Wednesday, November 25, 2009

It’s Tea Time!

Grab a cup of tea (or whatever you like)…it’s tea time!

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Here’s a quick tea bag holder that any tea-loving person would love to receive!  This holder can be used for a money holder too!

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  Here’s how I did it:

Cut your card stock to 10-1/2” x 3-1/2”.  Score at 3-1/2” and 7”.  Cut the right hand third on a diagonal from the score line to the short edge.  Fold this in and secure bottom to center with adhesive, thus creating the pocket for the tea bag.  Fold left side over.  Wrap a 15” piece of ribbon around holder and secure with adhesive along back of holder.  Stamp and embellish as desired. 

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I used the pine tree from Lovely As A Tree stamped in Old Olive to make branches for the Delightful Decorations ornament to ‘hang’ on.  I punched the ornament using the new Ornament punch found in the Holiday Mini.  In the center is a red circle Fire Rhinestone brad.  The sentiment is from my favorite Warm Words set.  The double stitched ribbon is Mistletoe Ribbon Originals found in the Holiday Mini.  The inside poem reads like this…

On Christmas Day at half past three,

Have yourself a cup of tea.

I’ll think of you, you’ll think of me

Sitting around the Christmas Tree!

I cannot take credit for the poem.  I found it on SplitCoastStampers (SCS).

I’m sorry about the sporadic blog posts.  I’ve had sick kids home with one illness or another for the past month now.  I’m so over this stuff!  I sure hope that my life gets back to normal here real soon.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you’ll take time for a cup of your favorite beverage. Here’s to you!!!

Hugs ~Leslee~

All supplies can be purchase Here.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Holiday Note Card Set

I love giving gorgeous note cards as gifts for the holidays.  It’s a little piece of me that I’m giving as well.  Each set is lovingly designed with the recipient in mind.  Here’s a set I can give to a November hostess.  Just a few holiday cards that are ready for giving.

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This set features the Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series paper found in the Holiday Mini catalog and the Snowflake #2 Big Shot die.  It coordinates lovely with the Soft Suede cardstock and ribbon.  The “Peace” sentiment is from the “Peace Love Joy” stamp in the All Holidays set.  It is markered and stamped in Soft Suede, punched out with the large oval punch and layered onto a scallop oval punch out.  I used the triple snowflakes stamp from Serene Snowflakes to add a little extra behind the sentiment and on the envelopes.  I started with blank Note Cards and Envelopes from Stampin’ Up!  This is an extremely easy set to make.

100_8988I created the folder using one sheet of 8-1/2” x 11” Soft Suede cardstock.  Using the eyelet border punch, I punched along one long edge.  I scored the center at 5” and 6”, thus creating a ‘binding’ (perfect placement for the coordinating pen).  To form the pockets, I scored the length of the paper at 5-3/4” and 6”.  This makes the pockets 1/4” deep to accommodate two cards and envelopes in each pocket.  I cut the middle center flap out leaving only the 1/4” center flap, which I folded up and adhered to give the binding a little extra strength.  The outer edge of the pockets are 100_8976simply held together with a mini glue dot so that the cards and envies won’t fall out the sides.  The inside flap and outside of the folder is stamped with the triple snowflake stamp from Serene Snowflakes.  It is held closed by a 1/2” circle punch with a vintage brad in the center on the front and a piece of gold elastic cord held underneath the dsp on the back.  Just wrap the cord around the circle to secure (based on those large manila inner-office envelopes). 

Again, I love making these sets and I’ll be making several for teacher gifts this year.  Teachers are always in need of Thank You notes so I’ll do them with a Thank You theme. 

And thank you for stopping by today!  I hope you’ve been inspired to try one (or more) of these quick and easy Note Card Sets.  If you have any questions, just let me know.  As always, your comments as welcome and much appreciated.

Hugs ~Leslee~

All supplies seen in this project can be purchase here.

 

Monday, November 9, 2009

Quick Holiday Set

When it comes to the holiday’s, it has to be quick, easy and say “Wow”.  This set does just that.

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Here’s how I did it.  I started with one 8-1/2” x 11” sheet of Very Vanilla cardstock.  I cut the cardstock in half along the long side at 5-1/2”.  The one half I then scored at 4-1/4” to make this standard size card.

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It’s a simple card…a one inch strip of dsp from the Cast-A-Spell package, a length of the Old Olive – Mistletoe ribbon and a poinsettia flower made using two 5-petal flowers punched in Real Red and two in Old Olive.  Each flower was scored using my stylus and then layered together.  Three vintage brads help to hold them together.  The sentiment is from the new Christmas Greetings set (I’ll be using this set often this holiday season).  

 100_8924   The other half of Very Vanilla cardstock was then used to create a 2-4-6-8 box.  I scored across at 2”, 4”, 6” and 8”.  This leaves a 1/2” flap to place your adhesive (I use sticky strip for the best hold).  Then, turn your cardstock 90 degrees and score at 2”.  Cut the short 2” side of the 2-4-6-8 score marks up to that new 2” score line.  Thus creating the bottom flaps.  Fold and adhere all together.  This cute little box can be decorated and embellished how ever you’d like.  I scalloped the top edge with the Scallop Edge punch before I folded and adhered mine together. 

I used a scrap piece of cardstock to make the coordinating tag.  Again, the 5-petal flower poinsettia and a strip of dsp.  A super quick and easy, coordinated set!  I love it when it all comes together so quick and easy!

Box Note:  The 2-4-6-8 box can be made to any height desired.  Just determine the height needed and add on 2” for the bottom flap.  For a great tutorial on a variation of this box, check the 2-5-7-10 box out HERE on SplitCoast.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you’ve been inspired to try a quick, coordinated set.  They really are quite fun and the recipient will simply love it! 

Hugs ~Leslee~

You can purchase any of these SU! products through my website HERE!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Going Green

Going green is something that seems to be on everyone’s mind lately.  All of us trying to do our part to protect the environment…it’s a good thing!  Altered items are a great way to do your part.  Especially at this time of year when we are looking for inexpensive packaging for our handmade goodies!  For example, this container originally held alfredo sauce for a recent family dinner.

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It was washed, altered and presented to a recent hostess as a thank you gift.    She and the others at the workshop loved it!  And who wouldn’t?  It was filled with chocolates.  Holiday Fudge would be a great item to present in this container!

Here’s how I did this one… 

After washing the container, I simply used my black Sharpie marker to color the lid (it was green…already perfect for Christmas goodies).  Using my Circle Scissor Plus, I cut out a piece of orange dsp from the Cast-A-Spell Designer Series paper pack to fit the lid.  I, also, cut out three Basic Black circles in three sizes to make the spider.  These were adhered together with a dimensional between each layer.  Googlies for eyes and Basic Black grosgrain ribbon for the legs.  He’s just too cute!  100_9023The side of the container is covered with the hounds tooth pattern found in the Night & Day Specialty Designer Series paper (in the Holiday Mini).  Because the side of the container is tapered from top to bottom, I pleated the dsp to lay nicely around the container.  It’s held down with the ribbon and topped off with a sentiment punched with the large oval punch, layered on a scallop oval and wide oval.  Very simple with a huge impact!  Of course, you can easily change the theme with any designer paper and embellishments.

Here’s another recycled item…a small jar.  It once held maraschino cherries.  Same concept as the larger container, different scale.  Again, my hostess and her guests loved the idea!100_8989

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So, the next time you are looking for the perfect packaging, take a look in your own pantry.  Ask yourself, “How can I alter that item?”  You never know what might be waiting to be reused and given new life.  I hope you’ve been inspired to do your part and Go Green!  Thanks for stopping by.  Comments are welcome.

Hugs ~Leslee~

All Stampin’ Up! items can be purchase through my SU! website here.

Friday, November 6, 2009

A Do-Over FTL#64

Have you ever made a card and just didn’t like how it turned out?  Here’s the card that just didn’t do it for me…

 

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It’s okay but that’s what’s wrong…it’s just okay.  Well, I hung it on my desk right in front of me, so I had to look at it every day.  I looked at that card for two weeks until I ran across the Fall-To Layout #64.  That’s what was wrong!  The elements are great…the layout was just all wrong.  So, I disassembled the card, cut down the Rich Razzleberry panel, added the sentiment (from Season of Joy) and a panel of the black polka dot Night & Day Specialty Designer Series paper (you can find it in the Holiday Mini Catalog).  I absolutely LOVE this card now!  What a difference a good layout makes!  Isn’t this much better…

 

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The Razzleberry panel was background stamped using the small stamps in Delightful Decorations100_8919The ornament (Delightful Decorations) is stamped on Basic Black cardstock using Platinum Shimmer Paint that I had sponged directly onto the stamp.  It’s punched with the new Ornament punch and layered on a Basic Black ornament to create a shadow effect.  The ribbon is Whisper White Taffeta ribbon that I altered by sponging on Platinum Shimmer Paint.  Just allow it to dry thoroughly before using it on a project.  You can heat gun it to quicken the drying process. 

So, the lesson here…don’t toss it…call a Do-Over!  Sometimes, it’s just a simple as the layout.  Let me know what you think.  I love your comments.  I hope you’ve been inspired to never give up.

Hugs ~Leslee~

All supplies can be purchased through my SU! website HERE!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Lovely Shimmery Night

Do you find using a brayer a bit intimidating?  I did.  But the more I use it, the easier it gets and the more I love it!  The best way to combat that intimidation is to just do it!  Keep in mind that no two projects will turn out exactly the same.  Something else to keep in mind is that there is no right and no wrong.  If you like it…that’s all that counts!  I happen to love this card…

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It features the Lovely As A Tree set (a new favorite of mine), Heard From the Heart for the sentiment and the cool new Frost White Shimmer Paint

I started with a piece of Very Vanilla card stock.  I punched a 1-3/8” circle out of a Post-It Note and used it to mask off the moon.  Using my brayer, I rolled on Bashful Blue.  Then Brocade Blue making sure to not completely overlap the Bashful Blue.  I finished off using Brilliant Blue across the top of the cardstock.  This gives the sky a gradient look to it.  I removed the mask circle and then inked up my trees with Craft Basic Black.  I sponged on some Shimmer Paint and stamped the trees onto the cardstock, making sure that some of the trees were overlapping the moon.  Be sure to allow for a little extra drying time when using craft ink.  Once dry, I sponged on some more Shimmer Paint over the entire scene.  The entire scene shimmers like a crisp snow is falling.  It’s absolutely radiant in real life!  I stamped on the sentiment in Craft Basic Black.  Layered the cardstock onto Kraft cardstock with one edge punched using the Eyelet Border.  I wrapped on some satin Old Olive ribbon from the Ribbon Originals - Mistletoe (yes, I did a cheater knot).  This was then all adhered to a Night of Navy card base.

Brayer Note:  Always start with your lightest color first.  You can always add more to make it darker but you can’t take it away. 

What do you think?  Are you ready to give the brayer a try?  If you need a little more inspiration, try one of these blogs,  bits & pieces and Freedom in Creating.  These ladies have given me a great deal of inspiration.  I don’t mind sharing them with you :)

Thanks for looking.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  Comments are always welcome.  Have a great day!

Hugs ~Leslee~

All supplies used can be purchased through my Stampin’ Up! website.  Just click on the My SU! Website link on the right hand side bar or click HERE