Stampin' Queen Creations

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop!

I had hinted about it before and now here it is! Sizzix just announced the start of a fabulous Blog Hop which has been organized by three of their licensed designers: Brenda Pinnick, Eileen Hull and Karen Burniston.

I am so excited to be a part of this great blog hop and here is how it’s going to work. Sizzix has asked 62 professional designers to create projects each week using dies designed by Brenda, Eileen and Karen. Beginning on Thursday, November 4^th, each of the designers will post their finished project created with that week’s featured die on their own personal blogs. Then you can “hop” around to each designer’s blog and get 62 different ideas using the same die. I guarantee that you will not find two projects alike! Think about it…62 ideas for one die!

This is the list of the dies and the dates we will be showcasing them;

November 4th – Eileen Hull’s Scoreboards Pro House die

http://www.sizzix.com/product/2353

November 11^th – Karen Burniston’s Pop-up Twist Cube die

http://www.sizzix.com/product/2381

November 18^th – Brenda Pinnick’s Beauty Bloom die

http://www.sizzix.com/product/939

November 25^th – Eileen Hull’s Scoreboards Pro Frame die

http://www.sizzix.com/product/2352

December 2nd – Karen Burniston’s Pop-up Gift Card Holder die http://www.sizzix.com/product/2382

December 9^th – Brenda Pinnick’s Mini Album die

http://www.sizzix.com/product/1548

December 16^th – Eileen Hull’s Scoreboard Treat Bag Toppers die

The following is the list of fabulous designers that will be sharing their talent with all of you. Be sure to check out each of their blogs every week to get tons of great ideas!

Ken Oliver

Friday, September 3, 2010

News to Share!

It has been a long and somewhat difficult summer for me. After returning home from the beach in the beginning of July, my beloved Cocker Spaniel, Tawnee Renee, passed away. Anyone who has ever owned a pet has experienced the loss of pet. Tawnee was with our family for 13 years and I loved that dog like she was a child. That was even how I felt about her, as my third child. Even though the loss of my Tawnee broke my heart, after about 6 weeks I realized I needed to get another dog. I am a dog lover at heart and the thought of not having one of my own made the pain of losing Tawnee that much worse.

So, I would like to introduce my new puppy, Ruby Renee Rojas. She is named after the ruby slippers in my favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz, and also named Renee in honor of Tawnee Renee. Ruby is a 9 week old miniature Dachshund. She is black and tan and she looks just like my son’s dog, Coca Cola. She is absolutely adorable! And although I haven’t had much sleep in the last week, I am so glad that I got her.

The summer also brought the Craft and Hobby Association’s summer show in Rosemont, Ill. The show was great! Stayed tuned for some more information I will be sharing about the show, some companies I liked, and some great product!

Last and certainly not least, I have some exciting news about two new business ventures I have started. In June, I began a blog at Memory Keeping Collections website with 5 other scrapbook experts, Lisa Bearson, Eileen Hull, Jennifer Goode, Michelle Cummings, and Candice Windham. Be sure you stop by at http://lisarojas.ashtondrake.us/wpmu/ and check out what these other wonderful ladies and I have to say about scrapbooking and other craft related topics!

The second venture I want to share is about a HUGE Sizzix Blog Hop that I will be participating in with 50 other professional designers. If you enjoyed the last blog hop we did with Sizzix, you don’t want to miss this one. We will be starting on Wednesday, November 3rd and it will run for 7 weeks. We will be highlighting a new die each week. Just think about it. You can get 50 different ideas for each die, each week! I am so excited about this and I hope that you’ll stop by each week to see what fabulous projects we all come up with. It’s going to be GREAT!!!

Thanks for joining me. Until next time…

Lisa

Stampin’ Queen Creations

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

On Vacation Woo Hoo!!!

Oh my goodness! I am so ashamed of myself. I have been down at my beach house for the last month and I have been sitting here soaking up the wonderful sun and completely forgot about my blog! Not that I have any new projects to share, because I haven't done anything since being here. I guess that everyone is entitled to a vacation, so that's what I'm doing. I am having a vacation and a super great one at that! (hee hee). But, I do think that maybe my brain has gotten a little too much sun, and I might have even fried it, because I haven't been able to come up with any new ideas. Oh NO! I must have a vacation related brain fry. Well, that's not good and I hope it doesn't last. Maybe when I get back home the circuits in my brain will re-connect and things will go back to normal ( not that MY normal is anywhere near everyone elses) Whatever the case may be, I hope that once I'm home I'll be right back at it with tons of ideas flowing through. And if that happens, I promise I'll post a cool project or great new craft idea. (I hope!)

Thanks for joining me
Lisa
Stampin' Queen Creations

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Another Great Sizzix Scoreboard Box!

Happy Birthday! Cake Box

O.K. I’ll admit it. I am in love with these Sizzix Scoreboard™ boxes. Since we started this blog hop, I have had more fun creating with these boxes! They are easy to use, sturdy and just plain fun to design with.

As I have said before, these boxes were created by a designer friend of mine, Eileen Hull www.eileenhull.blogspot.com. There are many professional designers who are also participating with this blog hop, and you can find the links to each of their blogs listed on the right side of mine. Be sure to stop by each of their blogs and leave a comment. Eileen will randomly be picking a comment and awarding a prize to that person. And please don’t forget to vote for your favorite (hopefully mine!!). One of the designers will also be given a prize.

Now for those of you who want to enjoy a wonderful cake without the calories, grab a fork and jump right in! Just kidding…I don’t want anyone choking on the cardboard!!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Lisa, Stampin’ Queen Creations.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Tooth Fairy Box

I am happy to announce the next installment of the Sizzix Scoreboard™ Blog Hop. This week we decorated the Rectangle Box.

If you have been following our blog hop, you will not be disappointed with what each of the designers involved have created with this cute little box. The talent among this group of women is just amazing! I am truly humbled to be part of this group.

When I first began to put this little box together, I had a few different ideas floating around in my head. I couldn’t decide which idea to use. I almost picked up the phone to call Eileen and ask her if she would send me more! But, I didn’t want to be greedy, so I decided to go with my first idea… a Tooth Fairy box. This is a great project to do with your kids or grandkids. It is very simple and the supplies are limited. Here is how I created mine:

1. Cover box with Tooth Fairy pattern paper using Zip Dry Paper Glue™. Ink edges with Sky Blue Vivid! ™ dye inkpad. Assemble box using glue gun. Tie a bow to box lid with blue and white ribbons.

2. Adhere stickers to box. Add a small piece of self adhesive Velcro to box for the closure.

3. Stamp “Tooth Fairy” twice on shrink plastic using Black Ancient Page™ dye inkpad. Color image with Prismacolor™ color pencils. Punch holes in top with 1/8” hole punch. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to shrink images.

4. Add jump rings to images. Adhere one image to the front of the box. Attach second image to small fabric bag with a needle and thread. Adhere heart gems to bag.

5. Print poem on white card stock .Ink edges with Sky Blue inkpad. Adhere to dark blue card stock. Attach to bag with needle and thread. Adhere two heart gems to top of poem.

After I completed the box, I received the most surprising phone call. It was the Tooth Fairy herself! She wanted to thank me for designing this box. She told me that after years of little teeth getting lost under pillows, she could finally tell all the moms and dads out there to make these boxes with their kids. Not only would she find the tiny teeth that were left for her to take, she would also have a place to leave their gifts from her. So, please don’t disappoint the Tooth Fairy. Be sure to create these boxes for the little ones in your life!

On the top of my blog, you will find a list of all of the designers that participate in the blog hop. Check out their blogs for the wonderful things they created with this box. Vote for your favorite and be sure to leave a comment on their blogs for a chance to win a prize for yourself!!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Tea Time by Candlelight

Finally the wait is over! The second Sizzix Scoreboard Box challenge is here. As I explained in my last post on this topic, a number of professional designers received five new soon-to-be- released Scoreboard Boxes. Every two weeks we will decorate a box and post the finished projects on each of our blogs. We also have a contest going. Here's what you need to do. Go to Eileen Hull's blog at http://www.eileenhull.blogspot.com/ She has a list of all the participating designers. Click on each link to see what everyone has designed and vote for your favorite. As a bonus, if you leave a comment on any of the designer's blogs, you may win a prize too! Eileen will pick one comment from any of the blogs and that person will win a prize. So don't forget to vote!

This week's box was a blast for me. I just love teacups! But, as you can see I did something a little different. I designed my teacup box into a lamp. What a wonderful centerpiece this would make for you own tea party. After you complete the project, you just fill the glass 3/4 full of water, place a tealight candle to float on the water, light it and re-place the lampshade (As always, never leave the candle unattended).

I think another great gift idea would be to give one to mom for Mother's Day. What a wonderful way to say thank you! The gift ideas go on and on. So, be sure that you're first in line to purchase this great box when it hits the stores. After you make some for your family and friends, don't forget to make one for yourself. Then sit back, relax and have a cup of tea!!!

If you like what I've done with my project, please take a moment to Vote for Me!

To vote, visit Eileen Hull's blog and leave a comment saying you like my project.

I appreciate your support!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Guest Blogger on Craft For Health

About a month ago, I was asked if I would be interested in sharing my story as a guest blogger on Craft For Health. I was a little hesitant at first, until I went to the blog to check it out for myself. WOW! Was I surprised! The blog is run by two women, Kathy Peterson and Barb Dehn. These two wonderful ladies are out to share with the world the benefits of crafting and your health. Their blog is full of craft tips and anecdotes, but more importantly it has story after story of everyday people sharing their stories of how crafting has improved their lives as they battle each day with chronic illness and other problems. I, myself, have lived with Crohn's Disease for more than 25 years, and I have said time and time again, that crafting has saved my life.
So if you would like to read more about my story, or you're just looking for inspiration, check out Craft For Health's blog at http://www.craftforhealth.typepad.com/ I was inspired and you will be too. Let me know what you think.

"Time Goes On" Stampbord Project

I have another project to share! Two years ago, Stampbord Products contacted me and asked if I would do a project with their product for their website. I jumped at the chance because I love their products. I created this beautiful box and coaster set. It was fun and simple to do. For instructions on my project, go to http://stampbord.com/featured-how-to/2008/june-2008/pdf_version.pdf. If you decide to re-create my project I have two words of advise, Have Fun!!! I know I did.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Sizzix ScoreBoard Blog Hop

Wow! Do I have something fun to share! A designer friend of mine, Eileen Hull, at http://www.eileenhull.blogspot.com/ contacted me and a few other designers to do a blog hop featuring a new product called ScoreBoard™, that she designed for Sizzix.®

She sent each of us a package containing five new ScoreBoard™ boxes (more about the other boxes later). The first box is called ScoreBoard™ Scalloped Box. We were told that we could design the box any way we wanted. She also added an extra challenge to design the box using office supplies. Although I chose not to use the office supplies, the other designers did. The end result was wonderfully creative boxes by some of the top designer professionals in the business! Each box is as unique as the designer who created them.

I decided for my box, I would design something around my favorite flower, the sunflower. Here are the basic instructions for the ScoreBoard™ Scalloped Box:

• Cover box with yellow checkered pattern paper using Zip Dry Paper Glue.

• Stamp large sunflower with black inkpad on white cardstock twice. Color with color pencils. I used Gamsol mineral spirits and a blending stump to give a watercolor look to my stamped images.

• Cut out one sunflower leaving the image whole. With the second image, cut out only parts of the sunflower. (This is what gives you a three dimensional look.) Cover both images with Matte Accents Dimensional Medium. Let dry.

• For the cards, cut orange cardstock 5 1/2"W x 3 3/4"H. Fold in half. Cut pattern paper 2 1/2" x 3 1/2". Adhere pattern paper to cardstock. Stamp watering can with black inkpad on white cardstock. Color with pencils. Cut out. Spray image with Preserve It! Paper Protectant. Adhere Sparkle Fibers to sunflower centers. Adhere image to card with 3D foam tape. Stamp "Just for You" with Vintage Green inkpad. Cut out. Adhere to card front.

• For the inside of card, cut yellow cardstock 2 1/2" W x 3 1/2"H. Add Butterscotch inkpad around edges.
Stamp "Friends are flowers" with
Vintage Green inkpad. Adhere to
inside of card.

• Adhere large sunflowers together. Spray image with Preserve It! Adhere Sparkle Fibers to center of sunflower. Using glue gun, adhere garden tools and sunflower to the front of box.

• Ink edges of box with Butterscotch inkpad. Adhere Velcro to box. Tie ribbon around the box for the finishing touch!

Now that I have explained how I created my box, I hope that you will "hop" on over to the other designers' blogs to see what they designed. Once you have seen all the different boxes, you can go to Eileen's blog at www.eileenhull.blogspot.com and vote for your favorite. (Hopefully, you'll vote for mine!) Be sure that you post a comment on each blog you visit. Eileen will be picking a comment at random to win a prize. So you don't want to miss out on that!!

And lastly, as I mentioned before, Eileen sent us a total of five different boxes. Every two weeks we will do this all over again with a brand new ScoreBoard™ box. The next box will be a Tea Cup box that I will post on April 14th. You don't want to miss any of these ScoreBoard™ boxes. So stay tuned...

Thursday, March 11, 2010

March is National Craft Month!

Did you know that March is National Craft Month? Since I was born in this month, it explains a lot about my creative nature and the journey into my creative life. I thought that since March is National Craft Month, I would share some of the things I'm working on.

I have been a very busy girl this month. I am currently working on the following:

Creating new projects for magazine publication
Working on my step outs for a project already sold to a magazine
Participating in a Sizzix Blog Hop hosted by my friend Eileen Hull
Working up some designs for a few manufacturers I work with
Playing with some new product! My favorite thing to do!

And although it doesn't have anything to do with crafting, I'm planning a getaway to Las Vegas with my husband for some fun and gambling. Let's hope I win some money. If I do, then I can buy more crafting products. So I guess my trip is about crafting after all!!
That's what I'm up to this month. What about you?

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Unibind: Another Great Company!

One of the great things I love about my job is working with some of the best manufacturers in the craft industry. Their generous support is something that is very much appreciated not only by me, but by all professtional designers. When I get a box in the mail full of new product (sometimes not even on the market yet!) it's like Christmas morning! I recently received a box like that from a company called Unibind. They sent me a machine and some hard covered albums for me to play with. I figured it was just another way to put together a scrapbook album. Boy, was I wrong!!! This machine doesn't just put your scrapbooks together. It adheres your pages inside the album giving your scrapbook a professtional finish and something that will remain intact in your family for years! The days of pages falling out of your albums after time, is over.It is so easy to use, it's just unbelievable! But don't limit yourself to just scrapbooks. I made a book I called "Love Letters".

On the inside pages instead of pictures, I did pages that held cards, stationery and envelopes, making it a wonderful stationery set that you can keep for yourself or give as a gift.

Of course you can also create some incredible scrapbooks with these albums. I designed one with my son & his girlfriend called "Monkey Business". It was so fun to work with these pictures of my son Michael and his girlfriend Amanda. It has been a family joke since Michael was a little boy, trying to get him to take a "decent" picture. He was always making goofy faces. When he started dating Amanda she too was always trying to get a nice picture of them together. Of course after a year of trying, she finally gave up.

If you are interested in trying this wonderful machine out for yourself, please be sure to check out their website at http://www.myphotobookcreator.com/ You will not be disappointed!!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

25th Anniversary Page for Clearsnap

I have been talking so much about Clearsnap (I LOVE this company), I thought I would share another project I designed for them. They sent me some new product that wasn't on the market yet and asked me to create something with it. That is how my 25th wedding anniversary was immortalized. It is such a special time to celebrate and I wanted to create something just as special and also something that was glitzy! The project was made with Clearsnap's Sparkling Fibers, the Memory Essentials Rollagraph, inks, and some great papers. The Sparkling Fibers are so easy and fun to work with. You adhere them to your paper like you would glitter, but since it's more three dimentional, it gives you that added WOW! factor that you sometimes want with your projects. I think I achived that. What do you think? Be sure to check them out at http://www.clearsnap.com/

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Praise for Clearsnap, Inc.

Now that I have shared about my humble beginnings, I thought I would start by sharing some of my project ideas and my thoughts about some of my favorite manufacturers. Let me start of with my favorite Ink company, Clearsnap, Inc. They have the best inkpads and rubber stamping accessories on the market! One of the projects I created for Clearsnap was a purse photo book called "All Things Girly".

The technique I used for adding color to the pages was watercoloring with their re-inkers. This is done by placing a small amount of the re-inker on a piece of wax paper. Using a paintbrush, pick up the ink with a small amount of water and color the stamped images on each page of the book. Very easy and oh so cute!

Monday, February 15, 2010

My Humble Beginnings

Since I began this blog by sharing the story of how I got started in this craft business, I thought I would share the first projects I had published in Aleene's Craft Club. I've come a long way since then but still very proud of my humble beginnings. I will always be grateful to Aleene's Craft Club for giving me my start on this wonderful journey.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Teaching Classes at CHA for Clearsnap, Inc.

I have to say that this CHA was one of the best shows I have ever had as a designer! I met great people, made some connections with some of our wonderful manufacturers and sold some of my designs for publication. But I was super excited when April Thomas from Clearsnap asked me to teach two mini-classes at their booth. I had such a blast! In my classes, I taught 20 wonderful ladies how to watercolor two cards using Clearsnap's Smooch inks and Smooch sprays. Let me tell you, FUN was had by all!

The Queen of All Crafts Meets The Stampin' Queen

This is a picture of Aleene, The Queen of all Crafts and me at the CHA show in Anaheim, CA. I was so excited to meet her! I first began my business as a craft designer after I had a few of my projects published in "Aleene's Craft Club" in 1999. It was because of Aleene, Tiffany and Heidi that I got the confidence to publish my designs, so meeting them all at the CHA show was a huge honor for me. After that, I bought Maria Nerius' book "Rubber Stamping for Fun and Profit" and the rest as they say, is history. These are the most talented ladies in the craft industry and I am humbled by all of them. Thanks ladies!!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

I finally did it!

Oh My Goodness! Well, I finally took the leap and started my first blog. I hope that everyone will bear with me while I navigate my way through these very strange waters. I am open to any hints and ideas to help me along the way. So all of you "professional bloggers" help a "newbie" out! I'm so excited to begin my journey. I want to share craft ideas and information about the craft world and I also want to share with you some of life adventures. This is going to be too much fun!