As You See It Challenge

Remember way back when....you know when you would play the telephone game in school or youth group?  It would start out as Sally got a new dog & end up as George went to a concert.  

So my understanding is that this week's challenge is called a telephone design.  I'm not so sure why that is but it is.  I'm thinking because we give you the items to use and you do the design.  

So here it is!  

The challenge is to use all the items listed above in your card.  

I 'may' of cheated a bit and made my card a 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 sized card.  The beauty on this size card is you can still mail it in a normal card envelope.  

I used my Sizzix Big Shot to cut out the flowers and stamped the background using my favorite set Gorgeous Grunge.  Love that stamp set!  Next I stamped Thanks and assembled the card.  Quick, easy, and cute, my type of card.  

Please play along in the As You See It Challenge this week but linking up at www.asyouseeitchallenge.com

As always you may order Stampin' Up! products from me at www.taraangus.stampinup.com

As You See It Design Challenge

Are you lovin' these challenges or what?!?!?!  

I know I am lovin' being part of the design team and having a new reason to create something each week.  So follow along for this weeks new challenge.  

This is such a great sketch, don't you think?  

I love the simplicity of it and how it can be used for so many different types of cards.  

When I saw this layout I knew immediately that I would want to use the new Circle Card Thinlit card die from Stampin' Up!  Basically using one sheet of paper it makes the flip card after running it thru your Big Shot.  

I also used some of our great designers series paper for the card base and added some of our great chevron ribbon. Of course I stamped the flower to add a bit of pizzaz.  Love that stuff!  

Here is the inside of the card (flipped open).  Cute, quick, and simple.  

Please join us and play along at As You See It Challenge for the chance to be our weekly winner & link up your project inspired by this sketch.   

Lastly, if you are interested in ordering any of the products above please hop on over to my website:  www.taraangus.stampinup.net

Card Keeper: Sale- A- Bration Style

Way back in December I made one of my downline this great box for her to keep her cards in. At the time the box was in the Holiday Mini Catalog, but I did use the great designer paper from the Sale-A-Bration catalog!

Using the Big Shot I cut out the flowers on the top of the box plus added some ribbon to make it fancy. I also stamped on some of the cardstock flowers using the Sale-A-Bration Fresh Vintage stamp set.

I also covered some of the dividers with the DSP to spice up the inside.

The Sale-A-Bration products are still around till March 31st and the best part is they are free! For every $50 in product that you order you may pick out one of the items out of the Sale-A-Bration catalog for free.

If you are interested in ordering or seeing any of our catalogs please visit www.taraangus.stampinup.net

Springtime Vintage Brooch

Check out this great brooch that was yet another one of our make and takes at Leadership this year. There are layers and layers of our new Springtime Vintage fabric plus some of the new paper, vintage lace, and a beveled windowpane in the center. I have to say I wasn't sure what I thought about the Beveled Windowpanes until I used them. They are really nice and add just that small amount of detail to your project.

The fabric was cut out using the Sizzix Big Shot, of course, and some of our great dies.

Want to make your own??? I'm throwing around the idea of holding a brooch class sometime this spring. Let me know if you are interested!

Christmas Luminary: Medallion Style

I had a request for one of my workshops in November to make a Christmas Luminary. The hostess had attended a workshop where I did a Halloween Luminary was so excited to have one of her own. So here it is!

I do want to take a quick moment and welcome Bethany (the hostess who received this Christmas Luminary) to the Dream Big. Stamp Often. Team! I am exited to have her as the newest member of my Stampin' team! Welcome Bethany!

Here are the details.

Using Ridinghood Red I ran 2 pieces cut to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 thru the Big Shot using the Top Note Die. I folded these pieces in half before I ran them thru (I ran them thru one piece at a time) I then took 4 pieces of vellum cardstock using Versamark I inked up the Medallion background stamp and stamped. Next, I took my Stampin' Pastels and a sponge dauber to color the stamped image. I did this on the backside of the vellum. Finally, I attached the vellum to the cardstock and attached the two pieces together.

For a bit more snaz, I added some 1 1/2 inch striped ribbon, rhinestone, and shimmer spray.

Here is the final shot all lit up. Love it! I also love the idea that you can change the colors to match your decor.

Heavy Metal: Metal Flowers and Frame

I attended a Holiday Expo last week and came across this great magnetic frame using Stampin' Up! paper and Flower Folds Die so.....

I HAD to buy it for my office! I have forgotten the lady's name that made it but I will add that later (I forgot to bring her business card home today). Oops.

She simply took metal (another SU! demo tells me metal flashing) ran it through the big shot using the flower folds die and other dies. Spray painted the metal, or maybe she sprayed the whole sheets first. Then after it was cut out she used embossing folders and ran it back through the big shot. Next she sanded the "hills" in the metal to distress it. Attached with glue, add magnet, & viola. Side note: She makes the ceramic center piece herself.

Here is the side view of the organizer.

Matchbox Advent Class $25

On Saturday December 4th at 10am I will be holding a Christmas Advent Matchbox Class.

These are super cute advent calendars with a twist. The cost is $25 and includes a full pack of Christmas 12x12 paper.

You will be able to chose between these papers:

Please Choose Paper #1, #2, or #3 when signing up for this class. Please sign up by November 25th to ensure that I have your paper selection on hand. Thanks for understanding. When you sign up a paypal invoice will be sent to you for payment, or if you are in the area you can always drop payment off to me.

LOVE this idea but you don't live in the Grand Rapids, MI area or can't make it to the class? Sign up for a class to go kit! This will include everything you need to make this project plus instructions and will be shipped to you. Cost for the Advent CLASS TO GO is $35 (In order to cover the shipping costs for priority mail and an extra $5 for me to do all your cutting, punching, stamping).

Halloween Milk Carton Carrier

Check out this cute Milk Carton Carrier for Halloween. This was a swap from the Stampin' Up! convention in Salt Lake City this summer. One of my great swappers (sorry, I have misplaced my swap list and your name, but I'll edit when I find it) made this swap for my Dreamy 3D swap that I organize every year.

The Milk Cartons are made my using the Big Shot and the Milk Carton Die. So easy, peasy, just add paper, cut, fold, stick, and your done. The milk carton carrier is made by using the tutorial from Becky Roberts, Inking Idaho, LOVE her blog and her tutorials.
Here is the side view of the carrier. You could add 2 more milk cartons in the carrier or some yummy treats wrapped up in a cello bag. LOVE that bat punch too!

Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

Halloween Is Almost Here!

I thought today I would post a few of the great Stampin' Up! convention swaps that I received this year. Plus, they are Halloween themed! I am having so much fun stamping and decorating for Halloween this year. Here we go!Check out this great Halloween technique card that Karen Albin made. She used the embossed wax paper technique for the background. The quick story is: Use an embossing folder in your Big Shot with wax paper in the folder, this will "dry emboss" the wax paper. Sandwich your wax paper in between 2 pieces of glossy white cardstock. heat up your iron and iron the glossy cardstock. Peel waxpaper off glossy, and let cool. Brayer the glossy cardstock to bring resist to light. Pretty cool hun.

She used the Haunted House Stamp Set.
Here is a reverse making card that Theresa Argonza-Gomez made. Short story on this card is that she made a mask/stencil out of the scraps after using the Big Shot to cut out a tag from the Two Tags Die. Sponge the background and then stamp overtop.

Stamp Sets Used: From the Crypt & Teeny Tiny Wishes (my fav!)
The last card is a surprise card by Lisa Horton. Although it is beautiful from the outside, the inside is even better!

Check out that inside vignette!

The gravestone is mounted on "springs" so that it becomes a pop up card when you open it. Great idea!

Stamp Sets Used: From the Crypt, House of Haunts, Wicked Cool, Graveyard Gala

Airplane Tray Cover Activity Centers

So, my sister and her family are moving to AFRICA on Friday!!! I have such mixed feelings about this. Really, I do. I am SO excited that they will be able to do what they are called to do (help set up business, make them (businesses) stronger, orphan care, after school programming), but I am going to miss them SO much. You can learn more about them here. I thought I had better whip up something that my nieces can use on the plane so, here it is!

I saw this idea quite a while ago when I was traveling with my daughter to Utah. I searched for something that would protect the airplane tray, yet allow her to play and eat off it. Commercially you can buy these tray covers but I just did not care for the look/colors of them. So I decided to figure out how to make one myself! :)

This is the front of the tray cover. I used laminated fabric (Amy Butler, LOVE her fabric) as the base covered with multipurpose weight vinyl. I edged the vinyl so that you could easily slip a coloring sheet, game, maze, etc under and use dry erase markers to color it.
In order to make it "stretchy" I used mesh, just like football uniforms, for the back side. I doubled up the fabric to make a pocket to hold small parts, like polly pockets when the try needs to be up.
I then quick whipped up a bag to hold all the parts out of some fabric I had in my stash.
Using printed out games from the internet I was able to find the Dot Game that my sister and I played when we were younger. Oh, I should add that my nieces are 4 1/2 & 3 but I think they can handle it with help of their parents.
I also printed off some coloring sheets (they are so into fairies right now) that they can color in. The great thing is that they will be coloring on top of the vinyl so the coloring sheets will last forever. I found great 2 sided dry erase markers at Target, they come in an eight pack so I just split them between the two girls. I also used my Stampin' Up! big shot to cut out a piece of wool felt for an eraser (that is what the scallop square is in the picture).
I printed off some educational games for them too! I'm all about learning & what better time than when you have a spare 24 hours on a plane! :)
In this picture you can see the checker board that I printed and the flower checkers that I made using a Stampin' Up! Sizzix die and the big shot.

You can also see the pocket that I attached, this will hold the markers and the eraser when the tray cover is in use. I just used some left over fabric to make the pocket.

Ya, think you want to make one, do you??!!

Here is how to do it, fairly simple for the most part I would say.

Cut your laminated fabric to 12 x 24 inches

Cut your Clear Vinyl to 9 x 24 inches.

Cut two strips of laminated fabric to 2x24 inches.

Cut your mesh to 11x22 (fold in half)

To make the edging fold the long strips of laminated fabric in half, burnish, and in half again. This will give you 1/4 edging with a nice clean folded edge.

Stitch to the edges of your vinyl on both sides. I did a double stitch about 1/16 of an inch apart for extra strength.

Hem edge of the laminated fabric so you have about a 1 inch hem. Double Stitch.

Hem the edge of the mesh (top, not sides) I did a double roll hem (I think that is what it's called) for a little added bulk.

Attach the edged vinyl to the laminated fabric by stitching the sides together.

Then attach the mesh to the fabric by double stiching and trim the excess bulk.

The end result back side! The size should end up to be approx 9 inches x 15 or so. Allow enough room so that the tray mesh will stretch (this seems to be able to stretch at least one inch. The average airplane tray is 9 1/2 by just over 16 inches.

Hope fully this all makes sense! Let me know if you have questions.

Happy Crafting!