Tea Bag Holder

This is a remake of a teabag holder I made a while back minus the bellyband. To make this cut a strip of cardstock 21 cm x 8.5 cm and score at 4.5cm, 13.5cm and 14 cm. 

With your cardstock in the vertical position use the scallop edge punch to edge the longer flap across the 8.5 cm edge and use the wide oval to take a bite out of the bottom flap. Use sticky strip to glue the side edges of the 4.5 cm flap to create a pocket for your teabag. I use the kettle from the Morning Cup set to embellish the front. Quick and easy..you could whip these up for the kids Mother's Day stalls at school...speaking of Mother's day stalls, I remember a few pressies I have received from my kids class stalls over the years. My eldest daughter gave me a lovley coffee cup one year wrapped in torn cellophane where she had dipped in and eaten the chocolates...my middle daughter gave me a packet of padlocks??? and my youngest gave me a vinyl shower curtain..she questioned me a few months later why I wasn't using it and I had to point out we had glass shower screens lol!

Sweet Treats!

This simple little treat box is just a slide cover I made to go over a box of Mentos. I used the stem from the Sweetheart Set and the flower was punched with the XL Fancy Flower with the centre from the For You flower stamp...cute for a kids party favour!

Pillow Box Wedding Favour

This was very quick and easy! The hearts were punched with the full heart punch and embossed. The  pillow box was also embossed and to finish it all off I added a satin bow and  tag from Tiny Tags

Workshop Pens

 

My post isn't stamp related today, but I thought I would share this idea since it's coming up to Christmas and this would make a cute gift for someone.(.I originally got the idea from Dawn Griffiths blog) I made this watering can of pens  to use in my workshops and classes...it looks so much nicer than a boring packet of biros..To make the pens you get a bunch of artificial flowers and use the wire cutters to cut off each flower leaving about two inches of stem. Lay the stem against the top of the biro and use florists tape to wind around the stem and the pen (I got my florists tape at the junk shop but if you can't find it there you should be able to buy some from a florist)

Pop the pens into a pretty watering can or flower pot and voila!! Instant pretty! I have recently had orders for these for teachers gifts and for sign in areas of preschools..cool aren't they!

While I am here I thought I would show you a few pics of my stamping room. You know when you read peoples blogs and you see those amazing rooms that lool like something out of a Glossy magazine...well mine is not like that!! lol

My room is actually a double garage which is detached from our house...in the sixteen years we have lived here it has never had a car parked in there...Two of my girls have used it as a granny flat, it has been used as a games room and more recently as a drop zone for all sorts of junk...but when I joined Stampin' Up! I claimed it as my lady cave.

As you can see I have no fancy furniture, in fact nothing matches, but it is all very practical and cost next to nix! I got the two steel framed tables and 12 very corfortable chairs at the auction for $130...what a bargain. I can comfortably seat 10 and that's with plenty of elbow room...the shelves you can see were free and the revolving card stand was a gift from a friend who paid $11 for it at a Tender Centre.

The opposite side of my room has my older style punches hanging on tea towel rails I got at Bunnings for $2 each...more free shelves and a free desk up the back (gotta love other peoples cast offs!)

The trestle table up the back is handy at supper time when I serve my class ladies some yummy cooked snacks and egg and lettuce sandwiches (and in winter I spoil them with home made pumpkin soup and crusty bread)

Although I dream of a stamping studio like the ones in Home Beautiful the reality is it aint  ever gonna happen but I have to say I love my lady cave regardless and I can hold classes and workshops without interupting hubby while he is watching Law and Order and CSI lol.

Owl Christmas Treat

I thought this would be good for our class bonus project this week..(I don't think I will ever get sick of Mr Owl..) It is quite clear I am being ripped off when I buy smarties...I wanted to use only red and green, but lo and behold there were hardly any of those colours, so I had to settle for non Christmas colours...what is this world coming to!! I also added a mini candy cane which comes wrapped and with a hangy doodad which is rather handy..The owls hat is handcut from Cherry Cobbler cardstock though it looks black in this unfortunate night time photo...I have made so much mess in my craft room I couldn't find my white gel pen to add highlights to the eyeballs so I will add them later..

Priceless bookmark

I am always trying to think of simple little "bonus" projects I can include in my stamp classes..one of my regular class ladies suggested a magnetic bookmark...cool!

This is a great way to use up those skinny scraps! This one measures 1 1/2 inches x 11...(do you do that??sometimes I work in inches, sometimes I work in cm...my dodgey eyes see better in inches lol...). Just fold in half, stamp the front and pierce around the edges

On the inside I have used sticky strip to attach some strips of rubber magnet to the bottom of the front and back..I have personally test driven this one and it's the best bookmark I have ever had because the magnets keep it firmly in place...even if you drop your book! I found a roll of the magnet at the junk shop for a dollar but you could always cut up those advertising magnets you get for free in your letterbox.

This next card isn't mine but made by kerry who is one of my regular class ladies...I thought it was so clever the way she used the tree from Pendant Park for peacock feathers. The body is the pheasant stamp from..err..name escapes me but it's in the current catalogue...she just chopped off his tail...way to go Kerry, very innovative!

Take a Sip

 

This is a very simplified version of a teabag holder.( this is my protype, excuse the flaws) .it was an extra little project I threw in for one of my stamp classes..the belly band is made with the Take a Sip wheel which is very cute!

And this is it opened up...nothing fancy, just a quick project for fun..I had intended on sharing a bookmark we made this week but I dont know what I was thinking when I took the photo...white bookmark on white background...didn't work! Will share that one tomorrow

** I have had several people email me and ask for the measurements for this so here goes..you will have to adapt it if you use a different sized tea bag...

my tea bag measures 2 5/8 x 3. The holder is 3 1/2 inches wide x 9 inches scored at 3 1/2 and 7. The short end gets folded up with sticky strip on the sides....and the top flap is edged with the scallop trim punch. The belly band is 1 1/2 inches wide by 8 and is wrapped around the holder and sticky strip applied where it over laps. Hope that helps??

ESAD New Catty Blog Hop

Yahoo!!! Today is my birthday and Stampin' Up! have released the new 2010/11 catalogue in my honour!! Ok that may be stretching the truth but what a great birthday gift!!
I hope you enjoy the ESAD Bloghop, grab a cuppa and enjoy the journey!!

What is ESAD?

ESAD stands for Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin’Up!
We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors but we share our lovefor what we do with each other as Demonstrators. We run swaps,challenges, tutorials, product know how and cyberstamps and we arealways there to help and support each other when its needed.
So if you are a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand then please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the wonderful creations on offer at Andrea Buckland's Blog  What a clever lady she is!!
Without further ado here are my little creations.

I made this cute little baby gift set in one of my favourite colours, Baja Breeze

I bought a cheap papier mache box from the junk shop and used the scallop circle die to make a top and bottom for the box. They have been covered with a very pretty paper from the new Greenhouse Gala designer series paper pack  (117167). The flowers have been made with the new XL Fancy Flower punch ( 118076). I simply wet and crumpled four punches for each flower..I finished it off with the pretty a la carte stamp, All a Flutter (119194)

I love these little baby shoes!! The flowers were stamped with one of the flowers from the For Everything Set ( 116686) and I added the smallest flower from the Boho Blossoms punch to the centres. I made some of these a few years ago for my grand daughters fairy party (fairy slippers) and they were a huge hit..They are also great for baby showers filled with cello bags of chocolates.


                        
The ark was made using tutorial from Lynn Pratt. ( you can find her here) I was so happy to see Fox and Friends (119165)  make its way into the new catty...such a cute little set!

                                 This is the other side of the ark featuring the ever so cute owls

The last item in my bay gift set is a card using the Baby Tees jumbo wheel (118621) . I kept this simple with a white embossed background and white taffeta bow

         My next offering is a little set that would be great for demonstrators to take to their workshops

OMG how cute is this owl!!!! The 2 step XL Owl (118074) is going to be very popular, how could you possibly resist buying this little fellow.. The Appointment book is covered in one of the papers from the  Greenhouse   Gala desgner series papers. I have added a pen holder to the front. The business card holder and keyring take just minutes to make and would be terrific little teacher gifts. I also made a ruler for this set but it seems to have gone walkabout
If you would like to order anything from the new catty (link in my sidebar) just contact me at wotzup@bigpond.net.au

The next person you are going to visit is Claire McIllhatton  Thanks so much for stopping by...if you would like to be in the running to win some Blog Candy.. or as I prefer to call it ..reader rewards, here's what you do

To  qualify you must visit every blog and leave a comment on each one
Once  you  have commented on each blog email  Leonie at leonie@stamp-a-latte.com and advise you have done so
Blog Candy winners will be announced on Tuesday 7th September.
This is only open to customers (ie. demonstrators do not qualify)
There will be at least one aussie and one NZ winner..
Just in case you get lost along the way here is a list of all the participants in the blog hop

Leonie Schroder - http://www.stamp-a-latte.com/

Keryn Campbell - http://kerynscards.blogspot.com/

Vicki Were - http://www.stampinvickistyle.blogspot.com/

Aly Adcock - http://www.inkyaly.blogspot.com

Juliette Chapman - http://juleskraftikrafts.blogspot.com/

Kristine Thompson - http://www.inkspotcreations.typepad.com/

Jo Weedon - http://www.scrapandstampin.blogspot.com/

Jan McAnulty - http://cardcaperswithjan.wordpress.com/

Karen Southwell http://www.kareniescrafts.blogspot.com/

Kim Conway - http://www.kimconwaycards.blogspot.com/

Jane Norrish - http://janenorrish.com/

Pauline Bennetts - http://www.paulinebennetts.com/stampede

Gemma Coumbe - http://www.gemmacoumbe.blogspot.com/

Genelle Little - http://www.stampedecards.blogspot.com/

Sharlene Meyer - http://www.magpiecreates.com/

Susan Joyce - http://www.catsinkcorporated.blogspot.com/

Rhonda Statham - http://rhondastatham.typepad.com/

Monique Fielder - http://stamping-with-moni-q.blogspot.com/

Andrea Buckland http://creatingcardswithandrea.blogspot.com/

Bev Watt http://stampinovation.blogspot.com/

Claire Mcilhatton http://www.crafty-cow.com/

Mae Collins - http://maecollins.blogspot.com/

Charmaine Black - http://www.l-ink-edtopaper.blogspot.com/

Lynn Powell - http://www.lynnpowell.com.au/

Gift Box for the birthday girl

We have a birthday at Stamp Club this week so that means a little box of chocolates for the birthday girl...I love this cute little box!! It's a Lauren Meander template called Tucked Away.

To make the large flower I used the scallop cirlce and cut between each scallop. I used my bone folder to curve the petals and stuck on on top of the other and added a button....the smaller flowers were made the same way using the largest flower from the Boho Blossoms punch.. I think  it's really sweet ..I will be making more of these

ESAD Blog Hop!

Ho Ho Ho!! Is everyone ready for the ESAD Christmas in July Blog Hop??

What is ESAD?


ESAD stands for Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin’ Up!
We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors but we share our love for what we do with each other as Demonstrators. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know how and cyberstamps and we are always there to help and support each other when its needed
So if you are a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand then please feel free to click  here to join our wonderful group.

I hope you all enjoyed looking at all the wonderful creations over at Narelles blog which is here
Ok I guess it's my turn!
The very first time I looked in a Stampin' Up! catalogue, there was one set that was screaming out "pick me pick me!!" I am talking about the Holilday Lineup set (115820). So much fun don't you think?

You know you are a dedicated crafter when you switch brands of coffee to one you hate because it comes in a nicer jar!! This is a really simple project to do and would make great Teacher gifts. Simply glue strips of designer paper around the jar and embellish with a tag...fill with yummy chocolates and you are done! I have used Bella Rose paper for this one and watercoloured the elves from Holiday line up.

I stamped a sentiment on a circle punch to add to the lid...easy as!

...and now you are going to think I am strange because my next project is a little weird

I am always on the lookout for inexpensive packaging...in this case a kitchen whisk...two bucks at the cheap shop.

The chocolates easily fit between the bars of the whisk.

I used the computer to print the words "we whisk you a" and then stamped Merry Christmas. Wrap the whisk in cellophane and tie with a pretty ribbon and Bon Apppetit!

*Handy tip

If you buy a small whisk you can't fit many chocolates inside so you HAVE to eat the left overs!

Thanks for stopping by, the next blog on your hop is over at Carol-Ann Torrie's which is here

See ya!

Card in a Box

I am always amazed at how clever some people are...I saw this idea while I was blog surfing here Papercrafts Love Affair. (Look in the sidbar and you will find a video tutorial added by the very talented Valita!) Please go and have a look, Shari has a really easy tutorial to follow for making the box and the punched flowers. Its actually called a scrapbook in a box but I have made this for my mums 80th birthday for the family to sign...I just love it!! I did however stuff up... I was meant to use Certainly Celery ink on the flowers but I used Wild Wasabi, so the inking is a bit in your face..never mind, its still pretty.

This is what the inside looks like..The "box" opens out flat..you can add photos, journaling or use it as a card...clever clever clever....why can't I be that clever!

Lollypop Face Washer (and some simple cards)

This is another cute little idea for craft stalls and very simple to make. You simply roll a face washer up like a sausage, then roll the sausage into a coil and use a small safety pin to hold its shape. Place it in a medium Stampin' Up! cello bag (with the pin to the bottom) then shove an icy pole stick up to the bottom of the washer. Secure the cello bag tightly around the washer with sticky tape and tie with pretty ribbon (I used Melon Mambo Polka Dot...and make a simple tag to finish it off...cheap to make and useful!

And now on to the simple cards...I recently saw this colour combo in a card making magazine and loved it straight away...Basic Grey, Old Olive and Rose Red... I pretty much copied the design too but just added a few extra bits and pieces.

I saved this card making idea to my computer but it had no watermark so I have no idea who was the original creator...if anyone knows please notify me so I can give credit...a very simple card suitable for the fellers...though I have never seen my husband wear a tie...lol

That's it for now, I really should be cooking something for our tea!

Hanky Shirt

Before I became a SU! demo I used to make a bit of pocket money selling simple little gift ideas...these hanky shirts were one of my best sellers, they would be great for fetes.

The hanky is ironed much the same as an origami paper shirt and there is just one straight pin under the collar holding it together..The origami tie is held in place with a glue dot. I have put it in a large cello bag which has been stamped with Staz on and the leaf was cut out of felt on the bigshot with Leaves #2 die
If you would like to try one of these the easiest thing to do is google origami shirt...there are quite a few you tube videos which explain it clearly ...the only differnce is you will be using a hanky instead of paper...having said that, it's a good idea to practice on paper first...there are also tutorials for origami ties...for mine I used a 7cm (3 inch approx) square of designer paper.....it makes a cute little Father's Day pressie

Another terrible photo, it is actually much brighter than this in real life! This cute little tote was made using a template by Creations by AR...So easy to put together and a lovely little gift bag for any female, big enough for a bottle of perfume or some chocolates

I have received some more cards for the Agape Childrens Home... I have yet to count how many cards I have now but once I do a few more I will take some pics!

Takeaway Tub and Coffee Bag

Things are so expensive these days, it's nice to be able to give a little gift which doesn't cost the earth! This is a coffee bag (you cant tell from the photo but its like a sac type bag). I have rolled it Soft Suede with the Very Vintage wheel and stamped the flowers and butterfly in Rich Razzleberry...a nice gift bag for home made biscuits etc

And this is a humble take away salad tub...much prefer it filled with chocolates!! I have made the flowers with the scallop cirlce punch and used heaps of Sizzlet Little Leaves

This is the top view...I added a punched butterfly and some utterly gorgeous Melon Mambo polka dot ribbon.

See you next time!

Medallion stamp and other offerings

Hi all..if you are looking for the ESAD blog hop it's a few posts down...Thought I would show you some more cards made with th enew goodies from the Autumn winter catalogue

Love this stamp!! (Medallion 119175). This was stamped with  Melon Mambo on melon mambo cardstock..The centre was punched out with the 1 3/4 cicle punch and window sheet was glued behind the opening.. the centre was restamped on whisper white and placed behind the window. The sentiment is from the Heard from the Heart set (119167).  The matching ribbon  is gorgeous!

This is a coffee bag I found in my travels which I stamped with the grass from Inspired by Nature. The leaves were cut on the Bigshot with leaves #2 original die, which were stamped with Enfracais background stamps. Some tiny  tags were added using the Tiny Tags stamps (119187) and the medium jewelry tag (117190)

A z- fold card using En Francais background, Pocket silhouettes and the butterfly from Dream Du Jour (nothing from the new catty but pocket silhouettes is my new toy!)

And lastly an oldy but a goodie a chocolate bar slider. I used the XL 2 step bird punch (119191) and Little Leaves sizzlet ( 114511)

I hope this posts properly, somehow all the stuff in my side bar has gone to the bottom of my page and my blog header has moved on up and out of sight...I have no clue how it happened and bo clue how to fix it either!!

Until next time...

Card Tote

I wasn't happy with my previous post for my card tote so I am starting again. This is based on a tutorial by Julie Buhler..I had to change all the dimensions so the envelopes would fit. I have used EnFrancais for the background and Petal Pizzazz for the flower

                This is a side view showing the pockets inside which hold four cards and envelopes

I stuck to simple designs for the cards....This would make a great little present and I had so much fun doing it. My first version which was too short for the envelopes now had some sweet smelling scented thingos inside it and will give it away as a lucky door prize.

I am putting myself to bed now, big day at work tomorrow