RubberStampingDiva.com

For those of you wanting to know what I have in mind for the new year…here’s a sneak peek!

Now, this recipe book features a retired SU! set but the good news is that in the *NEW* Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog we are getting a brand new recipe set! I am so excited!!! I thought this would make a great gift for anyone who loves cooking or baking…it looks too cute to be stuck up in a cabinet, so you can coordinate this to match your kitchen and display it on an easel like I’ve done here. Your class fee will include all your supplies and the new “From the Kitchen Of ” stamp set! Go to: Upcoming Classes & Events for complete details and to register today!

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!

Will this String Art insanity ever end???? Probably…but please, bear with me…

It came to me as I was going over Stampin’ Up!’s Retiring Accessories List (see link at right) that my beloved Spring Bouquet punch would be an ideal addition to my current spirelli obsession…errrr, umm….preoccupation! So, if you have one…get it out and if you don’t have one, ORDER ONE NOW. These are only available while supplies last and once they are gone…they’re GONE! As you can see in these examples, when you layer the smaller flowers over the larger scallop, you get a very classic spirelli design. To keep the design from becoming too busy, I kept the punches the same color but varying hues would work too! Less is more with this embellishment….the other thing you want to remember, you need to work slowly and carefully when you work with the punched flowers so that you don’t bend the petals.

Now, to answer a few questions that I have been getting:

1) Yes, I do sleep but DH (darling husband) snores and has been known to awaken me at all hours (I do get some of best stamping done , though!)

2) Yes, I will start doing “something else” but kind of like a pre-schooler that’s learned a new ‘knock-knock’ joke …I’m just going to keep at this till I get bored (probably long after you have, just so you know ….LOL!)

3) Yes for a modest fee, I am available as entertainment at weddings, bar mitzvahs, club meetings and the odd funeral but I assure you …my quirky sense of humor is lost on most people )

I think that just about covers everything….guess I’ll try to get some sleep now…..

If you’re not sick of my obsession with string art yet…you may be soon!  Dannie Graves posted a wicked cool idea for re-punching the scallop punch to get this new shape…I took one look and I was off!

You basically take your original scallop and adhere it to a scrap piece of copy paper using removable adhesive (copy paper is not too thick and allows you to situate the scallop perfectly while still letting the punch cut through both layers)…then place the scallop BACK into the punch…this time carefully realigning it to re-punch in the center of each scallop!  This gives you a more pointed flower and twice as many “valleys”…in other words, a whole *NEW* shape that’s IDEAL for doing spirelli!

This does require a little more patience and a more gentle hand so that you don’t bend the scallop but the effect is well worth it!  Thanks for the inspiration, Dannie!

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 

Here I go again…pushing the envelope (kind of appropriate don’t you think?) But if I could make a cube with one kind of tag, what other kind of tags could I create that would make an interesting cube? So, I dug around in my “retired supplies” drawer and came up with this old favorite, the Wrought Iron Punch. I had to fold the ends back and glue them down to get those decorative ends but the effect was worth it, in my opinion. This time instead of stamping, I trimmed and layered my kids school photos.  *Bonus Idea*  This got me to thinking that this would be an ideal project for using up leftover wallet sized photos and it gives me another place to display the photos that I’ll find tucked into this year’s Christmas Cards (my fridge has run out of room!) Darling husband’s input on this project? “It looks like a Borg ship” (For those of you who don’t watch Star Trek, they were a race of aliens on the show.) Thanks, Chris!

I’ve been working on the geodesic ornaments for a week or so and that’s been fun, but…..

I thought I would take this “paper architecture” that seems to be enjoying a reniassance right now just a little further…

So, I tried to create an ornament that didn’t need to be traced out…one that you could simply cut or punch the pieces out without too much measuring. This ornament is a cube created from double ended tags…the tag ends were punched (in case you hadn’t already guessed) from the side of SU!’s Tab Punch. I criscrossed and scored these tags to form flaps. The flaps are then matched up and glued together. I added a little holiday sparkle with some Silver Encore ink and some Swarovski crystals. My husband thinks I have too much time on my hands…..

This untraditional Christmas card has several things going for it:

• great color combo (Elegant Eggplant & Brushed Silver)
• simple layout with very little cutting (makes this an excellent candidate for Mass Production!)
• the Snow Burst set with it’s modern twist on snowflakes gives it a really modern look.
• a crisp, clean design

• and a touch of bling with that medallion and its little bit of spirelli.

The medallion could be changed out to a rhinestone brad, a bow or any other element you prefer…but I really loved how the silver thread played off of the silver ink and the center brad. Using the scallop punch, I’m able to sit and watch TV and crank out these little spirelli circles by the bag full in no time! And I also loved that by just changing out the text, I can send this card to anyone on my list! Now my only problem is…which design do I make????

It seems like every year my Christmas list grows by leaps and bounds….not just the obligatory gifts (neighbors, mailman, garbageman and my personal fave: Mr. UPS!)…but each year between church, school and activities we add “new friends” …people we’ve grown close to that we want to say Happy Holidays to….to tell them how much they’ve meant to us this past year! This is especially true in my business….you can’t imagine how many women I have met through stamping and scrapbooking who have become almost like sisters to me! Now, obviously I can’t buy gifts for ALL these people…well, I could but MasterCard and Visa would catch up with me eventually! So, how do I show these people I care without breaking the bank? With a hand stamped gift of course! Here’s a super quick and easy gift that’s sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face this Holiday season….simply wrap a jumbo chocolate bar in Designer Series Paper and decorate as desired. (Why yes…that’s more Spirelli! Do you think I’m addicted?)

Attach a tag with the following poem and you’re sure to get a grin from even the grumpiest Grinch! (Imagine this being sung to “Jingle Bells”)

Dashing from the malls
With groceries yet to buy,
Workshops, kids & housekeeping,
Life’s so crazy! Why?

Bells on our telephone ring,
The machine will take the call,
We have no time for family or friends,
It drives us up the wall.

How are you? How’s your life?
We really want to know.
Hope you’re ready for Christmas,
Now maybe it will snow.

A day or two ago,
We thought we’d make a treat,
For all our special friends–
A Christmas Gift to eat!

Our intentions were top notch,
But our schedules would not budge,
So, here’s this year’s version of homemade
CHRISTMAS FUDGE!

Give this alone or add a gift card for a movie rental or a DVD from the bargain bin and you’ll look like such a clever little elf (and you didn’t have to break the bank!)

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!