The Stamp Review Crew: Hey (Birthday) Chick

Welcome to another Stamp Crew Review Blog Hop!  We share our take on a selected stamp set every first and third Monday of the month.  This week is actually a BONUS HOP, celebrating samples using the Hey Birthday Chick set, along with special release Hey Chick set, both of which have coordinating dies.  If you are following the hop in order, you have just arrived from the blog of the very talented Betty Traciak.

We have a lot of chicken activity here at our farm, so I created a card resembling our Red Sex Links and Cornish Cross Broilers.

I colored the stamp images with Stampin' Blends.  But even more fun, I pushed the chicken coop die into Soft Suede ink and die-cut.  From there I also colored the die-cut with Stampin' Blends.  

Tip: Die-cut an extra piece of card stock from each chicken images to glue together with Mono Multipurpose Liquid Glue for more robust images.

This card follows along with this week's Sunday Stamps color challenge and Freshly Made Sketches #489.

 

Stamps: Hey Chick; Paper: Mango Melody, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Flowering Cactus DSP, Hydrangea Hill DSP; Ink: Soft Suede, Poppy Parade, Cherry Cobbler, Mango Melody, Gray Granite, Basic Black Stampin' Blends; Accessories: Chick Dies, Open Range Dies, Die-Cutting Machine, Dimensionals.

For our spring downline Zoom meeting, I used Hey Birthday Chick and the coordinating die set for my shoebox swap.

Stamps: Hey Birthday Chick; Paper: Just Jade, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Flower & Field DSP; Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Cajun Craze, Bumblebee, Pool Party, Basic Black, Versamark; Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Aquapainer, Blending Brush, Birthday Chick Dies, Mini Stampin' Cut Emboss.

These are some old but fun past samples I created with the Hey Chick stamp set.

Hey Birthday Chick can be found in the annual catalog, although the special release of Hey Chick is only available until June 30.  Make sure to grab yours before it's gone.  

Hey Birthday Chick & Birthday Chick Dies:

Hey Chick & Chick Dies:

Hop on over to Cindy Elam's blog to see what amazing creations she has put together with this week's sets.

 

>> Receive a FREE card kit with every online order <<

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Fabric Scissors Holder & Retired List Blowout Sale

I have to confess.  I have been hoarding Stampin' Up fabric, and I am just overflowing with it.  I've always want to hold a fabric class, but I am surely not an expert.  And there is a logistical issue of everyone needing a sewing machine.  Hence, it never seemed to happen.  Maybe someday...

In the meantime, I have fabric volume to reduce, and I always make a club appreciate gifts at the end of the season.  This task was hanging over my head, and I wasn't sure how I would find the time to do it.  The day before club, I finally got going, and it wasn't too bad.

This is my prototype, using the video instructions from Laura Milligan.  I found that adding the felt in the middle of the fabric sandwich, on top of needing twice as much fabric adhesive, made the holder too thick for my taste.  I opted for just adhering two pieces of fabric together.

Reducing the amount of fabric adhesive saved me a trip to the fabric store.  Then the assembly line work began... cutting, ironing, Big Shotting, sewing, threading, gluing...  Whew!  It was a sweat shop in here for a while, and my sewing machine was fighting me the whole way.  But I did it!

Wouldn't you know it... Missy asked for one too.  I used her fabric and the last of my fabric adhesive to squeeze out one more.

Supplies: Candy Cane Christmas & Springtime Vintage designer fabric, Candy Cane Christmas & Springtime Vintage buttons, White baker's twine, Petal Cone die, Fun Flowers die, Big Shot, Fabric adhesive.

Get excited! Starting TODAY, we will be offering a 25% - 50% discount on many of the retiring products. Act fast, as this special offer is only available until June 4, 2014. If you missed out on a product the first time, this is your last chance to get it before it's gone for good!

Retiring Lists:

• Retiring Stamps 
  • PDF
  • Excel file
• Retiring Accessories 
  • PDF
  • Excel file

Stampin' Addicts Retiring Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts official good-bye party, the Retiring Blog Hop! Have you scoured through the retiring lists? I recommend you mark up your catalog with all the retiring sets, and by all means, grab those talking to you before they are gone! If you have been following the blog hop in order, you have just come from Mary's blog featuring the Off the Grid. Weren't her projects adorable?

Today I'm featuring a Sizzix Big Shot die, Peekaboo Frames.  This die is the starting point of lots of fun, interactive cards and projects.  Who doesn't want to open a door to see what is behind it?

I thought the circle peekaboo frame looks like a porthole.  Perfect time to play with the Hello, Sailor set from the Occasions catalog.

Stamps: Hello, Sailor, Woodgrain BG (retiring), Hardwood BG, Hello, Sailor MDS download; Paper: Marina Mist, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Smoky Slate, Very Vanilla, High Tide DSP; Ink: So Saffron, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Basic Gray; Accessories: Window Sheet, Natural Chevron ribbon, Gold baker's twine, Silver Mini brads, Gold embossing powder, Sponges, Circles Collection framelits, Peekaboo Frame die, Tasteful Trim die (retiring), Big Shot, Dimensionals.

I again pulled out the e-cutter and designed my own bee hive-shaped card for an interactive themed card.  Very fun!

I love the images from the Crazy, Mixed-Up Love set, which is also retiring.  The playful, cartoon images go perfectly with an interactive card.

Stamps: Crazy, Mixed-Up Love (retiring); Paper: So Saffron, Crushed Curry, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Afternoon Tea DSP; Ink: Black Stazon, So Saffron marker; Accessories: Crushed Curry chevron ribbon, Linen thread, Dazzling Diamonds, Owl builder punch, Peekaboo Frames die, Big Shot, e-cutter, Dimensionals.

So the double frame looks like a barn door, doesn't it?  I could make a farm card, but I thought, "You know what, wouldn't these make a cute interactive book for a preschooler?"  My daughter is no longer a preschooler, but she will love it just the same.  :)

I built the page in a spiral notebook I had made in the past.  You could go crazy and make a whole interactive book for a little one (hint, hint, Tanya).

I used the print and cut feature for the animals from the Storytime Ensemble download.  They are sooo cute!  I could just go to town with them.  And the fringe scissors are so fun to use.  I also used them to create the hay bales in the loft that the rooster is perching on.

Stamps: Barnyard Buddies MDS download, Storytime Ensemble MDS download; Paper: So Saffron, Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Whisper White; Ink: Soft Sky, Marina Mist; Accessories: Linen thread, Cupcake builder punch, Fringed Scissors, Simply Scored Board, Sponges, Square Lattice EF (retiring), Peekaboo Frames die, Big Shot, e-cutter.

I hit four out of five die-cuts on this die... not bad!  Make sure you check out the next stop to see what Betty at Kitty Stamp put together using Road to Happiness. Her projects are always amazing.

 

Stampin' Addicts Hidden Treasures Blog Hop

Welcome to Stampin' Addicts Hidden Treasures Blog Hop! Today a group of us demonstrators will bring you a selection of items available, but not found in the current catalogs. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy a tour of Stampin' Up's hidden gems. If you have been following the blog hop in order, you have just come from Mary's blog featuring the masculine set Dude, You're Welcome! Weren't her projects fun?

Today I am reviewing the Circle Card Thinlits die.  This and the Label Card Thinlit swing card dies have been around since last summer.  I've used my Label Card die for stamp club, but this one wasn't even open.  Doh!  Time to challenge myself to come up with something new.

I created a warm-up card using Lyssa Zwolanek's Easy Porthole Flip Card tutorial.

The sentiment was printed using My Digital Studio, and the four-leaf clovers resulted from combining MDS and an e-cutter.  The rainbow watercolor wash background is a piece I had from making next week's Friday Mashup card.  I will have more info on that in an upcoming post.  This card is also for Mix-Ability challenge #44, Hang Ups, incorporate a hanging element on your project.

Stamps: Positively Chevron BG; Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White; Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Primrose Petals; Accessories: Gold Sequin trim, Rhinestone jewels, White baker's twine,  Clear embossing powder, Stampin' Spritzer, Aquapainter, Circle Card thinlits, Circle Collection framelits, Big Shot; MDS Elements: Lucky Framable designer kit.

You may have also seen the MDS hybrid spinner card I posted for MDS Monday.

If you try one, be careful!  They are addicting!

So I tried to think of some out-of-the-box projects using the Circle Card shape.  I thought a camera-shaped card would be cute.

I'm hoping this looks like a camera.  I was going on and on about the lens size and color to my husband, and he confesses he didn't realize it was a camera.  Sigh.

For this card, start with a 5-1/2 x 8-1/2" base, and thread the card stock through the die so you don't lose any length of the card base.

I tried to use several of the "supporting" framelits in this set.  I created my own heart chipboard by cutting a couple thin chipboard pieces and paper, gluing them together, sanding, and sponging.  Fun!

Stamps: Hip Notes; Paper: Old Olive, Night of Navy, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Et Cetera DSP, Silver Foil, Vellum, Chipboard; Ink: Calypso Coral, Baked Brown Sugar; Accessories: Rhinestone jewel, Sponge, Circle punches, Corner Rounder punch, Circle Collection framelits, Circle Card thinlit, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

One day the die and I are staring at each other.  Honestly, there has got to be a 3-D project that you can make with this die.  Think, think, think.  I was thinking about a bag with a circular handle... maybe a carpet bag?

This animal print paper looks like fabric to me, hence my choice for the carpet bag.  I started with an 11-1/4" square piece and scored at 3-3/4" on each side.  From there, follow the Tiny Triangle Box tutorial on Splitcoaststampers for rest of the score lines.

After cutting a 1-7/8" circle out of each center to create the handles, the die-cuts are glued to the inside flaps of the "bag".  The unique part of using the Circle Card die is it creates a flap that you can fold over the handles to close the bag.

Paper: Summer Starfruit, Sweet Sorbet DSP; Accessories: Antique brad, Circles Collection framelits, Circle Card thinlit, Big Shot.

There just isn't enough time to create all the ideas I came up with.  You could try a step card, glue several die-cuts together for a mini album, even use a die-cut as a pull-out for a This & That page.  Such fun options for this little die!

If you aren't yet a member of Stampin' Addicts, you can sign up here.  Make sure you check out the next stop to see what Yapha at Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha put together with the fun photopolymer stamp set Map It Out. She's made some amazing projects.

The complete blog hop listing:

1) Yapha -- Map It Out Photopolymer Stamp Set
2) Mary (nuhhdad) -- PhotoPolymer Countless Sayings
3) Tanya (Tanya27) -- Eye-Catching Ikat
4) Twila (tjdstampsalot) -- Envelope Punch Board
5) Paula (scrapshappen) -- Hip Hip Hooray card kit
6) Mary (MaryR) -- Dude, You're Welcome
7) Heidi (hlw966) -- Circle Thinlits die

Thanks for stopping by!

Halloween is About the Candy

At the recent Halloween Haunts class, we made a few 3-D candy holder items, as you can't go through the Halloween season without candy!

I recently showed you the Ghoulish Googlies Halloween treat kit I used for a shoebox swap project.  The kit comes with plenty of extra tags, so what to do with the extra supplies?  I used the tags, baker's twine, and googly eyes to make 1x8" cello bags of the new candy corn-colored M&M's.

We used the same Googly Ghouls stamp set to embellish some candy wrapper die-cuts.

Stamps: Googly Ghouls; Paper: Basic Gray, Basic Black, Whisper White, Houndstooth & Scaringbone DSP; Ink: Basic Black craft; Accessories: Ghoulish Googlies Halloween treat kit, 1x8" cello bags, 1-3/8" Circle punch, Scallop Circle punch, Candy Wrapper die, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

And we made the character purses at class... we only had time for the bat, but I kept going when I was prepping for class.  They are addictive!

The bat was embossed with the Spider Web embossing folder, and Frankie's hair went through the Square Lattice embossing folder.  These were a Stampin' Success magazine contest-winning project by fellow Stampin' Addict Missi Roeber.

Paper: Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White; Ink: Soft Suede, Basic Black marker; Accessories: Silver brads, White gel pen, Oval punch, Scallop Circle punch, Circle punches, Sponge, Spider Web EF, Square Lattice EF, Petite Purse die, Big Shot.

Thanks for stopping by!

PCS Acorn Pocket Blog Hop

Welcome to the Paper Crafters Sampler Acorn Pocket Blog Hop. Autumn Amidst is the title for September's Paper Crafters Sampler, and the exclusive template for this acorn pocket is included in the issue. You may have arrived here from Karen's blog. Don't you love her take on the template?

I ended up using the template to create a decor item, a hanging acorn.

I reduced the size of the template to 75% to make a bit smaller acorn and used traditional colors and oak leaves to embellish.  The cap of the acorn is glued to the base to allow for hanging and display.

I can't wait for a moment to create some more... I was going to try even smaller acorns for the rest of my branches.

Paper: Crushed Curry, More Mustard, Soft Suede, Early Espresso; Ink: More Mustard, Soft Suede; Accessories: Wood button, Linen Thread, Sponge, Square Lattice EF, Woodgrain EF, Autumn Accents die, Big Shot.

Make sure you visit all the design team members' blogs for fabulous ideas!  Next up along the hop is our newest member, Wendy Fischer. She has fabulous creativity! If you get lost, head over to Paper Crafters Sampler's website for the hop participants' links (left-hand margin).


Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Independence Day!

Enjoy the holiday and be safe!

Supplies: Riding Hood Red striped ribbon, Felt, White Baker's Twine, Star buttons, Grapevine wreath, Table Setting die, Big Shot.

Thanks for stopping by!

Advanced Big Shot Class

Hello Everyone, Today I'm going to share the projects we did at the Advanced Big Shot class this week, including links to videos and tutorials so you can recreate at home.

The first card we did uses Partial Embossing, as shown by Tami White at Hartford Regionals this spring. I embossed two layers of thin cardboard, cut out, and glued them together, and taped them on top of the embossing folder.

My design is based on Jen Timko's card. I only have a cardfront because after a bunch of fussing with lining up the layers just right, disassembling, trying again... I ended up gluing it on the base upside-down. Little Missy thought that was hilarious!

We stamped Elements of Style on Presto Patterns DSP, watercolored with Aquapainters, and die-cut into the butterfly shape. Then the edges and white areas were sponged with Crumb Cake and spritzed with Soft Suede marker and Color Spritzer tool.

Quick reference sandwich (from the bottom): closed multi-purpose platform / 1 cutting pad / embossing folder with cardstock inside and cut out cardboard taped to the top of the folder.

Stamps: Elements of Style; Paper: Very Vanilla, Marina Mist, Presto Patterns DSP, First Edition DSP; Ink: Marina Mist, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Whisper White Craft, Black Stazon, Soft Suede marker; Accessories: Baja Breeze seam binding, Chantilly Lace, Antique brad, Pearl jewels, Sponge, Aquapainter, Cutter Kit, Color Spritzer, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Beautiful Butterflies die, Big Shot.

Next up, the Embossed Frame, originally shown on Patty Bennett's blog. In this case, rather than the wood template, we used two layers of medium thickness cardboard with the oval cut out, glued together.

We added a colorful accordion-fold flower for fun.

Quick reference sandwich (from the bottom): Shim under Tab 1 / using Tab 1 on Multipurpose platform / cardboard template with oval cut out / cardstock inside embossing folder centered over cardboard template / cutting plate.

Stamps: Sweetheart, Cheep Talk; Paper: Whisper White, Beyond the Garden DSP; Ink: Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip; Accessories: 3/4" Circle punch, Scallop Edge punch, Finial Press embossing folder, Big Shot.

And finally, the Half-cut, Half-fold card using Movers & Shapers, originally seen on Marie Shaughnessy's blog.

I like the effect of the flamingos "standing" in the grass in the background.

Stamps: Valentine Defined, Something to Celebrate; Paper: Real Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Love Impressions DSP; Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Regal Rose, Real Red; Accessories: Full Heart punch, Scallop Trim punch, Movers & Shapers Punch Windows, Big Shot.

Quick reference sandwich (from the bottom): Impressions pad / cutting plate / Movers & Shapers die / cardstock / cutting plate placed over half of the die.

A little more details: Since we didn't use the Movers & Shapers platform, this gets a little futsy on the little heart die. It was easier with two pairs of hands. First, Teresa Payne-Neal gave some video tips for using the Movers & Shapers without the full platform. I've used this method to cut felt hearts before.

Starting with 4-1/4 x 11" cardstock, score at 2-3/4 and 5-1/2". Use temporary adhesive to hold down the cardstock to the heart die,

and permanent snail adhesive to hold the cutting pad in place on the top of the sandwich.

I would suggest playing with this technique with copy paper to get the feel for which side to tape down.

Thanks for stopping by!