MeGa Stampin Studio

Freebie Friday Idea - Easy Medallions for Embellishments

We decided to add Freebie Friday to our 2011 curriculum.  We get many questions asking for a little more detail as to how we did some of the projects on our blog.  Even though most of these things can be found on many other sites, we decided to add them to our site for easy access.  We are NOT claiming these as our original ideas; just making them available for faster reference.  We will feature instructions for making embellishments, projects, techniques...a great variety of things will be shown here. 

This week, we are showcasing this great embellishment that can be found just about everywhere these days AND we have used it MANY times on our projects.  So, we thought it would be fun to share with you the quick, easy steps to create these medallions or sometimes called accordion flowers.

 
First, gather your supplies.  You can use patterned paper or card stock.  Patterned paper is somewhat easier to work with and that is what we used for our example.   Cut a strip of paper for your medallion that is 12" long.  The width can be any size; it just depends on how large you want your medallion to be.  The example below is 1-1/2" x 12".

 

Once you determine the size, use your scoring tool and score every 1/4" from one end to the other.

Next, fold back and forth creating the mountains and valleys or a long pleated strip.  Add sticky strip to one end.  Next, punch two circles of card stock, one for the front and one for the back. 

 

Secure the ends of the pleated strip together creating a circle.

 
Place a small amount of hot glue on one circle and adhere to the center of the flattened, pleated strip.  Add hot glue to the second card stock circle and place it in the center on the opposite side.  We found hot glue works the best but some like to use the large 3-D glue dots.

 
There you have it!  Embellish and add to all types of projects.  You can go here, for one of our past projects that used this medallion flower.

 
Melissa and Gayla

Halloween Flower & Spider Bouquet!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!!!

How fun are these!!!  We created a great centerpiece for your Halloween party --- a fun bouquet of flowers made with Halloween DSP, spiders, black stems and buttons! 

 
The flowers were arranged in a jar filled with colorful Halloween candy - bones, skulls, ghosts, etc.  We found a great video tutorial to make these flowers here!  We can't wait to make more of these flowers for other occasions.  These flowers do not have to be added to stems.  In fact, most ideas we've seen have been added to boxes, gift bags, tags, etc.  Use your imagination.

 

Have a safe and fun Halloween!  Melissa and Gayla 

Just "Bingo"

We have shared many different themed Bingo cards and ideas but today, we want to share with you our just "bingo" cards.  This card template works exactly like all our Paper Fashions templates.....they are sizable.  Here is a fun card using the Bingo card as one of the layers on the card.  For those of you who have been afraid to try these because you aren't sure how they work, this is the perfect template to try.  It is only $1.95.  Once you try it, you will want to see all the other themes we have.

 

The flowers are made with the scallop and circle punches.  We used the Wicked Fun Specialty paper for our flowers.  This really shows that you can make a non-Halloween card with this specialty paper!

 

 

Take 2 Tuesday - Vintage Cupcake Tin

For September, we are featuring one of our favorite tutorials, "Cupcake Pin Cushion".

First up this month is this vintage cupcake pin cushion.  We used the following supplies:

• DSP - Newsprint
• Ink - Creamy Caramel (for sponging)
• Other - chocolate fleece, ivory felt, eyelet lace, vintage buttons, pins, button twine

 

We decorated the top of the cupcake with these felt "rolled flowers."  These were made just like the paper flowers found here.  Everything was sponged (including the felt flowers) to create that much loved vintage look.  We alternated the buttons between black and brown old vintage buttons.   

You can purchase this one-of-a-kind cupcake pin cushion, today, on our Etsy site.  OR you can purchase the tutorial and create your own.  Please be sure to check back next Tuesday for another cupcake pin cushion idea. 

"Christmas Hostess" All Occasions Double Gift Box

We all know that the holiday parties will be here before we are ready.  Start now  by making these double gift boxes for a hostess thank you.  Wait until you see what we filled our box with.  But first, here is a list of supplies used:

• Card Stock - Very Vanilla
• DSP - Jolly Holiday
• Stamps - Sincere Salutations
• Ink - Cherry Cobbler
• Other - vintage ribbon (from our soon-to-be released Holiday collection, Designer Label Large, red brads, sticky strip, Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, small flat magnet (for the closure)

We put sticky strip along the inside bottom edge of the flap to hold our ribbon as we pleated it.  Very fun look.  This box is held closed with a small flat magnet.  We learned to attach the hardware FIRST before attaching the magnet.  The magnet wants pull and move the hardware around making it hard to keep in the spot of choice.

 
We have included several "goodies" to create personalized place cards which can be used at the holiday table.  The recipient can use the handmade items to create any style they choose.  We have shown one idea below. 

 
The top compartment holds four (or more) Very Vanilla card stock place cards.  The size of the folded place card is 2" x 3-1/4".  In the bottom compartment we put in the hand-dyed crocheted flowers, half-back pearls and some of our upcoming Old Olive Holiday vintage ribbon.

 
As you can see, we just hand wrote the names on the cards but of course, you could use your computer and printer which would give you a large variety of fonts to choose from.

 
If you haven't purchased this tutorial yet and would like to, just go here.  Thanks for stopping by!

Melissa and Gayla
 

Felt & Paper Flowers

We learned how to make these fun flowers while at CHA and couldn't wait to make more! 

We not only got to make this cute blue flower (below) while there, but we got to meet all the wonderful gals from PTI.  It was such fun and such a quick, easy project that we decided to make them using some of our Stampin' Up! products.

First you cut your felt using the Sizzix Originals "Blossom Party" die.  Using Designer Series paper, cut 2 of the smaller petal flowers, grab a button, some embossing thread, a needle and a pin back and you are ready to go!

Once you punch the leaves out, we've used Old Olive, fold them in half and then trim one end to look more like a leaf.  Add a little sponging to accent the center vein of the leaf.  Layer all your pieces together.

Next, take your needle and thread and go down through one of the holes in the button.  Flip it over and run your needle through one of the holes in your pin back.

Now going through all the pieces run the needle and thread through to the front, coming out the other hole of the button.  Tie it in a knot to secure.

Supplies:

• Felt (for flowers and the leaf on the red flower)
• DSP from Jolly Holiday and Soft Subtles paper pack
• Old Olive Card Stock
• Old Olive Ink
• Sponge
• Needle and Thread
• Large Oval Punch

These flowers could be used as magnets, on a scrapbook page, as an accent on a card, the ideas are limitless.  Have fun making yours and thanks for stopping!

Melissa & Gayla

 
 

Gift Box & Birthday Surprise!

I had a birthday recently and this wonderful box created by Gayla using the tutorial you can find here, was just one of the many surprises I received for my birthday. Not only was this box the cutest thing ever, you'll never guess what she made and stuffed inside...you want to see...okay, in just a minute but first you have to check out the ribbon. 

Yep, it's some of our vintage dyed ribbon we will be offering sometime this month, in several SU! colors.  I'm sure you've seen us use different colors on numerous projects. 

The little tag is also something we created.  Notice the message, oh sorry you can't see that very well but it says, "hand made by Gayla".  I thought she meant the box and the ribbon but what a surprise it was when I opened it and out poured these...

Yep, aren't I the lucky one to receive all these hand crocheted flowers!!  She even dyed some in my most favorite color ever, Baja Breeze!

You know we talk a lot of our grandmothers, well this is just one more trait they instilled in us.  Gayla, however, has a lot more patience for making these then I think I would. I haven't tried them yet ,but plan to some day, when I'm older.  Ha!

Thanks so much, my friend!

I'll be sharing more of my surprises with you, so check back often.

Mel  
 

Pals Paper Arts - Fourth of July Inspiration

Extra! Extra!  Read all about it.....Let Freedom Ring, Sweet Land of LIberty, 3 Cheers for the Red, White & Blue!

The Pals Paper Arts challenge this week is a 4th of July inspiration as we celebrate our nation's birth. 

For my card, I used Kraft and Real Red card stock.  The words are from the jumbo wheel, Red, White, and Blue.  The DSP is called Newsprint and is one of our new paper packs coming out in the catalog TODAY!

The stars are punched from Real Red card stock and DSP.

I've added ribbon, brads, twine, sponging (of course :) and one of the fun paper flowers I've done before.  You can see these other examples here and here.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Melissa

  

Big Shot Wednesday - Week #5 Buttons #5

Wow!  What fun we've had creating this month's projects.  After all, we LOVE buttons.

This last project is absolutely adorable. We created a bracelet that anyone would love to wear.

The bracelet is one we bought at the local hobby store in the jewelry section.  The "links" are flat disks giving us something to adhere our flowers and buttons to. 

These flowers were made with the new DSP, Island Oasis, and the Stampin' Up! exclusive Big Shot die, Floral Fusion.  There are six flower layers and we used the button die in 3 of the 6.  We used white brads in the other three.  The buttons have been threaded with linen thread.  Of course, you could make the whole bracelet with buttons only and it would be fun and cute.  What a great project to make and coordinate for all of you going to convention!!!!  If you do, we would LOVE to see them!

Paper Flowers & Crazy for Challenges

The challenge from the gals over at Crazy for Challenges was to make a card or project using any type or form of paper flowers.  They could be ones you purchased or made by hand. This is the card I submitted today. I chose to make a flower, which is one I shared last weekon the bicycle card.  The flower was made using DSP and a technique called "rolled paper" flowers and the tutorial can be found here on Split Coast Stampers.  

Supplies used:

• Card Stock - Very Vanilla and a new In-Color called Pear Pizazz from Stampin' Up
• Basket stamp is from PTI
• Ink - Black, Creamy Caramel
• Nestabilities, brads and markers for coloring.