat and create with you there!

A Simple Noel

You've heard of KISS, right? Keep It Simple Silly. Well, I've been reminded of that thousands of times because I never seem to be able to keep things simple. My husband and my sister are always giving me a hard time about this. I usually go overboard in everything I do, but not this time. I actually made something simple, and I like it! I even tried adding more stuff but took it off because I liked it simple.

If I were going to actually, really hand-make Christmas cards that actually, really made it into the mail box this would be the one. It literally took me less than a minute to put this together! A little trick on ruffling the ribbon...add adhesive directly to the card stock then scrunch and press. All done.

My color combo came from the color challenge this week on Hand Stamped Sentiments.

With Halloween in the rear-view mirror and Thanksgiving at the next exit Christmas is just around the corner. Time to get a head start on all the fun holiday projects!
Head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments for more inspiration and I hope you'll share some of your creativity with us this week, too!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a wonderful week!

A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fallish Kind Of Basket

I saw a cute basket decorated for fall and thought, "I bet I can make one out of paper!" So I gave it a try and this is what I came up with.

This week's challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments is to use the shaving cream technique, crayons, or pastel chalks.

I rarely use my chalks, but I thought they would be perfect for coloring my leaves to make them look all fallish. I love how it all turned out! It is just the right size to hold an apple with a side of caramel dip. Very fallish!

So glad I was pushed by the challenge this week to dig out my pastels. I'll have to keep them out on the craft desk to use them more often.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
I hope you head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments this week to play along with the challenge.

Hope Floats

I'm delighted to announce that I've been invited to join the design team over on Hand Stamped Sentiments! If you don't already know, Hand Stamped Sentiments is a weekely challenge blog with color challenges, technique challenges, theme challenges, and inspiration challenges. As I said over on HSS, I love challenges! When I find time to sit down at my craft desk I get lost in all the ideas and supplies. I don't know where to begin. Challenges inspire me, give me somewhere to start, and a focus for my creativity. Which is one reason I'm so excited I was invited to be a part of the Hand Stamped Sentiments Design Team. I get to play along with a new, fun challenge each week!

This week the theme is Breast Cancer Awareness. Most of us have been effected by breast cancer through friends or family, or even personally. I had a personal scare a few years ago when I started having breast pain and found a lump. I was relieved when I find out I have fibrocystic breasts. Fibrocystic breast changes are normal and harmless. They are not cancer, and they do not increase your chance of getting breast cancer. Experts think that fibrocystic breast changes are linked to the hormone changes that happen during your menstrual cycle. I may be sharing a little too much info, but breast cancer is serious. It is so important to be aware because early detection can increase the chances of surviving breast cancer.

With my project I knew I wanted to make something uplifting and encouraging, but I wasn't quite sure what. After two days of playing in the little blue room, I ended up with a hot air balloon. Hope floats. 

This balloon is huge! It measures around 15 inches tall with the little hanging basket. The basket can hold goodies or a small gift. 

I didn't have any pink ribbon so I made my pink ribbons using strips of paper.

If you find some crafty time this week I hope you'll play along and link your creation at Hand Stamped Sentiments.

Thanks for visiting the little blue room!

Sketchy Thursdays {Week 4}

This is my final week as guest designer over on Sketchy Thursdays. I had a great time working with them and plan to still play along as often as possible.



Here's the sketch. Go play along at Sketchy Thursdays for a chance to win scrapbooking goodies.



I have a video tutorial that I will be working on this weekend. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you.

Thanks for visiting.

What To Do at Stamp Club? {Edited to add another photo}

So I am trying to decide on what project to do this month with my Stamp Club group. Here's an idea using shrink plastic to create personalized charms. For my practice test I created this for my sister-in-law. I had a tiny heart on top but my little ring was too small and it wouldn't fit. It is SO awesome to watch it shrink!! Still figuring out what works well on the shrink plastic and what doesn't. I think I will try sanding it slightly and spraying a clear coat to smooth it out and make it shine.
Here I am wearing it. Wow! Try to look past the freckles. :)

{To show the size I included a dime in the photo.}

So, what do you think? Something you would be interested in learning?
More ideas using this shrinky stuff coming soon but for now, playtime over, I need to clean house!

Hope you are having a happy Wednesday.

Sketchy Thursdays {Week 2}

It's my second week as guest design team member over on Sketchy Thursdays.



I found the airplane rub-on in some old Stampin' Up! stuff and knew I had to use it on my page. I hand cut the clouds and pieced together the sun.



Here is the sketch for this week.



Visit Sketchy Thursdays to see more ideas using this sketch.

I've been crafty all week making more baby gifts for a baby shower I'm attending tonight. I hope to share some of what I made soon.

I hope everyone is having a great week. So glad it is almost the weekend!

Cute Carrier {Tutorial}

Here's a quick how-to for the Cute Carrier.
Step 1
Cut a 5x12 inch strip. Fold the strip in half making a 5x6 inch rectangle and run it through the Big Shot making 2 scallop envelope die cuts.
Fold on all creases, folding the scallop flap opposite of the side and bottom flaps.


Step 2
Cut 2 strips in the remaining cardstock measuring 3 1/4x12 inches.
Score strips at 2 inches from the bottom.
Punch a handle using the large oval punch at the opposite ends. (see photo above)


Step 3
Place adhesive on the flaps of the envelopes and adhere the side envelope flaps to the 3 1/4 strips.
Fold in bottom flaps and adhere.

Step 4
Cut a 2 1/4 inch strip in coordinating designer paper or cardstock and adhere around the bottom portion of the carrier, going under the scallop flaps. This will not reach all the way around, so cut and 2 1/4x2 inch piece to fill in the gap.
Adhere the scallop flaps to the side to keep them down. (no photo for this step, oops)

Step 5
Decorate.



Tip: Run a strip of ribbon through the handle and attach to the bottom of the carrier with double sided tape, then using a different strip of ribbon, tie a bow just below the handle. Tell the recipient to peel the ribbon from the bottom to make it easier to open and the packaging stays nice and pretty.




I hope you enjoy this tutorial. If you have any question feel free to ask, I'm happy to help!
If you create your own Cute Carrier please share it with us using Mister Linky below my signature. I look forward to seeing your projects!
Thanks for visiting.