Peonies and Paper Chains

Pals April Blog Hop - Earth Day is Every Day!

Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for April where every day is Earth Day.  This month we are showcasing projects that use recycled, reused or other earth inspired elements and colors.  We hope you enjoy the creative projects being shared by the Pals!

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Jane Knudsen at see jane stamp number 16 on the Pals Hop.  If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all the projects.

For my project, I decided to use up a bunch of card stock scraps to create some home decor for Britt's bedroom:

This is actually Brooklyn holding up the very colorful "B" that I made for Britt...Britt was not interested in helping me get a picture of this!

There were three simple steps in creating the project:

1. Gather up scraps, a wooden letter, ModPodge, and tools (bone folder, paint brush, Paper Snips)

• The bone folder was used to soften up the scraps since I knew I would be cutting off the long edges.
• The letter is from the Hand Made Modern line at Target and was just $3.99.

2. Adhere scraps to letter using ModPodge

• My process was to paint ModPodge onto portions of the letter, layer on scraps and apply more ModPodge over top.
• Two layers of ModPodge were added to the letter once all scraps were in place.

3. Trim of excess edges

• This probably would have been way easier to do using an Exacto knife...however, my Paper Snips were handy and that is what I used. 

Super easy, super fun, and a great way to use up scraps!

The excess scraps left at the end of this project were promptly placed in the recycling bin that sits in my crafting space!

Before I managed to get the B onto a shelf in Britt's room, she decided to add on the Hello Kitty stickers she received in her Easter basket.

And, yes, that would be Britt, happy with her crafting and not really wanting her photo taken while "reading" about the college admissions process. The lighting is not ideal, however I know you can completely get the drift of her addition to this project!

Hope you are feeling inspired to find a clever way to use up some of the scraps in your stash! 

The next stop is Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo, number 1 on the Pals Blog Hop! 

Thanks for visiting; I hope to see you on next month’s Pals Hop! In case you need it to help you navigate, the full hope line-up is:

1. Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo
2. Lynn Kolcun at Stamping with Avery' s Owlery
3. Amy Hoptay at Inking of You
4. Becky Volpp at inkblossomwithbecky.com
5. Natalie Bradley at Soiree by Natalie Bradley
6. Jackie Diediker at Stampin' Jackie
7. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
8. Kim Jolley at Stampin' Artfully
9. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
10. Candy Ford at Stamp Candy
11. Karen Hallam at Karen's Stampin' Site
12. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
13. Benjaman Turner at He Stamps
14. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin
15. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
16. Jane Knudsen at see jane stamp
17. Kerry Willard Bray at Peonies and Paper Chains

Enjoy a little creativity today!

 
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Simply Sweet Five Color Combo!

 

Happy Friday, friends!

Fingers crossed that you'll agree that today's Five on Friday color combo is pure sweetness! These colors come almost exclusively from the Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper and you can see the colors in action on this wreath that I posted a couple weeks ago:

The colors are truly divine and I'm so happy each time I see the wreath in my dining room...it is truly an all time favorite project.

Click to download the FREE wreath tutorial (PDF) ...and then, get creating with this color combo!

Enjoy a little creativity today!

 
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Best. Day. Ever. when...

 

...I have a chance to make something beautiful with my hands. Recently I had one of those days and I'm delighted to have a chance to share it with you.

For those who are stopping over from Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty blog -- welcome! So glad you came by today! 

For the returning Peonies and Paper Chains readers -- welcome back! Always happy to have you here!

Let's start from the beginning...

This project relies on a small supply list and a chunk of time...a few hours and, trust me, worth every minute!

 

The basics to constructing this DIY looped paper wreath are this:

• Cut Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper into 1" by 4" strips
• Curl strips using your bone folder
• Staple loops with your handheld stapler
• Attach loops to your wreath form with hot glue
• Embellish if you wish (I did not...it is beautiful enough on its own)
• Enjoy

 

 

Does this wreath remind you of ribbon candy? That is precisely how my husband described it when he saw it. 

 

 

While I gave you the basics, I suspect that some of you may want more details on how to create this wreath. I've got you covered with this free printable tutorial (PDF) -- it does include the full supply list and step by step instructions. 

  

UPDATE: One question a couple people have asked is whether the loops go all the way around the wreath and the answer is yes. Hopefully the photo I just added above helps to capture this for you. Because the wreath is equally as beautiful from the front and back, it would work beautifully on an interior glass door.

Also, the wreath form I used is 10" ... you could go larger and will simply need a few more loops!

 

 

When making the looped paper wreath, I wanted to be sure to save some of the Best Year Ever DSP for use on some other projects. If you follow the cutting instructions that I provide in the tutorial, you'll have 24 pieces of DSP that measure 4" x 6"...plenty for several cards, custom Project Life by Stampin' Up! filler cards, or even other home decor items!

 

Hope the wreath and the cards inspire you to get creating! 

 

 

The Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper is perfect for spring projects! With all the snow we've been getting here in New England, I'm thrilled to have a decor item that evokes the fresh new beginnings of spring. This paper is a Sale-a-bration exclusive item that you have the option to select for FREE with a minimum $50 product purchase or when you order a starter kit.  Contact your demonstrator for details; if you don't have a demonstrator, know that I'm happy to assist you.

 

 

To Mary, thanks so much for having me as your guest today on Stampin' Pretty!

 

Enjoy a little creativity today!

 

 
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Wondering where I got my inspiration? Instagram! It is my favorite social media location and one day I saw Shannon Lane's Colour Me Autumn wreath -- Shannon is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator based in Canada. If you visit Shannon's blog post about the wreath, you'll notice hers is a little fuller and uses an entire pack of DSP. By modifying the wreath to have a looser "ribbon candy" look, I was able to save some of the Best Year Ever Paper for other projects!

Stamp Review Crew: Valentine Free for All

It's time for another Stamp Review Crew Hop and we have something really special in store for you! It is a first for us...a free for all! Crew members are sharing any stamp set of their choice for Valentine's projects! It was lots of fun creating my project together and I am so very excited to see what everyone else has made!

Whether you just stopped over from Cindy Beach at Stamps, Paper, and Ink or are starting here, I do hope you'll hop on through and see all the creations today!

Let's get going! My stamp set is:

Work of Art!

I received this set last spring when I attended the Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog Premiere. I loved having a chance to gather with fellow demonstrators close to home and see the new catty before it went live.

The stamp set is fabulous -- it is incredibly versatile!

For those who have the wood mount version, it can also be incredibly frustrating to fit all those stamps back in the case! If you've been challenged to solve this puzzle, print out my photo and pop it into your wood mount case as a guide! Consider this my Valentine's gift to you!

Now let's get to the Valentine's project, shall we?!

This close-up is my favorite picture of this project...

• the shimmery glimmer paper
• the zig zag stamp pattern showing so crisply on the hearts
• the stripes in Coastal Cabana
• the gente sway of the linen thread bow that is tied to the button
• the sweet "love you" sentiment that is perfect for Valentine's day...

All the little details that make this project special!

While this design could certainly be used on a card, what I created to share with you is a piece of home decor:

Here's one more close-up for you:

This project is crisp, clean, and very CASE-able! The supply list is lengthy, though you could easily make substitutions such as using a heart punch (believe it or not, I do not own one) or snipping flag ends on your own rather than using Framelits to cut yours. Here is what I used: 

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

Be sure to hop along to see what the Stamp Review Crew members have created for you! Next stop is Wendy Wiexler at Wickedly Wonderful Creations and you'll find the full hop line-up below my signature.

       

Enjoy a lil' creativity today!

 
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Stamp Review Crew Valentine's Free for All Blog Hop Roll:

1. Heidi Baks  
2. Ann Schach  
3. Adriana Benitez  
4. Rochelle Blok  
5. Yapha Mason  
6. Nancy Smith  
7. Debra Burgin  
8. Tanya Boser  
9. Lisa Young  
10. Dawn Tidd   
    
11. Shana Gaff  
12. Beth Beard  
13. Martha Inchley  
14. Holly Krautkremer  
15. Bronwyn Eastley 
16. Linda Callahan  
17. Cindy Beach  
18. Kerry Willard Bray   -- YOU ARE HERE
    
19. Wendy Wiexler  

 

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

Getting Ready for the Candy Witch!

Welcome to the October Pals Blog Hop where we are celebrating an early Halloween and Harvest season. This month we are sharing Halloween and fall projects using our wonderful Stampin’ Up! supplies.

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Amy Hoptay at Inking of You!, stop #26 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 amazing creations.

With Halloween approaching, I knew it was time to swap out the decor on the celebrate banner that hangs in our main living area (it still had up the pinwheels that I added over the summer). And, I decided to keep things really sweet and simple:

All I did was to cut some 1" to 1-1/4" wide strips of Motley Monsters Designer Series Paper along with cardstock in Bermuda Bay and Tangerine Tango. I folded in half, made flag ends, and attached to the banner with standard clothespins. Super easy and adds a nice bright pop of color! Here's a closer look:

Again, super easy! And we are now up to 10 consecutive months that the celebrate banner from the Celebration Basics Kit has been hanging in our home. It has held up beautifully and was definitely worth every penny of the $14.95 that it cost. Giuven the sturdiness of the pennants, I think it would do well if stored and taken out on birthdays and other special occassions.

To add to the decor in the room, I also put together a little sign to greet "the candy witch" should she choose to visit us this year:

The witch was snipped from the Motley Monsters Designer Series Paper and the two sentiment stamps come from the September 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit...Paper Pumpkin to the rescue as I am (or rather was) light on Halloween themed stamps!

This litte piece of decor is now nestled on a shelf with some other Halloween themed items that I made last year:

For those who are curious about "the candy witch", she started visiting us a couple years ago. She swoops in after Halloween and takes all the candy away while leaving behind a small gift such as a book or toy. I had seen her mentioned on a few blogs and was thrilled that she came to our home. After doing a little research I found that there was a book about a candy witch that was published by Scholastic back in the late 70s...it isn't one that was in our library at home but I suspect that this book is what inspired the whole candy witch concept.

The next stop is September Gray at septembergray.com, stop #28 on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you next month.

 

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The Pals October Blog Hop Line-Up: 

1. Candy Ford at Stamp Candy
2. Becky Gifford at The Social Stamper
3. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
4. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
5. Sue Becker at RnR Stamping
6. Lynn Kolcun at Stamping with Avery's Owlery
7. Amy Williams at Stamps and Spice
8. Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo
9. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
10. Nicole Watt at Pixel Maven's Retreat
11. Amanda Merrill at Inkflair
12. Beth Beard at My little craft blog
13. Brian King at Stamp with Brian
14. Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quarter
15. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
16. Liz Gautreaux at Kind Deeds Stampin
17. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
18. Natalie Bradley at Natalie Bradley Events
19. Jackie Diediker at Stampin' Jackie
20. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin
21. Amy Whelan at Amys Inklings
22. Jane Knudsen at www.seejanestamp.com
23. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper
24. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn
25. Patti MacLeith at Papercrafts By Patti
26. Amy Hoptay at Inking of You!
27. Kerry Willard Bray at Peonies and Paper Chains -- YOU ARE HERE
28. September Gray at septembergray.com
29. Sherrie Gross at Sherrie Gross at Stampin Sherrie
30. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin'
31. Angie Valle-Peters at Paperluxuries
32. Rae Harper-Burnet at WildWestPaperArts.com

P.S. How gorgeous is this month's badge? Nicole Watt always does an amazing job with these and this month is no exception. The hop badge has me wanting to read Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven!

Stamp Review Crew: Work of Art Edition

We're at it again! The Stamp Review Crew is sharing the oh so lovely Work of Art stamp set. I received mine at the Stampin' Up! new catalog premiere in the spring and absolutely love this set! What I love most aboput the Stamp Review Crew blog hops is the incredible diversity of projects that we see that all stem from our featured stamp set.

My project today is something that is designed to make getting out of the house a little easier on weekdays...

It is a little pinboard chart that lists the things we need to take with us each morning! It is conveniently located just above the backpacks on our way out the door. There's a little more closely, there is a "square" for each day and I laminated all the pieces so that it is possible to write in special items that we need to bring from time to time rather than on a regular weekly basis. The Work of Art circle was used for each "bullet point" and one of the "ink swashes" made a nice little background for the days of the week. Here's a closer look:

The days of the week stamps are from the #PLxSU Day to Day photopolymer stamp set -- perfect for this project!

And, because I was only concerned about including the five weekdays on this pinboard, I need a way to fill the space:

A few positive thoughts to start the day is a great thing! Respectively, the sentiments come from:

• Kinda Eclectic
• Yippee-Skippee
• Work of Art

I'm loving the "ink swashes" from Work of Art as the backdrop for the sentiments...how about you?

Be sure to hop along and enjoy all of the creations this week!   

   

Our full-line this hop is:

1. Tanya Boser  
2. Ann Schach  
3. Lisa Young   
4. Dawn Tidd  
5. Betty Traciak  
6. Adriana Benitez  
7. Cindy Beach   
8. Holly Krautkremer  
9. Kerry Willard Bray  -- YOU ARE HERE
10. Beth Beard   
11. Mike Funke   
12. Shana Gaff  
13. Nancy Smith  

 

Have a fabulously creative day!

 

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Easy as can be!

 

Hello friends. Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Ours was good and I spent it completely computer free...that can be a good thing!

One of the things I did this weekend was to do a little Halloween decorating and it was as truly as easy and can be. I simply went into my Halloween storage box,  pulled out these goodies, and put them on the shelf above my desk:

The jack-o-lantern is a metal one that has a base designed to hold a pillar candle.

This framed art was created in minutes using the MDS Toxic Framable Designer Template. All the work was done by Stampin' Up! designers and all I had to do was to re-size the print so that it would fit my 5" x 7" frame (it otherwise prints 8-1/2" x 11").

This sweet stack was made using a mix of stamps, ink, and paper (including the Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper that is available as an MDS download). 

I'll be sharing some brand new Halloween projects soon!

Will you be decorating for Halloween? If so, what are your favorite decorations?

Have a creative day!

 

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Frightful!

When I first flipped through the Stampin' Up! Holiday catalog at the Inspire.Create.Share. event in July, one of the kits that instantly stood out to me was the Frightful Wreath Simply Created Kit. I love Halloween and I love wreaths...this was the perfect kit in my book!

Before I show you a few more pics, I will tell you that I put my own little spin on the wreath. This next image was snapped out in Salt Lake City and gives you a sense for the plans in the kit:

The spider web goes all the way around the wreath and the jumbo rosette fills the middle of the wreath. Apparently I managed not to photograph the entire wreath so you do have to use your imagination today!

Here are some more images of my take on the wreath:

I wanted some pops of color around the wreath and used the Tangelo Twist ribbon that comes with the kit and a bit of Black Chevron ribbon to do so. I simply folded the ribbons and attached to the wreath using T-pins.

Since I did not love seeing the shiny T-pins, I used Glue Dots to add buttons over the pins.

One of these days I will find just the right spot for taking wreath photos...as much I love making them and they look great in person, the lighting is not always ideal for taking pics of them.

If you and a group of friends love Halloween, these wreaths would be fun to make together! Start to finish the wreath (including making the beaded spider) takes less than an hour to assemble...if that is your sole focus! Add in a bit more time for some chatting and snacking with friends. 

Should you need a wish list to keep track of what you'd like to order from the holiday catalog (it goes live on Aug. 28), click here to find a printable one!

When it comes to kits, are you apt to follow the instructions precisely or veer off in a different direction?

The ultimate Stampin' Up! kit is is the starter kit and until August 28 only, you can select up to $150 in products for just $99 plus local tax! This is $25 more in products than usual and the kit ships free. There's no requirement to host a workshop or even to place another order, however you will be eligible for discounts on every purchase you place until the end of January 2015! Learn more about the perks of purchasing a kit.

 

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Life doesn't have to be perfect...

The Perfect Pennants stamp set says it beautifully..."life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful".

If things were "perfect" around here, no child would be walking around with her hands covered in Calypso Coral ink. And this momma would remember not to let said child use dark colors of ink. Alas, not perfect here and, yet, as you will see life around here is pretty wonderful...

Britt decided to work side by side with me on Sunday morning as I created my projects for the week. Yep, I said the week. Everything project is made through Thursday's post and I'm excited to share them with you! 

Up first for the week is a home decor piece:

This little block measures 3" square and it will on display at my desk. The Designer Series Paper that you see on it is the Back to Black pack (item 133700) and I opted to color the silhouettes in with my Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Marker. It definitely put a different spin on the project!

The layout for each side you see was inspired by the latest challenge from Freshly Made Sketches (FMS148):

Today's project did incorporate the Flower Fair Framelits that coordinate with the Flower Patch stamp set. Remember that now is the time to claim your FREE Big Shot Bundle! 

LIMITED TIME ONLY:  Get a Free Big Shot Bundle! 

If your paper crafting tools do not yet include the Big Shot, now is the perfect time to purchase one! You get to choose a FREE bundle (valued up to $54.25) when you purchase a Big Shot...what a deal!

Already have a Big Shot? You can purchase select Big Shot bundles at 15% off! A great savings.

View your options here and purchase a Big Shot or bundle now!

 

Have a creative day!

 

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 P.S. As for Britt's hands, they were finally clean by the time bedtime was upon us!