.Big Shot Info

I guess we made the right decision last night to cancel the MDS training in Kernersville because Wow - did we have some COLD weather today!!   Our high was about 27 degrees!  I got dressed this morning to go play Hand & Foot and was just fixing my lunch to take with me when I got the phone call that it had been canceled.  I truthfully think they panicked and "jumped the gun" a bit.  It didn't even start doing any precipitation until around 1 pm and even then, it wasn't much.  The craziest thing to me was the school dismissal.  The schools in our county was dismissed at 8:45!!  What a waste of money in my opinion.  Why did they even go to school?   Charlotte schools did it smart - they dismissed 2 hours early.  That makes sense.   We didn't get anything to speak of where I live.  The worst of the sleet and freezing rain moved through Charlotte around 3:30 p.m. and cleared the area two hours later. Precipitation from the storm system was relatively light, as meteorologists had expected.  But with temperatures in the mid-20s throughout the day – about 25 degrees below the average high for the date – the light sleet and freezing rain quickly coated roads with a sheet of ice and causing numerous traffic accidents.
The high temperature of 27 degrees Friday was the coldest in Charlotte since 2004, according to the National Weather Service.

I know sometimes it get confusing using the Big Shot and trying to decide on the "sandwiches" to use.  So, hopefully this will solve all your problems!  Print it out and put it handy so the next time you use your Big Shot, you will know what to do.

Also, I have a good tip for you.  I bought a pack of square Post-It notes at Staples that have the sticky on the whole square.  They are about 3" square.  They work great in holding the framelits and edgelits in place on your paper and you can reuse them several times.

  Embossing Folders  paper only, one piece at a time (although I have done multiple pieces before)

platform, both tabs open

cutting pad

folder w/paper in it, open end goes in machine first

cutting pad

Tips: Some folders make very deep impressions and might "crack" your paper; over time they thin down with use so you might not notice cracking after many uses; in the meantime, try adding a piece of vellum or extra piece of thin card stock (whisper white or DSP) on top of the other piece of paper INSIDE the folder; this additional piece will take some of the brunt of the pressure. Also, experiment with different weights of paper; designer paper, whisper white and very vanilla are the thinnest ones we have; confetti, naturals, etc., are heavier and should crack less. I get best results by lightly spritzing water on my card stock before embossing it--the water softens the paper to help prevent cracking and it dries quickly.

Edgelits  (long thin metal borders) paper only, one piece at a time

platform, both tabs closed

cutting pad

paper

edgelit, bump side down, placed horizontally across the width of the cutting pad (cutting with it lengthwise can cause it to bend out of shape); use tape or Post-Its to hold in place

cutting pad

Framelits  (thin metal shapes)  paper only, one piece at a time

platform, both tabs closed

cutting pad

paper

framelit, bump side down; use tape of Post-Its to hold in place

cutting pad

Sizzlits and Clearlits  (thin dies)  paper only, one piece at a time

platform, one tab open

cutting pad

sizzlit, face up

paper

cutting pad

Embosslits  (thin hinged dies)  paper only, one piece at a time; these cut and emboss your images

platform, one tab open

cutting pad

embosslit (pay attention to the side that says "this side down"); open end goes in machine first

paper

cutting pad

Bigz Dies w/o score lines  (inch thick dies)  cuts a variety of materials (metal, chipboard, fabric, paper, etc.); cut multiple pieces at a time

cutting pad

die, face up

paper

cutting pad

Bigz Dies w/score lines  (inch thick dies)  cut one piece at a time

cutting pad

die, face up

paper

crease pad

add a shim of card stock if needed (if your cut lines don't go all the way through, add a shim; if your score lines are cut through, remove the shim)

Peekaboo Tags

I finally had a little bit of time yesterday to play with my new Peekaboo Frames die.  I know a lot of people ordered this die to make Advent Calendars but that was not my intent.  I wanted to make tags and cards with it with hidden messages.  So yesterday, I set out to make a bunch of tags.  My Stamp Clubs are meeting this week on Tuesday and Thursday and we are making tags and gift cards.  Here are my samples using the Peekaboo Tag Die which is on sale now in the Winter Mini Catalog!

Tags - closed view

Tags - open view

Aren't they cute?  I used Real Red and Glorious Green (retired) cardstock and various Christmas stamps that I had.

Retirement Stamps are Happy Together

I'm on a creative roll here!  Seems like the past few weeks I haven't been too inspired with my stamping.  But the past few days, I'm stamping up a storm.  Trying to get a bunch of the retirement stamps made into cards so I can give them away to a few lucky people out there.

Yesterday, I pulled out Happy Together.  I got this stamp set during Saleabration for FREE!!  That's always a good price in my opinion.  It is a happy little stamp set and makes me smile when I use it!  If you like it, you can purchase it now for only $14.95.  Just make sure you place your order before July 1!!

In this first card, I used the Designer Label Punch which is also retiring so if you want it, get it now!

 RECIPE:

Stamps:  Happy Together, Swirls & Curls Verses

Paper:  Crushed Curry (retired), Choc Chip, Real Red, Whisper White, red DSP

Access:  non SU sequins, Eyelet Border Punch, Eyelet Corner Punch, Designer Label Punch. Mat Pack and Paper Piercing Tool

 RECIPE:

Stamps:  Happy Together, Define Your Life

Paper:  Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, Beyond the Garden DSP

Access:  Sweet Stitches Designer Brad; Dotted Scallop Ribbon Punch, Pinking Hearts Border Punch. Top Note Die, Big Shot

Here's a close up of the stamped area:

 

More Summer Mini Cards!

I played mahjong today and actually got embaressed because I kept winning!  We only play with $2.00 so when you're out of money, you don't pay.  By lunchtime, I had won every game and the other gals at my table didn't have any money left!!  Usually if I start out hot like that, after lunch I never win a game but that wasn't the case today.  I didn't win them all, but I did win half of the remainder games!  My winning streak has been going on for several months and the gals tease me that they won't sit at my table!  I told them I gave them a break while we were on our trip.

I made this card yesterday and I just love it!  I used my markers (Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry) to color the Flower Garden Embossing Folder (the debossed side) and then I ran my Whisper White card stock through the Big Shot.  Such a simple but lovely card!

This is another new technique that I discovered yesterday.  I stamped the Fabulous Florets with White Craft Ink on the Crumb Cake card stock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  Then, I used my Versamark Pen (never used before!) and colored in the flower petals for a fabulous tone-on-tone.  Topped a few of the flowers with some purple rhinestones that I found in my stash and voila .... another simple but pretty card!!

Butterfly, Butterfly

I've been on a butterfly quest today!  Over the past few months, I've seen a lot of Butterfly Easel Cards on different sites.  I always thought they were pretty but never was inspired to make one .... until today.  And I made three different ones today.   The cards are made using Stampin' Up's Butterfly Die and the Big Shot.

This is the side view. 

This is the smallest butterfly easel card.  I used Rich Razzleberry cardstock and ran it through an embossing die.



This one is a the largest butterly.

This card uses Pink Passion (retired) and some DSP that Judy gave me.

I made a card and incorporated the easel butterfly into it.  I slid the easel portion behind the Top Note.  This is going to be a club card this week.  The card base is Elegant Eggplant.  The butterflies are made with Eggplant, River Rock and Melon Mambo which were run through different embossing folders.

Finally!

Finally .... I used some of my new toys!   I made a card this morning before tackling  the Christmas decorations!  I used the Blossoms Punch and the stamp set, Build A Blossom from the Occasions Mini Catalog which will go into effect January 1.  So ... if there is anything that you have been wanting to get from the Holiday Mini Catalog, today and tomorrow are the last days that you can order from it.

I also decided to do a Color Challenge from Splitcoast.  If you have been a long time follower of my blog, you know that I love doing challenges.  But, it has probably been six months since I have had time to do a one.  I am going to start to challenge myself more!!  The color challenge was to use Old Olive, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight and neutrals.  Those are great colors for a man's card - which I also need to do for my brother's birthday - but I decided to do a flower instead.

 

 The punch makes it so easy to make the flower.  I stamped the petals onto Shimmery White card stock and punched away!  To adhere them to the card, I punched a circle of SU's adhesive paper (in the Holiday Mini - love it!) and put the tips of the petals on it in a circle.  I ran the Old Olive through the Big Shot using the Little Leaves Sizzix die.  The Daffodil scallop is a Martha punch. 

This is the center of my flower - how cool!  I got this neat tool for Christmas.  It is an I-Rock Bling heat setting tool.  You put the bling where you want it and heat set it with the tool.  The heat transfers through the bling and activates the glue.  Probably overkill on the bling, but I was having fun!

Well, I'm off to work on taking down the decorations while Sonny is here to help!  Hope you have a great day!

Rag Purses

Yesterday I spent the day at my sister's house (Marianne).  She helped me make a few rag purses with the Sizzix die.  I love how they turned out!

 This one is made from a piece of material a friend gave me last week.  She gave me about a yard of the material and the whole piece was patchwork-like with all these beautiful individual squares.  We just cut the squares apart and ran then through the die.    The flower I made blends in with the purse so it is hard to see.

 This one is made from some fat quarters that I got from a local quilt shop in town.  Again, I made a flower from the Flower Fold Sizzix die and pinned it on the purse.

 I think this one may be my favorite .... sometimes, simple is best!  I already had the flower made from bits of material - good thing because I used all the material on the purse and didn't have any left over - we even had to piece together the straps.

These are two cell phone holders I made.  I am going to hang one of them off the first purse.  The second one, I will add a fabric flower brooch to it.

These will all go in the craft fair I am working on.

Winter Flurries

Wow!  It's Thursday already.  Where has this week gone?  Definately not to posting on this blog ... sorry about that.  Yesterday was my Newcomers Coffee.  We had an antiques expert there who assessed some of our valuable antiques and gave us an estimate of what they were worth.  I took in a couple of items and learned a bit about them.  I have a beautiful porcelain pin that was my grandmothers.  Her son brought it back to her from France when he was in the Army in the spring of 1946.  On the back, it says "Imoges France".  Turns out these were popular for soldiers to purchase back then for $5-$10.  But it is worth a bit more than that now.  He estimated about $50.  (I was hoping for more!)  I also took in a stein of Sonny's that was given to him by my mother's cousin.  It has a German slogan on the front that loosely translates to "Dr Luther speaks well, Water alone does not make you happy"  Turns out it is worth more than my pin - around $100.  Really, what difference does it make?  These are our treasures and we will not be selling them!

I received a bunch of new goodies Tuesday but have not had time to play with them much.  This morning I was determined to make a card with something new.  So, I got out the Northern Flurries embossing folder and a piece of SU's vellum.  (I love their vellum because it is thick similar to cardstock.)  I ran the vellum through the Big Shot with the Flurries folder and dabbed a little glue on the back where the snowflakes were so it wouldn't show through.  Then I glued it to a piece of Bashful Blue cardstock and tied a Bashful Blue bow on the front.  The final touch was adding a few little pearls to the center.  Voila!  A Christmas card .... my first!  It was so simple but looks so gorgeous. 

I love SU's embossing folders ... combined with the Big Shot, you just get such a deep impression and it shows up so well.

Well, I am off to a luncheon at a friends house.  One of friends and neighbors moved away a few months ago.  She is back this weekend so we are having a luncheon for her.  I am making brie in a new brie pottery bowl that Ashley gave me.  Hope it turns out!!  I am going to top it with a little Pepper Jelly and pecans.

August Club Cards

My Club ladies were here today - all except 2 who were out of town.  We worked on sponging and daubing on cards today. 

This card I featured in an earlier post HERE.  It uses a set of stencils from the Decor Elements brochure.  Details can be found on the prevous post.

For these cards, I used a stencil that I made.  I cut a rectangle and an oval out of a piece of cardboard and sponged Pink Pirouette inside the opening.  Then I stamped the flower from Watercolor Trio (Summer Mini).  I used a Regal Rose marker and Old Olive on the stamp.  I used Chunky Glitter for the center of the flowers.  I stamped "From the Heart" on a scrap of Vanilla and glued it inside the Hodgepodge frame - one in vanilla and one in silver.  I attached the frame to the card with the brads.  The final touch is the little half pearls!  I love this card ... so simple but gorgeous.

Another fairly simple card using the Sizzix tropical flower die.  The stamp set, Tropical Flowers and DSP are both from the Summer Mini.  I sponged the turquoise flower and curled the edges up a little.  I used my bone folder to crease the leaf and then sponged it.  Happy Birthday is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.   

Rag Purse

Lookie what my sister made for me!!

Isn't it pretty?  We picked the fabric out when we were in Kernersville last month and she made it using her Big Shot ... and her sewing machine, of course. 

This is the cell phone holder that is hanging on the purse handle with a fabric flower.

I love it!!  Thanks, Marianne!

Mother's Day

I had a nice and relaxing Mother's Day.  I didn't even get dressed until after lunchtime!  It was so nice to just be lazy and do whatever I wanted to do!  Sonny offered to take me to the movies or anywhere else I wanted to go but I told him I was ok to just get caught up on some things in my craft room.  I made the cutest Top Note Purse and cards to go in it.  My Newcomer's group is having a Horse Racing Game Night in June for a money making project.  I always donate items to them for the event.

Isn't this the cutest?  I found this pattern through a search on Splitcoast.  I used Kraft paper and the Top Note die.  The handles and lining are some retired Designer Paper.  It reminds me of the Rag Purses that my sister makes.  I am putting the following cards with envelopes in the tote.

FIVE years plus Quilt Square

Today I celebrate FIVE years as a Stampin' Up demonstrator!  And, I still love the product just as much.  My favorite things about Stampin' Up is the two-step stamping and the coordinating products.  I love the fact that I don't have to guess if my cardstock, designer paper, ink and ribbons match.  With Stampin' Up's 48 colors (plus the additional in-colors), there are so many choices.  During the five years I have been a demonstrator, there have been many changes within the company ... new products, new colors, catalogs that have been annual, then bi-annual, then back to annual ....  I never would have thought I would love my Big Shot like I do.  When it first came out, I thought, I don't need that - I don't do die cut images.  But, little did I know, how I would come to use it as much as I do.  And now, I'm using fabric with my Big Shot!  Who woulda thought it?!!  I haven't done a quilt yet - saving that for my sister, Marianne - but I have made other things.  Fabric is one of the industry's hottest trends right now, and the best part is, you don't even need to be a seamstress to get in on the action! You can create gorgeous fabric accessories and home décor, all without ever touching a sewing machine. There are myriad of options for seamstresses and non-seamstresses alike, and presenting fabric-oriented projects allows you to introduce Stampin' Up! to a whole new group of customers.

Here's a pattern for a quilt square for you to make with your Big Shot!

Chocolate!!

Well, I think I've eaten more than my share of Hershey Nuggets this week!  I bought a huge bag last week because I wanted to make some matchboxes for Valentines and put the chocolates in.  Well .... 2 went in the boxes and 2 went in my mouth, ..... etc. - you get the picture!!  I am doing a workshop this week and am making these little matchboxes to give to the ladies.  These are ladies that don't have a clue about stamping but always ooh and aah over my cards.  So, I don't know if I will get any orders but I told them they would each make a couple of cards even if they think they can't!  I'll share the cards with you later this week.  But here are some of the little boxes I've made.

 

 

Flower Brooch and SNOW is coming

Last weekend Marianne and I went to Hancock's Fabrics and I bought a bunch of material to make some flower brooches / pins.  They are made with the Sizzix Flower Folds Die (page 201 of SU catty) and my Big Shot.  I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with them, but it was fun making them!  I'm now on the look-out for some cute buttons for the center.  Unfortunately, the SU corduroy buttons I have weren't the right colors, but if they were, they would work great.

Can you tell I like pink?????

We're expecting big weather changes here tomorrow.  It was over 60 degrees today and just beautiful, but that won't be the case for the next few days.  Sonny and I volunteer with the Red Cross and are on stand-by alert in case we are needed to help staff a shelter this weekend.  Here is the weather alert we got late this afternoon from the Red Cross and National Weather Service:

• System is slowing down meaning that precipitation should not start until late afternoon until early evening Friday  
• Rapid increase of intensity Friday evening is expected  
• Storm snow totals are showing 10+ inches in northern Iredell to around 6 inches in southern Iredell  
• NWS is issuing a WINTER STORM WARNING effective from 2 PM Friday through Saturday  
• Low Temps Friday night in the mid 20’s  
• High’s Saturday will not be above freezing  
• Winds will increase during the period to 15-20 MPH with gust to 30 MPH  
• Temps Saturday night in the teens / Sunday in mid 30’s / Sunday night possible single digits  
• There may be significant icing up to 4/10” along the I-85 corridor  
• This forecast is fairly certain however a small change in the track could bring the icing event further north  

I'm supposed to be teaching a Valentine Northwoods class at our stamp store on Saturday afternoon.  Hmmmm - don't think so!  Hopefully, it will be re-scheduled to next weekend.

You can use material in the Big Shot to make neat things!

I finally had time to play today - at least half the day.  This morning I just had to sweep my kitchen and give my poor neglected plants some water.  Then I decided it was past time to take down the Christmas Thanksgiving decorations!  Yes, my friends, I said Thanksgiving!!  Isn't that sad?  Since we were gone during Christmas for 3 weeks, I never put up any Christmas decorations and had just left my Thanksgiving ones up.  But, truthfully, I have only gotten them as far as the kitchen table.  Tomorrow maybe they'll make it out to the garage!  Sonny wanted to go into town and I figured if I'd ride along with him, I'd get lunch in a restaurant instead of a sandwich at home!!  Score!  We had good intentions of going to the Y, but neither of us were in the mood or felt up to exerting the energy.  I guess we can blame it on the colds that we have had!   When I returned home, my Stampin' Up order was waiting for me!  I didn't order much - really trying to conserve the $$$.  I got Love Bandit from the Occasions Mini, the Big Shot Bigz XL Flower Folds Die and Whimsical Words free from Sale-a-bration Catalog. 

I have been wanting the Flower Fold Die to make a pin/brooch like I've been seeing all over the internet.  I need to go to a fabric store and get some vintage-y material.  My sister brought me some scraps of her material so I used some of it to make this brooch:

For this brooch I started by cutting out four flowers of the same size. I folded each of the flowers in half, then I laid each of the flower halves down, with one half of the petals overlapping onto the previous flower half, almost like weaving the flower petals together.  After you have the four flower halves interlapping, I loosely tacked them together, with large stitches. Then I repeated this several times, making as many different little flower pieces as I wanted. For this brooch, I made a set from the smallest flower and one set from the next size up flower. 

When I finished the flower pieces, I layered them on top of each other, kind of overlapping and random.  Next, hot glue a small circle of felt over the stitching on the back and secure a pin (or hair clip or whatever). Finish off the flower by adding the flower center which in this case was a purple button with a Kraft Cordurory Button on top.  I used my hot glue gun for the buttons also.

Using fabric with the Big Shot and dies is very popular, and this is such an easy project.  Here is another project made with the Big Shot and SU's Scalloped Square Die.  My sister, Marianne, made me this bag for Christmas.  She also made a Beatles bag for Ashley and normal purses for our Mom and our other sister.