Dragonfly Dreams!

A sure sign of summer is the reappearance of fanciful flying creatures, like butterflies, bumble bees, and of course dragonflies! I love the detailed design of the Dragonfly Dreams stamp suite. From the falling confetti background stamp, the fuzz on the bee, to the gossamer wings of the dragonfly that you can almost feel brushing your cheek, this set is gorgeous! And it makes beautiful cards!

Here are few we did at the March Stamp and Sip.  

What is Stamp and Sip? It's a monthly get together of crafty ladies. I do all the designing and prep work, you just show up and play with the awesome products and leave with beautiful cards, gifts, and treats, made by you to share with people you love. 

You should join us. Check out the schedule on Facebook (Cloth, Paper, String), or by clicking the link to my Stampin' Up! Page. 

Birthday Blast Surpise

I love, love, love all the new items in the Spring Occasions catalog from Stampin' Up! 

As a demonstrator, I'm lucky enough to attend On Stage, where we get sneak peeks at the new items months before they are available to the public! (Psst...if you want early access, now is a great time to join my team, get the ultimate product bundle, and an everyday discount on your stamping supplies...just click on the shop button, then the join button on my online store).

The Birthday Blast bundle caught my eye right off the bat. The starburst just screamed tiara to me, so that was the first project I made. Just pick some glitter paper, add a headband and some glue dots. Voila! Crafting Queen!

Once, I had my crown, I was able to work on my next idea. To me, it seems like the starburst is perfect for a pop-up surprise. I fiddled around a bit and came up with this option. Start with a regular card base of colored cardstock cut to 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4". 

Then make a whisper white insert cut to 5 1/4" x 8 1/4". Score it at 4 1/8" and fold. 

To make the pop out notches, line up the folded edge at the top of your trimmer, using the ruler across the top edge to determine your spacing for each notch cut (as listed above at 1", 1 1/4", 2 3/8", 2 7/8", 4", and 4 1/4"), and use the ruler on the cutting plate to cut 1/2" or 1" notches as listed above. This is will make sure that your notches are even on both sides of the fold. 

Keeping the insert folded, press the notches to one side to help crease them. 

This will help you get a nice crease when you open the insert and pull the notches out. 

These will be what you adhere your pop-outs to, either directly or using a scrap of clear window sheet. 

And here's the finished product!

Finally, I'm challenging myself to complete at least one scrapbook page from each stamp bundle. This will help me catch up on my albums and get more comfortable with using stamps for other projects. 

Here's my idea for Birthday Blast in my family scrapbook. Again, feeling a royal vibe with the starburst framelits and stamp. 

Hope you enjoy these projects. I would love to know how you would use this set. 

When Inspiration Strikes

A little while ago, a colleague came to my office and asked if I had a needle and thread. She had a rip in her skirt that needed a quick repair. Of course, always prepared, I did have a small sewing kit in my desk and her wardrobe malfunction was an easy fix. That was when I had the idea I needed for a small holiday gift that I could make for my office mates. 

I had just finished with the matchbox folded pouch for the earings we made at Stamp and Sip the month before so that design was fresh in my mind. I thought a small repair kit would be practical, and with the right supplies, pretty too. So I picked up some sewing needles, safety pins and buttons at the store, and grabbed thread and paper from my stash. All told, I was able to make 20 gifts for about $8. 

I used a 2 3/4" X 2 1/2" peice of solid cardstock for the insert and made half of a hole punch three times on two sides for notches to hold the thread. Then I folded a 6" X 3" peice of DSP scored and folded at 2 1/2", 2 3/4", and 5 1/2". The most tedious part of the project was threading all of the needles. With my eyes not being what they used to be, I've learned to appreciate the needle threading tool more and more. 

Each kit got a pre-threaded length of black, white, and tan thread on a needle. I used glue dots to adhere the buttons to the insert, and stuck the pins right through the paper. I stapled the insert into the cover, folded the matchbook and adhered a holiday greeting with some pretty thread on the front.

This was a great project to assemble while catching up on your shows. I'm currently binging on the Gilmore girls, and Lorelei sews, so this little inspired project was pretty much meant to happen. Plus when my colleagues need a quick fix, they will have the tools and a bright cheerful reminder of me!

Holiday Wishes!

The holiday season is officially here! It's time to let Santa know what you are hoping to find under the tree, and I can help. 

Check out the Cloth, Paper, String wish list (here). Jot down the items you want from my online store (browse here). Add the names and numbers of your Santa(s) and send it back to me (here) by December 7, 2016. I will reach out to your Santa(s), offer to help them check off your holiday wish list, and I will even wrap and deliver your gifts in time for Christmas morning.

And remember, I can also help you choose the perfect gift to give to those crafty people on your gift list. Just be sure to contact me by December 7.

Happy Holidays!

Spooky Surprise!

Do you need a cute and easy trick for making your small treats just a little more festive? Try this easy wrapper made out of a little ink, decorative paper and ribbon?

To cover travel sized hand sanitizers or other treat about 2" square, take a 1 3/4" by 8" strip of designer series paper, and score at 3 1/2" and 4 1/2". Punch the ends using a tag maker punch.

Take a contrasting strip of 4 3/4" by 1" cardstock and score at 3/4", 1 1/2", 3 1/4", and 4".  Stamp a greeting on the center panel. 

Adhere the folded cardstock to the base of one flap of the decorative paper, starting with one end panel and folding into a rectangle, adhering the opposite end panel last. 

Then fold the decorative cardstock along the score lines, insert your treat, and tie shut. 

Simple, quick, and easy enough to make one for all your ghosts and goblins. 

Looking for another quick treat wrap? Check out the tutorial for a diaper fold pouch here. 

Have Crafts, Will Travel

As a creative person that loves to travel, I'm always planning which crafts to pack, right along with which outfits or shoes. If you've read previous posts, you know that knitting is always in my travel tote. It's my go to for passing time on planes, trains and in automobiles. 

But it's also handy to have some paper crafts that can be easy to travel with. Paper Pumpkin sure fits the bill. Considering it travels to my mail box every month in a pretty and compact box, it's pretty easy to drop it in the tote with an acrylic block and some snips and snail. Voila! Crafting on the go. 

I dropped a few unfinished kits -- ok I will admit, unopened...I've been neglecting my kits -- in my suitcase this summer when I headed home to spend two weeks with my Mom as she had her knee replaced (that's a story for another post coming soon, check back). I planned to take them to the hospital for the hours of waiting. 

It turns out the What a Gem kit was perfectly suited for making little thank you gifts for the nurses. 

I stamped up the tags and assembled the boxes while my Mom slept off the anesthesia. The hospital bed tray was just the right size crafting space and it pulled up nicely to the chair. 

I added some chocolate kisses and set them by her bedside window. 

She loved sharing them with the nurses, physical therapist, food service and housekeeping staff. 

When the boxes were all given away, I took the extra tags (I love that there are always extras) and added them to the banner bags from the Banner Surprise kit, with some more kisses. There were plenty to go around, and hopefully brightened the day of those who helped her to recovery. 

If you want your own creative escape delivered right to your mailbox each month, sign up for Paper Pumpkin here https://www.paperpumpkin.com/en-us/sign-up/?demoid=2128639

2016 Holiday Catalog Paper Share

As summer wraps up and we prepare for back to school, Stampin' Up! fans are also preparing for the launch of the holiday catalog. I've scoured it from front to back and it's full of gorgeous new holiday products that will inspire all kinds of creativity! That little saying about making your heart go pitter patter is a real thing. I know because I had that moment as I was trying to make my must have list on my first pass through the catalog. Seriously, I was stressing out about how I was going to manage getting one of everything. Not kidding, I need it all. And once you get to see it (it will be live on September 1), you will feel the same way.

Well, I have a solution to help you out. A paper share!

What is a paper share? It's an amazing bundle of awesomeness! It means you can have a share of each paper pack offered in the holiday catalog. You can reserve your share today and I will send a PayPal invoice beginning on September 1, 2016.

Your 2016 Holiday Catalog Paper Share will include 56 pieces of 6x6 Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper. One (and in some cases two) sheets of each design offered in the 2016 Holiday Catalog -- including a 6x6 piece of each foil design, glitter paper, and textured paper. Let me tease you with some sneak peeks of the designs!

The cost is $18 per share plus $5 postage (USPS first class). To sign up, email me at clothpaperstringcrafts@gmail.com with the subject line Holiday Paper Share and provide the following information:

• Your name
• Your mailing address and phone number
• The email address you use for Paypal

Beginning on September 1, I will send an email invoice to everyone who has reserved a share. The last day to reserve and pay for your share is September 4. I will only order shares for those who have paid by midnight (PDT) September 4. I will then cut, sort, and package the shares here at the Cloth, Paper, String Studio. I plan to ship the shares out by September 17, barring any backorders or en route delays in product delivery.




The 2016 Holiday Paper Share will include 22 double sided prints from the three winter holiday suites, 6 single sided embossed sheets, 6 single sided foil designs, one metallic foil, one glitter, 10 Halloween designs, and 10 fall designs.



The 6x6 size means you will get perfect samples of each of these luscious papers, perfectly ready for card making and or a scrapbook, or a 3D project. Why suffer the pain of choosing, when you really can have it all?

But really, if you must have it all, please check out my Stampin' Up! site beginning on September 1. Just click the shop button ===>