Pie Stamping

I made my pumpkin pies on Wednesday so I could focus on the feast itself on Thanksgiving. Since I was doing them a day ahead, I decided why not go Martha Stewart and try something "fancy."

I've seen beautiful pies that have the layered leaf border around them, they're so festive, love that! I dug out all my cookie cutters looking for the perfect leaf to use. Hmm a Holly leaf, but nothing else. Then I thought, "I have a SEVERAL leaf rubber stamps!" So I found one I thought would do the trick, rounded up the chickens (that's code word for my girls) and got started with my first attempt at PIE STAMPING!

I buy the pre-made pie crust thats comes in a roll. Unroll onto a pie pan and cut the extra dough off the sides. Then roll out the extra dough and stamp-stamp-stamp!

We cut out the leaves with a butter knife. A totally easy and kid friendly project. The leaves were simply pinched onto the dough in the pan and layered around overlapping each other.

Ready for the oven!!!

I always use a pie crust shield to prevent over-browning, but maybe next time I should also brush them with an egg wash? The leaves certainly lost a lot of detail in the baking process, but the pie was mmm, mmm, good and we had FUN doing it! 

The Scallop Album

This sweet little album was inspired by Jan Tinks "Carousel Notes Purse." I wanted to make something a little less labor intensive and came up with this simple little album, very easy!

I'm sure you can guess it's made using Stampin' Up!s Carousel Notes. They come in packs of 30 and the scalloped circles in 3 colors. Ruby Red, Baja Breeze, and Kiwi Kiss with Chocolate Chip envelopes.

I simply built the book around an envelope and utilized a scalloped circle note to create the cover and a pullout on the inside. Adding an extra page inside was easy. I just cut some textured card stock to 6 x 8", scored it square and tucked the extra inside the envelope "pocket." Attach with double sided tape, and embellish with more paper!




Ink: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, & Basic Gray
Stamps: Brocade Basics (109411), Bella Toile (111598)
Paper: Ski Slope Designer Series Paper (112994), 12x12 Chocolate Chip textured paper (108697), Carousel Notes - Ruby Red, Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip envelope (112139)
Accessories: 1/16" Circle Punch (101227), Scallop Edge Punch (112091), Scallop Circle Punch (109043), Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (111374), Baja Breeze Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (111847), Silver Eyelet (105319), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Changes Around the House

I have to admit after Stampin Up! introduced Décor Elements, I purchased the Live Every Moment phrase to put on my wall....and I have yet to do it! I wish I could share a photo with you, but I've been obsessive compulsive about putting it up. I think I want to put it over the mantle in the family room, or maybe in Sydney and Natalie's room...or maybe in the studio. Oh geeze, see what I mean!?

Have you seen Décor Elements yet? They are pretty cool actually. They are self-adhesive vinyl art. The brochure has alphabet letters and LOTS of beautiful sentiments and other fun things you can inexpensively and easily apply to a wall or whatever you want! No messy painting to add a decorative border or a name, and you can remove and replace them on a whim...which means they are especially great for holiday decorating!

Something NEW and only available the rest of this month is the Spooky Spider. Have you seen it? Check out this flyer (CLICK HERE)! Isn't it cute!? I picked up a candy jar just like the one in the flyer at WalMart for about $7 and used the small spider instead of the large one. This was so simple and EASY to do!


There was what I call a WOW project at convention using the Décor Elements. It was a beautiful shadow box using Season of Thanks. The original version had neutral paper in the background, and some simple Fall leaves behind the glass.

I made my version with a 12x16" rustic style shadow box. I found it at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, so it was only about 10 bucks! I adhered two patterned papers, some ribbon and extra goodies besides just Fall leaves, also from Hobby Lobby. I used Season of Thanks (114883) in the small chocolate version, but it also comes in a bigger size and in two additional colors. The papers are from Bella Rose and Maine Blueberry with So Saffron Polytwill. For the Fall Foliage, I just cut off what I wanted, arranged them over the backboard and used my hot glue gun in a few key places before sealing it up.

Click HERE to download a copy of the Décor Elements brochure. It is also available on the right with numerous other mini catalogs.

As a demonstrator I'd love to give you a hostess party using the Décor Elements. Contact me if you'd like to earn FREE products! You can also order right from my website at sally.stampinup.net To learn more about Décor Elements visit THIS PAGE!

It's a Virtual Thing!

Have you heard about VSBN on Splitcoast? It stands for Virtual Scrapbooking Night.

What can you expect to see during VSBN? Lots of challenges, friends chatting and uploading pages to the SCS gallery. But the best part is seeing your pile of pictures getting smaller! ;)
This is the MVP challenge, Most Valuable Product! The challenge is to use something you've been hoarding on a layout...and use this sketch of course!
The first thing I thought of was last years Halloween paper...man I love that stuff! I have THREE sheets of my favorite pattern and I only used a tiny bit to cover chipboard letters (another thing I tend to hoard) and two clear buttons! So I guess I'm still hoarding it! LOL!!!

Stampin' Up! products used:

Elegant Eggplant Craft ink
Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Best Friends Alpha Lower
Paper: Halloween Night DSP (2007), Whisper White 12x12 card stock (I dredged ink across the edges since I didn't have any Elegant Eggplant paper), Old Olive card stock, Pale Plum card stock
Accessories: Accents & Elements - Sweet Nothings (I'll never use all this up!), Scallop Edge Punch, Clear Buttons, 2 Way Glue

Chipboard letters by K&Company

Sketch Time Again!

I had a sickly girl here at home with me today, and in between cuddling with books there were a few naps and I actually managed to scrap a little. This is the sketch I used, one of my own that I came up with over the Summer...hmmmm, no one was sick during the Summer!?

Stampin' Up! stamps: Best Yet, Best Friends Alpha Lower "}"

Paper: Windsor Knot Designer Series Paper (I'm really loving this stuff!)

Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft pad and Marker

Accessories: Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Designer Label Punch

Spooky Page

This is a SUPER simple layout I whipped up. I wanted to do a silhouette of a "haunted house" and I had these pictures from dressing up at school last year. The orange piece is a 6x6 sized up into this 12x12 layout.

Stampin' Up! products:

Stamps: Eat Drink & be Scary, Well Worn Alpha

Paper: YoYo Yellow, Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie (textured)

Ink: Basic Black (Classic), Elegant Eggplant (Craft)

Accessories: Eggplant grosgrain ribbon, Photo Corner punch, Tag punch (small and reg), craft knife, white gel pen

FIVE For $5 Stamp a Stack

The Collection

My next workshop is a Stamp-a-Stack. I decided to make five card varieties, and here they are...

Card one:
Riding Hood Red,
Chocolate Chip, and
Whisper White card stock
Holiday Treasures Designer Series Paper
Assorted circle punches, Gold pigment ink, VersaMarker, and gold embossing powder
Sentiment from "All Holidays"








Card two:
Baja Breeze, Whisper White, and
Not Quite Navy card stock
"Season of Joy" stamp set, Baja Breeze Classic ink, Not Quite Navy marker
Technique - I inked the whole stamp with Baja Breeze then darkened a few words with a marker





Card three:
"Whimsey" jumbo wheel
"Heard From the Heart" stamp set
Old Olive marker, Real Red Classic ink
Whisper White, Real Red, and Old Olive card stock









Card four:
"Season of Joy" stamp set
Old Olive Classic ink
Old Olive, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip card stock
Holiday Treasures Designer Series Paper
Corner rounder, chocolate grosgrain ribbon







Card FIVE:
"Big on Christmas" stamp set
Sizzix Sizzlits "Snowflakes Set #2"
Riding Hood Red 5/8" striped grosgrain ribbon
Stampin' Glitter "Dazzling Diamonds"
2 Way Glue, StazOn, Aquapainter
Black, Old Olive, and Lavender Lace markers
Riding Hood Red and Perfect Plum Classic ink
Confetti White, Riding Hood Red, and Perfect Plum card stock
Technique - Watercoloring and omitting with markers. I used a marker to ink up just the part of a stamp I wanted to create the snowflake background. This stamp is from "Season of Joy."

The workshop:
Saturday 10/11/08
9:00 am

or join me in November:
Saturday 11/15/08
2:00 pm

CLICK HERE for more details!

Birthday Benefits

Sally Saenz sally.stampinup.net Download the flyer

Crop Drop and Roll...

I went to my local monthly crop again last Friday, and somewhere between the chit and the chat I managed to SCRAP! That in itself was somewhat amazing, since my sister came with me! LOL!!!

I printed off 24 of my sketches that I've never used. Isn't that wacky? I almost completed 2 layouts, which is why I couldn't post them sooner. It's hard to be totally prepared at a crop...at least for me it is, so they both required some additional stamping when I got them home.


I did this one first and aside from the "title" and the flourish, it was done at the crop. I added those Monday afternoon.

Stamp Sets: Brocade Basics, Priceless
Paper: Bella Rose DSP, Pink Pirouette; Kiwi Kiss card stock
Ink: Riding Hood Red Classic
Other: A smidge of ribbon, Square Fire Brads, Paper Dasies


These brads are so cool, and you get 80 in four colors (pink, red, pumpkin, yellow) and two sizes for $10.95. Stampin Up! also carries Square Ice (lilac, light blue, turquoise, green) as well as round versions of both!


This layout came together really easy, and I love this DSP. Maine Blueberry...YUM! The Inspired by Nature set has this awesome grass stamp that I knew would be perfect for this page, layered over that the title is stamped with Lovely Letters.


The little dandelion image is from a new set in the 2008 holiday mini. LOVE this set, it's way cute!!! You can download a copy of this catalog simply by clicking on the image on the right! I'm totally looking forward to the next crop...my pictures are piling up!

The Art of C.A.S.E.ing

Copy And Share Everything!
I love lots of the samples in the Fall Winter 2008 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog. One in particular, on page 101, uses the same stamp set I was dying to play with. Upsy Daisy...my favorite stamp set at the moment! ;)
If I were to sketch this card my version follows the sketch to the T. But I used a more contrasting color on top instead of going with a more monotone look.
I found the perfect little scrap to use as the paper strip. Do you have the new scallop border punch? Everytime you punch a scalloped edge on something, you get this skinny little leftover strip. Well since I never throw anything away, I have all my Night of Navy scraps tucked away with my Night of Navy paper. I knew it'd be just right for this card...as soon as I added some faux stitching!!!
For my niece's birthday I CASEd the same card again. This time I made a pink/red version with the Bella Rose paper. The "label" in the center of the card was done with the tag punch. It was pretty easy. I just slipped each side of the paper into the punch from the bottom. Easier than trying to cut straight edges. And then I went around it with a marker to give it a little extra pizazz.

Building Bob

Inspiration
I spent the last two evenings making these cute invitations for our daughters birthday party! One thing about having the internet at your fingertips is the wealth of resources available... I just did a search in the SCS gallery for "SpongeBob" and found this cute invitation designed by Carrie.


Problems
I didn't have any red felt, I don't have the Simple Shapes stamp set, and I don't own Gable Green in Classic ink. So I had to improvise and while I was at it I also made a few other minor tweaks. As far as stamps, I managed to find two circles from different sets I could use, and I'm happy with just the two variations of spots. To get by with Green Galore, I just stamped off on my mat before stamping on Spongebob....perfect!

Tweaks
The first change I planned to make was to his pants. Spongebob wears a belt, so I decided to draw it on with my black journaler, easy! For his tie I used Real Red textured paper, and I decided to paper piece his collar since the nose is done that way...and it's too cute!

Measurements are as follows
Card base 4-1/4 x 5-1/2"
Body 4-1/4 x 3"
Shirt 4-1/4 x 1 - 1/2"
Pants 4-1/4 x 1"

And the assembly goes on...

Cut the body in a random wavy pattern.

Stamp circles overlapping on his body

Cut circles with punches to assemble eyes

Add eyes

Draw on eyelashes and add nose

Draw on smile and dots on cheeks

Make yourself a template to trace and cut out neckties

Draw belt on pants

Punch a square and cut it in half

And then cut those in half

Assemble shirt and add collar

Bunches of Bobs

*Republished in 2012 to embed photos from Slide.