As promised, I have adapted my paper pumpkins to create Designer Series Paper Ornaments and created a tutorial for all of you. There is also a bonus project at the end of this post too!!!

These ornaments are a great way to use up all those Designer Series Paper scraps this year.

Supplies Used:

• Holiday Treasures Designer Series Paper (#112469)
• Paper Cutter (#104152)
• Crop-A-Dile (#108362)
• Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon (#109070)

To Order Products for this Project Click Here

Step 1:

For this ornament we will use 1/4 sheet of 12 x 12 Designer Series Paper (DSP).

Cut 6 strips (1″x6″) from your DSP. In the picture every other piece is turned over to show you both sides.

Step 2:

Stack your 1″x6″ paper strips on top of one another as seen in the picture. Using the 1/8″ punch on the Crop-A-Dile, punch a hole in each end of the papers. ( Using the Crop-A-Dile to punch through all layers at the same time ensures that they will line up nicely when putting the ornament together)

Step 3:

Cut off a 16″ piece of Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon. Fold the ribbon in half, and thread the two ends through one end of the paper strips. Tie a knot in the ribbons, leaving a decorative tail as seen in the picture to the right.

Make sure to trim the ends of your ribbon to clean up any frayed edges.

Step 4:

Thread the other end of your ribbon through the other side of the paper strips as shown.

Step 5:

Pull ribbon through until the desired shape is achieved, then tie a knot in the ribbon to hold the paper in place.

Step 6:

Carefully fan out one strip of paper at a time to create this quick and beautiful ornament!

If you want a fuller looking ornament use 12 strips instead of 6.

Bonus project:

Using the same tutorial above, and the same pack of DSP I created this really cute gift basket!

I used nine strips of paper instead of 6. Instead of ribbon I used flowers and rhinestone brads from the Pretties Kit. The top strip of paper is turned over to show another pattern for the handle. I am sure you can figure out how to fan out the paper strips by looking at the picture above.

This project can be used for small gifts this year. Just add a little tissue paper or paper strips to the inside of the basket. If you are concerned about your gift falling through the paper strips, you can add a little adhesive to the areas where they overlap to reinforce the basket.

I hope you have fun with these projects this year! Feel free to send me some pictures of what you did, I would like to add them to my gallery.

Click Here to Order Materials for this Project

Although Christmas is just around the corner, this project can be used for all occasions throughout the year. So, pick out your DSP and take advantage of some of the great specials Stampin’ Up! has to offer you. Scroll down the right sidebar to view current promotions.

Happy Stamping!

Each year I let my girls help me design their birthday invitations. Let me tell you I have gotten some really good color combos out of them! This year Emma picked pink for her color. Well, at first she picked every color in the rainbow and wanted each kid to get an invitation made with their favorite color, but I reeled her in by limiting her to her own favorite color.

I ordered the “Crazy For Cupcakes” stamp set special for her birthday this year after I learned this really cool technique from Donna Centamore a while back to make puffy frosting or snow. I thought this technique would be perfect for Emma because she loves to eat the frosting off cupcakes! She really got a kick out of the puffy frosting!

How about a tutorial?

Supplies:

• Crazy for Cupcakes Stamp Set (#111618)
• Hugs and Wishes Stamp Set (#109383)
• Chocolate Chip Card Stock (#102128)
• Pink Pirouette Card Stock (#111351)
• Whisper White Card Stock (#100730)
• StazOn Ink Pad Jet Black (#101406)
• Pink Pirouette Classic Stamp Pad (#111838)
• Close to Cocoa Classic Stamp Pad(#10139), re-inker(#102444), or Marker (#100072)
• Creamy Caramel Classic Stamp Pad(#103220), re-inker(#101478), or Marker (#100078)
• Going Gray Classic Stamp Pad (#103274), re-inker(#102521), or Marker (only in neutral pack #109126)
• Real Red Stampin’ Write Marker (#100052)
• Aqapainter (#103954)
• Pink Pirouette re-inker (#111843)
• Heat Tool (#100005)
• Salt and All-Purpose Flour

Gather your supplies and Pre cut your card stock pieces as follows:

• Pink Pirouette (5.5″x8.5″)
• Whisper White (5″x3.75″) and (2.75″ x 4″)
• Chocolate Chip (3″ x 4.25″)

Step 1: Random stamp balloons all over card front using Pink Pirouette Classic Ink.

Step 2: Using StazOn, stamp images on Whisper White Card Stock (2.75″ x 4″). I used Timber Brown StazOn, which has been retired from our catalog. the StazOn resists bleeding when you watercolor the cupcake bottoms. You can also use Basic Brown Classic Ink or Jet Black StazOn for the cupcakes and Chocolate Chip Classic for greeting.

Step 3: Stamp invitation information onto whisper white insert (5″ x 3.75″) using Chocolate Chip Classic Ink.

You can barely see it in the picture, but I also stamped a large cupcake in the center with Pink Pirouette Classic Ink. This will look like a watermark behind your writing.

I used my Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Write marker to write in the rest of the information.

Step 4: Now for the fun part! Take a small container and add equal parts of All Purpose Flour and Salt. I used a Sponge Dauber to measure. Mix well.

Add a few drops of water and mix to the consistency a little thicker than school glue. Add 3 drops of Pink Pirouette Classic Ink to this mixture.

Step 5: Color each cherry with a Real Red Stampin’ Write Marker. Color the stand with Going Grey, and the bottoms of each cupcake were watercolored using an aqua painter, Creamy Caramel, and Close to Cocoa Classic Ink.

When watercoloring, I very quickly and lightly colored each bottom with creamy caramel starting at the top left hand corner and working to the right. You want white spots here and there so don’ worry about that. Then do the same with Close to Cocoa Classic Ink to add a shadow. You can see the detail in the next picture.

Step 6: Using a small spatula or screwdriver, carefully place the salt and flour mixture on each cupcake. You only need a little frosting on each cupcake, just make sure you push it from the center out to the stamped outline.

Using a heat tool dry the backside of the card stock until the mixture turns from shiny to matte finish. Then use the heat tool on the front of the card stock and heat each cupcake until the frosting puffs up.

Step 7: Assemble your card, and don’t forget to use your personalized name stamp on the back of your card so the receiver knows it was handmade by you!

I hope you have fun playing around with this technique. I suggest using some of those card stock scraps that you have lying around to play with this. If you add too much mixture It might not dry in the middle. If you add too much water the puffy accents might crush because they are too delicate.

Come back for more tutorials soon!

Happy Stamping!

As promised I am posting a very quick tutorial on how to heat emboss an image. I am sure most of you have tried embossing before, but for those of you who haven’t …you don’t know what you are missing! Embossing is a very simple process and it sure does add a WOW to your project.

First of all there are a few basic supplies you will need (all products can be found in the Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and Catalog and I have page numbers listed for you):

• Card Stock (pages 162-166)
• VersaMark Ink (page 193)
• Embossing Powder (page 190)
• Embossing Buddy (page 190)
• Heat Tool (page 190)
• Powder Pal Tray (page 190)
• Rubber Stamps (can be found throughout the catalog)

Step 1: Rub the Embossing Buddy across the Card Stock to reduce static. This prevents the Embossing Powder from sticking where you don’t want it to.

Step 2: Stamp the image on Card Stock using VersaMark Ink.

Step 3: Hold your stamped Card Stock over a Powder Pals tray. Pour Embossing Powder over the stamped image, then shake off the excess.

Step 4: Heat the stamped image, using a Heat Tool, until it turns shiny.

Here is a better picture displaying the raised, shiny image…

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and that it inspires you to try heat embossing. If you would like to see the items used in this tutorial Click Here to view the Fall-Winter Idea Book and Catalog.

As always contact me anytime if you would like to place an order. I can ship your embossing supplies directly to your door anywhere in the U.S.

Happy Stamping!