Going Green

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/

Merry Christmas

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

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

Dasher in the Woods Card

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

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

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

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.