Find ideas, instructions and materials used to make a variety of paper-craft projects using Stampin' Up! products. As an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator in New Zealand I love to share my passion for creating things with paper including cards, boxes, gifts and decorations. I find that making things is a fun and relaxing past-time which relieves stress and gives me a purpose to be active every day. If you have any questions or want to learn more about Stampin' Up! feel free to contact me.
Sometimes a die set comes along with some pieces which you aren't sure how they are meant to be used. In this blog I'll explain how to use some of the smallest pieces in the set of Gnomes Dies from Stampin' Up!
Gnomes Dies
There are five large framing dies which allow you to die cut the stamped images from the Kindest Gnomes stamp set -- four gnomes and the large mushroom.
The Kindest Gnomes Bundle includes the Kindest Gnomes Stamp Set and the Gnomes Dies
You can also use some of those dies to cut out a few images from the matching designer series paper -- Storybook Gnomes.
The other dies in this set allow you to create a paper-pieced gnome and build a scene with some mushrooms and grass.
However there is one little die that seems out of place in this set until you notice that it fits into the space at the top of the hat die. This little die allows you to cut a hole in the top of the gnome's hat.
Why would you want a hole in the top of a hat, you ask? Well, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination!
You could use the hole to create a banner of gnomes.
You could use it to turn the gnome into a tag.
You could use it to add decorative ribbon to hang a trinket from.*
You can change the look of the paper-pieced gnome by giving it arms. I used the 'nose' pieces (ovals) to create hands and the top of the mushrooms as arms.
The embossed lines of the mushroom dies look like sleeve stitching to me. Have a look at my video to see how to create your own little gnome.
I hope I've inspired you to make the most out of your dies and remember to try to use them differently. You might just surprise yourself!
* Check out my previous blog for more information about the Santa gnome treat box.
In New Zealand and Australia we celebrate ANZAC Day on April 25th every year to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our countries safe. ANZAC is the acronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was created in WWI.
A symbol of this remembrance day is a red poppy known as Flanders' Poppy, which was the first plant to re-emerge from the churned up soil of soldiers' graves during the First World War. Most people wear a cloth poppy on their shirt on ANZAC day, and during the week leading up to the ceremonies, as a sign of respect for those who have fought in wars.
I decided to create a wreath of poppies using the Poppy Moments dies with the intention of laying it at my local war memorial or putting on my front door. I thought maybe others would like to create poppy wreaths as well so I have made my design into a Mailbag Make. This is a perfect project to be doing at home with the kids or if you are not able to get out to craft classes. I have made each poppy a little bit different using a variety of techniques with the ink and glue.
The Poppy Wreath Mailbag Make includes everything you need to get crafting straight out of the mailbag! You will receive several die cut poppy and leaf elements as well as a Fine Tip Glue Pen, a bottle of Real Red Ink Refill and a sponge dauber. You will also get a link to a private instructional video showing you how to put everything together including tips and techniques using the ink refill.
Have a look at this 'sneak peak' video for more information and details on how to order.
I hope you like my project and find a way to celebrate ANZAC day on April 25th!
I love the look of paper lanterns and when I saw the Power Of Hope stamp set, available for free during Sale-A-Bration, I immediately thought of making one. I looked at some paper lanterns I had left over from attending the Auckland Lantern Festival in previous years and attempted to copy them in miniature.
I used a piece of petal pink vellum 5" x 4" (12.7 cm x 10 cm) for the little lantern and stamped the images in Memento back ink all around it between two 1/2" (1.25cm) score lines. After the ink dried I cut 1/4" (0.5 cm) slices between the top and bottom score lines to create the curved lantern effect. I then glued the lantern sides together, overlapping one of the 1/4" (0.5 cm) slices. I used a couple strips of petal pink cardstock 1/2" x 5" (1.25 cm x 12.7 cm) to give it stability on the top and the bottom. I hung a petal pink Best Dressed Tassel using gold thread at the bottom of the lantern. This also created a way to hold the battery-operated tealight. I also used a 1/4" x 6" (0.5 cm x 15.24 cm) piece of petal pink cardstock to create a handle at the top. Using three flowers from the Seasonal Layers Dies, I die cut the petal pink cardstock and vellum to decorate the little lantern, thus hiding my joins on the top and bottom strips.
I love the way this lantern came out and it was so easy to make. If you'd like to make one yourself, have a look at my video for instructions.
If you make a lantern I'd love to see it. Please post your pictures in the comments or on my Facebook page.
I've finally finished my Christmas projects but I can't seem to stop crafting! So now I've turned my thoughts to the new year by making cute easel cards with mini calendars attached. The easel card design is simple and can be used for lots of different projects but here I use it to keep my sticky notes handy as well as a way for me to check the date!
For this project I used the Sailing Home cling stamps with the matching Smooth Sailing dies. I chose my colours from the Come Sail Away DSP -- Whisper White, Night of Navy and Mossy Meadow. On the first card I used an anchor from the Sail Away Trinkets, attaching it with a bit of the Night Of Navy/Sahara Sand Baker's Twine. My video shows how to use the smallest silver brad from the Metallic Brads to attach the hands to the compass.
The base of the easel is made from a 30.5 x 10.5 cm (12" x 4") piece of cardstock scored at 15.25 cm and 7.6 cm (6" and 3"). Glue a 15.25 x 10.5 cm (6" x 4") piece of coloured cardstock to the bottom half of the front of the card and a 14.25 x 9.5 cm (5-3/4" x 3-3/4") piece to the inside of the card. Glue a 14.25 x 9.5 cm (5-3/4" x 3-3/4") piece of designer series paper to the coloured front mat.
Glue the mini calendar to a piece of coloured cardstock which is slightly larger than the calendar, in my case that was a 7.6 x 5 cm (3" x 2") piece. You should be able to purchase the mini calendars online from a store in your country, however they need to be bought several months before the end of the year. Alternatively, you could print out your own and staple the months together. Glue the mini calendar to the dsp on the front of the card towards the bottom.
Stamp a piece of Whisper White cardstock with images from the Sailing Home stamp set and cut them out using the Smooth Sailing dies or the 3.8cm (1-1/2") Circle Punch depending on the images you stamp. You can also cut out images from coloured cardstock with the dies, such as the hands of the compass, the ship's wheel or the rope.
You can see exactly how to make one of these cards on my video here.
I taught this card at one of my Parent & Child classes recently, but we made it with the Good Morning Magnolia Bundle (Good Morning Magnolia Cling Stamp Set and the Magnolia Memory Dies). Some participants chose to stamp the image while others created a 3-D magnolia using the dies.
This would be a perfect gift for someone or make it for your desk so you have some note paper handy and will always know the date!
I love papercrafts and that is why being an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator is a perfect fit for me. I really enjoy making cards and other handicrafts and love to show my creations to other people. That is how I got a custom Christmas card order from my daughter's boss. Last year I was showing her a Christmas card I had just made and she asked if I could make 20 of them for her to give to her customers. That was my first custom order!
So this year I created a couple 'sample' cards using the So Many Stars bundle especially for my daughter's boss. I showed her the two cards a few weeks ago and she chose to order the design on the right with the swirls.
I used my computer to print her company's name on whisper white cardstock which I cut to size for the inside of each card. I then went about making 20 of these Christmas cards using balmy blue cardstock, silver foil, silver glimmer paper, silvery shimmer delicata metallic ink for the background stars and silver embossing powder for the sentiment.
I love the Stitched Stars dies because they look beautiful in glimmer paper and the stitching even makes plain paper look more elegant. I used the little stars which cut out of the swirl die as accents on the front of the card as well as one on the back of the envelope, which I stamped in balmy blue ink with the speckled stars from the So Many Stars photopolymer stamp set.
I don't have much family here in New Zealand and the cost of postage to send cards to my relatives in the USA is very expensive so I don't send many Christmas cards, however I am still able to satisfy my desire to make handmade Christmas cards by doing custom orders.
So if you live in New Zealand and would like some handmade cards just let me know. Or better yet, I can teach you how to make your own cards at one of my classes! Just have a look at my website for my contact details and upcoming classes.
These adorable little boxes were made using
the Apron Of Love stamp set and matching dies. The moment I saw this set I thought of creating a container with it. It was so easy to make as I just die cut two sides of the apron from designer series paper and then attached them together with a little piece of cardstock between the two aprons.
The only stamping I did on this craft was the sentiment on the apron pocket and the tiny card I made to go into the little pocket. I love this set as it has so many parts to make wonderful cards and crafts for any occasion -- Mother's Day, Father's Day, friends, thank you, etc.
I put mini TicTacs in them as gifts for my customers last year and I made some more with chocolates and hand sanitisers in them to sell at my craft markets. You could make the container bigger for other items, like a Tombow glue bottle, soap, lollies or anything you want!
Of course you can use this set for cards, scrapbooking or even home decor. The possibilities are endless and you can see a few of these ideas on my website and on Pinterest. Unfortunately this set is going to retire on June 3rd, so if you'd like to make this project you will need to buy the Apron of Love set soon. If you are in New Zealand you can contact me to order or look online to find a Stampin' Up! demonstrator in your country to order from. #ComputerAndCraftDesigns#StampinUp#creativetherapy#PaperCraftIdeas#HandmadeGifts#3DPapercrafts
