Constantly Stamping

Wonderfall Friend

I don't know what it is like where you live, but here in Tennessee it finally feels like Autumn. We even  had to kick on the furnace for the first time this week...well, we tried, but it didn't work. Truth is, we probably didn't really need it yet, but we had a new high efficiency Heat/AC unit installed a few months ago and I just wanted to see if it would work. Turns out they got a couple of wires crossed when they installed it and it wouldn't come on. I am really glad we caught it before it got cold. But there is definitely a chill in the air, especially at night...although I think our little cool spell is ending tonight. All this brisk weather and turning leaves put me in the mood to make an Autumn-themed card.

I built this card on a standard Early Espresso card base and layered on some More Mustard CS. The top layer is the Core'dinations Early Espresso CS from the holiday mini catalog. I embossed it with the Woodgrain folder and then sanded off the raised portions to bring out the pattern. I wrapped the hemp twine (non-SU) around the top two layers before I adhered them to the card base.

I die cut leaves using the new Autumn Accents Bigz Die out of some Very Vanilla CS. Then I stamped the leaves from the Wonderfall stamp set in Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Old Olive, and Early Espresso ink. I just love how they are made to compliement each other. To create the greeting, I cut two frames with the Apothecary Accents Framelits and layered them together. The sentifment is from the Blessings From Heaven set. The brads I used are retired, but I just love how they bring out the bronze accent on the Brushed Bronze button. I have a fun workshop planned for tomorrow, so I guess I had better go finish packing everything up. Have a great weekend!

Perfectly Preserved Neighbor Gifts

One of the reasons I love the Perfectly Preserved and Friendship Preserves stamp sets is that I do a decent amount of jam making each summer.  Every Christmas my neighbors have come to expect their Blackberry Jam with some different and clever packaging. This year I have a little surprise for them...not only did I make yummy blackberry jam, I also made a big batch of pear preserves. This is what some of them will receive this year.

This is one of the projects that I made with the gals at my last class. I did some simple sewing to make the burlap bags. I measured the circumference of the jar and added two inches. This gave me a 1/2" seam allowance and a little wiggle room for the jar. I also added about five inches to the height of the jar so that I would have just enough room to stitch the bottom piece closed and have some leftover at the top to tie shut. We stamped and paper-pieced the jam jars to create a fun tag. They really had fun making these and now they have one of their Christmas gifts all ready to go. 

One Step Further...Another Video Tutorial about the Silhouette and MDS2

I know that some of you aren't really getting into this video tutorial series that I have been doing, but for those of you who are the response has been amazing. I have one more tutorial today. This one picks up where I left off a few videos ago. Today I am going to show you how to put a frame around that MDS2 artwork using the Silhouette Studio software.

This is a card that I created with the finished print and cut file. Obviously the focal image is colored in MDS2 and then cut with the Silhouette Cameo. Then I went totally traditional from there. I used the new Core'dintions Card Stock in Early Espresso (#127848) and embossed it with the Woodgrain embossing folder (#127821). I used a sanding block to reveal some of the white inner core of the cardstock. I stamped the greeting and added everything to the card with some Lucky Limeade bakers twine and a button. Since I only made a card front I was trying to figure out how to take the picture. I came up with the idea of putting it on the front of a picture frame that I had on my desk. It was really cool how it turned out.

 

 

How to Print & Cut MDS2 Images from Start to Finish

 I am still getting quite a few emails from readers who don't quite understand what I mean when I talk about the "print & cut" feature of the Silhouette. So I did a video tutorial that I hope will help. The quality of this video isn't as good as I would like because I had to hold the camera with one hand and operate all of the software and equipment with the other, but maybe it will help those of you who are still a little confused. Don't be embarrased. It took me a while to make sense of all of this too!

Elegant Daydream Medallions Card

Today I am back with a traditional hand-stamped card. If it looks familiar to some of you it is because this is another one of my convention samples. Everything about this card reeks of traditional elegance...from the color palette to the embossing. I started with a VersaMark pad and clear embossing powder and heat embossed practically everything on this card. I know it is difficult to see in the photo, but even the Whisper White panel is heat embossed.

To create the flower I stamped the images from the Daydream Medallion set (#126465/126467) on Real Red card stock and die cut them with the Floral Frames Framelits (#127012). I embellished the flower center with a Vintage Faceted Designer Button (#127555) and some Rhinestone Basic Jewels (#119246).

Video Tutorial: How to Print and Cut MDS2 Artwork with your Electronic Cutter

I am back with another tutorial. Today's video teaches you how to use MDS2 software and the Print & Cut feature on your electronic cutter to create fun and easy paper crafting projects. Here I made a napkin ring by attaching my cut artwork to a strip of card stock. I used the Tweet Leaves Digital Stamp Brush that is available for download. I am not sure exactly how this process works for all e-cutters, but this video takes you step-by-step on how I did it on my Silhouette Cameo. I used Silhouette Studio Designer Edition, but I am fairly certain this will work with the standard software that is included with the machine. Let me just say again that I am certainly not an expert on this, but I thought I would share what I have learned so far. (NOTE: I want to clarify that you use your own home printer to print the artwork. It is necessary to add the registration marks beforehand. Then when you put the printed artwork on your cutting mat and place it in the machine, the electronic eye will recognize the registration marks and know exactly where to cut.)

I know that digital paper crafting isn't for everyone. But if you are comfortable with your computer and especially if you love using your MDS2 software, then I am confident you can master using an electronic cutter.

 

Friendship Preserves Sour Cream Treat Container

I promised to show you the other stamped project that was in the the goodie baskets that I made for Chattanooga Regional Convention. I created ordinary sour cream containers, but they were a little taller than normal. I needed to get six containers out of a sheet of 12"x12" Orchard Harvest DSP (#126895)  so I cut it into 4"x6" sections. I rolled the dsp around a plastic tube that I happened to have and it made it much easier to assemble them. I secured everything with Sticky Strip adhesive and then crimped the ends with a paper crimper. The container ends up being 6" tall by approx. 3.5" in diameter. I filled each one with individually wrapped gourmet caramels...yummy!

For the tag I stamped the "hello" image from the Friendship Preserves stamp set (#127913) twice (Cherry Cobbler and More Mustard). Then I used the matching Window Frames Framelits Dies (#129012) to die cut the stamped images. I cut the top and bottom portions off of the More Mustard piece and glued the "Hello" directly on top of the Cherry Cobbler piece. I punched a piece of Island Indigo CS with the 1-1/4" Scallop Circle punch (#127811). Then I cut it in half and adhered it behind the stamped image. Next I die cut a piece of More Mustard CS with the Apothecary Accents Framelits die (#127003), punched a small hole in the top and secured the top of the container with a piece of Island Indigo Baker's Twine (#125572). A couple of tiny pearls give the tag a finished feel.

Here is another look at the finished basket.

Video Tutorial - Loading your MDS Card Stock and DSP into your Silhouette Studio Software

I am back with another video tutorial today. For those of you who have no interest in the digital aspects of paper crafting, I know this must be a little boring. But for many of you, learning how to utilize MDS in conjunction with your Silhouette Cameo will open an entirely new world of possibilities. I know some of you are craving more because you should see the emails that are coming in. Not everyone has a Silhouette...some of you have other brands of cutters. But I would almost bet that you can take the things I am teaching you and make it work for you too. So I will keep the video tutorials coming at least until I have covered the basics. I will try to weave a few stamping projects into my blog posts so that the rest of you have some eye candy to keep you satisified.

I am trying to keep my videos as fast-paced as possible. Unfortunately running the Silhouette Software and the screen capture software at the same time really slows things down. I have edited out some of the dead spaces in order to keep things interesting. I have also been struggling with my seasonal allergies, so if I sound a little stuffed, that's why.

In today's video I will show you how to import your MDS card stock and dsp into the Silhouette Studio software. This will come in handy when you want to utilize the print and cut feature of your Silhouette Cameo. Oh, and BTW, I am definitely not an expert on this. I am just a crafty gal who has taught herself some of this cool stuff and I thought I would share it all with a few thousand of my closest friends. And of course, I would love to be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator if you don't already work with someone...just sayin'!