Monthly Archive: March 2015

Monday’s My Favorite Things – The Big Shot

Big ShotI own a Cricut and I also own a Big Shot Die Cutting Machine.  Between the two, my Cricut gathers dust while the Big Shot is a workhorse in my craft studio.   I never got the hang of the Cricut often becoming frustrated with the complexity of it.  Loading and unloading card stock and trying to determine what size cut I need seems to be time consuming as well.

On the other hand the Big Shot is quick and easy to use and I always know what I’m going to get when I run a die through it.  I also like the fact that I can use it for both die cutting and embossing.  Probably the Big Shot’s biggest selling point for me though is that stamps with coordinating dies are readily available everywhere.  My paper projects have a more polished, crisp look because the dies cut out a stamped image perfectly.  I love that!  No more fussy cutting!!!!!

This cute card was made with coordinating stamps and Framelits Dies.  The card base is embellished with balloon shapes cut from Designer Series Paper using the Balloon Framelits Dies and stamped with the coordinating stamp set Celebrate Today.  An easy peasy card taking no time to complete because the Big Shot does all the work.  Love that tiny polka-dot  bow that was stamped then cut out using the Big Shot.

Celebrate Today CardCelebrate Today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Shot also lets me add design and texture to my cards by embossing them.  Embossing folders are relatively inexpensive and some have coordinating stamp sets as well.  Here are two cards that were made with card stock run through the Big Shot using an embossing folder.  The green tag on the Thank You card was made using the Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and the Happy Easter card base was made using the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  The tag on the little treat bag was made with the Chalk Talk Framelits and coordinating Chalk Talk stamp set.

 

May-Card-Class Secret-Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bigz dies allow you to cut multiple shapes and images in one cut through the Big Shot.  There are also fun 3-D projects.  Here’s a few examples:

Berry Basket

Berry Basket Bigz L Die

Happy Birthday Fry Box

Fry Box Bigz L Die

Top-Note-Die-2

Top Note Bigz Die

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you tell that I love my Big Shot Die Cutting Machine!  See it in action – watch this video that demonstrates making a berry basket using the Berry Basket Bigz L Die.

 

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IT’S ALL ABOUT Y.O.U.

MAR-15-My-Paper-PumpkinI received the March My Paper Pumpkin Kit in the mail this week and couldn’t wait to get busy!  The kit this month is all about Y.O.U. with the cutest little word bubbles to personalize for any occasion.  I believe the stitch used is called a back-stitch but it doesn’t matter because the instructions were super simple to follow and I was able to whip several up while enjoying some guilty pleasure t.v.  What I love about My Paper Pumpkin is that all the work is done for you and everything needed to create the cutest little paper crafting projects is included in one, simple kit.  And, bonus,  the on-trend adorable stamps that come with the kits each month are mine to keep!  Here’s a look at some of the supplies that came in the March kit:

MAR-15-My-Paper-Pumpkin-2The kit came with enough supplies to make 9 cards using three black and white patterns: striped, polka-dot and triangle.  The Tiffany blue epoxy stickers and envelopes really pop against the black, white and yellow.  March is a huge birthday month around here and I liked that these cards will work for both masculine and feminine recipients.  These card are so cute that before I stitch the final word bubble I plan on tracing a pattern from it onto card stock and piercing the Y.O.U. using  my Paper-Piercing Tool.

MAR-15-My-Paper-Pumpkin-3Watch this video to see how fun and simple this kit is to put together!  Wonder what the surprise will be next month?  Subscribe HERE before April 10.  Or better yet, save $5 and earn one FREE item from the Sale-a-Bration brochure by purchasing a three-month prepaid subscription HERE by March 31, 2015.

 

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Painted Blooms

Painted-Blooms-800-x-401We had the most wonderfully extraordinary weather in Kansas City last week!  It was sunshine, blue skies and pull out the flip-flops weather.  It’s not a secret I’m no cold-weather fan and the temps we experienced last week put a smile on my face that has yet to disappear.  I held a Girl’s Night Out Stamp & Scrap on Friday night and wanted so much to have flowers in my pots on the front porch to greet the gals.  Reality check . . . it’s only March 17th!  Even though it’s too early to plant the real thing, the Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up! can help a girl dream!

These designer series papers were designed and painted by an actual artist before they were produced for paper craft use.  Believe me when I say these beauties are special!  Before I cut into one sheet of this gorgeous paper I actually copied the idea from the Occasions Catalog and framed one 12 x 12 sheet then hung it on a wall in my house. I’m planning some other projects using this paper along with the coordinating stamp set, Painted Petals, so check back for those. Here’s a video showing how quick and easy it was to use this paper as home decor.

 

 

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It Just Keeps Getting Better!

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SAB-New-Products-3

Just when you thought the party was winding down Stampin’ Up! turns it up a little louder!  Beginning March 1st Stampin’ Up! is offering four new bonus products only available thru March 31st and they’ve saved the best for last!  I’m loving the printed Sheer Perfection Designer Vellum Stack along with the coordinating Nature’s Perfection Stamp Set that would work great with the Stampin’ Write Markers.

 

Nature's-Perfection-2

Another awesome bonus stamp set that can be had for free during Sale-a-Bration is the Lotus Blossom stamp set.  This gorgeous stamp set makes anyone feel like an artist in three quick steps. It creates a beautiful flower that looks painted, but it is amazingly easy. The individual stamps have a tab at the top to help you align them, and the tabs are numbered so you will know which part of the flower to stamp first, second, and third. Try playing around using one ink pad with the stamping off technique, or multiple different ink pads to create many different looks.  Here is a great video showing different techniques used with this stamp set to achieve marvelous results!

 

 

Sale-a-Bration is the perfect time to grow your stamping inventory.  With every qualifying purchase of $50 you earn a bonus Sale-a-Bration item.  There’s no limit!  That means a $100 order earns two bonus Sale-a-Bration items, a $150 order earns three bonus Sale-a-Bration items and so on.  But this promotion ends March 31, 2015 so make sure you don’t delay.  Click on my Shop Now button below and start earning those bonus products now!

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