Happy Birthday Little Lady

One of my special friends had a birthday recently. She is special so I had to make her one of my  special Little Ladies.

She has a beautiful voice so my lady is holding a sparkly microphone. The dress top is made from one of our paper Doilies. Also a little piece was used for the cap. The background was made from Espresso Coordinations card. She loved it and I loved making it for her.

I forgot Christmas

Well actually I didn't really forget Christmas. I just forgot to post my last class for the year in which we made some lovely Christmas gifts.

Dare chocs, wine and tinsel all set the scene. Of course my favourite tool the Envelope Punch Board had to perform for us. We made delightful gift cards and a little holder for them.

A Christmas tradition and my trusty Envelope Punch Board

Each year I give my friend a Christmas Ornament. I like to find something handmade as she is a quilter and loves anything handmade. This year I found a lovely glass Angel and I found it from a new shop opened at Wellington Point called Quirkylicious. The best thing about this is, that it is run by a Paper Angel (a Stampin' Up! colleague) So I am very excited that I have found a lovely gift for my friend and at the same time can promote a lovely shop.

Of course I am still addicted to the Envelope Punch Board, sooooo, I had to make a box to hold the Angel. She nestles quite nicely in this box. If you are wondering how I got the measurements for the box I will try and explain how you can make any size box using these rules.

(I am using inches as I find it easier for my brain)
If the card or in this case Angel measures 4^1/4" x  5^1/2" Find the closest card measurement on your Envelope Punch Board. I was lucky there was a card size for 4^1/4" x  5^1/2". Then check the paper size you need. In this case it said 8x8.

Now this is the rule - add 1^1/4" So you need to cut your Paper Size to 9^1/4" Now place it on the Score line that it says, for me that was 3^1/2", punch and score. Move the paper along one inch to 4^1/2 (I only wanted my box one inch deep), punch and score. Now turn the paper and just follow the score lines punching and scoring all the way. If this sounds a little confusing this is all that you need to know.

• Add 1^1/4" to any paper size and then use the usual score measurements for that size . 
• Slide along one inch for the depth of the box. I found one inch was a good depth. That's it. I hope you have fun making some boxes using these rules.

This is the box for my Angel

 

My Digital Studio - PPA 185

Hi to every crafter around the world. I hope that each of you had a very wonderful Christmas! Mine was fantastic, I got spoiled by my family. Today, I’m sharing my first card in the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge.

I am a hands on crafter I like to feel the paper and the card, so when My Digital Studio was released I was rather reluctant to give it a go at first. However I soon realised it has so much potential. The stamp that I used on this card has been manipulated to the size I wanted.  The zig zag stitching has also been manipulated. If I wanted to, I could print this card out and add more embellishments. How cool is that.

Stampin' Up! have a Free Trial of MDS if you want to have a little play around.

Here is my card:

Must have Stampin' Up! tools for beginners

Many of my new crafters ask what they should invest in first, and what are my must have tools from Stampin' Up! 

The following tools are my absolute must have items. Every day these tools are pulled out and used.

Paper trimmer

When working with paper, you need a paper trimmer.  There are so many on the market and I have had quite a few of them. However the Stampin' Up! Trimmer is perfect, it cuts accurately and crisply. It is a cutting and scoring tool made with crafters in mind!
It can cut anywhere, in any direction. Full 12" cut or score. I love that you can keep the scoring and cutting blades on the track at the same time. It has an extending arm that takes the measurement out to 151/2". It even has a storing compartment underneath to store blades, scoring stylus, etc!

Adhesives
Depending on the project, depends on the adhesive. Once again I have tried so many over the years and have very firm favourites.

Snail Adhesive, applies a controlled amount of permanent adhesive directly to your project, so your hands and work area never get sticky. A small amount creates a strong bond, so your cartridge lasts a long time. It has refills that slip right into the cartridge very easily.

Stampin’ Dimensionals are the easiest way to give your projects an instant 3-D look. Just stamp an image, trim around it, and then use a Stampin’ Dimensional to attach it to your project. They are also great for making greetings stand out and attaching 3-D objects such as tags and bows.

Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive has a dual tip for placing adhesive exactly where you want it. Place an exact small amount using the small tip, or spread the adhesive over a larger area using the wide tip. It is a latex rubber acrylic resin adhesive so is acid free. I use it as a permanent or temporary adhesive and it is just fabulous to use with Stampin Glitter.

Mini Glue dots are super sticky, double-sided adhesive dots for use on 3-D accents for cards, scrapbook pages, and other projects. This fast, clean adhesive is safe for kids, too. No fumes, no mess, and no drying time required. There are 300 per roll so lasts for ages. I use them for attaching embellishments. They adhere to paper, fabric, wood, foam, plastic, and more.

Paper Snips These small thin-bladed scissors are perfect for reaching into tiny areas and allowing precision cutting.  While large cutting can be done with a paper trimmer, you will soon find times when you need to cut out an image free hand, perfect cutting in even the tiniest areas.
  

   

Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist Cleaner

 When I first started stamping, I cleaned my stamps with baby wipes, water and paper towels.  I felt that I could manage and that the Stampin' Scrub was an unneccessary expense.  But, once I finally purchased a scrub, I realised that it is a tool that we should all have to keep our stamps in good condition.  The Stampin' Mist Stamp Cleaner makes cleaning stamps easy and I appreciate knowing that the rubber is being conditioned with each use.  A small refill bottle lasts me for ages, so the cost per use is minimal.

Of course there are many more must haves, but I really think these are the first "must haves" for a beginner. One or two good punches are then the next items to think about.

If there are any other "must have" items, I would love to hear. Leave me a comment and everyone can benefit.

Gift Voucher for Christmas

Wanting to give someone a Stampin Up gift but not sure what they want? Did you check out the Wish List idea and still not sure what to do? Why not give them a voucher. All you need to do is decide how much you want to spend on them and contact me to organise the gift voucher.

Please note: Postage is $5.95 so this will need to be added on to the value of the voucher.

Stampin' Up! Christmas Wish List

Now is the time to ask Santa for something you really really want. Especially if it is Stampin' Up! goodies you want for Christmas. I can help make this happen. All you need to do is print and fill out this Wish List then give it to your loved ones or friends and ask them to contact me to place your order. I can ship it direct to them, or to anyone. If you are local, I can have it shipped to me and wrap it for them if that is what they would like.