Paper Pleasing Ideas

Accordian Scrap File

I made an accordian file for my recipes, and thought I could use a bigger one for my CS scraps.  So I put together this tutorial with bigger measurements  so you can make one too!

You will need :

3 - 9 X 12 envelopes sealed and cut in half

2 - 9.5 X 7 chipboard or poster board pieces

2 - 10.5 X 8 Designer Paper.  You can also use a contrast piece for the front, 10.5 X 4

2 - 9.25 X 6.75 solid CS

1 9.25 X 12 solid CS

Also needed is sticky strip, 2 sided tape, scissors, a scoring tool.  Here are some optional things which I used to finish mine : ribbon, stamps, round tab punch, and adhesive velcro.

Glue the chipboard piece to the DP and snip all the corners off.  Put down you 2-sided tape along the edge and fold up the DP to make a nice edge.  Do this for both pieces.  Add the contrast piece now, if you want it.

Take your 9.75 X 12 solid Cs and score it starting 1 inch in from the edge.  Keep scoring every 1/2 inch, until you have 11 score lines.  Then leave 1 inch from your last score and cut off.  This will give you room for 6 pockets.

If you want more or less pockets, you need to multiply the amount of pockets you want by 2 and the substract one to get your number of score lines. (6 pockets X 2 = 12 - 1 = 11 score lines, 7 pockets X 2 = 14 - 1 = 13 score lines, etc.)  Don't forget to leave an inch after your last score line to attach to the chipboard piece.

I folded all my score lines in hill and valley folds and put sticky strip on the 2, 1 inch end pieces.  I used sticky strip here, because it could end up holding a lot of paper and I wanted it to be strong.

After you have attached the spine to each chipboard piece, you need to put on your 9.25 X 6.75 pieces overtop.  This makes it look clean and finished off, like a book!  At this point, you may choose to stamp it, but I left mine plain.

I then took my 2-sided tape and put it on one side of the folds, 6 in total.  This is where the envelopes are going to attach to.

I then took my double sided tape and put a bit across one envelope.  I stuck two together and went to the next one.  And so one till they were all together and on the front and back covers.

I took my round tab punch to make closures for the file.  I used sticky strip to attach them on the back, and adhesive velcro for the front.  This way, if I bring it to a show, I don't have to worry about it falling open anywhere .

Now the rest is up to you!!  I punched the round tab in a scrap from each color family and attached them on top with the name on the tab.  The front is neutral and the back is In Colors and DP.  I totally filled that thing up and it works GREAT!!  Thanks to Maria for sharing her tutorial with us all.  It inspired me to try something different, so I'm sharing it with YOU!!  If you need more detail, click on the pictures and they will come up bigger.

Have fun and happy stamping!!

   

Recipes - Accordian File Style

I decided to do a 3D project today.  I was browsing some blogs and found a really neat tutorial on making your own accordian file.  I have so many loose recipes floating around, so I charged ahead and made one.

I used Enchante DP, certainly celery and always artichoke CS and the round tab punch.  I used always artichoke and mellow moss inks, and Carte Postale, Delight in Life, and Pure and Simple Alphabet (retired) for my stamping.  I followed Maria's tutorial here, and it was very straight forward.  Come back tonight, since I am putting a tutorial together with measurements to make a 6X9 file, to hold your scrap CS.  This way, you can showcase  your stamping ability and have it be useful at the same time.

Now it is time to go fill up my file folders.  Have fun and happy stamping !!

Limited To A List

The Limited Supplies Challenge was a good one today.  We had a list of specific things we could use - could go less, BUT NO MORE!  We could use rich regals and/or soft subtles, *no patterned paper*, only flower stamps, only 2 BG stamps, 2 kinds of ribbon and punches could only be used as tabs.  We could also only do faux stitching and/or sponging, no other techniques.  All products are Stampin' Up!.

I used bravo burgundy, always artichoke and blush blossom CS.  I stamped the floral BG stamp in burgundy on the blush and then sponged the edges.  To this I attached my burgundy tabs that I made with the word window punch, using my Aged Copper hodge podge brads.  I then added the ivory narrow organdy and also another piece of hodge podge to tie the ribbon through.

I inked up my flower from Heartfelt Thanks with the burgundy and artichoke markers, stamping off the solid one first, and put it onto the blush CS.  I added the sentiment from Carte Postale, sponged the edges in burgundy and then matted it on the burgundy and artichoke, before attaching it with dimensionals.

I should limit myself more often...LOL...I really like how this turned out.  Have fun  and happy stamping!!

Payin' It Times 3 - YEP THREE

OH MY WORD - the overwhelming response is Mexican for the food!  Seriously, you guys need to try some of my good old-fashioned mennonite (kinda like German) cooking!!  But I do make a mean taco *wink, wink*.  So I went to Random.Org to generate a few numbers AND I had it pick 3.  You see, we passed 300 subscribers in these 4 days and I figured I better give a big THANKS to everyone.

The first prize goes to comment #64 - Ruth A. She said...

Mashed potatoes! I am from Ireland :o) My husband doesn't like potatoes so I don't cook them at home but order them when I can when we go out!!! Love this candy, I so want a Cuttlebug!
Ruth A. 

The next 2 prizes will each get the Cuttlebug CS and coasters with the slider tags.  This was ONLY FOR SUBSCRIBERS!!

They were #150 and #232 in my email list - NOT COMMENTS.  I will be emailing you tomorrow, since I only have your email addresses and do not feel like sharing them here (don't like to give someone a chance to SPAM).  Thanks for everyones comments and ideas.  I look forward to trying somethings that I have never thought of, or even heard of!

ETA : I have had response from one lady from above,and she is Mrs. A. Eaton from United Kingdom.  Woohoo, it's a plane ride for these goodies!

WOOOHOOO - I am flying high over here in my tiny corner of Saskatchewan, Canada.  Thanks for all the love , and I hope you enjoy it enough to keep coming back!!  Keep telling your friends, so I can keep Payin' It Forward!

Punchin' My Thanks

What an awesome challenge today!!  We had to find ways to use our punches to make an image, and since I have been doing this for a bit already, I wanted to try some thing new!

OK, this was a LOT of work, but I really like the end result.  The punches I used are all from Stampin' Up!, as well as the sentiment stamp (Sincere Salutations).  I used the Coluzzle for the largest circle of the cornucopia, but everything else is from the punches.  I used the 1 3/8, 1 1/4, 1/2 and 1/4 circle punches, I used the smallest oval, spring bouquet and the Word window punches.

Grapes - 1/4 circle in perfect plum, vintage violet, and elegant eggplant CS.

Apples and Oranges - 1/2 circle punch and they were highlighted with markers to give dimension, in real red and only orange CS.

Corn - small oval and the word window in old olive and yoyo yellow.  I used the summer sun and old olive markers to make the niblets and the peel.

Bananas - small oval with so saffron and highlighted with the close to cocoa marker.

Pumpkin - small oval, spring bouquet in pumpkin pie, old olive and the swirly is a scrap piece of chocolate chip that was wrapped around a paint brush.  I also used the pumpkin pie marker to bring some definition to it.

Cornucopia - The opening circle is the Coluzzle piece abut the rest are the 1 3/8, 1 /14 and the 3/4 in chocolate chip.  I used the cutter kit *love that little tool* to distress the front circle to make it pop out more.

I glued these all on to creamy caramel that I sponged with chocolate chip, matted it on close to cocoa that I distressed with the cutter kit *love that little tool*, and finished the last mat with chocolate chip.  I used the mat pack to do the faux paper piercing in the opposing corners in the chocolate chip marker.

I love getting punchy, and this is thanks to you all, for all the recipes I got!!  Remember, you have till tonight to get your name in for my draw here.  Have fun, get punching and happy stamping!!

Where is spring??

Where, oh where, did springtime go?  Where, oh where, can it be??

That is what I sang yesterday and even this morning.  It has been snowing for over a day and we have had about 3 inches already!!  In spite of this glitch in the weather, I decided to go with a springy, springish, spring time card.

Easter is about 2 weeks away, and I have seen a cute punch bunny popping up everywhere!  I decided to do another punch card for the sketch challenge.

I used all Stampin' Up! products for this card.  I used tempting turquoise, white CS and the new Petals and Paisleys DP from the spring mini.  I used the 1 3/8, the 1/2 and the 1/4 circle punches.  I used black brads for the eyes, but they do double duty, since they hold on the ears.  I used the large and small ovals to make them, and I elongated the word window punch to make the tab for the saying.

I did my scalloped circle again (tutorial here), that thing is so versatile.  I edged the circles for the nose with pretty in pink ink, and used the marker to ink up my saying from last years Easter set, Faith and Hope.  The bunny is up on dimensionals and I put a brad through the tab.  This was an easy sketch, but it nice to not have to think too hard, sometimes less is more. 

Get out those punches again.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Cool Mustard - not the food

I love how this card came together.  I find that black CS really makes the other colors *POP*!  All products are Stampin' UP! unless other wise noted.  The other CS was cool carribean, more mustard, and cranberry crisp.

I stamped the print pattern on the carribean with tempting turquoise and sponged the edges the same, matting it on the black.  I stamped linen in burgundy on the cranberry, did faux paper piercing with my mat pack, sponged the edges, added the sentiment from Carte Postale, and layered on the black.  I punched my scallop circle following my tutorial HERE, and layered on a sponged mustard piece.

I stamped the flower onto watercolor paper and watercolored it with burgundy ink and an aqua painter.  I used mustard ink for the center, and old olive was colored onto flower petals to make leaves that I cut out.  Then it was all popped up, with dimensionals, on the circle.

I thought these colors looked so retro, but when it came together, I found it rather elegant.  Hope you like it, too.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Subscription PAYOFF !!

WOW - you guys really blew by that 200 mark!!  I only needed 15 more, but I am sitting at 220, well on our way to 300 *winkin' over here*.

So what is worth all of that??

OK, I never had a chance to get to Micheals, (1/2 my face was frozen from dental work), but will be getting there.  I did want to picture , though, what I had already.

12 - assorted sheets of paper that have gone through the Cuttlebug (6 different styles).

4 - coasters cut with the slider dies (16 total).

100 - the appr. number of spring colored brads/eyelets.

100 - the appr. number of  tab and oval punches.

Now remember, this is not everything!  I will get to Micheals ASAP to pick up the rest, but I will be getting some stamps and punch!

SO - leave comment ON THIS POST, and let me know what your favorite food is.  I need some new ideas for supper...ROFL!!  I will leave this open till Thursday night at 8:oopm CST.  Remember to send you friends over too, since I will be posting more goodies with more hits *and subscriptions*!

OOOOO - I have so much fun reading from everyone.  Hope you sign in soon!

ETA : Those with subscriptions, automatically get 2 entries.  That's what this was all about, so if you post and have a subscription, you get 3 chances to win!! 

Another *OH MY GOSH* Moment

I am so LOVING those scalloped circle punches that *everyone* is using.  Today, the rubber artist in the Featured Stamper challenge was the Diva herself Kendra Giles.  She has one of those punches, and as you can see in her gallery, she {hearts} it too!!

Unfortunately, I do not have one of those punches, so I set out to improvise and a "YES - it worked" came out of my mouth ON THE FIRST TRY!!  All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

I used the 5th line on the circle Coluzzle to cut out the mustard piece. (ETA : The diameter of this circle is 2 7/8")  This was just a guess, since I wanted it to be relatively the same size as the circles I had seen in the gallery.  I proceeded to take off the guide on my corner rounder punch and line up the scallops around the circle - that number 5 line was the PERFECT FIT!!  They matched up exactly on the last punch, how *awesome* is that?!? 

And here is the result of my scalloped success.  I CASEd Kendra's card here, and I just changed the colors, the sentiment, and the ribbon - couldn't mess with that beauty.  I used more mustard and very vanilla CS.  I ran the vanilla through the Cuttlebug with the D'vine Swirls embossing folder and sponged it with the mustard ink.  I also sponged the card base with the same ink, as well.  I tied on my ribbon, and set the vanilla piece on with dimensionals.

I cut and #4 on the Coluzzle for my vanilla piece and used the mustard, ruby red, summer sun and old olive markers to color in the flowers from Happy Harmony.  I stamped them off once before putting it on the vanilla.  I stamped the sentiment in chocolate chip, from the same set.  Glued the circles together and mounted them with dimensionals, too.

I can honestly say, I never thought I would be posting a tutorial today, I didn't think it would work.  BUT it does, so go try to make one of the biggest crazes in paper crafting right now - scallops.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

ANOTHER EDIT :  This tutorial also works with the coluzzle oval #5,  and here is a post on how to take off the guide on your corner rounder .

LIVE VIDEO TUTORIAL NOW AVAILABLE  HERE <----------CLICK

How Soon Do You Want It??

OK - I had a goal set in mind to Pay It Forward again, and we are almost there, only it it not hits, it is subscriptions.  The goal, you ask??? Hit 200, and OH MY GOSH, I am sooooooooo close.

To be very honest, I never thought that my blog would go over like it is!!  I am loving every minute of sharing my ABSOLUTE {passion} of stamping with you, and am so glad that many of you can enjoy it!  But let's get the word out.  If you enjoy my blog, let someone know, email them a link, tell them on the phone, whatever it takes, so I can start Payin' It forward again!  Let them know to subscribe, so I can reach my personal goal of 200!  But hey, why stop there!!  Maybe at 300, we can do another *wink, wink*.

Have fun and happy typing  !!