SHARING CREATIVITY and COMPANY

Sale-A-Bration is Here!

2012-01-24T08:15:00.000-06:00

Sale-A-Bration, Stampin’ Up!’s biggest promotion of the yearstarts TODAY! You can earn freeproducts as a customer, hostess or demonstrator. As a customer, you’ll get to choose one free item from theSale-A-Bration catalog for every $50 that you order. As a hostess, you can earn a hostess tote and Sale-A-Brationbundle of products for FREE in addition to your regular hostess benefits. For new Stampin’ Up! demonstrators, thestarter kit which is valued over $340 is only $125. And every month for the rest of 2011, you can get a free designerseries paper pack or digital bundle! Contact me for more details at sharon@sharoncheng.com.

Here are some of the projects from Leadership Conference that feature items from the Sale-A-Bration catalog.

I love love love this gift box that uses the Elementary Elegance stamp set (125122) and Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (126154). Stampin' Up! gave all of the attendees the digital version of the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (and the rest of the Sale-A-Bration exclusive products) at Leadership in San Antonio. Now when I run out of the paper, I can print my own!

This card uses the Outlined Occasions stamp set (126016), Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (126154), and ribbon from the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brad Pack (127279). It's a cute card that won't take a long time to make.

This card uses the Sprinkled Expression Stamp Set (125132). It would be so much fun to give this card to someone who reaches a goal!

Contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com to get a copy of the Sale-A-Bration catalog and to see which of the 3 ways to earn free products fits you the best!

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

Richland Hills, TX

My Stampin' Up! Website

Modifying Your Sizzlit So Card Stock Doesn't Stick

2012-01-06T10:05:00.032-06:00

If you're like me and a Big Shot fan, you probably already know which of your sizzlits have designs where it can take extra work to pop out the card stock after it is cut. The designs are usually small, intricate and have a scalloped or serrated design. The card stock seems to stick to the sizzlit after it is cut. I found a tip on another blog that talked about using clear packing tape over the sizzlit so the card stock released more easily. I can't remember who originally posted the idea. If you know, please contact me so I can give the person credit.

I tried out the idea with one of my favorite sizzlit designs, the #5 Buttons Die. You can't see it, but there is clear tape over the entire die.

Can you tell that I only use the large button on the bottom right? LOL. Turns out that it makes a great mat for a 1" circle. That is how I made the mat for the center image on the card shown at the top of this post. Anyway, the scalloped edge and those buttonholes in the middle seemed to hold the card stock to the die. I put the clear packing tape (sticky side down) over the sizzlit. That makes the surface of the die slick enough so the card stock comes off much more easily. Now that it's easier to use, you might see more of these scalloped circle mats in my projects!

Here are other details about the card. While it's a hybrid card using both the digital and rubber stamp versions of Apothecary Art, it could easily be made using only the rubber or digital version.

Because I plan to make several of these cards, it was easier to color the center image of the smallest label digitally and make multiple copies. On my computer, I enlarged the image to about 300%, colored it and then returned it back to the original 1" size. The background that is stamped in Lucky Limeade was done with a rubber stamp and then die cut with the Labels Collection Framelits. The Framelits make it easy to see exactly where you are die cutting.

Try out the packing tape modification with your sizzlits with intricate designs. It can make some of those sizzlits your favorites again!

Note: Adding packing tape to your sizzlit probably invalidates the 3 year warranty since you have modified the product. Another alternative could be to use a shim of wax paper between the sizzlit and the paper you are cutting. That way you aren't modifying the sizzlit, but you are adding a slick surface so your card stock doesn't stick. I had tried that method but didn't like adding a piece of wax paper each time. I saw a vendor at the Grapevine Rubber Stamp Festival who just left the same piece of wax paper in place. DUH. Both methods work. Use the one that fits you best.

And remember that Sale-A-Bration starts on January 24th. You have the opportunity to earn free products for every $50 that you order. Please contact me for more details.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

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Have a Meowy Christmas

2011-12-24T18:39:00.000-06:00

This card is from my first guest blogger, Jordan Sparkman. Jordan is my 9 year niece. She made this card in My Digital Studio.

I made this card for my mom. She and I love cats. We have an orange cat at home named Stubby. He has no tail but otherwise he looks like the cat in this card. ~Jordan

And from Jordan and I, have a Meowy Christmas!

Creatively yours,

Jordan Sparkman and Sharon Cheng

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Sneak Peek

2011-12-21T10:00:00.001-06:00

Here is a sneak peek of some of the new designs and tools from the 2012 Occasions mini catalog. This is a hybrid card that combines digital designing and traditional card making techniques. The Christmas Wishes image and coloring is digital. I used the My Digital Studio version of the Apothecary Art stamp set. I copied and pasted so that I could print 9 images on one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of Whisper White card stock. Each image is then die cut using the Labels Collection Framelit and Big Shot.

This is the first card that I made with the Apothecary Art Stamp brush set. This card is 100% digital. You can more details about how I made this card in my December newsletter.

One thing I missed when making the digital card was using the coordinating Framelits dies. The nice thing about the Labels Collection Framelits is that there are a total of 6 labels in different sizes so you can make coordinating mats. And the Apothecary Art images are designed to fit the Labels Collection Framelits.

There are two things that don't show up well in this photo. One is that I've used our new Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details on the roses to give the card extra bling. The other is the bottom edge of the card front. While you can see the embossed impression from the Adorning Accents embossing folder, you have to look carefully to see the coordinating cut edge. For that edge, I used the Adorning Accents Edgelit Die. One advantage of the Framelits and Edgelits is that these dies let you see exactly where you're placing the design before you cut the card stock.

As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, we can pre-order items from the new catalog one month ahead of time. Otherwise, the items in the catalog are available to order starting January 4th. If you would like a copy of the Occasions mini catalog, please contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

My Online Store

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Last Items From Our Demonstrator Christmas Swap

2011-12-20T13:00:00.001-06:00

Here are the last pictures of the items from our demonstrator Sneaky Santa Christmas gift exchange.

I was the lucky person who got this glass block which was made by Rose Conkwright. The first picture shows how she etched and embossed the glass. The second photo shows how it looks when you turn on the lights inside the block. I enjoy having this as one of the Christmas decorations in my home.

Teresa Goff made this vase filled with ornaments. My photo doesn't do this project any justice. You can barely see one of the snowflake rub ons that she added to the vase.

Terry made this scarf using some of our Stampin' Up! exclusive fabric. It's nice and warm with the fleece backing. I love the fleece and fabric button on the scarf. The big button is from our Holiday mini catalog.

It's been a lot of fun sharing the talent in our group. Several people have asked where we get our ideas. The answer is from many different places. Stampin' Up! has a demonstrator-exclusive site that has over two hundred thousand samples! There are many other Stampin' Up! websites where you can find lots of ideas using our products. Many of us are Pinterest fans. You can see how I got some of my ideas on my From This to That Board. And we share projects in our monthly demonstrator meetings. These are just a few of the places where we get our ideas. The more ideas you see regularly, the more opportunities you have to be inspired.

If you have considered becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like more information, please contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com. We have both business-building demonstrators and hobbyists in our group. There is a special for demonstrators who sign up during Sale-A-Bration which starts on January 24th. You can get our starter kit at the discounted price of $125 AND a free paper pack or digital download every month for the rest of the year. This may be the best way to use any Christmas money that you get and give yourself a gift that keeps on giving!

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

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Still More Christmas Projects from our Demonstrator Swap

2011-12-19T18:35:00.000-06:00

Here are still more pictures of the items we had in our swap for our demonstrator Christmas party. I was talking to someone from Stampin' Up!'s home office and he said he was impressed with the quality of work that our group does. I had to agree!

This 12 x 12 canvas was made by Karen Parker. It hangs up on the wall with a picture of someone who has been naughty or nice!

Linda Brown made this machine applique towel using our Big Shot stocking die. Linda is a talented seamstress who combines her love of fabric and sewing with Stampin' Up! products.

Marilyn Young made this fabulous shadow box filled with flowers. Notice how she did some doodling in the flowers from Flower Fancy. Marilyn teaches this technique in some of her classes. You can find out more on her blog at Blessed Creativity.

I'll post the last of our Christmas projects tomorrow. I hope you have enjoyed seeing the diverse creativity in our group. It's so inspiring to be with this group of women!

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
My Online Store
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My Facebook Business Page

Clearance Rack Blitz

2011-12-15T21:19:00.000-06:00

Stampin' Up! has put a lot of new things on their Clearance Rack, over 200 items. The prices are great with some items at 80% off! These items are available through an online order and only while supplies last. Combine them with items from the Holiday mini or Idea Book and Catalog and you can earn hostess benefits when you reach $150 or more!

Here are some of my favorite products on the Clearance Rack.

Love Letter Designer Series paper $3.99 is one of my favorite paper packs. You'll get 12 sheets of 12 x 12 double-sided paper in one of my favorite color combinations.

Merry Details Sizzlits $2.19 I have used this bird in many different projects.

These big buttons are only $3.59 for 48 buttons. You'll get 4 of each of the ones shown.

These punches are $9.59. The only difference is that they are the older style of punch. I still use them since my storage system is made for this style of punch.

You can buy this new color kit and the older version of the stampin' pastels for less than the price of the full kit in the regular catalog! When you convert the old package using this new color kit, you'll have all of the new colors and more.

These are only a few of the hundreds of items on sale now. Have fun shopping in the comfort of your home. Remember that these items are only available while supplies last. Typically, many of the popular items sell out quickly.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

My Online Store

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Looking for a Last Minute Stocking Stuffer?

2011-12-13T21:31:00.000-06:00

Are you looking for a last minute stocking stuffer? Check out this mini dry erase board. I made it by designing a 4 x 6 inch image in My Digital Studio and putting it in a 4 x 6 inch acrylic frame.

Then I added this piece of card stock on the back to hold the dry erase marker. It's a quick and easy project that you can personalize to fit that special person in your life.

In a hurry? You can get the image and instructions for free when you like my Facebook business page.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Online Store
My Pinterest

More Demonstrator Gifts

2011-12-09T11:19:00.000-06:00

Here are some more of the gifts that we had at our Christmas party. This arrangement was made by Gail Peterson. You can find her blog at Gail Peterson's Crafts. In the close up picture here, you can see how she stamped and punched out different embellishments.

This is how the arrangement looks in a vase.

Joni Lawrence made this Christmas tree out of rosettes. She used our red glimmer paper to make the tree skirt and the ball on top. You can her blog at jonilawrence.com

Judy Hogan made her project using a silver picture frame. It's a beautiful home decor item to celebrate Christmas. You could use the same idea for a wedding gift. Judy's blog is at bluebonnetstampers.

Believe it or not, there are still more gifts to post. I plan to get that done this weekend!

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Online Store

Demonstrator Gift Exchange

2011-12-08T08:22:00.000-06:00

At our Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Christmas party, we have a gift exchange. Here are some of the gifts that the demonstrators in our group made. The tree was made by Cheryl Hart. She used the First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper to make the ruffles. The antique brad in the middle of the star looks great.

Christi Beck made a combination of gifts. The Workshop binder is a great way to organize ideas by month for 2012. The CD Calendar in the top right corner is a hybrid project with a printed calendar and stamped embellishments. The third project is a notepad in one of our clear mount stamp cases. What a cute combination of projects.

This stunning necklace and earring set was made by Cindy Peterson. Many of the flowers are made using Stampin' Up!'s Deck The Halls Designer Fabric. I love how she used buttons and antique brads in this project.

Keep checking back for more of the projects that were a part of our gift exchange. As you can tell, this is a talented group of women!

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Online Store

Christmas Frame

2011-12-07T07:51:00.000-06:00

At our demonstrator Christmas party, we have a Sneaky Santa gift exchange. The gift that I made was another Pinterest-inspired project. When you go to my Pinterest From This to That board, you can see where I got some of the ideas for this project.

The frame was brown wood that I painted white. Kilz primer did a great job of covering the dark brown. I did figure out that if you are going to add the wires, it's easier to find a frame with wider pieces of wood. I ended up having to go to a hardware store to get wood screws that were small enough to not go all the way through the frame. I'm working on a second frame where the wood is over an inch wide and it was much easier to add the screws and wire.

DH helped me attach the wire to the screws. We put the screws on opposite sides of the frame. While they were firmly attached, they were not in a far as you could go. He then wrapped the wire around the screws keeping the wire as tight as possible. When you tighten the screws a little more, that pulls the wire tighter. I hope this make sense. I'm glad he figured out how to do that. You can get the miniature clothespins from my online store.

Here are some close ups of the individual items. The red and silver glimmer paper look much better in person. All of the images in this project come from My Digital Studio. I printed them on either First Edition Specialty Designer Series paper or Very Vanilla card stock. To print on the First Edition paper, I cut the 12 x 12 sheet to 8 1/2 x 11 so it would fit in my printer.

Welcome Christmas stamp brush set

The images are from the Welcome Christmas stamp brush set except for the word tree. That is part of the Home for the Holidays digital kit. What I love about digital designing is that you can change the size of the image to fit your project.

Have fun making your version of this project. I'll post some of the other items that were in the Sneaky Santa gift exchange later this week.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

Richland Hills, TX

My Online Store

Quick and Easy Stocking Stuffers

2011-11-15T22:38:00.000-06:00

Every year we have fun helping everyone make their stocking stuffers for family and friends on their Santa list. This year we have 4 projects to choose from: a bookmark, reindeer pencil, candy purse and snowman pail. You can pre-order kits in any amount you would like, so mix and match your projects to fit what you need. The cost for each kit is $1.

At the class you'll make one of each project so you'll have a completed sample to take home. Then you'll take the rest of your kits home to assemble. You do have to pre-register for this class and let us know how many of each project you want to make so we can have them ready for you.

Date: Saturday, December 3rd
Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
Location: Bedford, TX

We have a limited number of snowman pails, so if you want to make this project, please register early. Once the pails are gone, we won't be able to take any more orders for these kits. To register, please e-mail me at sharon@sharoncheng.com.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
My Website

Another Free Digital Download from Stampin' Up!

2011-11-08T07:34:00.000-06:00

Check out this cute download! And it's free on Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio website. Many thanks to everyone who participated in Digital Scrapbooking Day.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

My Facebook Business Page: Like My Page to Enter a Drawing for a Free Gift

My Online Store

4 Days Only - Free Digital Downloads

2011-11-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

Get free digital downloads when you visit Stampin' Up!'s MyDigitalStudio.net November 4 - 7. You can use these downloads with MyDigitalStudio or another digital scrapbooking program.

Remember that when you sign up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator by November 11, you can get a digital starter kit and $100 in free product. Ask me how by contacting me at sharon@sharoncheng.com!

Creatively yours,
Sharon Cheng

From This to That: Pumpkin Bling

2011-11-01T22:36:00.010-05:00

Several of my crafting friends have been inviting me to go to Pinterest for several months. I avoided it because I knew it was going to be something that could get me into a lot of trouble. Fun trouble, but still a lot of trouble. Well, I finally went for it and I was right. Thanks to Pinterest, I have more ideas to try out than I have time.

So in a crazy mixed up way, I combined several different techniques to make this blingy pumpkin. In real life, the mica flakes are more white and look like frost on the pumpkin. I thought it would be fun to share the different ideas and techniques that I combined to come up with this project.

1. Covering a pumpkin with text paper. I went to the Dollar Tree and bought this plastic pumpkin. I then covered it with Stampin' Up!'s First Edition Specialty paper. This is a pack of 24 12 x 12 papers with different texts on them. Unlike pages from a book, it's acid free.

121878 First Edition Specialty $12.95

2. Dyeing Mod Podge. Then thanks to some instructions on coloring mason jars, I realized that I could dye the Mod Podge I was using to make my pumpkin orange. I used Stampin' Up!'s craft ink refills to dye small amounts of Mod Podge in Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive.


105164 Pumpkin Pie Craft Ink Refill $4.25

101425 Old Olive Craft Ink Refill $4.25

3. Add mica flakes. While the pumpkin was wet with the Mod Podge, I added the mica flakes. I sprinkled the flakes on top of the wet Mod Podge.

124115 Mica Flakes $350

4. Adding Silver Glimmer Paper. After adding the mica, I realized that the pumpkin stem needed some bling too. So I covered the stem and made some tendrils with Stampin' Up!'s silver glimmer paper. To do that, I soaked off the back of the silver glimmer paper. I put the silver glimmer paper in the sink for a few minutes and then rubbed off the wet paper with my fingers. I cut 1/4 inch strips of the silver glimmer and wrapped it around the stem and some pipe cleaners. I dyed the silver glimmer with, you guessed it, Mod Podge that was dyed Old Olive green.

124005 Silver Glimmer Paper $4.95

And that is how I came up with this pumpkin with lots of bling.

I hope you will visit my my boards in Pinterest and be inspired to create a project that fits you. If you are not a member of Pinterest, add a comment here and I'll send you an invitation.

Also, I have a drawing for a free gift when you like my Facebook Business Page before 11/11/11.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Online Store

25 & Counting Advent Calendar

2011-10-21T22:33:00.000-05:00

Stampin' Up!'s 25 & Counting stamp set is perfect for making advent calendars. I saw an advent calendar made with pill boxes and had to make this one using the Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Designer Series Paper.

Here is a close up of the calendar. The class includes the materials to make the advent calendar including the pill boxes. It doesn't include the magnets or cookie sheet memo board.

Date: Sunday, November 13th

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Place: Bedford, TX

Class Fee: $25 (includes pillboxes)

To register, please contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com or go to my Facebook business page.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

Richland Hills, TX

Halloween Display and More

2011-10-06T10:00:00.003-05:00

I LOVE Stampin' Up!'s silver glimmer paper. It's so easy to cut, punch and die cut. And it adds a little bling to your projects. I used it in this project which also features the Gift Givers stamp set and Pick Your Poison Designer Series Paper.

What I also like about this project is that you can change out the Halloween tag to fit other occasions. You can see some of the other tags throughout this post.

I designed this project as a class where you can learn multiple techniques and then have a way to display your hand crafted work in your home. The class fee includes the display block and then you'll make 6 different tags while learning various techniques. Some of the techniques used in these tags include dry embossing, wax paper resist, making a dahlia fold cross, and making a rosette.

Class Information

Date: Saturday, Oct.15^th

Time: 1 p.m.

Location: NorthRichland Hills

Class Fee: $20,includes display block and kits to make 6 tags.

Another fun thing about this class is that this is a green project that recycles the wood blocks from my stamps. Many of you know that I've been converting my wood mount stamps to clear mounts. Click here to see the details on my July 6, 2010 post.

I've made several different projects using the wood blocks and wanted to do something special with the large wood blocks from my background stamps.

To get more information about this class or any of the techniques I used for these tags, please contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com or leave a comment on this blog.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Get a Big Shot For Free

2011-10-01T08:07:00.001-05:00

Stampin' Up! just announced one of their best specials ever. When you sign up as a demonstrator in October, you can get a Big Shot for free! You can also choose $100 in free product instead of the Big Shot.

The Big Shot is one of my favorite tools for creating handmade cards, scrapbook pages and gifts. With the large dies, you can cut many different products including card stock, fabric, leather, magnet sheets, and chipboard.

To see some of the things you can do, check out the Christmas project I did last year. I used the Big Shot to die cut and emboss almost everything you see. Using the Big Shot made it easy to make the kits for this printers tray.

Contact me today for more information about the Big Shot and becoming a demonstrator. You can email me at sharon@sharoncheng.com or go to my website.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Stampin' Up!'s Basic Rhinestones Aren't So Basic

2011-09-21T09:30:00.004-05:00

This is a card that I made at Marilyn Young's card buffet last night. I must confess that I did "cheng it up" to use a new technique that I learned at our September demonstrator meeting. Notice the Lucky Limeade rhinestone in the center of the flower? Yes, it is a Stampin' Up! basic rhinestone.

Judi Martin told us how to color Stampin' Up!'s clear rhinestones with a Sharpie marker to make it the color that you need. It's easiest to color the rhinestone while it is still on the sheet. Let it dry and then place it on your card. This is a technique that I'll be using a lot.

Item 119246 $4.95

This is how the rhinestones look before they are colored. You can order the rhinestones from my online store. Enjoy making your custom-colored rhinestones.

Come by my BOGO sale in Bedford, TX this Saturday, September 24th from 1 to 5 p.m. if you would like to see a demonstration on how to color Stampin' Up!'s rhinestones. You can get more details about the sale on my Facebook page or email me.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Stampin' Up!'s Convention Was Fabulous!!!

2011-07-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

Eight of my Stampin' Up! demonstrator friends and I went to Stampin' Up!'s convention in Salt Lake City. We had four days filled with fun and friendship. The theme was Grow. The displays and classes all had a gardening theme. The classes were about growing as a stamper, demonstrator and friend.

At convention, there are lots of classes, swaps and opportunities to visit with other demonstrators. This year they had some extra classes with over the top projects. Here are the houses that they made in the Village of Cuteness class.

Stampin' Up! went out of their way to delight and surprise all of the convention attendees. There was a large display area that featured different papers and fabrics. Here is part of the display using the Flirtacious Specialty paper and fabric. You can see more photos from convention on my Facebook page.

In the display area they also showed the Christmas box that is part of the current $99 Starter Kit Special. If you join my Stampin' Up! team by July 31st, you will get the kit for this Christmas Box in addition to your starter kit.

You can find out more about the Starter Kit Special on my website.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

My Website

Owl Punch Rose

2011-04-11T11:00:00.002-05:00

Punch art is so much fun. I made 17 of these for a swap and have taught this project in several workshops. I found instructions for this rose on Valita's blog and changed the flower and leaves slightly. I added an extra row of petals to make the flower larger and scored the leaves to give them a little more dimension. You can click on any of the photos to see a close up of the jpg.

Here are the supplies you will need to make the rose.

Two-Step Owl Punch
2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch
1 1/4" Circle Punch
5-Petal Flower Punch
Tangerine Tango Card Stock
Pear Pizzazz Card Stock
Rose Red Classic Ink Pad
Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink Pad
Always Artichoke Classic Ink Pad
Sponge
Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
Multipurpose Liquid Glue
Mini Glue Dots
Bone Folder
Paper Snips

Punch out 12 owl bodies in Tangerine Tango. Trim the feet to form a rose petal. Sponge with Rose Red. Lightly sponge with Cherry Cobbler. Roll the petal lengthwise and then roll back the top edge. Make a 1/2" cut at the center bottom of each petal.

I used a chopstick to help me roll the petal lengthwise first and then to roll back the top edge.

After cutting a 1/2" slit at the bottom of each petal, you'll cross over and glue the two halves to form a cup in the petal. The petals will be tighter as you get closer to the center of the flower. You control how much each petal is cupped by how much you cross over the bottom halves. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see how the bottom of the petal on the left is a narrow "V" shape. The petal on the right has a much wider opening on the bottom. It's much easier to see the detail if you double click on the above photo.

You'll make 3 of the inner petals, 4 of the medium petals and 5 of the outer petals.

Punch a 1 1/4" circle and attach the five outer petals to form the first ring of petals.

Stagger the medium petals to form the second row.

Add the inner petals for the last row.

To form the center of the rose, punch the scallop circle and cut in a spiral. Sponge with Rose Red and Cherry Cobbler.

I put a mini glue dot on the first part of the spiral and rolled it around a chopstick. You'll roll from the outside of the spiral to the center. Your flower will be very tight to start. Let it unroll a little so that it forms a small flower that fits the opening in your rose.

I used mini glue dots to attach the rolled flower to the last part of the spiral. I then glued it to the center of the rose using the multipurpose liquid glue.

I spritzed each rose with Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint mixed with hair spray. The mixture was about 10% shimmer paint and 90% hair spray.

For the leaves, I punched the 5 petal flower out of Pear Pizzazz card stock. I scored the center of each leaf. I then sponged it with Always Artichoke and very lightly with Cherry Cobbler. Cut out the leaves and attach them to the rose using mini glue dots.

I put the rose on a Bitty Box that I die cut out of Chocolate Chip card stock using the Big Shot. The top of the box is layered with Paisley Petals paper and then the rose with leaves.

I hope you enjoy making this Owl Punch Rose.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Website at sharoncheng.stampinup.net

Join My Stampin' Up! Family

2011-03-29T10:11:00.000-05:00

I just had to share this card that the newest demonstrator in my group, Karen Hale, taught at her very first Stampin' Up! workshop. This card uses the following stamp sets: Inspired by Nature, Flight of the Butterfly and Teeny Tiny Wishes. I loved the technique of placing the small piece of Whisper White card stock on top of the larger piece and then stamping the grass on the two pieces at the same time.

This card was cased from a similar card designed by Ilina Crouse. Karen found it on a Stampin' Up! website that is exclusive to demonstrators. She searched by the name of the stamp sets that she had until she found this card. One of the nicest things about the Stampin' Up! family of demonstrators is how much they are open to sharing their projects.

During Sale-A-Bration, you can join my Stampin' Up! family with a 15% discount off of the regular starter kit and you'll also get an additional $50 in free products. Our group meets monthly at Ol' South Pancake House in Fort Worth. We have swaps that you can join, retreats a couple of times a year and right now we're planning to go to convention in Salt Lake City in July. Whether you choose to join with yourself as your biggest customer or if you want to build a business, it's great fun with a low initial investment.

For more information, you can go to my website or contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! My demonstrator group did a swap where the predominant color had to be green. We got many different projects which I'll be sharing this month. I thought I would share some of the St. Patrick's Day items to help celebrate today. This card was made by Cindy Peterson. It's a beautiful card. What you can't see is the light champagne shimmer on the card. Cindy mixed some champagne mist shimmer paint with hair spray and spritzed it all over the card. Great job, Cindy!

At our demonstrator meeting, Christi Beck gave each of us this little leprechaun pin. If you see me today, I'll be wearing it on my jacket. He's such a cute little guy. Thank you for the gift, Christi!

To see some other St. Patrick's Day projects, please go to my Facebook page. You can find me at Sharon Cheng, Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Stampin' Up! Website

Adding Labels to Clear Mount Stamps

2011-02-25T10:03:00.000-06:00

I use a different technique to put the labels on my clear mount stamps than the instructions given by Stampin' Up! I started putting the labels on with this method because it's easier for me to line up the image with the stamp this way. Several people have asked me to post instructions for my technique. So here is my tutorial for how I add labels to Stampin' Up!'s clear mount stamps.

This is one of my favorite stamp sets in the Occasions mini catalog, Nature Walk. As you can see, the Stampin' Up! clear mount stamps come with die cut rubber stamps and labels. I leave the rubber stamps attached to the sheet that they come in. That way the stamps stay in place while I'm adding the labels.

I remove the backing from one stamp and get the matching label.

The backs of all of the labels have two parts. I peel the backing off of half of the label.

I hold the sticky side of the label up while I line up the part of the label with the backing still on it. It isn't sticky, so you can take the time to line up the image. Since the label and stamp are die cut, it's easy to line them up.

I press down the sticky side of the label in the center and then out toward the edges. That way you avoid trapping any air bubbles between the label and the stamp.

After this step, your label will look like this. Half of the label is attached to the foam while the other half still has the backing on it.

Pull back the label to remove the other half of the backing.

Then press the label from the center out to the edges. You can see how the label is lined up with the stamp.

Repeat with the rest of the stamps. I then punch the stamps out of the sheet and they are ready to use. When storing my stamps in the DVD case, I leave the stamps in the sheet. That way it's easy to make sure I have put all of the stamps back in the correct case.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

My Stampin' Up! Website at sharoncheng.stampinup.net

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T10:12:00.004-06:00

Last Friday was our monthly demonstrator meeting. Judy Hogan made this lovely Valentine's Day card using the Lots of Love Letterpress plate. She used Whisper White craft ink on the letterpress plate and ran it through the Big Shot with Crumb Cake card stock.

Judy has used both craft and classic ink on the letterpress plates. She finds that either type of ink works when she uses a rubber brayer to apply the ink. The letterpress plate debosses the image so that it also adds texture to the card.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

My New Facebook Page

2011-01-30T19:09:00.000-06:00

Here is my new Facebook profile picture. It's a photo from the Managers' Reception at the 2011 Leadership Conference. Stampin' Up! has an extra special evening for demonstrators with the title of Manager or higher. They reserved the Wild Horse Saloon at downtown Nashville just for Stampin' Up!

We had a fun evening with dinner, live music and line dancing. I'm showing my dancing experience when I tell you that in my day, line dancing was done to disco music and called doing the Hustle.

One of the performers was Dave Robbins. He was a singer with Blackhawk and has written songs for artists ranging from Conway Twitty to Eric Clapton. You can listen to his music at http://thedaverobbins.com/

The other group was Brother Trouble. They have toured with Kenny Chesney. You can catch their sound at

http://www.brothertrouble.com/

There are more photos in my Facebook leadership album. If you are reading this on my blog, please click on the Facebook link in the left hand column to go to my Facebook page.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Blog at http://www.sharoncheng.com
My Website at http://www.sharoncheng.stampinup.net

Sale-A-Bration Has Started

2011-01-25T21:17:00.000-06:00

Sale-a-Bration 2011 has started! During Sale-A-Bration, you can earn free stamp sets and other great items. There are three ways to Sale-A-Brate: as a customer, a hostess or by becoming a demonstrator. Click here for more details.

So far, among my customers, the two favorite stamp sets have been Punch Bunch and Bliss. You can these stamp sets and other Sale-A-Bration items by clicking here to get the catalog.

Here are some cards that use Punch Bunch and Bliss.

This is a card that I made using the Bliss stamp set and the Beautiful Wings embosslit.

Shauna Mikuliak made this card using the same stamp set. The deep purple color is Concord Crush. If you are a TCU fan (I live in a suburb of Fort Worth), this color is the closest to TCU purple that I have seen in card stock, ribbon and ink.

This last card was made by my newest demonstrator friend, Sue Manlove. I met Sue and her husband, Larry, my first day in Nashville as we were waiting for the bus to go to the Gaylor Opryland hotel. While the hotel was within walking distance, it was below freezing every day, so Larry kindly drove us back and forth to the hotel.

If you would like to take advantage of the Sale-A-Bration promotion as a customer, hostess or demonstrator, please contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com. In addition to the bonus bundle provided by Stampin' Up!, I have a little something extra for the first person who signs up under me during this special.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
My Stampin' Up! Website

Leadership Swaps - More Valentines

2011-01-25T10:35:00.003-06:00

Here are three more Valentine cards that I got at Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference earlier this month.

This card by Lela Grunden Holper uses the Heart Pressed Letterpress Plate for the background. Notice the bird's wing on the right is made with Red Glimmer paper.

Jacynthe Gauthier made this card using the flamingoes in the Valentine Defined stamp set.

Here is card by Aly Schilling that also uses the Valentine Defined stamp set. I love how you can use the same stamp set and make so many different cards.

Today is also the first day of Sale-A-Bration. This is Stampin' Up!'s annual sale where you can select free products for every $50 in orders. Click here to get more details about this promotion.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Leadership Swaps - Valentines

2011-01-24T08:39:00.001-06:00

One of the things I enjoy about Stampin' Up! events is swapping cards with other demonstrators. Here are three Valentine cards that I received when I was at Leadership at the Gaylord Opryland.

All three cards use the Red Glimmer paper that is in the new Occasions mini card. The glimmer paper allows you to add red glitter to your projects without the clean up when you use regular glitter. All glimmer papers are not the same. You want a paper that can be cut, die cut and punched and has glitter all the way across the page without gaps. As you can tell, I've been pleased with the quality of Stampin' Up!'s glimmer paper.

This card was made by Katrina Merriman. She used the Love Impressions designer series paper and the Be My Valentine stamp. She textured the Love Impressions paper by running it through the crimper and lightly sponging Basic Gray Classic Ink on the paper.

Judy Almanzor made this card which also uses the Love Impressions designer series paper. She die cut the scalloped square using the Scallop Square Duo Bigz Die. She used the XOXO stamp set in the Occasions mini catalog and the small heart punch.

This third card was made by Peggy Taylor. She used the First Edition specialty designer series paper. This paper is lighter weight than most of our paper which makes it easier to crumple or use for papier-mache projects. Now you don't have to rip pages out of old books any more.

I received lots of swap cards, so keep checking back to see more of them.

Creatively yours,
Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, Texas

Leadership Make and Takes

2011-01-20T09:00:00.002-06:00

Last week I was in Nashville at Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference. It was fabulous and one of the best conferences ever. Here are some of our make and take projects.

This fabric brooch was made using the Springtime Vintage fabric and the new Fun Flowers Bigz L Die. You can cut 4-8 layers of fabric at the same time in the Big Shot. That makes prepping for a project like this very quick. You can hot glue or sew the layers together to make this brooch.

Stampin' Up! included the largest Simply Adorned charm and chain in our make and take packet. They showed us how to add the seam binding ribbon and more charms to personalize the chain. This jpg includes the inserts they had us make to put in the charm. I made the flower insert on the left with the leftover items in my kit.

This notebook is made from one of Stampin' Up!'s DVD cases. You'll want to use the Stampin' Up! cases because it doesn't have the molded plastic to hold the DVD.

Here is the notepad and pen that I put inside the case. I did have to cut the notepad to fit into the case.

This last project was a card that we made using the Petal card punch. I liked the way that we used the crimper to make the ridges at the bottom of the card.

Check back later this week and I'll post some of the swap cards that I got at Leadership.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

My Blog at sharoncheng.com

My Website

Open House This Sunday

2011-01-04T13:47:00.000-06:00

This is my flying heart Valentine's Day card. I used the Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to emboss the heart. The rhinestone fits perfectly in one of the circles from the folder. The texture around the edges is from the Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in the new Occasions mini catalog,

You can see this card and other new samples from the Occasions and Sale-a-Bration mini catalogs at my open house. We'll also have a free make and take and lots of retired stamps and other items priced to sell.

Date: Sunday, January 9th
Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
Location: Crafty Hen House, 2604 Harwood, Bedford, 76021

With 5 demonstrators participating in this event, you'll see many different samples and lots of bargains.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX
My Website

3D Poinsettia

2010-12-16T10:00:00.002-06:00

For my Christmas printers tray, I made a 3D poinsettia that I also used in this card. The poinsettia was adapted from a tutorial by valita. She is a talented Stampin' Up! demonstrator who lives in Australia. I also cased the card layout from another demonstrator. I love the way that the card looks like a gift wrapped package.

For the poinsettia, start by using the Leaves #2 die (113459) to cut 6 leaves: 5 are Real Red and 1 is Old Olive. I then embossed the red leaves using the Finial Press embossing folder (115963) and the green leaf using the Elegant Lines embossing folder (119277).

Cut the stem off of each leaf. Then cut the leaf into 3 pieces as shown. You'll also want to punch out a 1/2"circle (119869) to use as the base for the poinsettia. Sponge each leaf using Cherry Cobbler for the real red leaves and Always Artichoke for the old olive leaf.

Curl each leaf as shown. I held the tip of the leaf in my right hand and pulled up with my left hand to curl the leaf.

Attach the five long leaves to the ½”circle.

Then add the smaller leaves.

After everything is dry, add the green leaves to the flower.

When you are done, finish off poinsettia flower with a brad in the middle.

For the card, I used Stampin’ Up!’s Build-A-Brad (109128). The Build-A-Brads can be customized with any insert that you can punch out with your ½” circle punch (119869).

For the center of the flower in the Christmas tray, I used a gold glitter brad (121003).

Click here to see the Christmas tray.

Go to my online store to buy the items to make this flower.

I hope you enjoy making this flower!

Sharon Cheng

Richland Hills, TX

My Website
My Blog

Art-To-Go Printer's Tray - Christmas Joy

2010-12-14T09:50:00.002-06:00

This is the Christmas version I made for my Art-To-Go Printer's Tray series. I sold out of my first set of Christmas kits for this tray. Please contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com if you want to reserve a kit as I am cutting a few more this week.

I had so much fun making the 3D tree in the bottom left hand corner of my Christmas tray that I used the same technique on this card.

The idea for this tree came from the fact that I couldn’t follow the directions for a different 3D tree! This tree is relatively quick to make when you use the Big Shot and a punch to cut your scallop circles.

For this tree, I used the following dies and punch.

Scallop Circle Die (113468)
Scallop Circle #2 Die (113469) I used the largest circle
2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch (118874)

Cut one of each scallop circle and then cut each one in half. Because you cut all three pieces in half, you’ll get two trees from the three circles! I embossed the half circles using my Big Shot (113439) and the Final Press embossing folder (115963). Then I used a dauber to add Frost White Shimmering Ink (116854) to the paper.

Form a cone with the first circle and glue in place by overlapping one scallop as shown here. Repeat with the other two half circles.

Press the cones until they are almost flat. Then glue one to the other as shown here.

When you have all three parts glued together, you have your tree. I added the bird from the Merry Details Sizzlit (116823).

For the card, the tag is made with the following items.

Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set (115370)
Modern Label Punch (119849)
Tags til Christmas Stamp Set (121169) On Sale Through Thursday
Decorative Label Punch (120907) On Sale Through Thursday

The Tags til Christmas Stamp Set and Decorative Label Punch are available as a bundle through this Thursday. Click here to see all of the current promotions. It’s amazing that Dec. 25^th from the stamp is covered by the modern label.

Click here to buy any of the items listed from my online store.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX

My Website

My Blog

Skinny Santa Tutorial

2010-12-11T10:12:00.000-06:00

I've had requests for more information on making the Skinny Santa. Here is a quick list of the parts you need.

Real Red card stock:
Punch one Full Heart (Item #119883 $16.95)
Cut one piece that is 1 3/4 x 4 1/4"

Whisper White card stock:
Punch two 2 3/8" Scallop Circles (Item #118874 $16.95)
Punch one 5-Petal Flower (Item#119880 $16.95)
Punch two 1/4" circles

Pink Pirouette card stock (or Blush Blossom which has retired)
Punch one 1 3/4 x 7/8" Oval (Item
Punch one 1/4" circle

Daffodil Delight card stock
Cut one piece that is 3/4 x 3/4"

Basic Black card stock
Cut one piece that is 1 3/4 x 1/2"
Cut one piece that is 1/2 x 1/2"

One pair of googly eyes (or you can use circle punches)
Three 1 x 8 skinny bags. There are several places where you can buy these online.
Candy to fill the bags. I used Smarties, but other small candies will work.

Instructions
Body, Arms and Legs
Fill the bags with candy. For the legs, the candy goes to the bottom of the bag. Leave an empty section at the top to attach to the Santa body.

For the arms, the candy is at the top and bottom of the bag with an empty space in the middle to attach to the Santa body.

Fold the 1 3/4 x 4 1/4" piece of Real Red card stock in half to form the body. The small square of black goes inside the Daffodil Delight square to form the buckle. Attach the belt and buckle.

Attach the skinny bags to form the rest of the body. You may find it easier to attach the bags with Sticky Strip or Mini Glue Dots.

Hat and Face
Score and fold one of the scallop circles so that 4 of the scallops fold over to form the brim of Santa's hat.

Cut two of the petals from the 5-petal flower punch to form Santa's beard.

Assemble the rest of the face using the large oval, googly eyes, 1/4" circle for the nose.

Attach the full heart upside down to form the top of Santa's hat. Add the 1/4" Whisper White circles to the front and back of the top of the hat.

Attach Santa's face to the front of the body. Add the last scallop circle to the back of the body. You'll line this up with the scallop circle on the front. You'll have to trim off a little of the circle where it shows behind Santa's hat.

Enjoy making your Santas. I've used this same idea to make a Pumpkin Man and Scarecrow.

Click here to go to my online store to buy to paper, punches and most of the other supplies for these projects.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Christmas on a Budget Workshop and Sale

2010-11-29T08:43:00.000-06:00


Calendar kit includes Post-It Notes, Pen and calendar. $5

Are you still looking for those last minute stocking stuffers and Secret Santa gifts? Come to our Christmas on a Budget Workshop and Sale to find those last few items. We have items to make and a limited number of finished items and retired stamp sets to sell.

Date: Saturday, December 4
Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
Where: Hurst, TX
Class Fee: $5 workshop fee* + cost per item

*You do not have to pay the workshop fee to shop our finished items and retired stamps sale.

These pictures show the items that you can make. You choose the projects you want and let us know how many kits you want of each item.

Joy blocks, XL Paper Clip, Candy Wrapper and Milk Carton

Skinny Santa, Purse, Peppermint Patties

Projects You Can Make

Calendar with Post-It Notes: $5
Joy Blocks: $2
XL Paper Clip: $1
Milk Carton and Candy Wrapper: Two for $1
Skinny Santa (Smarties included): $2
Purse (Chocolate Nugget included): $1
Peppermint Patties (Candy included): Two for $1

Please contact me to register at sharon@sharoncheng.com

Candy Cane Christmas Designer Series Paper

2010-11-28T10:00:00.003-06:00

Candy Cane Christmas 12 x 12 Paper 120809 $11.95

Stampin' Up! has announced that due to unusually high demand, they expect to sell out of the Candy Cane Christmas paper this week. The red stripes on the first design are red glitter. What I like about this paper is that while one side is Christmas, the other side can be used for many different occasions. If you are interested in this paper, I recommend placing an online order ASAP. Here is the link to order this paper.

The colors used in this paper are Garden Green, Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride and Real Red. Coordinating items for this paper include card stock in the listed colors, an 8 x 8 album, stamp set, buttons, ribbon and rub on's. Here are some of the featured items.

8 x 8 Polka Dot Palette Album 120886 $14.95

A Cute Christmas Stamp Set 121133 (Clear Mount) $18.95

Candy Cane Big Designer Buttons 121718 $8.95

These items would make a great Christmas album whether it's a gift for a scrapbooker or for yourself to save your memories of this holiday season. You can buy all of these items through my online store.

And while you're shopping, please remember Stampin' Up!'s Online Sale. Click here to check out all the spectacular deals for up to 50% off. If you place an order $150 or over, you'll also earn free shipping and hostess benefits.

If your wish list is still too long, click here to check out the 50% off Starter Kit for new demonstrators.

Both specials end this Tuesday. Be sure to place your online order or contact me to place your order today!

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Blog
My Website

Art-To-Go Printer's Tray - Fall Fun

2010-11-15T20:53:00.004-06:00

This is the fall version of my Art-to-Go Printer's Tray series. There are a limited number of seats left in this class.

Date: Thursday, November 18th
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: North Richland Hills
Class Fee: $20, includes kit. There is an additional fee for the tray.

These inserts are removable so you can change out the tray to fit the season. Here is a picture of the Spooky Friends version that we made for Halloween.

You can see the other projects I designed for this tray on my June 13, 2010 post. Please click here to see those projects.

To sign up for the class, please call 817-503-0777 or e-mail me at sharon@sharoncheng.com.

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Skinny Santa

2010-11-12T20:09:00.004-06:00

This Skinny Santa is one of the projects I'll have at a craft show this Saturday. Check out the gifts and cards that my Stampin' Up! demonstrators and I will be selling.

Saturday, November 13, 2010
10 am to 6 pm
5501 North Haltom Road
Haltom City, TX 76137

Click here for the map

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Halloween Tricks and Treats

2010-09-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

Make your Halloween decorations and favors in our Tricks and Treats class. You'll pick the projects and how many of each you would like to make. The total price will be the $5 class fee and the number of kits that you choose.

Here are the kits that will be available. You can choose what you want to make when you come to class.

Vintage Pumpkin (made from coffee filters) $2
Pumpkin Man (standing behind the tree, Smarties candies included in kit) $2
Pumpkin Purse $1
Wicked Treat Holder $2
Mini Haunted House (made using our mini milk carton die) 2 for $3
Frankencup and Friends 3 for $2 (you will need to bring Sticky Strip for this project)
Spooky Cupcake Holder with Topper and Napkin Ring $2
Ghoulie Tree Ornaments 5 for $1
Batty (not shown) 2 for $1
Boo Box (not shown, made with the Candy Box die) 2 for $3

Location: South Fort Worth
Date: Sunday, September 19th
Time: 2 to 5 p.m.

Here is a close up of Frankencup and friends.

Please contact me to register for this class.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX

Coffee Filter Jack-O-Lantern

2010-09-12T14:37:00.000-05:00

I have a Halloween workshop coming up next Sunday afternoon and decided to convert the Vintage Pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern. Click here to see the exact same pumpkin without its Halloween outfit. I used removable adhesive on all of the Halloween parts. That way the same pumpkin can be used for the rest of the fall season.

For the eyes and nose, use the star punch. Cut off the tips of the star to make the eyes and nose.
For the mouth, I used a piece of the skinny rick rack from the Tasteful Trim die.
For the bat, I used the Spooky stamp from the Wicked Cool stamp set and the bat punch.

This little Jack-O-Lantern is really too cute to be spooky.

The class will be in south Fort Worth on Sunday, Sept. 19th from 2 - 5 pm. You can make this pumpkin and other Halloween projects. Please contact me for more information about the class.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Coffe Filter Frosty

2010-09-12T13:53:00.001-05:00

Publish Post

This is the third project that I showed as a Workshop Wow at Stampin' Up!'s Regional in Fort Worth on Friday. Click here to see the other projects. After making the pumpkin, my friend, Mary, and I were brainstorming on Christmas projects that we could make. That's when I realized that I could make two pumpkin shapes into a snowman. That's how I came up with Frosty. Mary, thank you for your inspiration!

I used two different white coffee filters for this project. One is 9 ¾” and the other is 7 ¾” in diameter. Yet both say they are for 8-12 cup coffee pots. The bigger one is for a commercial size coffee makers. The key thing is that you want one circle that is 2 – 2 ½ inches smaller than the other one. So if you have one size of coffee filter, you can cut it down. Or wait and see what I did instead!

Supplies

Card Stock: Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Candy Cane Christmas Designer Series Paper and Fabric

Punches: 1 ¾” Circle, Heart to Heart XL

Bitty Buttons

Crop-A-Dile

Big Shot: Scallop Circle #2 Bigz Die, Merry Details Sizzlit

Classic Ink Pads: Pumpkin Pie

Vanilla Shimmer Smooth Spritz

Color Catcher

Glue Dots

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

Toothpick

1 1/2” Washer

Needle and Thread

Polyester Fiberfill

Body

Spritz both filters with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz and let dry. You only need to cover what will be the outside of the Frosty.

Glue a washer (I used one that is 1 ¼ inch in diameter) to the center of the bottom circle on the inside. The washer helps keep Frosty from falling over. Because the filter paper is so thin, you may want to glue a piece of white card stock between the washer and filter. I used my 1 1/4" circle punch to make the circle. If you don't have the right size punch, it's easy to use your scissors to trim the card stock to fit. This really is a white filter. The color didn't come out correctly.

Using needle and thread, baste around the edge of the circle. Be sure to start and end on the outside of the circle (the part with the shimmer smooch). I basted a little more than 1/4” from the edge.

Place fiberfill in center of the circle. Carefully gather the paper around it by tightening the thread. Tie off the threads. You can see how this is done on the pumpkin tutorial.

Repeat for the smaller circle. You won’t need the washer in the center. Notice the top knot on the head? That’s because I didn’t cut off the excess even though the circle was too big. I just basted about an inch away from the edge. At this stage, Frosty's head reminds me of a head of garlic. Did you know that Frosty usually wears a hat to hide when he is having a bad hair day?

Glue the head on the body. You’ll need something like hot glue or lots of glue dots. I used a thick fabric glue.

Cut a scarf from the Candy Cane Christmas Designer Fabric and tie around Frosty’s neck. The scarf is 1 x 12". I actually tore the fabric instead of cutting it so it would have a frayed edge.

For the heart, punch a small heart and attach to a bitty button. Add a knot from the Candy Cane Christmas Designer Fabric and use a mini glue dot to attach Frosty's heart.

Hat

The hat takes a little bit of patience. Please adjust these sizes if you make a different size Frosty.

Using scrap card stock, cut a template using the 1 ¾” circle punch.

Basic Black: cut a strip that is 5 ¾ x 1 ¾, punch out a 1 ¾” circle, and die cut a 3 ½” scalloped circle.

Candy Cane Christmas Designer Series Paper: cut a strip that is 5 ¾” x ½”.

Cherry Cobbler: die cut the bird from Merry Details

Hat Brim: With a pencil, mark the center of the scalloped circle. Use this mark to center and draw a 1 ¾” circle. Cut out the center of the circle leaving a ½” margin. Clip to the line to form small tabs. Fold back the tabs.

Side Band: Mark ½’ on the Basic Black strip. Score and clip to the score line. Cut off the last tab.

It’s easiest to do this next step if you have a round object that is about 1 ¾” around. I used a bottle.

Put the brim on the bottle, adhere the black strip to the brim tabs and form the ring at the same time. It’s a little tricky to do both steps at the same time.

Glue the hat brim tabs to the 1 3/4" circle to form the top of the hat or crown. To do this, I put glue on the tabs, place the circle on the top of the hat and then used the bottle to add light pressure.

Glue Frosty's hat on with the same glue you used to attach the two snowballs.

Face

For the face, out of Basic Black cardstock, punch 2 large circles and 5 small ones. I used the large and small hole punches on the Crop-A-Dile.

Color one end of a toothpick with Pumpkin Pie craft ink for the nose. The classic ink can run if you use a liquid glue to hold the toothpick in place, so you'll be happier using the craft ink. I used the entire toothpick because I thought the length would help hold Frosty's nose in one place.

And Frosty is now ready for winter!

Have fun making your snowmen.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

Richland Hills, TX

Coffee Filter Fall Frame

2010-09-12T13:47:00.001-05:00

This was the fourth project that I showed as a Workshop Wow at Stampin' Up!'s Fort Worth Regional on September 10th. Click here to see the other projects. If you read my original post, you know that this project started out as a mistake. In fixing the problems (which you'll see), I ended up liking the final version better.

I started out with this inexpensive frame made of MDF. My original idea was to cover the frame with distressed coffee filter paper and then add fall colored leaves for a country or rustic look. As you can tell, this frame decided it wanted to be a little more special. However, the first steps are still the same.

Supplies

Four 8 - 12 cup coffee filters (7 ¾” diameter): 3 unbleached and 1 white

Stamp Set: French Foliage

Classic Ink Pads: Soft Suede, Early Espresso, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Elegant Eggplant

StazOn: Black

Stampin' Sponges

Unfinished frame. This one is made from MDF.

Clear water-based varnish. While I used J.W's Right-Step Water-Base Clear Varnish in a Matte Finish, other clear varnishes should work too. Test your varnish on a piece of scrap to make sure that it works.

Distressing Coffee Filter Paper

While this technique has been around for some time, here are the steps and the colors that I used.

First crumple the paper and open it back up leaving in most of the wrinkles.

Run the Soft Suede Classic Ink Pad directly across the filter paper.

Spritz with water and let dry.

Repeat the inking and spritzing with Early Espresso.

Covering the Frame

Cover the front and sides of the frame with the distressed coffee filters. I used three coffee filters to cover this frame. I recommend using the same clear varnish that you will use to decoupage the leaves on for this step. Avoid getting the varnish or glue onto the back of the frame.

On the back, I used the flat edge file from Stampin' Up!'s distressing kit to sand off the excess paper. Since it's not glued down, it will tear off with a clean edge as you can see here.

This is the stage where I decided the project wasn't working out the way I expected. It didn't look like fall and adding leaves wasn't going to help. So I decided to go in a different direction and started sponging on color. The colors I used were More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Elegant Eggplant. Go from the light colors to the dark ones, which is how the colors are listed. As the colors get darker, sponge in smaller areas. Otherwise you won't be able to see the lighter colors.

I started with More Mustard.

Here it is after I added the Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive.

This is how the frame looked with all of the colors sponged on. It will get quite a bit darker when you varnish the frame so don't go too dark. Even after you varnish, you can add more ink if you wish. If you look carefully, you can see where I randomly stamped the script from the French Foliage stamp set with Black StazOn.

Leaves

Your eyes are not going bad. The picture looks that way because I die cut 4 layers at the same time. I used a white coffee filter so the leaves would show up against the frame a little better.

Flip over some of the leaves so you have more leaf shapes. I stamped each leaf with Black StazOn and French Foliage. Don't worry about the leaf parts not lining up exactly. Sponge on the same colors as you used on the frame. I used 4 oak leaves and 3 maple leaves on my frame.

I decoupaged the leaves on by painting varnish on the frame and laying the leaf in the position that I wanted. If you want to sponge on more color to your frame, this is the time to do it. I then added a final coat of varnish over the entire frame. I loved how the varnish made some of the leaves look like they were blending right into the frame.

Here is a close up of the leaf near the bottom right hand corner. You can barely see the French Foliage script on the right hand side between the two leaves.

I hope you enjoy making this project. I'm looking forward to trying this technique using other themes and colors.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Coffee Filter Flower

2010-09-11T19:51:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-11T18:15:00.007-05:00

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.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX

Coffee Filter Projects

2010-09-11T16:05:00.017-05:00

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.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Crop for a Cause--American Heart Association

2010-09-03T08:02:00.001-05:00

I made this card using the new Tasteful Trim die to make the rick rack and scallop trim. This is going to be one of my favorite dies because it can be used in so many different ways. I chose the heart to remind everyone about our Crop for a Cause on Saturday, Sept. 18th.

Unfortunately, too many of us have a loved one affected by heart disease or stroke. As the leading cause of death in this country, cardiovascular disease claims almost as many lives each year as the next 7 leading causes of death combined. To help stop this, we are hosting a crop (our "team") to help raise funds that are needed for heart disease and stroke research and education and we're asking you to join us.

Our team will be participating in this year's Start! Heart Walk fundraiser by Cropping for a Cause from 9 am – 9 pm on Saturday, September 18 at Central Christian Church in downtown Forth Worth. There will be door prizes, a couple of vendor tables, and a silent auction – all to benefit the American Heart Association. The more people we have working to defeat heart disease and stroke-the better, so please sign up today and get your projects organized! It promises to be a fun-filled and worthy day! Your $40 crop fee will go to the American Heart Association.

To register for our crop, send an email to CropForaCauseFW@yahoo.com with your name and phone number and we will send you the registration form. But hurry, seating is limited to 50 participants! We hope to see you there!

Here is how heart disease affects one of my co-workers at Baylor, Laura "Tiffany" Hartgraves.

I recently began working for Baylor All Saints. I am a PCT on C5 Med/Tele. I created Team Harrison four years ago, in 2007. Team Harrison is in honor of our amazing four year old, Harrison . This is our 4th year to walk and our first year to walk with the Baylor family.

Our little family was growing as we waited for the arrival of our precious baby boy and we couldn’t have been more excited! During a Level II Ultrasound we were informed that our unborn son would come into this world with multiple birth defects, with various congenital heart defects topping his list. At only eight days old, our baby, Harrison, went in for open heart surgery to repair his tiny heart. Although surgery was a success, it did create other medical problems that would affect Harrison the rest of his life.

Throughout his recovery period, Harrison suffered mini strokes to both sides of his brain. Once he was extubated it was discovered that he had a paralyzed left vocal cord. Almost two months later, little Harrison came home on Christmas Day 2005; what an amazing gift for our family! He came home with a feeding pump and a long list of medication and he was only seven weeks old.

After Harrison ’s first birthday we learned that he had mild cerebral palsy, secondary to the strokes. His cerebral palsy affects his speech. Harrison had his feeding tube removed during this year too. We were finally out of the woods and Harrison was playing like a typical toddler. When he was 2 he had an MRI at Cook Children’s Medical Center and, little did we know, the result would turn our world upside down. Harrison had an extremely low heart rate between 40 – 50 beats per minute. After only one night of observations on the Cardiac floor at the hospital we were told that he was in complete heart block and would need a pacemaker for the rest of his life. He was in surgery within the hour.

On April 23, 2008 our little boy had another heart surgery to receive a dual chamber pacemaker. With the technology and research today, we upload Harrison ’s pacemaker activity bi-monthly. A broken wire was discovered after his first upload. On July 30, 2008 doctors had to go back in to replace a broken wire and retrieve the pacemaker that had slipped into his pelvic bone. Harrison now carries a card with his pacemaker serial numbers. With a non-stop life, in and out of the hospital, we can’t believe that Harrison is only 4 years old. And this year, Harrison was given the gift of communication; he received a communication device to help him communicate with us. His life is finally on cruise control with a healthy beating heart!

Harrison’s experience led us to the American Heart Association. We created TEAM HARRISON to walk, united against heart disease and stroke, during the Tarrant County Heart Walk. 2010 will be our 4th year to walk. With each year, we have seen Harrison ’s energy level increase. Each year he gets stronger, and so does our family, thanks to the American Heart Association’s research that has helped keep Harrison alive. Maybe this will be his year to run a little!

If you can't join us at Crop for a Cause, please consider donating to the American Heart Association via my Heart Walk website.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Blog

Imagine the Possibilities Card

2010-07-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is another one of the cards that I designed to swap at convention. The inspiration came from a card that my friend, Marilyn, made using the clear blocks to stamp the background. I loved that idea and had to play with it.

I stamped with the butterfly from Simple Friendship and the sentiment from Word Play with Rich Razzleberry ink. Then I stamped the rectangles with Baja Breeze. You are using the clear blocks that are normally used to hold the clear mount stamps. In this case, you are using the clear block by itself. For the Baja Breeze rectangles, I used Block B.

I used Block A to add the Certainly Celery squares. Then I used the flower and Old Olive ink to finish the background stamping.

After that, I added the Old Olive 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon and Rich Razzleberry card stock. The card body is Baja Breeze card stock stamped with the Texture jumbo roller.

This ended up being a quick card to make and a fun new way to use the clear blocks.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

My Website

My Blog

Flores Suaves Card

2010-07-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

I just got back from Stampin' Up!'s convention in Salt Lake City. What a fun way to have girlfriend time, see wonderful projects, learn new techniques and come home with free product from the upcoming Holiday mini catalog! One of the things I like the best about convention is swapping cards. At convention, you swap cards with other demonstrators so you come home with lots of new friends and samples of their work.

Flores Suaves is one of the cards that I made to swap at convention. At a recent retreat, one of my friends, Heather, was working on several contemporary paintings. I was so inspired by the layering in her work that I wanted to make a card with multiple layers in the background. This card uses several simple background techniques to make what looks like a difficult card. Truthfully, the hardest part is waiting for one layer to dry before you add the next one.

Step 1: Sponging Technique
Sponge Always Artichoke on all four edges. Leave the center uninked.

Step 2: Wrinkle Free Distressing Technique
Step 2 is a variation of the Tim Holtz technique where he inks a non-stick craft sheet and mists the inks with water and then lays his card stock in the ink. I adapted this technique to use Stampin' Up! products. I replaced the non-stick craft sheet with clear block F and I used the Always Artichoke ink refill instead of an ink pad.

On the clear block, put a thin bead of the Always Artichoke ink and mist with water.

Lay the card stock in the ink. Color all four edges of the card stock using this method.

Step 3: Drop and Swish Technique
Apply a thin layer of white acrylic paint over the card stock. To do this I use one of the fake credit cards you get in the mail or the hotel keys that are the same material as credit cards. Apply a thin bead of white acrylic paint across a little over half of the short edge of the credit card. With the paint side down, pull the paint across the card. Be sure to leave some of the Always Artichoke edges showing. Let dry. Repeat if needed.

Step 4
Using black StazOn ink, stamp Flores Suaves. Flores Suaves is my favorite stamp set out of the Hispanic catalog, Celebrando Creatividad.

Step 5: Smooch Spritz
For this layer I used the Gold Glow Smooch Spritz. Instead of spraying, I put drops on the card stock and used my finger to spread out the Gold Glow. You can see from the picture that I only added the gold to a few areas.

Use Always Artichoke to stamp the words from the Flores Suaves stamp set across the card. Because you are stamping on acrylic paint, you can use a damp paper towel to soften the edges of the words if you want.

Step 6: Watercolor Pencils
Use the darkest red watercolor pencil to color in the shaded areas on the flower. You'll see the shading lines on the stamped image.

Step 7: Coloring with Ink
Color in the flower with Cherry Cobbler ink. I used a paint brush with water rather than a blender pen. The blender pen can make the StazOn image blur since it is on acrylic paint. I love how the watercolor pencil makes shading the petal so easy.

Color in the stem and leaf with Always Artichoke.

Step 8: Blushing with Ink
Okay, technically this is just sponging again. Lightly sponge on Cherry Cobbler ink like you would add blush to your forehead and nose. It's much softer than the amount of color you would put on your cheeks. There should be just a hint of color that "marries" the background to the flower. It's a tip that I learned in painting class many years ago. Adding small tints of color in the background, helps highlight your focal point. You can see the difference in the above picture with Step 7 and Step 8 right next to each other. I also sponge on more Always Artichoke if I covered too much with the acrylic paint.

Assemble per the sample and you are done!

Supply List:
Flores Suaves stamp set
Always Artichoke Classic ink pad
Always Artichoke Classic ink refill
Cherry Cobbler Classic ink pad
Gold Glow Smooch Spritz
Stampin' Sponge
Water mister
Fake credit card
White acrylic paint
Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel
1/8" Basic Black grosgrain ribbon
Confetti Cream card stock 2 3/8 x 4 3/8 inches
Basic Black card stock 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches
Cherry Cobbler card stock 2 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches
Always Artichoke card stock 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, wheel with Always Artichoke and fold to form card

Enjoy making this card. I'd love to see what you make.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Changing Wood Mounted Stamps to Clear Mount

2010-07-06T11:00:00.002-05:00

Many of you know that I’ve been changing my wood mounted stamps to clear mount. Whether you prefer wood mounted or clear mount stamps is a personal decision. For me, it’s a space issue. Moving to clear mount lets me organize my stamps in a smaller space.

Several of you have asked for a tutorial on converting wood mounted stamps to clear mount. To get a rubber stamp to stick to a block you have two choices. Either make the block stick to the stamp or make your stamps stick to the block. After trying different ways, here are my favorite methods for each choice.

1. Put something sticky on the block so it will hold your stamps. This is the most cost effective method if you have a lot of unmounted stamps. You only have to convert a few clear blocks instead of changing all of your stamps. My favorite clear sticky product is Tack-n-Peel. Over time, your sticky blocks gather lint and don’t stick as well. With Tack-n-Peel, you can rinse the block in water, let it air dry and your block is sticky again. Please e-mail me if you would like to know where to find this product in our local area.

This is what I originally did with many of my stamps. I put Tack-n-Peel on several clear blocks. I never removed the paper from the back of the stamps. When I need to use the stamp, I place it on the clear block and it sticks to the Tack-n-Peel. When I’m finished, I clean the stamp while it is still attached to the clear block. Then I remove the stamp and put it back in its case.

2. Put something on your stamps that will help them stick to your blocks. There are many different ways to make your stamps sticky. When you use adhesives, they also gather lint over time and don’t stick as well. That is why I use cling vinyl to stick my stamps to my blocks without using adhesive. It’s what I use for my current stamps. Because Stampin’ Up! stamps are already mounted to foam, I use Papilio inkjet clear static cling film.

When using cling vinyl, you can also add the image on the back of the stamp. To do this, you need to reverse the image. There are two ways to do this. One is low tech, uses tissue paper and doesn’t require being computer-savvy. For the second method, you’ll need a software program where you can reverse images before you print.

Using Tissue Paper

Buy plain white tissue paper that you can find in the gift wrap section at your craft store. Stamp the image on the tissue paper and let it dry thoroughly. Rough cut the image out of the tissue paper. Turn it upside down and adhere it to the back of your stamp. You’ll be able to see your image through the tissue paper. Add the cling vinyl and trim to fit. I used Tombow mono multi liquid glue to adhere the vinyl. You can also use it for the tissue paper if the back of your stamp isn’t already sticky.

In this picture, the thanks image was stamped on tissue paper using the low tech method. The butterfly image was printed on the cling vinyl.

Printing on Cling Vinyl

While this method takes more time, it’s my favorite. The image is printed on the vinyl before you mount it on your stamps.

The first thing you need is a digital version of the stamped images. To get these images, I usually scan the label. For the rest of this process, make sure that your images stay at 100%, so they will be the same size as your stamp.

You’ll need a software program to flip your images so the printing is backwards. You need to flip your images because you are printing on the side of the vinyl that touches the foam. After you attach the vinyl, you’ll see the image correctly. To flip your image in Photoshop Elements, go to Image>Rotate>Flip Horizontal or Vertical. You may also choose to increase the contrast of the image so that the black is really black.

Here is the label for Dream Gardens after the image is flipped. Notice that the word "dream" and the Stampin' Up! copyright is reversed.

After reversing your images, insert them in a Word document to print. You can fit as many images as you can on one page before printing. Follow the printing instructions that come with the Papilio sheets.

After the ink is dry, rough cut the images out of the vinyl. Attach to the back of the stamp and trim to fit.

If you want to see how to convert your stamps, please come to my open house.

Date: July 10th

Time: 1 and 4 p.m.

Location: St. Michael's Church, 3800 Popplewell, 76118

We'll be in the fellowship hall which is behind the church. More open house information is on my website.

FAQ’s

How do you take your stamps off of wood blocks?

Usually you can carefully peel them off. Putting them in your microwave for a few seconds will heat the glue so that they are easier to remove. In my microwave, 3 seconds on high works well.

I no longer have my label, how can I get a digital image to print on the vinyl?

If you no longer have your labels, here are some options.

1. Peel the labels off of your wood mount stamps. I’ve been able to peel these off without putting the stamp in the microwave. Attach the labels to paper or a transparency and scan.

2. Stamp the images on paper and scan.

3. Depending on how old your stamps are, you may be able to find digital versions of the stamps on My Digital Studio or in Stampin’ Up!’s online catalog. You will need to make sure that the images are at 100% as sometimes these digital images have been re-sized. With images that are not 100%, I’ve been able to enlarge them in Word so that they work.

How do you store your unmounted stamps?

I put my smaller sets into empty CD cases. You will have to remove the holder for the CD. For the larger ones, I use the DVD-type storage cases that Stampin’ Up! sells. With regular DVD cases, there isn’t a way to remove the part that holds the DVD.

How do you label your CD cases?

I print an insert with the name of the stamp set on card stock. I then add the label and insert to the CD case. Be sure to buy the standard CD cases and not the slim ones.

How do you label your DVD cases?

I loved the way that Stampin’ Up! designed their inserts and copied their format. I set it up to print two inserts on one piece of 8 1/2 x 11 copy paper. I reduced the digital stamp images and added them to the insert. On the front of the case, I add the label, a digital image or a piece of paper with the stamped images.

For background stamps, I use the label that comes with the stamp. It fits in the DVD case perfectly.

What is Static Cling Vinyl?

Static cling vinyl is a special formulation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to which a large amount of plasticizer (a liquid) has been added. This highly plasticized formulation is exceptionally pliable. The vinyl is specially treated to give it a smooth finish. When the vinyl film is applied to a clean, smooth, glossy surface, it adheres firmly without the need for an adhesive. A good quality static cling vinyl is worth the extra expense.

If I can give you any more information about changing your wood mounted stamps to clear mount, please post your comment here. Please contact me if you would like to buy the Stampin' Up! storage cases, Papilio Cling Vinyl or Tack-n-Peel.

Have fun changing your wood mounted stamps to clear mount. It gets easier after you have finished changing one or two stamps.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

Richland Hills, TX

My Website

New Catalog Sneak Peek

2010-06-24T10:50:00.001-05:00

Here is a sneak peek at some of the new products in the catalog coming on July 1.

The card uses two new stamp sets: Artistic Etchings and Occasional Quotes.

I used my Big Shot to die cut the Scallop Rectangle with a Clearlit. A Clearlit is a clear Sizzlit die that lets you easily position your die before cutting.

The card stock is Very Vanilla, Basic Black and River Rock. I'm glad River Rock is back. It's a great neutral with just a hint of color.

The ribbon is a 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon that comes in 13 coordinating colors. The thin ribbon is a perfect accent for your card or scrapbook page.

This card uses a new hostess stamp set called Cute By the Inch. I alternated the stamped images with 1-inch squares of a new designer series paper called Newsprint. The sentiment comes from the stamp set, For All You Do. For the background on the card body, I used Extreme Elements.

The card stock is Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Soft Suede, and Crumb Cake. The heart is in my new favorite red, Cherry Cobbler.

To see other items from the new catalog, come to one of the open houses being held by the demonstrators in my group. Check out my website for dates, times and places.

At the July 10th open house in Richland Hills, I'll be demonstrating how to convert wood mounted stamps to clear mount. I've had several customers ask me to show the different methods so they can decide which way works the best for them. Come check it out and decide if you prefer wood mount or clear mount.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Organizing Small Embellishments

2010-06-23T14:38:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for a way to organize your small embellishments? Here’s a picture of my new favorite container. It’s a pill organizer.

When I was at Martha Pullen’s Sewing Market, someone showed me her favorite storage container for small embellishments--it was a pill organizer. The compartments are all separate and it is less expense than similar storage containers. When I went to the Great American Scrapbook Convention, I saw storage containers that were normally $5 - $7 for 50% off. I noticed the Braille dots on the containers and then saw that each one had 14 compartments. That’s when I realized they were pill organizers with a scrapbook label on them instead of am/pm and the days of the week.

These are the pill organizers that I bought at the Dollar Tree. I was able to remove the days of the week with Stazon cleaner. They have pill organizers in different shapes and sizes. I liked these containers better than some of the more expensive ones I have purchased in the past. Leave a comment to let us know where you have found your favorite pill organizers.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng

My Website

Art-To-Go Printer's Tray

2010-06-13T08:25:00.003-05:00

When I saw this Artist Printer's Tray, I wanted to make inserts that could be changed to fit different seasons and holidays.

This is the first in a series of classes where you can make inserts to go in the Printer's Tray or on a 12 x 12 sheet of paper or canvas. For this first class, you can choose the black and white or summer theme.

Date: Saturday, June 26^th
Time: 10:15 am to 1 p.m.
Location: North Richland Hills, TX

Class Fee: $20, includes kit for summer or black and white theme

The Artist Printer's Tray is an additional $17.99. It comes in black or white. This is an optional item as you can layer the page on a 12 x 12 canvas, magnetic memo board or 12 x 12 sheet of paper.

At the scrapbook convention, they were selling these trays for $19.99 and the kits for $13.99.

For information about the class and the artist printers tray, please contact me at

sharon@sharoncheng.com.

I can't wait to design the Fall and Christmas Art-to-Go versions!

Sharon Cheng

My Blog

Last Chance Lists

2010-06-01T01:25:00.000-05:00

Stampin' Up! has posted their last chance lists. These are items that will not be moving forward to the new catalog on July 1. Get your favorites while supplies last. One of the quickest ways to see what is leaving is to go to my website and click on the shop now button. That will show you the images of what items are retiring.

One year I was trying to place customers orders only to have multiple items sell out while I was trying to close their orders. For that reason, I strongly encourage you to place your orders online via my website. You'll know immediately if the item is available when you place your order.

Sold Out
These are the items that have already sold out. Stampin' Up! will update their list daily by 4 p.m.

Almost Amethyst Stampin' Write marker

Barely Banana Stampin' Write marker

Mellow Moss Stampin' Write marker

Close to Cocoa card stock (12" x 12")

Only Orange card stock (8-1/2" x 11")

Sage Shadow card stock (8-1/2" x 11")

Sage Shadow card stock (12" x 12")

Stampin' Up! has also announced a $99 mini starter kit for new demonstrators who sign up in June. To start your own business (or hobby) for $99 is a great opportunity. When I joined Stampin' Up! five years ago, I never dreamed that I would have so much fun. I have always enjoyed crafts. Now instead of spending money, I make money from my crafting. I've also had the opportunity to vacation in Hawaii with my husband and Stampin' Up! friends. For more information, please contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

What Can You Make With The Ornament Punch?

2010-05-11T17:29:00.000-05:00

In the 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog, Stampin' Up! featured the ornament punch. It was a popular item for Christmas. As you might expect, creative minds have since made many non-Christmas projects using this punch.

The rose or magnolia flower is probably the most elaborate of the projects that I have seen that use the ornament punch. There are many examples and tutorials that you can find online to show you how to make this rose. I used Becky Jensen's tutorial to make this stamp club project.

This is a card that I received in a swap where they made a vase using the ornament punch.

When you google "ornament punch" you'll find a wide variety of projects that have been made using this versatile punch.

You can still order this punch. It's item number 116794 and is $15.95. If you would like to order this punch, please go to my website or e-mail me.

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX

Tropical Party

2010-04-24T22:07:00.001-05:00

This card is made with one of the new stamp sets in the Summer mini catalog called Tropical Party. It reminds me of the trip I earned to Hawaii through Stampin' Up! I used Soft Suede to sponge on the sand and Tempting Turquoise for the water. I used the designer series paper, Island Oasis, for the stripes and three small squares across the top right.

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Blog @ sharoncheng.com
My Stampin' Up! Website

New Stampin' Up! Colors

2010-04-09T07:45:00.003-05:00

Here is the Stampin' Up! chart with the new color collections that will start with the new catalog in July. While most of the colors are available in the current catalog, there will be new ones introduced with the new catalog. Click on the chart to see a larger image.

Here is the Stampin' Up! chart with the colors that will retire at the end of June. Click on the chart to see a larger image.

To order any of the retiring or current colors, please go to My Website or contact me at sharon@sharoncheng.com.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Blog
My Website

Fifth Avenue Floral Card Tutorial

2010-04-08T21:48:00.008-05:00

My friend, Joni, made a beautiful card that inspired me to make this version using three retiring colors, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red and Mellow Moss.

Supplies
Soft Suede Cardstock: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Cameo Coral Cardstock: 5 1/2" x 2"
Ruby Red Cardstock: 5 1/2" x 1 5/8"
Very Vanilla Cardstock: 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Mellow Moss Cardstock: 1 flower using the 5-petal flower punch
Cameo Coral Cardstock: 1 medium heart using the Heart to Heart Punch
Fifth Avenue Floral Stamp Set
Tiny Tags Stamp Set
5-Petal Flower Punch
Heart to Heart Punch
Cameo Coral Classic Ink Pad
Ruby Red Classic Ink Pad
Mellow Moss Classic Ink Pad
Soft Suede Classic Ink Pad
Stampin' Sponges
Versamark Ink Pad
Clear Embossing Powder
Heat Tool
Big Shot
Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder
Ruby Red Watercolor Wonder Crayon
Blender Pen

Step 1
Using versamark ink, stamp the Fifth Avenue Rose on the Very Vanilla cardstock. Apply clear embossing powder and heat.

Step 2
Sponge Cameo Coral over the entire rose.

Step 3 and 4
Using the Ruby Red Watercolor Wonder Crayon, lightly color in the outside edges of the rose petals. Blend in the color with the blender pen. The top of the rose shows where I've used the watercolor crayon. The bottom half of the rose shows what it looks like after I used the blender pen. Tip: To further blend the colors, lightly sponge more Cameo Coral ink over the entire rose.

This is the card that Joni made that inspired me. She sponged Pumpkin Pie over the entire flower and then Rose Red through the center. It makes a beautiful rose.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX
My Blog
My Website

Stampin' Up! Announces New Colors

2010-04-06T21:55:00.001-05:00

Stampin' Up! announced earlier this week that they are changing up their color families with the new catalog that starts on July 1, 2010. Here are the changes.

10 RETURNING IN COLORS:

Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Rich Razzleberry, Riding Hood Red, River Rock, Soft Suede, Tangerine Tango and Wild Wasabi

5 NEW COLORS:

Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso

1 RENAMED COLOR:
Kraft is coming back as Crumb Cake.

Here are some cards that show the returning In Colors. The first two cards were stamp club projects.

Tangerine Tango is the orange cardstock. The blue in the sky is Baja Breeze. Here is the tutorial I did for this card.

I received the next three cards in swaps.

While you can barely read Rich Razzleberry in the card below, it is the third circle from the top.

As for the new colors, I don't have actual samples yet. I'll post them as soon as they become available. In the meantime, here is a description of the colors.

Marina Mist: a blue that is in between Tempting Turquoise and Pacific Point
Daffodil Delight: a lighter version of Summer Sun
Cherry Cobbler: a red that is in between Riding Hood Red and Bravo Burgundy
Cajun Craze: a darker version of Really Rust and Dusty Durango
Early Espresso: darker than Chocolate Chip but not black

So, while there are 30 retiring colors, you have 3 months to stock up on your favorites.

Retiring Colors
Yoyo Yellow
Gable Green
Green Galore
Glorious Green
Pixie Pink
Pink Passion
Only Orange
Brilliant Blue
Lovely Lilac
Orchid Opulence
Creamy Caramel
Close to Cocoa
Cameo Coral
Ruby Red
Really Rust
Summer Sun
Ballet Blue
Brocade Blue
Bordering Blue
Handsome Hunter
Taken With Teal
Blush Blossom
Pale Plum
Mellow Moss
Barely Banana
Apricot Appeal
Lavender Lace
Almost Amethyst
Sage Shadow
Basic Brown

While I'll miss Mellow Moss and Taken With Teal, I'm looking forward to creating projects with the new colors.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX
My Blog
My Website

Dahlia Cross

2010-04-03T17:38:00.018-05:00

For Easter, I wanted to share this beautiful card with a folded cross made by Teresa Goff.

Teresa inspired me to make this card for my stamp clubs. I changed up the colors to fit the paper and brads that I had. :)

Supply List
Taken with Teal Cardstock: 8 1/2 x 5 1/2"
Chocolate Chip Cardstock: 3 3/8 x 4 1/4"
Confetti White Cardstock: 3 1/8 x 3 3/4"
Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper: Three 1 1/4" circles, One 1 3/4" circle
Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set
Scallop Trim Border Punch
Modern Label Punch
Word Window Punch
1 1/4" Circle Punch
1 3/4" Circle Punch
Square Ice Rhinestone Brad

To make the cross, fold each circle using these instructions. Then assemble to form the cross and place the rhinestone in the center.

Step 1
Punch out the circle.

Step 2
Fold the circle in half.

Step 3
Open the circle and fold in half in the opposite direction.

Step 4
Fold two wings. Each one goes from the center fold to the edge of each side.

Step 5
Turn the circle over so the opposite side is facing up.

Step 6
Fold each straight edge to the center fold.

Here is a card with the dahlia fold flower. It's made with 8 circles using the 1 3/4" circle punch.

I hope you enjoy making the dahlia fold crosses and flowers.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX
My Blog @ sharoncheng.com
My Stampin' Up! Website

Easter Basket

2010-03-26T07:36:00.006-05:00

I was inspired to make these Easter Egg baskets thanks to baskets posted by Melissa Rodgers and Gayla O’Dell. When I saw the template that they used, I realized that I could use the Big Shot Oval Scallop Frame die to make the egg. That made it faster for me to make several baskets.

In So Saffron, I made two eggs by using the Oval Scallop Frame die to cut two oval shapes and then cutting off one end off of each oval.

I also cut the following pieces.

So Saffron: ¾” x 8 ½” and 2” x 6 ½”
Elegant Eggplant: Cut two pieces 3 x 1 5/8”
Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper: Cut two pieces 3 x 1”

Score the 2 x 6 ½” piece of So Saffron ½” along each of the long sides and
2 ¼” from each end of the short sides. Fold along the score lines and clip out a small triangle at each of the intersections as shown. This will make it easier to fold your box.

Use the scallop trim border punch to add a decorative edge along both sides of the Elegant Eggplant pieces.

Use the Modern Label and Trio Flower punches to make the Elegant Eggplant embellishments as shown. When you add the Razzleberry paper, you will hide where you have punched out these embellishments.

Using Elegant Eggplant classic ink, stamp Happy Easter from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set on a scrap of Whisper White cardstock. Punch out using the Word Window punch.

Adhere the trim as shown on the eggs and cut to fit the oval shape.

Attach the eggs to the scored piece of So Saffron as shown. Assemble to form the basket. Attach handle using brads as shown on the sample.

I hope you enjoy making these baskets and giving them as small gifts.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, TX
My Blog @ sharoncheng.com
My Stampin' Up! Website

Sweet Pea Home Decor Class

2010-03-23T08:05:00.007-05:00

Use Stampin' Up!'s Sweet Pea paper, coordinating felt flowers and chipboard birds to make 3 wonderful projects that you can use to decorate your home or give as special gifts. You'll make a Hope, Love and Faith wall hanging, a 12 x 12 magnetic memo board and a scrapbook page that can be attached to a 12 x 12 canvas. You'll go home with many extras to make other Sweet Pea projects.

This wall hanging was made with the birds from the chipboard book in the Occasions mini catalog.

This magnetic memo board decorates your wall while giving you a convenient place to attach your notes and inspiration pieces.

Join us for a fun afternoon of making these Sweet Pea projects.

Saturday, April 17th
1 to 5 pm
St. Michael’s Church, 3800 Popplewell St, Richland Hills, TX 76118

Class Fee and Kit: $75
Bring a Buddy: $35 Share your class kit with your friend. You'll both be able to make all three projects and still take home extras of everything except the chipboard birds.

Order your kit before March 31st and get a free Sale-A-Bration item too! Because your items must be pre-ordered, final registration deadline is April 5th.

This 12 x 12 scrapbook page can be put into a book or attached to canvas for a wall hanging.

Here are the items that we used to make these projects.

117161 Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Stack $24.95
117238 On Board Book Bird $4.95
109051 Ribbon Grosgrain Chocolate Chip 5/8 Inch $7.95
117266 Stitched Felt Sweet Pea $7.95
116191 Decor Elements™ Inspiration Chocolate Small $4.95

Please contact me to sign up for this class or order the items separately at cheng1170@sbcglobal.net.

Creatively yours,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Swap Cards

2010-03-17T11:00:00.001-05:00

Zabrina made this cute card with the chocolate bunny in the Occasions mini catalog. She used the scallop circle punch to make it look like someone had already taken a bite. Of course, I usually start with the ears myself! The pretty in pink cardstock has been embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions folder.

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, Texas
My Website
My Blog

Swap Cards

2010-03-15T11:00:00.002-05:00

Judy Hogan made this card that features another Sweet Pea designer series paper. This card takes advantage of several punches and the Simple Flower embosslit. I like how the embosslits cut and emboss at the same time. Judy used the following punches for this project.

3/4" Circle
Boho Blossom
Word Window
Modern Label
Eyelet Border

The punches are a great way to make quick embellishments for cards and other projects.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, Texas
My Website
My Blog

Swap Cards

2010-03-13T11:00:00.003-06:00

This is the second card that Joni made for our card swap. This is another designer paper from the Sweet Pea collection. Spring Song is a stamp set that you can purchase or get for free during Sale-A-Bration with a $50 order. The Happy Easter greeting is from Well Scripted. I love that font and all of its flourishes.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, Texas
My Website
My Blog

Swap Cards

2010-03-11T11:00:00.003-06:00

Judi Martin made this card with the Sending Love Specialty paper in the Occasions mini. I love the glitter in this design. The Rich Razzleberry flower and mat look wonderful against the Certainly Celery background. She used one of my favorite stamps sets, Vintage Vogue, and the coordinating jumbo wheel.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, Texas
My Website
My Blog

Swap Cards

2010-03-09T11:00:00.001-06:00

Marilyn made this Flower Pot card. When you pull the flowers up, you can see the sentiment. She die cut the flowers with the Flower Layers with Leaf Die and the leaves with the Little Leaves Sizzlit. I love the colors that she used. The Soft Suede really makes the flowers pop.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, Texas
My Website
My Blog

Swap Cards

2010-03-07T11:00:00.004-06:00

This card was made by Cindy Peterson. She used the Inspired By Nature stamp set for the grass. The butterfly was made with the Beautiful Wings embosslit. The bling on the butterfly comes from our Eggcellent Eggs kit. The scallop trim border is one of the free Sale-A-Bration items that you can earn when you place an order for $50 before the end of March. The designer paper is the Sweet Pea paper in the Occasions mini catalog. You'll see more paper from that collection in other cards that I'll be posting later this week.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, Texas
My Website
My Blog

Swap Cards

2010-03-06T18:13:00.003-06:00

At our February demonstrator meeting, we swapped Easter and spring cards. I'll be sharing the cards I received over the next several days. I'm blessed to be part of a talented group of demonstrators.

This is the card that Joni made using the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. She embossed the rose on whisper white cardstock and then sponged on Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red. The Happy Easter sentiment comes from the Well Scripted stamp set.

Sharon Cheng
Fort Worth, Texas
My Website
My Blog

Simply Adorned Charms & Chains

2010-03-05T12:49:00.001-06:00

I have received so many compliments on my Simply Adorned jewelry. This is one of the easiest and fastest ways to make customized jewelry.

Simply Adorned charms are like lockets—they open up so you can insert your custom stamped image. The magnetized closures make it easy to change out the images. There’s tempered glass on both sides of the charm, so you can display an image on one side or both. You can create a custom heirloom piece that you’ll never want to change, or you can swap artwork in and out, depending on your mood and your wardrobe. Charms are also great for holding photos.

■ Nickel-plated frame with lobster clasp
■ Available in several sizes and shapes
■ Also great for ornaments
■ Packaged in gift box

The larger charms have beveled glass on the front and flat glass on the back. There are three sizes of charms with the beveled glass.

116799 Simply Adorned Charm 1 1/2 x 2" $21.95
116798 Simply Adorned Charm 1 x 1 1/4" $18.95
116797 Simply Adorned Charm 1 x 1" $17.95

There are also two smaller charms that are perfect for charm bracelets.

117349 Simply Adorned 5/8" Circle Charm $8.95
118476 Simply Adorned 5/8" Square Charm $8.95

The chains are anodized stainless steel with a nickel-plated zinc alloy charm and toggle and come in 3 different lengths.

117342 Simply Adorned Bracelet $7.95
116800 Simply Adorned Chain 24" $10.95
116853 Simply Adorned Chain 34" $12.95

While you can use any stamp image to make inserts, here is the stamp set that Stampin' Up! first featured with this jewelry line.

116519 Charming Stamp Set $19.95

Here is my first Simply Adorned design. I converted the 5/8" square charms into earrings.

Please contact me if you would like more information about Stampin' Up!'s exclusive line of charms and chains.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Website
My Blog Home Page

Going Green

2010-02-09T12:35:00.000-06:00

When I took a class this fall from Tim Holtz, he talked about how he used blister packs to create some of his projects. Blister packs are the pre-formed, hard plastic cases that many of our items are packaged in today.

When my Stampin’ Up! clear mount blocks arrived, I noticed that the blister packs they came in were perfect for holding small treats.

This is how the clear mount blocks are packaged.

Once you open the package to get your clear mount block, save the instruction booklet to use as the template for your background. This is a great way to use up some of your scraps to decorate the blister pack. For this project, I used the following items.

115370 Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set $36.95
118592 Tiny Tags Clear Mount Stamp Set $16.95
103133 Classic Stampin Pad Real Red $5.95
117153 Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper $11.95
100459 Card Stock Pretty In Pink 8 1/2X11 $5.50
106530 Card Stock Very Vanilla 12X12 $7.50
116630 Punch Modern Label $15.95
105090 Punch Word Window $15.95

These are the assorted brads that are in the package.
117272 Brads Epoxy Sending Love Chocolate Chip 1/4 Inch $3.25
117271 Brads Epoxy Sending Love Pretty In ink 1/2 Inch $4.95
117270 Brads Epoxy Sending Love Real Red 1/2 Inch $4.95

Please send pictures of items that you have made using blister packs to me at cheng1170@sbcglobal.net. I'll be happy to share them on my blog.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
www.sharoncheng.stampinup.net
http://scandcompany.blogspot.com/

Clear-Mount Stamps

2010-01-05T00:06:00.004-06:00

Starting today, Stampin' Up! will offer its new stamp sets in wood mount or clear mount. Like the wood-mount stamps, the clear-mount stamps are die-cut, which makes it easy to start stamping right away.

The clear-mount stamp sets come in a storage case that is about the size of a DVD case. The images are shown at 100 percent on the front of the case. There are thumbnail images on the spine making it easy to find your stamp set.

Additionally, the Clear-Mount stamp sets are less expensive than the wood-mount ones. When ordering, be sure to select the item number for the option that works best for you.

Sharon Cheng
My Website

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T15:40:00.007-06:00

I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas. If you're in the Fort Worth area, then you know that we are having a rare White Christmas this year. We went from 70 degree weather on Wednesday to snow on Thursday.

For stamp club, I designed this card that could easily be a Christmas or Valentine's Day card depending on which stamp you used. As the Holiday mini catalog ends on January 4th, I wanted to use both the Wandering Words stamp set and Christmas Cocoa paper. Two of the papers in the set are flocked. I love how this paper looks with just the flocking or when you add glitter.

The good news is that the Christmas Cocoa paper is available as a download for My Digital Studio. While the paper won't be flocked, the designs will be still be available.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
My Stampin' Up! Website

Sale on Big Shot Dies and Accessories

2009-12-11T07:14:00.010-06:00

Stampin' Up! is offering some Big Shot Dies and Accessories at sale prices for 12 days only. This sale ends on Tuesday, Dec. 22nd. Several of the dies are exclusive to Stampin' Up!

They are also offering Decor Elements sheets in many favorite Stampin' Up! colors. These sheets can be used in the Big Shot to die cut your favorite images. Please note that some Décor Elements sheets are 12" x 24" and some are 15" x 24" as Stampin' Up! transitions to the larger sheets.

Click here to see what is on sale.

This reindeer box uses the Tulipe Stampin' Up! Bigz Die to make the antlers!

Check back as I continue to post other projects that uses some of the dies that are on sale.

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
My Stampin' Up! Website
Richland Hills, TX

Last Chance to Buy These Retiring Stamp Sets

2009-12-09T22:09:00.005-06:00

Last Chance to purchase these stamp sets that will retire on January 4th. Click on the stamp set see the image.

Remember to come back and check out the 12 Days of Holidays starting this Friday!

Item Stamp Set Price
113407 Backwoods 23.95
114492 Beautiful Baby 7.95
114486 Birthday Wish 6.95
113200 Branch Out 22.95
114496 Celebrations 7.95
113732 Central Park 15.95
113206 Classic Sketches 22.95
113226 Classy & Fabulous 18.95
114498 Flowers in Silhouette 7.95
113405 Font of You 24.95
113216 For the Bride 19.95
114494 Forever 5.95
109425 Friend by Definition 17.95
114488 Fun Flowers 5.95
113716 Garden Greetings 21.95
114490 Glad Friends 5.95
111580 Grand Soiree 24.95
113242 Hit the Road 19.95
113710 Lexicon of Leaves 25.95
113236 Man's Best Friend 19.95
114423 Ocean Commotion 17.95
113728 Playful Petals 28.95
109276 Polka Dot 17.95
111544 Putt Putt 24.95
113240 Quilt Quips 22.95
113754 Really Retro 14.95
113403 Sip by Sip 23.95
113726 Sweet Stems 16.95
113250 That's Funny 23.95
113688 Wonderful Watercolors 39.95

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX
www.sharoncheng.stampinup.net
http://scandcompany.blogspot.com/

Dasher in the Woods Card

2009-11-22T21:42:00.010-06:00

This card is one of my stamp club projects. While it may look complicated, it is a quick and relatively simple card. Once again, I'm using the Dasher stamp. I have used this stamp in three different Christmas cards!

Supply List
Item Description Price
116816 Dasher Stamp $8.95
115026 Lovely As A Tree Stamp Set $27.95
115370 Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set $36.95
105209 Classic Stampin Pad Bashful Blue $5.95
102265 Classic Stampin Pad Bordering Blue $5.95
102977 Classic Stampin Pad Night Of Navy $5.95
103133 Classic Stampin Pad Real Red $5.95
100867 Card Stock Night Of Navy 8 1/2X11 $5.50
102482 Card Stock Real Red 8 1/2X11 $5.50
102028 Card Stock Confetti White 8 1/2X11 $9.50
109046 Punch 1 Inch Circle $10.95
105090 Punch Word Window $15.95
116630 Punch Modern Label $15.95
101610 Stamping Sponges $3.50
102023 Glitter Dazzling Diamonds $4.50
100425 2-Way Glue Pen $3.50

Cut the following pieces of cardstock.

Night of Navy: 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches
Real Red: 5 1/4 x 4 inches
Confetti White: 5 x 3 3/4 inches

Step 1

Stamp the trees with Bordering Blue and Dasher with Night of Navy.

Step 2

Make a mask by stamping the trees on a scrap that is wider than the card. Cut the scrap along the ground line. You will have to extend it beyond the stamped image.

Make a second mask by punching out a 1 inch circle.

Put removable adhesive on the back of both masks. While there are many different removable adhesives, my favorite is to use SNAIL on the back of the mask. Then stick the mask to your clothing and peel it off a couple of times. The lint from your clothing will make the SNAIL and mask removable when you use it on paper.

Place the masks as shown in the picture.

Step 3

Lightly sponge Bashful Blue ink through the sky and beneath the trees. Remember to use a light touch similar to how you would apply blush to your face. Go lightly and blend out the edges. You want parts of the sky to be lighter and some areas to be darker.

Step 4

Using Night of Navy, darken the sky especially beneath the trees and by the moon. Again, you want to blend the edges and have areas of light and dark.

Move the mask you used for the ground line to make it look like Dasher is standing on a small hill. Use the same sponge with Night of Navy without adding more ink. You can also add a few shadows in the snow especially beneath the trees. Again, sponge lightly and blend your edges.

Step 5

Step 5 is optional and doesn't show up well in this scan. I added glitter here and there in the snow, especially under Dasher. My favorite way to add glitter is to use our 2-Way Glue Pen. The pen tip makes it easy to add as much or as little glitter as you would like.

Assemble the card per the picture and you are done! Many thanks to Carridine for inspiring me to put together this tutorial. If you have any questions about this technique, please post a comment here.

Sharon Cheng
www.sharoncheng.stampinup.net
Richland Hills, TX

2009-11-09T23:26:00.003-06:00

Did you notice the new buttons underneath my blog banner? They are there to help you move more quickly through this site. I learned how to add them from Super Blogger at my retreat this past weekend. Many thanks Cari for your help and patience. Cari is planning to put together a class on blogging early in 2010. If you're interested, please let me know and I'll share your contact info with Cari.

Why the costume? At the retreat, the theme was Super Heroes. Here are the different super heroes who came to the party!

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng

Fall Projects

2009-11-07T23:50:00.007-06:00

I've at a retreat at the Covered Bridge Inn in Weatherford and I'm actually being productive! Here are some of the projects that I've been working on. I am in love with the colors in the Autumn Meadows Designers Series Paper. The color combination is Taken With Teal, More Mustard, Really Rust, and Chocolate Chip.

I've been wanting to make the pumpkin basket with the Pillow Box die for some time now. It is fun and easy to make. It will make a great hostess or thank you gift.

I thought you might get a good giggle about what my set up looked like for the above photos. I had to make do with what I had. Another good example of how cropping can really enhance your subject matter!

Happy stamping,

Sharon Cheng
www.sharoncheng.stampinup.net
http://scandcompany.blogspot.com/

Christmas Classes

2009-11-05T16:09:00.015-06:00

Can you believe that Christmas is less than 2 months away? I have several classes to help you get ready for Christmas.

Christmas Garland (or Wreath)
Create a beautiful holiday paper garland using assorted Christmas paper and ribbon. This project is a perfect combination of quick, simple, and gorgeous. This festive garland is will dress up any mantel or Christmas tree or it can be used as a wreath. The picture above shows the garland as a wreath.

Date: Thursday, Nov. 12th
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: North Richland Hills
Class fee: $30, includes all supplies

Christmas Stocking Make and Take
Another quick project using Christmas paper. Once you make one, you'll want to make more for the special people on your Christmas list. It's a decoration that can be used to hold a gift card or other small treasures. This is a come and go project. Plan on about 20 minutes to complete your stocking.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 21
Time: 1 - 3 p.m.
Where: North Richland Hills
Project fee: $4, includes all supplies.

Stocking Stuffers and More
These quick and easy projects are perfect for your Secret Santa gifts and stocking stuffers. Choose your projects and how many of each you want to make. You'll be able to complete these last minute gifts in one afternoon!

Date: December 5, 2009
Time: 1 to 5 p.m.
Where: St. Michael's Anglican Church in Richland Hills
Fee: $5 plus project fees

Projects
Please notice that for several of the projects, additional kits are discounted.

Envelope Book $6, additional kits for $4
We have had several requests to repeat this fun project. Add your own photos to make this a one-of-a-kind gift.

Etched Glass Candle Votive $2
This is for everyone who has been asking for another etched glass project. Turn a plain glass votive into a snowflake sampler. Learn a quick technique to etch glass that you can use again and again

Felt Snowflake Purse $3, additional kits for $2
I saw a similar gift card holder and just had to make this one out of felt. The scallop edges are a snap to make with the Big Shot scallop square die.

Reindeer Box $5 additional ones for $3
This has to be one of the cutest reindeer boxes that I have seen. You can fill the box with goodies for gift giving. It can also be used to hold Christmas tags.

Travel Mug $5, additional ones for $4
each kit includes a travel mug
This travel mug is decorated with paper using the Joseph’s Coat technique. This technique can be used with many other projects. You’ll leave with scraps to make a coordinating card or gift tags.

Triangle Box $2 for 3 boxes
The triangle box is a quick and easy way to make a box that you can fill with treats or small gifts.

To register for any of these classes, contact Sharon Cheng at cheng1170@sbcglobal.net.

My Digital Studio

2009-10-18T23:12:00.005-05:00

This is my first card using My Digital Studio. I'm finally getting through some of the learning curve for this program. After making the card, I was inspired to make a new banner for my blog. You'll notice that I used some of the same colors and elements.

One of my favorite things about My Digital Studio is that you can use images from rub-on's, retired In Colors and designer series papers without worrying about running out of anything.

For those of you who have other digital crafting programs, you can download Stampin' Up! images as long as your program can use JPG's. The easiest way to see the downloads is to go online via my website. They just added some new items last week including two of my current favorites, the Medallion stamp and the Night and Day designer series paper.

Sharon Cheng
www.sharoncheng.stampinup.net
http://scandcompany.blogspot.com/

Holiday Hoopla

2009-10-06T07:58:00.005-05:00

Holiday Hoopla is a day when you can make multiple holiday gifts and cards. You pay $5 to come to the event and choose your project(s) for the additional fees listed. You’ll receive your supply list when you register. Deadline for registration is October 17.

Saturday, October 24
1 to 5 pm
St. Michael’s Church, 3800 Popplewell St, Richland Hills, TX 76118

Holiday Projects
Gratitude Wreath: $20
Joy Blocks: $25
Christmas Travel Mug: $7 (optional Décor Elements is extra)
Envelope Book: $6 (pictured below)
Christmas Cards: $2 each

Christmas Stamp-A-Stack
Saturday, October 17th
1 – 5 p.m.
South Ft. Worth
You will create 16 wonderful Christmas cards (4 each of 4 designs). All you need to bring is your adhesive.
Class Fee: $25 when you register by October 10th. $30 after October 10th.

This is a great time to order your Christmas cards and gifts and let us do the cutting for you!

To register for either event or to see more pictures of the projects, please contact me at cheng1170@sbcglobal.net.

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX

Butterfly Garden Explosion Box

2009-09-23T22:42:00.004-05:00

This class has been so popular that I'm offering it one more time. This Butterfly Garden explosion box comes with a fun surprise inside. Open the box and find a garden filled with butterflies and flowers. Learn a simple technique to make the butterflies float and flutter in the breeze.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Time: 10:15 am to 1:15 pm
Place: North Richland Hills, TX
Class Fee: $25

Please contact me at cheng1170@sbcglobal.net to register for the class.

Sharon Cheng
Richland Hills, TX