No Time To Stamp?

Well, we just upoaded my last post for this week of Guest Blogging over at the JustRite Blog!!   And I must say, my last project is a FUN one!!!  Here’s a little sneak peek:

You can go on over to the JustRite Blog to see the entire project with instructions!  And they also just listed a HUGE SALE.  You can click here  and also here to read all those fun details!!!  What a great time to stock up on supplies!!!

And I also just posted our Stamp Simply Challenge for this week.  It is one post down, so hope you can check it out - it’s a fun one!!!

As always, thanks for checking in — have a great weekend coming up!!!

Hi everyone — guess what?  I am the Guest Blogger this week over at the JustRite Blog — how fun!!!  Here’s a little sneak peek of what I’ve got going on over there today — a fun home decor project with a full tutorial –

You can see this project in full by clicking here.  They also interviewed me, and you can read that here if you have a lot of time on your hands — LOL!!!

Hope you like this project and give something similar a try yourself!  Let me know if you do — I’d LOVE to hear from you and see your versions!!!

Thanks much for stopping in!!!  I WILL have creations on THIS blog this week as well, so please check back in daily for  new creations as well as links to what is happening over at JustRite!!!  Thanks so much — hope your week is off to a good start!!!

Oh, and today is Monday, fun things happening at Joan’s Garden — I think she even has some JustRite products this week — be sure to stop in and see what Joan is up to!!!

Keyword ssnotime60 - There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload your project at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all!  You (and that means anyone and everyone, blogger or not!) can play as many times as you like!!!  The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!!  Please link back here.

For today’s challenge we are going BACK TO NATURE and will incorporate natural elements in the making of our card, so go outside and gather up whatever you can find — twigs, needles, leaves, sand, flowers, grains, etc.  The list is truly endless. Let your creativity run wild!!!   Also remember that for any of the Stamp Simply challenges you ARE permitted to do any type of 3-D project.  We are not limited to cards only. 
 
Alternate:   If you don’t have access to the *natural* items you’d like to use, you MAY use an artificial item (flowers, leaves, etc.), or you may STAMP the image if you don’t have access to either the real thing or an artificial item.  See, EVERYONE can play this challenge!!!  Just create away and HAVE FUN!!!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

We’d like to thank Darlene Pavlick for playing with us and being our November Guest Designer!  Thank you so much, Darlene!!!  We loved your work and even more we loved getting to know you!!!  Thanks much!!!

We’d like to welcome our new Guest Designer for the month of December, Cathy Tidwell, known as Cathy, or just CAT, or catdidit on SCS.   Welcome, CAT!!!  Cathy played in our Stamp Simply Blog Anniversary Party in September and won this guest spot, and we are SO GLAD to have you CAT!!!  Can’t WAIT to see all your wonderful creations.  You can check CAT out at her blog, Cat’s Creations.

And we’d also like to welcome a new permanent designer to our Stamp Simply Challenges — AJ Otto — better known as just AJ, or willosmama at SCS.  We are SO HAPPY to have you joining us AJ!!!  It’ll be a treat to see your creations each week.  You can all visit AJ at her blog, The Willow Garden.

As always, please bear with us as we are all uploading this Thursday evening - all samples should be here and up by Friday morning. 

Check out Cathy Tidwell’s sample here.

Check out Julie Koerber’s sample here. 

Check out Dee Jackson’s sample  here.

Check out Jennifer Buck’s sample here.

Check out Janine Orchard’s sample here.

Tammy Hershberger is taking the day off - have fun, Tammy!!! 

Check out Becky Oehlers’ sample here.

Check out AJ Otto’s sample here.

You can see all Gallery Submissions here.

Are those great samples or what!!!!  Thank you girls!!!  Much appreciated!!!  

Here’s my project for today’s challenge:

I know this is a bit more involved than my usual quick card for this challege, but it’s just where I ended up — and that’s OK!!!  I have this garbage can full of pinecones in an outbuilding, thinking I should bring some in for use in holiday crafts.  Well, before I knew it I was making a can to keep a few in on my craft counter.  And how many pinecones will I actually put on cards — LOL!!!  Well, probably NOT too many, but at least it is here to perhaps inspire me for some other holiday projects.  Here’s how this project started:

A can of nuts that I decided to repurpose, some electric fence wire (yes, I know you all have that just laying around — LOL!), and my crimper.  Do you remember many years back when the crimper was the big rage and we all had to have them?  I do, and I’ll admit, my crimper gets used for only 1 purpose — and that is to crimp paper to act as padding and protection  when I mail a card with bulk.  And it does work really good for that!!!  But I thought I’d try to use it on a project today.  Just bear in mind, the crimper is only about 6″ wide, so you are restricted to crimping pieces to that width.  My can was just under the width of my crimper, so it worked here.  You’ll need to measure around your can.  Mine measured over 12″ so I had to piece my crimped paper.  Remember, you loose a fair amount of length when you crimp. 

After wrapping my can with the crimped paper, I made my PINECONE strip, using JustRite 95 pt. Brayton Font.  The 5 varieties of font available by JustRite are made to snap into their Harmony Rectangle Stampers, allowing you to create any word or sentiment you so desire.  And because they are snapped into the gridded surface, all your letters are perfectly aligned, every time.  This truly is the easiest way to create words and sentiments.    And my CREATE hanging on the handle was stamped with the Harmony Classic Oval II Ensemble.  As I often do, I used the center image and omitted the border ring.  There are so many options with these ensembles.  And as I’ve showed you before, I did cut all the excess rubber around the word Create.  Doing this gives you a perfectly stamped impression each time, without any ink collecting on extra rubber.  You can read about  conditioning and cutting your JustRite stamps on this SCS tutorial, or you can read a much more wordy version of the same tutorial here.

Next it was just a matter of putting it all together.  My husband drilled holes in the can for me.  I just inserted the wire, bent it on the inside to stay in, formed a curved shape and did the other side.  Can you see in the photo how I have the grommets?  Well, it may appear the grommet is actaully attached to the can, but it isn’t.  Once my crimped piece was made and sized, I marked the holes on the can onto the crimped piece, and then I just attached my grommets to the crimped piece.  This can has a really wide lip and I couldn’t get my Cropadile into the can to go thru the can itself, so this worked.  Once you run the wire thru, it looks as though it is attached to the can itself.

And see that brown textured paper?  It is tree wrap from the hardware store, to wrap around the trunks of little trees.  A huge roll for practically nothing.  I really like the texture and color!!!  And the trees on the bottom were punched with some tree punches out of a velveteen paper, run through my Xyron X and adhered.  Then I wrapped hemp twine above the label, just for a bit more interest and texture.

Here’s a nice big bow on the side.  The ribbon is tied to the handle and the pinecones are strung on a length of button thread, kind of like stringing popcorn, then tied to hemp.  But I also had to employ the use of glue dots to make them stay where I wanted them.

And here’s the Create up on the handle. In keeping true to this challenge (LOL), I created that somewhat different background on the Create panel by rolling my pinecone in a brown ink pad and then rolling it across the paper - a rather messy technique that I’m sure I will never have use for again  - LOL!!!  My Create is cut, embossed and matted using the Petite Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders.  I attached a piece of hardware and then hung it on the handle with a ribbon. Done!!!  Now, I hope this inspires me to actually USE those pinecones on something — LOL!!!!

Stamps:  Brayton Font (95 pt) used with Harmony Rectangle Stamper and Harmony Classic Oval II, all by JustRite   Paper:  SU Very Vanilla, Kraft, Handsome Hunter, Tree Wrap from  hardware store, unknown Velveteen Paper   Ink:  SU Basic Brown and Kraft White   Accessories:  Recycled Tin Can, Electric Fence Wire, Wire Snips, SU Jumbo Brass Eyelet, Cropadile, SU Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware, Large and Small Pine Tree Punches by Emagination, Pinecones, Checked Ribbon, Hemp Twine, Needle and Button Thread, Petite Oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Large Glue Dots, Xyron X          

Thank you so much for stopping in today!!!   I hope you can find some time to CREATE something that you enjoy, whatever that may be!!!  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead!!!  My next post will be some more of the quick and flat Christmas cards, assuming all goes as planned — LOL!!!  Hope to see you back again!

Today I’d like to share a super quick way to perk up your bathroom!  Using purchased shower curtains I made a new window valance along with a decorative shower curtain and valance.  I spruced up a wall with a stamped item that I made 2 years ago, and I filled the room with the aroma of sweet smelling potpourri!!!  My bathroom is sparkling clean, fresh smelling and just calling me to take a long, hot bath with a good magazine!!!  I’ll start with the wall decor:

I made this framed item 2 years ago as part of a contest being run at the Limited Supply Challenge at SCS on Labor Day weekend.  When made there was a small framed piece to coordinate and several cards, but they have all since been given away.  This piece has never been used, so I figured it high time it have a place of honor on a wall — and it’s place of honor is, appropriately, above the throne — LOL!!! Actually, this sits on top of the cabinet above the toilet.  I made this using SU Petal Prints.  You may see the SCS uploads for this piece and all the coordinates here, and here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Next I’ll show you the window valance, and if you can sew 3 straight lines, you can easily make this valance for any window in your house!!!  If you can sew on a card, you CAN make this valance.  Here it is:

Making this valance is Sew Simple you won’t believe.  There is a tutorial at the end of this post.

Next I made a decorative shower curtain and valance.  This was really hard to get a decent photo of as due to the size/location of the shower within the bathroom I could not get far enough away to capture it all, but I hope you get the idea.  I use 2 rods to accomplish this.  The decorative side panels hang on a double rod.  What you do not see is the shower curtain that actually pulls closed when you shower.  That is hung on the inside hooks of the rod and is tucked behind the panel on the right.  The decorative panels you see do not close.  They are there merely for appearance sake.  Then a bit above this rod I have a tension rod on which the valance is hung.  Instructions will be at the end of this post.  Here’s the pic:

This photo of the shower curtain reflects most accurately the true color of my bathroom walls — a very relaxing sort of seafom green.  And here’s where the sweet aroma comes in:

Do you recognize the monogrammed gift bag of potpourri from this post the other day?  I won’t keep the monogrammed bag of potpourri on my counter as it is a gift item, but I just displayed it here for the photo so you can see how lovely the potpourri looks when contained in clear glass — love the natural and earthy look it brings to the area.  And that’s another idea if you want to add a bit more to your gift bag of potpourri — include a beautiful class container for the potpourri!!!

OK, now that’s it for my squeaky clean, sweet smelling bathroom perk me up.  On to the instructions.  To do my window and shower as pictured, I needed to purchase 3 shower curtains.  Shower curtains work perfectly in the bathroom — they are a great weight and texture, they wash, wear and hang well, and all done in prints well suited to a bathroom!!!  Your choices really are much narrower than shopping in a fabric store, and that’s a good thing — makes it easier to decide!!!  Plus, by using a shower curtain, a lot of the work is already done for you, as you will see below.   I got these shower curtains from Shopko.  They were $35 each at full price, but I got them on a good sale, which is also a good thing!!!

My Sew Simply trick for today is how I did the window valance.  Now, had I just made my curtain using 1 thickness of the shower curtain, hemmed the bottom and made my casing for the top, my curtain would have been rather *see-through*, and I don’t like that.  I most often line my curtains so avoid that issue, and I make all my valances so they are self-lined.  Basically, I make a tube, resulting in an automatically lined valance.  Here’s how:

For the size of my bathroom window, one width of shower curtain works perfectly.  Neatly cut the plastic part with the holes for hooks off the top.  Measure down and cut so you have a 36″ long piece.  This is what you are working with, and see how your sides hems are aleady done for you?  Very cool!!!  I’m using a piece of white fabric with black stitches on my examples just so you can easily see.

Photo 1:  Bring your raw edges together and sew with about a 1/2″ or 5/8″ seam, thus creating a huge tube.

Photo 2:  Iron the seam down against the back side.  So what is the back side?  Well, on a plain piece of fabric it doesn’t matter.  But on a print, you must pay close attention.  When making a tube, one side will be the right way, and the other side will be upside down — look at my floral pattern.  See how the flowers/stems are the right way — well, the flowers/stems are upside down on the other side.

Photo 3:  Turn your tube right side out, so the seam is on the inside.  Measure 3″ up from your seam line.  This is the TOP of the curtain ruffle.  Adjust it all nice and straight so there is a consistent 3″ from the seam line to the top of the curtain.  Pin as shown so it’ll stay in place.  Now, machine stitch just a hair above the seam line, or experienced sewers or quilters would stitch-in-the-stitch.  Run a second line of stitching 1 1/2″ above this line, which would also be 1 1/2″ from the top.  That’s IT.  Your sewing is done!!!

Photo 4:  Take your valance to the ironing board and press neatly, getting a nice crisp edge at the bottom (hem) and top (ruffle).  Insert rod, hang, neatly adjust ruffles evenly on rod and admire!!!  (That’s the fun part!!!)

Now on to the shower:

This valance was made in a more traditional fashion as I was not concerned about the sun shining through it and making it look too flimsy.  There is no light coming from within my shower!  To make this I needed 2 widths of the shower curtain sewn together.  Start with another new shower curtain, as you won’t have enough with the one you’ve already cut in to.  Again, remove the upper plastic band with holes, then cut your piece 23″ long.  And cut two pieces that size.  Sew them together on the short edges so you have one very long piece. 

Rod Pocket and Ruffle:  My tension rod is quite thick around, so I needed to make my rod pocket 2″, so I also increased my ruffle to 2″.  At the ironing board press under 1/2″ along the top long edge (again, be mindful of the direction of the print pattern).  Now fold the top down 4″ and pin in place.  Sew down along the pressed edge, and then run another stitching line 2″ up from that, which is also 2″ down from the top.  You have just created the rod pocket and top ruffle.

Hem:  To hem your shower valance, press up 1/2″ at the ironing board, then turn up 2″ and stitch into place.  You are now done!!!

Shower Curtain:  To make the decorative side panels I merely cut the 3rd shower curtain straight up the middle and hemmed those cut edges to the same width as the factory sewn edges so they match.  You will have 6 holes on top of each for hooks.  Hang them up and your project is completed!!!

I know I’ve strayed a bit from the usual card making posts, but I’ve been cleaning and sewing, so just thought I’d share.    I have sewn my entire life, but much LESS so now that I’ve been making cards — LOL!!! Can’t do  it all - but I surely do enjoy a small sewing project from time to time, and it is wonderful when I can combine the two!!!  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend — see you soon!!!  Thanks so much for taking the time to stop in!!!  Just wish I could offer you a cup of coffee — LOL!!!