Inkadinkado Stamping Gear

When I purchased my new toy, the Inkadinkado Stamping Gear, I had a bittersweet moment.

Sweet because it’s an awesome fun tool.  Bitter because you can’t store the items in the packaging it came in.

So I thought I would share, w/ you, how I store my new toy(s).  J

Firstly, I bought the Deluxe set, w/ a 50% off coupon.  (Hooray for those!)  I have the wheels, cogs, and stamping paddle stored in a plastic shoe box.

The stamps, themselves, are stored in plastic pockets from a Cropper Hopper Photo Case --- two to a package, to save on space.

I printed off pix of the various stamp sets and inserted them into the pockets, along w/ the stamp sets.

Deluxe Set:-

Elegant Flourishes & Branches:-

I’ve taken different shots of the storage box, showing how many stamp pockets can fit inside.  I just have two extra sets, along w/ the four sets that came w/ the Deluxe set.  I plan on getting more, as they are just toooooo cute.  The designs they create are simply beautiful.  Soooo many variations.

I also printed off pix of the various designs that the various stamp sets can create.  I like having a “visual” when coming up w/ ideas.

 Would love to see what you create, if you have this fun tool.  J

Faux Stampin' Up Wheel Guide

Hiya!  Have you ever wanted a guide to help you w/ either your Stampin' Up or other wheels, or even the Sew Easy paper piercers --- for you to have a straight line of either stamping or stitching?  Well, want no more.  I made a faux wheel guide by using a bunch of clear, plastic rulers.  5 to be exact -- glued together using my ATG.


Here's what the "real deal" looks like:-

You get 2 in a package and they clip together to form a 24" strip.  I would have no use for the 24" size.  The other use of it is to clip it together to form a right angle, which is beneficial for creating mitered corners.  Again, I see no use for that.


So, I created my own.  

On it's side, measuring 3/8" depth.

Works like a charm!!!!  I LOVE it!!!  So, save yourself some money.  The rulers were bought at the $ store for a buck each.   $5.00 for your very own wheel/stitch guide.


If you make one, let me know.   :-)

Martha Stewart Scallop Snowflake Punch All Over the Page

Lookie what I just discovered.  Well, actually my hubby first discovered it, cuz he bought it for me, J but I then I discovered what this li’l gem could do.  J

These “Punch All Over the Page” punches aren’t new to me as I already have quite a few.  But this one is DIFFERENT in that you can now align the designs all in a row, w/out breaking a sweat.  J  Before, you were on your own trying to line it up properly so you could have a row of the designs.  No more.  Now the punch does all the work.  All you have to do is align your last punched design w/ the pictures on the base of the punch set.  WhooooHooooo!

Here’s the difference between the older punch sets and the newer ones:-

Here’s a sample I threw together, just to show how it lined up beautifully.

Thank you soooooo much Martha, for adding this feature to your newer stamp sets. I just LOVE it!!!!!   J

Storage container – repurposed

Have you ever bought an item for a particular need, then decided against it and. . . . then it just sat there? Well, I have. I bought this container for the purpose of housing my Cricut cartridges. This was when I only had a hand-full of them. Since then, my stock of cartridges have mysteriously grown! Funny how that happens, eh? LOL I’m sure that poor li’l container has been feeling neglected. :-(
Until now! :-)

I just recently bought a Sew Easy Stitcher starter kit. I’m one who likes to keep these li’l gadgets all contained in one place; otherwise, I’d lose them and never find them again. So, this kit has been sitting in its original packaging, awaiting a home. Then I spotted this poor, lonely container. Look at how all the pieces fit so nicely in there. It’s almost like it was “meant to be”.

I only have 4 heads for the Stitcher, so I have one in each compartment; however, the compartments will hold two heads. So this container can house 14 heads and one more Fancy Floss.

Here's the back of the storage unit, which holds the piercing mat and anything else you want to put into there.

The packaging that the single piercing heads came in --- had this on the back of the package. I peeled away at the cardboard(s) until I just had the top image(s). Cut them to size and ATG'd them to a piece of cardboard. Now, I have an "easy to see, at one glance" other ideas for the piercing heads.

I just love it when a plan comes together.

Mother's Day Card

This was my very first attempt at making a side-step card. I’ve seen ones that are 4.25” x 5.5” but I wanted it to be a little bit bigger (5.5" x 5.5"), so I had to improvise, BIG time. :-)

Here are the measurements you will need:-

Start w/ a piece of cardstock 5.5” x 11”.
* Place cardstock vertically in your trimmer at 3” and cut a slit from 1” to 8” (7” slit)
* Place cardstock horizontally in your trimmer, w/ the 3” area on top of the slit.
* Score from the top just to the slit at: 3”; 6”; 7.5”; 9” and 10”
* Then score the bottom area from the slit to the bottom at 5.5”.

Fold the card using mountain and valley folds. Here are some top and side photos to give you a better idea of how it was created.








Tools/Items:-
Cricut Imagine
Cricut Imagine Cartridge – Best Friends
Cricut Cartridges – see below
Martha Stewart Deep Edge Punch – Daisy Fan
Glue – regular; Zig 2 Way
Cardstock - white
Flower – hand crocheted
Button
Seed beads – for birdie’s eyes
Fancy fibre
Stickles – Eucalyptus
Chipboard letters – “M”

Cricut Cartridges:
Paper Lace – Frame – Quilt2, Lace 2 and Lace 2 Shadow, p. 34 in handbook
Stretch Your Imagination – Bird House – Brdhse-s, and Layers, p. 63 in handbook
Stretch Your Imagination – Birdie – Bird and Layers, p. 64 in the handbook
Holiday Cakes – sentiment – Happy Mother’s Day, p. 70 in the handbook

I used the Cricut Imagine for the entire card, using the Best Friends Imagine cartridge for the patterns and colours.

* I cut the frame at 2.5” for the base and 2.3” for the layered top.
* The birdhouse was cut at 4.5”; the birdie at 1.5”
* The sentiment was cut at 1.2”

I was really surprised, but ecstatic, that the Imagine printed and cut such detailed work, as in the scroll layer and the sentiment. :-)

The chipboard letters were stickled; and seed beads used for the birdie’s li’l eyes.

I previously had created some medallions using the MS deep edge punch. I just cut them in half and arranged them on the bottom of the card; then tied some fancy fiber around the top step.

I just recently learned how to double-crochet, so added a crocheted flower, w/ a button, for the “O” in mOm.

Hope my mother likes it.

Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!! :-)

Imagine Jammies

Lookie what I just got. . . . .

Isn’t it simply gorgeous?? So now my new Imagine has some jammies. I just love ‘em. The gal that made it for me is just a doll. She worked w/ me, endlessly, in picking out the fabric(s). The fabric I first chose wasn’t available anymore. So, if you’re like me --- I couldn’t get that one out of my mind and wanted something similar. :-) The ones I finally chose are awesome together! The added glittered lettering just makes it super special. I think the cover just screams "Imagine" --- with its colourful flowers, coupled w/ turquoise polka dots; gorgeous ribbon flowers and whimsical butterflies (which are on both sides, so I can see them when I enter my room and also when I'm sitting at my desk doing something else, whilst it's still covered). I have the best of both worlds. :-)

This cover is different from most, in that it has a quilted inside lining; hence, being thicker. This gives the machine more protection. This also allows me to pin on the flowers that came w/ it, and the butterflies that I added myself, to just the outside fabric, w/out the pins touching the Imagine itself.

If you would like your Imagine or any other craft machine to have some “haute couture”, you can’t go wrong in having it sewn by Ashley. :-) I have nooooo problem in singing her praises. :-)

You can find her here:-

http://shop.cre8tiveinstincts.com/MACHINE-DUST-COVERS_c4.htm

http://www.cre-8-tiveinstincts.blogspot.com

She has different samples on her website. Her pricing is great and her customer service is exemplary!! :-)

If you end up having a cover made by her, please let me know. I would love to see it. :-)

CHA Goodies!

OMG, the craft companies have totally outdone themselves this year. Here are some excerpts from the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Trade Show, which took place in Los Angeles, California, that some wonderful people have been sharing w/ us.

These were some of the items that really caught my eye:-

Do you see a “pattern of mine” here??? LOL ----- ladybugs, of course. LOL Aren't they simply adorable? Who wouldn't love to receive a card w/ li'l ladybugs crawling all over it?? LOL

The li'l bees are cute, too! :-)

But check out this. SEW cute!!!!!:-

I’m really likin’ this new toy, Sew Easy. I’m hopin’ our M’s will be carrying it and % off coupons will be able to be used towards it. Love how they included a storage case for the li’l gem.

Soooooo, what have your "fav's" been that you've seen posted on a lot of blogs/sites??? I'd appreciate a "link" where there's a pic of it, cuz I'm a very "visual" person. :-)

Hope you all have a wonderful week-end.

Hubby is going to be putting my new computer station together, today. WhoooooHooooo! Can you tell that I'm really excited about it!!?? LOL My li'l room will be "up to snuff" real soon!!! Ohhhhh, and I made a "sign" for the topper of my spinning stand. It's still in the preparation stage but it's really cute, if I do say so myself. LOL

"Funky" Christmas Tree

Lookie what the hubster found at Michael's (M's) for 80% off!! He just couldn't pass it up. . . . .

Here are some close-ups of it:-

Don't you agree that the ornaments are really pretty??!!! It's a pre-made, handcrafted floral arrangement, created by one of the florists at our M's store. I think she did an awesome job. :-)

The M's store staff dubbed it as the "Dr. Seuss Tree" as in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". When hubby was paying for it, we had about 20 bystanders/customers w/ grins on their faces.

It's going to make a nice addition to our "family room" for next year. :-)

Martha Stewart Craft Furniture

Have you seen the new Martha Stewart Living Craft Space Collection from Home Decorators Collection? It’s simply beautiful.

I love furniture that has mega storage, whilst looking classy. Leave it to Martha Stewart and her crew to come up w/ something that fits that bill. And it looks like these storage units can be put together in different combinations, to create the perfect craft room. Now, who wouldn’t love to have a craft room like that? I know I would, but my area is toooooo small. :-( But. . . .one could always just purchase one or two of these items. :-)

The furniture comes in three colors:- picket fence, sharkey grey and rhododendron leaf. My choice would be the rhododendron leaf. Here’s some pix:

If you click on the LINK above, you can see a better picture and in more detail.

Sooooo, which items would be your choice?

Clear Stamps "motherlode"

Hiya. Hope you all had a great Christmas and have fun plans for New Year's. :-)

Just wanted to share something w/ you:- I hit the motherlode for clear stamps at Wally World, aka WalMart. And. . . . . . they were ONLY $1.00 for each set. How cool is that, eh?

Sooooooo, go RUN to your nearest Wally World to see if they have some. :-)

You can click on each picture for them to enlarge.

Top left:- Build a Flower. Cute, eh?
Top right:- Talking in Circles (moms)
Bottom left:- 3 layers that you can use together, or alone, for different looks.
Bottom right:- different "Talking in Circles"

Top left:- decorative corners
Top right:- 3 layers for journaling
Bottom left:- frames, corners, swirls
Bottom right:- tickets ---- really cute!!


Top left:- Sassy Alpha -- Upper and lower case
Top right:- Free Style Alpha -- lower case
Bottom left and right:- Mix and match sentiments (2 sheets)

These stamp sets measure 6" x 7 1/2". So, they're not puny li'l ones. :-)

Good luck in finding some. Let me know which sets you were able to get. :-)

Punch All Over the Page Aperture Card

Greetings everyone. This card was inspired by our latest beautiful weather. We got snow!!! :-)

Do you 'member a while back when I used the Martha Stewart Circle Cutter to cut various sized circles and then used the Swirling Lace corner punch all around it? See below.

Well, I thought how about using the Punch All Over the Page (PAOTP) on one of those circles. So, I chose the 3" circle, and used the Rose Window PAOTP.

Can you see a li'l white semi-circle shape in the bottom of the PAOTP circle? TBA later. :-)

The card base is 5" x 10", folded. The top layer is 4.75" square. Used the Snow Flakes Cuttlebug folder. Used the PAOTP through both the cardstock and patterned paper on top. Didn't place exactly in the centre -- a little more to the top of the card. Attached the PAOTP 3" circle.

Well, let's see what that li'l semi-circle shape might be:-
It's a li'l snowman peeking through! :-)

Used the Snowflakes Cuttlebug folder on the inside of the card, and then utilized the plastic that houses a Cricut cartridge, for the "window" effect.

Used the DecoArt Snow Writer on the white ripped paper. See how it sparkles? There are various Snow Writers --- one that's just plain white and this one, which glistens.

Pop-dotted the snowman on top and added a computer-generated sentiment.

RECIPE

Tools/Items:-
Glue (regular & ATG)
Patterned Paper
Cardstock
MS Punch All Over the Page – Rose Window (centre of card and circle)
MS Corner Punch – Swirling Lace (around the circle)
Cuttlebug folder – Snowflakes
DecoArt Glistening Snow Writer – snow
Cricut cartridge packaging – window
Pop dots – snowman
Sentiment – computer generated

Love how I can now make "aperture" cards --- anywhere on the page, thanks to the MS Punch All Over the Page punches!!

"Iris Folding" using Punch All Over the Page

Happy week-end everyone. Sorry I haven’t been around for a couple of days but, not only was I having “printer” problems, I was also having probs. w/ my camera. Nothing was working the way it should’ve. :-( Finally got everything fixed, so now I can post the other “project” I had prev. mentioned.

When I FIRST saw the Punch All Over the Page punch, my li’l mind immediately zeroed in on doing “Iris Folding” w/ it. If you’re not familiar w/ this technique, I’ve included instructions.

Here’s my outcome:-


RECIPE:-

Tools/Items:-

Punch All Over the Page:- Rose Window
Corner Punch:- Swirling Lace
Martha Stewart Score Board
Glue:- ATG
Cardstock
Patterned Paper
Corner Rounder
brad (for centre)
Iris folding template (which I've included)

Card base is 5” x 10”, folded. First layer is 4” x 4”, punched w/ the Swirling Lace corner punch. Top layer is 3 ¼” x 3 ¼”, punched w/ the Swirling Lace corner punch. Centre punched w/ the Rose Window punch. Then the Iris folding.

Instructions:-

Iris folding refers to a technique where folded strips of colored or patterned paper are layered in a spiral pattern behind an aperture. It is called Iris Folding because it resembles the iris of a camera.

There are several free iris folding templates on the Internet.

To make your iris folded greeting card, you will need:

* scissors
* scraps of decorative paper in various colors, cut in 1" strips, and folded in half lengthwise. This is where my scoreboard came in really handy!! :-) Some instructions say to cut the strips into 1"x3" strips, but I like to leave it in a long strip and then just cut off the lengths I need, as I go.). * Scotch tape
* colored cardstock.
* a template or pattern for cutting an aperture in the colored cardstock. (A Coluzzle, Sizzix, or Cricut also work very well for this.) But I used the new Punch All Over the Page punch. Yeah!!! Martha!! for creating this li’l gem!
* Iris folding template

Step 1
Cut out an aperture in the colored cardstock.

Step 2
Position the card with the aperture cut-out over your iris folding template, face down. You will be working on the back side of the card.

Step 3
Tape the card to the template using non-permanent tape. Masking tape works well for this.

Step 4
Arrange your folded strips of paper in the order that you want to apply them to the card.

Start with #1 on the template:
* Cut a strip of paper so that it is a little longer than the aperture opening.
* Line up the folded side of the strip of paper with the inside edge of the area labeled with a "1".
* Tape both ends of the strip of paper to the back of the card.

Step 5
Using the next color, follow the same instructions for #2. Repeat all the way around the aperture, following the numbers and working inward as you complete each round. Stop when you have the desired size for the aperture opening.

The back of the card will look quite messy as you progress, but when you flip the card over it should look something like this:

Step 6
To finish the center attach a small picture, a decorative button, etc. You can now mount your finished work using glue or double-sided tape.

Here's the template I used for my project:-

I tried to copy/paste the actual size one that I used but it wouldn't let me, for whatever reason. So, you'll have to resize it to 1 1/4".

Note: when you resize it to that teeny weeny size, you may not be able to see the numbers, which was the case for me and my dwindling eyesight. If you keep the large size template, as a guide, you'll be "good to go".

Hope you enjoyed my creation.