Where to start?  At the top I suppose…her hair is done in a sweet little bun (a 3/4" circle) with a head piece made from the Scallop Circle Punch (only 3 loops, each punched with a 1/8" Circle).  The veil is simply the Tab Punch punched out of vellum cardstock (this is important, Vellum paper doesn’t work well in punches).  The scallop neckline of her gown is a small flower (from one for the triple flower punches) re-punched with the 1/2" Circle Punch.

Now, I prefer a dry tape (monoadhesive or Therm-O-Web tape runner) when working on large areas but for these tiny, delicate areas of scallops and lace, I used the Quickie Glue pen!  Love this!!!  It’s so precise…it let’s me get into all the little nooks and crannies!   Frances over at Hearts In Touch has them and has promised to order more to keep up with my demand Go ahead and email Frances directly if you’d like one of these nifty little pens, too!  Thank you, Frances!

Now, The flowers were so much fun!  I just went through my pile of spare ‘punchies’ and started playing.  The 3-D effect was created by cutting the flower (between 2 petals) about halfway across.  Then overlapping the petals to create a cone shape…the more you overlap, the smaller the flower.  I used the tape runner for this but very carefully…you need an adhesive that’s clear and will dry QUICKLY!  In a weird twist, I spent a ton of time on her arms and sleeves and you can barely see them!!!  Her arms are the the Word Window Punch (of course!)  The top of her sleeve is the end quarter of the Small Oval Punch.  This is trimmed with half a flower from one of the triple flower punches.  Her arms actually bend at the elbow to hold her bouquet!

Her bodice?  Well, she needed shape…a little nip at the waist and a flair at the top and bottom…sound familiar?  It’s the Tab Punch, unfolded!  (It’s hard to see from the photo because her flowers are in the way…but the little nip in the middle really looks like her waist!)  Her skirt: The tiers of ruffles  are just halves of the Scallop Circle Punch, layered over and over again.  The bottom ruffle was punched from vellum cardstock, with each scallop re-punched using the 1/8" Circle Punch.  Finally there’s a pair of wee, little shoes.  I used the 5-Petal Flower and cut off two petals.  I re-punched these using the 1/2" Circle to give the illusion of a pair of pointy-toed, high heeled shoes.  These are decorated with tiny hearts, cut from one of the flowers from the 3-Flower Punch.  

Yes, this was time consuming but I equate it with running a mini-marathon…I wasn’t sure it could be done…but now I’ve done it!!!

Edited January 6, 2009: For those who missed the online class, I’m posting the instructions for my Jewel Case Album  HERE.  This PDF includes page-by-page instructions and photographs…but you’ll definitely want to join us for the next class…they’re a HIT!

I’m teaching an online class on Tuesday for Hearts In Touch Rubber Stamps and we’ll be creating a Jewel Case Album.  If you haven’t heard of HIT before, these are some truly beautiful and unique stamp designs (Did I mention Frances makes a custom "Family Album" set, too?  Be sure to check that out!).  All are available unmounted along with a ton of Paper Crafting supplies, online.  The HIT Yahoo! Group is home to some of the most talented stampers around, so if you’re looking for some inspiration feel free to join! 

*I originally wrote this Holiday Card Making Tip Sheet last year and published it here on my blog in October.  Due to overwhelming requests, I am re-printing it.  I hope everyone finds it as helpful this year, as they did last year…Happy Holidays!!!*

Holiday card making doesn’t have to be a huge production…with a little planning you can add your personal touch to the holidays and show all those around you just how much you care. Here is a basic time line to help make the process easier, whether you’re making 10 cards or 100 (keep in mind this could also apply to invitations for parties, weddings & showers!)

Things to Consider: • Crafter know thyself! This should be a stress reducing not a stress inducing activity! If making holiday cards is going to drive you to start popping bourbon balls, then just don’t do it! • Keep it simple! The more cards you make the easier they should be. Adding one extra step when you’re making 5 cards is no biggie…but when you’re making 50, it adds hours to the process! Try to keep each card to less then 7 steps. • Don’t fret that your cards are too simple…get the basic design done and leave a minor embellishment to add if time permits….try not to sweat the small stuff! • Work assembly-line style, do all the cutting, then all the punching, all the coloring, then all the gluing, etc. This not only speeds the process but breaks it into smaller, more manageable chunks. • Delegate! Even Santa has helpers…have the kids stamp envelopes and ask your husband to print out address labels…everyone can pitch in! • Don’t wait for huge chunks of free time to work on this project (it may never come along!) Simply gather all the supplies in one area or in one container (to avoid search & rescue missions) and be ready to go on a moments notice. You can accomplish quite a bit in the 15 minutes it takes for water to boil or while your on hold with the insurance company! Watching T.V. is another ideal time to sit and work on a portion of your cards….little by little you can get them done! • Finally, remember that every card doesn’t have to be identical. Just as each of your friends is unique, so should their card be….a unique reflection of your heartfelt feelings for them.

*Tip: Before pre-cutting or punching cardstock, make a sample!  Sometimes something that looked perfect in your head or worked in your imagination, doesn’t work out in the real world!  Better to know that ahead of time and of course, ALWAYS measure TWICE, cut once!  (Thank you Deb Bryson for bringing up this very important point…been there, done that, NOT fun   )

•  6-8 Weeks Prior to the Event: • Make a card list (or two! Some crafters make cards only for family members or close friends to cut down on the work load) • Decide on a basic design (including size, color, and sentiment….check back here for class dates and times.) • Compare your supplies on hand to your list of supplies needed • Make a list of supplies to purchase and contact your friendly Stampin’ Up!® Demonstrator. Don’t forget extra adhesive…now is not the time to run out!

• 4-5 Weeks Prior: • Purchase supplies including envelopes, address labels and postage • Arrange supplies in one area or container so everything can be accessed quickly and easily as time permits • Start creating your cards, working assembly-line style • Address and stamp envelopes (you can save time here by using the computer)
• 2-3 Weeks Prior: • Finish creating cards (now is the time to add those additional embellishments to certain cards to personalize them) • Double check these against your original list as you slip your cards into the envelopes • Mail your cards Now sit back and relax with a steaming cup of cocoa and just enjoy the holiday season…you deserve it!

To print a PDF version of these tips, click here: Cards by the Carton Tip Sheet

 NOTE: This was re-edited on November 20, 2008

…but a goodie!

This Punched Tag Box is deceptively small and looks complicated but is actually VERY easy to do and can be easily adapted to any size (by this, I am referring to the height of the box.)  And while at first glance, it may seem destined to hang from a pine bough during the holidays…it’s really such a snap (or would that be a "punch") to put together that I’m sure you’ll be using this pattern for EVERY holiday and gift giving event!  Now, grab those tag punches and download my step-by-step tutorial HERE and start boxing!

I attended a Shoebox Swap on Monday with some of my sister Stamp Vamps and one of the projects we did was a card featuring the Cloisonne Technique. This was a case of seeing is believing…because up till this point I hadn’t seen a project I liked well enough to duplicate using this sometimes time consuming technique. Then fate stepped in and my own talented downline, Gail (of Gail Stamps) shared this great card using the Cloisonne technique and an eye catching color combination that not only excited me…it made me WANT to take the time do this card! Thanks, Gail! She was kind enough to include an instruction sheet on her site: http://www.gailstamps.com/2008/01/02/cloisonne-technique-card/ for those of you wanting to try this technique for yourselves…check it out!

I want to apologize to everyone…I promised I would get this out and my Godfather, Uncle Jack passed away so, in addition to the usual holiday hustle and bustle, I was dealing with a case of, how did Amy Celona so aptly phrase it? Oh yes, the "Jingle Blahs"! But, I am trying to get back work and with that here is the tutorial…I just didn’t feel up to producing a podcast but it is a printable PDF and I hope that it explains my process clear enough.

Paper Architecture Tutorial

On another note, I have heard from some of you who were having trouble viewing my site and after a few hours on the phone with my webmaster, we decided to change the theme/background. Obviously, this will change again after the holidays and hopefully this narrower, simpler design should (ideally) make viewing easier. I do check my site on multiple computers using multiple browsers, but I can’t cover every scenario. So, if any of you can give me feedback (good or bad) I would really appreciate it! Thank you all for stopping by…

Update 7/25/07: This tutorial is now available as a video both here and on YouTube…Enjoy!

You asked for it (Can you believe I actually have a fan club?  I feel like Sally Fields…”You like me…You really, really like me!”) You got it!  I just finished a PDF version of my Scallop Punch Spirelli tutorial.  This one can be printed out and saved for future reference.

Scallop Punch Spirelli Tutorial 

Of course I’ve had more than a few questions about Spirelli…so here is the tutorial I promised…and I apologize if I’m not as clear with my instructions…but I’m still taking lots of medicine over here.  Remember, practice really does make perfect…take it slow at first…but once you get the hang of it, you can sit in front of the TV and do this.  This makes ideal Card Candy! Yummy!

*Update:  7/24/08 – This tutorial is now available here and on YouTube to make viewing easier for all…hope this helps!

It’s that time of year again…time to think about gifts for friends and neighbors, teachers and co-workers….why not make them this year? I created this Floating Image Ornament last year to fill this exact need! It was simple enough to break down and mass produce and easily dressed up or added to other items when the occasion called for it. This exact set may no longer be available, unfortunately but this same basic idea would work with so many other sets (Snow Burst from the Holiday Mini Catalog leaps to mind!) Adding a little glitter or fake snow to the inside of the ornament would add a little *bling* to this ornament. Or if you chose a set that needs a little more color, you could color the back of the acetate with a Sharpie Marker or add some real sparkle using the RICE technique (Check back on Monday for that tutorial.) No matter which way you decide to decorate your own Floating Image Ornament, I’ll bet you get asked the same thing… “How’d you do THAT???” Download complete instructions here: Floating Image Ornament Instructions

This is a twist on a techniques I saw demonstrated a while ago on TV by Carol Duval, I think? Basically, an open line image is stamped on vellum first with Staz-On and allowed to dry. Then the image is flipped over (to prevent smearing…remember, Staz-On and Alcohol do not play well together!) and markers are used to created squiggles and smears of color randomly on the image from the “wrong side” (you’ll want to leave blank space between the squiggles.) An Aqua-Painter filled with alcohol is used to dot, brush and blend the colors together. Keep in mind that you’re going for a very random tie-died look here and that it’s O.K. if the ink goes outside the lines, the image will eventually be cut out. Allow the vellum to dry, if the vellum curls simply lay it flat under a heavy book to flatten. Cut the image out and attach to your card front, embellish as desired.

In the sample here, I used Pink Passion, Green Galore and Lavender Lace and Blush Blossom markers. I used the same technique described to create the background.