Peonies and Paper Chains

Bearing Gifts for Pals Paper Arts

Hello friends. It is time for a brand new Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge (PPA224) and it is a fun one!

Given that I decided to use the very adorable "Bearing Gifts" stamp, I decided to tip the sketch on its side and my end result is this:

Here's a closer look at the wee ones in full color:

These little ones are so incredibly sweet! And, I love polar bears...no wonder this stamp made my must have list!

The color palette for the All is Calm Designer Series Paper includes some of my favorites -- Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, and Wild Wasabi. These colors do speak of pure serenetiy and calm to me.

Scroll back up for a minute and take a look at the embossing...do you agree that turning the On Point Textured Impressions Embossing Folder on its side, gives the effect of movement? Right side up, you get a distinct feel of a pine tree forest and upside down is a very fun triangle pattern (at least in my book).

Be sure to visit Pals Paper Arts to see what the other members of the design team have created to share this week! And, please, play along with us! We'd love to see what you come up with based on the sketch!

Enjoy a little creativity today!

  

Get inspiration in your inbox  |  Shop on-line 24/7 for paper crafting supplies

 

Polar Bear Peek for PPA! Stampin' Up!

When holiday time rolls around at our house, polar bears and snowmen are often on display. I love them both and polar bears hold a special place in my heart. As a child, I received an ornament every year from my parents and each ornament has my name and the year written on it. On my very first Christmas, when I was 6 months old, I received a polar bear dancing on a ball. To this day, it has been hung every year on a Christmas tree and it hangs from a thin gold colored thread and a tarnished tree hook. Perhaps because of my very special ornament, I instantly fell in love with the Bearing Gifts stamp that is in the new holiday catalog. Today I'm thrilled to share the very first project that I have created with that stamp...

Today's project includes 4 sneak peeks:

1. The Bearing Gifts  single stamp (don't you simply adore the polar bear with the children on its back?).

2. Sentiments from the Endless Wishes photopolymer stamp set.

3. The new All is Calm Speciality Designer Series Paper -- the top third shows the original paper and I brayered some Pool Party ink onto the bottom portion.

4. The very fun Frosted Sequins (please don't tell anyone, but the sequins on the polar bear are covering up an ink smudge...oops!).

The card layout was inspired by the brand new Pals Paper Arts Challenge (PPA 216):

As always, I cannot wait to see what my fellow design team members have created! And I do hope that you will play along with us! Be sure to visit the Pals Paper Arts site for additional inspiration and for challenge details!

I'll be sharing another sneak peek project tomorrow...be sure to stop on back to see it!

 

Get inspiration in your inbox  |  Shop on-line 24/7 for paper crafting supplies

 

P.S. You can see my polar bear ornament in the top left corner of this collage:

 

Last Minute Gift!

If you need a quick last minute gift for a little one, I have an idea that you can complete in about 20 minutes time! Super quick and easy. The project was created as a hybrid combining MDS (aka My Digital Studio) with traditional rubber stamping and you could easily make a similar project solely with paper, stamps, and ink.

The gift you ask? A little coloring book...

This would be perfect to give with a small box of crayons. It would work well as a stocking stuffer, a little treat on Christmas eve, or even an activity to take in the car if you are headed out on Christmas Day. And, a quick switch of stamps makes this great as a birthday party favor or to use for any other holiday!

Forgive the quality of the next two photos. They were lit predominantly by my computer screen becuase I want you to have proof that there are quick projects. Be sure that you check out the time on the screen!

Yep, that is right, just 8 minutes from the time I photographed the printed sheet of paper and the the final two booklets! Add on another 10 minutes or so for creating a page in MDS to print (or for cutting and stamping other cardstock) and you have a handmade gift in minutes!

TIPS/INSTRUCTIONS:

• In MDS, set-up a custom 8-1/2" x 11" project
• Keeping the 4 quadrants of the page in mind, insert outline stamps on your page; the top two should be upside down -- just eyeball it...you don't have to have them perfectly centered in their quadrant!
• Print as many pages as you want using regular copier paper and your home printer -- I printed 4 pages total so that each book has 8 images to color
• Folder each page down so that it opens like a little book
• Take a 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" piece of cardstock and create a cover with it (here's where I did a tad bit of stamping)
• Assemble your books and then hole punch along the spine near both the top and bottom edge
• Use ribbon to tie the pages of the book together
• Add the recipients name to the front if you like

Quick and easy and I know my girls will have fun coloring these!

Supplies Used:

• MDS/My Digital Studio (Test drive MDS free for 30 days)
• Color Me Christmas digital stamp brush set (item 136647 - please note you must purchase this download as it does not come with the software)
• Tag It stamp set (item 130303)
• Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad (item 126974)
• Wild Wasabi card stock (item 108641)
• Gumball Green stitched satin ribbon (item 126848)

Hope you'll be inspired to create something today! Thanks so much for stopping by!

P.S. Like what you see? Sign-up for blog updates so you won't miss a thing!

 

 

MDS Made...Santa Sacks!

If you celebrate Christmas, do you use Santa sacks for everyone in the family? A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a Santa sack online and instantly fell in love with it. I knew I could make some sacks using MDS/My Digital Studio. But I wanted to know about the use of these so I googled Santa sacks and found this article. At this point I knew I had to make some! 

I devised a plan for making some Santa sacks using muslin so that I could do an iron on transfer and purchased all the necessary supplies from our nearby fabric shop. My mom was soon to come for a visit and I decided to set everything asisde and see if she would sew the sacks. Lucky for me, she did! After she got the sewing done, it was my turn to make a couple designs in MDS and transfer those onto the bags...here they are:

Now, if you are going to do this and if you know your ink cartridges are running low, please don't make the mistake I did...

The mistake is that I forgot to mirror image the design before printing...ugh!! In the pic above, the image in the foreground is the final one that I used to created Brooklyn's sack and the design in the background is my big oops (unless of course the Santa sack will be sitting in front of a mirror!). Big waste of a whole sheet of iron on transfer paper! The process of doing the transfer is really very easy -- promise!

Here are the sacks (stuffed with pillows):

I'm loving these sacks because they will save time and trees (I'm all for that). But what I love even more is that we will start a new holiday tradition for our family. What is one of your special holiday traditions?

If you want a Santa sack (and I know we are getting close to Christmas), you could:

• start with a pillow case
• create a channel for a drawstring by sewing on some ribbon
  
• make an iron-on design in MDS (be sure to mirror it before printing)
• transfer the design on
• thread your drawstring through the channel

    Supply list:

• Muslin fabric, wide ribbon, and draw string material, plus my iron
• 8.5" x 11" iron-on transfer paper
• MDS / MyDigitalStudio (test drive it free for 30 days - click here to get started)
• Old Saint Nick Stamp Brush Set digital download
• You From Me Designer Template digital download

Or, if time is really tight, you could purchase one. The ones that made me fall in love with this concept are available on Etsy -- click here to view. 

For a little while now, I've been reading along at 52mantels.com and I've finally decided to join in Emily's "Thursdays Are Your Days" linky party! Click the image below to get taken to the party! WARNING: Loads of crafty ideas AND several super delicious sounding recipies!

Wishing you a fabulous day! Thanks so much for stopping by!

P.S. Like what you see here at Peonies and Paper Chains? Sign-up to receive blog updates!