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.
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 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.
I live in a country where Christmas is hot and sunny because it is summertime here in New Zealand in December, however I still love all the traditional festive images of snowflakes, starlit nights, Santa in his red suit and dreaming of a white Christmas. I really like snowmen as they come in lots of different sizes and shapes, which got me thinking of a melting snowman. I remember making one out of felt many years ago so I decided to try to recreate it using paper.
I cut an A4 piece of Whisper White cardstock at 14 cm (5.5") on the long side. I used the 14 x 21 cm (5.5" x 8.25") piece to die cut the Mini Curvy Keepsake Box to make the snowman head.
Mini Curvy Keepsake Box dies
Frosted Foliage stamp set
Christmas Countdown stamp set
I then cut the remaining 15.7 x 21 cm (6.25" x 8.25") piece into a 'melted' blob for the body of the snowman. I stamped all over both pieces with Silvery Shimmer ink using the little star/snowflake stamp from the Christmas Countdown stamp set.
On the remainder of the 14 cm Whisper White cardstock I stamped the words 'You Warm My Heart' from the Frosted Foliage stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I then punched it out with the Story Label punch and popped it on to the melted snowman using dimensionals.
Seasonal Layers dies
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. I attached it to the melted snowman body using black mini 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 the branch die from the Seasonal Layers die set.
Before assembling the box I drew a 'melting' mouth on one side with the Basic Black Stampin' Write pen and I used a Basic Black Dark Stampin' Blends pen to colour two Pearl Basic Jewels for the eyes. I then glued all the pieces to the base and used three Red Rhinestone Jewels for the buttons which had fallen off the body as it melted.
Have a look at this video for instructions on how to make one for yourself.
If you live in New Zealand you can order all the products you need to make this adorable snowman at my shop or from your demonstrator. Then you can get started on melting your own snowman!
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.
