Free Tutorial

How about a FREE tutorial?  Just click on the link below to download a full color step-by-step tutorial to make medallions.  Now you may already know how to make accordion medallions, but these are not just small medallions perfect for cards and banners.  Included are the measurements for medium, large, and extra large medallions sized from 6" to 24"!

1/2" Accordion Medallion Tutorial


Also, did you see?  The Create with Connie and Mary blog has a festive new look and they are getting ready for a SEVENTH Edition, the Holiday Edition 2011!  They've started an Early Bird Pricing…save $5 off the normal $34.95 US!    At only $29.95, your subscription will get you 6 weeks of daily projects with FULL step-by-step tutorials, challenges, and a chance to win prizes.  That is less than $1 a day, and is a HUGE bargain!  Don't wait…sign up today!

Happy craftin,

The Countdown Has Begun

HELLO stampin' enthusiasts the countdown to the Holiday Edition of Create With Connie and Mary has begun.  The time is NOW to register and save as we have started the Early Bird Special for Create with Connie and Mary Holiday Edition.

From now until September 17th at 11:55 pm you can take advantage of the special pricing of $29.95 - that's $5 off the regular subscription price of $34.95!

You get SIX full weeks of exclusive FABULOUS ideas with complete tutorials featuring the Holiday Mini Catalog products.  Six days a week for all six weeks members of the design team...

• Connie Babbert
• Mary Brown
• Elizabeth Price
• Debbie Henderson
• Robin Messenheimer

...will be sharing with you exclusive projects complete with instructions in downloadable tutorials!  Plus there are stampin' challenges on Saturdays.  Each and every day there is awesomeness going on.  There will be a total of 36 full projects with tutorials for $29.95 during Early Bird Savings ...that $.83 a project...there is no better deal going!

From September 6th to September 17th (on special days), each design team member will be sharing with you a FREE Preview Week project complete with downloadable tutorial.  This is to give you an idea of what Create with Connie and Mary is all about!

Visit often and Happy Craftin'

Fabric Friday

For today's Fabric Friday post I am sharing a super sweet runner I made using one pack of Beau Chateau Designer Fabric from Stampin' Up!  I was able to easily cut 45 large scallop circles from the three fat quarters int he pack.  Each row has 15 circles making three rows.

To construct the runner I first stitched the long 15 piece rows.  When I stitched them together I matched up and sewed a seam to include five scallops.  Next I pressed open all the seams.

To assemble the three long rows to form the runner I matched up and sewed a seam to include six scallops.  I know that may sound confusing but you will then have two scallops in between each seam to form the little "peek a boo" openings.

My runner here was used to add some sweetness to one of our sections in our Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo Booth. 

Enjoy and happy craftin, Elizabeth

Sharing Something a Bit Different

I spend much of my time working at Bloomster's where I help design and coordinate weddings and events.  Today I am sharing a bunch of pictures of a wedding I did earlier this year.  I helped the bride with the invitations as well as the design details for the ceremony and reception. I am sharing a few ceremony photos that we snapped off for our archives.  I wish I were a better photographer with great equipment because some events look so spectacular.

 

For the invitations the bride chose a simple clean approach.  She also decided to save some money and assembled the invites and rsvp cards herself.

The wedding took place at the Los Gatos Opera House in Los Gatos California.  It was gorgeous.  To see lots more of our wedding and event work look up Bloomster's on Facebook.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

In Real Life

I was just thinking if I had ever seen anybody famous up close and personal.  And you know what, I have a little list of people I have walked right past, stood next to, or in one case had short conversation.  Are you wondering who?  Well here they are: Seal, Brian Boitano, Ricky Schroeder, Senator McCain, Jimmy Osmond, Taylor Hicks, and most recently Carrot Top.  

Are you wondering where I am going with this?  I was looking through all my Stampin' Up! Convention photos and remembering getting to see so many samples in real life that are featured in the new Idea Book and Catalog.  What I noticed most is that you see lots more detail when you see the real thing and not just a photo.  There were lots of cards and projects that are shown in the Holiday Mini catalog too.  For our booth at the Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo we made it a point to CASE (copy and share everything) quite a few projects that were both in the catalog and in the Product Park.  Our aim was to share where to get great ideas.  Most of the samples in these photos which were taken of the Timeless Portrait section of our booth were made by Tami W.  She is amazing!

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Casing the Catalog

Today I have a couple photos to share from the Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo booth we had last week.  By the way, I have lots of pictures because between myself, Tami W., and Julie B. we made tons of gorgeous hand stamped cards and things.  Jump to more awesome samples and a great explanation by clicking here.

These fun and happy embroidery hoops made by Tami W. was inspired by the Product Park Convention samples.  What is Product Park you ask?  It was a FABULOUS display at this summer's Stampin' Up! Convention.  The fabric is from the Timeless Portrait Designer pack from the Idea Book and Catalog. 

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Fabric Friday

Welcome to another Fabric Friday!  Thanks to those who left comments last week.  Just so you know my mind is going a thousand miles a minute with some new creative project ideas with fabric all because of the comments from blog friends.

For today I am sharing "Part Three" of the old jeans that were recycled into cute things.  Last week I shared the jeans apron which was "Part Two."  I have yet to show "Part One" but I promise you'll see that project too.  I am just feeling a little like George Lucas ;0)

This purse or pouch was SUPER easy to make.  I used the bottom of one of the legs and turned in wrong side out to sew up a point to give my bag some shape.  I turned it right side out to press and wala the hem was already done.

For the focal on the bag I added Springtime Vintage Designer Fabric fluffy flowers.  I used six scallop circles cut from the smallest pieces of the Scallop Circles Bigz Die.  

How to make the fluffy flowers:

1.  Get them soaking wet with water and then wring them out.

2.  Distress and scruff up the damp pieces on a terry cloth towel.

3.  Spray the distressed pieces with spray starch.

4.  Scrunch them up one last time and place on a cookie sheet.

5.  If it is sunny and warm outside put the tray in the sun to dry.  Or, you can place the tray in a 200 degree oven for 6-7 minutes.

To form the flowers:

1.  Fold four of the pieces in half and layer them on top of each other turning each layer 90 degress.

2.  Stitch or hot glue the layers in place.

3.  Fold two pieces in quarters and layer on top of the first four pieces in a "bow tie" form.  (In other words, think of a clock and the first one will be arranged at 12:00 and the other toward 6:00).  These two pieces should overlap by about 1/4".

4.  Stitch or hot glue these layers in place.

5.  Add a button to the center.

To finish the bag/purse/pouch add a long strip of wide ribbon.  For a special touch I included a few coordinating buttons to each ribbon attachment point.

Make one for yourself.  Think about the possibilities of using this for decor.  It could hang and be the perfect place for mail or a small potted plant.  

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

What a Week is Was! Part II

I mentioned in my last post about our booth at the Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo.  Here is a picture of the very corner section of the booth.  There is lots more to see and I will be sharing many more close up photos for you to check out.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

What a Week is Was!

Last week my friends and I hosted a booth at the Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo.  While the work that goes into all the paper crafting we do to fill the booth with all the amazing eye candy takes a chunk of time, it is so worth the finished product.  Our booth was STUNNING!  So, over the next few weeks I will share lots of cards, boxes, favors, treats, home decor items, and stamped yumminess from our booth. 

This card was in our Timeless Portrait/First Edition area of the booth.  By the way, we had asked for a 10' x 10' booth but they upgraded us to a 10' x 20'!  Tami W. made this fabulous card which features the new Creative Elements stamp set.  You can find that set in the Idea Book and Catalog.

Enjoy and happy craftin, Elizabeth

Fabric Friday (Blog Candy Alert)

Today's Fabric Friday is a "NO SEW" project which features the Beau Chateau Designer Fabric, a Simply Adorned Bracelet, Artistic Etchings, and You're A Gem from Stampin' Up!  I call it my Beau Chateau Rag Tag Bracelet.  To see this project up close and personal jam on over to the Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo to see it and lots more amazing hand crafted projects created with the fabulous new products from Stampin' Up!

This second picture is of the back of the bracelet while in progress.  I wanted to share with you that I used a strip of ripped fabric about 1/2" wide to anchor the windowpanes to the bracelet links.  The last picture is a close up of smaller ripped strips tied between the links and around the "anchor" strip.

Today I am giving away blog candy.  If you want to make your own rag tag bracelet just do two things:  1. Become a follower of my blog (if you are not already) and 2. Leave a comment on my blog letting me know what type of fabric project you would like to see featured on an upcoming Fabric Friday.  Do that either today, Friday 8/12, or tomorrow and I'll send you the full color pdf tutorial and supply list for this fun handmade beauty.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Softly Sponged

This card, made by the amazing Julie B., of Julie B's Stampin Space, is so delicately perfect.  A trio of soothing green shades totally set the stage for the large stamp image from the new stamp set from Stampin' Up! called Forever Young.

The Whisper White card panel was embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and then embellished with a simple white organza ribbon tie.  And check out the crisp clean layering of the Short & Sweet greeting--isn't is cool?

Be sure to come back on Friday for a super cool Fabric Friday post.  I'll be sharing a summery rag tag bracelet.  I'll be giving away blog candy so be sure to stop by.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Fabric Friday

Hello and happy Friday!!

Being that it is Friday, that means it's time for another fabric project hand made by my own two hands.  For today I thought I would share an upcycled apron made from an old pair of jeans and the Sweet Stitches Designer Fabric from Stampin' Up!

To start, I cut open one leg of the jeans along the outside seam.  I pressed it open and flat and then began to hold it in front of me to find the best way it would drape for an apron.  From there my original plan was to line the apron with the button print fabric from the Sweet Stitches three pack.  Then I thought the apron needed a bit more interest so I added a ruffle on the bottom.  The pumpkin colored ruffle is two lengths of width of the fat quarters by 6" tall.  I seamed the two together on the short edge and then ran one edge through my sewing machine using the rolled hem foot. 

After gathering the top edge of the ruffle I was about to pin it to the jean side of the apron when I changed my mind and made the button fabric side to be the front.  The apron strings are four lengths of the width of the fat quarters, two for each side.  I cut the strips about 5.5" and then folded them in half, stitched them right sides together, turned them right side out, and then pressed them open and flat.  I had to give the apron just a bit of button "happiness" so I hand stitched a variety of sizes and colors of Designer Buttons in the brights.

I hope you have enjoyed my third Fabric Friday post.  Be back next week for some more fabric goodness!

Happy stitchin' Ebeth

Couture Windowpane Bracelet

I have made bunches and bunches of these clear window pane bracelets which are created using all Stampin' Up! products.  This beauty is built directly on a Simply Adorned chain link bracelet and features the two smaller sizes of the Windowpanes. 

Each windowpane is backed with some simple stamping using two Stampin' Up! stamp sets called Charming and Tiny Tags.  Accents of Moonlight Smooch Paint add a special little touch to elevate the finished look of the small stamped pieces of Very Vanilla cardstock.  I use a very small amount of Crystal Effects to adhere the stamped pieces to the window panes.  Then to anchor the windowpanes to the bracelet I used a single long piece of Crumb Cake Seam Binding.

  

Several short strips of complementing ribbon, Designer Buttons, and Vintage Key Trinkets were added to embellish and finish the bracelet.  These are lightweight and totally comfortable to wear.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth