Santa's Stocking

Hi Everyone
Pam, who owns Stamping Buddies, gave me an acrylic Christmas Stocking and asked me to decorate it and bring it back in time for the Christmas open house that will take place this Friday evening 6p.m.-9p.m. She is going to display the stockings from the different instructors who teach at her store.

Now, I've had this stocking for a while and it just wasn't speaking to me. Well, I was over at SB over the weekend and Pam asked me again about the stocking... was it done. No!! Not yet. So I come home and it finally came to me. Alcohol ink it!!

I used alcohol ink - cranberry and gold. I then decided to apply the Cloud Nine Velvet Glitter  from Sparkle N Sprinkle to the top of the stocking. Then I needed to add my name so I used the letters from the Sizzix alphabet that I have in my stash.

I added ribbons and well, here is the end result:

Well I am pleased with the finished project. This stocking is one page of a 5 page acrylic album called Christmas Stocking, by Clear Scraps (scroll down about half way to view this album). Ca-ute!!!

Are you busy decorating and shopping, are you taking pictures of all these events. This would make a cute album showcasing the Christmas season, this year.

Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping in.

It's New

Hi Everyone,
Grab a coffee or tea or a drink of your choice, this is going to be a long post.Hopefully you will think it's worth it. LOL

Remember that new product I mentioned on the last two posts??!!? Well here is the card from the last post.

What did you guess it was?? A die, a punch?? Well if you guessed a punch you are right. The cool thing about this punch is that it punches in a circle. I know, my card has no circle on it. Well I'll get to that a little later in this post.This new tool comes with a chargeable punch(cartridge) and what I call a base and a platform. The platform is what the punch actually sits on. Now as I looked at the design (diamond lace), it dawned on me, triangles, trees, Christmas trees, and wella.... the card above came to be. But let me show you more.

First here is the punch. You see there is a base sitting on a platform (and it slides up and down based on the size circle you want to make), a trun handle on the left side in this photo and a punch design (cartridge)

Here is a closer view of the punch design (cartridge) that I will be working with in this post.

The punch (cartridge) comes with a cover on the bottom and a plate that matches the design on the punch

The plate fits into what I call the base and it's the movable part on the platform. It will come completely off of the platform as well.

 Here is a view of the punch ready to be used

 Notice the numbers on the side of the platform, they correspond to the size of the doily you are making, between 6-12"

 There is another gauge you need to set at the front of the platform. This is used to actually turn the paper when making the doily.The paper turner knows how much space to turn based on the number you dial in, here. So its important to dial in the correct number.

See those 4 round button looking things, they are really strong magnets and hold the punch and the paper to the punch base.These remind me of the magnets on the punch around the page punches.

Well I have the tool set to make a 6" doily. I cut my CS into a 6.6" square. Next, I have to find the center of the paper I am using so I mark the center of the paper with a light mark. I use a pencil and I made it darker here so you could see the mark. Usually my mark us very light. 

 Hope you can see the mark I made

 This is the turning handle. It too comes off the platform and the handle itself is held in place by two strong little button like magnets. The paper/CS is positioned under it and you use this to turn the paper. It is calibrated to coincide with the size of the circle you chose on the front of the base.

 You can see the cross hairs inside the turn handle. You position the cross hairs right over the center mark you've made on your paper/CS.

OK now I have the platform set at 6" circle, the front of the platform is also set at 6" and I have positioned the turn handle over the pencil mark and I have placed the punch on the base. Phew, I'm ready. LOL

 Here is my 1st punch.

 Next I turn the handle one turn.

 After the turn is made you can see that a little bit of the corner of the open part of the punch plate is showing.

 You now put the punch back over the plate and punch again.

 OK, two punched areas are done.

 You continue to punch, remove the punch, turn the paper and place the punch back in place.

 Here is the doily with one punch left to make. See the little bit of the open part of the plate peeking out of each corner. 

 Here is the doily after the last punch is made.A perfect match up!!!

 Here it is after the surrounding CS is removed.

Here is a close up of the finished doily.

Well I know you are probably wondering what else you can do with this new tool. If you are a card maker like me, you are probably thinking these doilies/circles are going to be too big for a card. Well you might be right about that. However I have been trying a few things and here is what I have found that can be done.Also in doing this I came up with that tree design I made on the card at the beginning of the post, today.

OK lets take the punch base off the platform.(it comes off easily and goes back on really easy as well)

 Don't forget those magnets are there and will hold the punch to the base and will hold the paper between the two.

 When I make a border I like to use a reference to make sure my paper is straight, etc.

I line up my CS with the top of the punch base.

 Since this tool was not designed to make a border and move the paper like it does when making the doilies, you will need to slide the CS over, manually. In this example I wanted the bottom of my punched image to be overlapping a smidgen, so you can see that I lined up the edge so you can just see that open part of the punch plate in the corner of the triangle.

Here is the border I made after punching the Diamond Lace 4 times. 

Here is another way using the Diamond Lace punch(cartridge). I make my first punch, next, instead of just sliding the CS over, I flip the CS and line up the punched image with the top of the base. I leave a little space between the punch design on the base and the punched out portion of the CS. I continue to punch and flip, til I run out of room.

Here is this finished design.

OK One more thought I came up with, remember the punch base comes off the platform completely, so what do you get if you put it on backwards?? Well you no longer have the ability to choose the size of the circle using that gauge on the side of the platform. And, I just left the gauge in the front of the platform at 6" so it will  turn the CS in the increments that will work with this size paper I am using. I marked the center of the CS and I am using an 8.5" X 11" sheet of CS. I lined the handle up with my center mark and made my first punch. I continued punching around the whole page as I did before and when I got done, here is what the center looked like. Hmm....

But here is the area surrounding that center cut out. Now this is pretty cool looking. Great if you are doing a scrapbook page and want the center only cut out.

 (Sorry this pic is blurry)

I have a few other things(tricks) up my sleeve using this cool new tool but they will be coming up in future posts, so stay tuned for those. 

And if you didn't know by now, this is a new tool coming out after the 1st of the year, It's the Martha Stewart Circle Edge Starter kit.and its by EK Success. They really make great punches, in my estimation.

Additional cartridges(punches) will be coming out as well. Today I just showed you the Diamond Lace cartridge. I have two more cartridges, so I will be using those when I show what else I've come up with.

Here is a little info about this kit I have.

Martha Stewart Crafts Circle Edge Punch and Cartridges Kit . Quickly and easily punch perfect circles with decorative edges for round placemats, delicate doilies and curved coasters. Add ribbons, stamps or glitter for a truly tubular treat. 

What You Get (I got this in my kit)

Circle Edge Punch Starter Set    - Circle edge punch base    - Rotating knob    - Eyelet doily punch cartridge    - Punch cartridge sleeve    - Instruction insert Circle Edge Punch Cartridge - Flower Arches Circle Edge Punch Cartridge - Diamond Lace

Martha Stewart Crafts Circle Edge Punch and Cartridges Kit Features 

Punch continuous die-cut circle borders in 7 sizes out of paper up to 12" square Creates 5-1/2" to 11-1/2" circles Trims paper while punching so there's no need to cut the paper first Other design cartridges sold separately Punch base measures approx 11-1/2"L x 4"W x 2"H Cartridges measures approx 3-1/2"L x 3"W x 2-1/2"H I know I mentioned this was a long post. I do hope you found this fascinating and worth your time.  See you soon,

Thanksgiving is Over

Hi Everyone,

How was your Thanksgiving??? Great I hope. Mine was wonderful and lots of good food and it was great seeing some of the guests who I haven't seen since last year.

Oh, how did my pie turn out?? Well everyone said it was really good!! Speaking of desserts, while at the Thanksgiving dinner, I was asked to bring the same dessert I made last year, by 2 different people. Last year I made a chocolate cherry trifle. It was so easy to make and it must have been a great hit, since 2 people asked specifically for that dessert. OK the dessert for the Christmas get together is decided on. YES!!!

On my last post, I mentioned  I wanted to show you something new. Here is a sneak peek of a card I made with the new product.

More to come on this new product by Monday. 

Hmmmmm..... What is it???

 Tomorrow is the make and take over at Stamping Buddies, if you are in the Greater Cincinnati area, stop in and make a cool Christmas card or two ($1.00 each) Check out the post right before this one to see  two card samples of the make and takes offered at Stamping Buddies.

Got to go and get ready for tomorrow. See you soon

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!

This year has flown by so far. I can't believe that it will soon be Christmas. Whew!! Time is a flying!!!

My green beans are simmering on the stove and will be done in the morning. I always cook my green beans overnight and they are soooooo good.  I will be making a loaf of potato bread in the morning as soon as I get up.And last but not least,  I just pulled an apple pie out of the oven and the pie crust I made is quite unique and is from a recipe that found on Pinterest.  This crust caught my eye and it really made me want to try it. Click here for a look see at that crust. I decided to go with apples instead of sweet potatoes.I just felt like I was in the mood for an apple pie. I will let you know how this turned out.

This Saturday, Stamping Buddies is having their monthly make and take. The m&t cards will be $1.00 for each card you make and there will be 12 different designs available.All of the cards will be Christmas themed and here are 2 that I thought you might enjoy.

Aren't these cards pretty??!! Join us at Stamping Buddies for an afternoon of fun and there are always new products at the store to check out.

Speaking of new products, my next post will be showcasing something new coming out soon. I think you will like it and find it fascinating. I have a few things to finish first before I show you. So hang in there.

Today is Thanksgiving and I am so thankful to be able to create and bring to you my ideas. I am also thankful that you take the time to visit me here at my blog. Also, thank you all for following my blog I appreciate all your comments, so don't be shy, leave me some love. LOL.

Well I have to wrap it up for the day, stay safe and I hope you and your family have a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving

See you soon,

And the winners are

First, thanks for all your wonderful comments. I sure appreciate them! And I also want to welcome all the new followers of my blog.

Next, I thought you all would like to see the winners of the prizes of the Sparkle N Sprinkle blog hop.

Make sure you check out the theme of the January blog hop, it is mentioned below. 

PS....I already know what my project is going to be.

GRAND PRIZE #1

Stamp Set of your choice on cling cushion.

TRENA JOHNSON

______________________________ 

GRAND PRIZE #2

Stampette set of your choice on cling cushion

ROXIE

_____________________________________________

FIRST PLACE

TWO  Velvet Glitters of your choice

CANDY MEYERS

________________________________________________

SECOND PLACE

Choice of three small

embossing powders or regular glitters

 (mix and match)

TERESA GODINES

___________________________________________

THIRD PLACE

Choice of two Glitter Tinsels, Flocking or Sparkle N Soft (mix & match)

ROSE WILSON

__________________________________________

BONUS WINNER

Choice of Three Digital Images

CAT

____________________________________________

 Make sure you email brenda@sparklensprinkle.com if you are a winner. Please include your full name and mailing address and prize selections.

Once again, thanks for all your delightful comments!  

The next Sparkle N Sprinkle blog hop will be in January and the theme

will be a little different this time around.

FUN FOLDS!!!

Sparkle On! and enjoy the upcoming holidays.

Sympathy

Hi Everyone,
I want to share a card with you that I made for my monthly club meeting this month. The theme this month was to make a sympathy card so using this beautiful angel here is that card that I made.

This stamp is from Stampers Anonymous and is a stamp that I have used so many times, I have lost count. It is a perfect image for sympathy and Christmas and..... I am sure you can think of other occasions you would use this stamp for as well.

It seems that my style for sympathy cards, generally speaking, is a really simple card. Since I didn't photograph the inside (sorry), here is the sentiment I used:

When you awaken in the morning hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush,

Of quiet birds in circled flight, 

I am the soft stars that shine at night,

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there, I did not die.

The sentiment stamp is from the Stamp Barn and there is another sentiment that they offer that is also perfect for a sympathy card.

Those swirly corners I used are from Heartfelt Creations, and are in die set HCD-702 Decorative Butterfly Border Die. 

Well,Thanksgiving is closing in and then Christmas will be here shortly thereafter. Have a great day and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving.

Winter Wonderland Blog Hop

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to the Sparkle N Sprinkle Winter Wonderland Blog Hop.If you got here from Dawn's blog then you are in the right spot. If not, you might want to start at the Sparkle N Sprinkle blog so you don't miss anything.

I have 2 projects for you and the first one uses stamps from Set 414, Winter Swirl. This set is definitely one of my favorites!!

I used the pine forest and stamped it multiple times to give the scene dimension. Also using lighter and darker embossing powder colors helped with the dimension as well.After I fussy cut the forest images I attached the images to each other and then added the images to the embossed panel on the card front.This set really is perfect for a winter wonderland theme.

Directions for this card can be found here.

Next I thought I'd use stamps in set 385, Merry Crows. Slim the snowman, is another of my favorites. This set has a great array of  images.There are so many great images included in this set, check them all out below. 

Along with Slim, I thought I'd include that cute bird and I placed it onto the pine branch I have added to the card. I used a lattice border punch in brown cs and then added die cut elements that include pine branches, a pine cone, and some holly leaves. These elements add great interest to "Slim".And of course snowmen really remind me of a winter wonderland.

Directions for this card can be found here.

A reminder, that through the end of the month, the Sparkle Team presents the Asian, Medallion and Decorative Elements categories on special – 15% off. Among the specials, will also be all images by Artist, Andrea Roberts and several coordinating embossing powders and glitters.  To view all our specials just click here  http://sparklensprinkle.com/o/specials.php     

If you get lost -  start here - http://www.sparklensprinkle.com/blog

Designers in today's blog hop -

** Julie Zippel ** Shanna Shands ** Brigita Skopas ** Anne Temple **

** Karin Martin ** Debi Brile ** Shona Erlenborn ** Dawn Bennett **

** Barbara Bruder (that's me) ** Genevieve Chesky ** Karalee Ingram **

** Cheryl Bennett ** Keri Brown ** Marie Berquist **

** Charmagne Welch-Rivera ** April Williams ** Cammy Vietzke **

** Jackie Smith ** Brenda Smalle **

Hop info:

This hop runs November 15-November 18.Winners will be announced over on the Sparkle N Sprinkle blog on Nov. November 19. There are 6 prizes to be awarded and winners are selected from the comments left on the designer’s blogs.  Leave a comment on each designers blog and follow directions on the last blog. Leaving a comment inspires, motivates and brings happiness to each designer!

Now it's time to hop on over to Gen's blog to see her fabulous designs.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave a comment for a chance at a prize.