For Love of Paper

Whatever Wednesday: Decor Elements on Canvas

Stampin' Up! is known for its high quality rubber stamps and rightly so. These days there's a whole lot more to Stampin' Up! than just stamps. A little over a year ago they began offering Decor Elements. What are Decor Elements? Simply put they are vinyl images to decorate your walls, windows, home decor items and lots more.

How about making some of your own home decor for pennies on the dollar?

That's exactly what I did and here's how:

• First I purchased an inexpensive canvas from the craft store.
• Then I painted it a light blue using acrylic paint also purchased at the craft store. I recommend two coats of paint. 
• Next place somthing hard under the canvas like a book to give yourself a firm work surface.
• Apply the decor elements of your choice.
• Last I added 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon around the edge of the canvas using Sticky Strip to give it a more finished look.

If you have/know a child with a relatively short name this would be perfect to spell their name out on canvas' and hang them in their room.

There are a million and one ideas floating through my head of ways to use Decor Elements and I hope to share at least a few with you soon.

 
If you'd like to see all the Decor Elements Stampin' Up! has to offer click the catalog image at right.

Find something you like? Remember you can place your order online, by phone or by email anytime.

Stamping Off Technique

Last week I challenged everyone to make a card using one color and one neutral. Here is a wonderful card created by my mom, Belinda. I love it when readers take the challenge and email me their creations. It's always fun to see how YOU interpret the challenge and I love sharing your results with everyone.

In this card she used Soft Suede and Whisper White. To get a little variation in color she said she "stamped off" before stamping the tree tops. Stamping off is a great technique to use when you want a slightly lighter version of any color. Just ink your stamp as you normally would, then lightly stamp it on scrap paper and then stamp it on your project.

I would love to have more people participate in the challenges I lay out to you from time to time. You can submit a challenge project any time. It doesn't have to be right away. 

Thanks for participating mom!

Make Over Monday: Simple Birthday Scrapbook

I love themed scrapbooks for different occasions. "Why?" you ask. I really enjoy pulling them out for everyone to see at each occasion. I have good intentions of making one for all of the major holidays but the only one I've started is my sons birthday book.

I saw this 8" x 8" birthday album in a scrapbooking magazine quite some time ago. It was created by Melanie Louette. The idea fit so well with the Happy B-Day Simply Scrappin' Kit. All I added to the kit was a little cardstock and used my Sizzix Big Shot with the Stampin' Up! Alphabet Simple Numbers to create the number for each year.

Here is a look at three more years of birthdays.

Using a formula or similar layout and a kit with coordinating papers and embeliishments makes the album go together so quickly. You could easily create a birthday book from 1-18 in one day.

My son just turned five last week and I loved having this album to show everyone at his brithday party.

I love this idea so much I plan to offer this album as a class, probably in May.

Stay tuned for more details.

Sale-a-bration Extravaganza was a blast!

I belong to a local group of demonstrators known as the Lone Star Stampers. Yesterday we held our second Sale-a-bration Extravaganza. Over forty people attended and had a great time. Here are some photos from yesterday.

Brenda on the right demonstrating My Digital Studio and Kathleen sewing on the left.

Yes, I did say Kathleen was sewing. See the way cute black and white purse? That was made using the Stampin' Up! Scallop Square Sizzix Die (#115950). You can also see the Fabric Flower Pin I made for everyone, to show off, on her shirt. Yes the tutorial for these flowers is coming!

I just fell in love with these little name tags Kathleen created. Not until I was looking at the picture today did I realize the base of the name tag was made with the Two Tags Sizzix Die. How clever!

This year for Sale-a-bration Extravaganza we decided to have a $10 mini class. Each participant made the matchbox and coordinating card pictured below and got to take home half a package of the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt Flowers. What a deal!

Matchbox and coordinating card perfect for an Easter or Mother's Day gift. (Just add jewelry!)

I apologize for the coloring in the photo but I really wanted to share this with you because I thought it was so cute. (Plastic tables do not make a good backdrop.) This was made by Carol, the coordinator of Lone Star Stampers. All I need to say about Carol is that she's awesome! She and her husband have nine children, she home schools and still has time to wrangle all of us crazy stampers. This little bag of jelly beans has rub-ons from the Eggscellent Eggs Kit on it. Never thought to put rub-ons on the clear bags. The topper is made from the Sizzix Top Note Die and embellished with ribbon, a flower from the kit and an epoxy brad. I didn't realize until I saw the kit yesterday that it included bling! Hmm, maybe it will be in the new catalog in July? Keep your fingers crossed.

Each customer that RSVP'd by the deadline received this little gift. The container was made using one of the Sweet Treat Cups and was filled with an assortment of Corduroy Buttons.

Even better there was a slider so you could remove the buttons and keep the container.

So if you didn't make it yesterday I hope you enjoyed your virtual tour and be sure to check my calendar often so you don't miss anymore awesome events.

Click here to see the calendar and register early.