Fall Banner

Seriously, FALL is my most special time of the year!  I love everything about it.......... the regal colours, the earthy smell in the air, cooler days and falling leaves. 

When the season's change it's nice to acknowledge the transition in some way.  I like to decorate my home and my stampin' cave to commemorate the occasion.  So it was with all this in mind that I set about making a "Stampin' Up" FALL banner. 

Making banners is an easy and fun way to acknowledge the season.  In the following pictures I'm going to walk you through the FALL banner I recently made.

Here it is from start to finish:
Stampin' Up makes celebrating and creating home decor very simple with their variety of awesome kits.  You can check these out on pages 202 and 203 of the Inspire, Create and Share catalogue (IB&C 2014-15).  

For my banner I used the supplies from the Build a Banner Simply Created Kit.  This kit has great value for $24.95.  It includes 18 canvas/paper pennant banners measuring 5" x 7".  There are six each of 3 designs.  It also includes 9 feet of jute twine, plus alphabet and image stencils that will last you forever.  The neat part about this kit is that once you've bought it, you can replenish it with a Refill Kit for only $11.95 that includes the pennants and jute.   

Supplies:
Ink:  Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie for the banners, Gumball Green, Staz on Black ink, and Pear Pizzazz ink for the Glimmer Paper
Card stock:  Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
DSP:  I used FALL coloured and decorated Designer Series Papers for the lollies and some of the Autumn Leaf cuts.
Accessories:  2" Alphabet Die cuts (retired), Autumn Accents Big Shot Die Cut, Spider Web, Arrow, Hounds tooth, Large Polka Dot and Decorative Dot Embossing Folders, Stampin' Up! buttons in FALL colours, Red, Silver and Gold Glimmer Papers,1" and 2 1/2" circle punches.

Okay so to start making my banner: 
Whether you choose to make a small or a large worded banner like mine, the process will be the same.  You will need to prep your banners, prep your embellishments and get your layout organized and finally you'll need to assemble it.  

I started my project by making a drawing of what I expected my finished banner to look like.  This helped me determine the number of banners I would need and the configuration of each of the pieces needed to complete the project. 

I needed a working surface that was large enough to lay out all the banner pieces together so I used the top of my pool table.  It worked perfectly.  I chose a striped and a polka dot theme with rounded and banner style canvas pennants and alternated them across the length of the banner.  

Step One- Preparing Banners:

Here's a sample of a banner coloured with the striped plastic stencil.  I worked on top of my grid paper, laying out the canvas banner face up and using the grid paper to make sure it's straight, then covered the banner with the stencil, again making sure the stripes were running straight.  I used the eyelets on the banner to hold the stencil in place.

With a little bit of experimenting, I found that using a sponge dauber to apply the colour worked best for me.  I simply start working the Old Olive ink down the pattern on the stencil and making sure that I apply the colour consistently.You can tamp or drag the colour - whatever works for you.

Okay this process goes really quickly.  Here you can see all the stripes coloured in.

In this photo you can see that I've done the same process but have changed the stencil to a polka dot image and have used Pumpkin Pie ink to colour the dots.

This is what the finished piece looks like and it's ready to start decorating.  I coloured all the pieces one at a time and as each one was finished, I laid them out on my pool table ensuring they were in the order they would appear in the finished banner. 

Step Two - Layout and Preparation:
Once all the banners were coloured the process of really decorating them began. In my design layout I chose to have a pennant, a lolly and then a pennant, and followed this layout all the way through.  I needed to accessorize each pennant and each lolly with leaves, buttons and bling, so preparing all this was my next step.  I'm not going to bore you with step-by-step pictures of this process, but this is essentially how I put the banner together:

1.  I could have stenciled the letters in the circles on each of the banners, however I chose to use my Alphabet Bigz Dies to cut out the 2" letters to spell "Stampin' Up!", from Chocolate Chip card stock.  Once all the letters were cut out I placed them on the banners on the pool table so I could make sure I'd cut out everything I needed. 

2.  I decided to add some more colour by covering the circles on the banners   with a paper square.  I used my Squares Collection Framelits and cut squares which I embossed with various embossing folders (see supply list) from Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie and Soft Suede card stocks.  The pieces of card stock measured 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" and because I centered the framelits over the squares I was left with a 1/4" frame after they were cut out, that I used as part of the design.

3. I cut lots of leaves in designer paper, glimmer paper  and card stock using the Autumn Accents Bigz Die Cut and then set them aside with some Stampin' Up! Buttons of various sizes and colours that went with the FALL theme. 

4.  Using the retired Rosette Bigz Die cut I cut out and accordion folded 1" by 11" strips of Designer Paper in Fall colours to create my small rosettes or lollies.  Only one strip is needed for the smaller size lollies.  For the larger ones I cut the strips 2" x 11 and glued two strips together.  I used a silicone mat as a gluing surface and worked with a glue gun. To hold the lollies together I punched out several 1" circles and used these as a gluing base on the back side of the lollie.  

If you've never made a lollie before they are quite tricky to join together. If you don't glue the pieces together properly the DSP will tear or the folds won't go together properly.   To make sure you get it right, here's a link to a tutorial on how to make lollies.  

Step Three - Assembling:

1.  I laid out a piece of silk cord (non - SU) so that it extended across the pool table and dropped at least 3 feet on either side.  The cord was threaded through the eyelets on the banners and an equal distance was left between each of the banners to add two leaf clusters and the lollie.  

1.  I used self adhesive tape to attach the squares and letters of the Alphabet onto the banners, and made sure I burnished each piece to ensure that it would stay glued to the banner.  

2.  I assembled and decorated the lollies and leaf clusters with a glue gun.  Because the lollies and the leaf clusters didn't have eyelets in them to hang them on the rope, I punched out 2 1/2" circles for each lollie and two 1" circles for the leaf clusters, from scrap card stock to attach these elements to the banner rope.  I used the glue gun to attach all these pieces. 

 

Finished Banners and Lollies: 

Each Alphabet letter has a bit of bling added in the form of basic rhinestones.  Most of them are Stampin" Up! ones coloured with Sharpie Markers, except for the "I" and the "M" which are some dollar store bling.  I also punched out stars from Glimmer Paper and adhered them randomly on the banners with glue dots. 

Each lollie consists of a large lollie on the bottom, a leaf in glimmer paper and a smaller lollie with a button. I coloured some of the glimmer paper with Gumball Green, Pear Pizzazz and Basic Black inks, to bring in more fall colours.  Each leaf cluster consists of a variety of leaf shapes and textures.

This banner was the spacer between Stampin' and Up.  It was fun decorating this piece too.

I really liked the way the banners came together and I had a lot of fun doing each one and figuring out how I would embellish it.  From start to finish the whole project took about 5 hours to complete.  I'm planning on doing a banner for my fireplace for Thanks Giving that either says "Thanks" or "Fall".  I know it will be the perfect decor piece for my Thanks' Giving Day Festivities.  

I know it's difficult to see but here is the entire banner hung on display at our Basics for Babies vendor table area last weekend.  I'll also be hanging it in my stampin' cave for my World Card Making Day event on Sunday October 5th, so I hope to get a better picture of it hanging then.

Fall Challenges: 

And finally, I am entering this banner in two great fall themed challenges this week.  You'll want to click on both of these links and check out all the great projects and cards that are on display. 

1.  SU Autumn Colour Challenge #106

2. The Paper Plunge - Challenge #1 - this is a brand new challenge site folks and my good friend Diane Ison is on the Design Team.  Check out the beautiful fall cards already posted by the design team and send some love their way! 

Thanks again for stopping by and if you have any questions regarding how I assembled the banner just post a comment and I'll get back to you.  
Happy Stampin!
Penny Tokens 

Hot Pink Anniversary! The Challenge #15

I found a "new to me" challenge blog this week called Always Playing With Paper. They show case a sketch and colour challenge and they post the dimensions of the layers for the sketch.  Now that's pretty awesome.  You can do either of the challenges or mash them up so that gives you lots of options.  

Here's the sketch and the hot colour combo that got my creative juices flowing.  

And, here are the dimensions in case you're interested in recreating the sketch:

Card Dimensions

Card Base: 4.25" x 5.5"

Black Trim: 4" x 2.25"

White Strip: 4" x 2"

Scallops: 1" x 4"

 Here's My Card: 

I opted to use just only the colour portion of this challenge for this Anniversary Card, and let me tell you, I absolutely love the way it turned out.  Melon Mambo and Basic Black together are just so hot! Oh and I love those large Polka Dots!

Supplies: 
Stamp Set:   Happy Hour 
Ink:  Momento - Tuxedo Black, Melon Mambo and Old Olive Markers for the cherries.
Card Stock:  Basic Black for card base, Melon Mambo, Basic Gray and Whisper White.  
DSP:  Silver Glimmer Paper, Back to Black Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Accessories:  Circles Collection Framelits, 2 1/2" circle punch, Large Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Basic Pearls coloured with hot pink Sharpie,Dimensionals and adhesive. Big Shot and Trimmer.


How'd I Do It:
1.  The card base is cut from Basic Black cardstock and measures 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 and is scored at 4 1/4".

2.  The Melon Mambo layer measuring 4 x 5 1/4" was embossed with the Large Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing folder and then adhered to the card front.

3. A strip of 5 1/2 x 11/4" Basic Gray cardstock was layered with a 1
 x 5 1/4" strip of Back to Black designer series paper and then adhered to the card base.
  
4.  For the circles layer, I started with a 3 1/4" Basic Gray layer, followed by a 3" Melon Mambo layer, a 2 3/4" Silver Glimmer Paper layer and finally a 2 1/2" Whisper White circle layer.  The Whisper White layer was stamped with the beverage glass, 3 cherries and Cheers sentiment before being attached to the circle layer.  I offset the Whisper White and Silver Glimmer paper layers. 

5.  I decided to add some pizzazz to the stamped piece by first stamping the cherries and colouring them with Melon Mambo and Old Olive ink markers.  Next I coloured the basic pearls with a dark pink Sharpie Marker and then glued them to the cherry centers.  Although the colour is a bit off, it's close enough to work effectively.  

6. The inside Whisper White panel measures 3 3/4" x 5".   I stamped the "Any hour spent with you is Happy Hour!" image on the top half of the panel, and re-stamped the cocktail glass.  To tie the inside of the card to the outer cover, I adhered a 3/4" x 3 3/4" strip of the designer series paper and finished this off with a 1/4" strip of Melon Mambo cardstock.  

 
I was very happy with the outcome of this card.  This Colour Challenge has to be one of my favourites, and I hope you'll like the outcome as much as I do.  

Leave me a comment to let me know what your favourite colour combo is, and make sure you leave some comments for the Always Playing with Paper Design Team and other participants.  There are some wonderful and inspiring cards posted.

Happy Stampin' 
Penny Tokens

Stamp Etching Anniversary - CAS #92

Some colour combos just instantly appeal to you, while others leave you cold and wondering what you would do with them.  I found the "instant appeal" when I tuned in for last week's CAS Colours and Sketches #92 challenge and was instantly engaged and excited to create something. 

For me, the rich mixture of the two neutrals and the blast of Hello Honey got my thought processes in motion and just opened up a whole world of possibilities for me.

Here's My Card:
Ever since I purchased my Blended Bloom single wood stamp this summer I've been dying to try out Lydia Fiedler's stamp etching technique and I knew now was the perfect time.  Here's my card:

Supplies:
Stamp Sets:  Blended Bloom, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Card Stock:  Hello Honey, Basic Black, Whisper White
DSP:  Back to Black Designer Series Paper 
Ink:  Hello Honey, Momento Tuxedo Black  
Accessories:  Scissors, 2 1/2" circle punch, paper trimmer, 
Chevron Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Black  Rhinestones, Crystal Effects, Dimensionals, Modern Label Punch

How'd I Do That:
1.  The card base measures 8 1/2 x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4. Tip: Did you know that you can create a stack of cards in no time, using Stampin' Up!s Cut and Ready Card Bases?   These pre-cut cards are perfect for making multiples, like holiday cards and party invitations because you get 20 pre-scored, pre-cut cards (4 ea. in 5 colors).  The best part is there's no waste.  Finished card size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2".  2014-2016 In Color Cut & Ready Card Bases 136661  Price: $5.95

2.The first layer on this is a piece of Whisper White card stock  measuring 5 x 3 3/4".  This piece was mounted to the card base with dimensionals.

3.  The second layer is a piece of Basic Black cardstock measuring 4 7/8 by 3 5/8".  This layer was embossed with the Chevron Embossing Folder and then using the 2 1/2" circle punch I punched out a circle on the right hand side approximately 1/4" from the top, bottom and side edges .

 

3. To fill in the area left by the circle punch, I cut a 2 3/4 x 2 3/4" square of Back to Black DSP and glued this to the back of the black layer, making sure all the edges were firmly in place.  Once finished, this layer was glued to the   Whisper White layer leaving a very small margin on all sides.

4.  The flower was created by stamping the Blended Bloom   image three times on a piece of Hello Honey card stock.  I stamped one full image and then two partial images with just the center parts stamped.  All three pieces were fussy cut with scissors.

Blended Bloom is a single image line stamp that comes in wood mount only.  Priced at only $14.95, this is a perfect set to add to your collection.  It is the perfect stamp for trying out blendabilities and water colour techniques.

5.  Once the ink had dried on the flower images, I took my black Stampin' Up! marker and using the fine tip, followed Lydia's example, and etched around the edges of the petals to give them some depth and dimension.  I coloured in the grooves above some of the petals with the wider tip on the marker.  Once all the etching was done and the flower was assembled with dimensionals, I went over the darker areas with Crystal Effects to add some shine.

Hopefully you can see the layers more clearly in this photo. A grouping of  basic black rhinestones completes the flower center.

5.  The "Happy Anniversary" sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set was stamped in Momento Tuxedo Black ink on a scrap of Whisper White card stock.  I stamped a small floral flourish from a retired stamp set in Hello Honey ink over top of the sentiment and then sponged the edges with Hello Honey.

To pop up the sentiment and give it more focus I punched it out with the Modern Label punch.  To complete the background for the sentiment I punched out two labels in Basic Black cardstock.  I offset and adhered one black label behind the sentiment so that the fluted ends were layered.  I cut the second black label in half and adhered those pieces to the sides of the sentiment.  For a final decorative touch, I added some small jet black rhinestones.  

Tip:  Did you know that if you don't have coloured rhinestones to match your project you can colour them with alcohol ink markers?  That's right, easy peasy just use your Blendability or Sharpie markers. 

To keep the inside of the card clean and simple, I re-stamped the floral image in Tuxedo Black ink and added a 1/4" x 5 1/2" strip of basic black card stock.

As a side note, I realized after I looking at the photographs of the flower that I hadn't finished all the etching on the petals so I went back and finished that.  Here's a last look at the card with the additional etching. 
 

This closeup shows the missing strokes that come from the base of the flower petals.  You create these strokes with a a small flicking movement, which Lynda details in her video.  This is a super easy and fun way to add some life to a line image.

And finally, here is my finished card:

 

 I hope you enjoyed this post and will take the time to leave me a comment.  I'd like to know if you've ever tried the etching technique and if so on what stamped image did you use it on.  

Happy Stampin!
Penny Tokens

World Card Making Day Event- Sunday October 5, 2014

Although WORLD CARD MAKING DAY is on October 4th, I’m celebrating by holding a Drop-In Open House with my friends on Sunday October 5th.  

I’m looking forward to a fun filled time from 10:00am to 1:00pm and would LOVE for you to join me.

This is a great opportunity to see what’s new in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalogue, as well as to try out some new stamps and tools.   

I have great samples to share with you and you’ll create a fun and fast Christmas card, matching envelope and tag at my Make N’ Take table. Oh, did I mention there are deals on used stamp sets and products, snacks, beverages, prizes and more.  See, I told you it would be fun.

So drop me a note or give me a call and reserve your spot. 
RSVP at this link:  http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/pennyhanuszak/events?id=1022234
Phone:  778-880-1296

Basics for Babies Fundraiser in Aldergrove

What did you do on the weekend?  I participated in a wonderful fundraiser in Aldergrove on Saturday with my two down line, Ethel and Sheri.  We had a Stampin' Up! vendor table and shared what we love - Stampin' Up, with a lot of great scrappers from the Fraser Valley area.  

This is part of our display.  I made an Autumn themed banner, which you can see at the top of the picture.

Here is the card display board I brought with all my current samples as well as some 3-D samples from last Christmas.  I wanted to give participants a good idea of the range of things that can be made with Stampin' Up! products. 

Some of the cards that I've recently entered in Challenges you can see the details for these in posts since May of this year to current day.  It's hard to believe I've made that many different cards, until you get them all lined up like this.  I guess I have been busy!

Most of the Christmas items displayed here were made with products from last year's Holiday Catalogue.  All of the tutorials for these projects are posted from November to December 2013 on my blog.

Sheri was also selling her Infinity Scarves which are simply gorgeous. 

We also had a lot of the new stamp sets on display as well as MDS Studio free 30-Day trial, Embossing Folder and Card Stock Sample packs  and Project Life.

 

More cards and Card Candy, and you can just catch a glimpse of my Prize Basket with the bright Green bow on the left.

 

I also had some stuff in the back of our table that I was clearing. 

Ribbons, Embroidery hoops, stickers galore, and other non-Stampin' Up! products on my For Sale Table.

I had lots of designer series retired paper for sale and wood mount stamp sets too. 

Oh, and did I mention we had lots of food?  Sheri brought this "to die for" cheese cake sampler, which we had to eat with stir sticks because we didn't bring any cutlery and it was too messy to eat by hand.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's Ethel working on one of her many projects she brought with her.   She is the hardest working gal I know and is always making awesome things.  I'm so proud to have Ethel in my downline!

Sheri worked on some scarves she was knitting and helped with our Make N' Take Table.   I'm so happy that Sheri's on my team too.  We have so much fun stamping together and she's one of the most creative gals I know. 

Remember I said Sheri was creative and funny?  Well here she is showing us how to eat cheese cake on a stir stick.  Next party I'm going to have all my little cut up brownies on stir sticks................... let me tell you they were fun to eat and it looked really cool, and best of all no messy plates to clean up after. 

My prize draw was for a $25.00 gift certificate of Stampin Up Products, five of my cards, a small SU promo stamp and ink spot, and some chocolate.

Basics for Babies is a partnership with the Lower Mainland Food Bank's to assist them in providing for the tiniest in need. The charity was created in 1994 when JRfm General Manager, Gerry Siemens, recognized the chronic shortage of baby necessities at local food banks.

This need for donations for babies never changes except that more people are have recognized the need and are helping to raise more awareness and funding specifically for this program at local food banks.  JRfm radio station reports that the Vancouver Food Bank alone provides more than $150,000 in baby items per year and it's difficult to imagine all those little babies in need out there.

JRfm created a partnership with Food Banks BC to ensure that all babies in the Lower Mainland get the nutrition they need. There are a total of 93 member food banks across the province associated with Food Banks BC.  

Their vision is a hunger-free future, and they work hard to support and inspire each one of their member food banks so that they can in turn, achieve hunger-free communities all over BC.   

Last year, our food banks in BC helped close to 100,000 people throughout the province... 30% WERE CHILDREN!  Since 1994, the JRfm listeners, have donated more than 1.86 million dollars in cash and over 400,000 pounds of diapers, formula, baby food and pabulum.

How Can You Support This Worthy Cause?

 Make a Donation - This is What is Needed Most:

• Cash Donations can be made online at the JRfm link above 
• Diapers (especially larger sizes of 4, 5 & 6)
• Formula (including soy-based due to allergies)
  
• Baby food
  
• Baby cereal
• Diaper Cream, Shampoo, Baby Wipes, Baby Bottles and Pacifiers
  

Note:  Please avoid donating Clothing, Blankets & Toys.

Make Basics For Babies Your Workplace's Charity This Year

Throw a fundraiser, make it a party! However you want to help out, your workplace can collect cash, diapers, formula or pabulum for babies who need help in your city.  DEADLINE for all workplace donations: December 17, 2014.