Simply Scored Diagnonal Plate Envelope Tutorial

I've just purchased the new Simply Scored Diagonal Plate accessory which coordinates with the Simply Scored scoring tool I bought earlier this year.  These two craft tools are going to make my life so much simpler, and I couldn't be more pleased with them. 

The Simply Scored Diagonal Plate is perfect for quickly creating handcrafted envelopes, boxes, and more! To use just sit the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate on top of the Simply Scored base.  It's held securely in place by rubber pads on the back of the plate and has etched grooves every 1/8" so it takes the guess work out of sizing your projects. 

You can score any size card stock up to 12" x 12" and you get instructions for creating common envelope sizes that are very easy to follow. 

Simply Scored Diagonal Scoring Tool, Item #125586 for only $15.95

So now for the Envelope Tutorial:

Since purchasing my new "cool" tool, I've seen a number of videos demonstrating how to use it to make envelopes, but none seemed to address the issue of making unconventional sized envelopes, until I saw one produced by Mike Funke an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator from Southern California.  Here's the link.  Enjoy!

I'll also be demonstrating how to use this fantastic new accessory in my April Envelopes and More Class, so stay tuned for dates and times. 

Sale- A- Bration Joy Fold Card

Just a reminder that the Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration clock is ticking down for 2012.  If you're interested in hosting a virtual party or placing an online order with me, you'll be eligible for free products, but you must do so before March 31st, 2012.

For every $60.00 spent on Stampin' Up! products from either the Idea Book and Catalogue or the Occasions Mini Catalogue you can choose an item from the Sale-A-Bration line-up. Click here to see the catalogues and learn more about this fabulous opportunity.

Join My Team and earn even more free product.  Contact me now to see how you can be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  There's never been a better time to join:

• Join during Sale-A-Bration for only $150.00
• Get a free paper pack or digital downloads every month for the rest of the year, just by joining now. 
• Joining anytime is great but during Sale-A-Bration the rewards are fabulous!

Square Joy Fold Card:

I  made this Joy Fold Card  with Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper and an element from the Fresh Vintage Stamp set both featured in the Sale-A-Bration catalogue.   What a pairing! 

I've matched this fabulous two-sided designer paper with Soft Suede, Pool Party and Calypso Coral cardstocks to create this fun card.  It would also work with Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade or Very Vanilla cardstocks.  You can't get much more versatile than that.

The measurements for this card are:

• Cut card base from Soft Suede cardstock.  Measurement is 41/4" x 6 1/4"
• Cut layer of Pool Party 4" x 4" and adhere to Soft Suede card base
• Cut layer of Designer Series Paper 3 3/4" x 3 34" and adhere to Pool Party layer

For bottom front flap:

• Cut 1 3/4" x 4" piece of Pool Party and adhere to Soft Suede base
• Cut 1 1/2" x 3 3/4" piece of Designer Series Paper and adhere to Pool Party piece
• Punch out a 4" strip of Calypso Coral cardstock with the Lace Border Punch and weave a 1/8" piece of Lucky Limeade Organdy Ribbon (see Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brade Pack in Sale-A-Bration catalogue), through the Lace Border Punch and tie a bow at the end.
• Punch out a Soft Suede 1 3/8" circle and layer it with a 1 1/4" Pool Party circle.  Stamp a sentiment on a 1" circle and layer onto the Pool Party circle.  Mount with double dimensionals to the front of the card.  This piece will hold the Joy Fold card to the base. 

Joy Fold Card:

•  Cut a 3 x 3 piece of Soft Suede cardstock and score in the center. 
• Layer with a 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" piece of Pool Party cardstock
• Layer with a 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" piece of DSP
• Punch out a Scallop Circle in Soft Suede, a 1/38" Pool Party circle
• Stamp the image from the Fresh Vintage Stamp set in Lucky Limade onto Very Vanilla cardstock and punch out with 1 1/4" circle punch.  Add Basic Pearls to the center of the design.
• Layer onto Pool Party circle and then mount with dimensionals onto scalloped circle.

Inside of the Joy Fold Card:

• Cut a 2 3/4 x 23/4 piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.  Stamp birthday sentiment in Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral ink.  Sponge edges of cardstock with Calypso Coral.  Adhere to Joy Fold card base. 

A La Card Monkey Challenge #99 - Revision to My Card

Yesterday I posted my version of the challenge sketch for A La Card Monkey.  I indicated that in hindsight I should have added a Whisper White strip of cardstock under the Edgelits Scallop.  Well let me tell you that bugged me all night.  So, I've corrected that and here are some new photos showing off the revision.  You tell me which you prefer:

#1  The Original Version:



 #2 The Revised Version showing off the Scallop:

Here's a full picture of the revised card.  My personal choice is the Revised Version #2. 

A La Card Monkey Challenge #99: Flowers + Sketch

Today the clocks sprung forward an hour; a sure sign that Spring is on it's way!   Unfortunately, we forgot to change ours last night and you guessed it, woke up to the old time and had to hustle like crazy to get going when we realized we were an hour behind.  LOL what a start to an otherwise perfect day!

Another sure sign that Spring is on it's way are the daffodil buds that are starting to break through.  It won't be long until their sunny little heads are poking through.  I think daffodils by far are one of my favourite spring flowers.

So with those two spring time thoughts in mind, it was easy to meet the Monkey #99 sketch challenge at A La Card Monkey  which calls for a card showcasing your favourite flowers.   Here's their great sketch and it should be noted that you can use any other embellisment in place of the buttons, if you're so inclined. 

Here's my take on this fun challenge.

I used Whisper White card stock for the base of this card and then added a 4 x 5 14" layer of Basic Black.  My next layer is a combination of Daffodil Delight and Basic Black.  The Daffodil Delight layer was embossed with the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder and the edge was punched with the Scallop Trim Border punch.  I then ran a piece of 1" by 5 piece of basic black through the Big Shot Machine and created another scalloped edge, this time using the new Adorning Accents Edgelit Die.  In retrospect I should have made this piece in Whisper White so it stood out more........... oh well hindsight is a wonderful thing!

Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies #125595 $11.95 pg. 7 Occasions Mini Catalogue

Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder #114517 pg 218 of the Idea Book and Catalogue $9.95 



Scallop Trim Border Punch #118402 pg. 211 Idea Book and Catalogue

Button Buddies Item #122735w/122737cm pg 71 Idea Book and Catalogue.  This is just the cutest little stamp set and great value for 8 stamps.  Wood mount version is $36.95 and the Clear Mount is only $26.95.   

 

In this closeup you can see the flowers and vase from the Button Buddies stamp set which was stamped in Basic Black ink on Whisper White Card stock.  I stamped the vase twice and cut out the second image and mounted it with dimensionals to give some depth to the image. 

The flowers are fancy buttons from the brights collection of buttons.  I used the Labels Collection Framelits Die (#125598 pg. 6 Occasions Mini)  to cut both the Basic Black frame and the Whisper White image.  Basic Rhinestones were added to the centers of the buttons for some glimmer and again on the flower images to the right. 

Get these Designer Buttons FREE with a $60 purchase during Sale-A-Bration, January 24-March 31, 2012!
■ 72 buttons per container; 4 each of 3 designs in 6 colors

■ Designs include large marbled button, double circle button, and small flower button

 

Hope you'll play along with the A La Card Monkey Challenge this week! 

Stamp Club Make and Takes

On Tuesday I attended a Stamp Club run by Cheryl LeFore of La Quinta, California.  Cheryl as you may recall from my earlier posts, won Stampin' Ups! 2011 Artisan Award.

Cheryl attended SU Leadership in San Antonio  Texas earlier this year and showed us all the free stamps and products she acquired while there.  There were so many gorgeous goodies on display!  She also showed us several of the swap cards she received.

A gorgeous card made by scoring the beautiful hearts from the Fashionable Hearts Embosslit Die cut.  This fun die cut simultaneously cuts and embosses fun hearts as accents for any project! Use with Standard Cutting Pads and Multipurpose Platform. Die measures 2-1/4" x 2-1/2". Coordinates with the Sweet Shop product suite and is only available until March 31st in the Occasions Mini Catalogue, item #125596 for $14.95.

I absolutely loved all the floral cards she had on display and will be CASING some of them for my spring card classes. 

Another highlight of the evening were the two make and take Easter projects Cheryl demonstrated.  The first project is a cheerful little Easter Bunny perched on a carrot candy box.  He's made from punched ovals, circles and the ornament punch.

This simple project is made with a variety of Stampin' Up! punches.  The little 5 sided box that looks like a carrot, will hold Hershey's kisses.  What a sweet treat!

Here's a closeup so you can see some of the detail on the punches.  Ovals, small heart, circles and the ornament punch make up the body of this cute little bunny.  Whiskers and paw details are added with a black marker. 

This view lets you see the details in the box.  The box bottom and top are made with the Fancy Flower punch and the box itself is a piece of cardstock that's been embossed with the Swiss Dot embossing folder and scored.  Pretty easy.

The carrot top is made by punching scallops with the Scallop border punch on a 4 x 4 piece of cardstock.  A line is scored down between the scallops across the cardstock and then lines are cut from the scallop to within an 1/2" of the bottom.  Once all the cutting is done the "leaves" were rolled around a dowel and then fitted through a small circle in the center of the flower punch that was made using the cropodile punch. Easy peasy!

The second project was an Easter card made with the new Elegant Bird Bigz Die Cut and the Easter Dove stamp. 

This gorgeous card was made with Blushing Bride cardstock which was embossed with the Tulips Embossing folder.  The bird was cut out of Whisper White Cardstock with the Elegant Bird Bigz Die Cut and then embossed with the Elegant Lines embossing folder.  By embossing the Eyelet Border Punch with the Snow Burst Embossing Folder, a very lacey effect was achieved. 

The Easter Dove - Wood-Mount Stamp, item # 125455 was used on the inside of the card. 

This $8.95 stamp which features the universal symbol of peace--a dove with an olive branch. Perfect for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Rosh Hashanah projects, too can be purchased from the Occasions Mini Catalogue until March 31st, 2012.

Elegant Bird Bigz Die Item # 125593 Cost $26.95

Easter Dove Stamp Item # 125455 Cost $8.95

Stampin 411 Challenge-245- SSC245

Stampin' 411 posted a great sketch this week.  I always like doing these sketches because the design team takes the guess work out of the elements in the card. 

Here are some of the potential measurements for this sketch:

 

1. Layer One -- Card Base cut at 5.5 x 8.5", scored and folded
2. Layer Two -- DSP or Cardstock cut at 4 x 5.25"
3. Layer Three -- Cardstock cut at 1.5 x 4" (border punch on the bottom)
4. Layer Four -- Cardstock cut at 2 x 3"
5. Layer Five -- Cardstock cut at 2 x 2.5" -- stamp and embellish as desired

Here's my card:

The card base is in Soft Suede and has been layered with a beautiful  Blushing Bride DSP.  The tea cups and sentiment are from one of my favourite Stampin' Up! stamp sets called the Tea Shoppe, which is featured in the Occasions Mini catalogue until March 31st.  I  used basic pearls on the scallop border. 

Cards From Friends and Family

Earlier this month I celebrated my birthday and I was very blessed to receive the following awesome cards from friends and family. I thought I'd share these wonderful works of "heart" along with a few valentines beauties. Enjoy!



This card was made by one of my fabulous downline members, Ethel De Temple.   Ethel features one of my favourite stamps this season, Tea Shoppe see page 19 of the Mini Occasions catalogue.  I love how she centered the large teacup on the scallop square so it looks like a placemat or napkin, and then added the tiny basic pearls and satin ribbon  for adornment.  The lines from the "Stripes" Embossing Folder also add some visual appeal.  Great card Ethel!

Isn't this a gorgeous card? Brenda Rigby Riehle a SU Demo and fellow Late Night Stamper (LNS) sent me these birthday wishes all the way from Belmont, NY. Check out Brenda's blog, she has some awesome cards and projects. http://brendariehle.stampingup.net

Another fabulous stamp set from the Occasions Mini is the Apothecary Art set on pages 24 and 25.  It features 6 stamps that can be layered using the Labels Collection Framelits.  Isn't this a great card design?  I wish you could see it in real life as it's stunning.  This card was made and sent to me by Helen Cummins from Louisburg, Kansas.  Helen is a member of Late Night Stampers.

This lovely card was made by Jody Townsend of Colorado Springs, Colorado.  What a surprise when I received this card.  Jody is a member of Late Night Stampers too. 

Here's a birthday card fom Stampin' Up!.  Yep that's right Stampin' Up! sends birthday cards to all their demonstrators.  That's just one of the great perks, and note the message on the inside of the card below.  You can't beat that for a great birthday present.  I submitted my order this week and got my rewards! 

Betty Lee Moore of Vernon, BC sent me this gorgeous Valentine's Day card.  I loved all the little layered hearts  on this card and the way she layered her ribbon.  Beautiful card Betty Lee and much appreciated!

Here's a great Valentine's Day card sent by my awesome sister Heather.  Those little House Mouse characters are so sweet and so is this card!  Thanks Heather, loved it!

And finally here's the card I made my husband for Valentine's Day. 

Hope you enjoyed this selection of cards and come back to visit again

Penny

Computer Crashes and Other Happenings

Hi folks.  In case you haven't noticed I've been missing in action for the past 3 weeks due to my computer crashing and other technological glitches.  What a nightmare this has been!  I lost all of my "My Digital Studio" files, pictures and other stamping project related items.  Everything gone and only an out of date backup to show for all my work. 

I've spent endless hours trying to retrieve documents, drivers and programs that vanished, but all seems to be coming together now.  Just a few more programs like Java to get up and running and then things should be back to normal and I'll begin posting regularly. 

I'm so sorry to have let you down at this time of year, but I'll  try my best to get back up to speed and show you wonderful samples and post some new techniques and classes. To all my loyal followers, thanks for hanging in there.  I'M BACK!!!!!

Electronic Scrapbooking - Are You Interested

During the month of February Stampin' Up! is offering an amazing opportunity for scrapbookers and stampers to check out the "My Digital Studio" offerings for absolutely free.  I told you it was an amazing offer.  Here's what you get:

The free trial includes the My Digital Studio Express Software. This means you get the full design functionality, access to our print services, and the opportunity to purchase My Digital Studio downloads.

At the end of the 30-day trial period, you can purchase either My Digital Studio or My Digital Studio Express to continue using the software. You will not need to re-download the program, but will simply enter the product key you receive after purchasing the software. (If you purchase the disc version you'll find it along with the shipped software, and if you purchase the downloadable My Digital Studio Express, you'll receive the product key via e-mail.)

You will be able to keep any downloads you purchase during the 30-day trial period.

To get the free trial version, add My Digital Studio Express Trial (item 129600) to your online shopping cart, and then download and install it from your Download Manager.

If you would like more information about this product contact me or check out the My Digital Studio at mydigitalstudio.net