Today we had a Simply Unique Stampers Team meeting. That's when "our team" has our fun meeting to get together, talk about our stamping business, do some training, share ideas and stamp a little. This is the make-n-take that I prepared for them. They seemed to like it. We haven't been using our Shimmer Paint much since Christmas. It's a great accessory to jazz up a card so I thought it was time to pull it out and get some new use out of it. Like everyone else, we always want to get the most "bang for our buck".
I saw a card made similar to this one by another demonstrator and thought how cute it was. I love the way she used the Petals-A_Plenty Impressions Folder to make Daisy Flowers. I took the idea and changed to idea around, added some punches. What do you think? Leave me a comment below in the Comments section. I love hearing from you.
Don't forget aboutSale-a-bration! Now is the time to purchase your BIG SHOT. For every $50 you purchase you get to chooseFREESale-a-brationmerchandise from the SAB catalog. Don't miss this opportunity!
Don't forget aboutSale-a-bration! Now is the time to purchase your BIG SHOT. For every $50 you purchase you get to chooseFREESale-a-brationmerchandise from the SAB catalog. Don't miss this opportunity!
"Charlotte Today" with Colleen Odegaard and Craig Reynolds on WCNC - Charlotte, NC. It was so much fun. The crew was great! I want to say THANK YOU to each and everyone of them.
If you would like more information about Rubber Stamping, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafts, Party ideas, Handmade Gifts or anything that you saw in the program CONTACT ME by clicking here. I teach you to make these awesome items, sell the products to make them OR custom make them for you if you wish. We can even have a party with your friends!
Don't forget aboutSale-a-bration! Now is the time to purchase your BIG SHOT. For every $50 you purchase you get to chooseFREESale-a-brationmerchandise from the SAB catalog. Don't miss this opportunity!
Have you tried the "Faux Tearing Technique"? it's fun and easy.
Don't forget aboutSale-a-bration! Now is the time to purchase your BIG SHOT. For every $50 you purchase you get to chooseFREESale-a-brationmerchandise from the SAB catalog. Don't miss this opportunity!
It has been brought to my attention that there is a correct way to place
an EMBOSSLITS DIE into the Big Shot. Did you know that? I know that on the Embosslits
it has "Place this side down". We all know that it means to place
this side facing down on the Multipurpose Platform when you
crank it through the Big Shot.
Well, there is another thing about placing your Embosslit into the Big Shot to reduce the wear and tear. If you think about it you will agree. As the "sandwich" is cranked through the roller there is a hugh amount of pressure applied. You want to not only place the writing side down, what about placing the hinged side so that it goes vertically through the machine. That produces less pressure on the hinges. Let me show you a picture.
Does this explain it more? A picture is worth a thousand words. This way takes a lot of the pressure off of the hinges and reduces the wear and tear on your actual embosslits. They will last longer.
I hope this quick tip helps your use your Big Shot more proficiently. Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment below.
A GREAT Birthday Card. I am CRAZY FOR CUPCAKES! I love to stamp them, smell them cooking and of coarse eat them. Cupcakes are always a great idea for a Birthday Card.
Here I used Dazzling Diamonds to add a little WOW to this card. It's the little things that you can do to a card that makes the difference.
A few more things to point out here include the "Faux Stitching". Have you ever done this technique? It's really easy....I used my Mat Pack #105826, Paper Piercing Tool #166631 and the uni-ball Signo Gel Pen #105021. Take the paper-piercing template and place it on top of the card stock you would like to "stitch" or punch the holes. Place these on the paper-piercing mat. Take the Paper-piercing Tool and use the template to line up and evenly space your holes. After you have completed this, take the Signo Gel Pen and "connect the dots". There you have it. It looks like it has been stitched on the sewing machine. Go ahead and give it a try. If you need the supplies to do this, please contact me. I'll be happy to get them to you.
For this card I used:
Stamp set: Crazy for Cupcakes #111618
Card stock: Bermuda Bay #115317, Barely Banana #102701, Whisper White #100730, Chocolate Chip #102128, Regal Rose #105130
Ink: StazOn Jet Black Pad #101406, Classic Stampin' Pads Bermuda Bay #115655, Barely Banana #101170, Chocolate Chip #100908, Regal Rose #105211
Don't forget aboutSale-a-bration! Now is the time to purchase your BIG SHOT. For every $50 you purchase you get to chooseFREESale-a-brationmerchandise from the SAB catalog. Don't miss this opportunity!
Today I wanted to share an excellent article that is written by John Sanpietro. If you take picture....Everybody does. Take a look at this very informative article.
PHOTOGRAPHY FRIDAY - Fuzzy photos? Here's How
To Sharpen Them...
Have you ever taken a picture that looked great when you previewed
it on the little screen in your camera, but was actually a little
blurry or out of focus when you saw it on your computer screen at home?
It
happens all the time, and (for me) it's one of the more annoying
aspects of photography.
The truth is, everything looks good on
that little screen! The larger you make an image, though, in a print or
on a larger screen, the more the imperfections will come out.
If
you have trouble with sharpness in your photos, here are some tips for
to help bring your pictures into focus:
1. Go manual -
If you're relying on your camera's auto-focus, it's possible the lens
is just slightly off. Use the manual focus, instead, and you'll know
your taking the sharpest picture possible.
2. Use a tripod
- Most people don't realize our bodies are in constant
motion. Even when we think we're standing completely still, the beating
of our hearts (and the resulting pulse in our hands and arms) move the
camera. So does the motion we have to make to press the button to take
the picture. Putting your camera on a tripod is the only way to really
get your camera to a motionless state. I took the photo below with a a
tripod. Given the composition, there's no way I would have gotten the
sharpness without one:
3. Watch
your shutter speed - The slower your shutter speed, the harder
it is to capture a sharp image. So, if you have to hold the camera when
taking the picture, choose a fast shutter speed (1/500th of a second or
higher) to freeze motion.
4. Watch your aperture -
the smaller your f-stop, the more likely you'll get a sharp picture.
Try to set your f-stop to f/16 or f/22.
5. Use
post-processing tools - finally, you're going to find, in some
cases, you'll get a little blur or a fuzzy edge. Sometimes, the
conditions you're taking the pictures in doesn't allow for the steps
above. And, sometimes, a lens just takes fuzzy pictures. If that's the
case, use a program like Photoshop Elements and employ the Sharpen
tool. You can't overdo it. It won't make a truly out of focus picture
suddenly sharp. It will, however, fix smaller focus issues.
Thanks John, for a GREAT article.
Don't forget aboutSale-a-bration! Now is the time to purchase your BIG SHOT. For every $50 you purchase you get to chooseFREESale-a-brationmerchandise from the SAB catalog. Don't miss this opportunity!
Today I decided to "recycle" and GO GREEN (#117074) in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day. This was a thought I had mulled around in my head. I had a friend/customer here that was asking about what she could do with a Big Shot if she bought it. This was a quick card that was floating around and I thought....Go ahead and show her. Well, she liked it. Actually she ohhhh'd and ahhhhh'd. I think the Big Shot is now on her Wish List. What about you? Want to learn more about the Big Shot or any other of Stampin'Up!'s awesome products? Just ask me! I am so happy to tell you.
Stamp Set: Go Green #117074 Card stock:Green Galore#101768, YoYo Yellow #102824, Whisper White #100730 Ink: Classic Stampin'Pad Glorious Green #103040 Accessories: Big Shot #113439 Stampin'Up! Lattice Bigz Die #115958, 3/4" Circle Punch #107217, Designer Buttons-Sherbet #116312, Natural Hemp Twine #100982, Mini Glue Dots #103683, Soda Can
Fabric is one of the craft industry's hottest trends right now. The best part is, you don't need to be a seamstressto get in on the action! You can create gorgeous fabric accessories and home décor without ever touching a sewing machine. There are so many of optionsfor crafters and seamstresses. While we don't sell fabric, many of our accessories will appeal to those who love creating with textiles. And that could be YOU! You can create beautiful fabric accessories and home décor with your Big Shot. The Sizzix Big Shot makes it easy to cut intricate fabric shapes to use in all your crafting projects. 1. What type of fabric will the Big Shot cut? The following materials work well when creating die cuts with the Big Shot machine and Bigz and Originals dies. Please note the maximum thickness of several materials. As a rule of thumb, you can cut a material with your Big Shot machine and Bigz or Originals dies if you can cut it using your Craft & Paper Scissors.
Thick corkboard
Thick chipboard (59 mil)
Colored magnet
Ruffle board
Paper wood
Balsa wood (3/32")
Bass wood (1/16")
Metal mesh
Aluminum (.016)
Tin (.008)
Adhesive and non-adhesive mat board
Drawer liner
Shelf liner
Vinyl
Static cling vinyl
Shrink film
Fine sandpaper
Clear acetate (20 mil)
Vellum
Card stock
Patterned paper
Flocked paper
Contact paper
Textured paper
Metallic paper
Linen paper
Suede paper
Embossed metallic paper
Basketball embossed paper
Faux alligator textured paper
Self-adhesive glitter paper
Fabric
Canvas
Iron-on fabric
Soft plush fabric
Burlap
Velvet
Corduroy
Lace
Heavyweight denim
Terry cloth
Funky fur
Thin leather
Quilt batting
Warm & natural batting
Fusible fleece
Self-adhesive craft metal
Self-adhesive cork
Self-adhesive foam
Self-adhesive magnet
Self-adhesive felt
Adhesive and non-adhesive rubber
Pop up sponge
Poly foam
100% pure beeswax (cut with parchment paper on top & bottom of beeswax.)
2. How many pieces of fabric can I cut at a time?That depends on the fabric. Different fabrics vary in thickness. For example, your Big Shot can cut through eight layers of cotton, which is a relatively thin fabric, but it will only cut through one layer of faux fur, which is a very thick fabric. 3. Do you shim fabric in a Big Shot differently than paper? No. Your Big Shot works the same with fabric as it does with paper. Different fabrics vary in thickness, much the same as different paper materials vary in thickness. If you are only cutting one layer of a very thin fabric, you might need to use a piece of card stock as a shim just as you would if you were only cutting one layer of thin paper. 4. Will all Big Shot dies cut fabric?You can cut fabric with any of the Sizzix steel-rule dies (Originals, Bigz, Bigz L, and Bigz XL). You cannot cut fabric with Sizzlits, Embosslits, Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, or Texturz Plates. 5. Will dies with score lines ruin my fabric? You can still use dies with score lines to cut fabric. The score lines will slightly distress your fabric, but shouldn't damage it permanently. However, we recommend that if you are using dies with score lines to only cut one or two layers at a time (depending on the thickness of your fabric). If you try to cut too many layers at a time, it is possible that the score lines could tear your fabric. 6. Will cutting fabric with the Big Shot dull my dies?The Big Shot steel-rule dies (Originals, Bigz, Bigz L, and Bigz XL) were designed to work on several different types of materials. Cutting fabric with your Big Shot dies will not result in any damage to your dies, and will not dull them any faster than cutting paper will. 7. Should I wash my fabric before working with it? It really depends on the fabric. Some lower-quality fabrics will shrink after they're washed, which could result in your project coming apart. However, many quilters don't wash their fabric first because the fabric is stiffer and easier to work with before it's washed. And if you use higher-quality fabrics, they will likely not shrink. 8. I don't have a sewing machine. Can I still create fabric projects? Yes! The world of fabric crafting is as varied as the world of paper crafting. There are several alternatives to using a sewing machine. You can create many simple designs sewing by hand using a needle and thread or even a hot glue gun. In addition, fusible web is a great option for creating one-of-a-kind fabric crafts.
For more information on crafting with the Big Shot, CONTACT ME and let's book a workshop or class. I will be happy to show you more about the Big Shot.
My very first instructional video. I still have some editing to do but I promised you some instructions today and so here they are. I don't have the editing software mastered yet. I've been working with it all day. I'm sure it's easy and I just haven't found the niche. LOL The ink is just not in a pad and I can't find the rubber stamp. But here it is and it's just the beginning. Stay tuned and watch me grow!
Spiral Pop-Up Card
I hope you enjoyed the video. Here are some close-up pictures of the Tall Tails Birthday card.
This is my personal blog, I am an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, and I am responsible for its content. Stampin' Up! Does not endorse the use of or contents of the classes, services, or non-Stampin' Up! Products I may offer here.
