Peonies and Paper Chains

Jaw Dropping!

 

Serious jaw dropping going on around here! I'm in awe of the absolutely incredible year-end closeouts that Stampin' Up! is offering. Truly incredible deals!

Friends, I've so missed sharing ideas with you regularly of late and a gearing up to get back in the regular blogging groove and well, I had to take a few minutes to post these deals. They are truly astounding!

Be sure to checkout the Year-End Closeouts and get your orders placed...I suspect these items won't last long!

Between now and December 31, 2015, when you place an order* for $35+ in Stampin' Up! products using hostess code E7HKFA7G, I will send you a surprise from my stash of supplies! Your surprise may be current or retired product and it could be anything...stamps, tools, accessories, paper -- you'll just have to wait and see what it will be!

I'll be back soon with some fun new project ideas and Five on Friday color combos!

 
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* NOTE: You must include your contact information when placing your order otherwise I can't send you the surprise!

The #1 Washi Tape Tip You Need!

Let's cut to chase friends and get right to today's tip -- it is a big one!

Here goes...

When you accidentally CUT your cardstock where you meant to SCORE it, wrap a big long piece of Washi Tape all around the card "spine" to keep it together! Washi Tape to the rescue!

How is that for a tip?!

I'm thinking that you'd like to see the rest of today's card and I am super excited to share it with you.

When I do so, I may be spoiling the surprise of the December Paper Pumpkin (more than I have already because the two stamp images above are in the kit).

Close your browser now if you don't want to see what is in the kit!

My December Paper Pumpkin kit arrived on Monday and I simply could not wait to use it!

I shared this peek at today's project on Instagram that night:

 

The card design was inspired by the Pals Paper Arts Sketch (PPA232) that starts today:

 

 

Here's the full card for you:

 

This is the very first shaker card that I have ever made...so MUCH fun! Not sure why I waited so long to try this out and I'll definitely be making more!

For those who are curious, I did jumbo size to a 5 x 7" card base using Bermuda Bay cardstock instead of using a base from the Paper Pumpkin kit. In addition, I added the Washi Tape and piece of Strawberry Slush cardstock.

Do be sure to play along with us at Pals Paper Arts this week!

And please, do tell me, am I the only one who has ever cut a card base when I really meant to score it? Fingers crossed that I am not!

 
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Stamp Review Crew: Mixed Bunch

Hello Mixed Bunch! The Stamp Review Crew is at it again this week and we are thrilled to share ideas for the Mixed Bunch stamp set! You may be starting here or perhaps you've just come over from visiting Heidi Baks...she always has delightful work to share!

The Mixex Bunch stamp set that can be used for either traditional paper crafting or for digital and hybrid projects...I am sharing the latter!

The Mixed Bunch stamp set is part of Designer Kit that includes some premade templates. Much as it would have been easy to just tweak an exisiting item, I decided to create something brand new. When I sat down to do so, my daughter Brooklyn was right nearby and she was very interested in what I was doing so I decided to create something for her.

What you are seeing is a printable that is intended to be a door sign for Brooklyn's room. It would also make a wonderful binder cover or a memory keeping page. The large emblem at the top is from the Mixed Bunch stamp set. 

The first step was using the coloring tool to change the colors for the flower. After doing so, I mounted a circle punch (that I elected to change black) behind the flower image.

The colors used on the flower were echoed in Brooklyn's name...this ties the project together beautifull.

Knowing that Brooklyn loves to send notes to her little friends, I thought that some note cards were in order! Creating these was a breeze! To do so, I:

Exported the original printable as a PNG file (a JPEG would also work).

Created an 8-1/2" x 11" document and inserted the PNG file.

After guestimating the best size, I copied and pasted the image a few times...I created one file that was "4-up" and one that was "6-up".

Once I got the placement down, I printed the sheets, cut apart the pieces and then made cards in no time flat! 

I've saved the extra pieces for Brooklyn to use herself. I'm excited to see what she chooses to create!

Frankly, I love this little design so much, that I am thinking I may design some cards in MDS with it and have them printed professionally using the Stampin' Up! print vendor! 

Be sure to hop along and see what else everyone has created! I always love the diversity of projects and I am sure you will too! Next up is Ann Schach and her project is sure to "wow" you!

You can use the next and previous buttons below to navigate the hop!

Happy hopping!

     

 

 
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Pals December Hop...Kit Crazy!

Welcome to the last Pals Blog Hop of 2014! This month we want to help you start your holiday wish list by sharing projects featuring our favorite Stampin’ Up! papers, stamps, tools and accessories. Get your wish list ready as you move along through the blog hop!

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations, stop # 28, on the Pals Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below my "signature" will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all of the projects!

It was impossible for me to choose a single item to feature...it just could not be done! So today, I'm featuring two products (beyond paper, stamps, and ink), that I think should be on everyone's wish list. Can you take a guess what those might be from the image above?

First up is punches! Circle punches are the most used punches in the house. They are great for card-making and memory keeping. My favorite, though, is for stitching up paper chains. Super quick and easy to do! While the Circles Framelits are another fabulous choice, the speed at which I can hand punch circles is definitely preferred for a project like this.

It was lots of fun making this chain out of Real Red and Naturals White Card Stock, along with the Kraft Paper.

My Kraft Paper is not just any old Kraft Paper -- it is from the extra space when I punched my stars out of the Many Merry Stars kit!

Lesson to be learned? Save those scraps!

Up next is wish list product #2...

There are two correct answers for this...

1. Celebration Basics Kit
2. Kits, kits, kits (including Paper Pumpkin)

I'm a really big fan of kits because they make paper crafting quick and easy...a big plus in my book these days! You can jazz up kits as much as you want or keep them precisely as the Stampin' Up! designers created them...the choice is yours!

The addition of the red, white, and Kraft paper chain makes the celebrate banner take on a festive look for the holidays. So glad I had the opportunity to share with you today!

For those reading along for the first time today, what you do not know is that this celebrate banner has been hanging up in our home since January 2014! Yes, the entire year!

Here is how it looked in January 2014:

In late March, it looked like this:

Beginning shortly before Memorial Day and through September, it looked like this:

And for October and November, it looked like this:

There were a couple other looks as well...bits of Daffodil Delight Chevron ribbon tied between the letters for a sweet and cheery image, DIY tassels made from old sheets and spritzed in Old Olive. So many fun looks during the year!

The Celebration Basics kit cost just $14.95...it was worth each and every penny and it has brought us tremendous cheer throughout the year!

Stampin' Up! has so many other incredible kits -- Undefined for stamp carving, Paper Pumpkin for monthly creativity delivered direct to you, Hip Hip Hooray and other card kits. They are all incredible options!

Again, kits are definite wish list item in my book!

There's one more project that I pulled together using both my circle punches and a kit:

Some sweetly wrapped presents! This wrapping was a perfect way to use up my extra paper garland and some extra pieces from my Many Merry Stars kit. Here's a closer look:

If I've not convinced you that you punches are awesome and kits are too, perhaps one of my fellow Pals will do so! And, if you love the wrapping paper, be sure to order yours today...it is on sale in the clearance rack!

The next stop is Rae Harper-Burnet at WildWestPaperArts.com, stop #30, on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you during our next Pals Hop in 2015!

      

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Final Line-Up: 

1. Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo
2. Shannon Hokanson at Paper Works by Shannon
3. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn
4. Sherrie Gross at Stampin Sunshine
5. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
6. Kalyn Shubnell at The Stamping Chronicles
7. September Gray at www.septembergray.com
8. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper
9. Patti MacLeith at Papercrafts by Patti
10. Nancy Gleason at MyStampinSpace
11. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
12. Debbie Crowley at expressivelydeb...
13. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin'
14. Amy Whelan at Amy's Inklings
15. Brian King at Stamp with Brian
16. Amy Williams at Stamps and Spice
17. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
18. Pamela Sadler at Stampin Pink Rose
19. Jackie Diediker at Stampin' Jackie
20. Candy Ford at Stamp Candy
21. Susan Lankford at Stamp and Create With Susan
22. Peggy Noe at Pretty Paper Cards
23. Nicole Watt at Pixel Maven's Retreat
24. Amy Hoptay at Inking of You!
25. Lynn Kolcun at Stamping with Avery's Owlery
26. Beth Beard at My little craft blog
27. Sue Becker at RnR Stamping
28. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
29. Kerry Willard Bray at Peonies and Paper Chains
30. Rae Harper-Burnet at WildWestPaperArts.com
31. Deb Cozzone at Deb Cozzone's Stamping Zone
32. Debra Simonis at Deb's Stampin' Grounds
33. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin
34. Jane Knudsen at see jane stamp
35. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
36. Martie Pollard at The Crafty Bandit
37. Natalie Bradley at Natalie Bradley Events
38. Becky Volpp at InkBlossomWithBecky

Hello December!

November was an absolute whirlwind month at our home.

So much so that I squeezed in hardly anytime for creating and blogging.

While I know December will be busy, I was beyond ready to say "Hello December" the other day. I'm excited to usher in this new month!

And, today, I'm happy to share my design team project for the latest Pals Paper Arts color challenge! This week we are working with a beautiful blend:

This mix of Cherry Cobbler, Baked Brown Sugar, and Very Vanilla is such a classy color combo!

That little sliver of a project that you saw the beginning of the post is a very special card...

It is a completely custom 4" x 6" card for a little December #PLxSU album that I am creating! It features stamps from the Project Life December Wonder Photopolymer Stamp Set and some sweet little sequins from the Hello December Project Life Accessory Pack.

Ready to see more of the card? Here it is with its companion cards in a 6" x 8" plastic sleeve:

This title page for the album brings together the PPA color pallete with a patterned card from the Hello December Project Life Card Collection and a custom made 3" x 4" embossed piece of Baked Brown Sugar card stock. I just love the On Point Textured Impressions Embossing Folder -- it was perfect for this project!

I've also put together the first couple pages of the album and thought I show you those:

We'll be recording our memories day by day this month. Some days (like December 1st) will feature a quick journaling entry.

Others will have photos and I know I will be putting in some photos for December 2 and 3, however, I initially prepared the album with some place holders so that it looks nice even without the images:

For December 3, I'll be including a photo of our elves, Oko and Madeline:

 

Oko & Madeline finally arrived while the girls were out today! Really Oko II & Madeline II as I am pretty sure our original elves went into the witness protection program! #elfontheshelf #elfantics2014

A photo posted by Kerry Willard Bray (@kerrywillardbray) on Dec 12, 2014 at 3:47pm PST

The girls love the elves and were so excited for their return to us. In fact, Brooklyn even made some gifts to give Oko and Madeline.

I'll be sharing more pages (complete with photos) as the month marches on! In the meantime, be sure to stop over to Pals Paper Arts to see what the other members of the design team have created!

 

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