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Saturday, September 11, 2010

Coffee Filter Flower


This card was one of the Workshop Wows that I presented at Stampin' Up!'s Regional Seminar in Fort Worth.  It is the card that I used to apply as a presenter.  To see the other projects that I presented, please click here.

The coffee filters that I used in this project are about 8" in diameter.  They are the 8-12 cup size that you find in grocery stores.  To make larger pumpkins, you can use the larger commercial coffee filters.  You may be able to find them in restaurant supply stores.

Supplies: 

Stamps:  Word Play, Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel
Classic Ink Pads:  Eary Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
Jumbo Ink Cartridge:  Chocolate Chip
Stampin' Marker:  Chocolate Chip
Card Stock:  Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight
Big Shot, Tasteful Trim Die and Square Lattice Embossing Folder
Ribbon:  Pear Pizzazz 1/2" Stitched Poly
Vintage Brad
Punches:  Fancy Flower, Cogs
Stampin' Sponges
Paper Piercer
Adhesive:  SNAIL, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Mini Glue Dots


Step 1.  With Chocolate Chip, wheel Very Vintage over the entire coffee filter.   It's okay if you don't wheel everything perfectly.  This project is very forgiving.


Step 2.   Fold the coffee filter into fourths and punch with the Fancy Flower punch.  The coffee filter paper is so soft that you'll want to punch 2 - 4 layers at the same time for the best results.  Many thanks to Marilyn Young for figuring that out at one of our demonstrator meetings. 


Step 3.   Take one flower and sponge the center with Daffodil Delight.  Sponge the edges with Melon Mambo.  The last step of edging with a Chocolate Chip marker is optional.


Here is a close of up what that looks like.  You use the brush end of the marker and touch the edge of the filter paper.  Filter paper is very absorbent and will take the ink quickly.  I got this tip from one of my customers.  She likes to edge the letters on her scrapbook pages.  In the spaces that are too small to use an ink pad, she uses the marker brush tip.

Repeat Step 3 until you have 3 flowers.  Layer them one on top of each other.  Use your paper piercer to punch a hole through all three flowers and the Very Vanilla card stock.  Add a vintage brad in the center.  I did punch two of the small cogs out of Daffodil Delight card stock and added them to the brad. 


At this point you'll notice that your flower is still pretty flat.


Step 4.   Scrunch up the entire flower and gently open the flower back up.  Arrange the petals so that you like them.


And that's how you get a quick and easy 3D flower!

p.s.  If you're wanting the dimensions for the rest of the card...

Very Vanilla:  5 1/5 x 2 1/2.  I lightly sponged Daffodil Delight and Melon Mambo on the Very Vanilla.
Early Espresso:  5 1/2 x 1/2 (I just have small strips on either side of the Very Vanilla cardstock. It saves paper, is easier to me to get a thin mat and my card doesn't get so thick.
Melon Mambo:  I used the Tasteful Trim die to cut the scallops out and then ran them through the Square Lattice embossing folder.  While you can't see it in the picture, it gives a nice texture to the scallops.  And when you're making a lot of cards, it's much faster to use the Big Shot instead of the border punches.
The sentiment is stamped with Early Espresso ink.

I hope you enjoy making this flower and other flowers with coffee filter paper. 

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Coffee Filter Vintage Pumpkin


This pumpkin is one of the projects that I showed in my Workshop Wow presentation at Stampin' Up!'s Regional Seminar in Fort Worth.  To see the other projects, please click here

I decided to post this tutorial first since more people asked about this project.  I used a brown coffee filter for this project.  You can make a pumpkin with brighter colors if you use a white coffee filter.

The coffee filters that I used in this project are about 8" in diameter.  They are the 8-12 cup size that you find in grocery stores.  To make larger pumpkins, you can use the larger commercial coffee filters.  You may be able to find them in restaurant supply stores. 

Supplies: 

Stamp Sets:  Fabulous Phrases, Baroque Motifs
Classic Ink Pads:  More Mustard, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant
Card Stock:  More Mustard
Punches:  Small Oval, 1/16" hole punch
Big Shot and Leaves #2 Die
Ribbon:  Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta
Linen Thread
Multipurpose Liquid Glue
Mini Glue Dots
Small Twig
Coffee Filters:  One brown (unbleached) and one white. 
Polyester Fiberfill
Needle and Thread
Washer (I used one that is slightly smaller than 1" in diameter


Step 1.  Sponge More Mustard on the coffee filter.


Step 2.  Sponge Tangerine Tango on the coffee filter.


Step 3.  With Elegant Eggplant, stamp Baroque Motifs on the coffee filter.


Step 4.  Using a needle and thread, baste around the edge of the filter.  I used stitches that were about 1/4" long and basted a little more than 1/4" away from the edge. 


Step 5.  Glue a small washer in the center of the inside of the filter.  The weight of the washer will help keep your pumpkin from rolling around.  I glued a piece of coordinating card stock between the washer and the coffee filter since the filter is so thin. 


Step 6a.  Put a piece of polyester fiberfill in the center of your pumpkin.


Step 6b.  Pull the basting thread to gather the pumpkin around the fiberfill.  Adjust the gathers while you are tightening the thread so that it gathers up evenly.  Add or remove fiberfill to fit your pumpkin.


Step 7.  Tie off the basting thread.  You can see the twig on the side that you will use in the next step.


Step 8.  Glue the twig into the center of the pumpkin.


Step 9.  Die cut 3 leaves using your Big Shot and the Leaves #2 die.  Sponge Old Olive on both sides of all three leaves.  Using Elegant Eggplant, stamp Baroque Motifs on each leaf.  Trim one section off of the leaf to make it smaller.


Step 10 and 11.  Glue the leaves to the twig.  I used Stampin' Up!'s multipurpose liquid glue.  Using Fabulous Phrases, stamp Gratitude on a piece of More Mustard Card Stock and punch with the small oval.  Use the 1/16" hole punch and add a piece of linen thread.


Step 12.  Tie a piece of Old Olive 1/8" taffeta ribbon on the twig while also adding the tag.  I used a mini glue dot to hold the ribbon onto the twig.


Here is the same pumpkin with its Halloween outfit on.  The Halloween items are removable so you can use the same pumpkin for fall.  Click here for details.

Enjoy your pumpkin.

Visit my online store to get your supplies for this project.  Remember that when you purchase $25 or more in product, you are eligible for my Rewards Program.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Online Store

Coffee Filter Projects

Yesterday at Stampin' Up!'s Fort Worth Regional Seminar, I was a Workshop Wow presenter.  In a Workshop Wow presentation, you have 5 minutes to show a new technique and twists on the technique.  I showed different ways to use coffee filter paper.  What I like about coffee filter paper is that it takes ink very well yet is soft like fabric.

My first project was this card with a flower that I made using the Fancy Flower punch.   This was the project that I sent to Stampin' Up! when I was applying to be a Workshop Wow presenter.  Click here for the tutorial.


My second project was a pumpkin.  For the pumpkin, I used a brown coffee filter.  The leaves were die cut out of a white coffee filter and then sponged with Old Olive ink.  Click here for the tutorial.


I was trying to decide what other projects to make when my girlfriend, Mary Hamilton, gave me an idea.  We were talking about different Christmas projects, and she mentioned making snowmen.  That's when I realized that I could take two pumpkin shapes and turn them into a snowman.  That's how I came up with Frosty.  Thanks for the inspiration, Mary!  Click here for the tutorial.


My fourth project, covering a picture frame with coffee filters, didn't work out as I had originally planned.  I was trying to duplicate the faux leather look that I had seen using brown paper sacks.  I planned to add extra coffee filter leaves and make a rustic country frame.

My original version didn't look like leather (and never was going to get there) so I changed my plan.  I decided to sponge different fall colors on the paper to give it some color.  I liked the look and decided to decoupage the leaves on the frame.  Then I added a final layer of varnish to blend everything together.  That's how I ended up with this frame.  I like it more than my original concept!  As one of my art friends once told me, if you don't like it, you're not done yet.  Trying to fix mistakes is how I have come across some of my favorite techniques.  Click here for the tutorial.

I've have multiple requests for tutorials for these projects.  I'll be posting them later this weekend.  And if you live in the DFW metroplex, I'll be offering classes on these projects. 

I'm looking forward to seeing your projects using coffee filter paper.

Visit my online store to get your supplies for this project.  Remember that when you purchase $25 or more in product, you are eligible for my Rewards Program.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Online Store