The Happy Room

Make these "Top Note Die" boxes as seen on 3TV's "Your Life A to Z" in Phoenix!

Here's how:

SUPPLIES
Top Note Die (or other die shape of your choice)
Die Cutting Machine
2 pieces of cardstock measuring 4 1/4" X 5 1/2"
Scoring tool to score cardstock
Glue or tape
Chipboard
Pattern Paper
Scissors
Any other embellishments for top of box

Step 1: With the die and a die cutter, cut 2 chipboard shapes. (Be green and recycle old cereal boxes or other containers! And it's FREE!)

Step 2: Die cut two pieces of patterned paper.

Step 3: Glue each piece of patterned paper to the chipboard shapes.

Step 4: Cut two pieces of cardstock 4 1/4" X 5 1/2"

Step 5: Score at 1" all the way around on one piece of the cardstock.

Step 6: Score at 1 1/16" all the way around on the second piece of cardstock.

Step 7: Cut the two score lines on each of the short ends on both of the cardstock
pieces.

Step 8: Fold and glue the ends to create the box top. Repeat the same steps on the second piece of cardstock to form the box bottom.

Step 9: Attach the box TOP to the die cut shape (attach on the chipboard side).

Step 10: Attach the box BOTTOM to the die cut shape (attach on the patterned paper side).

Step 11: Embellish as desired and enjoy!!!

NOTE: If you don't have a die and a die cutting machine, the box can still easily be created by cutting a piece of chipboard to 3 1/4" X 4 1/4". Then, just follow the rest of the easy steps!

I hope you enjoy making these delightfully easy gift boxes!

Thanks for stopping by!

I found this incredible Christmas Ornament project on Yvonne's blog and couldn't wait to try it. I made it for a VERY special friend~hope she likes it. The link to the blog will take you to a picture tutorial; I found it pretty easy to follow!

I used a medallion stamp from I Brake For Stamps and colored it with SU markers. Pearls (small) are from my stash; the large pearl brad is from Wilton (in the wedding section of Michael's). All of the die cuts used in making the ornament at Spellbinder's Nestabilities.

Looks like the holidays are upon us~I'm already excited about all the fabulous papercrafting possibilities!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Kathie

This card features the ever popular floating re-inker technique which I LOVE!! I stamped the image onto SU's Shimmery White cardstock and painted away with some reinkers and an aqua pen. Sheer delight!!

The mirrored background behind the rose is one of those finds that I can't trace. When I subscribed to Vamp Stamp News, I received a sheet of it inside one of my magazines. I hoarded it (like I do with many things) and recently ran across it, so I decided to die cut it with my SU Top Note Die cut and place it behind my rose image.

The die cuts are miscellaneous cuts from my stash, the fern is a Martha Stewart punch. I stitched around the layer with my Janome Mini sewing machine.

This card is dear to me, as I made it for a very special friend of mine in the stamping world. I'm glad you love it Bonnie!!! Visit Bonnie's blog HERE for some incredible eye candy!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

~Kathie

CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR A LARGER VIEW


This is my entry for an Asian card challenge over at the Michael Strong Yahoo Group.
My card base is the ever popular Tri Shutter Card design. I used several Michael Strong Stamps in my design. They are:Cloisonne' Fan, the Cloisonne' Triangle and the Cloisonne' Circle both from the Cloisonne' Elements Collection
HERE IS HOW I MADE THE CARD:

I stamped the fan image 3 times with VersaMark ink onto black cardstock and embossed with PSX Gold embossing powder. I left the first fan intact as one piece, but cut the other two images apart and layered and curled each piece for dimension, adding foam mounting tape. I added a gold brad at the base and cut small pieces of gold cord which are glued under the brad.

The outer panels are a beautiful red cardstock purchased from a local paper store. It has small gold specs embedded into the paper. I ran those through a Cuttlebug to give it some texture and used a Marvy Corner Scallop punch on each corner.

The left panel addtionally has 4 small triangle images pieced together on top of the red cardstock. I made the "stick" by wrapping the multicolored red/black/gold cardstock around a wooden bamboo skewer, then glueing it with Aleen's Tacky Glue. Then, I wrapped gold cord around the stick, securing it on each end with the same glue.

All else is basic stamping/embossing/cuttlebugging, etc with the exception of the "kite". It features the 2 triangle images again with a kite tail made from the same red/black/gold paper. I cut a thin strip of the paper and wound it around a BBQ skewer. Then, I sprayed the paper with a light mist of water and dried it with my heat tool. I slid the skewer out and had a wonderful curly piece of paper that I added to the triangle. An asian kite!!!

The final element is the beaded fringe which I purchased and glued to the top strip of the card. The beads show up a little better in real life~they add so much character to any project!!

I hope you've enjoyed it and thanks for looking!!

Kathie

Hey Blog Hoppers! Welcome my blog stop on the Technique Junkies Design Team Treasure Hunt. Weren't Judy and Vada's projects fabulous?? Now, if you didn't see their creations, hop on over HERE to begin. By starting there, you'll be able to have a full tour and see all the fabulous designs that our Design Team has in store for you!! Plus, it will tell you all about the Treasure Hunt!! Our fearless leader, Pat Huntoon, has prepared a prize through a drawing that just might be yours if you qualify to win! She "leaked" the information to the design team a day or two ago. WOW~it's a doozie and WELL worth your time!!

Here's how it works: Start at the TJ blog to collect your first clue. At each stop, you'll find another clue. At the end of the treasure hunt, you'll have all the clues which will enable you to put them all together to spell the secret message. Leave a comment on the TJ website (your last stop on the tour)~you won't be able to see your comments, but don't worry. They're there, just moderated so others can't see your answers!! On or after August 3rd, Pat will select a winner from those who provided the correct answer to the treasure hunt mystery. Fun, huh??

All of our designs are "sneek peeks" into the August issue of the Technique Junkies newsletter! And we'll have another Treasure Hunt next month! So let's get going with another clue to help you enter to win..............

This technique is called Starch & Smoosh. It's fast, it's easy, and it's spectacular!! My friend and I spent a joyous afternoon making dozens of these backgrounds. They are beautiful enough to use "as is", but I like to add to them! So versatile!

I hope you enjoy the project. And your reward for looking is the letter U. And don't stop here, because our very talented designer Lisa Sommerville, has a great technique and project for you! Click HERE to visit her on your next stop. Happy Hunting!!
~Kathie

CLICK ON THIS PHOTO FOR A LARGER VIEW!!!!

This was such a fun project! I love the Michael Strong images for intricate cards because each image adds so much elegance and flair.

This is the oh-so-popular Tri Shutter Card. I found some great directions on Bonnie's blog HERE that made my project so easy!! Just a few scores and straight cuts and Voila! Instant beauty!!

I used Bazzill Boyzenberry cardstock for my base and some miscellaneous background papers for the layering. I knew that a Michael Strong image would be the perfect addition to this card. WOW! I'm so happy that I had this assortment of his Cloisonne' images in my stamp collection because it was the exact look I was going for.

The Cloisonne' squares and circles adorn the outer panel of this card. I punched larger circles and squares from some gold cardstock scraps I had on hand to frame each image. The smaller inside panels are decorated with the Cloisonne' leaf. I gently curled the leaves and shaped them by hand and added them to the panels with foam dimensional tape. (All of these images were stamped with VersaMark ink and embossed with Stampendous PearLustre Gold Embossing Powder). The layer below the leaves is the same scrapbook paper flipped over (it's two sided) and I edged each side with a Gold Foil Pen. AND......each layer of scrapbook paper was punched with my Marvy Scallop punch. I LOVE THAT THING!!

The center panel boasts the ever popular Michael Strong Dragonfly image that you see in SO many of my projects. It's the perfect size and shape for so many of my creations. I stamped it in VersaMark and embossed with Stampendous' PearLustre Garnet Embossing Powder.

The four small panels are background paper which I edged with a technique called Drywall Stitching. What in the world is that???? I learned it at Technique Junkies!!

The small hanging beads are from Dollar Tree.

I hope you've enjoyed the project and thanks for stopping by!!!!

Kathie

BE SURE TO CLICK ON THIS PICTURE FOR A NICE LARGE VIEW!!!

I made this card for a friend who is ill. I thought a bright and cheery card with a loving christian theme and message was a wonderful way to let her know that I was praying for her recovery. It's great to be able to create something beautiful for someone else that's suffering in hopes to brighten their day, right? Although this card was time consuming, I used the time to pray for my friend as I created and to send prayers of thanksgiving to God for all the blessings in my life.

This card is called a "Tri Shutter Card". I found some wonderful directions on Bonnies' blog HERE. I love the fact that the design gives so many little places to create! I used Stampin' Up's Tempting Torquoise cardstock for the base and some white scrapbook paper (which already had the thread running through it) for the outside panels. The black and white paper is velvet flocked (which came that way) and the black panels are plain black cardstock which I embossed in silver.

The white flowers are from Michael's in the wedding section. I added the silver metal studs and the torquoise gems to them. The hanging beads are from a fabric store; the little crystal cross is from Michael's.

Since the praying hands stamp is directional, I decided to stamp it on acetate with Black Staz-On ink so I could flip one of the images over, making them both face inward. I used a technique called "Metallic Echo" behind the hands. The technique is from Technique Junkies, a wonderful technique group that I couldn't do without!

And lastly, the main image is stamped and embossed.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you've enjoyed this project!!

This is a note card and envelope set I made for my dear friend Gina for her birthday. I die cut the folder at a local scrapbook store and knew it would be the perfect project for my "die hard gym/exercising" friend, Gina for her birthday. Of course the Hanna Stamps Getting Physical stamp set was the perfect selection for the images too!

I stamped the main image and the water bottle with Marvy Black #1 and colored both with Prismacolor pencils blended with Gamsol. Then, I paper pieced the articles of clothing onto my very dedicated workout Hanna (wonder if she knows Gina! LOL).

I die cut the main image with my Spellbinders Nestabilites die and backed it up with a larger layer from the same die cut set. I made the flower with an assortment of Stampin Up! punches and threaded the black ribbon through the pre-cut slits to hold it all closed.



This is the folder from a top view. I thought it might be helpful to show what it looks like from the top.




This is the portfolio opened! The right hand side contains several personalized/monogrammed post cards made with the JustRite Stampers monogram set. I made matching envelopes for each postcard~they are on the left hand side of the folder. Happy Birthday, dear Gina!!!

This is a design I did for Clear Artistic Stamps. I am a "By Invitation Only" Guest Designer for the month of May, so please stop by and take a look at some of the wonderful stamps and a few of my designs while you're there.

This card features the rose image from the Echoes of Summer set. When I saw the image, I knew I had the perfect technique for it. I used the Marker Watercolor technique which I learned at Technique Junkies.

I stamped the image with VersaMark ink and embossed it with PSX gold embossing powder. Then, I used Tombow markers and an aqua pen from Stampin Up! to do the technique on 140# cold pressed watercolor paper. Easy peasy!

The base cardstock is Bazzill; the layer behind the main image is a Spellbinders Nestabilities die. LOVE IT!! The ribbon is from Michael's; the pin and jewels is something I made myself from a corsage pin I purchased at WalMart. The beads are from my stash. Corner piercing was done with a straight pin and an Ornare corner piercing template.

Thanks for looking. Stop by again soon!!

~Kathie

This card uses the "Bingo Blast" technique from the Technique Junkies group. Fun!!
Stamps used are from one of my favorite artists, Michael Strong of Strong Stamps. I love the versatility of his images; they make the most beautiful projects.

The large circle image was stamped with white pigment ink and embossed with white detail embossing powder. I punched the circle image with a Marvy scalloped punch and then layered it onto a white shape which was die cut from a Nestabilities die. I think they worked well together. I used my new scallop punch corner from Marvy for the corners on the Bingo Blast layer.

I wrapped red metallic cord around the scallops, taped it from the back, and stamped another Michael Strong circle image and used foam tape to give it some dimension on top of the main circular image.

The corner circle is the same small stamp with a ribbon and cord embellishment.

I hope you've enjoyed the card and thanks for stopping by!!

~Kathie

The Harp Birthday Concert was a big hit for my friend, Alla. I wanted to add some more harp images around the room somehow, so I thought of making floral picks to add to the table's small floral decorations.

I stamped the images in VersaMark ink and embossed with PSX embossing powder. I took bamboo skewers and painted them with burgundy acrylic paint, then cut out and attached the embossed harps to the sticks with a hot glue gun. I stamped a second image for each of the picks with Brilliance "Galaxy Gold" ink, cut them out and then glued those behind the other harp image to hide the glue.

Lastly, I attached three strands of ribbon to finish off the picks.



Alla is holding a "Thank You" card which matches the invitations and table decorations that I made for her party. This was such a simple card to make (I made a box of 25 of them) and she just loved it.

The gold side panel is Cuttlebug'd and has a small length of ribbon wrapped around it. The side is stamped in Stampin' Up's Baroque Burgundy ink. The harp is stamped with VersaMark and embossed with gold embossing powder (PSX).

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit of the Harp Birthday Concert with me!!

~Kathie

My dear friend Alla is turning.............ah, I don't know if she wants me to tell. But I will tell you she is such a darling person, that I volunteered to make the invitations for her party!!

She is a phenomenol harpist and is celebrating her party "in style". The bash will include harpists from all over the state, performing at the festivities. WOW!! I had to do something wonderful for her, so I chose this design that I CASED from my friend, Gina. Gina's design was for a family member who was getting married and I loved it so much that she gave me one for my sample basket. When Alla's party was being planned, I knew just what I wanted to do for her. I made a few small changes, but overall you can see how Gina's design made my job soooo easy. Thanks Gina!!!


Here is the party invitation, closed. It's a flap style card with a pocket which contains an insert with all of the party information. The original cardstock size (flat) is 5 1/2" X 8 1/2"; I scored it at 2 1/4" from the bottom to make the pocket. The top flap (beginning at the opposite end) is scored at 3 3/4". Cardstock is Bazzill.

The rest of the card is basic stamping and embossing. The embossed gold layer is a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The scallop cirle is from Stampin' Up with a 1 3/8" white circle layer on top of that. The small harp stamp was a gift from another harpist friend; company listed on the wood is "Asya Graphics, Denver, CO".

An interesting addition to this card, thanks to my good friend Gina, was her suggestion of punching the scalloped circle and the 1 3/8" circle out of chipboard first. Then, I layered the cardstocks onto those. What a difference that made in the overall look of the medallion when it was all put together. The medallion had a much more professional, finished look and wasn't so flimsy on the invitation. Gina, you're such a smartie!!

Lastly, the musical score is an all time favorite stamp of mine from JudiKins.


An open view of the invitation. I printed the party information on plain white cardstock on my computer. It was a bit too plain so I added a large harp image from Rubbernecker (probably retired now~I bought it over 10 years ago). I stamped the image with Memories Shadow Ink "Rose". It made all the difference, don't you think??



And here's the whole boatload of invitations, all ready for mailing out to all of the harpists!! Happy Birthday Alla!!

Enjoy these photos and check the post below for all the details on the projects!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

~Kathie

Another little matchbook card made with some fabulous cardstock from The Paper Temptress! This is my second design with this pattern and I loved the Mica/Metallic Emerald and Aquamarine so much that I used it again. Although this project is similar to the one I shared a little while ago, I wanted to show the versatility of this cardstock and color.

This first photo is the matchbook closed. I added a scallop punch (Stampin’ Up!) and had a little package of these teardrop shaped stick ons that I purchased at JoAnn’s for a buck!! Can’t beat that. And look how they coordinate. I love it when supplies look like they met on match.com. Er, well I guess I should have suspected it. They ARE "match"book cards. Ah, ya I know. I won't quit my day job.


Here’s the matchbook open. Embossing powder loves this cardstock! These images are from Innovative Stamp Creations and they fit so perfectly on this card. LOVE IT!! Plus, you see another view of the brads that I used to hold the matchbook insert to the outside cover. This cardstock loves to be punched!



Here’s the matchbook open with the little tag peeking out.


And here is the tag, full view!




Stamps: Innovative Stamp Creations
I hope you’ve enjoyed this project (btw, this is a Technique Junkies project. So many wonderful things to discover over at the TJ group. Not a member?? What are you waiting for! My stamping world wouldn’t be complete without it!!)

Here is a little project I did with some new papers from The Paper Temptress. This is a wonderful new company with some drop dead gorgeous cardstocks!! I designed this project a few years ago and it's been one of those projects I seem to go back to time and time again because they so cute and so easy to make. This project is available in my published books along with 9 others and a companion book with 101 papercrafting tips. Go HERE to learn more about my books!

The Retro Black Glossy Lustre and Retro Silver Glossy Lustre cardstocks were the perfect inspiration for this Purse and Note Card Gift Set. The glossy, swirly stripes cried out “Zebras!” to me the moment I laid eyes on this incredible paper.

So let’s take a little safari with my zebra friends and get a closer look at each one of the components of this gift set. Got your safari hat on? Ready?? Let’s go on a journey with a few of my zebra friends!




This is the purse that holds four A-2 size note cards and four envelopes (envies not included in these photos). The Retro Black Lustre and Retro Silver Lustre paper was a dream to cut, score and even sew on my Janome Sew Mini sewing machine! Plus, look at all of those luscious swirl-y stripes. So zebra-y (is that a word?). You’ll notice the adorable clasp that I die cut from a Spellbinders die cut for the purse clasp. Again, this paper performed flawlessly!



Meet Zebra # 1. This cardstock base is the Black Felt Grandee. In person, it is easily recognized by papercrafters as a top-notch cardstock with its’ knobby felt-like look and feel. It’s just dreamy! It folds and scores so easily and provides the perfect base for your lovely artwork. It’s quickly becoming a favorite of mine. The stamped image adds the perfect touch to this card, again showcasing the Retro Silver Lustre stock. I stamped with black Marvy Matchable ink which took to the Lustre cardstock like a dream. Yummy! The corner shape is a punch. To “pop” the designs I added self adhesive pearls. (Stamp credits: PSX)




Say "Hello" to Zebra #2. The base cardstock is White Felt Grandee. It’s so lovely in person~just like your best linen jacket fresh and clean from the dry cleaners. This stock just screams “top notch”. Again, it’s easy to fold and score. The stock for the main image is the Heavenly White Premium Ultrasmooth~it’s so incredible and user friendly. As you can see, a plain black image stamped in dye based ink looks like a million on this sheet. This paper looks like a winner every time!! Lastly, I added oval shaped self adhesive pearls and some fuzzy funny fibers for a little extra dressiness! (Stamp credits: PSX)




Here is Zebra #3. This card uses the Black Felt Grandee as a base with the Heavenly White Premium Ultrasmooth for the center image. I can’t stress enough how wonderful the HWPU cardstock is!! In many years of stamping, I’ve not seen such luxurious smoothness and the stunning bright whiteness of this beauty. Did you know that paper is “graded” using these three criteria? (Stamp credits: Sugarloaf)

1. Basis weight

2. Finish

3. Brightness

Kathie’s Comments:

1. Basis weight: The HWPU has a basis weight that is PERFECT for cardmaking.

2. Finish: The finish is so creamy, dreamy smooth which is a papercrafter’s *dream* stock.

3. Brightness: This paper is strikingly white. White, white, white. Did I mention white?



Zebra #4. This last card was made with White Felt Grandee as a card base, Black Felt Grandee as the first layer, and Heavenly White Premium Ultrasmooth Cardstock for the main image. These cardstocks have made such a difference in the overall look and feel of my projects. Thank you, Paper Temptress for these wonderful additions to mypapercrafting world!!! (Stamp credits: Embossing Arts)


I hope you enjoyed our little safari. Thanks for stopping by!

Another cross card!! I love this color combo! Here are the details on the card:
Background: Watercolor Resist (Technique Junkies)
Cardstock: Bazzill
Images: Stampin' Up!
Pearls: Martha Stewart, WalMart
Die cut cross: Sizzix "Ornate Cross #2"
Shell Cross embellishment: Michael's (jewelry department)
Ribbons: Michael's
Embossed cardstock: Cuttlebug
Jewel: WalMart
Corner die cut: Cuttlebug

Thanks for looking and for stopping by!!

Kathie

I made this wonderful cone by combining products from two of my all time favorite companies~The Paper Temptress and Michael Strong Rubber Stamps. The paper is a new sheet called "Touche black" and it looks and feels like nothing you've ever seen before!! To me it feels like a cross between paper, plastic, and foam. Really a luxurious cardstock;it's a breeze to work with! As a note, I did discover that I had to score it with my scoring tool rather than just folding it over a ruler since the cardstock is heavier than the regular background-type cardstock (like I show in my Paper Cone tutorial below). The gold stock is from PT too; it's called Antique Gold. I ran it through my Cuttlebug to give it some texture and a nice design.

I found the Touche' Black very user friendly with VersaMark ink and embossing powder! I used the Michael Strong stamp "Dragonfly" which was stamp with VM ink and embossed with gold embossing powder. I think the result was dy-no-mite!!

The black diamond shaped gems are from a sheet of stickers I purchased at Michael's as well as the hanging beads. I purchase them at Michael's or WalMart~they are sold by the yard for around 3 or 4 bucks a yard/package. The ferns (I call them "weeds" LOL) came from Michael's too. The gold studs are from my stash of stuff, so it was probably a mill ends store purchase. :)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy another Paper Cone!!

~Kathie

I've turned my friend Judy into a "Conehead". LOL Here is a lovely cone that she made;I thought I would share it with you. Thanks for looking!!

Supplies:
9" X 9" piece of cardstock (text weight paper works for this project also)
Double sided tape
Ruler or straight edge
Embellishments of your choice (I like to add Prima Flowers and Ferns punched with a Martha Stewart punch).



Fold the cardstock from corner to corner, forming a triangle. Then, unfold.


Fold one corner of the cardstock (make sure it's one of the corners that has a score through it. On this 9" X 9" square, I folded the corner down at approximately 3 3/4" measuring on each edge of the cardstock, then folding down to meet the score line).





Place the ruler at one of the "points" at the top edge of the cardstock. Place the other end of the ruler at the bottom of the cardstock~against the score line. Fold the cardstock against the ruler to score it.


Place the ruler at the second point, top edge and at the bottom point. Fold the cardstock against the ruler. This now completes the last fold of the cone.


This is what the cone will look like from the back side after the scores/folds are completed.


Apply double sided tape to one edge of the cone (either side).


Most all of the beaded fringe I've purchased is held to the twill band with a continuous thread. If the thread is cut, the beads will fall off! So, prior to cutting a length of the beaded fringe, apply a small amount of glue along the thread, making sure that it is securely affixed to the twill tape. I use Fabri-Tac by Beacon Industries. Now, you can safely cut through the twill tape without losing any beads!




Apply two sided tape to the RIGHT side of the twill tape. Then, make a few slits on each side of the center bead. This will give the "ease" necessary to go around the corner point of the paper.


Starting with the center bead, add the strip of beads to the back side of the flap. Do one edge at a time for easier placement.


Peel off the backing of the tape. Fold each side of the cone toward the center, then secure with the two sided tape.


Back side of the cone!


Front side of the cone. See it taking shape?


Punch one hole on each side of the cone (on the back side) and reinforce the holes with eyelets.


Thread a length of ribbon to the cone so it can be hung on a doorknob or displayed on a wall (the length of ribbon varies depending upon where/how it will be displayed).



Completed Cones!!