Toilet Paper - REALLY???!

Well, OK, so it's only the rolls from INSIDE the toilet paper that I used, but, still - toilet paper rolls? REALLY?

Yes, really. My friend Joanna had told me about these and even send me a link to a video tutorial on how to make them. I wasn't the least bit excited, even after seeing the video.

But, I decided to try to make one. After all, I had LOTS of photos left over from those family calendars that were sitting on my work bench. Might as well give it a try.

And I was suitably impressed with the outcome! REALLY!

Look!

This one was made using some of the photos of my fellow demonstrators and myself at various SU functions.

Here's the finished product - three TP rolls, flattened and embellished with DSP, ribbons, and lots of other "stuff". After the decorating part was completed, I used my binding machine to attach them all together.

These are great little photo albums to send to family and friends. You're being "green", too!


Here are some more photos. Notice that there are pull outs inside each of the rolls. I attached photos to both sides of each of them.

This is the inside of tube 1 and tube 2.

I used 3" x 4-1/2" Cottage Wall DSP (115671 $9.95) to cover them. It took two pieces, when I used those measurements. I just happened to have those already cut, so decided to use the new scallop edge punch - and then I overlapped the two pieces when I attached them to the tube.


I have scalloped edges on the top of one side and the bottom of the other side.

Here's a close up of one of the photos. Convention 2009 was Terri's first SU convention, and she decided she'd like to try and get her photo taken with Shelli, the co-founder and CEO of Stampin' Up!.

She got in line and they ended the line right after her. So, she stood there for quite some time. I joined her in line, and voila! I got in the photo too. Certainly not my intention, but I treasure the photo!


Between tube 2 and tube 3. That's Joanna showing off the new catalog cover, and me, modeling the beautiful Big Shot cut flowers that my upline, Jill, had given me as a gift.






And here's the other side of the same two tubes:

This is Sharon, trying NOT to get her photo taken. OH - and Susan's arm over there to the left.









Here are some of the inserts:








Not sure what happened to the orientation on those last two - hard to see, but this is how they'd pull out of the sleeves.

Hope you enjoyed this peek! I did another one with the Kidz' photos on it. Will show you some of it another time

Happy stampin'!

And yet more Bs

How about some more photos of cards from Leadership swaps?

I've been busy playing with something new, but am not quite ready to share it with you - SOON, though, OK?

So, for tonight, let's continue on with the "B"s - tonight it stands for Chocolate BUNNY! Item 116982, $7.95, on page 43 of the Occasions mini-catalog.


I like the color combination on this one. Chocolate chip and Rich Razzleberry, with some Kraft used as an accent.

The Razzleberry ribbon and the scalloped edge add some eye interest, as does the use of the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder on the Chocolate Chip background.

The designer used the word window to punch out the greeting, then mounted it on a piece of Razzleberry punched with the Modern Label punch.

This bunny was stamped in Choc Chip on Kraft CS, then cut out and layered on to the card.


This one's nice and "springy". Made with Barely Banana, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise and Soft Suede.

This time the bunny's just stamped in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White, the layered on to the Tempting Turquoise.

The Soft Suede polka dot ribbon adds a nice touch, as does the circle of Soft Suede CS with a yellow brad.





This one's springy, too. Guess the color combos are what give these cards the "spring" look.

This time the designer threw in some Pretty In Pink, which is also picked up in the Teaparty DSP.

She also used the "happy Easter" stamp from the Well Scripted set (Item 117072 #19.95 in the Occasions mini-catalog).

Again, scallops are featured, both using the scallop border punch and the scalloped oval punch.

She stamped the bunny on Chocolate Chip CS with Chocolate Chip ink, then cut it out and layered it on to the card.


This card was made using parts and pieces from the Eggcellent Eggs Kit found in the Occasions mini-catalog, along with Chocolate Bunny stamped in Chocolate Chip on Choc Chip CS.

The flowers and leaves are die cuts included in the Eggs kit.

Yes, the original idea is to use this kit to decorate eggs, but, hey, why not use the pieces on a card, too?

The oval was pierced using a template provided by the designer, and adds just enough more eye interest, don't you think?


Notice how different the bunny looks, depending upon the color of CS you start with. The use of Chocolate Chip ink seems universal, (it IS, after all, entitled "Chocolate" Bunny!) although I know there are bunnies in almost any neutral color, so you can use YOUR imagination when stamping him.

Hope you enjoyed the bunnies!

Do you NEED this stamp? Remember, we're now carrying a small selection of single stamp, of which the Bunny is one. There are seven others in the Occasions mini, so let me which one(s) you'd like!

Thanks for stopping by...

Ruffly Flowers

I realized after I'd posted last night that although I made references to and showed photos of the ruffly flowers, I never really explained how to make them!

They're so easy!

Cut a 1" x 12" strip of either Whisper White, Very Vanilla, or one of the Designer Papers. Our colored card stock is too thick - it doesn't bend the way you want it to.

Punch along one side using the Scallop border punch. Sponge along the edges if you want. It does make the flower "pop" more if you do.



Run it through the corrugator 5-6 times. You're doing this to break down the fibers in the paper so that it will curl more easily.









Next, punch out a circle of CS using the 1-3/8 circle punch, and cover it with sticky strip.






Now take the beaten up, scallop punched strip and start scrunching it up and laying it down on the sticky strip covered CS circle. Start about 1/8 to 1/4" from the outside, and go around the circle, pushing it into the sticky strip.

You'll be able to make a little over 2 revolutions of the circle before you run out of paper.




Cover the middle with a corduroy button or some other sort of bling.







Add a couple of leaves. Place them where you started the strip around the circle, so that it covers that part.

I used the wings from the new XL 2-step bird punch to make mine, and adhered them with SNAIL.







Now take a couple of dimensionals and adhere the flower where ever you'd like it!

Besides the calendars my club ladies made, I also made a couple of cards with the flower to show its versatility.

Here's one in red...






And here's one I made using Rich Razzleberry.

I brayered the Bride DSP with Razzleberry ink, then made the flower.

I also used the Print Designs in Razzleberry, as well as some of the Razzleberry CS.

Again, I made the leaves for the flower from the XL 2-step bird punch.




A card with this flower on it will need to either be hand delivered, or mailed in a padded envelope. You definitely want the post office to hand cancel it!

So - are you excited about making these for yourself? Are you, even as you read this, running out to your stamp/craft room to begin the process? Let me know how they turn out for you - leave me a comment and a photo!

2010 Calendars

Stamp Club members gathered here on Saturday, and I taught them how to make the ruffly flowers using the Scalloped Border punch I showed here the other day.

I think they really liked them - as do I.

After they made the flowers, I gave them a 2010 calendar and a couple of coasters and turned them loose to make their calendars for this year.

They all used the flowers they'd made to decorate their calendars!



This is Margaret's.










And here is Bernadette's














Anne's














Lindsay's














Kathleen's - she added a bookmark to hers














Linda's














Del's














And finally, the one I made as a sample for them.


Mine is now sitting on the top of the computer desk. I seem to always need a calendar for something, and this is the closest I can get it - and still be able to see the numbers! LOL







We in SOCAL are experiencing a VERY rainy week this week. The media is hyping it as the storm of the century, but aren't they all, until they've come and gone and nothing has happened!!!?

Our average rainfall here is 9 inches a year. They're telling us we'll get anywhere from 5 - 8 inches at the beaches THIS WEEK! And potentially, 20 inches in the mountains!

We're hoping it's a more slow and steady rain than constant downpours, since there were some pretty bad fires up north of Los Angeles earlier this year, which makes for messy, muddy run off, not to mention the potential for homes just washing away.

It did rain pretty hard this afternoon. And then about 5 PM, when the sun was setting, this is what we saw.

Out the back door, facing west















Out the front door, facing east














It was like night and day! I didn't see any rainbows, though...

Hope the weather where you are is OK with you - not that we can do anything about it, but it's nice if it to pleases you... Personally, I can live with an average rainfall of 9 inches rather than feet and feet of snow!

I'm planning to stamp while it rains! Hope you are planning to stamp soon as well.

Pinks & Reds

There was a time when it simply was NOT acceptable to put pinks and reds together.

I remember, because when I was in eighth grade I found a very feminine suit that was a hot pink and red paisley pattern, and I'd never seen those two colors together before.

I just fell in love with that suit. I know most of the reason was the color combo - guess I was a rebel even back then!

It was very expensive at the time - but this suit I HAD to have, and so I put it on lay-away, (remember that?) and bought it.

I wore it all through high school and even into college. And then hemlines went back down, the suit was no longer "fashionable", because I couldn't lengthen the hem!

Who knows what might have happened to it. I wish I had it now - I would never fit into it, but I do have such fond memories of that outfit.

I'm so glad that's no longer true that you shouldn't put pinks and reds together, because I love them together - assuming they are the right shades of each one.

Here's what I've been playing with the past couple of evenings...



Real Red, Regal Rose, and Pretty In Pink CSs.

I've used the new Pinking Hearts border punch to make the "ribbon" on the left side of the card, and the Heart and butterfly embosslits to add dimension.

I've also used some of the Sending Love Specialty paper.









I used the same colors of CS for this card, and added Chocolate Chip to the mix.

This time I used the new Extra Large Two Step Bird punch, as well as the Heart embosslit.

I also used the Scallop Border punch on the Choc. Chip CS, then glued another ribbon onto that one. Isn't the punch beatiful?

And did you know? It's available as a Sale-A-Bration gift this year! WOO HOO!









And for this one, I used a different pattern from the Sending Love Specialty paper. It has GLITTER on it!

I am SO not a glitter fan, but this paper is beautiful - and the glitter doesn't seem to come off on my hands and end up on my face or in my eye.

I used all but the largest butterfly from that embosslit, as well as the heart embosslit, and the Window and Modern Label punches. The words are from Teeny Tiny Wishes.




I'm considering these three cards as candidates for a shoebox swap I'll be in at Leadership early next month. Would love some feedback - which one do you like best?

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!