Archive for the ‘Summer Scrap Camp’ Category:
Retiring List Rewind: Make A Monster
Got a little “monster” in your life? Then you NEED this Make A Monster stamp set before it retires! (see it online) I didn’t realize that I’d never shared this card on my blog, but it’s gotten rave reviews from not only kids, but also teen girls and twenty-somethings. Go figure!
First you stamp the monster, then add eyes, a mouth and any number of goofy appendages. Then color with crayons, pencils, watercolor, or whatever you like.
I’ve used this stamp set for so many fun projects — check them on my blog. I think my favorite was shrinky dink charm bracelets!
Have you been watching my Retiring List Rewind? Be sure to check all the project inspiration for stamps and accessories that are about to retire!
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Subscribe to the comments for this postSoda Pop Tops: It’s the DIY Bottlecap Jewelry Trend
Do you love the look of this trend? It’s everywhere — these little medallions are popping up everywhere, and they’re amazingly simple to make at home as a DIY craft project.
You can use any bottlecap, but I’ve found that the Soda Pop Tops from Stampin’ Up! are really nice to work with — they smash easily and they have a great metallic finish. (see them online – 129388). They come as a package of 8 ‘regular’ sized ones (1″ circle punch will fit) and 8 little ones (1/2″ circle punch for the center) for $3.95.
I’m starting a “bottlecaps anonymous” group, in case anyone else needs to join me. I think you qualify if you purchase more than 5 little boxes of these 
They’re so easy!! Here are the directions:
- Stamp or print image and punch with ¾” Circle Punch (see it online – 119873).
- Punch 1” Circle (see it online – 119868) of First Edition Designer Paper.
- Run Soda Pop Top (see them online – 129388) through your Big Shot (see it online – 113439) to flatten (no tabs, between two Cutting Plates)
- Use a thin layer of Crystal Effects clear glaze (see it online – 101055) to attach all layers and coat over top. Add rhinestone.
- Poke a little hole with your Piercing Tool, toss on a jump ring from the craft store, and add a strip of ribbon.
Okay, here’s where you’ll see the difference on these little treats. It’s in the Tricks & Tips:
- Having trouble with your image bleeding? To prevent this, stamp, punch and then press your circle into a VersaMark Ink Pad (see it online – 102283 ). Sprinkle with Clear Embossing Powder (see it online – 109130) and heat to melt. No more bleeding!
- Need a smaller monogram? No problem! I used Broadsheet Alphabet Digital Download (122159) on this one. I added my letters into a project on My Digital Studio (learn more about this software) and then printed them so they’d fit in a 3/4″ Circle Punch. Don’t have MDS? NOT a problem! You can get the Broadsheet Alphabet Digital Download and use it in ANY program… Microsoft Word, Photoshop Elements, etc. And there’s no shipping on Digital Downloads, AND you get it right away — instantly (see the download online).
Too much fun. These make terrific crafty gifts, or a fun weekend or spring break project to do with kids. You can even use the Circle Punches to cut out magazine photos or images that strike your fancy. There’s pretty much no end to the creativity.
We’ve been making these this month at several of my events — at Stamp Club with Meg which meets here monthly, and also at our January Demonstrator Stamp & Share Event. Don’t forget to let me know if you’re interested in learning more about all the fun we have as demonstrators!!
Oh, and yes, you can use these bottlecaps on cards or scrapbooking projects! Click here to see some other ideas from my blog.
Happy Stamping!
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Stamps: Broadsheet Alphabet (Digital Download); Paper: First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper, Whisper White; Accessories: Big Shot, Soda Pop Tops, 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon, Rhinestone Jewels, Crystal Effects;
Summer Scrap Camp: Locker Magnet Creations
Each summer I hold a Summer Scrap Camp for kids, and we meet 5 times during the time between the end of school and back-to-school chaos. This summer we had 2 great groups – one for kids going into 2nd and 3rd grade, and another group for kids going into 4th through 9th grade.
Each time we meet, we work on 4-5 scrapbook pages, plus another project or two. This past week we created locker magnets for the kids to take back to school with them. I put out stamps, card stock and a bunch of fun scraps left from past projects, and the kids went to work!
Here are their creations:
Several kids really loved the Owl Occasions stamp set (see it online) from the Holiday Collection Catalog. Don’t forget that you can get Owl Occasions yourself as part of my Stamps in the Mail Club!
Looking for more projects to do with kids before school begins again? Here are a variety of kid-tested stamping projects on my blog.
Happy Stamping!
To Order Stampin’ Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Make Your Own Charm Bracelets: Stamping Style!
Looking for a fun summer project? This one is great for kids and grown-ups alike! Try using your stamps to make your own Charm Bracelet! Here are some samples of bracelets that the kids made at Summer Scrap Camp here last month with shrink art plastic.
The charms are made with shrink plastic (check your local craft store – ie Shrinky Dinks) and are stamped with a variety of images. Here are two of our favorites from Stampin’ Up!:
- Easy Events (see it online – clear mount 123225 or wood 116958)
Make A Monster (see it online – clear 120606 or wood 118742)
Here are the directions for making your charms:
- Cut plastic to size (ours were 2 x 2 1/2″)
- Stamp with Jet Black Staz-On Ink (see it online – 101406)
- Color with permanent markers (colors darken a LOT when shrunk)
- Round corners with a Corner Rounder Punch (see it online – 119871)
- Shrink according to directions in the oven, or use your Heat Tool for a more instant gratification (see it online – 129053)
- Add to your favorite charm bracelet!
Have fun this summer and make a few charms to show off your stamping style! Or looking for more kid projects? Here are some other suggestions on my blog!
Happy Stamping!
To Order Stampin’ Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Hardware Garden Art: Big Shot + Flashing
I wanted to share a great 3D Garden Art project that you’ll want to try at home. These are great for your garden outdoors, or even for planters in the house.
Here’s what you need:
- Big Shot Die Cut Machine
- die shape of your choice
- Embossing Folder
- hardware store supplies: #9 wire (for stake), aluminum flashing (get it in 6″ width for easy use)
- beads & wire of your choice
Aluminum Garden Stakes: DIRECTIONS
1. Cut a piece of aluminum flashing to fit your Big Shot (tin snips are a great tool — get them at the hardware store).
2. Cut the shape with your Big Shot (see it online) and the die of your choice (my favs are new Oval Accents – see it, Top Note – see it or Scallop Circle - see it). You can cut a butterfly to add, too (Beautiful Butterflies die – see it). Here’s the sandwich from the top down:
- cutting plate
- flashing
- die
- tag board shim
- cutting plate
3. Use your Big Shot and an Embossing Folder (see them all online) to add the texture to the cut aluminum. (My fav folders for this project are Flower Garden - see it, Elegant Lines – see it, and Manhattan Flower – see it)
4. Use your Crop-A-Dile to punch a hole at the top for the hook and at the bottom for any beading wires you want to hang.
5. Add beading of your choice (I did mine on a fine wire and wound the ends to keep the beads on).
6. Make your stake: If your wire comes on a roll, straighten a length of it by hand before you cut. Cut a length of #9 wire (bolt cutters work great — get them at the hardware store). Add the hook and curve at the top. This was a 2 person job at my house — each of use with a pair of vise-grip pliers.
7. Enjoy in the garden!
Last week we made these at Mary Ellen’s house, and since my mom was here visiting, we ran out and got supplies to make our own. And yesterday at Scrap Camp for Kids, I had 20 school-aged kids make these themselves.
With the shine and the way they swing in the wind, we decided that these are definitely a classy step up from hanging empty pie tins in the garden to keep pests away
Another thought… want to get your Big Shot and pick out your cutting die for free? Plus get a discount on other dies & Embossing Folders that you want? 
Be sure to check out the special on the Demonstrator Starter Kit – and teach this craft to your own friends!
Happy Stamping!
To Order Stampin’ Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Flight of the Butterfly: A Photo Holder
Looking for a fun holiday gift project? A vacation project to make with kids? You’ll want to be sure to add the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set to your collection at 50% off until November 30th as part of the ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA (see it online), as well as the matching Butterfly Punch (see it online) so you can make these fun Photo Holder Clips!
The Flight of the Butterfly and the matching punch are a quick way to add fun ornaments to any project. And what project can’t use a butterfly?
If you want to make these yourself, be sure to check my original post for the directions and details.
Be sure to check my other Online Extravaganza posts for more ‘don’t miss’ ideas with these sale items!
Happy Stamping!
To Order Stampin’ Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Back To School: don’t forget!
I’m not sure about your house, but here at my house the back to school cycle is a bit of a rush of remembering new gym shoes, sending permission slips, signing up for Girl Scout programs, and of course, stamping! Here’s a fun back-to-school project that’s perfect for anyone who might have something to remember — a 12″ Cork Board, stamped to your own design!
This project is actually one of the ones the kids made at my Scrap Camp this summer, complete with images from the Circle Circus stamp set and a Decor Element from the medium Flutter Decor Elements (see it online) in Whisper White. (check out other Decor Elements online)
The cork board came from an office supply store, on sale for back-to-school. The stamping was done with Craft Ink, which is a bit different from Classic Ink.
CRAFT vs. CLASSIC INK: What’s the difference?
Classic inks are “dye inks”, which Craft Inks are “pigment inks”.
Dye ink absorbs into the paper; pigment ink sits on top of the paper and does not absorb. Pigment ink tends to be thicker than dye ink and is often preferred for scrapbooking because pigment inks are more resistant to fading than most dye inks.
The Stampin’ Up! Craft inks are also great for using as a heat-set fabric ink. I’ve used them on projects like onesies for babies, dish towels, or silk/poly scarves. They can fade a bit with repeated washing, but they’re still great!
Classic Pads are preferred for projects like watercoloring, since they’re water-based and will blend easily. Plus they dry almost instantly, which is great for everyday stamping projects.
You can check out more of my Craft Pad projects by clicking here.
Happy Stamping!
To Order Stampin’ Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Photo Holder Clips: Summer Craft Projects for Kids
Looking for a fun summer craft using supplies you have at home? Everyone needs another fridge magnet, right? Especially one that will hold a photo. I suppose you could put a ‘to do’ list in the clip, but that’s hardly as much fun.
This photo holder is clipped to my file drawers with a reminder photo of our trip to Alaska (thanks again to Stampin’ Up!!). 
The project is very simple:
- Add sticky magnet to one side of a clothespin
- Add Designer Series Paper in a fun shape to the other side of the clothespin (here cut with the Scallop Circle Die for Big Shot)
- Decorate as desired: this one uses the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set (see it online) and matching Butterfly Punch (see it online) along with the Fancy Flower Punch (see it online) and the 5-Petal Flower Punch (see it online).
Happy Stamping!
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Fun Cards for Kids: Puzzles, Bugs & Kisses
You’ll have to provide your own kisses when sharing this card, but the bugs and puzzle–that’s where I can help you! The stamp set on the puzzle to the right is called Bugs & Kisses (see it online) and it’s only available until June 30th. The stamp set on the right is another of my retiring favorites, Cheep Talk (see it online).
These Craft Stick Puzzle Cards are easy so simple. They make a great gift for the young kids (or young at heart) in your life. Or get those ‘kids’ together and make puzzles together. We made these puzzles at my Scrap Camp for Kids this week.
Here are a few tips:
- Cut your card stock base to 4-1/4 x 5-1/2″
- Run three strips of SNAIL adhesive across to hold the sticks in place when you stamp and send your card
- Be sure each stick has at least a small amount of stamping on it, otherwise you won’t know where that ‘puzzle piece’ fits!
Happy Stamping!
To Order Stampin’ Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE
Fabulous Flowers Can Be Felt, Too!
During my last week of Summer Scrap Camp <<sniff, sniff>>, I wanted to give the kids a chance to use what we’ve learned all summer to put together some projects of their own. And since we were back to having all girls for this session (unlike last time), we were a-okay to do flowery projects again.
I put out felt, fleece, hot glue and a variety of Big Shot Dies, and let the girls go to work. We probably could have had a short lesson on how to cut fabric efficiently to create as few wasted pieces as possible, but oh well, we all had a good time 
Some girls chose to make the Faster Fleece Flowers with the Scallop Circle Die (remember those?), and some girls made wonderful layered flowers with the Flower Folds Die.
We also used the Flower Folds Die to create some Back-To-School treats with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (check those out).
Kayleigh’s flower here really impressed me with its perfect color combination. What an eye for color! She cut out the flower layers with the Flower Folds Die (3 flower sizes starting with the smallest one) and layered them with hot glue.
The girls created flowers for all kinds of embellishments–hair clips, key chains, backpack tags. But my favorite was the bookmark version. Just make the flower of your choice, then attach it to the end of a 10″ piece of wide ribbon. The ribbon tail marks your place in the book and the flower hangs over the front as decoration!
To Order Stampin’ Up! Products On-Line 24/7, CLICK HERE!
Accessories: Big Shot (113439), Flower Folds Die (115970), Buttons
