The Observation Car

If you need quick and easy gifts for the Sunday school class, book club, students or anyone who likes to read, consider making bookmarks.  A simple tag decorated and bearing a ribbon or tassel can be made from scraps.  Or, cut a corner from an envelope, cover with paper and decorate it.  This slides over the corner of the page to keep your place.  My samples today were big paper clips.  Tie a ribbon to the top and then cover with two back to back punched or diecut circles.  Add embellishments or stamped images.  This is a useful gift that will last forever.  And when the recipient uses it they’ll b thinking of you.

3 Samples of Paper Clip Bookmarks

The May House Mouse of the month stamps came in and of course they are adorable! Here are two examples of cards we will be making at the Mousealicious morning this Saturday. Both are colored with Copic markers, but you could use watercolor pencils with a blender pen or Prismacolor pencils with gamisol and a blending stump. Just use a “light” hand so you don’t obliterate the detail lines. On the flowered card I made a border with a Martha Stewart punch and attached the punched out strip to one of BoBunny’s double-sided papers. A Prima flower with a pearl added just the right touch. This one might make a good Mother’s Day card. On “friends are a gift” (Just-Rite stamp) the accent is just thin strips of scrap paper topped with a button. Tie thread through the button holes so that it looks like you’ve sewn it on. I textured the background piece for this by scoring color core cardstock on the Scor-pal and then lightly sanding it. All the stamps, Scor-pals, Copics, and papers are available at our on-line store. Words inside the cards are “you raise me up”.

Friends Are A Gift

Happy Moms Day!

After an icy start, the Stamp Express got moving with drawings, fun, food, fellowship and classes.  Everyone enjoyed the day.  Here are some photos of the festivities.  If you would like to join us for the next event, please register early to save a space.  It will be Saturday, April 2nd from 9:30am to 4:30 pm.  Three classes, 2 make/takes and lunch for $55!  Grace Humes won a FREE day in our grand prize drawing this time.  You could win next time.

Betsy's Class

Barb's Class

Jackie's Class

Deb

Sue & Gloria

Bobbie, Linda & Betty

Vickie

Nancy & Kay

Janis, Judith & Grace

Margaret's boots are made for crafting

That's all Folks!

Here are some recipes for making your own Shimmer Mist:

1.  Use a fine mist spray bottle filled approx 3/4 full of warm water.  Add either Perfect Pearls or Pearl-ex until desired shimmer is achieved.  (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp)  If using Pearl-ex, you need to also add a liquid glue ( about 1/2 tsp).  Shake well.

2.  Another version uses equal amounts of ModPodge and water with Pearl-ex or Perfect pearls.  You need a bigger spray bottle for this as the ModPodge won’t go through the fine mister.

3.  Try this one—-rubbing alcohol and Perfect pearls.  Or use your Copic blending fluid with the Perfect Pearls.

4.  And this is bizzarre— fill spritz bottle 3/4 full of hand sanitizer and 1/4 full of water.  Add Perfect Pearls and shake.

Perfect Pearls are available at Stamp Express as well as empty mini misters.  Our vintage look prints are elegant when sprayed with the shimmer mist.  Purchase at our on-line store.

It has been so cold the past few weeks, this cup of sweet hot chocolate might warm you up!  Make it into a winter birthday card, thinking of you card, or add it to a winter scrapbook page for an embellishment.  We used BoBunny double-sided card stock, and hand cut marshmallow foam.  The heart is a Sizzix die cut, and the sticker is unknown.  We have included the pattern for you.  Use any paper and decoration that you wish.  Baby it’s cold outside!

Hot Chocolate Cup

Pattern for Hot Chocolate Cup

When you use a short word for a title, and the word has an “O” in it, it’s just itching to be decorated.  The words “joy” or “snow” could use a snowman to replace the “O”.  The words “love”, or “mom” could use a flower.  Use your imagination to come up with some other ideas.  Here I went with the paper pieced snowman.  How adorable is this?  The letters were diecut from Sizzix’s serif font.  The snowman face is a 1 and1/2″ round punch.  The hat and nose were my own creations.  And, everyone knows how I love wiggly eyes.  Background paper and border sticker are from BoBunny.  Have fun!

Snowman Joy Card

This card looks so difficult, but is really easy to make. You could also add it to a scrapbook page with photos glued to it.  Here are the directions:

Cut one piece of cardstock 8½” x 4¼”.  Score at 3½”.

Cut a  piece of cardstock in a contrasting color to 8½” x 3″.  Score at 4¼”.

Fold on score lines.  Glue one end of the smaller piece to the back of the larger one as shown.

Layer with designer paper on the fronts and add a photo or stamped image.  Measurements for designer paper are 4″ x 3¼” and 4″ x 2¾”.

Santa Mouse Flip Flop Card (front view)

Santa Mouse Card (unfolded back view to show construction)

House Mouse Stamp: Stampabilities
Plain Cardstock: Paper Cut
Patterned Paper: Basic Gray
Markers: Copic

One of the easy and delicious goodies I like to make for holiday gifts is peppermint bark.  Melt 1# of white chocolate or vanilla  chocolate wafers.  I use the microwave, but be careful not to scorch it.  Do a few seconds at a time and stir to see if it’s melted.  If you’re worried, use a double boiler.  Put 6 candy canes in a bag and smash with a hammer.  When chocolate is melted, pour in the candy and stir.  Spread out on waxed paper and let cool.  When cool and hardened, break into irregular pieces and put portions into this adorable reindeer bag for presentation.

The candy is in a small paperbag.  Then make a cover with holiday cardstock.  The deer face is a labels#1 Nestie.  Punch out nose, and eyes (or use wiggly eyes).  Antlers are two diecut swirls from Sizzix.  I closed the wrapper with a brad under the ribbon so that you could open and reclose it.  Cute and yummy!

Reindeer Candy Bag

It seems early in the season to be thinking of Christmas, but if you are crafting your gifts and cards, you better get a move on.  It is nice to have everything under control before the last minute.  Here are some ideas for cards and a mini book using some of the Just Rite  holiday stamps.  The book is made from a CD holder and can be used for photos, a CD, money, gift card, or a combination of all.  The best thing is that every time the recipient looks at these works of art, they will be thinking of you.  All are colored with Copic markers and cut out with Nestabilities.  Ribbons are from BoBunny and embossing plates from Cuttlebug.  The CD holders are available at both the on-line store and our brick and mortar place in Lemoyne, PA.

Holiday Cheer Card

Let It Snow Card

Snowman CD Book (cover image)

Snowman CD Book (inside page image)

Here it is, my sample of the Ghirardelli chocolate holder for the Sweet little Gifts class.  The new Christmas stamps from Just Rite came in.  They are so darn cute that I couldn’t resist using one to decorate my holder.  This is a wallet type case with 2 pockets inside for candy.  Originally it was for teabags, but I adapted it.  You could still use it for tea if desired.  The image is colored with Copic markers, and the pieces are cut out with Nestabilities.  What a yummy gift!

Ghirardelli Candy Holder

Ghirardelli Candy Holder - open