Howdy - Xyron and Deep Red Stamps with a GIVEAWAY!

Hello blogging friends!

I had an opportunity this week to play with  my Xyron adhesives and some fun Deep Red Stamps. I couldn't resist this Cowboy stamp since most of my husbands relatives are redneck cowboys. Check out the details at the bottom of my post to see how you can enter to win a $45 gift certificate from Deep Red Stamps!

I told you it was fun! I decided to make a gift ensemble.... a gift bag and a matching card...

I am thinking some BBQ gifts would be just the thing to put inside that bag! These Deep Red Stamps are awesome! I am no pro when it comes to coloring with my Copics, but this was fun and relaxing ... and I didn't think I did too bad, did I? The pattern papers are some Authentique Pride papers that I had in my stash.

I used several different techniques with the new Xyron 9" Creative Station. Let me show you.

Step 1.  Stamp your cowboy images and color with Copics. I like to use a special Copic blending paper I bought at my local stamp supply store. I usually stamp and color several images so I can pick and choose my favorite color combinations.

Step 2.  I wanted to add some burlap because I love it's texture. I decided to try die cutting it with some stars. It's easier to apply the adhesive to the burlap first and then die cut, so I ran the burlap and a few other die cuts (so I wouldn't be wasteful) through my Xyron Creative Station with the 9" permanent adhesive loaded.

Step 3.  Remove the plastic from the top and create your die cutting sandwich. Run this through you die cutting machine.

Step 4. Select your pattern papers for your gift bag. I used my Xyron Mega Runner to adhere the base sheet to the front of my bag.

Step 5.  I die cut some other fun things, like a barbed wire fence and a star border. I wanted to add some glitter to the star border, so I ran it through my Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker upside down. The other die cuts went in right side up.

Step 6.  Now pour the glitter on top of the adhesive on the die cut. Press it firmly with a finger. Shake off excess.

Step 7.  Adhere the top of the die cut over the glitter and run it through the Sticker Maker one more time.

Step 8. Carefully peel off the paper backing of the burlap stars and adhere to bag front along with the other die cuts. I fussy cut this cowboy out so I wouldn't cover up too much.

Step 9. I added a few flag banners. Here is a trick for cutting the notches ...

Step 10. Some sticker alphas and twine finish it off..."Yee Haa!"

Step 11. Now we are ready to cut some pattern papers for our card. Mount your stamped and colored image onto cardstock. Since I wanted the card to coordinate, I used some of the same dies here.

 Step 12. Switch out the 9" adhesive roll in the Xyron Creative Station and put in the 5" adhesive roll.  Yes, that's right. Two different size adhesive rolls fit inside one machine! How cool is that! Now we are ready to run the card front pieces through.

Step 13.  Adhere the card front pieces to the card base and the stamped image on top.

Step 14.  Add some more flag banners in the upper corner along with another burlap star and alphas "Howdy"

Step 15. The star border die cut was placed underneath the banners and I added twine here too. The Xyron adhesive dots work great for holding the twine in place.

Yeah! You made it to the bottom of my post... leave a comment and I will select one winner on Monday, November 9th. For another chance to win .... follow me on Instagram and leave me a comment on my giveaway post there.

Thanks for stopping by.
~Marcia

Welcome Baby - Xyron and Paper Smooches

Hello blogging friends!

Today I have a Welcome Baby gift bag ensemble to share that I created with the Paper Smooches A Little Lovin stamp set and my new Xyron 9" Creative Station. This stamp set is so adorable, take a look...

Besides baby announcements and gift cards, this set would be perfect for some Valentines and more. I couldn't pass up a chance to practice my coloring skills on the elephants. I am by no means an expert. I think I need lots more practice, lol. I even used the Welcome Baby sentiment to decorate my gift bag.

I upcycled this brown bag, giving it new life as a gift bag. I love being able to reuse things some people would normally just throw away. Here is a tutorial if you want to see how I created my gift ensemble.

Supplies:

Small Brown Bag

Pattern Paper: Imaginisce My Baby collection

Cardstock: American Crafts

Paper Smooches A Little Lovin stamp set

Ranger Distress Ink, Inkadinkado black dye ink

Top Dog Dies Darby Doily die 

Ribbon

Xyron Creative Station 9" and 5" permanent adhesive

Xyron adhesive dots

Step 1. Cut a piece of pattern paper slightly smaller than the front of the bag and stamp Welcome Baby using the Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Step 2. Cut a square of pattern paper for the front of the bag (5"x5") and a piece of cardstock slightly larger. Also trim a piece of white cardstock for die cutting the doily.

Step 3. Run the larger piece of pattern paper through the new Xyron Creative Station with the 9" permanent adhesive loaded. Adhere this to the bag front.

Step 4. Switch to the 5" permanent adhesive an run the smaller pieces through, including the white cardstock for the doily. YES, the same machine can be used with both the 9" and the 5" adhesives! How cool is that!

Step 5. Die cut 2 doilies from the white cardstock with the adhesive already applied. Be sure to remove the plastic from the top first. We will use the second doily on the card.

Step 6. Assemble these piece on the front of the bag.

Step 7. Using a black dye ink, stamp the elephant images onto Copic coloring paper. We will need one for the bag and one for the card.

Step 8. Color your images and fussy cut them out. We will use the second elephant on the card.

Step 9. Using the Xyron adhesive dots, adhere the elephants to the bag front.

Step 10. Tie a bow. I like using this Bow-easy tool. Ties a perfect bow every time!

Step 11. Trim up the Ribbon edges. I am using my Imaginisce i-Magicut Ribbon cutter. It cuts and seals the edges at the same time.

Step 12. Ta Da! A beautiful bow!

Step 13. Adhere the bow to the bag with a Xyron adhesive dot.

Step 14. Trim a piece of cardstock and pattern paper for the card. My card base is 4.25"x8.5". Score it at 4.25".

Step 15. Run the card front through the Xyron Creative Station with the 5" permanent adhesive loaded. Adhere to card front.

Step 16. Adhere doily (previously cut) and elephants.

Step 17. Tie a ribbon and adhere using the Xyron adhesive dots.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!

~Marcia

Thank You - Imaginisce Memorial Day Gifts

Hello blogging friends! I can't believe its almost Memorial Day already. My crab trees and lilacs are just starting to bloom. They are gorgeous. Minnesota has been slow to warm up this year. There were frost warnings last weekend. That is turning around though...the temps may reach 80 degrees today! Wahoo! 

I am up on the Imaginisce blog today with a Memorial Day gift idea. I created my Memorial Day project with a specific person in mind, my husband. He served in the United States Marine Corp many years ago. Now he is part of an honor guard detail for fallen soldiers making that last trip home to their families. Fallen soldiers are escorted 24/7 on their journey. Its ceremonial, but it speaks volumes. It says We care. We respect the ultimate sacrifice that you made. I wanted to make something to thank my husband for the service he continues to provide for this country that we love so much.

This is a two part gift. The first one is a gable gift box made from kraft paper and embellished to look like a flag on the front. It's perfect for tucking in a note along with a gift card to my guys favorite restaurant.

My husband loves to do crossword puzzles. Every crossword puzzle maniac knows you need to use pencils, in case you need to erase a word that was wrong. One pencil would do, but my guy won't sit with his crossword unless he has 2 pencils sharpened and ready to go. I think this pencil holder was made with him in mind, 4 pencils at the ready! I kept the flag theme going on my pencil holder too.

Supplies:

Imaginisce : Pattern Papers (Perfect Vacation), Foam Tape

American Crafts: Cardstock, glitter tape

Core'dinations Kraft Paper

pencils,

Silhouette Cameo

My Favorite Things Fishtail Flags die

Hero Arts Sentiment stamp set

If you would like to help our Military personnel, check out Operation Write Home. You can donate handmade cards for soldiers to use to send to their loved ones.

No big Memorial Day plans for me. My guys here are recovering from surgery. My husband had steroid injections into his bad discs in his back, and my future son-in-law just had an emergency appendectomy. Looking forward to a quiet and relaxing weekend at home.

Have a fun and safe Memorial weekend!

~Marcia

Quick Quotes Challenge - Create a Gift Ensemble

Hi everyone! I am hosting November's Quick Quotes Challenge...With the Holidays approaching I want to see you Create a Gift Ensemble! Now my niece is expecting a boy any day now, so I made a baby boy gift ensemble. You can choose any theme you want for your gift ensemble.

I am mixing two of the new collections here: Treasure Chest and Beautiful Life. I added yellow and blue cardstock for those baby boy colors. I created a shaped card using an elephant Silhouette studio file. Isn't this elephant the cutest!

Then to coordinate with the gift bag, the elephant appears again :) He is mounted on some foam adhesive to give him dimension.

Quick Quotes Supplies Used:
Beautiful Life
Treasure Chest
Powder Puff Chalk Ink: Coal Miner

Other Supplies:
Inkadinkado stamp
Silhouette studio file (elephant)
StazOn ink
Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags 2
Organza Ribbon
white bag
Core'dinations cardstock in yellow and blue
google eyes

I hope you join us in our latest challenge!

~Marcia