321 Stamp: Launching Creativity

Designer Paper Mini Albums

 I love making mini albums! The two little albums in this post are my versions of the albums shared in the video just two posts ago -- that's where you can see how to make them. Just click here for that.

I designed these albums for a scrapbooking class for 6th grade girls at a local elementary school. At the end of the year they get the chance to take classes taught by experts from the community. They had so much fun making them -- girls love little albums that can be all about their friends.

The albums use retired papers -- and even some retired stamps (that Sweet Always stamp is retired but I've always loved it for girly girl things!) The front of the So Saffron tag album is embellished with accents from the current Sunshine Garden Simply Scrappin' kit. Makes it quick and easy! TIP: When you want to pop up the self-adhesive die cuts in a Simply Scrappin' kit, dust the back of the sticky die cut with your Emossing Buddy (a little powder bag designed to cut static cling when using embossing powder.) That cuts the stickiness and lets you then attach foam Dimensional "dots" and the item pops up without the sticky parts trying to attach themselves and interefere with your "pop up."

The idea is to use the pockets created by the folding techniques for little tags where you can have hidden photos or journaling -- so fun to discover all there is to see. I'll be letting my daughter turn these into albums about her friends.
 

 
Stampin' Up's Designer Series Paper is ON SALE right now -- it's the last day at "BUY 3 -- get a 4th free." I know I'll be stocking up! Enjoy -- and remember that you can see how to make your own folded mini albums with Designer Paper in that video link mentioned earlier in this post.

Flower Pot Card

This little flower pot card has been ALL over the blogosphere lately. My version was a stamp club project for May. I've got some tips to share based on making so many of these -- but for the basic card, I don't like to reinvent the wheel, so click here to see Stephanie Luman's great how to steps for building your pot and then below you'll find my tips that I developed as I made mine.

Supplies and measurements:

• Rust Card Stock for pot: 3½” by 9”; scored at 2” and 5½” -- edge is scalloped with scallop border punch
• White Card Stock for pullout card: 2¼” by 4¼”
• Kiwi Kiss or Riding Hood Red Mat: 2½” by 4½”
• Riding Hood Red Striped Ribbon: 13”

First, to make it easy for a group of people to make these, we cut our flowers out all at once with one roll through the Big Shot. We used three Embosslits: Cherry Blossom in Pink Pirouette card stock; Flower Burst in Summer Sun card stock; and Simple Flower in Riding Hood Red Designer Series Paper (Patterns set -- the one that is solid on one side and then it's sanded with an SU sanding block to reveal the paper's white core on the embossed lines of the flower). RH Red ink is brushed onto the pink and sun flowers with a sponge dauber. The Kiwi Kiss leaves were made by punching two flowers with the Five Petal Flower punch from SU and then cutting those into 2-petal and 3-petal clusters.

 Assembly tips: Put a foam Dimensional on the top two corners of your pull out card -- you'll attach a flower to each one while the card is in the pot -- and most important -- while the whole thing if lying right on the envelope as a placement guide!! That way you know it will fit without any flowers or leaves sticking out too far beyond the boundries of the envelope. Once those first two flowers are on, build from there. I like to use mini glue dots on the leaves and attach them right to the backs of the flowers -- again, maing sure they will fit.

Here's a pretty version of this that fellow demo Sandy Mitchell made using the Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper.  

These are so fun to make -- almost addicting. You'll find lots of Big Shot dies that would make great flowers for these and of course there are some beautiful flower stamp sets right now that would be great to stamp and then cut out for your flowers. Thanks for stopping by -- and remember that the great "Buy three packages -- get a 4th free" special is still going on through May 31 on our Designer Papers and Textured Card Stocks. You can shop online by clicking SHOP NOW in the upper right corner.

Scrapbooking with Designer Paper

It's National Scrapbooking Month and I think our Designer Series Papers make it so easy to make beautiful memory pages and mini albums. This month, the Designer Papers are even on sale -- buy 3, get the 4th free -- so you can SHOP NOW using my link for that in the upper right corner of my blog. The special applies to any Designer Series Paper -- plus Textured 12 by 12 card stock. I want to share a great video from Stampin' Up with some wonderful ideas on using Designer Paper for your scrapbooking projects. Enjoy!

A Beautiful Baby!

Sometimes a stamp just captures the essence of a photo and this one does! I meant to get this posted on Mother's Day since it was so appropriate but have been busy getting ready for this week's stamp clubs -- be sure to check back for those projects. This is little Fiona who's the new baby daughter of Jolette, a demonstrator on my 3-2-1 Stamp! team. A friend had given Jolette the little outfit (from the Carter's line sold at Target) and she matched it up with a flower stamp in Pink Passion and Chocolate Chip -- a perfect match for the outfit. The Beautiful Little Baby stamp is item # 114492 -- from the "Under $10" page in the back of the current Stampin' Up catalog. This is one side of Jolette's stunning baby announcement card.

Congratulations to Jolette, dad Larry and Fiona's big sister Catriona!

A die cut flower for mom

This beautiful card design is courtesy of demonstrator Mickey Roberts, a member of our 3-2-1 Stamp group. The 3-D flower accent is made from card stock cut with the Flower Layers Big Shot Originals Die (item #113458 $15.95) from Stampin' Up. The die cuts all 4 layers of the flower in one pass through the Big Shot -- and Mickey is the queen of then sponging the layers and shaping them with a bone folder before putting them together. The end result is a dimensional flower that I think is a perfect accent for a Mother's Day card or gift bag.

The base card is Rose Red card stock with layers of white card stock punched with the Eyelet Border punch, then Kiwi Kiss card stock with layers of more Rose Red card stock and the Rasberry Tart Designer Series Papers. (Remember that our Designer Series Papers and 12 by 12 Textured Card Stock are both "Buy-3-get-the 4th free" this month.

Mickey made the inside a pop-up using images and sayings from the Best Wishes stamp set. It's very easy to add a greeting to the front of this card as well. Something stamped and punched out with our oval punches comes to mind as a perfect fit for the right side on the front of the card. Here's a version of the same card done as an Easter Card so you can see the use of an outside greeting. It was made with Certainly Celery card stock and the Designer Papers that were free during Sale-a-bration.

I just love these layered paper flowers. I've even used this die to make an antique style cabbage rose inspired by stamper Debbie Olson. By distressing and crumpling the layers before you put them together, you get softer looking petals that really do look like an old fashioned rose.

Paper Special Extraordinare!

I love our Designer Papers and Textured Card stock -- and starting today and running through May 31 -- there's a fabulous Stampin' Up special that lets you get a package of either one FREE for every three that you buy! You can mix and match textured 12 by 12" card stock and Designer Papers. Order through me via email or online at this SHOP NOW link. When ordering online add the qualifying product (three packs of Designer Series paper and/or 12" x 12" textured cardstock) to your shopping bag. Then when you check out, you should click a link in the Special Offers section that will bring up a pop-up window directing you to choose your free pack of paper.

Be sure to scroll down to my last post as there's a great idea of something you can make with all your yummy printed papers! I just love papers -- the trick is to use them, not just hoard them. Do any of you have that problem?

Another May special -- BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR FOR JUST $75!

You read that right -- during the month of May you can sign up as a demonstrator on my 3-2-1 Stamp team and get all your SU goodies at an automatic 20% discount, plus make money selling to others of course if you'd like. SU is offering a special Scrapbooking themed Starter kit in honor of National Scrapbooking month -- and it costs just $75. (P-s-s-t -- this is a great way for former demos who may want to re-sign to get back with SU for a really good price!) You can sign up here on my SU website -- just use the password 321stamp when it asks for that. And of course, if you have any questions about the demonstrator opportunity, just send me a note or post a comment.

Happy stamping and happy May Day!