Holiday Matchbook Treat Holder with FREE PDF Tutorial

By | March 15, 2018
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Just Stamp | Matchbook Treat Holder

Quick and Easy Matchbook Treat Holders

A matchbook treat holder makes a perfect token of friendship anytime, especially for a holiday. For St. Patricks Day, I grabbed a favorite holiday stamp set and punch from Christmases past. That’s right, Christmas!

Cookie Cutter Christmas was a popular favorite when it debuted a couple Christmases ago. Click to see one of my favorite Christmas cards I created with this stamp set and coordinating punch. I said it before and I’ll repeat it again: this set is super cute. If you don’t own it, get it. AND the coordinating punch is a must-have.

For St. Patricks Day, I was inspired by Scottish stamper Kirsteen Gill who ingeniously transformed Santa into a leprechaun. How clever! When I saw her lucky green guy, I was motivated to craft and assemble quick and easy treats for friends and co-workers this St. Paddy’s Day.

Here’s What I Made

Batch of St. Patricks Day Matchbook Treat Holders

After a trip to my fav local chocolate shop founded by Charles, Mary and Florence See, I was well-stocked with tasty Café Latté Krispies. They’re conveniently individually packaged in small envelopes with flaps. I mention this because the matchbook template lends itself so easily to this candy packaging. Here they are. 

Click here for a FREE Step-by-Step PDF tutorial to create the Matchbook Treat Holder.

Here’s What I Used to Make the Matchbook Treat Holder

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How to Make a Cute Valentine From You or Your Dog

By | February 11, 2018
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Just Stamp | How to Make a Cute Valentine

Hearts + Puppy = The Easiest Way to Make a Cute Valentine From You or Your Dog

This is the perfect Valentine card for you or your dog to send anyone on the friends and family card list. It’s sweet and simple. And yes, it can be from you or the family pooch who no doubt was stressing over getting out his Valentines.

Here’s What I Did to Make a Cute Valentine

Crafting this cute card was super quick and super easy. I grabbed my favorite go-to card base: Whisper White Thick Card Stock. Next, I cropped a giant heart in the heart pattern paper from the Sale-a-Bration Bubbles & Fizz Designer Series Paper.

I cracked open the Bella & Friends stamp set that is stinkin’ cute for any occasion. I’ve used the set for thank you cards, Christmas, birthdays and now Valentines. You can see a card set I shared when I first inked up the set here. Here’s the Christmas gift card holder I made.

I picked the Bella-with-her-bone-looking-right-at-YOU image and stamped her right in the center of the heart shape cutout. Watercolor Pencils and a Blender Pen stylized her to resemble my sister’s dog, but you can color her any color and give her spots, highlights or texture. To add dimension, I attached the heart layer using Stampin’ Dimensionals. Two more hearts — one Gold Foil, one sentiment — were adhered next to the Bella along with a gold and brushstroke embellishment cropped using the Petals & More Thinlits Dies and the Painted with Love Specialty Designer Series Paper.

I did use the Valentines Day Sure Do Love You stamp set from the 2018 Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalog, but when you make a cute Valentine it isn’t necessary to own a Valentines Day stamp set. The Valentines theme can be expressed through colors, images everyone loves (think flowers, cupcakes, critters …) and of course, hearts. Most of these tools are probably already in a papercrafter’s tool chest.

Here’s What I Used to Make a Cute Valentine

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Stampin’ Blends Introduction Class Registration Now Open

By | January 27, 2018
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Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018
2-5 pm
Studio 5425
Register by Feb. 10

I’m so excited to introduce my February class today: the Stampin’ Blends Introduction Class. In this class, we’ll be creating six cards (two of three designs) and adding color with the Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers. Stampin’ Up!’s new premier alcohol markers are the easiest tool to add color. No more streaks and visible strokes — everyone becomes an artist. The dual tipped, high quality markers come in light and dark shades in a rainbow of colors. They blend so easily with no choppy lines or harsh brush strokes. Of course they coordinate with the Stampin’ Up! paper and ink colors, too. You can read more about them and see the full color chart here.

Want to try the new artist-quality Blends? Join me for class. We’ll talk about all the features and benefits, and learn how to best color and care for them. You’ll learn lots of useful tips. Tuition includes the Daffodil Delight and Old Olive Combo packs, and the must-have Color Lifter, plus all supplies and the use of my tools. RSVP and pre-payment by Feb. 10 is a must since these materials are ordered and prepped JUST FOR YOU! Register here.

Check out the Stampin’ Up! video tutorial.

 

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Watercoloring with Brusho and Birthday Blooms

By | January 20, 2018
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Birthday Blooms with Brusho

Brusho Crystal Colour Makes Everyone an Artist

Stampin’ Up! has added a new color medium to the menu of coloring tools. On page 26 of the new Occasions catalog you will eye the Brusho Crystal Color that hails from Sheffield, England. The small kit of five colors includes Prussian Blue, Brilliant Red, Camboge, Yellow and Moss Green. I love the kit!

Sprinkle the crystals. Spritz them. Brush them. The possibilities are great. And the results are impressive for all of us who claim we have no artistic talent.

Here’s a Close Look

Brusho Birthday Blooms Zoom

Here’s What I Did

I stamped the largest bloom from the Birthday Blooms stamp set on Watercolor Paper with my Archival Basic Black ink pad. To add my color, I used the simplest watercolor technique.

  • First, shake a small amount of the Yellow crystals onto an acrylic sheet.
  • Next, dip an Aqua Painter into the crystals and  lightly brush a small section of the image at a time. For more intense, vibrant color on the petal lines and select petals, dip the Aqua Painter in more crystals and color.

So. Easy. I was impressed with my new art skills. You will be too.

After watercoloring the bloom, I added another technique to my art.

  • First, I created a mask using a Post-It note.
  • Next, I covered my watercolored bloom, grabbed the Prussian Blue container and sprinkled a few crystals around the bloom.
  • Then, I held a Stampin’ Spritzer filled with water about 8-10 inches away from the image and lightly sprayed. This created light flecks of color around the bloom to coordinate with the cardbase color of Marina Mist.

Considering the minute amount of crystals needed, these small containers should last FOREVER! But be warned, you will want to start experimenting with other techniques this great medium offers.

Here’s What I Used

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Thanksgiving Sampler or Family Scrapbook Page with Count My Blessings Stamps

By | November 23, 2017
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Here’s What I Made

Just Stamp | Blessings Sampler

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day most of us sit down and express our gratitude for all the blessings in our lives. Thank goodness there’s a special day on the calendar for it, because sometimes we get caught up in the whirlwind of day-to-day life.

I’m sharing my twist on Sampler Framed Art with a Thanksgiving Sampler. During Stampin’ Up!’s recent convention, I fell for the beautiful sampler displays created by talented demonstrators. I decided to give it a try, adding some family photos. Now I have either a Framed Art Sampler of a scrapbook page.

If you are on my mailing list, you will receive a free tutorial for a Christmas Sampler within the next two days.

Just Stamp | Blessings Sampler Zoom

 

Here’s What I Used

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Coming Monday! Free Holiday Help Tutorials for Newsletter Subscribers

By | November 17, 2017
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Just Stamp | Holiday Help 2017

It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays. If you’re like me, the holidays sneak up on me every year. Before I know it, it’s Dec. 24 and I’m frantically trying to wrap, tag, and delivery my holiday cheer.

Good news! I have six days full of free holiday project ideas ready to share with all newsletter subscribers. These ideas include step by step tutorials for gift giving, decorating, and card making.

To receive the free tutorials, your name and email address must be on my newsletter subscriber list by this Sunday at 12 PST. My Six Days of Holiday Help tutorials will begin arriving in your mailbox on Monday morning.

Want to receive your free tutorials delivered straight to your inbox every morning? Just add your name and primary email address in the Sign Up box to the right now.  Click Sign Up and you’re on the delivery list.

While you are waiting for your first delivery, please visit my Holiday Store today and again Monday to grab the great Cyber Week deals.

Be sure to sign up for my mailing list to receive my Six Days of Holiday Help newsletters beginning Monday. Thanks for clicking by!

Gratitude Card to Observe National Gratitude Month

By | October 30, 2017
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Stampin' Up! Count My Blessings

Here’s What I Made

Today’s project can be a holiday card OR it can be the Go-To card for the other 364 days of the year. This is my first gratitude card to observe National Gratitude Month that begins in two days and of course culminates the third Thursday of the month with the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

Messages to express gratitude and kind thoughts plus pretty elements of nature make Count My Blessings from Stampin Up!’s Holiday Catalog the perfect set for November. 

The elegant Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate as a screen between gold embossed/watercolored foliage and the graceful sentiment make this simple design fancy.

Here’s What I Used

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Coffee, Tea and Crafts

If you are in the Inland Empire area of SoCal, I invite you to join me this Saturday, November 4 between 11 am and 1 pm. We will be crafting this project during my Saturday Morning Coffee, Tea and Crafts. Stampers of all skill levels are invited and welcomed to bring a friend. The fee is only $5. Supplies are limited so it’s best to reserve your spot to avoid disappointment. Call or text 951.782.8979 to get the details.
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Home for Halloween Card with Hometown Greeting Edgelit Dies

By | October 15, 2017
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Just Stamp | Home for Halloween

Here’s What I Made

The Hearts Come Home Bundle from Stampin Up!’s Holiday Catalog brings home hearts for Halloween, too! Of course, it was designed for festive winter scenes but the set can also create scenes for the October 31 holiday, and other upcoming special days.

By choosing a Halloween color palette and pairing die cuts from other framelit sets, the Hometown Greetings Edgelits  create a spooky, haunted village with eery bats and bare trees.

What?! You don’t send Halloween cards? Think of Halloween as another opportunity to contact friends and family with a thoughtful greeting.

Click here for the Home for Halloween Card Project Sheet that includes project supplies and measurements.

Here’s What I Used

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Just Stamp | Stampin Up! Home for Halloween Zoom

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