Baby Shower Ideas

Recently I helped put together a baby shower for a good friend of mine and I just couldn't resist putting together some cute decorations and gift ideas using Stampin' Up! products.

The mom-to-be is expecting a girl and when I found out her colors were pink, white and gold, I was so stinkin' excited! I looked through all my stash of supplies and ended up using Blushing Bride card stock, Whisper White card stock, Gold Fancy Designer Vellum and Gold Glimmer paper. (The Gold Fancy vellum was used just like a placemat underneath the center arrangement on each table.)

Notice the circles hanging from the ceiling? It was hard to get a good picture of these decorations but I was so pleased with the waythey turned out. First, I punched a ton of various sized circles from Blushing Bride, Gold Glimmer paper and Whisper White. Then I cut the Whisper White Baker's Twine to the length I wanted and then "sandwiched" the circles on either side with the twine in between. They were super easy to make and added just that extra sparkle to the decor.

The adorable sign below was created by a friend of mine (he drew that freehand!) but I created the box and the cards inside.

Here's an up close picture of the box. I used the Something for Baby stamp set as well as the coordinating Framelits (love how easy it is to cut out these images with the Framelits!).

These were the thank you cards I put inside. During the shower, each of the guests wrote their address on an envelope and at the end of the event, the mom-to-be not only had the cards ready to go but the envelopes as well. 

I used the Something for Baby and coordinating Framelits again. The set has so many different images to choose from!

The other two tables' centerpieces were simple yet pretty.

I really enjoyed hosting this baby shower and using my Stampin' Up! products for the decorations. I think it all turned out beautifully!

If you have a party to put together whether it be a baby shower, wedding or birthday, remember to pull out your Stampin' Up! supplies. I'm sure you'll find some products that will help you with decorating and gift giving.

Happy Stamping,

Sneaky Santa Gift Exchange

The Cowtown Crafters are one creative bunch! Just take a look at these adorable projects! (The person holding the project is the one who won it during the gift exchange party, not the creator.)

What a memorable evening!  I really look forward to our annual Christmas party and I'm always blown away by all the creativity! Which project is your favorite?

Happy stamping,

Stocking Stuffer Treats for Christmas

Not only do we love to make larger gifts for the Sneaky Santa Gift Exchange during our annual Christmas party, we also love to spread the cheer with cute little Stocking Stuffer treats for everyone!

Sharon created this adorable Ghiradelli chocolate holder.  Do you recognize the sentiment?  If you said, "no" that's because is a SNEAK PEEK of an stamp set from the upcoming Occasions Catalog that you're going to love!!  Do you have your copy of the Occasions Catalog, yet?  If not, shoot me an email and I'd be happy to put one in the mail to you!  (along with a copy of the Sale-a-Bration catalog, too!)

She used the largest scalloped circle in the Circles Collection of Framelits to create the holder.  (I'm still pestering her for instructions and once I get them, I'll pass them along!)  :)

Vicki made this adorable little "lantern" using vellum card stock and the Curvy Keepsake Box die.

Angelica made this adorable little topper using the Top Note Die (with the Big Shot).

Marilyn made her homemade fudge and added this cute treat topper (again using the Top Note Die).

Melody created this adorable Christmas tree "lantern".  I just love the little projects that use the battery powered tea lights inside.  So cute!

This is one crafty and creative group!  If you'd like to be a part of the Cowtown Crafters, too, we'd love to have you!  It all starts with the purchase of your Starter Kit.  Contact me today if you'd like more information.

Happy Stamping and Merry Christmas!

Candy Bar Wrapper Ideas for Valentine's Day, Birthdays and all Occasions

Before Christmas, I posted this Hershey Candy Bar Wrapper project idea from my friend, Janet, and recently I've updated this adorable wrapper to showcase one of the new Designer Papers from the Occasions Catalog - Watercolor Wonder.  I've even created a video tutorial so you can make one, too! favs!

Making this fun Hershey Bar Candy Wrapper is quick and easy using the Envelope Punch Board.  This is one handy little tool!  Not only does it make 66 different sizes of envelopes, you can also make all sorts of little boxes and 3D projects with it!

So, are you ready to make your own Hershey Bar Candy Wrapper?  This little wrapper fits a regular sized Hershey Chocolate bar.  Have fun! 


Supplies:
Stamps:  Cycle Celebration (130273;  $16.95 clear)
Paper:  Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper, Island Indigo card stock
Ink:  Crisp Cantaloupe Classic Ink, Island Indigo Marker
Accessories:  Decorative Dots Embossing Folder (Sale-a-Bration item!), Angled Tag Topper Punch (NEW!  133323;  $22.95), Crisp Cantaloups 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim (130021;  $8.95)

 Purchase these and all your stamping supplies through my online store.

Now you can make your own Hershey Candy Bar Wrappers for Valentine's,
Birthdays or any other special occasion! 

Open Top Treat Holders

These little treat holders have been so much fun to make and give!  (A friend of mine made one for me and I've been making them ever since.  Thanks, Jaimie!)







Here's my Christmas version of this fun little treat holder!  Two to three Ghiradelli chocolates fit perfectly inside.

Enjoy making these fun treats for any occasion!

Paper Mug Project and Tutorial

This was a fun little mug we made during our demonstrator meeting earlier this month (our monthly meetings are just one of the many benefits of being a Cowtown Crafter.  Membership does have its' privileges!). Isn't this just the cutest little mug?  Thank you, Marilyn, for sharing this with the group.

Check out the video tutorial and you can make these cute little mugs, too!

Supplies:
Paper:  Gingham Garden Designer Series Paper (cut paper to 4.5" X 9 and 4.5" X 3")
Accessories:  Score Tool, Ovals Collection Framelits

When you purchase your Starter Kit and join the Stampin' Up! family, you'll be amazed at all the project ideas!  We share ideas, support one another and encourage along the way!

Contact me today if you'd like more information on joining my stamping team - the Cowtown Crafters!

Open Top Candy Treat Box

Aren't these the cutest little treat boxes?  They go together rather quickly and make cute little gifts.

I've created an exclusive video tutorial on how to make these for my Facebook Fans.  On Monday, July 1st at 1 pm, I will be posting the link for this exclusive tutorial on my business Facebook page.  All you do is 'like' my page before the 1st and you'll receive this tutorial too!

You can 'like' my Facebook page from this blog - just look to the right and under "Find us on Facebook" you'll see the 'like' button.  That's it!  

Get your card stock and stamp set ready and join me as we create these adorable Open Top Candy Treat Boxes Monday, July 1st!

Christmas Goodies

Each year I look forward to our annual demonstrator Christmas party.  We always have such a fun time sharing little stocking stuffer type gifts as well as larger gifts in a Sneaky Santa gift exchange.  I just had to share with you several of the adorable gift items that I received.  (These ladies are so talented and creative!)

This first adorable angel was made by Sharon Cheng (my upline).  She created the angel using scallop circle punches.  After we had chosen an angel from the box someone in the group noticed that some had white "hats" and others had black "hats".  We decided that the white hats were for the good angels and the black hats were for the "angels that like to have fun!".  Do you see which angel I got?  I didn't even notice the difference when I chose one.  What a hoot!

This little set of items were also some of the little stocking stuffers.  Gifts like these make such great gifts for neighbors, teachers or co-workers.  The two projects on the outside are little Hershy nuggets wrapped in the Be of Good Cheer Designer Paper.  The jars were made using the Cannery Framelits.

The project in the middle is a little gum holder.  The Joy of Christmas image comes from the Perfect Punches stamp set (it's a very versatile set).

Happy Christmas crafting!

Catalog Ideas - Tea Shoppe Box

The Stampin' Up! catalog is not only a catalog with products but it is also an amazing idea book!  Sometimes just seeing the beautiful projects can inspire me to create something I may not have tried before!

Well, one of those projects can be found on page 56 of the annual catalog.  This little adorable box has everything you need for 'tea for two'.  What a cute way to package tea bags, sugar cubes and stirring sticks! I'm a big fan of cute little gift ideas like this (as you may already know from past blog posts).  A Christmas version of this box can also be found on page 12.  The possibilities are endless!

Stampin' Up! has done a great job creating a video tutorial for this project.


Would you like your own copy of the catalog?  Contact me today and I'll mail one to you!

Happy Stamping and creating!

Christmas Gift Giving

Want to make the holidays really special? Then plan to make your gifts this year!  Making gifts allows you to give unique and personal gifts with a handmade touch. And it’s never more true than when the gift is homemade. Why? Because you can make it special, just for the recipient.   And while you are making it, guess what you’re doing? Thinking about the person that you are making it for! 

Each year my family and I draw names to see who we will buy a gift for.  One year in particular I remember, we decided to draw names but instead of buying a gift, we were challenged to make a gift!  My sister-in-law drew my name and made the cutest little "lamp" from a wine glass and scrapbook paper.  So creative!

Need some ideas of what you could make? Try some of these:

-  a box of handstamped cards (you can never go wrong with cards!  check out the ones we'll be making this month below)

-  a scrapbook ready for pictures

-  a finished scrapbook (great for grandparents!)

-  journals & notebooks

-  personalized stationery

-  customized office supplies (folders, paper clips, notepads, etc.)

-  a calendar

-  a stamped scarf

-  decorated photo frame (with or without a handstamped insert)

-  an ornament

-  a wreath

... and so much more!

This Post-it-Note holder makes a great Christmas gift!  Watch the tutorial and make some fun gifts for Christmas!

So grab a cup of cocoa, put on some seasonal music, and create your own handcrafted holidays!

Happy Stamping!

Countdown to Christmas

Every Christmas I love doing some sort of advent calendar with my kids.  They love opening the little boxes to see the note, scripture, or candy inside.

Last year I received an adorable advent calendar using pill sorter boxes.  I thought it was the most clever thing I had ever seen!  Well, I just came across it again when I was looking through my stash of decorations (I was actually looking for Halloween decorations).

The designer paper on this sorter has retired but that's ok - it's easily made with any paper you have on hand.  I also put a magnetic strip on the back of each of the sorters so it could easily stick to the refrigerator.

The stamp set, 25 and Counting, is a must-have for any kind of advent calendar.  It makes creating your own advent so easy and quick!

I'm also thinking of offering this as a class.  Let me know if this is something you're interested in doing (in person or online).

What kinds of advent calendars do you like to use?  What things do you put inside?  I'd love to hear your ideas and traditions!

Now is a great time to get the 25 and Counting stamp set!

(item 123794; $32.95)

Happy Stamping!