Thanksgiving nameplates

My friend has an annual tradition of inviting friends over for a big dinner that she calls "Frindsgiving." I told her this year I wanted to help make the night special by creating name plates for the dinner table, and she said, "Thanks." Here is what I came up with and how I made them. Of course all product are from the Fun Stampers Journey catalog that can be found online at: http://www.funstampersjourney.com/ 

I started by cutting my base in Hazelnut card stock at 5 1/2 by 4 1/4 and scoring it 1 1/2 inches on each side.

 

Next I cut on the score lines down again to 1 1/2 inches and then across diagonally to 1 3/4.

The next step was to insert my background sheet of butter cream paper cut to create a slight boarder and folding over the flaps.  I then wrapped journey twine around this whole piece twice and tied a bow.

Then it was time to decorate! 

I used many of the elements from the "Thanksgiving Medley" stamp set and even got to use the coordinating die set to cut the label and some leaves for accent pieces.  Based on the helpful suggestions by Rose Curtis I decided to add some splashes of both gold and bronze silks. For the names I decided to stamp the first letter of each name with the capital letter from the "Calkalphabet" set and then write in the rest of the name.  The final touches included some journey glaze, of course, in two parts, so I could add sparkle to the greeting but leave the corn and acorn without sparkle dust.

I made 25 of these and was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the end but I think they came out pretty nice.  My true joy came at the dinner party when the host and many guests exclaimed with delight as they found their spot at the table.

Fun mail

Just got this fun package in the mail today! I ordered some much needed supplies for the holiday season.  I am creating name plates for a friend's thanksgiving party this Saturday,  hopefully pictures to come soon. My favorite part of this delivery is the free package of holiday paper I recieved with my order! Contact me to find out how you too can get some free paper.

Halloween Treats

I have been feeling a little busy with back to school and must admit that my stamping has taken the backseat.  However, this past weekend I decided to stop making excuses and get to crafting.  I thought I would work on some tags for my students as a Halloween gift.  Every year I give my students pencils for the major holidays and this year I am going to try to add my own crafty embellishments.  For this I started with a cute stamp die from the Celebrations line by Richard Garay, this works perfectly as I plan to stick the pencils through the slot that was created.  Next I stamped the legs from one of my favorite Halloween sets from Fun Stampers Journey called "Which Witch"....

 

After stamping each of the tags, I made 36 by the way, I colored the stripes in with markers using classic Halloween colors of green and purple.  The finishing touch was the Happy Halloween sentiment from the same "Which Witch" stamp set.  Pretty simple, although the coloring took longer than I expected. 

 

The last step will be to take them to school and stuff the pencils.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the holiday season! 

Inspiration from Grand Event

As I continue to reflect on the many wonderful things I saw at the grand event I am feeling led to share about another amazing extra giveaway.  In addition to the stamp sets and dies that were part of our entrance kit there were a variety of additional giveaways throughout the weekend. One such giveaway was an amazingly versatile bow die.  The following is a link to the product on the FSJ website. 

Create a Bow Die

At first look, this seems to be an average die, but then there Richard and Gabby did a demo to show just how many different ways you can use it.  Obviously you can use it as a typical bow, to add embellishment to any project or even a gift. However you can also cut multiples copies of the die and combine them to create the following stunning center piece to a gift.

 

 

Did you notice the lovely paper the gift was wrapped in?  This is new patterned paper that is available through the new Holiday Mini Catalog and it coordinates so well with a new stamp set called Ornament Party.  So Cute!!!!

 

Next they created these amazing ornaments again just using the same die and cutting two pieces.  You cross the bow part in the center and attach, then punch a small hole to thread the hanger.  You could easily create a whole new look for your tree this year using some of your favorite holiday paper!

I love that there is so much more that you can do with this one product and it is just another case of the amazing inspiration that I felt from the Grand Event.

So glad I went!  Thanks again Richard Garay, and all of the Fun Stampers Journey Crew!!!

A truly Grand Event

Fun Stampers Journey just held their Grand Event in Pamona.  It was an amazing three day event full of demos, make and takes, classes, and inspiration.  Here is a picture of the set, this was the sight we were greeted with when we walked through the doors. 

 

 

Such attention to detail, as if you were entering into a room of vision, and what amazing new sights I saw!!!

There were so many wonderful things that happened, but two of the stand out moments for me were getting to be a part of something larger than myself. 

The first instance took place as a result of an ongoing partnership Fun Stampers Journey has with an organization called Charity Wings.  The mission of Charity Wings Art & Craft Center is "to be an inspiring place for people of all ages to Gather, Give Back and Create; as well as to partner with other charities to give free classes to those who can benefit from the Hope, Happiness, and Healing that art can provide!"  Since it's beginning, FSJ has partnered with Charity Wings through the sale of special stamp sets.  For each stamp sold, money from to profits is donated to Charity Wings.  During the Grand Event Richard Garay was able to present a check for $500 to the founder of the organization on the main stage. 



 

 

The second moving moment of the weekend came in response to a heartwarming story about one of the newest stamp sets released in the Holiday Mini Catalogue.  The set below was designed out of a response to Richard Garay losing a dear cousin to breast cancer earlier in the year.  He shared his story about dealing with this sudden loss and his desire to remember.  Again, this stamp set is not only truly versatile, but it helps one give back.  Two dollars from every stamp set sold is donated to a local California charity that supports the families of those who have lost a mother to breast cancer.

 

But the inspiration didn't stop there.....Richard gave each person in attendance one of these amazing sets for free and made the donation to the charity himself.  As a response to this generosity, we who were blessed, felt led to give back.  Someone started things off by putting a bag onstage with the sign, "Lets double Richard's donation."  It just blows my mind what an amazing organization I get to be a part of.  I was truly blessed this weekend, to be a part of things larger than myself, in addition to the amazing creativity and inspiration that I expected to witness. 

Downline meeting

I held my first ever official downline meeting last weekend! It was so much fun for me to have them over. We shared some general information and discussed upcoming events.  Then we got down to the fun part, creating. I designed 3 cards for the meeting.  These girls are pros, let me tell you, they jammed through the projects so fast I didn't even think to take a picture.  I will have to be better about that next time. I do however have some photos of the cards. The first one uses not only the 'Enjoy the Journey' set but the coordinating die that I just recieved. Boy, the dies are so much easier than having to cut them out.

The second card is a favorite because it uses some of my favorite colors and adorable flowers. (Still waiting for the die to match these.)

Finally, I chose to use another favorite stamp set. It was the very first kit of the month, 'Loads of Fun'

Grand Event

Fun Stampers Journey is hosting a Grand Event.  It is a three day event starting on September 4th at 5 pm and lasting through 5 pm on Saturday the 6th.  Here are some more details:
Three days packed full of product demonstrations, hands-on projects, giveaways, workshops and more. We will also be unveiling the brand new catalog featuring our beautiful new products, including new stamp sets, dies, accessories, and several new colors to be added to the palette! In fact, we will be offering exclusive product bundles including the new releases that you can only purchase here. You do not want to miss this!
It is sure to be a 'Grand' event!  Here is a  link where you can get more details and even sign up.
http://www.funstampersjourney.com/grand_event
Hope to see you there!