Peonies and Paper Chains

Zoo Babies in Blue!

Hello friends. I'm thrilled to share a special collection with you today featuring the Zoo Babies stamp set. Today I am the guest stamper on Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty blog (thanks for having me, Mary) and I wanted to share something really festive and fun. What you are getting is an entire collection of projects that work together beautifully for a birthday party or baby shower.

Let's head to the zoo...

Cake and presents and cards, OH MY! The Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, and Pacific Point makes a beautiuful palette! I've paired with with Naturals White and Crumb Cake for an earthy look.

Two cards -- fabulous as birthday cards, shower cards, baby congrats, or even thank you cards! The designs are crisp and clean and so very fun with the Zoo Babies!

This is my very first sewn paper garland...it won't be the last! The Sale-a-bration Banner punch (and a special little trick) made this a breeze!

The collection also includes a circular garland -- 10 feet long! It spent some time hanging  with the banner from the Celebration Basics Kit that has been on display at my home since January. And then I scattered it on the table surfaces when I took the other photos for this post. 

Just a thought...if you love the look of confetti on a table at a party but not the mess, stitch up some garland and lay it out as I did. You get a similar look and none of the mess!

The cake was purchased especially for today's photographs and the girls were excited when I took the final images...so ladylike to swipe one's fingers through the frosting! I could not believe it when I found this cake ready made at the store with the Bermuda Bay colored heart on it. So pretty it almost did not need  any decorations. The small circular garland and the cake toppers, however, add to the festive feel of this collection! 

I've put together a tutorial that showcases the details that went into today's projects. In addition to instructions for the two cards, the tutorial contains:

• several images to help you see just how I put together the animal print without any of the Zoo Babies trampling one another
• a tip on how to quickly produce a set of cards with the animal print design...perfect for making a set of thank you notes for the birthday child or the shower honoree;
• instructions for sewn and no sew paper garlands; and 
• an alternate more "girlie" color palette.

And, as a BONUS, there are twenty-five suggested items for little ones! These are special picks from my family to you -- books, toys, music, and more that we have loved. If you are an aunt, an uncle, a grandparent, a godparent, or a family friend to a special little one, this list may prove very helpful!

The tutorial contains several photos not shown here or on Mary's blog and it is a downloadable PDF once the purchase is complete. It's available for just $3.95*...hopefully I'll sell a few to pay for the yummy chocolate cake!

* Members of my Paper Chain Pals community (hobby stampers and business demonstrators who purchased a Stampin' Up! Starter Kit through me), receive the tutorial free! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this Zoo Babies collection! Would you most likely re-create it for a birthday party, a shower, or simply make and mail the cards?

Thank so much for stopping by to visit! Happy creating!

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PPA 195: Peekin' Out of the Grass!

For the past few days there has been grass showing in our backyard...not a lot but some! Sun and warmer weather gave us the look at the green. Today the grass is blanketed in snow once again. Like so many people, I am so ready for winter to be over! In great anticipation of the arrival of spring, I decided to create a little green was in order for my Pals Paper Arts (PPA195) submission!

Yep, little grass and flower Easter egg holders! This week's color combo lent itself so well to this project:

The Rose Red, So Saffron, and Wild Wasabi provide such a hopeful array of colors while we wait for spring to arrive!

These egg holders are incredibly easy to make:

• Cut a strip of card stock (any color) that is 1" by 6.5".

• Shape it the strip into a circle and using an egg as your guide, use glue dots to secure into an appropriate size -- trim any excess cardstock away.

• Cut a piece of Wild Wasabi cardstock that measures anywhere from 1.5" to 2" by 6.5" (mine measure 1.5", 1.75", and 2" respectively).

• Use your Fringe Scissors or Paper Snips to cut grass.

• Take your Glue Dots and secure the grass to the originalk egg base that you formed and again, trim off excess grass.

• Embellish as you like!

The Flower Shop stamp set and coordinating Pansy Punch worked just fine for the embellishments and I do think the smaller scale of the Petite Petals bundle would be fabulous! 

The supoply list for today is pretty short and sweet:

Wild Wasabi 8-1/2X11 Card Stock

$6.95

Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Flower Shop Clear Bundle

$28.75

Fringe Scissors

$9.95

Mini Glue Dots

$4.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

 

Now that you know what you need to make them, here's a closer look at the egg holders:

For those of you celebrate Easter, perhaps you'll give these egg holders a try! 

Oh, and one more thing, I'd venture to guess that if you cut a toilet paper rolls into rings, that those rings were make a perfect foundation for this project and you could simply cut make the grass pieces and attach. Just a thought!

 

Remember that the new weekly deals are in full force! You can click the image below to go straight to my online store if you'd like to take advantage of these incredible offers!

Wishing you a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by and happy creating to you!

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

P.S. A special thank you to Lisa Harlow for a bit of inspiration today. Lisa is a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator and we follow each other on Instagram. Lisa sometimes adds a little text to the photos of her creative projects and I thought I'd give that idea a try! Thanks, Lisa! The lettering itself is from the Rhonna Designs app.

Stamp Review Crew: Happy Congratulations Edition

The Stamp Review Crew has decided to bring you a bonus hop today! I'm so excited that we are sharing the Happy Congratulations stamp set -- it is perfect for spring and summer celebrations! 

For this hop, I have two projects to share with you...

Yes, a sweet little bookmark! It is resting atop "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" and I do believe that Edward's destination was happiness. As much that is the final destination, be prepared for some tears along the way if you read this one. It is considered to be a young adult novel, but I do think you could read to younger children.

This little technique of tying up ribbon with Baker's Twine (or other thin ribbon) has truly become a favorite of mine! Give it a try!

My second project is pure fun and was inspired by my daughter Britt (soon to be 3). Britt picked up the stamps as I was about to get crafting and said she wanted a crown holding up the stamps to her head. Sorry no photo of that to share with you!

Quick, and easy, and totally fun! No illusions that these will last a long time but the girls are having fun! Brooklyn even wore hers to the grocery store this weekend!

So which of these projects is your favorite?!

Be sure to hop on along to see what the other members of the Stamp Review Crew have created!  Use the buttons below or the full list of hoppers under my signature.

       

Happy crafting, friends! Thanks for stopping by!

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

 

Stamp Revew Crew Happy Congratulations Edition Bonus Hop Line-Up: 

1. Paula Wright  paulastamps.blogspot.com/
2. Mike Funke    stampin-style.typepad.com/
3. Nancy Smith  iguanastamp.wordpress.com/
4. Adriana Benitez  escape2stamp.com
5. Tanya Boser   tinkerin-in-ink.blogspot.com
6. Heidi Baks  runningwscissorsstamper.blogspot.com
7. Mary Rindal   maryrindal.com/ 
   
8. Kerry Willard Bray  kerrywillardbray.com

Hello Shamrocks!

Just titled this post and then realized the irony of my choice...there is not a single shamrock in my project today! However, hopefully the project I am about to share gives you the illusion of lots of shamrocks!

While I have already come up with some St. Patrick's decor, I knew I wanted some more and this framed art is my latest creation. It was actually pretty quick to put together despite all the hearts that I punched out for this...pretty sure it was a full 8-1/2" x 11 sheet of card stock worth of them.

After punching out the hearts, I covered a piece of matching cardstock with glue (I used a Stampin' Up! Anywhere glue stick for this) and simply threw down the hearts and shook around. This was done very much in the way you'd put on embossing powder. I let the extra hearts fall off and then went and filled back in the empty spaces. As I went to cover the last of the holes, I put a little glue on the hearts and stuck down.

Now I suppose you could be really precise and take groups of three or four hearts and make perfectly formed shamrocks. If you have the time and patience to do this I give you two thumbs up!  However, I can absolutely say it is not something I would do. The illusion and feel of shramrocks works just fine for me!

The sentiment on this piece comes from the Lucky Framable download for MDS. Look closely at the frame I shared the other week and you'll see the same verbage across the bottom:

Stampin' Up! released several new digital downloads yesterday and kicked off new weekly deals! Some great finds amongst both the downloads and the weekly deals! My hot picks are the Just Sayin' Stamp Brush Set and the Encore Metallic ink pad in gold...perfect for St. Paddy's Day projects!

And I have to share a little behind the scenes look at my work preparing today's post. There are Stampin' Up! demonstrators across the country who are fortunate to have assistants to help them with various aspects of their business. While there are no paid assistants for me, I have two very sweet and charming helpers who literally had a hand in photographing today's project...

Truly love them! As for the big yellow blur you see above, here is Brooklyn's latest project for here on Peonies and Paper Chains:

She did a great job creating this family sign! I especially love the hearts in all of our names and her use of the Retro Fresh Washi Tape! Equally as adorable as this project is when Britt (2-1/2 going on 3) asks me for Washi tape...perhaps I'll catch her on video asking for it one of these days. 

I'm so curious to hear what projects my frame from today inspires you to create. I have visions of...

• a project with blue circles to form the backdrop for a nautical stamped image  

• a bright orange background framing an inspiring sentiment 

• hearts in red and pink for a Valentine's piece of art...clearly some time to wait for that creation, and

• all white hearts or circles to make number signs for tables at a wedding.

Today's project has given me lots of inspiration for others -- hope it has done the same for you!

Thanks so much for stopping by -- please visit again soon!

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STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLY LIST:

Lucky Framable Designer Template - Digital Download

$1.95

Mds Free Trial - Digital Download

$0.00

Mds Download - Digital Download

$19.95

Small Heart Punch

$5.95

Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$6.95

Gumball Green 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Anywhere Glue Sticks

$3.95

 

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

 

 

Playroom Rules!

When you are out an about on errands and find yourself in a gift store or a store that sells home decor, do you come across lots of signs? Perhaps the signs have funny sayings or inspirational quotes. Maybe you've even seen ones with a set of family rules. I feel like I have seen more and more of these signs in the last couple of years. For awhile now, I've wanted to make a sign with playroom rules and I've finally done it!

Brooklyn and I brainstormed the playroom rules the other night while Britt was already asleep. Our playroom rules:

Share

Say please and thank you

Make music

Be creative

Be kind

Clean up after yourself

Read

Welcome everyone (my version) 

No fighting or hitting (Brooklyn's version)

Have fun

The playroom rules sign I created was done as an 8-1/2" x 11" page using MDS so that I would be able to get the precise Stampin' Up! shades of Crisp Cantaloupe, Pear Pizzazz, and Pool Party. This color scheme was inspired by the Pixel Maven's Digi-Challenge (PMDC-039):

The design team projects for this challenge are fabulous! Be sure to see what my friends Nicole Watt and Kris Kilcoyne created for PMDC-039! 

I've printed out the sign and I'm in the midst of turning it into a hybrid project to hang on the wall in our playroom. The girls will be helping with that part of the project! As soon as we're done with that step, I'll be sure to share it with you!

Perhaps you need a playroom sign and perhaps you do not. Whichever is the case, I hope this project gets you inspired to create something today. Maybe something with these colors or maybe a project with some polka dots -- take the project element that inspires you and get creating!

Oh, and one more thing, the sweet little face of Peonies and Paper Chains is not actually on the playroom rules sign. However, I realized she matches this color combo perfectly and had to add her to the image above! Marie at Autumn's Creek did an amazing job creating this darling illustration.

Wishing you a fabulous day! 

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Stampin' Up! Zoo Babies and News!

Hello friends! Hope you are ready for a "wicked fast Wednesday" card...this one took just 10 minutes to make! It's clean and crisp but a little bit edgy with the use of the Soho Subway Designer Series Paper!

The Yippee-Skippee sentiment made it onto both the card front and on the envelope and the full rhinocerous image graces the inside of the card. The Zoo Babies stamp set is just so incredibly cute! I think I've owned every zoo themed set Stampin' Up! has offered over the last 7 years or so and this one is my favorite...how about you?

If you hopped on through the Pals February blog hop yesterday, this card may look a bit familiar. I was absolutely inspired by the Zoo Babies card that Shirley Sumption created! Thank you Shirley!

Now let me give you the run down on the latest Stampin' Up! News...

 

Fabulous new digital downloads are now available!

Great new weekly deals are available!

 

The Free Marker giveaway for all new Paper Pumpkin subscribers has been such a hit that it is continuing through the end of March!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you have a fabulous day!

Like what you see? Get inspiration in your inbox!

Such an Unexpected Stampin' Up! Project!

 Hello friends! Happy Monday! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Ours was pretty low key and it included the most unepexted use of Stampin Up! products in my home -- DIY doll ice skates! Yep, you read that right...scroll back up and take a closer look at the images if you need to -- the little doll boots were turned into a fabulous pair of ice skates with a couple of large paper clips, left over embellishments from the Mini Memories Simply Created Album Kit, and a couple of bows. This project was one that Brooklyn wanted to do and under her direction, Erik and I assisted...I made the bows and he did the hot gluing. Her doll Kinta is absolutely stylin' in these skates!

What is the most unexpected project that you have ever created using your Stampin' Up! supplies?

Speaking of unexpected, look at this postively fabulous use for the Burlap and Blooms Simply Created Wreath kit. I promise, you'll be happy you clicked over to see this on the Stampin' Up! blog.

What do you think? I'm loving it...possible even more than how I turned the wreath on its head! If you missed what I did with the kit or have simply forgotten, here you go:

 

REMEMBER...

today is the last day to order the exclusive 2014 Stampin' Up! Valentine's products

and

Sale-a-bration begins tomorrow!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by...hope you'll be back again soon!

 

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Order genuine Stampin' Up! products here.

 

Wicked Fast Wednesday & the Stampin' Up! Weekly Review!

It's time for a "wicked fast Wednesday" project and in fact you are getting two projects. Would you be shocked if I told I created these from a kit? After all the kitprojects lately, I am sure it is no surprise at all! With Valentine's a month away, it was time to start kicking things up a notch in terms of decor and these projects do the trick!

WARNING: This first project may cause flashbacks to having to climb up the rope in gym glass OR making it through a recent CrossFit workout!

Admittely, you likely have not climbed a rope with alongside 4 of your friends! Don't you agree though that this absolutely works for these little monsters?! These cuties come from the Monster Hugs Boy and the Monster Hugs Girl kits. Each kit contains 18 monsters so after buying 2 packs for Brooklyn to share at pre-school I had enough left over for the the projects today!

TIP: The monsters do stay in place pretty well on their own when using the Natural 5/8" Chevron Ribbon. However, knowing how much the girls open an close the bedroom door where this hangs, I did add a little bit of tape to the back of each monster to be sure it stays in place!

And I also put together a little monster chain to hang across the playroom door:

Here are some close-ups for a better look:

"Love you"

"Love you more"

Can you just picture the monsters shouting this back and forth?

TIP: Put away your ink pad and grab a Stampin' Write Marker to color in only the portion of the stamp that you want to use!

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY FOR JANUARY 14, 2014: "Momma, that Monster is showing me his butt" - Britt, 2-1/2 years old

 

TIP: Until you write or stamp on the back, do NOT apply the googly eyes...they make it really hard to get a solid stamped image. 

 

Trust me, these are "wicked fast" projects! So should you find yourself with extra kit pieces or simply want some monstrous decor this Valentine's Day, hope you'll give these ideas a try!

 

SUPPLY LIST: Monster Hugs Boy kit (132162), Monster Hugs Girl kit (132163), Natural 5/8" Chevron Ribbon (132982), Love You More stamp set (wood mount  131850 / clear mount 131853), Hearts a Flutter stamp set (wood mount 131922 / clear mount 129522), Night of Navy ink (Stampin' Write Marker 100069 / ink pad 126970)

 

And now I did say there would be a Stampin' Up! weekly review so here goes:

NEW WEEKLY DEALS (Jan 14 - Jan 20 Only).  Check out the latest batch of Stampin' Up! Weekly Deals.  Love that this week includes the Chalk Tak Framelits, Alphabet Pressed Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and the Notecard Envelopes in Kraft/Crumb Cake.  

 

WHOLE LOT OF LOVE:  View the Whole Lot of Love Valentine products here.  Available December 1-January 27 or while supplies last. NOTE: These are exclusive products that will not be available after the promotion. 

 

See the newest MDS downloads here. This digital kit is my favorite download of the week:

 

 

 And, last but not least:

FREE MARKERS FOR NEW PAPER PUMPKIN SUBSCRIBERS: New Paper Pumpkin subscribers who sign up atwww.mypaperpumpkin.com/ between January 11 and February 10, 2014, will receive a FREE set of 2012-2014 In Color Stampin' Write Markers -a $14.95  value-with their Welcome Kit. 

 

I'm so delighted that you stopped by today! Thanks for visiting and do come back again soon!

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Order genuine Stampin' Up! products here.

 

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!

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Hello Kitty Meets Stampin' Up!

Hold onto your seats...I'm sharing a little punch art today!

While I use my Stampin' Up! punches regularly, I rarely ever build anything from them. Today I am sharing a sweet bow created from three punch shapes. To be honest, this is super basic when it comes to punch art, yet the results are so incredibly cute! Ready for the big reveal?!

click image to enlarge

Brooklyn's birthday is coming up soon. Last year it was a tea party; this year she wants Hello Kitty. I did a little searching on Pinterest and found several favor bags and a couple invites that had a look similar to what I created. To whomever originally thought up this up...genius!

Lots of what I saw looked like people traced and cut out bows. I decided I wanted the bow to have a little dimension and was sure I could use punches to create it. Two Large Oval punches and one Circle punch (3/4") is what you need for the bow. The eyes and nose are made with cuts from the Word Window punch -- punch shape out, then slide back in to cut off the ends.

Now we need to decide if we go with the traditional card style (left) or the flat card (right)...decisions, decisions!

If you were making the invites, would you make the ones on the left or the right? 

STREAMLINE YOUR CARD MAKING! Order some of the brand new Cut & Ready Card Bases to make card making even quicker and easier! Fast & fabulous!

• Seven colors to choose from.
• Twenty card bases that are pre-cut and pre-scored for you!
• See the entire collection of card bases here!

Thanks for stopping by today! See you again soon.

Good wishes,

Kerry

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