Christmas Verse Starbucks Book

I had so much fun swapping goodies in a recent Secret Sister swap with Mary Leeson (Check out her Blog Here)! She sent me some wonderful goodies, including a treat box she developed from a SCS tutorial. I'll get some pictures uploaded soon of the other great stuff she sent me. Here is one of the things I sent her. It's my version of a Starbucks Book in Mary's favorite color combo, blue and brown. I used the coffee sleeves that Starbucks uses on its coffe cups. I added tabs that count down the days in December until Christmas with a daily Bible verse. (The pages are 4.25" x 2.25") Faith is a big part of Mary's life, so I wanted to join her in celebrating what Christmas is all about. I got the verses from Heather Scott and they are passages that I think you'll find uplifting all year long. Heather has the file loaded here (Scroll down past Ginger Joy). I hope that the Spirit of the season fills your heart and your holidays are filled with blessings!

Advent Calendar

Well, as you all know, I get the best ideas from Heather's Oz-Some Blog. Here's my version of her mini muffin tin Advent Calendar. My kids get a long holiday break, so we've been doing activities from our calendar since December 6th. Here's part of our list and if you'd like to see some photos of our holiday festivities, go here:

Take a bubble bath and make Santa beards

Bake Cookies
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=15068

Make Holiday Tags with office supply labels

Make Paper Drop Ornaments http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10496

Decorate a Gingerbread House Kit

Watch a holiday movie together.

Read Santa Mouse then play “Santa Mouse Hunt” together.

Set up the Nativity Scene together & read the nativity story.

Make cinnamon applesauce ornaments and set out to dry.

Decorate cinnamon applesauce ornaments with glitter.

Update:

The bubble bath Santa beards and cinnamon ornaments were huge hits!  Happy Holidays!

Festive Faux Library Card Book

This cute book was one of our 2007 MHAG projects and is also a sampler of all the papers, cardstocks and ribbons in The Angel Company's Amelia collection. Perfect for the holidays and all year long, you’ll fall in love with Amelia!
I love to make mini books! They are great mementos and decorations too. Here are the details so you can make one for your mantel too!

Supplies
5 3”x8” Amelia Paper (V-838)
10 3”x1 Amelia Cardstock (B-317)
3 2”x3.5” Amelia Cardstock
1 Lg. Tag, 2 Med. Tags & 2 Sm. Tags from Amelia
5 4” pieces of Amelia Ribbon (B-217)
Be (T-2265)
Palette Burnt Umber (TT-218)
Corner rounder
Hole punch

Instructions

1. Score 3”x8” pieces at 4 7/8”. Fold in half with pattern out. Adhere a 1”x3” piece to the “top” edge of each folded piece where the white will be showing.
2. Round the top corners of each piece (where the 1x3 cs was adhered).
3. Score 4 of the 5 remaining 1x3 pieces in the middle (at ½”) and fold in half. (Use the fifth as an embellishment later.)
4. Lay out the “pages” of the book so that they will alternate facing up and down. Lay out the scored 1x3 pieces so that they will alternate between valley folds and mountain folds. If you want to make sure a certain pattern appears at the front of the book, figure that out now.
5. Begin assembly by applying adhesive to the inside edges of one page and sandwiching one hinge in one side. Move on to the next page, applying glue to the inside edges and adding hinges alternately with the mountain or valley fold facing up to make an accordion.
6. Use the three 2x3.5 cards to make tags to slip in pockets. Round corners, add tabs and ribbons and embellish as desired.
7. Stamp tags and pages with desired sayings.

Semi-Homemade Giftwrapping

If you like to make handmade cards like me, maybe you can relate to something that happened to me a couple of years back:

I was inundated by birthdays and had extinguished my supply of little girl cards. As I wrapped a gift for my friends' daughter, I thought, "She's so young, she won't notice if just this once I use a store-bought card." Well, she didn't, but as her mom helped her unwrap her gift, she exclaimed, "Julie? A store-bought card?!" Just then, her husband, who had been capturing the birthday fun on his camcorder turned the lens toward me and zoomed in, "What? No handmade card?!" Well, as you can imagine I was not only embarrassed but stunned by the realization that my moment of shame would be forever immortalized among their home movies.

Well, I think I have found a happy medium. My friend Yuki Zepeda likened this idea to Sandra Lee's cooking show.* I make semi-homemade cards and wrappings with things I have bought at the store. They still have a special touch, but they are super quick to make. In the slideshow you can see how I added stamping to plain (but oh-so-versatile) wrapping paper for a gift that is quick and classy. Real satin ribbon gives it a little extra style. My other favorites were the notecards I found at Target for $.74 for a package of 10 with the U monogram. I use all of my stamps that have the word 'You' and just cut that off to use with the cards. I also did some cute holiday cards where I just covered the U with a small image. Add a little Stickles or a little ribbon and voila! You'll be ready for all those birthdays that seem to all fall on the same weekend.
PS- Do you know why the second week of November has so many birthdays? It's nine months after Valentine's Day!

(*You know the one. The voluptuous blonde lady that turns husbands who like watching football and hunting shows into sudden cooking show fans.)

Peek-a-Boo Coluzzle Card Idea

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rush winter, but our new Ornamental Snowflakes seemed perfect for this peek-a-boo card. It looks complicated, but it's actually easy and fun to make. I started by making a semi-circle notch with a punch (quicker) and sanding my Matchmaker cardstock. Using this semi circle as a guide, I marked the place on my card and made this peek-a-boo window with my Coluzzle. The trick is to make a half circle on one side and then the next smaller circle opposite it. With a little nudge, the circle will hinge in the middle, making this cute window.
I used a punch for the white circle too (since I was making 20 for a swap) but all of the circle sizes could easily be made with your Coluzzle.
Give this idea a try and post what you come up with! Email me if you have any questions . . .


Edited: I was contacted by Jean in the UK (Hi Jean!), who was wondering if there were some other tools she could use. Here is my reply:
You could achieve the same look with the Creative Memories cutting system too, but it sounds like you usually improvise with things around the house to save money.


I'm a big believer in using what you have on hand! Other items you could try to get some different circle shapes would be lids to jars and jugs or bottles. You can trace the circles and cut them out with a craft knife. You might even keep your collection and number them in size so you have your own circle cutting system!

A good tip for the peek-a-boo card is to use a ruler or straight edge to make sure your circles begin and end at the correct place. That's very important for getting the circle to "swivel". Hopefully you can figure the rest out with the photo, but if not, send me another message. I'm happy to help!

Card and Notepad Folio

I received so many kind gestures in the last couple of weeks, as I've been going through a tough time, so I decided to make up some thank you's.

I whipped up cards that were super quick and easy, using colored notecard sets that were on clearance. This gave me a little head start, but still allowed me to give the cards a handmade touch. When you are out and about, keep your eye out for notecards. These "U" monogram cards quickly turn into Thank U, Thinking of U, etc. with your basic greeting stamps. I covered the striped card with a birthday message, and with its colorful stripes, it could be used for a male or female birthday! Here are a couple more pictures. Enjoy and thank for stopping by!

Perky Penguins

Well, I needed some stamping inspiration and one place I love to go is Heather's Blog. She's got a fun sketch challenge, so I gave it a whirl.

I had been wanting to try out these Perky Penguins. Isn't he cute? Of course I had to add a little Stickles, and overall, it's a very simple design. An easy card to whip up a bunch of.

This card is very appropriate, since we got snow here in Colorado over the weekend! I snapped this when I went out to shake our maples so the branches wouldn't break under the weight of the snow!

Kamalaht Chalk Board & Embossed Stones

I made this chalk board a while back as a gift. It's a little bit of form meets function, with its cool Kamalaht accents. (I really wanted to keep it for my kitchen!)
It's also magnetic, so I made some little embossed stone magnets for it, starting with those polished stones you find in the floral section of the hobby store. I used black ink and Transcendence Embossing powder. You could use black powder, but I seem to keep Transcendence right within arm's reach. The great thing about it is you can use it with any kind of ink. You have to work fast with regular ink on paper, but you just stamp, sprinkle, heat and whatever color ink you are using has that glossy, raised look. The other nice thing is that those stray sprinkles of powder that manage to get left behind are clear, so they are almost unnoticeable.
Aside from magnets, I think these stones would make nice little "worry" stones with encouraging messages. You hold or rub your worry stone as you think or pray on your troubles and it helps you let go of worry.
Forget your worries and check out Heather's blog! She's giving out candy!

More Fall Supplement Scrapbook Pages

Here are a couple more pages using sets from the TAC Fall Supplement. Cha Cha paper is so fun for fall!

Kids Table Collection on the TAC Fall Supplement

I'm so excited to share some fun projects with you fromThe Angel Company's Fall 2007 Supplement! When I saw this set, Count Your Blessings, I thought about my kiddos around the Thanksgiving table. We always talk about what we're thankful for, so I made this My Blessings Coaster Placecard Holder. It's a great place for kids to write down their blessings while they are waiting for dinner. My blessings include my husband John, son Jack (8) and daughters Katelyn (6) and Lily (2). You can see a couple more of my projects within the supplement, including one of the kids and me in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy crafting and preparing for your fall holidays!

Spooky Treats

Here are a couple of cute treats for your little goblins! I made this treat with a metal tin that has a clear plastic top. I stamped it with StazOn ink and used Glaze Jelly Pens to color it in.
This adorable card and envelope was made by my friend Gwen Zimmerman. (We're in a swap together.) It uses Simply Spooky Halloween paper. Check out her instructions and other ideas for these cute 3x3 cards and the envelope template on her blog. I love this idea so much that we're casing her idea (thanks Gwen!) for the upcoming Mile High Angel Gathering! It's so fun now that the fall craft season has begun!

Hello Fall Emboss Resist Card

Well, you've probably noticed that I like emboss/resist techniques and here's another one that's similar to what people call Joseph's Coat. I used TAC's Rustic Chic and the miniature maple leaf from the Pressed Flowers stamp set. That paper is especially beautiful for fall, but I love using it all year long.
It's cooling down here in Colorado. Fall is definitely in the air. Perfect weather for getting back to our crafts, catching up on making cards and scrapbooking. Get on my mailing list for some exciting upcoming events!

Summer Pages with TAC's Pop Rockz

As soon as I saw these pictures of Lily, I knew I would use Pop Rockz paper from The Angel Company. Its vibrant colors capture summer and having girl and boy patterns makes it perfect for a family album. The coordinating stamp set, Paisley Rockz, is a must-have. I use it a ton. (Like for my Paisley Mini Book.) I also love that Pop Rockz' slightly-weathered white undertones make it so easy to pull together a page. I left a little white edge to the wallet-sized photos I printed and used white Scrapper's Floss and Paper Posies to give my pages the finishing touch. I love my Mini File Tab punch too. Scraps are magically transformed into the perfect accessory!

Do you want to pick up some tips on some other must-have tools? Click the link below on the right for emails about upcoming Denver/Colorado events, like Tool Time next Thursday at my church's FREE cardmaking night! You'll come home with a few cards and bursting with ideas!

White Crayon Resist

Here's a fun technique to try! Use StazOn ink, glossy paper, an image with some space to color in and a white crayon. Color the space you want to stay white like these flower petals from Blooming Builders (think snowman, cupcake, lighthouse and other images too.) Next use a dye ink to sponge or brayer ink over the surface. I used a Kaleidacolor pad, since they have several colors that harmonize nicely all in one pad. When it's dry, use a tissue to rub off the crayon. What is under the crayon is gleaming white, glossy paper! It's really a fun effect. Tip: keep your crayon sharp with a makeup pencil sharpener. I have one that does large and small widths. Want to learn more techniques like these? Sign up to get emails about Colorado/Denver area stamping and scrapbooking events using the link down in the right hand column!

Ink Up Bazzill Bitty Blossoms and Heidi Swapp Florals

I have such fun with florals. Whether they are vibrantly colored, like our Assorted Bazzill Bitty Blossoms or are white (we have the White Bitty Blossoms and White Heidi Swapp Florals) they are fun to use and even more fun to color with a little ink. I like Palette Inks the best, but they are also beautiful with the Versamagic chalk inks.
Our Hydra Sponges can be turned into at least six perfectly sized applicators by cutting them into wedges. I have one in each basic color and keep them near my desk. (You get 6 in a package for $6.95 so they will last forever!) They are perfect for adding a touch of color to paper (obviously) as well. And don't stop there! Ink up ribbons, staples, Paper Posies, chipboard, book binding tape--you name it. When you add a little ink to your project, everything coordinates. Everything harmonizes. What could be more fun and easy than that?
Jewels
Julie Griffith
Ind. Demonstrator, The Angel Company

Chipboard/Board Books

Check out my "Cute Kate" Board Book!
Supplies: Ribbon Words (T2287) and Running Stitches (T2610) Stamp Sets, Gentle Beginnings Designer Collection Paper(V900), ABC Frameworks chipboard(A10), Brown CS(V73), Burnt Umber Palette Ink(TT218), McGill Mini File Tab Punch(D881)
This book was so easy and fun! It uses less than 4 pages of paper, 2 stamp sets and 1 ink color. I love stamp stitching and using the ribbon words was so much fun, since it has such cute phrases and I was able to cut them up for even more versatility. Click on any of the item numbers above to pick up the supplies to make your own chipboard book, or browse the chipboard book section of my online shipping cart. You can also email me for one of my stamp stitching kits. On special for $29 (regularly $34), it gives you the stitches, block, ink and distresser used in my Cute Kate project. What a deal!
Jewels
Julie Griffith - Demonstrator/Manager, The Angel Company

Scallop Borders with Circle Stamps

I made a cute card today for an upcoming swap and I stole another idea from my friend Kim! (Do you want to come and steal ideas from her too? If you're in the Denver/Parker, Colorado area, come scrapbooking this Friday with us at church!)
I got one of my new sets from our new catalogue today called Blossom Builders and I used one of the circle flower centers to make this scalloped border! Isn't that fun? Scallops are so hot right now. You see them in borders, circles and squares, and you can make any shape you want. I found it easiest to follow a straight line with my ruler.
Don't have a circle stamp? Try this cool idea from one of my other creative friends, Jen. She does scallops with a circle punch! Isn't that neat? By the way, you know how you see great idea on someone's blog and you want to go find it later? Well, on Blogger, it's really easy to search for a topic. See the white blank and the "SEARCH BLOG" up in the top left hand side of the border? That's where you can search the whole blog for the topic you're looking for. So easy! Well, enjoy this tip and try it out. Post a comment and a link to your card so we can all check it out. Ciao!
Jewels
Julie Griffith - Demonstrator/Manager, The Angel Company

Starbook with the New TAC Hemingway Collection

I was inspired by the starbook we made at seminar to make this one from the new Hemingway Soar With It Collection from The Angel Company. My son Jack's personality is really captured by the stamp set, About a Boy. With our 8 new beautiful paper collections, TAC offers coordinated cardstocks, hardware and ribbons that make preserving your memories easy and so much fun!

My Girl Flip Book Featured in TAC Idea Book & Catalogue

It's here! The 2007 Fall Idea Book & Catalog for The Angel Company has just been unveiled! Among the 8 beautiful new paper lines was one of my returning favorites: Genevieve. It's the one I used to design this flip book of my daughter Katelyn, which was featured in the catalogue on Page 29. See the instructions here.

It's just one of the hundreds of gorgeous cards, pages and projects in our full-color Idea Book. Email me today for your copy!

One Sheet Treat Box

This cute little project has a ton of possibilities. From packaging candy treats to little birthday gifts, you'll find so many reason to make these fun boxes. See the slideshow tutorial here. It features the new Curls and Swirls set, which is my new favorite!

We're making this box plus 20 other projects later today at the 2007 Pre-Seminar Social that my fellow Angel, Avis, hosts. It's the first of four fun days surrounding The Angel Company's Annual Seminar in Kansas City. This one is extra special, since we're celebrating the company's 10th Anniversary!

Stay tuned for other fun announcements, including the unveiling of our new catalog!

Piercing, Dotting and Stitching with Embroidery Grid

I am busy getting ready for The Angel Company's Annual Seminar (next week), but I wanted to share with you a great technique that I'm using on one of my many, many swap cards I am making to trade. I learned this from my friend, Kim Singdahlsen, who organizes our monthly card-making event at our church. (If you are in the Denver area, you've got to join us and see these great ideas! Click "Get on my Email List" below for dates and directions for upcoming events.)
As you can see in the slideshow, (click the little Picasa logo to go see it full screen) plastic canvas makes an awesome guide for piercing, dotting and stitching on your cards. Our Souffle Pens are so fun. They add dimension and shine to flat and shiny surfaces. The technique on the colored cardstock is emboss resist (glossy paper, clear EP and brayered with Boudoir Blush and Claret Palette pads). The stamp set is Artsy Elements, which was a Jubilee Hostess Set that I hope comes out with the new catalog.
Speaking of the new catalog, I'll be out of town next week for its unveiling, but I'll try to keep you posted here with more techniques and ideas. Look for news from the new catalog at the first of July. . . .

Stamp Stitched CD Folder Book

You will love making this little book from CD folders, Matchmaker cardstock and A Little Whimsy paper. I got the idea from Heather Scott's Oz-Some Blog. I love her stuff! She gives all the instructions and pictures. I added a Heidi Swapp Floral (we carry the white ones and it's so easy to coordinate them to your project by sponging them with a little ink!) I also made a little button with my Ellison Big Shot and a little embroidery floss. Get everything you need to do this Stamp Stitching technique with my kit. It really gives paper crafts the look of frayed fabric and it's just sew much fun!

Abundance is . . .

. . . playing with your new rubber stamps from The Angel Company! I just got my stamps that were released as a Sneak Peek to our new catalog that will be out at the beginning of July. I couldn't resist the flowers in Treasure It, and the words in More Abundance are awesome. For the flowers, I used Boudoir Blush and Claret inks. I just love Palette ink. It's so vibrant. I also love how the flowers in this set look great with two step stamping the outside and inside or equally great just using the insides for a softer look. Speaking of soft, I was deciding on which green to use and settled on Versamagic Aloe Vera. That green is the definition of soft. If you'd like to get your own sneak peak stamps, check out my online shopping cart, or to hear the latest news, including when I schedule my new catalog unveiling, click "Get on my Email List" below.

Envelope Gift Bag for Card Set

It sneaks up on me every year. It's not that I forget to honor the teachers in my family's life. It's that I forget how many there are! Dance teachers, school teachers, Cub Scout leaders--yikes! Well, if you like to make cards like I do, what better gift than a card set?
Make this easy gift "bag" for your cards with a large envelope. (See slideshow for instructions.)
The cards I'm making are from my "Darling Details" card class, which I teach in my studio or your home. Techniques include Simply Stickles, Stamp Stitching, Charming Chalks, and Shabby Chic. Although the little details create that "finishing touch" they can be made in a flash, so you can make a pile of cards fast! Call me today to schedule a class!
These cards also feature our Bella Flor paper. You'll be amazed at how many cards you can make from one paper pack!

Punctuation?

I'm loving the Punctuation set from Spring Fling. It can be used just like flourishes to create interesting designs on your cards and scrapbook pages! See what you can come up with using this set and post a link.
Now I'm off to case Heather's latest creation: the cd folder book. I'll post a picture when I get done . . .

Candy Tin Scrapbook

Check out this little scrapbook of my sweeties, made with the The Angel Company's Mulberry Meadow paper and Candy Tin, which comes with the insert all ready to decorate and add all those little wallet photos you have of your kiddos. This is a perfect gift to make for grandma and grandpa and leave room for them to add more photos. The paper matches perfectly with the Versamagic Jewel Box Dew Drop inks, so it's so easy to coordinate colors. To see all the steps and instructions, visit my slideshow and to order the products, email me or visit my secure shopping cart.

Kamalaht Purse and Card Gift Set

Don't you love it when you have the perfect little gift at the ready right when you need it? There are so many birthdays, graduations, not to mention Mother's Day that have been happening lately, I was so happy to have this little gift set, all ready to give. It's filled with cards that are great for any occasion and they can be masculine or feminine (we all know how hard it is to make a card for those guys!). Make a little set like this by checking out my friend Camille's class or getting one of her kits. You'll get all the paper and instructions ready to go! You'll be so glad you did, the next time you need the perfect little gift!

Paisley Mini Scrapbook

I made this fun book from a kit I got from Stephanie Breckbill's mini scrapbook class. It was so easy and the kit even comes with the Paisley Rockz stamp set! Can you believe that this is one set I never got, but now I'm in love with it! I added the hostess set Younique and used pictures of my kids from Easter. To see the whole book, view my slideshow and to get the kit, email Stephanie. You'll love making the book. It's a project you could do with kids or a last minute Mother's Day gift . . .

Charming Chalk Techniques

Happy Bugday, and Hello to all the new friends I met at the stamping convention this weekend! It is so much fun to spend a day and a half with people who love to do what I do and share ideas. Here is a card from my Saturday class. We made the card tin and filled it with four cute cards. This one uses our Versamagic Tea Leaves chalk ink. It's so soft and velvety. I added a little blue sparkle to his wings with Jewel Tones chalk. I love those chalks! You can color with them using a blender pen, sweep it over Versamark or add it to an image that's been freshly stamped with chalk ink. It's such a nice effect. I also created faux brads with Liquid Pearls and I have a really fun tip for how I did the grass. Well, you love using Versamark on cardstock to give it that watermark look, right? On Matchmaker Cardstock, there's a little trick to get that look. After stamping, you lightly sand the paper with a sanding block and the image appears like magic! You've got to try this! Have fun and stay tuned for more techniques and darling details! (PS-Are you looking for this set? It's from Spring Fling and paper if Bella Flor.)

A Card for a Friend

I was just saying the other day that there is nothing like getting a card in the mail. Especially those "just because" cards. I talked to my friend in Hawaii, who occasionally misses the mainland and I thought, "she could use a 'just because' card."

I went to my handy card tin (I'm teaching this class on Saturday at the stamping convention in Denver) and found this one I made when I got my new Spring Fling sets. What a perfect way to show her I'm thinking of her. These are the card ideas I love to share. They don't take much time and just a few supplies, but just imagine the smiles you'll create with just a little paper and ink.

Have fun creating today!

Ink Meets Carpet and the Miracle of TAC's Stamp Cleaner

I swear that only about 6.5 seconds went by, but my Lily is a master at waiting for Mom's back to be turned. This is when I learned the Miracle of TAC's Stamp Cleaner. I was already a fan, but little did I know, this stuff could actually save a life (well, at the very least, a marriage.)
Anyway, if you have a little one at your house and she's seen you do "direct to paper" and decides to try "direct to carpet", here's what you do:


Spray the area with stamp cleaner. (It will look like the stain actually gets darker. Don't panic. It's just the color going to the surface of the carpet.)
Blot with a clean paper towel and repeat spraying and blotting until no color remains.
Rinse the area with a clean, damp sponge or wash cloth or use a spot carpet cleaner to remove all traces of stamp cleaner.

You can also use our cleaner to clean off your blocks and any other surfaces that have picked up a little ink. And your stamps? What do you know? It's great for those too!