Ghirardelli Fall Treat Holder

Happy Fall, Y'all!

I've been busy on this rainy day making a little something for all the people in my life that I'm grateful for - there are so many!

Aren't they sweet?  And so quick to make.  Even the coloring didn't take long with my Stampin' Write markers!  Here's a little photo tutorial of the process:

Don't forget to round the corners to give your little treat holder a polished look!

The wheat image is from Wetlands and the grateful for you is from Acorny Thank You.  

The pumpkins from Spooky Fun hide the staple nicely.  My scarecrow, from Cookie Cutter Halloween, is colored with Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, Dapper Denim, Daffodil Delight and Real Red.  I used a flesh-colored Tombow marker on his face with a little touch of Blushing Bride for rosy cheeks.

Mmmm...I just can't understand why I ran out of these before all my treat holders were filled...

I hope you've enjoyed this!  I'm off to the store for more Ghirardelli Squares...hopefully there will be enough left to finish filling my treats by the time I get home!

Follow this link to purchase your own Cookie Cutter Halloween set.  There are mummies, vampires & ghosts included too!  

Gratefully,

Pat

Inspired

Hi Stampers,

Fall is the best time of year, no doubt about it.  I've been inspired to create beautiful fall cards by all the colors of nature.  The cards I've been working on this week use some of my favorite things - Vintage Leaves, watercoloring and copper embossing powder!  Here's my card:

And here's my inspiration:

Aren't those just the best colors?  I tried to duplicate them with my watercoloring - I'm pretty happy with the result, what do you think?

I have to admit, these colors weren't the only thing that inspired me to make these cards.  I watched this awesome video from Patty Bennett and couldn't wait to try this watercolor wash technique.  I could go into more detail about how it's done, but Patty does such a great job explaining it in her video that you really need to watch it!  (Seriously, you'll be inspired too!)

Here are some of the sheets that I cut my leaves from.  Don't be discouraged if you try this and think your watercoloring doesn't look right - there's no right or wrong with this technique.  Every piece is unique and you'll probably think it looks like a mess, until you cut the leaves - then they are gorgeous!

Another thing I used on all of my cards is my favorite embossing powder, Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder.  I'm amazed every time I use it at how quickly and smoothly it melts.

Isn't that beautiful?  So elegant and perfect for Fall!

Once I got started making these cards, I couldn't stop.

I really couldn't stop.  I made birthday cards, and thank you cards, and hello cards, and missing you cards, and Thanksgiving cards.  I call it my all-purpose card for Fall :)

This is actually my first time playing with Vintage Leaves and the Leaflets Framelits.  I wanted it when it first came out last year but didn't get it, so I was really happy that it was carried over into this year's annual catalog.  If you like fall decorating, there is so much you can do with these leaves besides make cards!  Imagine wreaths, garlands, scrapbook pages, tabletop decorations, placecards, napkin rings, classroom decorations, the list goes on and on!

You can shop for any of the supplies to make your own inspired cards by clicking on the Shop Now link on the left side of this page.  Please be sure to leave your contact information when you order to get a special "thank you" from me.

Happy stamping,

Pat

Pretty Pines Sparkle & Shine

Hi Stampers,

Even though temps are still in the 80's here, I was thinking about how beautiful an evergreen tree looks after a heavy snowfall - that's what this card reminds me of.

I used a mixture of old and new products in this design.  The pines are from Lovely as a Tree (and incidentally, the first Stampin' Up set I ever purchased!) and the sentiment is from Wondrous Wreath. The die-cuts are the fun Pretty Pines Thinlits (#141851) in the new holiday catalog, as is the Presents & Pinecones Designer Series Paper (#141986).  I love the way the sentiment is framed in the Layering Ovals Framelits (#141706).  

I'm all about glitter and the dryer sheet technique on this card is right up my alley.  You've seen the t-shirt that says "I craft so hard I sweat glitter"?  That's me.  There are a lot of You Tube videos available on the dryer sheet technique if you don't know how it's done.  It's really pretty simple-start by stamping your image.  I used Early Espresso to stamp the pine from Lovely as a Tree.  The darkest images are stamped full strength then I stamped off once more before re-inking.

Next you'll need a well-used dryer sheet, preferably one that has gone through 2-3 loads of laundry. What most of the videos don't show you, and this is Very Important, is iron the wrinkles out of the dryer sheet using the low setting on your clothes iron.  It only takes a few seconds and it's so much easier than trying to work the wrinkles out after you place it on the card!  With your nice, flat, used dryer sheet ready, spray the stamped image thoroughly with spray adhesive - I like one made by 3M.  Place the dryer sheet on the card and smooth it with your hand or a brayer.

Trim the excess dryer sheet from the edges of the card.  If you're only going to use the tops of the trees like I did, trim the card front to the size you want it.  I did this so I could incorporate some beautiful Designer Paper into my card.  You may want to use the entire piece for even more sparkle!

Finally, and this is so much fun, give the card one more very light coat of spray adhesive.  Sprinkle Dazzling Diamonds glitter over the entire piece and prepare to "ooh" and "ahh"!  

Can you see all that glittery goodness?  Ooh!  Aah!  I almost forgot to mention that I embossed the sentiment with Emerald Envy Glitter Stampin' Emboss Powder (of course).  

Another pine finishes off the inside.  This sentiment is part of the Wondrous Wreath set, too.

I made so much fun with the dryer sheet technique that I made more...many more!

I hope you're inspired by my ideas!  If you would like to purchase any of the products mentioned here, please visit my online store here.  

Happy stamping,

Pat

Happy Mail!

Hi Stampers,

Just a quick share with you today to show some of the beautiful handmade cards that have come to my mailbox recently -

Aren't they beautiful?  You are all loved and appreciated more than you will ever know!

Gratefully,
Pat

Christmas Wishes from Across the Miles

Hi Stampers,

Here's a Christmas card I created for friends in far-flung places.  I really like the color combination of bold Emerald Envy and soft, subtle Mint Macaron.  You can see how well these colors work together in the Presents & Pinecones Designer Series Paper.

 You may recognize the globe, it's from a stamp set in the annual catalog called Places You'll Go - #141741.

I think this stamp set is easy to overlook in the annual catalog.  The images are simple, but the sentiments are wonderful and work for a lot of occasions.

Here's the inside of my card:

Here are the details:  The globe stand is stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder.  The wreath was stamped in Emerald Envy.  I used my Real Red Stampin' Write Marker to add a few red berries around the wreath.  The rest of the stamping was done with the Holly Berry Happiness stamp set.  The bow and the holly berries were stamped in Early Espresso ink on Real Red cardstock.  The holly leaves were stamped in Emerald Envy ink on Emerald Envy cardstock.  Everything is punched with the Holly Berry Builder Punch.  The stamp set & punch are available as a bundle - #143505.  The card base is made from Mint Macaron cardstock and the Designer Paper is Presents & Pinecones.

My card was inspired by a design from another Stampin' Up demonstrator.  Here is her version:

Don't forget to stock up on Designer Papers for this and other projects, the best paper sale of the year is going on NOW!  Buy 3, get 1 free on selected designs including Presents & Pinecones.  Click here to shop in my online store.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pat