Embellish Stitching Color Challenge Blue birds

I made this card for the Embellish Stitching Color Challenge. I used retired colors(Pink Pirouette and Baja Breeze) to match the colors that you had to use for the contest and I made my blue birds in love. I just love this Two-step bird punch! For the stitching part, I hand stitched the nest with twine!

If you want the directions for the blue birds CLICK HERE

You can click on the picture to see the challenge site.

Birds of a Feather Card Class

All of these cards are made using the new Two-step Bird punch. I love this punch!
The birds are a Hermit Thrush, a Blue Jay and a pair of Mom and Dad to be Blue Birds! These cards are great because they can be used for any occasion! The bluebirds would even be great for a new house ("nest"), an anniversary, a wedding or a new baby card!

CLICK HERE to see more details or get the directions for these cards!

If you like these check out my Birds of a Feather #2 Class!

March Update and FREE merchandise!

March is almost over and so are all of the great sales going on!! You don't want to miss them!!

My Stamp-n-Design into Spring event closes at the end of the month. It is not to late to sign up and still get all of the projects! CLICK HERE to see all of the details!

Sale-a-bration also ends at the end of this month.

Until the end of the month for every $50 in Stampin' Up merchandise that you buy, you get a FREE stamp set, paper pack or punch from the Sale-a-bration catalog!! I am also offering a FREE tutorial for every $50 purchase that you make this month. If you spend $100, that's two of each and so on... If you reach $150, you get free hostess sets and merchandise on top of everything! That's lots of free stuff!!
It's a great time to stock up on some paper or tape runners to take advantage of all the free merchandise if you don't need anything else! Just click on the catalog above to see the great free stamp sets, paper and punches you can get.

Big Shot Die - Half-cut Technique with Top Note!

This is another half-cut technique(scroll to the bottom for the link to the scallop circle tutorial) using the Big Shot. This time I used the Top Note die!!
Here is how to do this.

Cut out an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" paper and fold it in half to make the standard sized card. On the front of the card you are going to mark lightly in pencil the halfway points like shown. That would be 2 1/8" the short way and 2 3/4" the long way.


I have used my white gel pen to mark the center points on all of my dies. It makes it much easier to line everything up and does not come off on your paper.


You are going to put your paper in and line up the 2 1/8" marks with one white line and the top center mark with the other center line. This centers the Top Note image in the center of your card.


Put your top cutting plate on but only up to the 2 1/8" center marks like shown. Put it through the big shot like this.


This is what you will have, a half cut top note!


Now you fold back the front part.


And fold the card in half. So easy!


This is showing using the small end of the top note instead of the wide side. It works both ways!


Then I cut out two more standard top note shapes. I cut one at the score marks and the other just inside the score marks to get that layered effect.


Here is what the card looks like opened on the inside.


And here is the finished card!! I used A Good Egg and Well Scripted for the saying.

CLICK HERE to see my other tutorial using the scallop circle.

Big Shot Die - Half-cut Technique

My mother found this great card on Splitcoast so I emailed Debbie, the woman who came up with this technique, and asked how she made it. She was nice enough to tell me and said I could share it with you so here it is!

This is how to make the die cuts only cut half-way through your paper.

I have marked my scallop circle #2 die with my white gel pen so I can easily find the halfway and center marks on the circle. (I have done this to all of my dies and have had no problem of it coming off on cards.)


First fold your 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" paper in half. On the front of the card mark in halfway at 2 1/8". Also mark the end center of your card at 2 3/4" like shown. Do this is pencil lightly so you can erase it after.


Put the marked end on top of your die cut up at the top edge with the center mark that you made centered on the large circle and the side marks centered on the halfway marks of the circle die. When you put the top cutting mat on, only put it up to the center 2 1/8" marks that you made on the paper that is also the half way point on the circle under it.


Run it through your big shot like that and this is what you will get! Half of a circle!


Now fold the front of your card back at that 2 1/8" half way point. You can also erase your pencil lines.


This is what you will have now!


I used the circles #2 die cut to cut the 2 1/2" circle and then taped it to white. I then just cut the white with a border around the chocolate chip.


For the corners I just punched the scallop circle punch and cut it at a right angle. I put the brown paper on the inside of the card to really show the scallop circle shape and used the two-step bird punch out of patterned paper for the middle!

I love this technique! I have a top note one in the works and I will post it soon!

Stenciled Shopping Bags

I got some grocery shopping bags through a fundraiser for my daughters school and thought I would dress them up a little bit. I used the small- Kind Thought Brocade stencil with some fabric paint and then highlighted it with some black and silver.
Much better than plain green!

Making your own Texturz Plate!!

Using the Beautiful Wings embosslit I made my own texturz plate!! You can use dies with the Big Shot or you could use your punches to make these!
I wish I could take the credit for coming up with this great idea but unfortunately I can not. I got it from Dawn Olchefske.

Here is how I did mine:
I used tombow glue and attached two pieces of cardstock together. I then put it in my Beautiful Wings embosslit and ran it through the Big Shot. I do have to say that is was tough to get some of them out. You might want to try one layer of paper or two layers of whisper white which is just a little bit thinner. I then glued them onto a larger paper just about the size of the texturz plates.


I put my paper that I wanted the texture on over the butterfly paper and put it through the big shot. I used the same pads that you would when you use the texturz plates, the silicone and the impressions pad.


This is what it looks like on both sides, you can use your impressions up or down!


I used my sponge to lightly go over the one that had the impressions up and this is what I got! I love it!


If anyone does one of these, link it up for everyone to see!!
Please only link your single post with your new texture plate and not your entire blog. Thanks!

Masked Stencil

I cased this card from Shelli!

Since I only have my one stencil, the small Kind Thought Brocade Stencil, I had to get creative! This is how I made my big stencil small! I used masking tape to cover the areas that I did not want to sponge so I wouldn't accidentally get some in the other holes. I did stick the tape to my pants first so it wouldn't be as sticky. Painting tape would also work really well for this!

I also used the vintage labels stamp set in the middle and the brown satin ribbon.

Brocade Jewelry Box

This jewelry box is the perfect thing to keep all of your Stampin’ Up jewelry in. It would also make a great gift for a little girl to keep hers in!
It can double as a little stationary holder with matching cards and envelopes that easily fit in the bottom drawer. You can even use it to hold your stamping supplies!

CLICK HERE to get more details or to order the directions!

Stamp-a-ma-jig with Baroque Motifs

I used the Baroque Motifs stamp set to make this card. My colors are Kraft, Very Vanilla, Bashful Blue and Bravo Burgundy. I used my ruler and drew lines the thickness of my ruler so I would know where to place the images. I then used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to place all of the images in the right place to create this design. I used the burgundy marker and the white gel pen to color in the center circles.

A New Card Layout

I saw a card using a layout like this in a magazine and I really liked it. I think the ribbon looks so nice like this. I used Asian Artistry in the first one and Inspired by Nature on the second. Both ribbons are the satin ribbon which is also very nice. To get it through I just cut a slot with my craft knife.

March Green Mtn. Stampers Meeting

Here are some of the swaps from the Green Mountain Stampers meeting that we had yesterday.

By Mary-Ann Schulze


By Angela Farrar


By Tonya Ditzler


By Rachael Ellison


By Carmen Jochum


By Sharlene


By Marti Jurnak


By Grace Burkins


And my favorite, my mom's! Gerry Dyer

Here are some of the make and takes that we did at the meeting.

We also made this cute little scallop envelope box and cards. Here is how:

Cut out two scallop envelopes using the die and the Big Shot.

Cut the bottom off of both to the same width as the side flaps.

Tape your envelopes together to make a box.

Make 3"x3" notecards and decorate them.

Put them in your box with envelopes!