Thursday 12 September 2013

The Wacky Watercooler Holiday Catalog(ue) Blog Hop


Wacky Watercooler New Catalog(ue) Blog Hop

Welcome to the Hop from Blackfalds, Alberta, Canada

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We're featuring products from the 2013 Holiday Catalog(ue)

2013 Holiday Catalogue

As well as products that have been carried over from last year's wonderful
Holiday Catalogue, and some of the Holiday Specials that are current.

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If you enjoyed our first ever Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop back in July, you'll love the new Hop which focuses on the upcoming holidays.  We have some very talented people participating in our Blog Hop again. If you started somewhere in the middle or are moving through the Hop backwards, you will have come from the very talented Deborah Smart's blog, Stamp and Create.  Deborah always manages to use our products in new and exciting ways.  It's a pleasure to have her join this Hop once again.

We have Demonstrators from both the United States and Canada participating in this Blog Hop.  That's the reason for the (ue) in the Catalog(ue).  We're acknowledging the various spellings of the word, depending on which side of the border you happen to be living.

Why do we call it the Watercooler?  Well, if you've ever worked in an office, you'll know how much friendly chatting goes on around the watercooler.  Why Wacky?  We delight in our eccentricities and enjoy quite an off-the-wall sense of humour.  Wacky seems to fit the bill.

And now---on with the show!

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For my first project, I'm featuring Hallowe'en.  It's a holiday that people either love or hate.  There are very few people that are indifferent to it.  I happen to enjoy it because I love going out with my grandsons while they're trick or treating.  It's usually quite cold for Hallowe'en up here in Alberta but keeping up with the boys and helping to carry their loot keeps our blood warm.

I decided to use a brand new stamp set which is part of the Best of 25 Years collection: Best of Halloween. Along with that, I used the bat from the Holiday Catalogue stamp set: Halloween Hello.  The style of card is called a Flip card or Flip-Flop card and, although it used to be quite a complicated card, it has now been made easy for any level of card-maker to create.  Why?  Because Stampin' Up! introduced the brand new Circle Card Thinlits Die.  Using the die, it was easy to make this fun Halloween card.


What I've done here, however, is to adapt the die by extending the cardstock over one end, avoiding the cutting edge, and adding an extra fold.  The front, you see, has the "flip-flop" circle which turns as you open the card.  When it's closed you see the haunted mansion.  When it's open, however, you see the sentiment.  Since I've extended the card, you also see some more of the wonderfully spooky Witches Brew Designer Series Paper.

You can also see the orange spiders on the front of the card.  These are actually also part of the Designer Paper but have been cut out using the Mosaic Punch.

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This is a Holiday Blog Hop and so the next holiday project I've tackled is Thanksgiving.  Yes, it feels good to give thanks every day. Isn't it wonderful, however, to have a day set aside during the year when we gather together to share all the good things that have happened all year long and give thanks?  Somehow the "thanks" seem stronger and more powerful sent as a group. 

I love having seasonal decor.  It changes the atmosphere in the house, doesn't it?  This year Stampin' Up! has given us a boost in making our decor by providing all the necessary materials to make banners.  Since Thanksgiving is part of the Fall holidays, I couldn't think of better colours to use than the colours of Fall itself.  What is prettier, after all, than the colours of the leaves as they bid good-bye for another year.  I love the celebration of Fall!  Crunchy leaves.  Yellows, oranges, browns, rusts---all joyously cheering the end of another wonderful summer.


As you can see, I didn't choose to use the stencils for the banners but, instead, I used the Autumn Accents Bigz Die and cut out a stencil of the leaves.  Then I used a dauber to get the leaves.  The colours of the banners, which I sponged with a mix of alcohol and re-inker, are Pumpkin Pie, Baked Brown Sugar and Crushed Curry.  The colours I used to stencil the leaves were Crushed Curry, Baked Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive and Cajun Craze.  I loved the look of the banners so much that I didn't want to hide any part of them but of course I did.  I cut out some Baked Brown Sugar with my Labels Framelits and stencilled "thanks" on them.  They adhered perfectly with my glue dots.


Instead of using the supplied jute twine, I chose to use the 1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon and attached the banners to that with the safety pins from the Vintage Trinkets.  Then I added some rosettes and some leaves and there you have my Thanksgiving Banner.

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I love Christmas!  I love the real meaning of Christmas as well as all the more commercial part of it.  Decorating the tree, of course, is right up there but I'm not going to post an ornament.  Cards are such fun because you get to reach out to people that you have, perhaps, not been in touch with during the year.  But I'm not going to post a Christmas card.  Before I keep going on about the things I'm not going to post, perhaps I should just tell you what I made for this Hop.  

Remember those wonderful Tag a Bag Gift Boxes in the Annual Catalogue?  They come with an acetate sleeve and are the perfect size for candies, ornaments, candles, cookies, and all sorts of items that you might want to gift a teacher or one of your friends.  Of course they're great for all sorts of occasions, but this one is going to be a Christmas gift box.

I adhered pieces of Island Indigo cardstock on all sides of the box after stamping snowflakes on the cardstock using my Silver Encore Metallic pad and the two smaller snowflake stamps from the Festive Flurry stamp set.


I filled the box with shredded white paper and then placed several little silver ornaments inside before putting on the sleeve.  Then I made a little girdle using Pool Party stamped with little silver stars.  As a final touch, I tied some Silver Ribbon around the girdle with a double bow.  I finished it off with a vellum Pointsettia stamped with the Joyful Christmas stamp set and heat embossed with Silver Embossing Powder.  I used a sponge dauber on the reverse side of the poinsettia and rubbed in some Island Indigo ink, concentrating the colour in the centre and then letting it be paler at the ends.  I stamped a second flower, doing the same, but only cut out the centre to adhere to the full poinsettia.  And in the centre of the flower, I adhered one of the gorgeous Frosted Finishes Embellishments.


If you noticed a bit of texture on the acrylic sleeve of the box, you're very perceptive.  I put the acrylic sleeve through the Big Shot in the Northern Flurry Embossing Folder.  Subtle but it makes such a difference.

Who wouldn't be happy to receive this little box?

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Well that's it for my part of the Hop.  Next you're going to visit the very talented Jean Kupsh's blog.  Jean is an American demonstrator who is currently living in Germany where her husband is posted with the military.  I expect that Jean's projects are going to be absolutely awesome.  Enjoy.



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30 comments:

  1. WOW Heidi, thanks for this post and blog hop. I found it through SC, don't have time to participate, but love to follow the disussions. Your projects are beautiful, very well designed and so inique.
    I have one question: the Vellum Pointsettia, it looks like it has some colour to it. Did you stamp it befor embossing?
    Thank you very much for sharing.
    Christine

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    1. Thanks so much, Christine. I've edited the blog posting to explain how I did the poinsettia. I have no idea why I didn't explain it fully initially, but I'm glad you asked. I used a dauber and Island Indigo to shade in the poinsettia from the reverse side.

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  2. Wow! Heidi I love your projects - especially what you did with the Tag-a-Bag Gift Box.

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    1. Thank you, Gail. I love using vellum to make flowers. It really adds an elegance factor that you can't get with normal cardstock flowers.

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  3. All I can say is WOW! So intricate, so elegant, so amazing. Lovely work Heidi!

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    1. Thank you so much, Bev. I had the hardest time with the box---not in the making of it, but trying to figure out what I was going to do. It finally all came together and I'm happy with everything. I see I forgot to mention that I used an embossing folder on the acrylic sleeve. Do I change the post or not? Hmmm...

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  4. I love your projects Heidi. I haven't yet used my banner kit and I can't wait to give it a try. I like your idea of creating your own stencils!! I also like the gift box you made too...

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    1. Thanks, Ter. I stressed about that gift box, but like the finished project. The banner---yeah, I looked at the stencils and they just didn't work with what I was imagining in my head. I almost didn't want to cover the leaves that I stencilled on the banners with the letters, but it worked anyway. I'm thinking that I'll be doing more of my own stencilling on future banners. Messy, but so much fun!

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  5. Fabulous creations, Heidi! I just love your blue vellum poinsettia - I'm going to have to get that stamp :)

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    1. Thanks Deb. I worked on the box on and off for days. I'd do a bit and then I wouldn't really like it. Kept going back and finally it worked. I knew the moment I saw the Poinsettia stamp that I would have to own it. I love it. It can be so elegant in vellum or, if you just use cardstock, it is just a beautiful flower. You won't be sorry if you get it.

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  6. Your blue box with the blue poinsettia is stunning! Love the banner too, card is great for Halloween!

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    1. Thank you so much, Mary. Vellum is my favourite for flowers. It lends an elegance---and so does silver, doesn't it?

      I had a lot of fun with that banner and the Hallowe'en card.

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  7. Heidi, these are three wonderful creations! I want to copy every single one of them. This hop is so much fun, and I'm only on the first spot!!!

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    1. Kathy, it only gets better. Thanks so much for the compliment. You're certainly welcome to CASE. I love this group---this Hop is every bit as much fun as the first one we had back in July. I'm glad you're already enjoying it.

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  8. I'm just going to add my "WOW!" to everyone else's, lol! Super creative, colorful and stunning projects!! You've outdone yourself!!!

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    1. LOL, thanks so much, Jeannie. I'm really happy with the final results.

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  9. Beautiful projects Heidi! I love them all. You did a great job!

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    1. Thank you, Susan. The banner material is so easy to stencil. Now I'm thinking about more punches or dies that I could use to make stencils.

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  10. ohhhh! I love these! All of the creations you did are wonderful!

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    1. Thanks, Misty. I'm really happy with the results. I wanted them all to be totally different.

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  11. oh my goodness, Heidi, these are all wonderful! I couldn't possibly begin to choose a favourite, I love them all!

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    1. Thanks so much, KatheD. They're all so different so it's like comparing apples to oranges, isn't it? They were such fun to create.

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  12. How very clever and creative of you, Heidi! I LOVE your banner. It has already inspired me to make another one. And your gift box is stunning, as well.

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    1. Thank you so much, Beth. I had a lot of fun making both. I think banners are like chocolate---you can't have just one. ;)

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  13. hi heidi, if what i saw here is any indication of what's to come, everyone who visit the hop is in for a real treat! i love all your creations & my favorite is the box! i haven't tackled my banner yet, but you have definitely given me some inspiration! i too love halloween & your flip card is great! i've been having fun with this new framelit. thanks for all your work on this hop!

    can't wait to see what's next ~ smiles, karen ;-)

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    1. Thank you, Karen. I think you discovered how wonderful the rest of the projects were. I am amazed at how well the Blog Hop turned out. We have some wonderful stampers in the group.

      I think you'll love working with your banner if you work outside the box. It's a fun medium to work with and the results can be so satisfying.

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  14. Incredible projects! TFS! Will have to do some CASEing now.

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    1. I'm glad you like them, Susan. Enjoy the CASEing. :)

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  15. I can only say WOW!!! I love your projects, but the gift box with that poinsettia flower in those colours blew me away!! Just gorgeous and I can't wait to make it myself! Thanks so much for sharing!!

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