321 Stamp: Launching Creativity

Lots to Love Valentine's Day Box

It's time to make Valentines! This fun box is from the Stampin' Up! Occasions catalog and I love that it's big enough to hold a gift card -- and hold the new Whisper White Narrow Note Cards & Envelopes also from the Occasions Catalog. There's a brand new video showing this bundled set of stamps and matching framelits in action at the end of this post -- so keep reading!

I die cut the heart window -- and then used our foil acetate to go inside. The paper accents are the gorgeous Painted with Love Specialty Designer Paper -- lots of foil accents. It reminds me of 1970s wallpaper -- and a little of the prints goes a long way. Here's the small note card I made to go inside. A gift card fits in the envelope as well or just tuck it in the box along with some chocolate of course!

And because the paper is nice and sturdy -- almost a card stock weight -- I made a set from the paper itself.

Stampin' Up! shared a new video today that solves the mystery of what the two little half-circle framelits in the set are for: they easily let you cut tabs in a panel to hold a gift card. Watch and see that idea. (I had thought it was just to cut the divot at the top of the box -- but I found it easiest to make that with a half-inch circle punch). I love that they make tabs for the gift card!

If you're looking at this in an email, click here to watch the video.

Look below for the products used in these projects -- which all click through to my online store.

Happy Valentine's Day crafting!

Sure Do Love You Clear-Mount Bundle
$48.50

Painted With Love Specialty Designer Series Paper
$13.00

Love Mini Tinsel Trim Combo Pack
$9.00

Whisper White Narrow Note Cards & Envelopes
$8.00

Painted Love Gold Vinyl Stickers
$7.00

Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate
$12.00

Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
$8.00

Whisper White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Organza Ribbon
$6.00

Gold Foil Sheets
$4.00

Generated by SUDSOL, Free Trial at www.sudsol.org

Paper Pumpkin - Get Monthly Exclusive Ideas

I love Stampin' Up's! monthly Paper Pumpkin kits. I like the surprise element and it's fun to have a quick, creative escape mailed to you each month with everything you need to get crafty. Each kit includes stamps, ink, paper supplies, embellishments and the adhesive. Sometimes I use the kit as the designer intended and other times I use the supplies in unique ways.

Now I'm excited to share alternate, bonus Paper Pumpkin kit ideas each month with Paper Pumpkin subscribers who've signed up for the kits through me.

Here's a sneak peek at the great January 2016 ideas that put the Conversation Heart Banner and Treat Pouch kit to some very creative uses as cards, memory items, and more.

It's a great time to give Paper Pumpkin a try as three-month prepaid subscriptions are on sale for $55 (US) for three months of great kits. You can even give the subscription as a gift because it's redeemed through an emailed code. Best of all, the subscription earns a bonus Sale-a-bration item available through March 31. Click here to learn more and to purchase a three-month subscription.

Sign up before February 10 to get that month's kit and be added to my list for the great February alternate ideas (seven bonus ideas each month).

Happy stamping and if you have any questions about Paper Pumpkin kits, get in touch.

Valentine Eye Candy

I'm part of a wonderful online group and we do a virtual swap for almost every new Stampin' Up catalog. Here are some ideas shared in the latest round.

Love the kids Valentine set called "Hey, Valentine" in the Occasions catalog. When my kids were younger, would have loved this for school valentines -- especially the "school" of fish.

And this one uses the set with the cute Treat Bag Thinlit Dies.

Love the accent with the new bow punch.

And this one is inspired -- a ballon die and coordinating banner stamp become friendly monster teeth. And the pom-poms from our new Calypso Coral Pompom Trim become his paws!

Highlights of some of the products with links to them in my store are below.

Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies
$39.95

Celebrate Today Photopolymer Stamp Set
$25.95

Bow Builder Punch
$16.95

Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim
$4.95

Stacked With Love Designer Series Paper Stack
$6.95

Hey, Valentine Wood Stamp Set
$24.95

Generated by SUDSOL, Free Trial at www.sudsol.org

Happy Valentine's Day

If you woke up on Valentine's Day and needed some quick card ideas -- here are a couple of ideas for those who have Stampin' Up's! Sweet Sayings cards and matching envelopes in your stash.

These pre-printed cards were dressed up thanks to the stamps from the "Love You to the Moon" set for the first one and the free Sale-a-bration set "Banner Blast" for the second one. Loved making these for my kids.

And some home decor ideas thanks to the wonderful activities director at a local assisted living facility. I donated some card stock in Valentine's colors and a resident loaned her heart framelits and an embosslet and the Big Shot to die cut shapes to make these cute mobiles and flower arrangements for the dining room. My photos can't capture how pretty these are.

Have a happy heart day!

A Valentine Treat Featuring the Tag Topper Punch

This is such a fun treat -- mine holds 4 little chocolate nuggets covered in stamped paper.

It's so easy to make thanks to the new Scalloped Tag Topper punch from my Stampin' Up Online Store.

Start with a 2" by 7" strip of vanilla card stock and score it at 2 & 3/4" and 4 & 1/4". Then punch both ends with the Scalloped Tag Topper punch -- the 2" width is perfect to slide all the way into the punch's channel. Then I stamped on a design, added the new gold toned Watercolor Wonder Washi Tape and some stamped and punched banners.

Here's the back where I stamped a heart (ink used throughout is Cherry Cobbler):

The paper strips to cover the candy are 1" by 3". The candy is adhered into the folded treat holder with a mini glue dot on the bottom of each one.

Stamps used are Language of Love and the Banner Blast set that you can get free as a Sale-a-bration bonus through March 31, 2014. (Check out the SAB brochure at the link in the right column).

Love the touch of metallic flair in the new twine -- also in the Occasions Catalog right now.

Who wouldn't like a little chocolate for Valentine's Day? Just adjust the score line to hold other kinds of candy.

How Christmas Kits Can Become Valentine's

Fellow demonstrator Robin Merriman graciously shared the most amazing ideas using two popular Christmas kits from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog that you may have bought and not used yet. So how would you like to turn them into Valentine's? (FYI -- I have linked items to my store so you can see more about them or order).

First up is the Merry Little Christmas Simply Created Card Kit turned into a Parisian themed Valentine thanks to the limited edition stamp set Follow My Heart.

Now here's the Real Red Goodie Gear Simply Created kit turned into another Valentine. (it uses the Crumb Cake tag & the Washi Tape style sticker strips from the kit and combines those with the same Follow My Heart set plus the Post Card stamp).

Again -- Robin was so gracious to share these ideas with her fellow demonstrators as a way to use up those extra kits we bought with the best of intentions to use them for Chrsitmas! I love the spirit of sharing that is part of Stampin' Up!

Happy Valentine's Day - Treat Idea

Forgot to share this before and it's such as fast and easy idea. You can easily adjust this for the Easter holiday coming up next. Just change the topper image and get some spring colored M&Ms.

My daughter and a couple of her friends made lots of these to hand out at school today. It uses our 1 by 8 inch treat bags (item # 124134). A popsickle stick was very handy to help ease the candies into place and get them standing up right. Really easy once you get just a few sliding in right.

The heart image was the limited edition single stamp from January -- but any image you can quickly stamp and punch out would do. We just stapled two of them back to back so it looked good from both sides.

Hope you've had a wonderful hearts day -- and go make every day one that's filled with loving thoughts and actions.

Affection Collection Goes Golden

I wanted a glammed up valentine that would work as well for a December wedding card if needed. Affection Collection is an awesome stamp set in the Holiday Catalog that will be gone as of Jan. 2 when the holiday catalog ends. It's a great set -- so great for many things.

I got the background idea from a card I saw in our Stampin' Connection private demostrator site -- to combine the two embossing folders (the Fancy Fan and Delicate Designs lace one). I wanted to glam it up using our gold shimmer card stock. It's a knock out in person -- photos do not do it justice. Big hit at Nov. stamp clubs. FYI -- the lace edge is cut with the coordinating Big Scallop Edgelit before it was embossed. Cutting before keeps your pretty embossing from being "smushed" while cutting after.

A card by Jason of jk cards inspired the focal point. I changed up his layering to a love greeting and added some champagne glimmer paper. Just use the modern label punch for the saying and the glimmer layer (cut in half and attached with glue dots to stick out on each end).

Can't believe I forgot to photograph the inside! Will describe now and try to add it later. White card stock with the wing image from the stamp set in Midnight Muse; the word "Always" in Raspberry Ripple added above the wings; and small punched glimmer champagne heart over the heart in the wing image. Simple glamour. Great for any sweetie or like I said, as a wedding card.

Ink and card stock colors are Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White, Gold Shimmer and the Champagne Glimmer.