Halloween | Highdesert Stamper - Artistic Inkspirations

Handmade Designer paper….WHO was right??

Oct 16th, 2010 Posted in Big Shot Ideas, Challenges, Dry Embossing, Featured Projects, Gifts, Halloween, PUNCH ART, Rubber Stamping, Special OFFERS, Specialty Classes, Sunday Stamp Class, Tutorials, WORK AT HOME | one comment »

Earlier this week I asked a question…. WHICH paper did I make, and which was the REAL designer paper. Before I show you, I’ll give you the winner who guessed correctly.

The winner of the free Halloween Spooky card is ……………………………………………………

——Jean Fitch!! congratulations JEAN… you were right!!

The top card (the one with the green ribbon and the 3 bats) is the one I “replicated” making my own designer paper. Judy was right also, but JUDY had made one of these in my class!! Jean, if you will email me and give me your address, I will send you your card in the mail. Do you want the green ribbon card or the orange ribbon card? Email me at “highdesertstamper@gmail.com” Please!! Judy isn’t getting left out… she will receive a FREE stamp set from me for participating and being a loyal customer on my blog!

——I also have a card for Wendy Hawkinson, who also guessed the first card as the “faux dsp”, but was unable to leave a comment because the computer thought she was spam!! So WENDY, please send me YOUR snail mail address also!!

Thanks to all of your for playing along!!

Ok..now here’s the answer…and how I did it. I had made one of the pieces of “designer paper” and used an actual piece on the other card. So here are some samples of the “faux designer paper”. First…. the card with the “faux” designer paper was the one with the green ribbon shown here:

Next…here are some pics of the REAL designer paper (the back side of the piece with the giant grey dots in the WICKED FUN Designer paper shown on page 172 in the main catalog : Middle picture on the bottom row: 117400 11.95 a pack. You can order it right here and make your own cards!! The stamp set is Wicked Cool, #120600 (c) for $14.95. Other cardstock colors were Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizazz, Basic Black, whisper white, and Pumpkin Pie. Ribbons were Pumpkin and Olive. And we can’t forget that adorable BAT PUNCH!!

——Place an order online with me for the Wicked Cool Stamp set, the Wicked Fun designer paper, and one of the striped ribbons, and I’ll send you a card kit with all the instructions and measurements to make this card!!

Wicked Fun Specialty Designer Series Paper - by Stampin' Up!

See the little dots on the green piece above? That’s what I was trying to duplicate on my cardstock. So here’s some other cardstocks I distressed to use on these cards. The first pic is the actual scrap of the REAL designer paper I had leftover.

This next image is the green distressed paper. …….

Then some pumpkin distressed paper………………………….

Both pieces were run through the bigshot with the polka dot embossing folder, then I used DTP to distress the paper with various shades of ink, including razzleberry, old olive, soft suede, rubbing the ink pad over the raised embossing, and “pouncing” some with the ink pad to give the scratched look.

In addition to the Wicked cool spooky cards… my stampers made some little treat bags with the fall colored M&M’s… now available in stores. We used black cardstock in the Bigshot with the new COB WEB embossing folder, then used a sponge and some of the champagne shimmer paint over the web. I decorated the front with Batty for You stamp and a punched out scallop circle.

Check back tomorrow to see what I made with all the leftover scraps of “green distressed faux designer paper” and the pieces left over from cutting all the cards.. I challenged myself to make something of all the pre-cut pieces and some scraps….. using a different stamp set. Sometimes we need to challenge ourselves to use those pieces up RIGHT NOW and not just put them back in the box to be used later for the same card or something else. I have BOXES sitting all over with a lot of UNFINISHED pieces left over from classes!! Do you have that problem?? Come back tomorrow to see my solution!!

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I know a lot of you browse the blogs looking for ideas…..if you don’t have a demo to serve you, and you get inspired by the things we post on our blogs, please consider purchasing your products online from me HERE. Placing an online order with me is a great way to show your support to me as a demo, and it helps keep the little business person IN business!! I really appreciate all of you and your support. It makes the countless hours of designing cards, picture taking, resizing, and blogging all worth the time and effort.

Tags: Creative stamping classes, http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/conniesmith/

Wicked cool and paper cutting tips….CARD GIVEAWAY

Oct 10th, 2010 Posted in Big Shot Ideas, Card Classes, Dry Embossing, FALL & Thanksgiving, Halloween, NEW PRODUCTS, Sunday Stamp Class | 8 comments »

I have a monthly stamp class every 2nd Sunday. I try to teach my friends something they can enjoy and also go home and do again. I always have them make 2 cards, and another project. I cased this card from Mary Brown, and switched some of the bats and papers a bit. I didn’t have enough of the Wicked Fun designer paper so “replicated” the look of it on the second card. I even did some “ink distressing” on the designer paper… so look closely!! It’s a little hard to use all the “flocked bats” like Mary did on her card and have enough to go around when you cut for a group.. so I punched out most of my bats with the new BAT punch! I did go back later and color my witches stockings…couldn’t leave them just black and white! Also added some glitter to the bats and witches stockings.

I’ve also included some cutting and stamping tips for those of you who have to cut a lot for large groups and don’t like to waste any bit of the cardstock!! Here are my two cards, one with Pumpkin ribbon and one with Olive ribbons. Can you tell which one used the real designer paper and which was was the “mimic” ??

Here are some of my cutting tips. I had to cut the Razzleberry paper at 3 3/4″ by 5″. So I cut it LENGTHWISE to give me a nice long strip on the long edge to cut into the 3″ x 1″ pieces to mount the word “spooky”.

‘Then I had these nice long strips…….

These are what I used to cut the pieces for the mat for the words.

That gave me all the mats I needed!! Then I stamped a “template” for my stampers to follow, so they could get all their witches feet, the words, and extra bats to cut out, all on one piece of cardstock. This way they’re not digging in their bags looking for different sizes of white cardstock to stamp all the extra pieces. It works out really nice, especially if you have a lot of people to cut pieces for!!

See how I lined up the “spooky” word so they can just cut a strip then mount it on the 1×3″ piece of Razzleberry cardstock I cut off the sides of the main mount piece.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you learned something from my cutting tips!!

Did you figure out which one of the cards used the DSP and which one I made myself?? If so… leave me a comment and I’ll select a winner using random number selector and send the winner one of the cards!!

Take the time to create something fun with your stamps!!

Tags: Altered Arts, card kits, DRY EMBOSSING, http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/conniesmith/, Monthly Class

From the Crypt & Pumpkins

Oct 13th, 2009 Posted in 3-D Items, Big Shot Ideas, Featured Projects, Halloween, WORK AT HOME | one comment »

This past Sunday I had the ladies make 2 Fall/Halloween cards using the stamp sets From the Crypt and Autumn Harvest, and a fun little favor bag using Graveyard Gala. I cased the card from another demo, but she didn’t put her watermark on the card so when I went back to look and give credit, I could’t find who had originally made this card. I did change up the colors a bit and added some sponging on the main stamped piece for added interest.

I do have some leftover card and bag kits if anyone would like to buy a set. Contact me at “highdesertstamper@gmail.com” to order. I have a limited supply of these cute little bags. I do have the pumpkins and their vines all punched out in the sets. Just let me know if you want pumpkin or tombstone for the bag and I will include the white cardstock for you to stamp the tombstone. Stamped images are not included, if you would like to purchase the corresponding stamp set, you can order then right here!

Stamp sets: Autumn Harvest , From the Crypt, Graveyard Gala

Fancy Favor box, BS Die #115865 $39.95

Autumn Harvest	110372
Price: $17.95
Whether you come from farmland or the big city, the idea of fall has a quaint, natural association. Autumn is the perfect time for many people to go outside and sketch the delights of the season. Our die cut Autumn Harvest set captures this rustic, homey feel of being outside at harvest time. And with our Two-Step Stampin’ design, you can add a little Halloween fun to your harvest pumpkins. Set Quantity: 6

From The Crypt	115460
Price: $22.95
Scary, edgy, and artistic? All in one stamp set? Hard to believe, but it’s true. Make your own creative mark on Halloween projects with these four, very different images. Your invitations, decorations, and party treats will be the envy of every ghoul in town. Set Quantity: 4

Graveyard Gala	115458
Price: $20.95
You have the eerie music and plenty of candy corn, but what’s missing? The haunting decor, of course. Graveyard Gala gives you just the images you’ll need–with a pair of crows, a gravestone for your invites, and a jack-o-lantern flourish, you’ll frighten even yourself with your own creativity. Set Quantity: 4