Eat Chocolate!

Sorry I haven't been able to post lately--my new computer actually started giving me fits and I have spent several FULL DAYS trying to do whatever I can to convince it to behave otherwise. If only computers could eat chocolate, I'm sure my computer and I could have reached a favorable compromise right away! Speaking of eating chocolate, here are some projects made with the new stamp set called Eat Chocolate:

These are super simple projects, although if you want to recreate them both exactly, it does take a number of punches, and the Big Shot. The great thing about that is, if you want to invest in those supplies right now, you can earn a bunch of FREE STAMPS with your purchase, during the Sale-A-Bration! Seriously, one Workshop Hostess of mine just earned nearly $150 in FREE stuff with her Big Shot purchase, and she didn't even hold a party. Email me with your Wish List, and let me figure out how we can multiply your FREE rewards during Sale-A-Bration!

The candy bar favor is made from one of the Two Tagz Sizzix die cut shapes...the die creates one score mark, and all you have to do is add one more score mark 2" from the flat end of the tag, as you can see below. That creates just enough oomph for the tag to fold up over a .49oz Hershey bar and hold it snug. (I found the candy bars in a 10pk at my corner drug store.)

This reminds me of the sweetest tag I've ever seen. It was on a box of Milk Chocolate covered Raspberry Caramels from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, which are absolutely my favorite treat in the whole wide world. My sweetie gave them to me, and on the tag he wrote: "To Kimberley, with lots of chocolate. I love you." Awwwww...makes me smile every time I look at the tag...which is every day, because I keep the tag right in front of my computer monitor!

Stampin' Supplies: Eat Chocolate stamp set, Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set (happy valentine's day image), I {Love} Love Jumbo wheel, VersaMark ink (for wheel), Crumb Cake card stock, Cherry Cobbler card stock, Early Espresso card stock and ink, Two Tagz Die (use with Big Shot), Decorative Label Punch, Small Heart Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Small Oval Punch, Round Tab Punch, Designer Label Punch, Pearl Jewels, Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, SNAIL, Paper Snips, Craft & Ribbon Scissors.

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
Colorado Springs, CO
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE)
BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR

Sale-A-Bration 2011

Click HERE to view or right click to download Sale-A-Bration Brochure!

This is the biggest sale of the year, and the greatest opportunity for YOU to GET FREE STAMPS...here's a quick rundown of what's in it for you:

• CUSTOMERS: Choose one FREE Sale-A-Bration item for every $50 you spend.
• HOSTESSES: Choose one FREE Sale-A-Bration item for every $300 in sales.
• SIGN UP: Become a Demonstrator, get 15% OFF Starter Kit + FREE $50 Bundle!

BOOK NOW to have the best choice for your Workshop date! During Sale-A-Bration I'll be featuring great project ideas with the Limited Edition Sale-A-Bration freebies. If you prefer, you may also order direct anytime from my ONLINE STORE...but that's nowhere near as fun as having a stamp-date with me :-)

LIVE IN OR AROUND COLORADO SPRINGS?
I'm holding Part II of my Occasions Mini & Sale-A-Bration Open House on Tuesday, February 1st (2011) at my home, from 7:00-9:00pm. Email me to RSVP and get directions!

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
Colorado Springs, CO
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE)
BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR

Valentine Ghirardelli Treat

This is a re-post of a project I showed you last Valentine season. It's very easy to make, and you can make it for any season or occasion (or for no reason at all!):

Click HERE for the photo tutorial blog post.

This would also be cute if you made it with the Filled With Love stamp set, and Love Patterns Designer Series Paper. Click HERE for more details on that promotion. Today is the LAST DAY TO ORDER those items, so get yours NOW, and you can make these super easy Ghirardelli Chocolate Square treats for your sweeties!

Stampin' Supplies from my ONLINE STORE: Crumb Cake card stock, Pretty in Pink card stock, Melon Mambo card stock and ink pad, I {Love} Love Jumbo wheel & handle, With All My Heart stamp set, Full Heart Punch, Magnetic Movers & Shapers Large Heart Die, Distressing Tool (in Cutter Kit), 1/16" Circle Punch, Photo Corner Punch, Linen Thread, Very Vanilla Tafetta Ribbon, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, Crop-a-Dile (to make holes for ribbon), Word Window Punch, Bone Folder (for scoring).

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
Colorado Springs, CO
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE)
BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR

Chocolate Scalloped Hearts

I made some little treat bags for a craft fair before the holidays, and was asked for the measurements. I decided to use the same idea for Valentine treats, and post it to my blog so I could share the instructions:

These are super easy to make, just get 4 Hershey Nuggets and cut a 1" x 3" strip of patterned paper or decorated card stock to cover them. I used SNAIL to adhere the paper, and made sure to burnish it down well. The covered Nuggets will go in a little box bottom to hold them in place, so they don't go bouncing around in the cello bag. The box bottom is 3-3/4" x 3", and you score 1/2" in from all sides. Then, make a small snip on each of four score marks (shown by red arrows in the picture below), cutting ONLY up to the next score line. This will create four little flaps.

Fold up all the edges toward the center of the sheet, and glue each of the four little flaps inside the box. I highly recommend Tombow Multipurpose adhesive for this step, it just takes a little bit and it will really hold. You might get away with using Mini Glue Dots, but those will only work if you burnish them down super well. All four of the covered Nuggets just fit right inside the box bottom, as shown below. You'll slide this little box bottom of Nuggets in a Small Cello Bag (3x5), and set it aside.

Now, to make the topper. The topper is 4-1/2" x 3-1/4", scored in half at 2-1/4", so that it folds to 3-1/4" x 2-1/4". The patterned paper layer is 3" x 2". Then just add whatever decoration you want. Adhere the topper over the top of the cello bag with the box bottom of 4 Nuggets inside. I used SNAIL to hold the topper on, and it worked well--again, I burnished firmly.

TIPS: I much prefer using patterned paper on the Nuggets and on the background of the topper, and I use sheets from the same package to ensure coordination of the colors. The measurements for these pieces make it easy to evenly use sheets of 12 x 12 paper. I used a silver brad on my sample, to match the chocolate wrappers. If you use Nuggets with gold wrappers, it matches better if you use gold brads. If you purchase the Nuggets in an assortment at a bulk warehouse store, you can get better prices. I divided up my bag in groups of 4 Nuggets, so that all 4 were the same color wrapper.

Stampin' Supplies: All Holidays stamp set, Chocolate Chip card stock, Very Vanilla card stock, Play Date Designer Series Paper (all paper comes from that package), Real Red ink, Scalloped Heart of Hearts die (used with Big Shot), Small Heart Punch, Paper Snips, Bone Folder (for burnishing over adhesive), SNAIL, Tombow Multipurpose Adhesive, Mini Glue Dots (to adhere scalloped heart), Stampin' Dimensionals, Metallic Brads (I used silver), Small Cello Bags.

This is one of the bags I made for the craft fair--I used a lot of retired Designer Series Papers from years past to make about 75 of these!

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
Colorado Springs, CO
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE)
BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR

Valentine Mailbox Treats

How about making a cute mailbox full of treats for your Valentine?

Click HERE to view (or right click to download) FREE Pattern & Tutorial

To make the sample above, I actually enlarged the pattern 110%. That makes the mailbox cover piece 5-1/2" x 4-1/8", and the bottom piece 2-3/4" x 4-1/8". The little card in the background fits on its side inside the mailbox, and it is 2-3/4" x 4-1/4", folded in half. The two candy bars will also fit inside with the card, and they are Hershey snack size .49oz bars, and the card stock covering them measures 2-1/2" x 3-1/2".

Stampin' Supplies: Crumb Cake card stock, Cherry Cobbler card stock, I {Love} Love Jumbo Wheel & Handle, VersaMark ink pad (to ink up wheel), Heart to Heart Punch, Metallic Brads (8 - I used Antique Brass), Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelets and Crop-a-Dile to punch and set, White Tafetta Ribbon (6" strip), Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots (to attach hearts, just use one per heart), Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, Paper Snips (must-have for accurate pattern cutting), Bone Folder (to make score lines).

TIPS: Make your first samples with scratch copy paper and SNAIL adhesive until you become familiar with assembly. Roll wheel image over card stock at an angle, so that it's not so noticeable if it's not exactly lined up with the edges. If you cut the mailbox cover and bottom pieces with the Tabletop Cutter instead of trimming them out from the pattern, you'll get straighter and neater sides. Pierce holes through cover and bottom for brads before assembling. Be sure to punch brad hole on flag pole far enough down so that the flag pole does not extend past the bottom of the mailbox. Give with LOVE :-)

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
Colorado Springs, CO
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE)
CLICK HERE TO BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR

Valentine Hearts & Brackets

Holy cow, this is the first day the kids have been to school since their half day on December 17th to start their holiday break, some illness last week when they were supposed to go back for a couple days, and a snow day yesterday! I have a much easier time getting things done when they're at school. Anyway, I guess I'm on a Valentine kick lately...which is appropriate for the season, at least. Below is a simple card featuring just one image from the Define Your Life stamp set, the Big Shot (one die, one folder), and the Decorative Label Punch.

This was super easy to make, so if you didn't get a chance to send out holiday cards last month, set your goals to send out some cute valentines like this one, instead! Your valentine will definitely stand out as memorable. Oh, and this card is almost entirely flat, especially for mailing, so no worries over extra postage or special handling.

Stampin' Supplies: Define Your Life stamp set, Crumb Cake card stock, Whisper White card stock, Cherry Cobbler card stock & ink, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (used with Big Shot), Hearts & Brackets Die (used with Big Shot), Decorative Label Punch, Rhinestone Jewel, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals (I highly recommend these last two adhesives to get your pieces to stick securely to the uneven surface of the embossed card front!).

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
Colorado Springs, CO
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE)
CLICK HERE TO BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR

Valentine Treat Mini Envelope Pouch

If you're looking for a simple, quick treat to make for Valentine's Day, this one is great. Inside is one Kit Kat snack bar and one Hershey snack bar (both are the .49 oz size):

Cute, huh? You can even tuck your business card in there behind the chocolate, to make a memorable impression! What I like about this project is that it uses very few supplies, NO adhesive, and you can actually cut the supplies down even further and go bare bones with it. You can make it with just the Mini Envelopes, I {Heart} Hearts stamp set, and a Real Red ink pad. Of course, you could kick this up a notch, too, and really doll it up if you want. I'm thinking along these lines: Very Vanilla envelopes, Antique Brads and Trinkets, Crochet Trim, Medium Jewelry Tag Punch, Tiny Tags stamp set, and some Linen Thread. (Maybe I'll post one of those tomorrow!)

INSTRUCTIONS: All you have to do is seal a Whisper White Square Mini Envelope, and turn it over and decorate the front. Then, punch the top off with the Scallop Border Punch, and sponge it. (or just trim one end off if you don't have the punch) Tuck the candy bars in, wrap a ribbon around and tie it in a knot, and highlight the knot with a rhinestone. My only TIP is that the "bag" has a nicer top if you make sure and orient the sealed flap to the bottom of the back of the bag, as you can see in the picture below.

Stampin' Supplies: Whisper White Square Mini Envelopes, I {Love} Love Jumbo Wheel & Handle, Pink Pirouette ink pad (to ink up wheel), I {Heart} Hearts stamp set, Real Red ink pad, Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Rhinestone Jewel, Scallop Border Punch, Stampin' Sponge.

~Kimberley Morris
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator since 1994
Colorado Springs, CO
procrastistamper@gmail.com
http://kimberley.stampinup.net (SHOP ONLINE)
CLICK HERE TO BECOME A DEMONSTRATOR