Stampin' with Kristin

Remaining Stamp Sorority Holiday Gifts

Way back on December 9th, I posted the gifts that members of my Stamp Sorority team made and swapped with each other at our annual Holiday Party.  One of the gals was unable to attend.  I wanted to wait until everyone had received their gifts before I posted the remaining pictures (including the gift I received)!

This first picture is the gift that Jennifer made me!  I absolutely LOVE it!  I always love the samplers that people make.  I've admired quite a few of them this year but haven't taken the time to sit down and make one myself.  And, now I don't have to!!!  I have it displayed in my living room on top of our electric "fireplace".  I had a hard time getting a photo without glare so you can't really see all of the detail that went into her project.

Next up is the gift that Lynn made for Meggan.  She stamped some seasonal images on fabric that fits perfectly around a yankee candle.  Only 2 of the sleeves are shown here.  She still has 2 more to make.  But, this should hold her over through winter and spring!

And, finally, the last gift was made by Meggan for Patty Jo.  It's another shadow box filled with jingle bells.  I just love this idea!  She punched an assortment of designer series paper using the Postage Stamp punch for the background.  I also love the rustic frame she found!

All of the gifts my team made this year were fabulous!  They definitely set the bar VERY high for next year!

Fabric Friday - Quilt Block Swap - Part 2

Last Friday I posted the raw materials for a quilt block swap in which I'm participating.  It's taken everything in me to hold this post until this Friday!  I wanted to share them with you as soon as they were finished!  They only took THREE trips to my local quilt shop and to a Big Box store for the backing and batting.  Whew! 

Want to know what I used to make these???  A LOT of Big Shot Dies!!!  That was one of the requirements.  Here they are:

- Tasteful Trim Die (stems)
- Leaves #2 Die (leaves)
- Flower Folds Die (flowers)
- Penant Die (scallop circle on large flower)
- Scallop Circle #2 Die (scallop circle on small flower)
- Circles #2 Die (circles in center of flowers)
- Beautiful Butterflies Die (butterflies)
- 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon
- Springtime Vintage Designer Big Buttons (Occasions Mini Catalog) - only available until April 30th!
- Sweet Stitches Designer Big Buttons (Occasions Mini Catalog) - only available until April 30th!

I had to make 9 of these blocks.  So, I snapped a quick photo of all of them before I popped them in the box to mail off to the swap host.  I can't wait to see all of the blocks I get back!!!

Fabric Friday - Quilt Block Swap - Part 1

It's Fabric Friday!  And, guess what?  I'm actually playing with fabric!  Unfortunately I don't have a finished project to share just yet - that will be posted NEXT Friday.  But, I thought I'd tease you with the supplies.  First, I'll back up a bit.  Quite a few months ago (back in January), I signed up to participate in a Quilt Block Swap.  What's a Quilt Block Swap?  It's just like a card swap, but we're making Quilt Blocks!  Thankfully, I only need to make 9!  But, there were some guidelines....they MUST use Big Shot Dies.  They didn't need to use SU fabric.  My first choice would have been to use Springtime Vintage but I don't have much on hand and it's a little late to be ordering it!  So, I ventured out to my local Quilt Shop.  I'd never been there but I used to pass it every night on my way home from work.  I checked them out online and saw that they opened at 10am.  I figured they could help.

Before heading out this morning, I sat down and tried to come up with a layout.  Mine looks more like a card front than a quilt, but I guess that's because I make cards - not quilts!  I cut some pieces of fabric that I did have on hand in the pieces I wanted to use so that I could show the shop owner what I had in mind.  I walked into the store as they were opening and was immediately in love with the colors and patterns.  Fabric is just like paper, isn't it?  I spread my cut fabric samples on the counter and the shop owner was excited about what I had planned and promised me I wasn't biting off more than I could chew (these need to be done in under a week).  She gave me some ideas and let me wander.  She was trying to steer me towards fat quarters - there was even a "sale bin".  But, after being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for close to 5 years, I had no idea how to pair them together!  The colors didn't match in the sale bin.  But, she did have bolts of fabric in coordinating colors grouped together.  So, I told her I couldn't work with the fat quarters.  I needed to use the "families".  Why doesn't everything in the world come in nice coordinated packs and sets like Stampin' Up!  I was drawn to one group and we started pulling out fabric and tried to make it work.  I walked out of the store with a pile of fat quarters from the sale bin and fabric for my quilt blocks.

After a quick lunch of leftovers, I quickly started cutting into the fabric.  I cut one piece wrong (but recovered).  And, the one pattern that wasn't part of the "set" that we threw in was just too bright.  So, back I went to the shop!  She was excited to see my project coming together but could see I was struggling with the one.  We quickly found a replacement and I was on my way.  I've got it planned out, but wanted to take a quick picture of the raw materials before I cut them to pieces.  Check back next week to see how I made out!

Fabric Friday - Embossed Fabric

I wanted to share another project my Die Cut Divas are making this month.  And this card uses a layer of Springtime Vintage Fabric! 

You probably can't tell in this photo (at least I can't) but I embossed the fabric using my Big Shot!  I used the Big Shot Fabric Adhesive Roll to adhere a piece of the fabric to a piece of Very Vanilla Card Stock.  I then cut both with the Top Note Die in the Big Shot and then ran it back through with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder to texturize it!  I layered it over a full Very Vanilla Top Note.  I stamped the sentiment from Word Play (love this set) in Not Quite Navy Ink.  I embellished with some Baja Breeze Seam Binding, Baja Breeze Andornments, tiny butterflies using the Butterfly Embosslit, and pearls.  After the card was put together, I grabbed my Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint/Rubbing Alcohol Mix and spritzed the entire card....and then regretted it!  I think I should have just spritzed the Top Note piece....not the entire card.  But, there it is! 

Fabric Fridays - Butterfly Tote Bag

I have been wanting to share this tote bag with you for a couple of months!!!  Last December my group of demonstrators gathered together for our first annual holiday party.  We exchanged names about a month before and made a homemade gift for someone else in the group using Stampin' Up! products.  Some people baked goodies and packaged them up with SU products.  Others made fabric book covers, trivets, home decor items, and a variety of other wonderful gifts.  Today's tote bag was the gift I received from April Boyea.  Does her name sound familiar?  Yes, she's also the demonstrator responsible for yesterday's card!

I just love this tote bag and I know many of you do too.  It's been in my classroom for the past two months and many of you have commented on it.  April used the Springtime Vintage Designer Fabric in the Occasions Mini catalog to embellish a bag she picked up at a local big box craft store.  She cut the fabric using her Big Shot and the Butterfly die.  She embellished each butterfly with one of our self-adhesive pearls.  She tells me that she adhered the butterflies to the bag with hot glue - easy enough, right???  She stamped my name in coordinating ink and even made the letters glittery.  To top it off, she made ribbon out of the fabric and tied it to the handles.  How is that for an adorable, personalized, homemade gift?!?!?  Thanks April!

Introducing Fabric Fridays!

Welcome to my newest blog series - Fabric Fridays!  Each Friday I will be bringing you a project that features Stampin' Up! fabric!  (I probably should have saved yesterday's card for next week!)  This is a REAL challenge for me since I don't sew.  So, I'm sure you'll see my sewing skills improve (hopefully) over the weeks to come!

This first card was inspired by a card that Shelli showed on stage last year at convention.  I was designing projects last Tuesday and I needed a card that incorporated sewing.  So, I Googled ideas!  I came across someone's blog who was sharing her convention photos.  I missed most of Shelli's fabric presentation last year because I was back stage getting ready for one of my presentations. 

I changed my card just a bit.  Shelli's included several hand-cut elements that I thought would be too time-consuming.  And, Shelli's card didn't have a puffy heart - her's was just a flat fabric heart.  The idea to make the heart puffy came from one of my newer customers, Susan, who was here for a class.  And, thank you Susan, because my stamp club loved it!

Did you know the fabric from the Holiday Mini is still available for purchase?  Well, you're in luck, it is available!  That's where this fabric came from.  To make the heart, I cut two hearts out of the fabric using my Big Shot and the Hearts & Brackets Die.  I also cut a piece of white fleece to use as batting.  I then hand-stitched the heart using pretty wide stitches.  I punched a scallop circle layer out of the First Edition Specialty DSP and glued it behind the heart.  I also punched an Antique Brad through the top of the heart. Believe it or not, I glued the heart to the card using SNAIL and it hasn't fallen off yet!  I've also included a close-up of the heart along with a complete list of the supplies we used to make this card.  I hope you'll check back every Friday for a fun fabric project!

• Notably Ornate Stamp Set
• Artistic Etchings Stamp Set
• Basic Black Classic Ink
• Cherry Cobbler Card Stock
• Crumb Cake Card Stock
• First Edition Specialty DSP
• Victoria Crochet Trim
• Antique Brads
• Scallop Circle Punch
• Scallop Oval Punch
• 1-3/4" x 7/8" Oval Punch
• Paper Piercing Tool
• Mat Pack
• Big Shot
• Hearts & Brackets Die
• Needle
• Thread
• Deck the Halls Designer Fabric
• Fleece

Button, Button

I did not like these buttons....until I attended the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference last month.  This was a card that one of the employees showed on stage - I believe it was Carrie.  I immediately fell in love.  Carrie was showing us all kinds of projects made using fabric.  On this card, she showed how she used fabric as a layer on her card.  No sewing - perfect for me!  Carrie found (and I completely agree) that the best adhesive to use when adhering your fabric to card stock (like I have done here), is to use the Anywhere Glue Stick.  This card was SO simple to make.  And, the best part - it's postal friendly!

This was another card that my stamp club made this week.  And, I think they loved it - several of them ordered the supplies we used!! 

Be sure to check back tomorrow to read about my newest blog series!

Here are the supplies used to make this card:

• Button, Button Stamp Set (Occasions Mini Catalog)
• Say it Simply Stamp Set (Occasions Mini Catalog)
• Sweet Stitches Fabric (Occasions Mini Catalog)
• Chocolate Chip Classic ink
• Tempting Turquoise Classic Ink
• Tangerine Tango Classic Ink
• Melon Mambo Classic Ink
• Chocolate Chip Card Stock
• Very Vanilla Card Stock
• 1" Circle Punch
• 3/4" Circle Punch
• Paper Piercing Tool
• Mat Pack

Twelve Weeks of Christmas - Week Three

Happy Friday!  It's time for another fun Christmas project!  I've seen similar wreaths online and I immediately knew I wanted to make my own - and I even had the materials sitting around the house to make it!

The base of the wreath is a wire wreath frame.  It has 4 wire circles.  I simply cut 1-1/3 packages of Deck the Halls Designer fabric into 1"x6" strips.  Then, I tied them around the wires with a single knot.  No sewing required!  I didn't even actually measure the fabric!  I eyeballed the strips.  I let it fray.  I didn't even iron the fabric first!  Yes, it's so simple, anyone can do it!  I will warn you - make sure you have a lint roller handy!

Here are a couple of additional close-up photos of the front and back of the wreath.