Artful Avocations

Autumn Thank You Box Bag

I just fell in love with this box bag when I came across it on Diana's blog which I had never seen before.  She has a wonderful tutorial for this cut bag on her blog.

This Autumn box bag one is actually the second one I made and I made it smaller than in Diana's tutorial.  It is so super simple to make!  I love these types of projects because they're perfect for workshops or my after school paper craft classes.  And this is easy enough for the kids to make. Perfect!

The second one pictured here is the first one I made.  This one was made according to the dimensions in the tutorial.  I think I will make a million of these!  So fast and easy and CUTE!

Autumn box bag: papers, inks, ribbon, punches - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - A Chemistry With Paper, Stylized Flowers

Happy Birthday box bag:  papers, inks, stamps, brads, punches - Stampin' Up!  Ribbon - Michael's.

Don't forget to go to A Chemistry With Paper and check out their First Anniversary Party - A Contest and a COUPON!  If you visited earlier this week, they were having trouble with the shipping parameters, but they are fixed now.

Thanks for visiting.  Have a good night.

Who Doesn't Love a Coupon?

Just a quick post tonight.  I forgot to mention in my previous post that A Chemistry With Paper is also offering a coupon for 10% off your entire order from now through Sept. 5, 2008.  Just type in happy1st anniversary for the coupon code at the checkout.  Don't forget to enter their contest! 

1st Anniversary & Contest

A Chemistry With Paper is celebrating their first year as an online store.  To celebrate, they have a brand new store with a whole new look.  They are also having a contest with prizes!!  So, go on over to www.shopacwp.com and checkout their new store and all the contest details.  Have a great weekend!

Retired Stampin' Up! Sets

Edited to update sold retired sets 2-3-09.

I've got several retired Stampin' Up! sets for sale to good homes.  ;-) If you'd like to purchase any of the sets, please send me an e-mail at sharonsrivera@aol.com and I'll send you a PayPal invoice for the stamp set(s) plus shipping.  Make sure to put "retired SU! sets" or something similar as the subject so I'll know it's not spam if I don't recognize your e-mail address.

Most of my stamp sets are cut with a precision saw (very professional), so they are neatly cut close to the image. If the stamp set is cut out with scissors, I will indicate that in the set description.  I will also indicate if there is any staining, but most of them have not even been used and all of them are in excellent condition.  None have heavy staining. I will figure the shipping costs at the best price possible for you via USPS and send you a PayPal invoice for the stamp and shipping total.  When the invoice is paid, I will ship you your stamps.  First come, first served!

In the Sky, copyright 2002, 4 stamps in set - $5.00

Delightful Doodles, copyright 2002, 4 stamps in set - $5.00
(slight staining on flower stamp in this set)

Listen With the Heart, copyright 2004, 2 stamps in set - $5.00
(slight staining on wood mount of heart)

Holiday Basics, copyright 2003, 3 stamps in set - $9.00
(some staining w/white ink on wood)

Friendship Grows, copyright 2001, 4 stamps in set -  $9.00

SOLD

Tender Toile, copyright 2002, 4 stamps in set - $9.00

SOLD

Two-Step Stampin' Painted Garden, copyright 2002, 6 stamps in set - $9.00
(some staining on flower stamp)

Too Terrific Tags, copyright 2006, 6 stamps in set - $8.00
(New, unmounted)

Heart Blocks, copyright 2001, 7 stamps in set - $10.00
(slight staining on "From the Heart" stamp)

Country Charm, copyright 2001, 6 stamps in set - $10.00

SOLD

Days Gone By, copyright 2002, 6 stamps in set - $10.00

SOLD

Merry Elves, copyright 2003, 4 stamps in set - $10.00

SOLD

Snappy Starts, copyright 2003, 6 stamps in set - $10.00
(slight staining on little 3-flower stamp)

Little Layers II, copyright 2003, 8 stamps in set - $12.00
(slight staining on ornament and loopy lined background stamps)

Simply Spring, copyright 2002, 8 stamps in set - $12.00
(some staining on swirl, tulip and daffodil stamps)

Serenity (background stamp), copyright 2002, 1 stamp - $10.00

SOLD

Watercolor Fun, copyright 2002, 6 stamps in set - $12.00

Shipping costs will be added to the listed prices.

Good luck to you on being first and THANK YOU for giving these sets a good home!

I have so many more sets to go through and post here, but don't know when I'll get the time to do that.  Keep your eyes open for them!

Happy stamping!  Thanks for visiting!

Carmel Apple Kit & Card

I made this little Carmel Apple Kit back in July as a sample for the Riverside Expo for A Chemistry With Paper.  ACWP had these FDA cone bags for sale at the Expo, so I came up with this little kit to show a way to use the bags.  A couple of years ago I bought a hot cocoa kit in a cone shaped bag from the Pumpkin Festival at the Cal Poly Farm Store and that gave me the idea to do this carmel apple kit...finally got around to it!

I used SU! papers and ribbon on both projects.

The carmel apple stamp is from the Holiday Treats set and the Happy Fall sentiment and maple leaf stamp are from the All Year Bag Toppers set, both sets are from my boys at ACWP.

That's it for today!  Thanks for visiting and have a nice evening.

Trick or Treat

Two Scrapbook Pages in ONE Day!  I don't know why I've never posted any of my pages!

Anyway, here is another one using the new spider web Cuttle bug embossing folder.  All the papers are SU!  The spider web paper is from last year's SU! Halloween DSP and was sanded to bring out the web.  I made the chipboard pumpkins, again on white chipboard cut with a Sizzix die, sponged with classic inks.  The title alphabet is the Autumn Alphabet from A Chemistry With Paper, The spider hanging from it's web tag is also from ACWP (Labels and Tags set), and the bats and candy corn are from ACWP's Halloween set.  Click on the picture to enlarge it and see the detail.

Okay, one more post coming up!

Thanks for looking.

Not Something You See From Me Everyday

If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time I have ever posted one of my scrapbook pages on my blog.  I made this because I was playing around with my new Cuttlebug embossing folders.  I'm not sure if you can see the detail, but the Argyle embossing folder matches the argyle DSP perfectly!!!  All the chipboard elements were cut from white chipboard and sponged with SU! classic inks.  I then smeared a thin layer of Crystal Effects over them with my finger to make them shiny.  I used the embossing folder with all the words as my page title.  I didn't think it needed a separate title with all those words.  I sanded the words to pop them out a little.  The background page is actually Bravo Burgandy (it looks like Really Rust on my monitor) and the DS papers are More Mustard.  The argyle embossed piece is Old Olive card stock.  The ribbon is the also from Stampin' Up!

Maybe I'll take some pictures to put on this page this autumn. 

Thanks for looking.  I still have two more posts coming today, so bear with me.  ;)

Note Card Box w/Cards

This is one of my favorite quick little gifts to make.  Wrapped in a cellophane bag it looks super special.  Why is it that cellophane bags make everything look better?

This little box couldn't be easier to make and you can adjust the measurents to any size you need.  I made this box to hold the 3x3 note cards.  Here are the directions/measurements:
Cut card stock for box to 5" x 7-1/4".  Score in 2" on all four sides.  Cut one of the score lines on each corner to create the box sides and glue tabs and stick together.  Make sure you cut the score line at each corner that will allow the glue tab part to adhere behind the front panel and back panel of your box.  (The glue tabs will be 2" wide and will not fit if you glue them to the sides of the box because the box is only 1" deep.  OR You could cut them down to a 1" width.  Make sense?)   Your box should measure 3-1/4 wide, 2" tall, and 1" deep.  Then make some 3x3 notes to put inside along with some envelopes.

Here's a picture of the cards inside.  I only made three, but there is plenty of room for more.  Everything I used is from Stampin' Up!

Still have more to post, so don't go away.

Big Red Flower Happy Birthday

Here's a quick card using the new SU! scallop punch.  Love that punch!  I used SU! Summer Picnic DSP, Real Red cs, and Whisper cs, and Old Olive grosgrain ribbon.  I made the big red flower with white chipboard and a Sizzix die, and sponged it with Real Red classic ink.  If you use chipboard that is white on one side, you can use the classic inks to color your die cuts.  I punched a flower from a scrap of the DSP for the flower center and used a Build A Brad.  Because there is a rather large hole die cut in the center of the flower, I also adhered a 1-1/4" circle to put on the back of the flower to hold the brad in place - like a washer.  The little  white flower was punched with a retired SU! punch.  The ribbon technique used is called a one hole bow.  This is such a cool technique for getting your bow exactly where you want it. All you have to do is punch a hole (big enough for your ribbon to pass through) where you want your bow to be.  Then insert one end of your ribbon through the back side of the hole and pull through to the front about about 2".  Next, wrap the longer end of the ribbon from the back side around the front and back to the back side, insert the end through the hole (you will have to pull the other end of the ribbon taught so you can get this end through) and pull through to the front. Now, adjust your ribbon and pull it taught taking care not to tear your card.  Put one end of the ribbon on one side of the wrapped part of the ribbon and one end on the other side.  (Clear as mud??) Tie the two ends into a half knot over the wrapped length of ribbon....you have a bow!  I'm not sure I did a very good job with these instructions, so feel free to email me for further clarification.  Maybe someone out there knows of a video with these instructions that they can link us to.

The Happy Birthday sentiment is from the A Chemistry With Paper - All Year Bag Toppers set - LOVE that set too!

Thanks for stopping by.  Stay tuned - I have more!

A Card for Sammie ; )

I got a very cute card from my dear friend, Samantha with a CD of all the pictures she took at Convention.  (It's the scallop note card on her blog.)  I figured I'd better get busy and burn my pictures to a CD, make her a card, and send them to her.  [I am SO guilty of making cards and never sending them!!]  This one, though, went in the mail with the CD yesterday. {patting self on back}  :-)

Super simple embossing with the Scor-Pal for the background.  The scalloped "ribbon" is Pumpkin Pie card stock scalloped with the new scallop border punch from SU!  The flower was made using the SU! scallop circle punch.  Punched once on Pumkin Pie and once on Marigold Morning.  The Marigold Morning piece was cut between each scallop to create petals.  The square is Pacific Point, although it looks more like Brilliant Blue, and punch with a 2" Marvy square scallop punch.  The rub-on is from Stampin' Up!  The giant brad in the center of the flower is from American Crafts.  The scallops were all pierced with a pointy paper piercer.  ;-)  The flower and square scallop element is mounted on dimensionals.

Thanks for looking!  Don't go away...I've got some more to post.