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Friday, February 8, 2013

Fast and Fun Valentine's Day Cards


Using Stampin' Up! products and these 4 fast and fun designs, Girl Scout Troop 1302 made 90 Valentine's Day cards in 50 minutes for Meals on Wheels recipients.  At the meeting, we had 17 excited and enthusiastic Brownies and 5 adults, including me.  We had 4 tables with one adult at each table guiding the girls through how to make the card featured at their table.  Every Brownie made one card of each design to give to Meals on Wheels.  After they completed their four cards, they got to pick their favorite card to make one more to give to someone else.  Completing a card for Meals on Wheels included writing a personal note to the recipient and letting them know the card was made especially for them by Girl Scout Troop 1302.

This first card went the fastest.  Everything was pre-cut and stamped, so the girls only had to assemble the card and then they could write their personal note.


To add to their personal notes, we had the Creatively Yours stamp set (122612  $14.95) available for the girls to use on the back.  Well, several of them used it on the inside and back of the card--many times.  :)  I love enthusiastic stampers who are willing to explore their creativity!


This card was probably redesigned the most.  The girls did not limit themselves to lining up the hearts.  They put them together in so many different ways.  Sometimes the sentiment was at the top of the card and sometimes at the bottom.  I loved how the Brownies came up with so many ways to use the hearts on this card.


This card went quickly because the four stamps were all clear mount and on one block.  You stamped the four images at one time and then added the ribbon.  I pre-tied the ribbon so all they had to do was stick it on the card.


There were a couple of times when I called this the chocolate candy card during our class.  The Brownies were quick to remind me that this was a chocolate kiss card.  Melody Smith made a more complex version of this card for our January demonstrator swap.  I CASED her card and simplified it for the Meals on Wheels project. Using the Blossom Petals punch to make the kiss make this card go very fast.  I pre-punched the kisses and stamped the sentiment.  All the girls had to do was trim the sentiment and assemble the card.  I should have taken a picture of one of the variations that was made with this card.  One of the Brownies drew hearts all the way around in the white border.  It looked wonderful!

Some quick tips if you are planning something similar where you will make a lot of cards very quickly with beginner stampers.  Notice that all 4 cards are on a white base and that cards 2 and 3 use pieces of card stock that are cut the same size.  That made cutting for these projects go very quickly.  I used the Big Shot and punches as much as possible to make it easy to make the design elements.  I pre-stamped and embossed where possible.  It was also helpful to pack the card parts for each card into one envelope.  That way everything the girls needed was at the table or in the envelope.

At each table, I only had one color of ink pad.  That way I didn't have to worry about ink pad colors getting mixed up.  By the way, Stampin' Up!'s new firm foam ink pads held up very well with some enthusiastic and more firm stamping than what would be recommended.  :)  Some of the clear blocks were covered with ink after our fast and furious stamping.  It was such a snap to clean the clear mount stamps and then rinse the clear blocks with water.  Everything looks good as new.  I would not be able to say that if I had used wood-mounted stamps.

I have been wanting to work with the Girl Scouts for some time now.  I love the look on children's faces (and adults too) when they look at something that they made by hand and are so happy and content with their creativity.  Andrea, the troop leader, was AMAZING.  She had 17 Brownies quiet and focused when she needed them to listen.  When it was their time to enjoy and create, they were laughing, giggling, (and wiggly), but consistently polite, making sure they shared their supplies and waited their turn.  She and the other parents made it look easy when we know it takes a lot of patience, consistency and work.

Thanks for listening to me babble on about how much fun I had with the Brownies of Girl Scout Troop 1302.  Stampin' Up! is about so much more than rubber stamping and making fun projects.  Hopefully, if you have the desire, you will also find a way to give back to your community that is meaningful to you.

Stampin' Supplies

Item Description Price
126412 Wacky Wishes Stamp Set (Card 1) Hostess
130733 Oh, Hello Stamp Set (Card 1) $18.95
126916 Patio Party Designer Series Paper (Card 1) $10.95
124005 Silver Glimmer Paper (Card 1, 3 and 4) $4.95
129406 Bitty Butterfly Punch (Card 1) $15.95
119859 XL Oval Punch (Card  1) $16.95
125596 Fashionable Hearts Embosslit (Card 1 and 2) $11.95
129636 Vintage Verses (Card 2) SAB
119246 Rhinestone Basic Jewels (Card 2) $4.95
129252 Hearts a Flutter Stamp Set (Card 3) $18.95
127802 Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set (Card 3) $26.95
118074 Owl Punch (Card 3) $16.95
126257 Itty Bitty Banners Stamp Set (Card 4) $11.95
121790 Red Glimmer Paper (Card 4) $4.95
129378 Honeycomb Embossing Folder (Card 4) $7.95
121808 Blossom Petals Punch (Card 4) $16.95

Visit my online store to get your supplies for these projects.  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