Mailbag Makes -- Craft Anywhere You Want!

I love teaching others how to make things with papercrafts. I have weekly classes in my home and participate in annual events with my upline, called Crafternoon. I have even started making videos to show people all over the world how to make things with Stampin' Up! products.

However I know that some people just can't make it to a class because the timing isn't right or they live too far away. Maybe, like me, they love to watch videos but unless they have the materials at hand they never make the projects they watch. My Pinterest is full of projects I'd love to make, but sometimes it takes too long to prepare the materials. I have the same problem when it comes to cooking -- the prep work takes too long and what I really enjoy is the eating!

So I have come up with a solution to those problems -- papercraft projects already prepared and ready to make mailed out to people which I am calling Mailbag Makes! I will do all the prep work and I will mail you all the pieces needed to make the project. You will get a link to a video of me showing you exactly how to create the featured papercraft. That way you can make the item(s) anytime and anywhere you like as you'll have everything you need ready and waiting for you, except for the stamps and ink.

Each month I will create a different project, ranging from cards to scrapbooks, home decorations, gifts, bags and boxes. The Mailbag Make will include all the cardstock, paper and embellishments you need to make the project. The price of the Mailbag Make will vary each month depending on how many supplies are need and it will not include the featured stamp set or inks, however you can purchase them for an extra fee or just use what you have at hand.

I am starting this offer with an antique-looking Memory Book. You can use this as a scrapbook by attaching your favourite photos to the pages or you could also use it as a diary because it includes 12 printed calendar months. Have a look at my preview video below to see the inside of the book and for more information on what's included.

Just contact me to order your Mailbag Make if you live in New Zealand, unfortunately I am unable to send products outside of my country. Next month I will have another project for sale as a Mailbag Make so check back then or join my email list so you can be notified as soon as the next one is available.

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #MailbagMake #Scrapbook #DesignerSeriesPaper #MiniBooklet #MemoryBook #CraftHappy #PhotoAlbum

Magic Colour Slider Cards

I've seen lots of videos of magic colour slider cards online and I have been wanting to try this technique for a long time. I finally found a stamp set that lends itself to this technique; the Dressed To Impress Photopolymer Stamp Set. The solid outline images are perfect for colouring in which is why I used them for my cards.

I modified the way I made my cards from those I'd seen online so that they aren't too bulky. Most videos I watched used dimensionals to pop up the front so that the window sheet slid more easily. Also the videos I watched didn't make cards, per se, they only made the fronts which did not open however you could write your message on the back.

After a long night's thinking -- which is why I don't get much sleep -- I came up with an idea to use designer series paper on the front to hold the sliding mechanism. I also didn't like that the space was left blank after pulling the window sheet up to reveal the coloured image, so I decided to stamped on the rest of the window sheet which turned it into a hidden message!

I created my first card with the lipstick image and the sentiment that fits it perfectly -- Be As Bold As Your Lipstick! I chose a colour combination to match the Stampin' Blends I used for the lipstick: Rich Razzleberry, Lovely Lipstick and Smoky Slate. I used the layering ovals for the cutout and to make a frame in Lovely Lipstick. I also used white embossing powder for the sentiment on the front of the card and the little arrow on the pull tab. The inside of the card has a sentiment from the Stitched All Around Cling-Mount Stamp Set.

Once I completed my first card I had lots of ideas to do more cards so I decided to create a video showing how to make one. My second card used the shoe stamp and the matching Best Dressed DSP. This time I chose Granny Apple Green, Lovely Lipstick and Purple Posy for my colours which match some of the colours in the DSP.

The video (below) shows how to make the card and mentions the dimensions however I had to make a few adjustments since this was a landscape card which I hadn't tried to make before. In the video I explain how to figure out measurements for different sized apertures.

Here are the measurements I used for both cards:

*** Standard A6 card size base = 14.8 cm x 21 cm scored at 10.5 cm (5-3/4" x 4-1/8")

*** Whisper White cardstock (two pieces -- inside and front) = 14.3 cm x 10 cm (5-5/8" x 4")

*** Designer Series Paper = 14.3 cm x 10 cm (5-5/8" x 4")

*** Whisper White cardstock for insert = 14 cm x 8 cm (5-1/2" x 3-1/8")

*** Window Sheet for insert = 14 cm x 8 cm (5-1/2" x 3-1/8")

*** Scrap piece of cardstock for the sentiment on the front, the aperture frame, and the pull tab.

You can see a list of the products used under the description on my YouTube video.

After making this video I realised I didn't have to stamp the second image on the window sheet since I could have just cut it out of the white cardstock and glued it to the window sheet instead because you won't be seeing the bottom of the white insert.

I now have another idea for making a different magic colour slider card which will use less window sheet so . . . watch this space!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #Stamparatus #DressedToImpress #MagicColorCard #SaleABration #LovelyLipstick

Snowman 'Empathy' Card

I came up with an idea to make a card showing a snowman whose head has fallen off. Why has it fallen off ? I don't know. Maybe it was starting to melt. Maybe there was a gust of wind that blew it off. Maybe the snowman was in a snowball fight and got hit in the head. Maybe whoever was making the snowman went away and never finished putting the head on the body. No matter what story you create, it seems a bit sad to see the snowman reaching for it's fallen head. Since this didn't seem to be a Christmas card (even though there is a snowman), I decided to make it into an 'empathy' card.

The inside of the card on the left says "I know this must be hard for you" and the inside of the card on the right says "I just didn't know what to say."

Genuine Gems Cling Stamp Set

The Genuine Gems stamps were perfect for the sentiments because this stamp set has lots of sayings for those times you just can't find the appropriate words. This card would be perfect to give to someone to let them know you are thinking of them during a difficult time in their life.
The base of the card is a standard Whisper White A6 size (5-13/16 x 4-1/8"). I used two Balmy Blue pieces cut to 14.3 x 10 cm (5-5/8 x 4") for the background on the front and a mat on the inside. I cut one piece of Whisper White cardstock to 13.8 x 9.5 cm (5-7/16 x 3-3/4") for the inside of the card. I used two 2 x 10 cm (2-3/4 x 4") thin Whisper White pieces for the snowdrifts on the front of the card. I cut three circles using the smallest Layering Circles dies out of Whisper White cardstock to make the snowman.

Seasonal Layers Dies

I stuck the snowman pieces to the card with Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue and Stampin' Dimensionals, tucking parts into the snowdrifts. I cut a scrap of Basic Black cardstock into a hat shape and glued a little strip of Old Olive cardstock on it as a hat band before placing it on the card with dimensionals. I cut a long triangle from a scrap of Pumpkin Pie cardstock and drew little lines on it with a Basic Black Stampin' Write pen to make the carrot nose. The two arms are cut out of Early Espresso cardstock using just the top part of the branch die from the Seasonal Layers die set. All pieces were glued into place using Tombow.

I made a video with instructions -- actually two videos because my phone stopped recording just before I had finished the card. In the first video I show you how to get the snowstorm effect by splattering Snowfall Accents Puff Paint on the Balmy Blue background before heating it with a Heat Tool. I also demonstrate how to tear the thin Whisper White cardstock for the bottom of the card. These pieces are layered to make a snowdrift effect for the snowman to be stuck in. To make the eyes and buttons I used Stampin' Blends to colour Basic Pearls and Rhinestone Jewels. I then had the difficult task of choosing which words to stamp on the front and inside of the card with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. There are so many good choices from the Genuine Gems stamp set!

If you live in New Zealand you can order all the products you need to make this cute snowman card at my shop or from your demonstrator.

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #PaperCraftIdeas #ChristmasCard #HandmadeCard #SnowmanCard #Empathy 

World Card Making Day is Coming!

Saturday, October 5th is World Card Making Day and I decided to offer a Free Christmas Card Making Class here in my home. I've been advertising all over Facebook and other internet sites so I am hopeful that there will be a few people coming to make cards. Today I've been busy making lots of Christmas cards as samples for the class.

I will be using the Night Before Christmas Memories & More cards and envelopes in the class because it is very easy to put together a few elements to make a card quickly. However, since I didn't know what the final cards would look like I decided to spread all my supplies out on my dining table.

I grabbed some retired DSP, threads, stamps and embellishments to bling up the cards as well. Even though it looked like a card shop had thrown up all over my table, it was an organised mess!

My original plan was to create four sample cards for the attendees to choose from but once I started combining my supplies together I created 10 cards and I could have kept going! I even got out last year's Poppy Parade coloured cards and envelopes which worked well with some of the images in the Night Before Christmas card pack. I was trying to create simple cards in case those attending were new to papercrafts, but I couldn't help but add embellishments and die cuts.

So I ended up with 5 samples of beginner cards and 5 samples of more complicated cards. I will let those who show up have a choice of which one they would like to make or they can just create their own card from the supplies I will have on the table -- once I clean up my mess! 😅

I could spend days playing with this set by fussy cutting and punching out all sorts of shapes from the cards since the colours coordinate so well and with just a few extra elements I would have 50 Christmas cards. But I didn't want to make things too difficult since I want to get people interested in card making and not scare them away! I will do some more 'messing' about with the cards that are left over after Saturday to make more Christmas cards for my markets and future classes because for me . . . everyday is Card Making Day! 💟


#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #PaperCraftIdeas #ChristmasCard #MemoriesAndMore

Daisy Punch Meets Rooted In Nature Wood Stamp

During a recent class I was teaching, I explained how I punch out images on a sheet of scrap paper so I can easily see which punches I have and how the shapes will fit over a sentiment before stamping it. I hold the 'negative' punched image over the stamp to see if it will fit the shape. This also helps me figure out if the punch will fit a piece of cardstock I want to use, thus saving me time and paper.

While I was demonstrating how to do this I was using a scrap of paper on which I had punched out daisies the night before and I suddenly had an 'aha!' moment. The large daisy fits perfectly over the large wooden ring image from the Rooted in Nature stamp set. So I grabbed one of the ink pads we were using in class and soon I had a textured daisy.

When I was trying to remove the cardstock from the punch, I wondered if I could make more petals by punching out the remaining stamped cardstock. I then had a complete daisy and lots of petals in the same textured colour. I did it again using Cajun Craze ink and began putting my new flower design together. I stuck the two complete daisies on each other and then glued each petal to the centre overlapping the other colour.

Then I went looking for cardstock and DSP to use to make a card with my new flower. That's usually how I create (unless I am CASEing someone else's awesome designs) -- I play around with stamps and dies or punches and then try to use them in a project. I don't always match up colours precisely as I don't think about what coloured cardstock I have before I make the embellishments, plus I'm not thinking of the final design when I'm playing with my stamps and dies. I guess I'm doing things backwards, but it's more fun and challenging that way!

I knew I had a lot of Mint Macaron cardstock so I started with that colour and discovered that the Mosaic Mood Specialty Designer Series Paper used it as well as Cajun Craze, which was one of my flower colours. I then chose Very Vanilla cardstock for the base and central layer because that was in the DSP as well. From there I used my leaf punch and the Painted Harvest stamp set to make two-toned leaves to match the other DSP colours. The Stamparatus allowed me to line up the two-step stamp easily to make the leaves very quickly. I used a 1/2" circle punch to make a Daffodil Delight coloured circle piece which I shaped to fit the centre of my flower. I used Stampin' Write pens in the colours of the flower for the sentiment and pretty soon I was finished with my card.

So now I can't wait to go through all my stamps to see which will fit my daisy punches to create more unique flowers or maybe I can find new textures for my cat and dog punches!












#ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #PaperCraftIdeas #HandmadeCard #CardTechnique

Emboss Resist Technique with a Twist!

I have tried the emboss resist technique many times in the past and there are lots of videos online to show how to do it. For those of you who don't know what it is . . . you heat emboss an image using white or clear embossing powder on to white card stock and then rub ink all over the paper so that the image 'resists' the ink. It looks like a magic trick when the image suddenly appears! I remember doing this as a kid with waxed crayons and paint to make 'secret messages' appear on paper.


Recently I tried a little twist to this technique which I have seen a few times online. There is one extra step to achieve this effect. Before embossing I coloured the glossy paper with a few different inks to go with the image I wanted to use. For the leaf card I chose regal autunm colours and for the daisy card I used bright summery colours.

I decided to try two different ways of colouring the glossy card. For the leaves I put a few drops of reinkers (Calypso Coral, So Saffron, and Pear Pizzazz) on the cardstock and then used my heat tool to dry the ink while moving it around the paper. This gave me more colours when the ink mixed on the page which resembled the colour of autumn leaves.

For the daisy card I used sponge daubers to rub three different inks (Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, and Pineapple Punch) in various areas on the paper. I started with the darkest colour and them moved up to the lighter colours because I could always add more of the darker colour if I needed. I rubbed the lightest colour (Pineapple Punch) all over the top of the other two to blend any hard lines.

After waiting for the inked pieces of glossy cardstock to dry, I rubbed the cardstock with the Embossing Buddy to prevent any embossing powder from sticking where I didn't want it to go. I then used Versamark ink to stamp my images from the Daisy Lane and Rooted in Nature stamp sets all over the paper before sprinkling clear embossing powder over those images and heat embossing them. This protected the coloured background under the stamped images for my next step.

To make the embossed images more visible, I inked over the entire cardstock with a darker colour. This can be done with a sponge or just pressing the ink pad all over the card stock. After it was all inked up I then took a dry cloth and rubbed the ink off the top of the embossed images just like the traditional emboss resist technique. Then the coloured background showed through the clear embossed images, giving me multi-coloured daisies and leaves!

Once I had finished the emboss resist technique I then had to do something with the pages I had made. This took the longest time as I wasn't happy with the dark green background or the placement of the daisies. I did love how the leaves turned out but I needed to find accessories to create a card for that page.

I then concentrated on the easiest part of the cards, the inside! I stamped a flower on Pineapple Punch cardstock for the inside of the daisy card and then tried to replicate the mixed leaf colours for my autumn card. I used another technique to stamp a different leaf image from the Rooted in Nature set. Using Stampin' Write Markers I coloured different parts of the stamp and then sprayed a little water on it with the Stampin' Spritzer. This made the ink merge and when I stamped the leaf it had a watercolour look to it which matched the embossed leaves on the front of the card.

For my other card, I cut circles out of Grapefruit Grove cardstock to let the daisies show through and I fussy-cut one out of the embossed page to create a bit of dimension. I have since ordered the matching daisy punches so I won't have to fussy-cut daisies again! It's not the best card I've made but I was able to use a lot of images from the Daisy Lane set.

I always learn something new every time I create a papercraft project and this time it was that I should decide on my background colour carefully when doing this technique as you cannot change it once you put the ink down. However I was so excited to try it that I just jumped right in without thinking of what the finished card would be . . . lesson learned!

#ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #PaperCraftIdeas #HandmadeCard #EmbossResist #CardTechnique

Swaps

Today I am off to Auckland to stay in an apartment with fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators from my upline. We are going to be attending OnStage Live at Sky City Convention Centre. This 3-day event will be lots of fun for everyone attending as we get to play with some new products, see demonstrations, mingle with other demonstrators from all around the world, and get a sneak peak at the upcoming annual catalogue, which goes live on June 1st.

One of the fun things I love to do every time I go to OnStage (the event happens twice a year) is make things to swap with other demonstrators. I usually make 3-D objects such as boxes or little baskets but this time I decided to make some small cards. I can't wait to see all the creative gifts I receive in exchange for my swaps. I will be sure to show pictures of them in a future post, but for now I'd like to share how I made the 100 cards I have to give to other demonstrators.

I chose to use the dog and cat stamp sets with matching punches for my cards -- Happy Tail, Dog Builder Punch, Nine Lives and Cat Punch. I first designed the 3" x 3" silhouette cards in black and white. However I don't like to waste anything so I stamped the animal images on one side of the whisper white square using my Stamparatus.

Then I cut the animals out with the matching punches. I turned the 'negative' card over and again used the Stamparatus to stamp the sentiment on each one. I love using my Stamparatus to make multiple cards as I can line each piece of the card up perfectly to get identical images quickly. 

I stamped small hearts on a piece of whisper white cardstock for the inside of each card along with a matching sentiment -- Meow! or Ruff! Then it was just a matter of adhering each layer to the 3" x 3" card bases and putting a red heart, made from the dog punch, on each silhouette. Of course I had to stamp a cute image on the matching envelopes. 

I made one larger card using the punched out animals from two smaller cards. I used Wood Textures (1" x 4") and Gingham Gala (3" x 4") designer series paper along with matching cardstock to make a 3.875" x 4.125" card (9.9 cm x 10.5 cm). This sizing allowed me to get three cards from one A4 piece of cardstock without any waste, however you will have to adjust these sizes if you are using letter-sized paper. I used my Stamparatus to place the sentiment on the top left corner of the Gingham Gala paper. Besides allowing me perfect placement, using the Stamparatus let me stamp the words again if the Memento ink didn't come out evenly.

I adhered the DSP to the front of the card as shown in the pictures (overlapping the Gingham Gala with the Wood Texture dsp) and popped the animals up on dimensionals along with a stamped heart cut out from the dog punch. For the inside of the card I stamped the sentiment from the Happy Tails stamp set along with a paw print.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my swaps for OnStage and if you are one of the demonstrators I get to swap with, thank you very much!

#ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #PaperCraftIdeas #HandmadeCard #Swaps #OnStage #AucklandOnStage #MiniCard

Creative Space

When making papercrafts you need a place to do your creating. Some people are lucky enough to have a large house with a dedicated room or maybe even a converted garage or sleepout which has been made into a craft room. However I suspect many people are probably like me and have to find space to create where ever they can.

When my children were still living at home, I used to keep everything in boxes in a closet and get things out only when I was making a project. I would take over the dining table during the day but I would have to clean everything up each evening in time for dinner. However sometimes I wasn't finished creating, so I would leave everything on the table and my family would have to eat on their laps siting on the couch or in their bedrooms. I guess I wasn't going to get the Mother-of-the-Year award!

The bad thing about crafting out of a closet is that I didn't always know where things were. Sometimes I knew I had a specific item I needed but I couldn't find it so I would just buy another one. That is how I ended up with so many 'googly' eyes -- every Christmas when I went to make candy cane reindeer I couldn't find the eyes! And now I have lots of other things I forgot I had bought.

When I became an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator I wanted to have everything easily accessible. So I created some space using an old computer desk in the hallway. I was able to store all my stamps on the top shelves of the desk and my other bits and bobs on the lower shelves where the computer and printer used to sit. Having the pull-out keyboard drawer was handy for storing my Stampin' Trimmer.

This setup worked well for a little while as I was able to find things readily, and except for having to use the dining table for my Big Shot, I made things quickly and easily. It was nice to sit in one spot and reach everything I needed. I did have less space to spread out than what I had with the dining table, though sometimes I would use that space as well.

The only problem with that setup was I am a night owl and I do most of my creative work from 8 pm until after midnight. However my desk was right outside my daughter's bedroom and she would often yell at me to turn the hallway light off and stop making noise as she was trying to get some sleep. So here's a tip . . . do not setup your creative space in an area which will impact others!

So I then moved into a room which was vacated by my other daughter when she moved out. You would think I'd have plenty of space to be creative, but no! Half of the room was full of furniture and belongings she had left behind, including a drum set. I piled all of her belongings on one side of the room and made a little pathway through the middle of the room so I could access a large table to make cards and other projects. This worked for a little while until I acquired too many stamping supplies, if that is even possible! 😜



I slowly got rid of some of the belongings and sold the drum set so I was finally able to access more of the room. After a year of clearing out things, and acquiring more Stampin' Up! products, I had made a decent area to call my craft space. I still have some work to do to get the room completely organised along with painting the walls and fixing the closet doors, but it is a good start. I have big plans for my craft room!

I now have all my stamp sets stacked alphabetically and my other supplies are in drawers or on shelves within easy reach of my desk chair. I bought a small trolley for my Big Shot which has drawers to store accessories and it can be wheeled out to the dining room when I hold my weekly classes. And now that Stampin' Up! is offering modular storage, I will be able to tailor my creative space to my way!

#ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #PaperCraftIdeas #HandmadeCard

Welcome to my Papercraft Addiction

I am starting this blog to showcase my passion for papercrafts. I love being creative and enjoy most arts and crafts including stitching, mosaics, colouring and of course stamping. I find creating something (whether it comes out as planned or not) is very relaxing and empowering. There is lots of research on the subject to show that doing arts and crafts can be very effective in relieving stress. I have been making things with paper all my life and have tried almost every papercraft there is including decoupage, embossing, flower making, kirigami, origami, paper mache, tea bag folding, weaving and quilling . . . to name just a few.

I am always willing to learn new things and when I find something that ignites my passion, whether it be easy or hard to do, I fully immerse myself in it and I really enjoy teaching others. That is how I became an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator two years ago. I went to a class and fell in love with the products, techniques and all the wonderful people.

In this day of rising costs, creating home-made cards is a way to save money since a store bought one can cost over $4 here in New Zealand and they are not as special as one made by your own hands. Making your own cards allows you the freedom to create something special for the recipient which can be personalised to reflect them, for example adding a favourite animal or colour.

I also really enjoy making non-traditional papercrafts such as boxes, bags, home decor, 3-D cards and gifts. There are so many things which can be made with paper and you are only limited by your imagination -- or for me my limit is based on my internet access as my imagination doesn't always work! lol

I just love how all the Stampin' Up! products coordinate so well from the matching coloured cardstock, ink and embellishments to punches and dies that work with designer series paper and stamp sets. It is so easy to create professional looking projects quickly.

With this blog I want to show all the amazing things which I can make with just some paper, cutting tools, ink and adhesives. I also hope to encourage others to discover the joys of being creative as I share my Papercraft Addiction!

#ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #PaperCraftIdeas #HandmadeCard