Fall Decorations with Stampin' Up!

	Q&A Q:  I want to make some fall decorations. Do you have any suggestions?  A:  Pumpkins are fantastic for fall décor! Pumpkins can be used through both Halloween and Thanksgiving. I have 3 favorite ways to create pumpkin décor: Washi Tape, Punched Pumpkins, and 3-D Paper Pumpkins. All three ways are mess-free and fun for the whole family. Washi Tape Pumpkins Washi Tape is all the rage in décor and papercrafting. It's fast and something you can even do with kids. Try decorating real fresh pumpkins or decorative pumpkins with the Halloween-themed Witches' Brew Designer Washi Tape (#132156). Create fun and colorful vertical stripes by alternating strips of different Washi Tape patterns. Begin each strip at the stem on top then wrap down the side and end at the bottom. Or create a spiral pattern by wrapping strips of alternating patterns diagonally around the pumpkin. Kids of all ages have fun creating jack-o-lantern faces - make yours from Washi Tape and avoid the mess of carving pumpkins! Punched Pumpkins Punch art is a great way to create fun accents for cards, scrapbooks, and décor. Create paper napkin rings, name tags for the Thanksgiving Table, belly-band type wraps for candles, or tags on yummy fall treats with punch art pumpkins!  Our Small, Large, and Extra-Large Oval Punches are perfect for creating pumpkins.  Punch three ovals of the same size from Pumpkin Pie or Tangerine Tango cardstock. Sponge the edges of the ovals to add depth and dimension. If you want even more pop, try stamping the punched pieces with a graphic patterns like Positively Chevron or using the Big Shot with the Houndstooth or your favorite Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to add texture. To create the punch art pumpkins, adhere two ovals side by side so they overlap slightly. Add the third oval centered over the other ovals. Use a Stampin' Dimensional to create a 3-D effect. Add a little sliver of Chocolate Chip or Soft Suede cardstock behind the top of the pumpkin to create a stem. Group several punch art pumpkins created with different-sized oval punches for larger tags or in a row around a candle. 3-D Paper Pumpkins Create 3-D pumpkins from strips of Witches' Brew (#132185) or Sweater Weather (#132184) Designer Series Papers or cardstock. Cut 8 strips 1" wide and 4" long for small pumpkins or 12 strips 1" wide and 6" long for larger pumpkins. Stack the strips for each pumpkin neatly. Punch 1/8" hole near both ends of each strip. Knot one end of a 12" or 18" ribbon. Thread the unknotted end up through the holes the bottom of each strip. Bend the strips gently to create a "C" shape. Thread the ribbon up from the inside of the "C" shape through the other punched holes. Knot the ribbon above the paper strips at the top of the "C". Fan out the strips to create the pumpkin shape. Create a bunch of pumpkins and use them to create a garland, fill a basket with various colors and patterns, or set at the table with a tag on each with the names of your dinner guests. Easy as Pumpkin Pie! I think you'll have fun creating all three types of fun and easy pumpkin projects. Enjoy ... and as always, if you have questions, contact me!
© CraftyPerson Production. 2013 Images © Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up! Easter Treats and Decorations

 Q&A

Q: I’d like to make some treats and decorations for Easter, but I’m not sure what. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Spring and Easter are coming up quickly! This time of year we think about the weather warming up and start looking forward to spring flowers. Spring also brings to mind holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day, and small gifts for teachers at the end of the school year. Stamping and paper crafting have virtually unlimited possibilities, but some of the most popular are tags, treats, and baskets. Read on to get your creativity blooming this spring!

Tags & Décor
Tags are a quick and easy way to personalize gifts, holiday tables, and Easter baskets. Tags can be made for:
• Spring themes with small stamps like Spring Sampler (#125510 wood, #125512 clear).
• Floral themes with the Secret Garden stamp set (#129141 wood, #129144 clear) and coordinating Secret Garden Framelits Dies (#129372). You can save when you bundle the stamps and framelits together in the Secret Garden Bundle (#131100 wood, #131099 clear)!
• Easter themes with the A Little Bit of Spring stamp set (#126009 wood, #126011 clear) or use punches to create punch-art bunnies, chicks, eggs, and more!
• Family events with the Amazing Family stamp set (#129189 wood, #129192 clear).

Treats
A little special packaging makes even a simple and small gift feel special and heartfelt. Try creating a quick and pretty small box using the Fancy Favors Bigz XL die (#115965) and the Tea for Two Designer Series Paper (#129311). Fill it with homemade candy, small gifts, or seasonal candy like jelly beans or chocolate eggs. Or fill a Small Cello Bag (#102757) with homemade cookies and make a quick topper by folding the tag from the Pop-Up Posies Designer Kit (#131395) in half. Decorate the tag topper with one of the beautiful flowers from the kit and stamp “just for you” using the stamp included in the kit and you have a very special gift!

Baskets
Store-bought baskets can be decorated with stamped embellishments, torn fabric bows, ribbon, and tags. Or create your own basket using card stock. This small basket features the Mixed Bunch stamp set (#125535 wood, #125537 clear) and the coordinating Blossom punch (#125603). The Dragonfly is created using Vellum card stock (#101856) that has been stamped and heat embossed with Iridescent Ice Stampin’ Emboss Powder (#101930). The body is created from the Word Window (#119857) and 1/2” Circle (#119869) punches.

Let Your Creativity Bloom
I hope some of these ideas for tags, treats, and baskets have given you a few seeds to help your ideas grow and bloom into beautiful handmade gifts and décor this spring! As always, I love to brainstorm ideas with you and can demonstrate some spring-themed projects for you and your friends. Just get in touch with me!
© CraftyPerson Production. Images © Stampin' Up!

*This is a section from my monthly newsletter that goes out the beginning of each month.  Sign up for my newsletter by leaving your email at the top left side of my blog where this picture shows:

Hanging Hearts

Here's another post for my "love" decorations for my party Sunday.  I was inspired by this picture hanging outside my moms house:

I knew that I could adapt it using Stampin' Up! newest product the Hearts Collection Framelits Dies.  If you haven't seen these in action they are awesome.  There are some any different things you can do with them.  Here's what they are: The innovative, thin, wafer-like design of these dies lets you see where you’re placing the design before you cut! Layer dies inside each other to cut frames for stamp images. Cut single hearts for accents or layering. Use with single sheets of card stock or Designer Series Paper. Hearts Collection coordinates with Take it to Heart Stamp Set. Largest heart is approximately 5-1/4" wide. Collection includes 6 dies in a sturdy envelope for easy storage in our Big Shot Die Storage.

They truly are a must have especially if you are a scrapbooker.  You can place these die cuts anywhere on your page to die cut the size heart that you want.  In this sample, I layered the dies to make frames of different sized hearts.  This turned out to be very simple to make using the heart framelits dies!

Laying on ground

Hearts twirling when they hang!



Supplies needed to make this project:

Cardstock: Pink Pirouette
                   Red Glimmer Paper

Accessories: Big Shot
                     Hearts Collection Framelits Dies - Occasions mini
                     Full Heart Punch
                     Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine
                     5/8" Real Red Satin Ribbon
                     Crop-a-Dile
                     Paper Piercing Tool
                     Mat Pack
                     Tombow Multipurpose Adhesive

To get any or all of these supplies to make this project at home head now to my store www.brittnysmith.stampinup.net than click "Shop Now" under the products tab. 
Don't forget: For every $50 you spend (before shipping and taxes) you earn FREE Sale-a-bration items til the end of March.  Place your minimum $50 order by the end of February will also earn you my Valentine sweet treat class PDF emailed to you for FREE!  So, don't delay missing your chance for some great FREE items.

Love Banner

I have a party coming up Sunday that I wanted to have some decorations showcasing all that you can do with Stampin' Up! products.  Even though Valentine's day was yesterday, my party is going to be "love" themed so I'm still making Valentine projects.  Here's a banner that I made to hang spelling LOVE.

This is such a cute and easy project to make if you love to decorate for the holidays like I do.

Supplies needed to make this project:

Cardstock: Real Red
                   Pink Pirouette Designer Series Paper
                   Whisper White

Ink: Real Red

Stamp Sets: P.S. I Love You
                   Broadsheet Alphabet

Accessories: Heart Framelits - Occasion mini catalog
                     Big Shot
                     2-1/2" Circle Punch
                     1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch
                     Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz - this is sprayed on whisper white scallop circle
                     Color Catcher
                     Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details - added to different parts of each stamped letter
                     3/8" Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon
                    Crop-a-Dile
                    Snail Adhesive
                    Stampin' Dimensionals

If you like this project and want the supplies head to my store at www.brittnysmith.stampinup.net than click "Shop Now" under the products tab.  Sale-a-bration Special: For every $50 you spend (before shipping and taxes) you chose FREE Sale-a-bration items.  This runs until the end of March.  My Special: Place your minimum $50 order by the end of February and receive my Valentine sweet treat class PDF emailed to you for FREE!  What a great time to shop for Stampin' Up! products.  Shop now at my site: www.brittnysmith.stampinup.net