SUper Ornaments

One last Christmas-related post . . . can't believe how quickly it seems that Christmas came and went this year! 

Anyway, about a week before Christmas my SUper Friends team had a fun meeting and swap.  For this swap, I challenged the gals to make an ornament.  It was so fun to see what everyone came up with for the challenge . . . no one's ornament was even close to the same!  And, they were all amazing!  So, of course, I have to share them here (with apologies because my photography on these just didn't turn out as well as I would have liked!)

Here's a beautiful paper folded star ornament by Nina:

Here's the side view:

and how it looks closed:

Nina used the Delicate Doilies stamp set to decorate her ornament, as well as sponging (you can't tell from my photos, but she even used Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint when she sponged, so these shimmer beautifully).  If you'd like to make one of these, there's a video tutorial on Dawn Olchefske's blog here.

The next ornament is this gorgeous creation from Renate Krogdahl:

I love the designer paper and beautiful hat pins Renate used to make these!  If you'd like to create one like this, there is a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers here.

For my ornament, I had seen a gorgeous ornament in Andrea Walford's 12 Weeks of Christmas newsletter on week 7, and just had to create my own version, using all Stampin' Up! supplies.  Here's how that turned out:

Here's a close up so you can see a bit of the Music Notes standard wheel, which I stamped onto the tissue paper before decoupaging it onto the glass ball:

To create the paper to decoupage onto the ball, I first sponged Crumb Cake ink onto plain white tissue paper, then wheeled the Music Notes Standard Wheel in Early Espresso, then sponged on Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.  After all the paper was decoupaged onto the ball, I applied more glue, then sprinkled Champagne Glass Stampin' Glitter all over it. 

The tag was punched out of Crumb Cake card stock using the Large Tag Punch, then stamped with the Music Notes wheel and Crumb Cake ink.  Then, I stamped the snow flake image from the Season of Joy stamp set in Early Espresso.  I put Crystal Effects around the edges of the tag, then added Champagne Glass Stampin' Glitter on top.

The snowflake is die cut using the Northern Frost strip and the Big Shot.  I added a Pearl Jewel on top.  I used Linen Thread to attach the snowflake and tag to the Victoria 5/8" Crochet Trim ribbon used for the ornament hanger.

If you'd like to check out the original instructions and project that I used to create mine, please click here.

Agnes also created a wonderful project to swap with us . . . a gift box (which could be used for ornament storage, but which she filled with a gift for us . . . earrings she'd made!)   Here's the box she created:

Agnes started with one of the Kraft Gift Boxes available in the Holiday Mini (these are really neat, but only available until Jan. 3rd!)  She stamped it using the snowflake image from the Every Little Bit stamp set.  The band around the box is created from Tempting Turquoise Designer Series Paper, surrounded by a piece of Whisper White punched with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch.  The snowflakes on top were die cut using the Northern Frost die, and the "Merry Christmas" tag is stamped with an image from the Bells & Boughs stamp set.

Finally, here's another ornament I created for a friend:

This was created using several soda cans.  I cut out and attached two of the Snowflake #2 die (so you could only see the silvery inside of the can, not the colors from the outside).  I added a piece of textured Real Red card stock punched with the 2-3/8" Scallop Circle in the center of that, and an image from the soda can, punched out with the 1-3/4" Circle in the center of that.  The ornament hanger is a piece of Pool Party 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon.

Hope you enjoyed these and they will inspire you to create some great projects for next year!  (Apologies that they were too late for this year!)

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

- Michelle

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to share some Christmas greetings from our family to yours.   Here's the card I created in My Digital Studio to share with our family and friends this year:

Inside pages:

Back:

Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas day! 

Thanks for stopping by!

- Michelle

Rudolph and More!

Merry Christmas Eve!  Hope you are enjoying the holiday season!  We had a fun trip to see a "negative tide" in nearby Santa Cruz today -- we were able to explore tidepools and see sea creatures we wouldn't usually be able to see so well! 

I have a few projects I have been wanting to share with you, and thought while I had a couple minutes, I'd try to get them posted.  Here goes . . .

First, is an adorable Rudolph tag . . . I participated in a tag swap with some other demonstrators a couple months back, and this idea was my favorite from the swaps I received back.  Funny thing, when I turned it over and saw the artist's name on the back, I discovered it came from my good friend and swapping-buddy Marlene Caravello.  We used this idea for a make and take at a SUper Friends meeting, and my youngest son liked it so much, he decided we should make some of these for his kindergarten class, too.  So, without further ado, here are the photos!

 In the photo above, Marlene's tag is on the right, and my copy is on the left.  Marlene used soft suede for the head and ears, I changed it up a bit because I was low on Soft Suede, and instead used Crumb Cake card stock for the head and ears.  Then, instead of Crumb Cake antlers, I used Chocolate Chip. 

Rudolph's head is created using the Top Note die.  I used the heel from the Stocking Die to create the ears.  The antlers are leafs from the Leaves #2 Originals Die.  The eyes were created out of Whisper White and Basic Black Large Ovals.  The nose was created using the 1-3/4" Circle and Red Shimmer Paper.  Marlene pasted a strip of Silver Shimmer Paper onto her nose for a highlight.  I just used my White Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen to add that detail.

Here's a photo of Timothy's classroom treats all assembled and ready to hand out:




Thanks for the adorable idea, Marlene!!!

I also wanted to show you that I did manage to finish my advent calendar like the one in the Holiday Mini -- here's the photo of that:

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Thanks for stopping by!

- Michelle

Santa Punch Art Tutorial

When I posted the Santa treat box, I mentioned a tutorial for how to create the Santa punch art.  (Thanks again to Marlene Caravello for the inspiration for this!!!)  Here's the tutorial: 

Start with a piece of Whisper White, punched with the Ornament Punch, then emboss using the Elegant Lines Embossing Folder.

Attach the ornament to a piece of Silver Glimmer Paper, punched with the Extra-Large Oval Punch.  On top of that, attach a piece of Peach Parfait, punched out with the Large Oval Punch.

Add two eyes.  These two are Basic Black card stock, punched out using the medium circles from the Owl Builder Punch.

Add the mouth.  This mouth is a piece of Real Red punched out with one of the medium circles from the Owl Builder Punch.

Add Santa's mustache -- two Whisper White wings from the Bird Builder Punch.

Santa's nose is another of the medium circles from the Owl Builder Punch, and is from a piece of Peach Parfait card stock.

Santa's hat is next.  Start with a Real Red Extra-Large Oval attached to the back of Santa's head.

For the side of Santa's hat, attach a piece punched twice with the Large Oval Punch to create this shape:

Finally, embellish the end of Santa's hat however you like.  For the Santa treat boxes, we used the Jewelry tag punch and then added a jingle bell and a Cherry Cobbler/Whisper White Baker's Twine bow.  Here's an army of Santas I made for my boys' teachers -- I've attached their tags but they are still waiting for jingle bells and bows:

 
And, Daniel liked the Santa so much, he requested we use him to create treats for his classroom.  For those, I added a 1/2" circle of the Silver Glimmer Paper to the hats:



 Hope you enjoy the tutorial and use it to create some fun projects of your own!

Thanks for stopping by!

- Michelle

Medallion Christmas Tree

While I was making my medallion wreath a while back, I had the idea to use the medallions (or yo-yos, or lollies, or whatever else you'd like to call these! :)  ) to create a Christmas tree.  I'd seen them stacked into a pumpkin shape, so figured it should be pretty easy to create the tree -- and it was!  Here's my tree:

To create the medallions for the tree, I used 6 strips of paper.  They were each 12" long, and varied in width:  2.5", 2.25", 2", 1.75", 1.5", and 1.25" to be exact.  The designer series paper is Holly Berry Bouquet, from the Holiday Mini.  I also added in some strips of Wild Wasabi card stock. 

As I hot glued the layers together, I tried to angle the medallions downward to mimick the way the branches of a real tree bend.  (I've since seen other trees like this made by other artists, with the medallions layered flat, and must confess I like the way that looks a bit better . . . will have to do it that way next time I make one!)

For the base of the tree, I used an empty ribbon spool.  I wrapped a strip of designer series paper around it:

I finished the top of the tree with a bow of the 3/8" Very Vanilla Velvet Stitched Ribbon: 

Thanks for stopping by! 

- Michelle

Stocking Transforms into Rudolph!

When I saw Fran Sabad's adorable felt reindeer made with the Stocking Die, I knew I had to try making one of my own.  Here's how mine turned out:

I used brown wool felt for the body and ears.  The ears are cut with the heel part of the stocking.  Rudolph's collar was cut using the stocking cuff part of the die and black felt.  I also wrapped some Real Red 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon around the cuff.  The antlers are Early Espresso card stock, die cut using the Lattice Die and then trimmed into shape.  For the nose, I punched some Real Red Glimmer Paper using the 1-3/8" Circle, and then glued on using Tombo Mono (you have to be a little patient as it sets, but once it does, it holds well, even on the fabric!).  Similarly, for the eyes, I punched a circle of Basic Black and a circle of Whisper White, and attached those using Tombo Mono.

Isn't this a fun idea?!

Thanks for stopping by!

- Michelle

SUper Friends November Meeting Swap Cards

Hi, everyone!  It's been a full day here and actually a pretty full weekend, too . . . we've been shopping, baking, crafting, and working on our Christmas cards!  So much fun, I just wish I had a few more hours in the day to do everything I'd like to do and make all the projects I'd like to make!!!  How about you?

Well, I have some great inspiration for you today . . . these are the cards we swapped at my last Stampin' Up! group meeting:


Here's Agnes's beautiful card using the Perfect Pennants set and some great embossing (I really love the touch of embossing on the Word Window punch tag!):

Here's Charlene's amazing card, which features a really neat fold I hadn't seen before, closed:

 and open: 

Charlene used Spice Cake Designer Paper and Gently Falling Stamp Set on the outside, and inside she used the Falling Leaves Stamp Set.

Here's Leah's wonderful card -- we all loved how she stamped the different colored leaves so perfectly and the great detail of the sweet little blue bird:

Here's Renate's elegant card:

The pearls and Gold embossing are so beautiful together!


Here's Nina's amazing card -- she did an emboss resist technique for this, and I love how she sponged on the colors:

And, here's my card:

 I decided to create a tree using only pieces from the Sweets for the Sweet Stamp set.  Here's a close up of my star (it's two pinwheels, fussy cut, attached together with a rhinestone brad, and then with the ends of each pinwheel curled under);

Hope you enjoyed these as much as I did! 

Thanks for stopping by!

- Michelle

Santa, Tree, and Angel Petal Cone Die Treat Boxes

A couple weeks back, my friend and fellow member of Late Night Stampers, Robbie was in town and came over for a wonderful afternoon of stamping with my friend Charlene and me!  Charlene brought her new Petal Cone die over, and we enjoyed using it to create some Christmas treat boxes.  Robbie had seen an adorable Santa, elf, and angel on her friend Stampin T's blog, so we set out to create our own versions, first of the Santa, and then of the angel.  These coordinated wonderfully with a Petal-Cone die Christmas tree that I'd received from my friend Marlene.  Here are my the Santa and angel I made together with Marlene's tree:

Here's a close up of the Santa we made:

We had fun adding the stocking in Santa's hands.  For Santa's face, we actually copied this adorable stocking stuffer I'd also received from my friend Marlene Caravello:

 Here's a closer view of her Santa's face:

I've actually put together a step-by-step tutorial for how to put the Santa together, which I will post soon.  (Stay tuned!)

Here's the close up of the angel I made, which is a pretty close copy of Stamping T's :

We thought it was pretty clever how she used the Owl punch and Blossom Builders to create the hair!  And, loved the touch of vellum for the wings and on the angel's dress.  The only change we made was in the halo . . . we decided we wanted to use the Silver Glitter Paper, and used the Extra-Large and Large Oval Punches to create it.

And, here's a close up of Marlene's Christmas tree:

Don't you love how she used the Snow Burst Embossing Folder to add texture to it?  And, there's Dazzling Details garland around it, too -- very clever!

Fill these with candies, and they make such fun little gifts! 

- Michelle

Awesome 3D Card Idea from Marlene

I have another amazing creation by Marlene to share with you today!  This starts as a card, then transforms into a wonderful 3D Christmas decoration.  Marlene's inspiration for this came from a creation by Kirsteen Gill. 

Here's what Marlene's card looks like when you pull it out of the envelope:

Then, you open it, and discover a beautiful folded paper tree, plus the instructions to assemble it.  Here's the inside view of the card:

And, here is the tree, assembled, and resting on the now-open card:

Place a battery-operated tea light candle underneath, and you have a beautiful light up tree!  Isn't this brilliant!?! 

If you'd like to see Kirsteen's video on how to create a project like this, follow this link.

Thanks for stopping by!

- Michelle