Stamping with Noel

Personalize Your Electronic Chargers With Stamps!

Chargers, chargers, and more chargers ... I'm beginning to think that electronic chargers actually breed in my household!  And, when multiple family members have the same charger, how do you tell whose is whose?

Personalize your electronic chargers with stamps!

Recently, it became clear that if I ever wanted to use my own ipad charger that I needed to differentiate it from others in my household. As part of my "organize the household mission" I was tempted to paint a design with nail polish, but sitting in my craft room the obvious idea came to me - stamp on it with Jet Black StazOn ink!  And, while I'm at it, use my favorite stamp from the retiring Nature Walk Stamp Set to coordinate with other objects I've made for myself (such as my tea light holder that sits at the side of my tub seen here).

Now it is time to round up all of the family charges and personalize them with rubber stamps (wouldn't it be great to do this in advance when gifting a new device?) ... and while I'm at it, I need my hubby to build a charger docking station for me. I better get designing!

Jet Black Staz On Ink is a staple in my craft room!  You can stamp on glass, plastic, wood, paper ... you name it.  And I love the the clear crisp black image. For more information on this ink, check out my "Top 10 Tips for Using Jet Black StazOn Ink". 

Time Out for a Paper Crafter: Upcycled Chapstick Holder Key Fob

What do you think of these upcycled chapstick holder key fobs?  They are handmade gifts for my daughters made from old baby clothes, binder rings and scrap ribbon and buttons from my stash. I think they will look cute hooked onto their backpacks ... but think I need to make one for myself to hang inside my purse so that I can always find my chapstick!

I just love how the Rich Razzleberry and Melon Mambo colors (retired ribbon and SAB buttons) matched so well with one set of fabrics, while Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango and Denim Jean Ribbon tied in so well with the other.  

The creative inspiration for this project came from an unusual opportunity - I was home completely alone, with no one underfoot.  That doesn't mean that I had nothing I should have been doing, but my need to take a time out out weighed my sense of responsibility.  So I dropped all of the must do activities (even going so far as to skip my morning workout - shhh!  Don't tell!) and chose to do something just for me!  Ok, I know the final project was for my daughters, but the me time activity was getting to know my 'new' Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine.  Yes, I hesitate to say new because I purchased this machine back in November and this is the first time I've sewn on it. How pathetic is that? Especially when you see how happy I was when I made my purchase:

Thank you to Roxanne's A Wish and a Dream in Carpinteria California.  This is a lovely shop that can feed anyone's creativity regardless what medium you work in!

So to all of you hobbiests out there who are mired down in what you should be doing, why not change things up a bit today and try something new.  If you normally scrapbook, make a card.  If you are a card maker, sew something.  A seamstress? Try your hand at a little stamping.  I think you'll find something in your stash of supplies to carry you through that new project - and finish the day with a bit more spring in your step!

Handmade Gifts With the Big Shot: Upcycled Fleece Hand Warmers

 

This upcycled fleece hand warmer started life as a toddler sleeper!  Actually, I was able to create 5 hand warmers from a single sleeper. 

With a single pass through the Big Shot with the Bigz Scallop Circle Die, I had two layers of patterned fleece fabric cut to shape which were quickly stitched together and stuffed with pearl barley.  Now the hand warmer can be heated in the microwave whenever a little extra warmth is needed. 

What can you do with your Big Shot? 

Click on the Big Shot Projects category in my side bar, or search for handmade gifts, and see if you find some inspiration!

Matching Set: From Card Holder to Magnets

Those of you who are on my mailing list may just recognize these clothespin magnets from my 12 Weeks of Christmas newsletter series!  I had made a mini clothespin card wreath for my daughter (with project instructions for you, of course).  Today I want to share these matching clothespin magnets:

While the 12 Weeks of Christmas projects are an exclusive benefit to my subscribers, the project was based on these simple magnets.  Create your own following these basic steps:

1.    Add a layer of Designer Series Paper to the top surface of your clothespin using Multipurpose Liquid Glue or a thin layer of Crystal Effects.  I used our now retired Christmas paper stack, but you could use any patterned paper - check out our collection here. 

2.    Coat the surface of your chosen paper (on the clothespin) in a thin layer of Crystal Effects and let dry completely (I simply leave overnight).  This will not only give your project a glossy sheen, but it will protect the paper from water damage and the like.  For more uses for your Crystal Effects, see my Top 10 Uses for Crystal Effects here.

3.    Using a strong industrial adhesive from your craft store, adhere an equally strong magnet to the back of your magnet.  If you use a cheap magnet, your clothespin won't actually be functional ... a single piece of paper will leave it sliding down your magnet board!

4.    Tie on a piece of coordinating ribbon to match.  Our collection of ribbons and trims (found here) coordinate with our designer series paper giving you a guaranteed match. 

Clip your clothespin onto a little note and you have an instant handmade gift for a friend!  Mine will be holding a welcome home note for my daughter who is returning from camp with her school tonight (to coordinate with her wreathe) and thank you notes for some ladies who are helping me out today on a task I can't get to.

If you are not on my mailing list, then you not only missed out on my 12 Weeks of Christmas newsletter series in 2012 and all the projects included, but you continue to miss out on monthly inspiration every month that passes.  Why not sign up today?

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Big Shot Fortune Cookie Valentines and Paper Doily Gift Bag

Tomorrow is my quarterly Focus on the Big Shot Class and one of our three projects is this lovely little Valentine with homemade felt fortune cookies (cut with the Circles #2 Bigz Die).  

I love doing this class!  While my Big Shot is used during almost every single one of my crafting sessions, and is often highlighted during my classes, I often feel like I highlight it too much.  Some of my attendees still have no intention of entering the world of die cuts (shocking, I know!), and I want everyone to leave my classes feeling like they've learned something that they can use again.  When I do one of these classes I can throw as many Big Shot tips and ideas at my attendees as I like, and they happily soak it all in!   

One of my favorite packaging ideas for little handmade gifts and favors is to use our Cellophane Bags (available in 3 fun sizes!) with a Top Note Bigz Die topper.  Today I've dressed my topper up with a Tea Lace Paper Doily from our Spring Catalog and a punched scallop circle.  

Does this look like fun?

Want to learn to use your Big Shot to the fullest?  To use your dies in new fun ways?  

Maybe you don't own a Big Shot, but would like to see what it is all about?

Why not take a class with me?  Or schedule your own private class for you and your friends?  

E-mail Me and we can discuss the opportunities!

Creative Elements Personalized Digital Designer Journal

January is coming, and while it may mean the end of the traditional holiday gift giving season, you may still have need for semi-handmade gifts like this personalized journal! 

When you have January birthdays among your friends and family there is still work to do after the holidays!  I created this personalized journal for the daughter of a friend based on the Creative Elements Designer Journal Template found in the Creative Elements Stamp Brush Set Digital Download. 

I didn't even know that this stamp brush set included a designer journal template when I purchased it back in 2011!  But, with just a couple deletes, a little recoloring, and the addition of Schoolbook Serif Alphabet stamps for the personalization my journal is ready to send to the printer.  Better yet, I can have the finished product shipped direct to my friend through Stampin’ Up!’s print services and save time and shipping costs. 

Check out our print prices here.  I think you will find they are competitive to other similar print services – and since you can upload directly from MDS, service couldn’t be easier!

Handmade Gift for Kids: MDS2 Stage Backgrounds for a Wooden Stage

This past weekend I used MDS2 to make a series of stage backdrops for this wooden stage I designed for my daughters.  When combined with a simple stage, these simple scenes make the perfect handmade gift for kids!

Years ago, I asked my husband to build this wooden stage for my older daughter to use with some plastic ballerina's she had received from a dear friend of the family (thank you Kathie!).  My daughter was taking ballet lessons at the time and has always been quite artistic.  I thought she would have fun drawing backdrops for use on stage.  So there is a small space at the back of the stage to 'drop in' your 'backdrops'. 

While my daughter played with the stage on some occasions, and she and I drew a few backdrops to use, the toy never quite 'took'.  This weekend, as I was cleaning up the toy corner to make room for the upcoming holiday additions, I came across this long discarded toy.  With my new found love of digital crafting, I thought it would be fun to design some quick backgrounds - and to rehabilitate the toy for my younger daughter.  Less than an hour later I had 10 different digital backdrops printed out and ready to play! 

After the birthday party backdrop above, here are a few of my favorites:

The next day my older daughter sat with me and we designed a few more (with her designing and myself implementing ... I love how she wanted me to use brads as nailheads!):

My 10 year old is now busy crafting away on her own backdrops without help ... I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

To make this project easier, I opened a 12 x 12 scrapbook page in MDS2.  I then designed two 12 x 6" scenes on a single page, printed on 12 x 12 Whisper White Card stock and cut in half. 

And - the best part of this project - both of my daughters are now playing with this lovely little stage.  Yes, I had intended to gift the youngest with the backdrops for Christmas, but I couldn't resist sharing right away!

This handmade gift is yet one more way to use MDS this holiday season!  And, if you have a young artist in the family with access to a computer, why not gift her with the MDS2 or MDS2+ software?  Even if you aren't interested in digital crafting, the younger generation is quite comfortable in this medium!

Holiday Decorations from Upcycled Materials Inspired by Signals Catalog

It's December, time for my house to shine with the lights of the Christmas tree and to be filled with handmade holiday decor.  Making this poinsettia 'wind chime' was a bit time consuming, but with my Big Shot and punches it was so easy!  And, best of all, all supplies were on hand in my craft room or garage. 

What did I use?

• 1 piece of scrap base board from the garage - spray painted red with glossy indoor/outdoor paint
• 29 die cut milk carton circles cut with the Big Shot and the Circles #2 Die
• 87 paper flowers  punched with the retired 5 Petal Punch from Real Red and Garden Green Card Stock ... but I really think I should look at my flower dies more closely next time around.  That was a lot of punching!
• shimmer paint from my stash painted onto one layer of the red flowers per poinsettia
• Crystal Effects which was painted onto both sides of each punched flowers for gloss and longevity
• 29 brass office brads (the centers of my flowers) used to attach the flowers to the milk carton
• 16 gold jingle bells
• about 160 gold split rings used to attach the milk carton disks and the jingle bells to each other (ok, I cheated here ... I only had 140 on hand, and needed to purchase more to finish my project)
• 5 screw eyes to attach my chimes to the base board.

This decoration was inspired by some snowflake bell chimes I had seen in the Signals catalog. I almost purchased them, but I always hesitate to have too much 'snow art' while living in Santa Barbara.  It always feels forced!  But my poinsettia plants do quite well here - in fact I have a plant that was bought for a talbe display a couple years ago that is now 3-4 foot tall in a pot in my driveway - so it was the perfect accent for my chimes.

As you can see, my Big Shot and my punches are all getting a good workout this holiday season.  If you don't own a Big Shot yet, have you put in your wish list for Santa?  Or maybe you need to earmark some Christmas money to make your purchase in January?  You won't believe you ever lived without it!

Handmade Gifts: Rubber Stamped and Embellished Plaster of Paris Tea Lights Holders

I am always on the look out for new surfaces on which to rubber stamp - and if the surface can be a handmade gift itself, well, all the better!  These rubber stamped plaster of paris tea light holders were inspired by a project tutorial by Gabrielle Blair - a blogger living with her family in the French Countryside.  Those of you who know me, know that I am inspired by more than her tutorial!  Maybe I could simply go live with her?  She's a mother of six afterall, and having been raised with 5 siblings of my own, I'm well aware that one more in a household of that size doesn't make a huge difference.  Grin.

But, back to the tea lights.  I followed Gabrielle's tutorial almost exactly with these tweaks:

• When I removed my spacer, I had indeed pushed too deep (or rather, the weight of it sank too deep).  So I simply added a bit more plaster of paris to the well - which also helped to level the surface for the tea light!
• Instead of doing a text transfer onto my tea light, I chose to rubber stamp my images with Jet Black Staz On Ink - a must have ink in my craft room!  If you are ever having difficulty getting a sharp image with this ink pad, remember to reink. 
• In the future I may add some sparkly details just for fun (especially if doing holiday themed tea lights)!

If you need a bit more for your giftable, wouldn't this bee version be the perfect accompaniment to my lemon sugar hand scrub (it can be used in the bath, with the candle burning nearby, and maybe a little limoncello?):

If you like the idea of candle projects for the holidays, but don't want to mess with plaster of paris, I did a 4 part candle series last Christmas that should give you some ideas!  Click on the images below to visit the original blog posts.

        

I hope you take some time to create a few of these votives or another candle project this holiday season - either for yourself or as a handmade gift for a friend!  I think you will find the process a lot of fun, and take a lot of pride in the end result.

MDS2 Christmas Journal AND Card!

A friend of mine asked me to create a Christmas Journal for her in MDS2. She has not yet found her way to digital crafting, but loves to purchase little decorated journals and notebooks at the store - both for her own use and for use as handmade gifts for friends and family.  The one request given was to please use Everyday Enchanted Designer Series Paper.

This is what I came up with:

Upon seeing the finished product, she asked if we could also use the image to create her Christmas cards ... and guess what, yes we can! We'll simply save the project as a jpeg (already done to share the journal with you before it goes to print), and drop it into a greeting card template.  As simply as that, her 2012 Christmas Journal is ready to print - and her Christmas cards too!

Project Tip #1: the red Christmas ornaments used for this project from Joyful Times were the wrong color for my project. Using the new recolor feature of MDS2, I was able to instantly change the color scheme to match the rest of my project!

Project Tip #2: the JOY lettering is done with punches!  Now with MDS2, you have the option to fill any of our punches with any of our Designer Series Papers quickly and easily!  

Are you ready to try digital crafting? Remember you can always take a 30 day free trial - maybe create your own Christmas Journal and cards!  With the free trial, you have access to our professional print services and bulk pricing for the holidays.  

Part 3: Activity Journal for Kids - Number Play From the Big Shot!

It is time to get back to my activity journal for kids - with my Number Play Page!

As with the Alphabet Play Page (click on the title to see this page), I used my Big Shot and the Typeset Alphabet Bigz dies to cut out my numbers from self-stick magnetic sheets covered in retired Designer Series Paper scraps.  With the number of die sets that I own, I was disappointed to find I didn't have a single set that included mathematical equation signs ... so I turned to my trusty sharpie to complete the page.  

My four year old and I have already spent a lot of time 'doing maths' together with this page.  After she does a handful of problems, she'll create others for me ... when you are adding 327 to 569, you sometimes have to wait a moment for mom to answer!  This also means that my single extra 1 and 2 may not be sufficient for answering the problems you create!  I think I may find myself cutting additional numbers, along with my extra letters.

I've got a few more pages in mind for this book.  I'll share them as they come up, and I invite you again to share any ideas you have with me!   In the meantime, if you are looking for additional reasons why YOU need a Big Shot, check out the approved list of 50 materials you can cut with a Big Shot here.

Big Shot Projects: 5 Minute Felt Hair Clip from Leftover Scraps

What do you think of the cutie wearing this 5 Minute Felt Hair Clip Big Shot Project?

This past weekend I had my Fall Big Shot class at which we created beautiful felt pumpkins (see here for image).  At the end of the class I was left with only a few scraps of leftover die cut felt - five 2 1/2 inch orange circles, and one three leaf green piece.  A few quick folds, some hot glue, a Sale-a-bration brad and a hair clip later and I had this beautiful hair clip for my youngest.  (to see the folds used for this clip, see this fabric flower post - you could just as easily use this circle based felt flower for the same bookmark project!).

So I have to ask AGAIN ... when you finish a project, what do you do with the scraps?  Store them for the future? Throw them in the trash? Or create something right away?

I'd like to suggest that every once in awhile you try to put them to use right away! You'll decrease your clean up and increase your creativity.  This time around I was able to create a handmade gift idea for little girls and make my daughter happy at the same time!

Part 2: Activity Journal for Kids - Alphabet Play From the Big Shot!

Today I want to share with you my second page from my activity journal for kids - Alphabet Play!

My four year old is fascinated with letters and learning to spell words!  While I could easily pick up a set of alphabet magnets, I've got several reasons for creating my own:

1. I've already got the supplies on hand!  With my Big Shot, the Typeset Alphabet Bigz dies, the roll of magnetic sheeting I already picked up for this project, and Designer Series Paper from my scrap bin I'm ready to go!
2. The magnetic sheeting is thinner than most of the plastic alphabet magnets I've seen in stores (but thick enough for little hands to pick up)... perfect for a travel book.
3. I can create my alphabet in colors/patterns of my choice!

The striped paper at the bottom is for my daughter to spell words and work with individual letters.  I think I might have to come back and cut out additional vowels and commonly used consonants for spelling purposes!

Project Tip #1: While you can create your letters in a colorful palette, sticking with one piece of Designer Series Paper cuts down on labor.  I was able to cut out my entire alphabet with only three runs through the Big Shot!

Project Tip #2: Don't wait to seal your letters until after they are cut!  It is much easier to apply your paper to the magnet, coat with a sealant (and let dry), then cut out your alphabet.

I've got more pages coming!  In the meantime, take a peek at our Big Shot Die collection - you just might come up with some activity ideas of your own just in time for the holidays!  Click here.

Part 1: Activity Journal for Kids - a Great Handmade Gift for Travel!

I recently decided that I need to put together an activity journal for kids that has been percolating in my mind for over a year!  Each page is magnetic and created from a 5x7 galvanized step flashing available at your local hardware store. I've rounded the corners with a Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper (and sanded to prevent rough edges) and punched holes with a Crop-A-Dile.  This will be a great gift for my 4 year old to use during travel this holiday season!  

This first page is a Tic Tac Toe activity page using retired Designer Series Paper that has a natural grid pattern to it!  You could use a similar pattern (as found in our International Bazaar DSP or Be of Good Cheer DSP) or simply add lines with strips of cardstock to your favorite DSP.

The birds and butterflies tiles are made using cardstock on magnet sheets (found at your craft store) and small stamps from the retired Elementary Elegance stamp set. You could easily use any of the stamp sets recommended in my Wooden Match Game blog post!  They were cut out using the smallest circle on the Circles #2 Die and the Big Shot.  I've also coated my tiles with a sealant for durability.

Project Tip #1: you could also create this project using punches, but you would probably need to use small magnets instead of a magnetic sheet.  I know my sheet is too thick to go through the punches, and requires the Big Shot.

Project Tip #2: unless your magnets are quite strong, do not mat your Designer Series Paper Game Board! While my magnets stick quite well to my metal flashing, they do not stick quite as well to the game board - well enough to play a game, but not for storage.  

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If you like this project idea, check back frequently, or sign up for my blog feeds by email!  I'll be posting additional pages with more childish fun in the following weeks. By entering your email address in the blog posts by email box in my right hand side bar and you won't miss a single page.

My One Hour Fall Acorn Wreath!

Today I want to share a little of my fall decor crafting with recycled and upcycled items. This acorn wreath may look time consuming, but it came together in less than an hour!

A little history behind the wreath ...

Walking home from preschool each day, my four year old daughter stops to pick up acorns from a huge oak tree at the church near our house while our puppy plays in the nearby grass.  Some days I'm impatient and want to move along, and others I'm content to let them have their time - but rarely do I actively encourage the dawdling.  Well, at least until recently.

In looking at fall crafts around me (at the stores, at homes nearby, online - my eyes are always open), I've picked up on the fall current trend to coat anything and everything with natural materials.  Twigs are glued around tin cans to create vases, mini pumpkins are glued to wreath forms, and acorns - well, acorns are everywhere and on every project imaginable!

The supplies ...

This wreath is built upon a simple straw wreath form from my local craft store and uses masses of hot glue, hundreds of acorns, a silk flower torn off an old scare crow decoration, a few brown felt leaves cut with my indispensable Big Shot Machine and a retired leaves die, and a piece of retired Chocholate Chip Grosgrain.  

Your turn ...

Check out your craft room for basic supplies and your surrounding environment for natural materials - you just may find that you have all the supplies you need to create a lovely Fall decoration or gift item!