Thanks a Gingerbread Latte - Coffee Cups Framelits

Are you also a fan of the special coffees you can get around this time of year? I was inspired by all the festive coffee cups you now get at coffee places and got my Coffee Cups Framelits and Coffee Cafe Stamp set out to say thanks to one of my customers.

Instead of pattterned paper I cut the shapes out of cards from the Santa's Workshop Memories and More cards. They're fabulous for doing a December Memory project but also for making Christmas Cards. There is even a set of red envelopes and cards made specifically for these Memories and More card packs. So you can easily make a whole stack of Christmas Cards. Now who wouldn't want that?

If you're still looking for some great craft presents, for yourself or someone else than do check out the Year End Closeout Sale and bag yourself a bargain:

Going all white with the Pretty Pines Thinlits Dies

"I'm dreaming of a white christmas...", who isn't hey? But changes of getting that are very small in western Europe! Luckily us crafters can create our own white christmas using the most basic of crafty supplies: white cardstock. I found the inspiration for this with another demonstrator: Charlet Mallett from the US, and I loved it so much I just had to try it.

I used the Pretty Pines Thinlits Dies, a die set with matching stamp set that is sooo versatile. You can use it to decorate and embellish so many of your projects:

To make this card you need to die cut a whole lot of the pine cones. There are 3 different versions, I cut  about 8 of each. Then you need to get yourself of sharp pair of scissors and some (mini) Stampin' Dimensionals. Use the scissors to cut the dimensionals into very tiny bits when still on the backing paper. Then attach them to the back of the pine cones in such a way that you cannot see them. You then start placing them on your card base in a random order making sure that some of them stick out over the sides, carefully trim those.

Add a sentiment and some coloured embellishments and you are done.

Thanks for visiting and let me know how you get on, I'd love to hear from you.

Sonja

The Bag-A-Lope - Swap Edition

When this post goes LIVE I will be in Birmingham for OnStage, our twice yearly demonstrator event. It's a fun filled day with lots of other demonstrators where we get to see new catalogues, new products and crafty inspiration. One of my favourite things about OnStage is "swapping", this usually happens at the beginning of the day and it's a great way to meet new people and collect lots of new ideas for your Stampin' Up! supplies. So the idea is simple: You make a batch of a "small" crafty project and you swap one of your items for that of another demonstrator.

You usually make a card front but if you feel ambitious (or just a little bit crazy:-) you make something a bit bigger. Like I did. I made something called a Bag-A-Lope, it's  a bag made from an envelope and I think it's just the coolest thing.

I used the Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set to stamp on the envelope but you could use any set you like and it doesn't always have to be Christmas themed either.

I have made a pdf with the instructions (incl. pictures and scoring diagram) on how to make these. Feel free to send me an e-mail (sgortzak@yahoo.co.uk and I will be happy to send it to you (no spam;-) but here are the steps if you just want to get going:

Step 1: Seal up the envelope and stamp the Gingerbread Man all over the front and back in Crumb Cake ink.

Step 2: Using your paper trimmer with the scoring blade score the envelope on three sides at 2,2 cm (7/8”) from the edges. Fold them in both directions, using a bone folder to make sharp creases.

Step 3: Trim off the top (at ~ 4 mm or ¼”) so that the envelope is open at the top. Putting one hand inside to fold open the envelope. Make sure you push in the sides so you can fold the top together and the bottom is a rectangle with a flat bottom. There should be 2 triangles sticking out at the bottom that need to be folded underneath and adhered with some Tear ‘n Tape.

Step 4: Put your filling into the bag and put to the side.

Step 5: Using the Scalloped Tag topper Punch give both short edges of the 9 x 7 cm piece of of DSP a decorative edge. As the paper is wider than the punch you will need to mark the center on the short edge of the the DSP and turn the punch upside down to center the paper. After the punching you need to add another scallop on each edge with a pair of scissors.

Step 6: Cut ~ 12 cm (5“) of the Striped Burlap Ribbon and fold in half, then fold the scalloped piece of DSP in half as well. Put the DSP over the top of the bag and staple shut with the Burlap in between.

Step 7: Stamp the Merry Christmas label in Cherry Cobbler onto some Very Vanilla cardstock. Punch out with the Everyday Label punch.

Step 8: Die cut 2 pine sprigs. Adhere to the back of the label using some Tombow wet glue. Adhere some dimensionals to the back of the label and place it all on top of the Striped Burlap Trim.

So tell me, what will you fill your Bag-A-Lope's with?

Toil and Trouble Halloween Cards

I've been having a fangtastic time crafting with the lovely Toil and Trouble Designer Series Paper. It has these wonderful water colour images and I just had to use them:

So I spent a bit of time fuzzy cutting them and then started assembling.

I used the "Have a Haunting Halloween" label stamp from the "Labels to Love" stamp set. You can punch it out with the "Everyday Label Punch".

These cards are on their way to some Halloween-fans already and I hope they like them as much as I enjoyed making them. Tell me, do you do any Halloween Crafting? What do you make?

Autumn Winter 2018 Catalogue is here!

I've been dying to share the new Autumn Winter catalogue with you all and now I finally can. Click on the image below to go to the pdf and tell me what you think!

Some rather big news to share with you all and an Instagram Challenge...

Welcome Gift from my Upline

You may have noticed that some things on the sidebar have changed. You may see some Stampin' Up! images and links again. That really can only mean one thing: I have signed on as an independent demonstrator with Stampin' Up! again! I am so excited to be part of this wonderful company and all the amazing people that are part of it again. I had really missed it: the creativity, inspiration, the standard discount but most of all being part of something bigger, something loving, kind and so generous. And so at the end of July I signed up again.

I have since received my Starter Kit full of lovely crafty goodies, catalogues and other business materials and am ready to get going. I have decided to start with an Instagram Challenge: I have started a new account called 100cardstillchristmas where I will be posting tips on how to get organized for making large quantities of christmas cards well in time for Christmas. And of course I will post 100 Christmas Cards that I made before Dec. 25th this year. I'd love it if you joined me on Instagram and tagged any Christmas Cards you made with #100cardstillchristmas or #100cardstillchristmas2018. I am sending a little paper surprise to the first 5 people who tag me this month.

Happy Easter

I did some crafting! At least half my craft supplies are still in boxes after our recent move but yesterday I finally found my inks and got straight into making some Easter cards before it's too late.

I used the Stampin' Up! Hello Easter stamp set to make that pretty folk art egg. Using my Tonic Studios Stamping Platform I got to restamp the photopolymer stamp a few times to get a nice deep colour. And then to repeat that 6 times so I had enough eggs to make 6 cards. 

Then I used card bases and assorted bits and pieces from the Stampin' Up! Perennial Birthdays Kit which comes in the cutest box with tabs that you can use to organise your birthday cards in by month:

That just makes my organizer heart so happy:-)

So tell me, do you make Easter Cards? Any other Easter crafts maybe?

Hope you have a lovely weekend.