Constantly Stamping

Stepped Up Sale-a-bration CASE

I saw this adorable card by Brandi Barnard at the SU home office and I just had to CASE it. I prefer to photograph my cards with natural sunlight, but it's a really dreary day here in Tennessee, so I thought I would try a different approach. I hope it isn't too distracting.

It is already an adorable card, but I thought it would be fun to step-it-up even further. Here is a video that showcases this wonderful card.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIJGgpFEgg4&feature=share&list=UUaytKFValhfW2z3T0jsdemA

The purpose of the video was to showcare the Vine Street embossing folder and other fun products available right now during Sale-a-bration, so there aren't alot of details about card size and such. I did my best to recreate it and here are the details of my card, which I think are close to the orignial artwork.

The finished card size is approximately 4.25" square. She used the Vine Street Embossing Folder (SAB) to emboss a portion of the folder onto the Pool Party card front. Next she cuts two strips of Island Indigo CS in to approximately 1/2 inch wide strips and angled the ends. Then she stamped the small image from the Madison Avenue stamp set with Pool Party ink on Whisper White CS to create a background design. Then she punched it out with the Ticket Duo Builder Punch. She stamped the larger flower from the same set, but this time she stamped off so that the image didn't overpower the sentiment. Next she stamped the greeting from Bloomin' Marvelous (SAB) with Island Indigo ink and punched it out as well. For a pop of color she stamped two butterflys in Calypso Coral from the Bloomin' Marvelous set and punched them out with the Bitty Butterfly punch (#129406).

Here is where I added my own twist to the card...I had a length of Seam Binding ribbon that I had bleached and then dyed with Calypso Coral ink so I wrapped it around the card and fashioned a shabby bow. I added some Pool Party Baker's Twine to a Pool Party "Sycamore Street" Button (SAB) and attached it to the bow.

Don't forget that you can earn free product during Sale-a-bration now through March 22.

Paper Punch Faux Bow Video Tutorial

This is one of the cards I made as a convention sample. I have been holding on to it for a while because I wanted to do a video tutorial to go along with it. I developed this technique for a super easy faux bow and I wanted to share it with all of you. The card uses the "You're Amazing" stamp set along with Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper. I think you will really like this tutorial. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

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'!

Video Tutorial - How to create cut files for your Silhouette Cameo using the punches from the MDS software

I promised that I would have more video tutorials about how I used MDS2 files to create cut files for my Silhouette Cameo. I have had a difficult time running the Silhouette Studio software and the recording software at the same time so it has been a little more difficult that I had hoped. I managed to put together this short video about how to use the .svg punch files to make cut files, but I am working on more videos on how to use the .svg stamp brushes in MDS2 to make cut files as well as how to utilize the print and cut features of the Silhouette. So bear with me because there are definitely more tutorials coming soon.

Today's video uses punches from the MDS and MDS2 software to create cut files using the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Software.

SVG Files for MDS2

WOW...I have received several emails asking me about my electronic cutter and how I created the vinyl cut files that I used on the projects in yesterdays blog post. So I have decided to put together a series of videos to try and answer your questions. It will probably take me a few days to work through it all, but I thought I would start with the very basic thing you need to know...What is an .svg file and why it matters.

An .svg stands for Scalable Vector Graphic. The reason it matters is that you can re-size it larger or smaller and it maintains its integrity and doesn't pixelate. I have been told by SU that all of the new stamp brushes for MDS2 will be .svg files. This is important to know because you won't be able to use the new files with the old MDS software. That means you will need to upgrade to MDS2 or MDS2+ to use the new downloads. This file format also makes it easier to create cut files for your e-cutter. I don't know about all e-cutters or software, but I do know for the Silhouette Cameo that you will need to upgrade to the Designer Edition of the Silhouette software in order to recognize the .svg files.

The first video I have made is to show you how to determine if the file you want to purchase for My Digital Studio or other software you are using is in the .svg format. I will have more videos coming soon, but this should help a little.

Felted Christmast Stocking

If you have been visiting my blog, then you probably know that I enjoy felt projects...especially during the Fall and Winter months. So I decided to take that love of felt and make a fun and easy Christmas project using the Holiday Stocking die and the Circle #2 die along with felt to create a fun felted stocking. These are a fun project that you can do over the holidays. I even uploaded a video tutorial to show you how easy it is. The green on this stocking is really a pretty bright green but for some reason my camera has difficulty capturing "true greens".

Here's the video tutorial. Be sure to scroll down to see more stocking that I have made using this technique.

  

Here' are a few more "almost" finished pieces that I have been working on. I don't normally show things without the "finishing touches" on them, but if I waited any longer, I probably wouldn't have shown them at all. I will probably end up finishing them right at the last minute as I add them to packages and such, so I thought I had better get them posted today.

This stocking is almost exactly the same except I hand cut a little notch in the toe area to make it look more like an elf stocking.

White with black dots for the dalmation lover in the family.

A modern twist using charcoal felt with bright colored dots.

Red & White "Scandanivian-style" using the Snowflake Die.

Blue & White Snowflakes.

Holly Leaves and Berries using the Stocking Accents Die.