Free-standing Pop-Up card

NEWSFLASH:
We've just heard that Stampin' Up! have almost run out of the Palette o' Prints papers, and they won't be getting any more!
Place an order for $35 or more and you can purchase the limited edition Palette o' Prints pad for just $12.95. That's 48 sheets of 6x6" papers, 4 different colours, 12 different designs for just $12.95.
You can read all about it HERE, and see some cards made with this gorgeous paper here. You can see a card made with similar papers here.
Email me now if you'd like to get your hands on these gorgeous papers!

Every month I run "project" classes. This type of class is where the focus is on creating something fun, rather than on learning a new stamping technique. Often it's a 3D item like a box or mini album, and this month it was 3D cards, aka Pop-Up cards. It has been my most popular class ever...it seems like everyone loves pop-ups, and I've run it 6 times this month (phew...I'm pretty popped out!)

This is the free-standing pop-up. I found my directions here, but I adjusted to suit our cardstock. Take an A4 sheet, and cut it down to 10.5 x 28cm. This will be your card base (you can get 2 card bases from 1 sheet of A4 cardstock). Then, score at 2.5, 7, 9.5, 14, 18.5, 21, and 25.5cm. You should be able to follow Dawn's tutorial for the rest. It's much easier than it looks, but feel free to email me if you get stuck!
The colours I've used are River Rock, Blue Bayou, Purely Pomegranate and Very Vanilla. The stamp set is Garden Whimsy.
I'll show you the other pop-up card we made next time!

Mother's Day Card Box Template

This is an idea that I tend to go back to again and again...especially around Mother's Day. This is a set of gift cards and matching wallet that I showed you at around this time last year, but this time, I thought I'd give you the actual directions for making the wallet! When I was looking for a suitable box to hold a set of cards for a gift, I could only find measurements for US cardstock, so I came up with my own. The great thing about this wallet is that it only needs 1 A4 sheet of paper, and it holds up to 6 standard cards and envelopes. I'm going to make a new set for the special Mums in my life, so stay tuned for that in the next day or so.
In the meantime, here are the instructions, so you can make your own!

You will need:
• one sheet A4 cardstock, stamped as desired (or decorate later)
• paper cutter with scoring blade in place (or bone scorer)
• sticky strip adhesive
• small piece of velcro or ribbon
• scissors

(All dimensions are in cm)
1. With your A4 cardstock in landscape orientation, score at 7, 8, 20 and 21 cm.
2. Now, with your cardstock in portrait orientation, score at 1.2, 2.2, 18.8 and 19.8 cm.
3. Fold along all score lines.
4. Cut out flaps as in picture.
5. Apply Sticky Strip to the edges of the smaller flap (this will form the bottom of your box), and a small piece to adhere the side tabs (see picture)
6. Adhere the two small tabs to the side flaps, then adhere the lower flap.
7. The larger flap is the top flap of this box. Use a small piece of velcro or secure some ribbon to use as a closure.

This is what your box should look like before you stick it all together. The Red lines are Sticky Strip (extra strong double-sided tape). The pencil lines are the score lines, where your folds should be. The dark black line that says "cut" is where the side tab is.

You can find the colours I've used in THIS post. Please email me with any questions!

All of the ingredients for making this project can be purchased from me :o)

What do you want for Christmas??

Wouldn't it be lovely to find one of these under the tree on Christmas morning? I've used Holiday Thyme papers to decorate a Gift Certificate wallet. There's also a sneak peak of some fabulous ribbon that you might be seeing more of very soon! Here's an inside view (you'll have to imagine it's filled out to the amount of say....ooooh $1000 should do it! ;0)

This is Christmas shopping made easy, and makes a perfect gift for anyone crafty (that's you!). The best thing about it is that you'll have some $$ to spend during Sale-a-Bration in January and February, when you can earn stamp sets for free for every $100 you spend!
Just get your loved ones to send me an email with Gift Certificate in the subject line, and I'll take care of the rest! Or do your own Christmas shopping right now, and get one for someone you love.

And here's how to make your own!

1. Cut your A4 sheet to 21 x 25.5 cm
2. In Landscape orientation, score at 8.5 and 18.5 cm
3. Fold along score lines and burnish the creases with a Bone Folder
4. Add Sticky Strip to the sides of the bottom flap
5. Adhere bottom flap and slip gift certificate inside
6. Decorate outside with stamps/patterned paper of your choice
7. Tie closed with ribbon or belly band

The Simplest Card Wallet ever!

As promised, here's the matching card wallet for these cards. This is the simplest card wallet you'll ever make. Here's how to do it:

1. With your A4 piece of cardstock ‘landscape’ orientation, score at 14cm and 15.7cm. Now in ‘portrait’ orientation, score 1.7 cm from each end.
2. Snip the 4 shortest score lines.
3. Stamp the front as desired.
4. Fold in the side flaps and secure with Sticky Strip. Punch handles with the Word Window Punch, and add a gift tag and ribbon

I've used the delightful Both Way Blossoms Hostess Set, and inked the images up with my markers, so I could do the stems in lovely soft shades of green, and the flowers in pretty spring colours. The tag is simply an oval punched out with the large Oval Punch, and attached with a piece of pink gingham ribbon.

All of the products used to make this gift wallet are available to purchase from me (except the Both Way Blossoms set...you can't buy it, but I can help you earn it for free when I come to your house and share some new stamping techniques with you and your friends!)

The Kit Kat Machine!

These are some of the goodies that guests received at my New Catalogue Launch Night. They got an A4 wallet, handstamped using the "Scatter Sunshine" Jumbo wheel. This held their new catalogue, bonus coupons, flyers, etc and what Jacob likes to call my "Kit Kat machine".

I've taken a close-up pic of it closed and open. I've basically stamped a sheet of Cool Caribbean cardstock with the Scatter Sunshine wheel, and cut a piece big enough to wrap around the Kit Kat (I scored it first to make it easier). Then I've stapled a punched out semi-circle to one end and written the word "pull" and an arrow in Tempting Turquoise marker. They were really easy, and a big hit!

Here's how to make your own (1 A4 sheet makes 6):

1. Decorate your A4 sheet as desired (wheeling is super-quick!)
2. Trim your cardstock into 6 pieces each measuring 10.5 x 9.1cm (cut in half length-ways and then at 9.1cm intervals. You will have a small piece left over)
3. Now you need to score each of your 6 pieces. Hold it so that the 9.1cm side is towards you, and score at 2.8, 3.8, 7.3 and 8.3cm

4. Fold along all your score lines
5. Apply Sticky strip to the smallest scored edge
6. Wrap around Kit Kat and stick down edge.
7. Punch a 1 ¼” circle from co-ordinating cardstock, and trim one end to a straight edge. Staple to Kit Kat and write the word “Pull”.