Beverly's Stamping Beehive

Carouse through the gift wrap aisle of a Hallmark store and see the gift tag 'toppers' - you know the decorative tags that just stick on the front of a bag or on a wrapped parcel?  They are more for " decoration " than for tags. Anyways....they were all cute in one way or another, but I was thinking, for that price - we sooooo could to-ta-lly do ones ourselves!!!! So there I am last night - looking at the last of my I CE C REAM P ARLOR paper [see SU!'s 2011 Sale-A-Bration]. I had paper - I had buttons - I had ribbon. All co-ordinating, hmmmm....then it struck me to use my   Ornament Punch to create a vase ... use my buttons as flowers... and use the ribbon as a gift bag handle!!!              I was done in no time! [well, okay, 30 mins!]            Ta da!  I give you my GIFT TAG/TOPPER!   It's a little gift bag itself, ha ha!  Ain't it cute!  CLICK on pict...

Aerodynamically,  the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly,  but the bumblebee doesn't know that  so it goes on flying anyway. Stamping is one easy sport - with a minimum of supplies, you can do the most remarkable creations - the sport comes in the trying, and the learning you acquire over time....sooner or later, you will create more fantastic projects than you ever thought you would!  But even the most naive efforts look wonderful in their own right - there is a beauty in the hand-made, and a special feeling that dwells there. Make time to create - you will be greatly rewarded for it! If I can help you in any way, large or small, to start you on your way, I'd be pleased to! Thanks for reading my blog!   Beverly :)

 SALE-A-BRATION 2011 -  I have a few projects to show you featuring some SAB and Occasions Mini Catalogue products. TAKE A SPIN Stamp Set Card featuring: Game Spinner Hands, Designer Paper ' Sweet Stitches ', Pom Pom Trim There are 4 different Spin stamps to choose from including 2 Birthday themes! PRESTO DESIGNER SERIES PAPER  I inked over the embossed Presto Paper with Melon Mambo Ink and a sponge, then quickly swiped off the ink with a tissue to reveal the beautiful foliage pattern once more - very elegant.  3 punched circles as an accent! Speaking of accents, look at this.... The new  FUN FLOWERS Big Shot die - fab isn't it? The single ELIZABETH stamp - beautiful! As a Father's Day Card   when you combine it with a NEWSPAPER PRINT - a Designer Series Paper  called " FIRST EDITION " While the paper is black and white - here I have sponged it with Bashful Blue ink! ...

It's a DVD/CD SLEEVE !  Excellent DIY Project - for my Stampin' Up! Friends or YOU if you are new to rubberstamping and or die-cutting!  Excellent Gift Idea - Storage Solutions - FUN TIME!  I have a student in the family who has some educational DVDs which come in flimsy paper covers and sometimes un-attractive cases. So....I thought it would be a cool project to make some DVD sleeves that they can leave out on their desk and maybe they'll even be happy when they look at their homework - ok, I can dream! Now you can also make your own sleeves for home-made DVDs .....or how about these for Weddings?  Any gift involving a DVD or CD would certainly benefit from this project - so here is how we do it!!!! INSTRUCTIONS Supplies:  cardstock 8.5x11   cardstock scraps   pattern/designer paper  punch of choice ( here we use Beautiful Butterflies Big SHot Die and 1-3/4 in. and 1/2 in. Circle Punches) adhesive SLEEVE:  CUT your cardstock for the s...

Another round of 'What's This' today!  Tomorrow I will reveal what it really is - and a tutorial on how to make one! See you soon!

CS25H Inside Greeting ' Happy Easter ' Hello, today I am entering a challenge!  I have not entered one here before, but over at Creative-Sketches  there is a challenge today called CS25H Holidays and Celebrations and I have chosen to make an Easter Card for a friend! To do this, I have chosen my INSPIRED BY NATURE stamp - using the floral image (it's a double-mounted stamp - opposite side has grass!) because it feels like Spring to me and I wanted my card to not be over-the-top Easter, but something more simplier and relaxed. I have made the focal piece using our SCALLOP CIRCLE Bigz Die (the scallop red circle) and then layered it with Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White cardstock, followed naturally,  nestled in the center,  my stamped image! My ribbon is a thin strip of paper cardstock (Whisper White )  run through our Crimper tool, and sponged ever-so-gently with PEACH PARFAIT ink. The two tiny tags (say that 10 times!) tied on are made with...

Here are the rest of my BABY SHOWER GIFT BASKET pictures that I wish to share.  I can't say enough, how much fun it was to make this :)  Some beautiful hats, mitty's, and socks make up the gift (as well as a tucked in package of scrapbooking bits)....but the creative options we have for packaging is what makes this feel like you really are part of the experience. Sadly, it was late at night by the time I wrapped it up, so my pictures of the basket before it was wrapped did not turn out so well. Our indoor lighting requires my camera to use its flash - which always creates poor photos for blogging. But I did manage a couple featuring the basket tags shown here along with the wrapped results and I am sure you can see some of why I enjoyed the whole process! TWIN TAGS 4 TWIN GIRLS Features S tampin' U p!'s Two Tags and Big Beautiful Butterflies Big Shot Dies plus retired stamp set, Cute as a Bug The dollar store penny candy jar decorated with another butterfl...

Hi - I am going to start with this close-up shot of the way in which I tied our BABY SHOWER BASKET in clear cellophane wrap - straight from the dollar store!   This is where simple materials come together and make a beautiful one-of-a-kind gift that will leave your  Mom-to-Be gushing over such thoughtfullness!  I tied my cellophane up and around the basket handle with some regular scotch tape. Then I wrapped some white sheer ribbon around and around in a loose fashion and stapled it closed.  I created a "flower" accent with a STAMPIN' UP! crocheted white Fleurette topped by a flower button and bead. This was attached  to the pink ribbon which I had stitched together to form its own flowery shape. I created the pink ribbon flower with a series of loops - just back and forth, one loop after another until I finished the roll of ribbon. I absolutely had no instructions - I just looped away!  Besides,it was a short roll, lol!   All of the ribbon, the cel...

           My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best           and simplest way.                                                                                                 -  Ernest Hemingway 

The  SPRING IS BLOSSOMING PROMOTION   APRIL 1 - 30TH!!! SNEEK PEEKS FOR OUR UPCOMING CATALOGUE   YOU CAN ORDER THESE EXCITING - NEW PRODUCTS  WHICH WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE AGAIN UNTIL JULY 1rst! ORDER IN 2 WAYS:  Place a minimum $25 order Contact Me to get the Preferred Prices w hich is only available through your friendly, neighbourhood demonstrator!  Host a $460* workshop and get the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper for FREE  *before tax and shipping, thank you. What is more is tha t   The FOUR FRAMES Stamp Set co-ordinates with our new DECORATIVE LABEL PUNCH - which means  layering  !!!! }   And the PAISLEY PETALS cardstock is absolutely beautiful - gorgeous colours including Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, River Rock, Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler (although Bravo Burgandy is just as close), Always Artichoke. ....and for all those colours - it works, really, really well! ...

Yes helloooo to all out in craft-cyber world! I feel really accomplished this week!  I have finished a set of gift bags for a baby shower AND a nice card in SQUASH BOOK style - both are ready to fly out the door!!! To decorate the chipboard cover, I created my very own stylized "Sakura Flower" using  Stampin' Up!'s FLORAL ISLAND BIGZ DIE (retired). It's quite the size.   I chose the Sakura flower which is adored on a national level in Japan!  It can also be referred to as the Cherry Blossom Flower. The trees are stunning when in full bloom - and its hard for the eye to take in all the beauty of a grouping of trees, its awesome!   So here it is! Sorry but the camera created a reddish hue!  I love ROSE RED in all its forms (cardstock, ribbon, ink, etc.) and it goes nicely with the GARDEN GREEN cardstock and the softer pink accents.  The patterned paper is part of a 8x8" Cardstock Pad from Stampin' Up! - they come out with a new on...

Ahhh, my storage issues continue.   I wish I could go into my craft room and it would magically  extend it's walls each and every time I need more storage, but alas, that is not going to happen. So I dream up my own solutions. I think I have a natural compulsion to cover up things - so the two things go hand in hand, my recycling jars, tins, boxes, etc. and more craft supplies finding their way into my craft room!  I also am not a fan of 'too' matchy-match components, which is why I decorate my craft room trying to balance purchasing items from collections, and found objects like the tin above.  Anyways, I made a rough effort by sanding the edges of the paper I glued to the tins, there are 2 of them, and adding plain twine as an accent - my 'bow'.  I also just cut out the scallop trim from a packaging -it was pretty packaging - so why not!  I recommend using STICKY TAPE for most of this project.  TIP - use an old nail file to sand the tin (just a...

Good Morning! As I promised, here are two more examples of FAT PAGES that were part of my swap!  These are really fun to make because it allows you  such freedom to play with your embellishments ... whereas with a card, you might have to worry about proportion, balance, etc.; here you can just mish-mash your ideas with good results! Our swap this time has the theme of 'About Me' .  I found this a bit harder than I imagined - finding what I wanted to say about myself took 2 tries. But I was happy in the end, and here it is.  Click on pictures to enlarge.... Sorry - pic is a bit hard to see the details.....but this is the COVER. I incorporated "gathered" ribbon, and several pieces of cardstock involving orange and green, and a hint  of pink!  I added a natural fiber for the left edge where my friend can add holes to bind it with other pages.  But it meant I needed to add 'About Me" details, so I added a couple of sections - so technically...