ANOTHER BOX IN A BAG

I couldn't resist making another Box In A Bag (see previous post).

Edited To Add: Dawn asked about the dimensionals of the finished Box In A Bag. It measures approximately 5 1/2" tall x 5" wide at the top and 2 1/2" wide at the bottom x 2 1/2" deep.

RECIPE
Paper: Brilliant Blue Prints DP, Real Red CS
Embellishments: Silver Brads, Real Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: Slit Punch, Star Punch, Round Tab Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch
Supplies: Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals
Tutorial: by Diana Gibbs, click HERE

SUMMER PICNIC BOX IN A BAG

This morning when I saw THIS super cute tote on Cindy Lawrence's blog, The Creative Closet, I KNEW I had to try one! Cindy's tote was a gift from Diana Gibbs, Stampin' With Di. See Diana's fantastic, easy-to-follow Box In A Bag Tutorial HERE. This was so-o-o easy to make, the possibilities are endless, and the finished product very satisfying! Fun, fun, fun! RECIPE
Paper: Summer Picnic DP, Bashful Blue and Pumpkin Pie CS
Embellishments: Flower Fusion, Light Blue Ice Circle Rhinestone Brads, Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: Round Tab Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch, Slit Punch
Supplies: Sticky Strip, Pop Up Glue Dots

FEBRUARY weSTAMP SWAP

Earlier this week we held our monthly weSTAMP demonstrator support group meeting. This group consists of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from the creative teams/downline of Lorri Heiling (Confessions of A Stamping Addict) and myself.

NOW is the ideal time to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator because during Sale-A-Bration (now until March 17) you can purchase the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Starter Kit (a $330 value) for just $159. That's 20% off the regular price! PLUS, you'll receive ANY FREE STAMP SET of your choice from the new Spring-Summer Collection - up to a $47.95 value! One of the perks of becoming a SU Demo on my creative team is the opportunity to participate in our monthly weSTAMP swap, whether local or out of town. Please contact me via e-mail for more details .... nrileycm@cox.net.

This first card was our Make & Take provided by our hostess, Lorri Heiling. The original design of this card came from our ever-so-talented friend, Chat Wszelaki, Me, My Stamps, And I ... aka nitestamper on SCS. Click HERE for all the details on Chat's original design.

In case you're new to stamping and wondering what a swap is ... each month there is a theme ... this month's "theme" was to make a card using ANY new stamp set from the new Spring-Summer '08 Collection, the Sale-A-Bration, or Occasions Mini. Next month's theme is to create a card or 3-D item with Mother's Day as the theme. There is a deadline for the participation rsvp, then a final count is done. If there are ten people participating in the swap, you would design or case one card and make ten of them to bring (or mail) to the meeting. Then, at the meeting we exchange (and ooohhh and aaahhhh over) our cards. Each participant goes home with ten cards of ten different designs. A great way to have numerous cards to display at classes!

Here are our swap cards for this month ...

by Leah Sinatra ....
by Pam Wood, Creative Inking ...
by Lorri Heiling, Confessions of a Stamping Addict ...
by Ginny Schembri ...
by Adriana Gray ...
by Anne Fundner ...
by Jessica Blair ...
by Linda Bickley ...
by me, but cased from Taylor VanBruggen, Taylored Expressions. See Taylor's original card HERE.RECIPE
Stamps: So Many Scallops (SAB), Polka Dot Background Stamp, Garden Whimsy, and Sincere Salutations
Paper: Ginger Blossom DP, River Rock, Ruby Red, and Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Ruby Red, Groovy Guava, and River Rock Classic Ink Pads, Versamark
Accessories: Gold Brads
Tools: ½” Circle Punch, Scallop Punch
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals

NOVEMBER STAMP CLASS PROJECTS

Today, I held my Christmas Stamp Classes. Here are the projects we made, along with the recipes. Within the next couple of days, I'll be posting a tutorial on how I organize for my classes...be sure to check back!

JOY CHRISTMAS CARD
This card is a CASE of Chat Wszelaki's card HERE, (nitestamper on SCS). For more of Chat's artwork, visit her blog, Me, My Stamps, and I. I love this card, and here I go again complaining about the way River Rock photographs! It is much prettier IRL! The River Rock background piece is dry embossed with the Snowflake Cuttlebug Folder, and Gold Stickles (non-SU) were added to the snowflakes and to the "j" dot snowflake. I rarely use non-SU products, especially in my classes, but couldn't resist the bling that Stickles adds for the Holidays!

RECIPE
Stamps: Big Deal Alphabet, Season of Joy
Paper: Always Artichoke, River Rock, Purely Pomegranate, Very Vanilla CS and Holiday Harmony DP
Ink: Always Artichoke, Purely Pomegranate Classic Ink Pads
Embellishments: Purely Pomegranate Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Gold Brad, Gold Stickles (non-SU)
Tools: ½”, ¾”, 1” and 1 ¼” Circle Punches, Cuttlebug and Snowflake Embossing Folder, 1/16” Handheld Circle Punch
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pop-Up Glue Dot, Sticky Strip
Original Artist: Chat Wszelaki (nitestamper on SCS)

SEASON OF JOY CHRISTMAS CARD
This card is a variation of THIS CARD that I designed last month. Instead of stamping the Poinsettia from the Season of Joy stamp set, we used the 5-Petal Flower Punch to make it, along with three Old Olive Brads. Simply punch two Real Red flowers and one Old Olive flower, adhere together (staggered), and roll the petals around a pen for dimension. We stamped the star on top of the tree, cut out, adhered to top of tree, and added X-mas Red Stickles (non-SU) for bling.
RECIPE
Stamps: Season of Joy
Paper: Dashing DP, Old Olive, River Rock, Real Red, and Very Vanilla CS
Ink: River Rock, Real Red, and Old Olive Classic Ink Pads
Embellishments: Real Red 5/8” Grosgrain Ribbon, Old Olive Brads, X-Mas Red Stickles (non-SU)
Tools: 5-Petal Flower Punch, Paper Piercing Tool for brad holes , Scissors for cutting out Christmas Tree and Star
Supplies: Stampin’ Dimensionals/Foam Tape, Pop-Up Glue Dot, Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots


CHRISTMAS FIVE-IN-ONE TEMPLATE BOX and CHRISTMAS PAPER BOW
This box and bow were considered two seperate projects. You can find the TUTORIAL for the FIVE-IN-ONE TEMPLATE BOX by Beate Johns HERE, and the TUTORIAL for the PAPER BOW by Jessica Crawford HERE. We made this super easy holiday packaging using a variety of Stampin' Up! Double Sided Papers from the Wintergreen and Dashing Designer Series Paper Packs. I'll never purchase another bow at a store again!Don't forget ...... the November Stampin' Up! Special .... buy THREE DP Packs, get ONE FREE !!!

RECIPE
Paper: Wintergreen and Dashing DP and coordinating solid CS
Supplies: Sticky Strip, Scissors, Pop-Up Glue Dots, Brads, 1/16" Circle Punch or Paper Piercing Tool , Five-in-One Template

MERRY & BRIGHT GIFT CARD HOLDER

This gift card holder is CASEd from Nancy Morgan's original HERE. Nancy is known as ncmorgan on SCS, and her blog is Paper Smiles. The snowman is colored in with markers and Blender Pen for the Wild Wasabi, then Dazzling Diamonds were added with a Two-Way Glue Pen.Walmart carries a gift card this season that matches the DP from the Winter Bright Simply Scrappin' Kit and the snowflakes from the Merry & Bright Stamp Set. I'm told that iTunes also has a cool gift card that coordinates well with this holder!
RECIPE
Stamps: Merry & Bright, Fundamental Phrases, All Holidays (“Merry Christmas” inside sentiment)
Paper: Whisper White Gift Cards & Envelopes (pg. 169, item #107312) Gift Cards measure 3 7/8” x 2 ¾”, Envelopes measure 4 ¼” x 3”. Wild Wasabi and Real Red CS, Winter Bright Simply Scrappin’ Kit
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Real Red Classic. Coloring in Snowman -- Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, and Blush Blossom Markers and Blender Pen with Wild Wasabi Ink Pad.
Embellishments: Red Gingham Ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds
Tools: Paper Piercing Tool/Mat/Template, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 ¼” and 1 3/8” Circle Punches, 1/8” Handheld Circle Punch
Supplies: 2-Way Glue Pen
Note: Use Glue Dots to temporarily adhere gift card inside.
Original Artist: Nancy Morgan

HALLOWEEN TREAT BOX

When I saw Sharon Johnson's adorable Halloween treat box, I knew I HAD to case it. Sharon used Apple Cider DP to create her box, and it is just so-o-o cute! See Sharon's original box and great instructions for creating your own Halloween treat box HERE. Sharon is also known as notimetostamp on SCS. I've admired her work for quite sometime, and she just recently joined the blogging world. See Sharon's SCS gallery HERE.

I chose Creepy Crawly DP for my box, and changed just a few other things. Sharon's instructions were GREAT ... very easy assembly!

RECIPE

Stamps: Party Punch (Level One Hostess, pg. 18), Autumn Apparitions (Holiday Mini pg. 21)

Paper: Creepy Crawly DP, Pumpkin Pie PRINTS DP

Ink: Basic Black Classic Ink Pad

Embellishments: White Eyelets, Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon

Tools: Round Tab Punch, Crop-A-Dile

Other: Instructions for constructing this Treat Box can be found HERE at No Time To Stamp?