My Stampin’ Up Owl Punch

This little item has been on my object of desire list for quite a while, I have seen so many ideas for using it on Google that this little beauty just had to be mine.

I haven’t seen my mate Lisa, who among many things is a Stampin’ Up demonstrator for months and it was a perfect excuse to get her round for a natter if I ordered it from her (£15.50)

I did this dogs face ever so quickly just to illustrate this post, but you can see just how versatile the basic owl body is, I have seen it used to make ghosts, penguins and reindeer faces … so watch this space. I am sure that after I have copied a couple of ideas I have seen my feeble brain will come up with a few ideas of its own!

Lisa also bought me a sneaky Autumn/Winter catalogue! As you know I am not the most competent stamper, but it’s worth having a look for just for the ideas. Lisa is starting up a couple of Stampin Up’ classes in the Wolverhampton area in the next couple of months and I said I will join in and be a willing pupil.  When I have more information about places and times I will let you know just in case anyone else would be interested but in the mean time there is some information on Lisa’s Stampin’ Up blog.

http://www.stampin-craft-fairies.com/

Punched Art Penguin/Elizabeth Shaw Mint Novelty …..

Now …. I am being very lazy here, trying to save time by being economical with words and typing, but hope you can still get the gist of how I have put this paper punched penguin together …..

These are the three punches I used ….

….. and these are the punched parts I have used to put “Percy” together …… not a lot to him really!

I’ve just popped him on a makeshift background to show how he would look on a Christmas card…. but you know what I am going to say next …… he would make an excellent embellishment for an Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisp….

……… by just adding a matching plain black circle on the back!

Simple Bird Card–Thanks To Dianne

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using white linen effect card.

I’ve been desperate to use all my lovely treasure from Diane and with two weeks of Easter holiday laying before me …. I have no better excuse!

Along with the Martha Stewart Tags and Making Memories metal flowers I have also used my Stampin’Up bird punch. Nothing fancy I know, and I can see where I can add more and improve it, but this is the first time I have used a doily on any of my cards ….. I am just so behind with the trends!

Bird On A Branch Card

This card measures 13cm x 13cm is is made using a ribbed effect kraft card.

I thought I would try something a bit different, as I have never punched a shape out of a card blank before. I made the circle out using my 1 3/8” plain Stampin Up punch and then covered over it on the inside of the card with a blue Bazzill paper.

The bird was punched using my Stampin Up 2 Step Bird Punch (117191)  from  brown card and the wing from a remnant from the card blank. I’ve then added a blue flat back gem for the eye to finish the card.

This is a design I will use again and again, as my first attempt it is rather austere, but it wouldn’t take much to brighten it up by changing the colours of the cards and papers used and perhaps adding a flower or two.

And Here’s One I Prepared Earlier…..

This is an idea I got from follower Marc, to make ready prepared centres for Elisabeth Shaw mints etc. to use with my Stampin’ Up 1 3/8 plain circle punch.  Before, I have handwritten each and every sentiment on my mints, a laborious task, but Marc suggested that if I wrote out a sheet of sentiments, it could be photocopied or printed off again and again. Now, why didn’t I think of that?

To make the sheet, I first punched out a circle to use as a template and lightly drew round it twenty times on a sheet of card,  then I wrote “Happy Birthday” in each of one, rubbing out the pencil marks when I had finished. All I had to do then was scan the sheet and save it as a PDF file.  How simple is that?

The sentiment now fits perfectly in the punch and has saved me hours of work.

I deliberately didn’t add any faux stitching round the edge of the circle as that would make lining up the punch a little fiddly.

But by using a fine black liner pen, you can’t see the difference once the faux stitching and a few little stars etc. are added. It would also be easy to add dots to the letters to turn it into a dotty font.  I am presently working on a whole file of sentiments which I will probably offer as a freebie once they are done.

Christmas Pudding Mints

I wish I could say this was my idea, but it’s not …it came from a brilliant crafter, who has an equally brilliant blog - http://flourgirlcrafts.blogspot.com/search/label/Mints.  Never would I have thought of Christmas puddings when making decorated Elizabeth Shaw mints with my Stampin’Up punches.  So thank you Karen for such an inspired idea.

 

The scalloped and plain circle punches are available from lisa@craftfairies.com.

Halloween – Done to Death!!!

Well,  with just over a week to go before Halloween, no one can accuse me of not embracing the theme!  Last year I did a bit, but this year I have really gone overboard, but I blame all the inspiring stuff they have had in Poundworld and Poundland and Accessorize’s brilliant Halloween stickers (which put their Christmas ones to shame!).

These are my last two projects, so you can all breath a sigh of relief ……

I’ve put everything together and now hope to make a few pennies to put towards some Christmas stash.

  I love to see what goes first and what’s left over …….

Anitas's 3D Laser Stickers - Snowman Sweetie Bags

 
After my disappointment yesterday over this years Accessorize stickers, I thought I would show my favourite Christmas stickers of this year (so far)......., they are from Anita’s and cost about £1.50ish. I wasn't sure about them at first, but once I started using them I loved them more and more

They come in snowmen, penguins and Santa designs and are all equally lovely! As soon as I saw them I thought sweetie bags! I’ve used Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisps and my Stampin Up scalloped and plain circle punches to make them.

 

I’ve used a bit more detail on the toppers than usual, adding white glitter paper to the bottom of each plain circle and then adding faux stitching and snowflakes using a white gel pen.

On the reverse side of each sweet I have handwritten “Happy Christmas” on a plain white circle and then finished off exactly the same as the front.

I am going to make some more sweetie bags using the penguins and Santa's which I will post as soon as they are done.

Halloween Test Tube Favours

I love test tubes!

I got the taller plastic test tube from a site in the US ages ago, http://www.silvercrowcreations.com/ and must see if I can get some more. The smaller tube was from a crafty resource centre I visit now and again, but they are both perfect for Halloween trick or treat favours.

The tags are made using my Stampin Up scalloped and plain circle punches which I have decorated on both sides with Accessorize stickers and handwritten messages using  black and white gel pens.

The tags are on a thread, kept in place by a piece of black and white gingham ribbon (now deleted from Stampin Up range) at the top of the test tube.

The tube is finished off with a large purple flat backed gem stuck on the cap.

The jelly beans are from the Original Jelly Bean Factory, they cost a bit more than ordinary jelly beans, but they are smaller and I can buy just the colours I need in their pick and mix section which gives this idea a lot of its charm.

Cadbury Miniature Trick or Treat Bag Favour/Sweetie Bag

I love my Stampin Up circle punches, but wondered if I could make a simpler sort of Halloween Trick or Treat sweetie bag using my Accessorize stickers and Cadbury Dairy Milk Miniatures and this is what I have come up with ...

I made a template of the miniature wrapper so I knew what size to cut my “new” wrappers. It was easier to leave the original wrapper on the chocolate  rather than risk ripping the foil and it made no difference to the finished idea.

After wrapping each chocolate, which only took a few seconds (using double sided tape with my ATG gun), I could get on with the best bit ….. the embellishing!  I added a tiny bit of glue to the back of each sticker to make sure they didn’t come off, and then added a few doodles using  black and white gel pens, which really made the stickers pop out.

The bag topper is made using a die from Nestabilities Label set No.4, with a bit of faux stitching and a Stampin Up scalloped circle. I just love these stickers …… it’s so hard to let them go!!!

The Cadbury Miniatures were from Home Bargains - they cost about £1.25 and there are 20 in a pack.

Halloween Trick or Treat Sweetie Bags

I LOVE Accessorize for their stickers and I LOVE my sister Jan for going looking for them for me.  Look what they’ve done for Halloween, how cute are they?

 

I know I’ve shown these sweetie bags before, but I just love making them using different stickers etc. to go with various celebrations in year and to see how different they can look.

I’ve used Elizabeth Shaw mint crisps and my Stampin Up punches to make them. On one side I have used the stickers and on the other handwritten “Trick or Treat”

Sometimes it is very hard to use Accessorize stickers and then give what you have made with them away, but what’s the use of having drawers full of lovely things you’ve only looked at but done nothing with.

I have put the sweets in pretzel bags/lollipop bags which can be found on e-bay:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50-x-2-x-9-CLEAR-Pretzel-Cello-Bags-/260657041086?pt=Uk_Crafts_Cake_Decorating_MJ&hash=item3cb05ecebe