Valentine Top Note Box

First I would like to give credit where it is due, I cased this idea from Lynn Put at www.thequeensscene.blogspot.com. Her original box and directions are under her 3D items January 21, 2008 posting. Yes, I am one of those people who just look around for hours on people's blogs. I think that is why laptops were invented so you can watch tv and be online at the same time. :)

This box was sooo easy to make. This was my first attempt, but I plan on making a version of this in January at my Stamp Camp along with a few other items for Valentine's Day. Look for more info to come on my website under events. I should be posting the details soon.

This is what the box looks like on the inside. I placed a couple of wrapped chocolates inside, but you could place whatever you wanted.

The Top Note die cuts were made from designer paper glued to both sides of a piece of thin cardboard and run through the Big Shot. They are nice and durable.

This box is going to my secret stamper, who has been patiently waiting on me to send her items.

Keep safe and have a happy holiday!

Diane

Cookie Recipe Card

I used the Medallion Stamp inked in Real Red. I then sponged the stamp with a metallic stamp pad before stamping the image. A clear sparkly stick-on was added to the center. We printed our recipes 2 to a page, then cut at 5 1/2 inches. We then scored the short side a 1" so the pages would fold better in the recipe book.

Goodnight all!

Diane

Stampin' Christmas Party and My Favorite Christmas Cookie

Hope everybody had a safe and happy Saturday. I spent the morning at work, but this afternoon was spent with my Stampin' Up fellow demonstrators at our Christmas party. My upline, Penny, graciously opened her house to all of us. We had a chinese auction with ornaments, great food and drink, and even a couple of fun items we made. Below is the first item Penny had for us. It is made using an empty glass ornament and filling with candies.

The cool part was that she also made this cute little box, that serves as a holder for the ornament. Isn't it neat?

The second item we stamped was a cute little gum wrapper. Perfect for stuffing in a stocking or leaving on a desk of a friend as a little winter pick me up!

As part of the Christmas party, we all brought different snacks/drinks to enjoy. One of my fellow stampers, Trudy, came up with the idea to make a recipe book. We each printed our individual recipes and decorated in some way with a stamp set, and Trudy made front and back covers to make our recipe book official. She really did a wonderful job. They are really cute! Thanks again Trudy!

My recipe contribution was for my Grandma McFadden's Chocolate Cookies. I remember making these over the years with family. The cookie is a cake like chocolate cookie iced with fudge! We keep ours in the fridge and eat them cold.

I will have to post a separate post with my recipe card as I just realized I forgot it and it won't let me add any more pictures right now.

I decorated the tree this evening, maybe tomorrow I can get my secret stamper items completed. I am behind a month due to unforeseen circumstances, but have the ideas ready to go.

Have a great weekend,

Diane

Pam's Christmas Tea

Remember my post about Cards for Pam? I wrote about it back in October. My mom's cousins had come for a visit from Indiana and Pam was planning a Christmas Tea for her friends and co-workers. In the previous post I made her some invitations ( small gift card holders in which she was placing the invite where the gift card would go). Anyway, she had also asked me to make her some name cards or place settings for the Christmas Tea. My mom loved tea, tea pots etc. and of course we have a drawer dedicated to tea stamps. Pam picked out a couple and then set me free to design whatever I wanted. This is a picture of my creation.

I used the Stampin' Up designer paper. The red designer paper is from Christmas Cocoa and the green designer paper if from Merry Moments. I stamped my teapot stamp on each and then embossed with white. Here is what Pam had to say regarding the name cards.

"Diane,I was going to contact you to let you know, the tea was great!!!!!! I put the place cards in different rooms for everyone to find w/a sachet of tea as a favor. I only received "RAVES" about how clever/cute they were. Thank you so-o-o-o-o much. I loved them."

Well I'm off with the hubby to Christmas shop, plus I messed up my font and don't know how to fix it! Have a wonderful night!

Diane

Remembering Loved Ones

This is a post I never thought I would be writing anytime soon. I have not posted since November 11th because my family has had a couple of losses back to back.

On November 12th, my husband of 21 years, lost his paternal grandfather. He is one of the people I was making a get well card for in the previous post. He had suffered a stroke, had some setbacks, and finally passed. My husband was out of town that week in North Carolina for work and received a call right after he checked his bags at the airport to fly back to Texas. Since he didn't have any clothes he continued on his flight and then caught a plane the next day, Friday to Indiana for his grandfather's funeral Saturday afternoon. My daughter and I wanted to go, but in the end decided to stay home. Our thoughts and prayers were with him and his family as they put his grandfather to rest. It has been a difficult year for that side of the family as my husband's mother passed away in April after being diagnosed with leukemia a month earlier.

Since I stayed home, I continued with my regular schedule and went to work on Saturday. I work at a bank, so I had to work in the morning and was off at 12:30. One of my coworkers had recently had back surgery, so I stopped at her house on the way home to drop off a card, flowers and sandwiches for lunch. We were able to have a nice visit and I was leaving I received a call that literally changed my life. It was my neighbor, whom I've never spoken with, calling from my mom's cell phone telling me to come home quickly there has been a minor emergency at my house. I knew when I answered the phone that something must have happened to my mother as my dad will not talk on a cell phone because he is hard of hearing and if it was my dad my mom would have called. (When we moved to Katy a year and a half ago we asked my parents to live with us.) As it turns out my mom had a bad accident falling down the stairs at my house and passed away. The call to my husband in Indiana was a shock to all. He was still at his grandfather's funeral when I called. It was almost too much to bear, but I tried to compose myself and help my dad.

The purpose of this post is to show you how I honored my mother, the woman who my stamping friends in Edinburg lovingly called "The Godmother" as she the main figure in our stamping group. One of my friends once told someone else to watch out or the card mafia would get you! Mom just had a way of sharing her enthusiasm that drew other people to her. So of course when I thought of her memorial, I knew I would hand make all the cards that had the information regarding her birth, death, etc. Here are a couple of pictures. I made 66 in all as I didn't know how many people to expect. As it turns out we had over 100 people there!

My mom was my biggest cheerleader. I miss her every day. I miss being able to say good bye to her in the mornings and to ask her how her day was when I get home. I know I will miss so many things as time passes, but I also have so many happy memories with her. I know she is now with her mom and dad, my husband's mom and grandfather. She is so happy to be with our Lord. She is now my guardian angel and I will reunite with her one day. Thank you to all my friends and family who have helped and comforted me during this difficult time.

With loving memories,

Diane

If Bandaids could make you better...

If bandaids could make you better, I think these cards would be perfect for anyone under the weather. I just love this bandaid with it's little smiley face! I actually stamped this image on 2mm craft foam by heating the foam with my heat tool. Heat one side until the edges start to curl, then flip over and heat second side. Once it starts to curl, get your stamp and press into the foam. My mom found this neat trick on a blog somewhere a long time ago, but I always go back to it for my bandaids. I used the piercing tool to make the "holes" in the bandaids.

Unfortunately I need to use two of these cards right now, one for a family member who had a stroke and is having a rough time right now and the other is for a friend who just had back surgery today. Hopefully these cards will bring a smile to their faces and let them know how much I care.

A special thank you to all the veterans and current military personal today for their sacrifices and service to provide my freedom today.

Have a blessed night,

Diane

October Project Share/ Holiday Boutique

This is the photo frame I made from the last Stamp Camp. I used the D is for Dog stamp set. It makes a beautiful frame and matte for your pet's photo. I just love how it looks like the dog is wagging his/her tail. I took this item to the meeting to share as an idea with my fellow demonstrators. This makes another very economical gift as the frame was purchased for a $1 at the dollar store.

The idea of the Holiday Boutique was to get ideas for projects customers can make at a Holiday Stamp Camp. Customer would preview items to be made at an earlier event, then sign up to make x amount of each item the day of the camp. Items could be money holders, gift card holders, teacher gifts, etc. Anything that one might need for holiday gift giving. This box was my creation. It holds a small 1 oz hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works and would make a great junior high/high school teacher gift, stocking stuffer or even Secret Santa gift. The box is made with real red card stock and decorated with chocolate chip card stock and Merry Moments designer paper. I used the Merry and Bright stamp set to stamp Rudolph. Here are my directions:

Stocking Stuffer / Teacher Gift 3 1/4” x 1 ½” Box with Mini Bow by Diane Burns

1. Cut cardstock 6-½” w by 5 ¼” h. You are able to get 2 boxes from 1 piece of cardstock.

2. Score the 6 ½ “ side every 1 ½”, which will leave a ½” piece at the edge.

3. Score the 5-¼” side at 1 “ at each end.

4. Fold along all score lines.

5. Cut the 2 small rectangles off from the 6 ½” side on the ½’ edge. This will leave a flap to stick the box together. Apply sticky tape to this edge.

6. Decorate the sides of the box with cardstock and designer paper. Cardstock cut at 1 1/4” w by 3” h and Designer paper cut to 1”w by 2 ¾”h.

7. Assemble the box by adhering 2 opposite flaps from the bottom together with sticky tape. (Choose the 2 flaps that aren’t attached to the side with the ½” flap) Then adhere the ½’ flap to the other side. Next adhere the other 2 bottom flaps with sticky tape. Place gift inside and close top flaps. Regular adhesive can be used on top.

8. Finish decorating box, make punch tag and mini bow. Mini bow instructions and dimensions on Splitcoaststampers under resources Paper Bow. ( 1 strip @ ½” x 2”, 8 strips @ ½” x 3” and 4 strips @ ½” by 2 ½”)

Cost to make

I figured my cost from the 15 boxes I made supplies for.

4 sheets Designer Paper = 4 x .83 = $3.32

8 sheets Real Red cardstock = 8 x .22 = $1.76

4 sheets Chocolate Chip cardstock = 4 x .22 = .88

1 sheet Whisper White cardstock = 1 x .22 = .22

½ roll sticky strip = ½ x 6.95 = $3.47

Mini Pop Dots = 90 x .02 = $1.80

Brads = 45 x .03 = 1.35

Total Cost = $12.80/15 = 85 cents each for box and mini bow.

Birthday Bash Stamp Camp

Well I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of cards made at my last Stamp Camp. We made 4 cards and photo frame. (I'll be sharing the frame later) The above card is made with the Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set. Glitter was added to the cupcakes and cherries covered with crystal effects to make them glossy.

I love this card because it is just so feminine and dainty looking. The designer paper I believe is Bella Rose. Butterfly was stamped in versa mark, then embossed with opaque white and cut out. Adhered to card with dimensionals on the body of the butterfly. Wings are then folded up to give a 3D look.

We also make 2 cards for men, the clock card and the origami shirt card from previous posts with birthday sentiments.

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoying beautiful fall weather here today. More to come later!

Diane

Stampin' with Leetah

Just a quick post, while waiting on the pizza man and watching Nascar, of what I made today. I had my friend Leetah over this afternoon and we worked on some Halloween sour cream containers for her made from the Cast a Spell designer paper. Anyway, while she was here I told her we should make a baby card for a baby shower she was going to next weekend. I have been wanting to try the quilting technique with the Top Note die for the Big Shot. We chose some designer paper and then used the square punch to punch out 12 squares. Those squares were then adhered to a piece of paper and run through the Big Shot with the swiss dots cuttlebug folder, then again through the Big Shot with the Top Note die. And voila, a baby quilt perfect for a baby card!

Hope you had a great Saturday,
Diane

Boss's Day Card

I made the above card for my Banking Center manager, Raul, in celebration of Boss's Day. This was my first attempt at the origami shirt and tie and after watching videos, I finally found a blog with step by step photos. If you are interested in trying this technique, check out the instructions at http://sunflowersanddragonflies.blogspot.com/2008/05/tutorial-tuesday-oragami-shirt-tie.html. I used kraft cardstock, with both Manchester and To the Nines designer paper. The sentiment was self made with non Stampin' Up materials. The card edges are sponged with soft suede.



The card went along with a dozen gourmet (gigantic) cookies from a local bakery in Katy. Mmmm, my husband said they were delicious! Of course I had to buy samples for him also. :)

More stamping tomorrow after the daily chores. I hope to have more for you then.

Have a blessed night,
Diane

Cards for Pam

We have visitors today from Indiana, my mom's cousins Pam and Larry. We have enjoyed the day and spent part of the afternoon making some small gift card holders for Pam. She is actually going to use them as invitations for a Christmas Tea for her co-workers. In the spot the gift card would normally go, she'll write details for the Christmas Tea. The first item we made was this paper bag gift card holder. Stamp sets used were Sparkly and Bright and Patterned Pines. Other items used (non Stampin' Up) are the red gem for Rudolph's nose and 2 types ribbon layered on top of each other. Rudolph is popped up on the old olive cardstock with dimensionals and then the old olive is popped up on the bag.



The second gift card holder uses the same stamp sets as the first, but this card is held shut with a belly band. The trees from Patterned Pines were embossed on Bella Rose DP. The middle tree is adorned with a gem at the top. The inside says "You are invited".



Tomorrow afternoon hopefully I will get my area cleaned up and then start cutting paper for cards to be made at my Birthday Bash Stamp Camp for Saturday. Have a great night!

Diane

One of my weekend projects

All the credit for this project goes to Angie Juda . I literally watched her u-tube tutorial (which is awesome, her whole site is) and then sat down and made this. If you would like to check out her projects go to Chic'n Scratch Live at http://www.chicnscratch.typepad.com/chicnscratchlive/ .
This particular project was called designer paper box. It is a stationary card box which holds 4-8 cards. I made 4 matching cards with mine.


The box I made used 1 sheet designer paper (paper used was the heavier DP, I think Parisian Breeze, but I don't know for sure), 2 sheets basic white, and scraps of blue, brown and tan. I am bad with colors as I had a bunch of paper stockpiled before becoming a demonstrator and just sorted by general colors. I wanted to give the cards a little more detail, so I embossed them with cuttlebug folders in the Big Shot.



This is the finished product with cards and envelopes inside the box. Overall this makes a very cute and economical gift.

Sweet dreams!
Diane

World Cardmaking Day October 3rd

Tomorrow is World Cardmaking Day, so after work, grocery shopping and the usual Saturday events, I am planning to sit down and make a few cards. I got some new stamp sets in and want to ink them up! Also just an FYI, Stampin' Up! has added a clearance section on the website that has items up to 80% off regular price. They also have reintroduced weekly specials and have 3 great punches this week at a reduced rate. Just click on the link to my website and choose the box at the top below my name that says "shop now". Then on the next screen on the left it will have links to clearance items and weekly specials. Browse to see what they have or place your order right then online. Enjoy your weekend, I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Diane

Birthday card for my Father-in-law

My father in law's birthday is next week, so I decided to make him a card. We live in different states so we won't be able to celebrate with him, but at least he will know we are thinking of him. My mom purchased this set, Sense of Time, and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I viewed the gallery at Splitcoast and made my variation. The brads, and cutting out the second hand circle are not my original idea, but cased from several different cards. I started by stamping the clock on designer paper (I think this is Manchester DP), then cutting out. I stamped again and cut out the smaller second hand circle. I added the brads and then popped up second hand clock with dimensionals. The edges were sponged with basic black ink. The sentiment, birthday greetings, was put in some antique brass hodgepodge hardware (of which I cut off the edges where brads can go) and popped up with dimensionals also. Base of the card is made with Soft Suede with Always Artichoke layering.


This close up photo shows the 3-D dimension of the card. Once started this was a quick card to make. I know my father in law will enjoy it as he loves watches. Happy Birthday Steve!

Until we ink again!
Diane

Trick or Treat Halloween Stamp Camp

I have taken the plunge and joined the online blogging world. I must say that getting started was easier than I thought and I am thankful for that! I also want to thank my upline, Penny, for allowing me to take a quote from her blog and use it as my title. I just think "To stamp or not to stamp...what a silly question!" says it all. Thanks again Penny!

Today I wanted to share a picture of items we made at my first Stamp Camp last weekend. I have Stamp Camps planned once a month. If you haven't been to one, you'll have to join us. They are so much fun, usually around 5-8 projects ready to go for a small fee between $10 to $15 depending on projects. It is an afternoon of stamping with friends at my house enjoying each others company and getting projects made! Next month is Birthday Bash Stamp Camp, but check out my demonstrator website for other events.

Happy stamping!
Diane