Nov 5 2013

Technique Tuesday – Gift Card Holders

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is these adorable Gift Card Holders!!! Now is the time to start making a few of these to decorate that Gift Card before giving it this Holiday Season (or all year long)!!!

These are SUPER simple and easy but adorable! I recently asked for tips on what you would like to see on my blog and someone asked me to post about making multiples and how long it takes for a project! So here it comes……

Supplies Needed: Solid sheet of cardstock, Designer Series Paper, Sticky Strip, and Velcro

Taking one sheet of 8-1/2” x 11”, cut at 3-1/2” along the 11” side (you can get 3 out of one sheet of cardstock)! Score your card at 2-1/2” from one end and 2” from the other end. Optional: Using your corner rounder punch, round the corners on the 2” end. Cut 3 pieces of Designer Series Paper – 3-1/4” x 1-3/4”, 3-1/4” x 2-1/4”, and 3-1/4” x 3-3/4”. This is a great chance to use some scrap pieces of your Designer Series Paper or the Paper Stacks that are found in the Holiday Mini Catalog, like this sample! Using the corner rounder punch, punch just the 2 corners on the 1-3/4” piece of Designer Series Paper. Fold your cardstock on the score lines to create your gift card holder, using sticky strip on the sides of 2-1/4” side of cardstock to adhere it together. Attach the Designer Series Paper to the top flap, bottom pocket, and back side. Attach a small piece of Velcro to the flap to hold it closed! Optional: Punch out a piece of cardstock and stamp a greeting or image on it. I didn’t actually time myself on this one but I would say you can create 3 (since that’s one sheet of cardstock) in about 5 minutes! I will have to actually time myself on the next batch! 🙂

I hope you enjoy these and try it out! I have been making millions of these!

Happy Giftin’

~Laura

Nov 4 2013

More My Digital Studio!!!

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I love stamping and playing with real stamps, ink, and embellishments but it is fun to do it digitally too!!! My Digital Studio is great for making invitations when you need to make a ton or don’t have a ton of time or just because you enjoy playing digitally!!! Here is an invitation that I created for a Beach Wedding! You can change all of the color to match your Wedding colors or you can use this for your next Luau Party too! Here is the inside of the card! I added each of those little flowers in there! You can move them around and mix it up and change the colors! It is so much fun to play around in My Digital Studio!

There are a lot of Digital Downloads for all occasions and events! Some templates include everything you need for a party – banners, treat toppers, invites, place cards, food tags, etc. How fabulous is that? I love when everything coordinates together! Check out My Digital Studio for FREE with the 30-Day Trial or you can jump right in and purchase the download!

Don’t forget that this week is Digital Scrapbooking Week so there are lots of fabulous deals! Check them out!

Nov 1 2013

Fabulous Cards for Fall!

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

While I am still not a huge fan of Fall….after all that means winter is coming and that is so not cool! Also, I am not a fan of the color brown BUT I did have fun with these Fall Cards! It’s stamping and crafting so of course it is fun! Just close the blinds and ignore the weather changing, Laura! I really loved the Magnificent Maple Stamp which is a single stamp, but look at all of the amazing looks I got with just one stamp!!!! Check out this post for the how-to on the orange leaf card on the far left! Check out this post for the Shaker Card technique which is shown towards the right with the leaves in different colors! The treat bags were lots of fun to create as well! And the cutest ever, in my opinion, is the little Washi Tape Banner hanging in the back! Awww! Well I hope you are enjoying your Fall!!! Time to start thinking of Thanksgiving and Christmas now that Halloween is over!!!! Check back often to get lots of inspiration and ideas!!!

Also, don’t forget to check out the last set of Weekly Specials!!!

Happy November!!!

~Laura

Nov 1 2013

Happy Digital Scrapbooking Days!!!!

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Digital Scrapbook Day is actually November 2nd but Stampin’ Up likes to celebrate more than just 1 day!!! Who doesn’t? I like to celebrate all month when it’s my Birthday! To celebrate, there is a different Digital Download on sale for 50% off all week long! Check it out! Don’t have My Digital Studio yet??? Get it for FREE for 30 days to try it out by clicking here! Also, here and here are a few My Digital Studio projects that I have created and more are coming soon!

Digital Scrapbooking Days—Nov. 1–8 Featuring daily deals all week long. 50% off a different download—every day!

Oct 31 2013

Curly Paper Fall Wreath!

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

When I saw this wreath, I thought I HAVE to do that! I had a fall wreath hanging on my front door but I wasn’t super excited about it. In less than 2 hours, I found this wreath, cut the strips of Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper, and made the wreath…..all while watching Dancing With The Stars!!!! Now that is multi-tasking at it’s best, right?? All you need is a foam wreath and I have been re-using this one for over a year! Woot Woot! You will need Designer Series Paper or solid cardstock in 1/2″ strips and then you will run the strip over your bone folder (the same way you run curling ribbon over scissors). This will break the fibers and cause the cardstock to curl – Designer Series Paper curls easy but regular cardstock you need to run through at least 2 times! Then you will take a straight pin and place it in the middle of your curl onto your wreath! Repeat a million more times! haha Just kidding, it really doesn’t take that long. I’ll be honest, I looked at this and thought I’ll be here all night but it comes together quickly. You can then pull all of the curls off and do it with Winter Frost Designer Series Paper for the Winter Season! I’m loving it!!!! Now go try it out and send me a picture of your Curly Paper Wreath!!! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Happy Curlin’

~Laura

Oct 30 2013

Getting Crafty with my Fall Decorations!

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Wednesday! With the Halloween theme this week, I thought I would share these Pumpkin decorations with you! I created these last year (or maybe the year before) and they still look amazing with very little storage space needed!

So you are probably thinking, which package of Designer Series Paper is that? Since I made them a year or so ago, it was the fall pack that year! You could use the Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper for your pumpkins or you could use regular solid cardstock! My solid pumpkins were created with Cajun Craze cardstock! All you need are strips of cardstock and then poke a hole in the ends and insert a brad! I used our Antique Brads! You can then circle some cardstock around a marker (or anything else round a little) to get your little curly cues! When it is time to pack up the decorations at the end of the season, just pull the brad out of the bottom and line all the strips up and then re-insert the brad. Super simple and small to store and use again next year!!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura

Oct 29 2013

Technique Tuesday – Boo Banner Bags!!

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

It is Tuesday and so I’m sharing a fabulous technique with you!!! This week it is these adorable Boo Banner Bags!!!

Isn’t he precious??? I had lots of fun making these little Boo Banner Bags!

Here is what you will need: Build-A-Banner Simply Created Banner Kit, Cardstock, Sticky Strip, Sponge Daubers, Ink, & Ribbon.

You need to pick one of the three styles of banners you would like to use (banner, point, rounded), any of them would work fine! You will then use your template to color in. I used the Chevron Template and used Crushed Curry and Tangerine Tango for a candy corn look! Then then took the black and colored in the word BOO. You will then need to take any type of ribbon to make the handle. I used the fabulous Chevron Ribbon because it’s super fun (and messes with your eyes if you look at it too long). Trace your banner onto cardstock so you can create your backing. This is where the points and banner tip work better than the rounded one for me because I can cut lines but when it gets to rounding, I am not as smooth! 😉 You will then line the sides and bottom of the cardstock with Sticky Strip, peel off the red backing, and stick to your banner! I added stitch lines with my Basic Black Marker and the eyes for the Boo were created with Whisper White, Crushed Curry, and Basic Black circles (the white line was created with my Chalk Marker)! I hope you try these adorable bags out! I loved making them! I’m thinking about doing Christmas ones…..HoHoHo or Santa or Snowflakes…..Mmmmm endless possibilities! For more ideas with your Banner Kit, check out this post and this post!

Happy Sponge Dauberin’

~Laura

Oct 28 2013

Halloween Treat Bags

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Happy Monday!! It’s Halloween Week and while I’m not a fan of the holiday, I do enjoy doing craft projects for Halloween and Fall (or any Holiday for that matter). So all week I will be showing you some of the projects I’ve been working on or have created in the past as well!!!

Today is Treat Bags!!!! This year they were super simple with Stampin’ Up’s Tag-A-Bags and Washi Tape!!!! LOVE!

Aren’t these soooo cute??? Let me put out the disclaimer that we only get about 3-5 Trick-Or-Treaters each year so I can decorate my treats! I hear about those people that go through $100’s of dollars of candy and while I think it would be fun to hear the doorbell ring and see cute kids in costumes all night long, I would for sure not be making treat bags for all of them! Also, I send all of my nieces and nephews (7 total) treat bags since they don’t live around me! Working on winning Auntie of the Year each year! 🙂 Here is another picture of a few of the treat bags. I used the Washi Tape, Chalk Talk Framelits, Baker’s Twine, Chevron Ribbon, and Halloween Stamps from Teeny Tiny Wishes and Delightful Dozen!

Happy Trick-or-Treatin’

~Laura

Oct 25 2013

My Family Album in My Digital Studio!!

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

Today I am sharing my Family Album that I have been working on for what seems like years. I have been wanting to create a Family Tree Album for awhile now! Then Stampin’ Up came out with a Family History template and I got super excited! This template has nice subtle colors of blues, greens, and yellows! It has a perfect layout for adding in your family information which is great because you just fill in the information that it asks for or you can change it up and input your own! I’m excited to have finally started this album, although it is still a work in progress! I have started asking family members to share stories and photos to add into it! I’m so excited and it is really coming together amazingly! And I love the fact that I will have this great album with my Family History and Information in! Okay enough talking, Laura, show them the album!!!

The page on the left is the front of the album! The picture is of our Family Farm! It is the house that my Father grew up in and I made many memories in that house when my Grandparents lived there! My family moved into that house when I was 8 years old and it is still the house that I call HOME! The page on the right is the first page and it is a fabulous picture of my Grandparents!

These two pages aren’t complete yet….I’m telling ya this is a major work in progress, bear with me! 🙂 The page on the left is pictures of major events – Flood of 1993 and Hail Storm of 1989! Both of these events have made an impact in my life and of course I want to be able to share them with the generations to come! The page on the right side is a few pictures of my Grandparents over the years. Of course, you may be thinking what about the other side of my family? I’m working on that too! This album will include both sides of my family! I hope you enjoyed these My Digital Studio creations and I’m hoping that by sharing this, I will be held accountable for keeping up with it and sharing more later too! If you would like to try out My Digital Studio for 30 Days for FREE, click here! If you would like help on your album or have any other questions, feel free to reach out to me!

Happy Digital Scrapbookin’

~Laura

Oct 24 2013

Spectacular Samples!

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Laura's Stamp Pad

I thought I would share some of my projects that I have created with some of the stamp sets (and Framelits) that are on sale this week so you can see them in action!!!! One of my super favorites is the Dress Framelits!

The card on the left side was cut out on Glimmer Paper and I added ribbon around the waist for a little pop of color to match my card base! Of course I added the purple ink to the edges of the Whisper White cardstock with my sponge daubers! The card on the right side was created using the Puzzle Resist Technique….which uses sponge daubers too (of course)!!! You can check out more about this Technique HERE!

Betsy’s Blossom Stamp Set has flowers so of course it is one of my favorites!!! Why is it that I always gravitate towards flower sets? Probably because they are so much fun and pretty and colorful!!!!! These were samples that I created a while back for a class that I did featuring this stamp set. That’s right, I loved this set so much I did an entire class with it!!!! The card on the left was stamped in Basic Gray and Daffodil Delight and then I stamped more Daffodil Delight flowers on scrap paper and punched them out with the Blossom Punch and layered them on top!!! The card on the right features all of the 2012-2014 In-Colors! I stamped the flower in each color and added a little Flower from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and a Rhinestone! What makes a flower even better? BLING!

Don’t forget you can get these items as well as many others for 25% off this week only!

Click here for the 25 Stamp Sets that are 25% off! Click here for the Weekly Specials!!!

Happy Stampin’

~Laura