Create With M.E.

Blue Ribbon~Great for the Grad in your life!

It's Graduation time!  My youngest daughter just graduated from 8th grade this week (congrats Abby!) and the highschoolers in our school district will graduate tomorrow afternoon.  Mother's Day weekend the local University kids graduated.  It's happening all around here. 

One of my nephews graduated today (congrats Nick!), one graduates June 1st (congrats Jack!) and I have a niece graduating June 9th (congrats Jaclyn!).  Lots of kids graduating and moving to their next stage in life. 

I wanted make the 8th graders life just a little sweeter so I made them a little treat I could give each one as I congratulated them and welcomed them to their next season of life. 

 

I made them with the 1" x 8" cello bags #124134 filled with colored candies that are close to their school colors of blue, red and silver gray.  I finished them off with coordinating colored cardstock stamped with the set called "Blue Ribbon" #125979 (wood mount) or #125981 (clear mount) I also added some bling with the Silver Glimmer Paper #124005 punched with the scallop circle punch #119854 and added a rhinestone from the Rhinestone basic jewels pack #119246 to just finish it off perfectly.

Here is a picture of me and my silly graduate!  Congratulations Abby!

My First Video Tutorial~Go easy on M.E.!

This has been a work in progress for a long time now.  I am so anxious to hear your feedback so please take a look at my very first (hopefully not my last unless you just tell me it's just horrible :) video tutorial of a gift card holder I designed all by my little lonesome and leave me some feedback please.  Actually I designed it while I was sleeping. I woke up at 4:30am one day last week and it was all designed in my head! Cool I have found a way to be productive even while I am asleep! Let's hope this lasts.

 

Supplies listed below:

• Card Base Pop 'n Cuts #130099
• Curly Label Punch #119851
• Pure Gumption Stamp set wood mount #126315  clear mount #126317
• Sassy Salutations wood mount #126705  clear mount #126707
• Paper Piercing tool #126189
• Sticky Strip #104294
• Tea Lace Paper Doilies #129399
• Basic Rhinestones Jewels Accents #119246

Here is another example using product yet to be released so these items can not be ordered until May 31st. 

On the inside I added the adorable saying from the Photopolymer stamp set called Bombs Away Birthday #133411

Looking for a little feedback so please take an extra minute to post a comment on my blog.  I would greatly appreciate it. 

Happy Easter~ from this Chick!

Look at this adorable chick!  He's just as cute as can be and so easy to recreate.  I used the 1 3/4" circle punch for his body I used the wings from the Bird Punch for his wings.  The Boho punch finishes off his little crown and his feet.  So cute. I adorned the box with one of the chicks from the cute clips out of the spring mini catalog.   A couple of adorable greetings from one of my favorites all time sets teeny tiny wishes.  They are perfect when you are doing these little items.

I used a simple folded triangle for his beak and a couple of dots with my basic black marker for his eyes to bring him to life.  I found this cute box idea somewhere.  Ugh I just spent an hour trying to find out where it was so I could send you there and give credit.  I know it was a video and it had a curly label punch with a window sheet front but that's all I can remember.  (if you know please make a comment so I can edit my post.  I have been over every one of my pinterest boards.  I will keep looking and post credit as soon as I am able.  I did have to make some changes to it's size to accomodate this little yummy....

Ok since I can not send you to the website I am going to post a few extra pics so you can put your own together with my measurements. 

You need two pieces of cardstock the box that will hold your treat is 5" by 2 3/4" You will score it on the long side at 1/2", 2 1/4", 2 3/4" and 4 1/2" then turn it and score the short side 1/2" from each side.

You will remove all the 1/2" squares from this piece as shown.  Punch one side with a 1 1/4" punch or whatever size you need to accomodate your treat.  Put sticky strip as shown on the opposite side of the part you punched.  Assemble the box bottom.

The wrap around part is 8 1/2" x 1 3/4" score on the long side at 1/2", 2 7/8", 3 3/8", 5 1/4", 5 5/8", and 8" Put sticky strip as shown

Place the box bottom as shown and fold up the sides and decorate. 

I sure hope that helps you be able to replicate this adorable box.  I have yet to expand into videos but hope it in my future?  Maybe with a little encouragement I can do it. :)

 

 

My Paper Pumpkin~It's a Magical Paper Escape Every Month!

 

It's a Magical Paper Escape Every Month!

Sweep away the mundane-your creativity carriage awaits!

 

I'm Paper Pumpkin . . .

I come to your door each month (a fully decked-out creativity carriage). I'll help you to escape your life with some paper fun.

I come in a sweet box, but you'll really love what you find on the inside:

All the stamps, ink, paper, and accessories to create pinable projects. Create stuff like cards, journals, décor, and more!

Paper Pumpkin by Stampin' Up! is a new monthly kit program that anyone (even you) can enjoy!

Get Started

It's so easy to get started. Simply sign up for the program  by visiting www.mypaperpumpkin.com and click Get it. Select Mary Ellen Stites Saint Joseph, IL as your demonstrator. Every month a new, surprise project kit arrives at your doorstep. Just think of the anticipation of creating a fun project to pin, showoff, and share with your friends and family-every month!

The very first Paper Pumpkin will arrive on your doorstep starting in March-if you sign up before March 10.

Of course, you'll want to know more. So here's the nitty gritty:

• Each month we send you a unique, surprise kit with a project-cards, journals, décor, and more! (We've even color-coordinated, measured, and cut everything for you!)
• Each kit includes stamps, ink, paper, and accessories-everything but adhesive.
• Each kit gives you a 30-minute creativity escape.
• We will ship your Paper Pumpkin on or around the 15th of the month.  
• You need to sign up for a kit by the 10th of the month to get that month's kit. If you sign up on the 11th of the month, your first kit will come the next month. (Let's say you sign up on May 10th, we'll send your kit around May 15th. If you sign up on May 11th, we'll send your first kit around June 15th.)
• A Paper Pumpkin membership is $19.95 per month (and shipping is included!)  
• There's no commitment, you can cancel your monthly Paper Pumpkin at anytime. You can also skip a month if you want.
• Starting in early March, we'll offer a Try-It kit if you'd like to try Paper Pumpkin for one month.

Here's How You Order

Sign up for your monthly Paper Pumpkin by visiting www.mypaperpumpkin.com and click Get it. Make sure you specify Mary Ellen Stites Saint Joseph, IL as your demonstrator so I can assist you to my fullest with any questions, helps or creative ideas you might need!

My Digital Studio~Not just for Scrapbooking.

Not by any means.  Actually I am known to do very little scrapbooking.  <gasp> But I love My Digital Studio and I use it for lots of fun crafting.  Yesterday I held my club meeting and we had a lot of fun making the bracelets I showed you last week here.  We also spent some time crafting a cute bookmark.  There were two little girls who joined us so I thought this was something they would be able to use and us busy moms and grandmas always need some way to mark our spot!

The image is right from a My Digital Studio download called Book Buddies.  All I had to do was shrink it down to fit a 1" circle punch and color it.  So easy to add color to the stamps with My Digital Studio. Ask me how!

So we punched them out, ran our Soda Pop Tops through the Big Shot to turn down the edges.  We adhered the 1" circle inside.  Added a bead of crystal effects all around the edge and sprinkled on some bright colored beads.  Adhere all of this to a giant paperclip with hot glue.  The finishing touch is the cute little daffodil delight ribbon bow.  Attach it with a mini glue dot.  Look what my favorite childhood book is.  Anyone who knows M.E. knows this is my favorite all time story.

Just wanted to throw a shout out to all the great people that came to club last night.  I think we had 13 in attendance and they were so involved in painting their bracelets they hardly had time to look up!

Take a look at My Digital Studio it's a phenomenal program.  Not ready to take the plunge Download your FREE trial here.

I am in LOVE~…again!

I know you’ve heard it before.  It seems to be almost a norm in our society.  Marriages come and go.  Divorce is common place and we accept it.  I used to feel that if you were once in love you can work hard to get that feeling back again.  But in this case I’m done!  I’VE HAD IT! I went looking for a new love and I found it!  Stampin’ Up! LOVE that is….

What?!  you thought I would throw away the last 28years of training I have done with Chuck….Nah he’s totally a keeper! 

 

Every year we say goodbye to some old and HELLLLL-OH! to some NEW Stampin' "Stuff"!  This is my new favorite paper that I have been playing with.  It’s called Floral District Designers Series Paper! Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!

Don’t you love those yummy colors. Mmmmm!  It even helps that it matches my favorite double walled cappuccino mug.  How Conveeeenient! The Coffee looks and tastes even better after it sits on this beautiful coaster I made!

This paper was part of my preorder from the new Catalog which will go live on June 1^st.  I sent a copy to many of you but if you didn’t receive one yet email me and we will talk about getting one coming your way, right away.

I even added a stamped image with some fun distressing in the middle of the coaster as a focal point. But they are cute even without.  So much fun!  These coasters are so inexpensive but how darling to give a set of 4 of these to all those friends who have you over for summer BBQ’s!  The tiles were .13¢ each at the local home improvement store and I can get nine 4 x 4 pieces of Designer series paper out of one 12 x 12 sheet of paper.  Takes only a few minutes to complete.  Lay down a thin coat of decoupage medium to adhere the paper then when dry brush on a thin layer of Crystal Effects with a foam brush.  Voila’ you are done! (well after it drys, which only takes about 30 minutes)  Tie 4 coordinating tiles together with some beautiful ribbon and everyone will be inviting you to their house for a picnic this summer!

 

Hearts~Mine is made with LOVE!

Last Friday I had my friends over for cards and coffee.  We get together every other Friday around my kitchen table to visit, create a project and drink coffee and eat something sweet.  Sounds like the perfect morning to M.E.!  Well, when we got done I pulled out some Designer Series Paper and started Cutting the 12 x 12 papers down to 6 x 6 squares.  I pulled out my Petal Cone die some ribbon and candy and whoever was still sitting around the table got busy putting together 27 of these little treat bags. It's true what they say many hands do make light work!  Here is what we came up with...

Tomorrow I am supposed to bowl and it's Valentines day.  I try to always make a little goodie treat for the ladies, each holiday, that I have the pleasure of bowling with.  I say 'supposed to' because I am also serving Jury duty this week.  So day to day I do not know if I will have to serve on a jury or not.  Today was my first day and I did not have to serve so I hope I get tomorrow off but after that I really wouldn't mind serving just to have that experience.  I think it will be interesting.  So anyway we made these so I can get them to my teammate Julie just in case I can not be there tomorrow.  Here is a close up of the medallion

We punched one of the large scallop circles then stamped the "heart of hearts" from the ps. I love you set in the occasions mini and punched it out with the full heart punch.  Layered that with another punched image from the same set so they know a lot of Love went into the creating of these treat pouches. :) Lots of love and many hands!  I finished each off with a bow made of ribbon I got for FREE from the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  It was FREE so I could use a lot!! Ha Ha! Actually the paper was FREE too!  I love this paper!  It has to be one of my all time favorites!  You can earn it for FREE along with some of these other accessories by placing a $50 order or hostessing a workshop with me the month or next.  Email me for details.

When we got done we have quite the box full.  Stuffed with chocolates yum!  I think they will like it!  Look at all of these beauties!

 

Love to have you join us around the kitchen table next time we meet on February 24th.  If you are interested leave me a comment or email me and I will add you to my email list.

This Friday I will be doing something for those of you who would love to come and join M.E. around the kitchen table in the morning for M.E.s 3 C's  but have to work.  Mark your calendar for this Friday the 17th for Cards and Chocolate Cocktails.  M.E.'s 4 C's...Cards, Chocolate, Cocktails and Comraderie! We will make some paper crafting projects then enjoy some Chocolate Cocktails and other sweet treats from my friend Rose who is a Dove Chocolatier.  The Fee is $10.00 and covers your costs for the evening.  Again if you do not imbibe in cocktails that's ok still come we will have peanut butter chocolate chip smoothies and Chocolate mouse to enjoy!  YUM!  Please RSVP here

 

Gift Giving Season~It's in the Bag

Gift bag that is!  Are you like M.E. and never plan ahead?  Sometimes we just get busy (right?) and need that last minute gift and gift-wrap.  That's M.E.! So, I took an oldie and turned it into a goodie.  The old Bag-A-Lope as we used to call it.  These gift bags were made from 9 x 12 envelopes.  I have a huge box of these envelopes (150 to be exact) that I bought a few years ago from Mr. Waltons warehouse store.  I just looked up the cost online and now they come in boxes of 100 for around $20 so that is .20 a piece.  Add a 2¢ piece of tissue and gee whiz it's a bag for under .25¢ can't buy that!  Even with all the extra embellishing which puts it WAY above store bought in cuteness it's still less than $1.00!! 

Here is my assortment of bags.  From Thanksgiving through Christmas to Thank you!  All of them made the same except the Snowflake fold-over bag.  So you want to  know how?  Of course you do!

Cut the envelope top off to make it a 9 x 9 square.  Score each side and the bottom 1.5" in from each side and bottom with the simply scoring tool.  Fold both ways on the scores before trying to assemble into a bag to make it a little easier.  If wheeling the bag do that now before you put it all together.  If you are just embellishing you can wait until it's "a bag". 

You will stick your hand it and make "gussets" on each bottom edge. Use sticky strip to fold these onto the bottom of the bag for strength in the bottom.  Voila it's done. 

Tips on some of the bags above: 

Thanksgiving bag-brayer first with the primary colors from the Spice Cake Designers Series Paper.  More Mustard, Pool Party and Old Olive.  Then Wheeled with Early Espresso.  Reinforce the top if adding handles of torn fabric in this instance but ribbon would be just as great! 

Snowflake Bag- Do not cut off as much from the top of the envelope if you want to do a fold down bag.  Leave it around 10.5-11" long

Basic Wheeled bag-When wheeling your tissue only wheel around the perimeter of the tissue.  No need to wheel the whole paper because all you see is the tips anyway!  You can fold the paper before wheeling because the paper is scrunched and you can't see any spaces or gaps. When wheeling always wheel on the diagonal because then if you aren't perfectly straight the eye can not pick it up like it does if you try to wheel horizontally or vertically.  Or use your wheel guide if you "must" wheel straight.

Want to make the card the embellishment?  Adhere a clear envelope to the front of your plain bag and slip in the card and voila it's done! Bottom right example that is trimmed with a little ruffled ribbon.

Create your bag to suit you and your needed occassion and size! 

Order you supplies 24/7 in my online store by clicking on my signature below or on my online ordering button on the top of this blog.

Order online in October and receive a bonus FREE PDF tutorial sent right to your mailbox!

You're an Angel~You're A Positive EXample

APEX time again!  APEX is something my upline, Meg Loven, has offered to us for the last several years and I try to NEVER miss it.  She offers it every quarter to anyone who has $1200 in sales and/or a new recruit.  It stands for A Positive Example and it's what we call an over the top swap or wow swap.  If you participate in person it's a shoebox swap but if you live far away or are busy like I am this month you can participate by mail.  

I had fun putting these little angels together for the other participants.  I had seen something somewhat similar at convention and had snapped a photo and had it in my "ideas" folder on my computer.  So when I was trying to decide what to do I pulled up that folder and saw this little cutie and thought it was time to create her.

She's a pretty nice size angel.  I started with a 12 x 12 sheet of textured vanilla cardstock and one of my dinner plates.  Yes, I needed a larger circle so I did the old trace around the dinner plate trick.  I traced with my embosser from the new simply scoring tool and cut out by hand.  Then I found my center and went from there with my folds.  I would love to give you exact measurements but truthfully I am not sure how to tell you my markings on a circle.  If you want to duplicate her I would suggest making a pattern from newspaper or brown packing paper from your Stampin' Up! order you can place with me online ;-) (you don't throw that stuff away do you?!!) Then use it as a template.  I had fun embossing then decorating her wings with dazzling details and her dress with glass glitter.  She is just heavenly.  I went with the very vanilla because I thought it just made her a little softer than the true Whisper White.  Although that would be just as ethereal.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my choir of angels.  I think they would be adorable made with their choir books in hand.  It would mimic the angel I put on my tree.  It's an angel my mom bought at the five n dime when my oldest sister was little so I would think that would make it an antique now (ha ha sorry sis!) and my mom never thought much of it.  She said it was just temporary, one of those things you get just to get by when you don't have money until you can get something better.  Her skirt is made of straws and glitter and cheap foil adorns her head as a halo and her head it a wooden ball her foil choir book it held on with cording. Growing up it was tradition to me and even though mom would buy new angels to put on her tree, as long as I lived at home I never let her. I can't remember if she gave it to me before she died or I got it after now but it's been a part of my tree since my kids were little or even before.  Mom's been gone now for almost 20 years and every year I place her on top it gives me a special moment to dream of my mom.  I think my kids feel about our angel the way I did as a child.  Funny how that works. It makes me smile thinking of our "silly" little traditions.  

Share your favorite Christmas traditions.  I'd love to hear how you make Christmas special at your house.  Leave me a comment.  

If you want to order supplies to make this cute little angel or any other stamping project click on my signature or on the Online Order icon at the top of my blog.

*Edited 10/23/2011- Download Elegant Angel tutorial here

  

Candle Holder~Big shot, its not just for paper!

Have you ever had one of those projects that you have seen online but have never attempted because when you stamp, it's usually because you need to, not because you just want to make something cute?  Well this is one of those projects that I have been wanting to play with ever since I saw it online.  I LOVE my Big Shot and I LOVE that it will cut through SO many different materials.  Including Metal! 

Last week I was shopping at my favorite Home improvement store, the one where you "save big money". I was getting paint for my living room because new furniture was on it's way.  Well, after 6 weeks of being draught conditions here in Central IL the skys decided let loose and rain like the dickens outside.  So, I decided, that even though I was ready to check out with my paint supplies, I would just wait it out by shopping around the store.  I LOVE to look for fun stuff that I can use in "outside the box" ways.  I came upon this:

I had no idea at the time what I was going to do with this aluminum coil but for $5.62 it didn't break my budget and I thought I could probably make something fun out of it.

So, when I was thinking of projects to do for my Create With M.E. team meeting later that week this roll (which was still in the bag) came to my mind.  Ah Ha let's make those cute little candle holders with it!  So I started out cutting it into sheets the size of my Flower Folds Die which was about 12.5 inches. It's cuts pretty easily with a pair of tin snips.  Here is what it looks like before I cut it with the die:

I found that with MY big shot I had to use a shim of 6 x 12 cardstock under my die to allow it cut through the aluminum cleanly and score the fold lines.  I just used a piece of retired cardstock "scrap" from my box under my desk (you have one of those don't you?)  Comes in handy for these little projects.

Althought you would think it would be a tough "cookie" to cut and it looks like I am straining in this picture it really cuts quite smoothly and nicely with the Big Shot Machine ( Did I mention I love my machine!)

How cool is that?!  Like Butta!  4 beautiful cut and scored flowers from the Flower Folds #115970 Big Shot die!

My daughter Abby who was my photographer said this was a very important photo so I am including it! Now it's time to emboss the flowers with the Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder #115963

I was getting the best impression if I used both of the shims that came with my machine and a folded scrap of Designers Series Paper under my folder.  I was able to run those metal flowers in my folder for a nice crisp deep emboss with no harm to my Big Shot or the folder.  It's amazing!

Make your usual "sandwich" and run it through

See how nice the impression is!

Here are all 4 flowers done.

Now it's time to be really careful so you don't cut your fingees.  Yes that is not a typo I said Fingees.  Be alert and aware and you will be fine.  Fold the 3 large flowers with the petals up.  That means having the embossed side up fold on the score marks folding the petals up.  On the smallest flower you will have the debossed side up and fold the petals up then turn it upside down to use as the base. 

Now using your fingers or a bone folder *note* if you are a hand model use the bone folder you don't want to take any chances on cutting your hand. Fold the petals back slightly.  Do this on the 3 largest flowers only, folding the largest one the most and the smallest one not so much. This makes your flower go together easier and look more natural.  Remember I was the head designer at a local florist for a very long time so I know my flowers! LOL  In other words trust me! 

This is what all 4 should look like now. Now it's time to assemble!

Love the way this came together.  I used a couple of different adhesive type products to put mine together.  I will tell you the truth I like the Stampin' Dimenssionals the best but honestly I am not positive they will hold up to lighting the candle for any length of time but I really think they will since the candle is in it's own cup.  You need a little something in between each layer to pop it up otherwise my "glue" of choice would have been Crystal Effects.

I wanted you to see how the base holds the candle holder up. You do not have to put it on a base if you want it to sit directly on the table but I like the little foot on it.

And here is the finished candle holder! 

You can make 9 candle holders out of one roll along with some additional items (come back to see) which makes each Candle holder about .72¢ ea I mean really you can't beat that.  So what are you waiting for?  Go shopping at my online store to get YOUR Big Shot coming by clicking on my signature below and then at your favorite home improvement store and see what beautiful things you can make out of someone elses utilitarian item.

Items used to create this project:

Big Shot #113439

Extended Cutting Pads #113478

Flower Folds Big XL Die #115970

Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder #115963