Scrapbooking for Optimism

Here in Blackfalds, Alberta we have a very busy club that is part of the Optimist International Organization.  Among the fund-raisers which I support, is the Scrapbooking for Optimism for which I put together make-n-takes.  It helps make me more visible as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, of course, but it also helps out the Octagon Branch of the Blackfalds Optimist Club.  I love the slogan of the club:  "For the future! Optimists bringing out the best in kids."  It's a worthwhile cause.

For the crop that was put on this weekend, I created two Valentine's projects.  They were relatively easy but a lot of fun.  Since doing the make-n-takes gives participants a break from the concentration of working on their gorgeous scrapbooks, they need to be easy and fun.

The first one we did, early in the day on Saturday, was a little Valentine's chocolate holder.  For a lot of people the word chocolate was all they had to hear to become part of the group.  I provided the ice chocolate squares.  Many of them didn't make it into the project---but their kids may just want something sweeter and more familiar anyway.  (Let's go with that.  Yes, the chocolates were delicious.  I felt it was my duty to do a taste-test.)

Using the brand new and incredibly useful Scalloped Tag Topper punch, I punched both ends of a strip of 7 1/2" x 2" Smoky Slate cardstock.  Then I scored it at 3 1/8" from each end.  I cut a piece of the dotted Strawberry Slush design from the 2013-2015 In-Colors Designer Series Paper Stack and cut a 6" x 1 2/3" strip.  After rounding the corners using my Envelope Punch board, I adhered that to the base cardstock.

Next, I used that wonderful new Sizzix Originals die, the Spiral Flower, and used it to cut a piece of Strawberry Slush cardstock.  After using the bone folder to break down the fibres and scrunching the cardstock, I rolled it and created my flower.  Using hot glue, I set the flower and also adhered it to the project.  Next, I used the "V is for Valentine" from the very versatile Occasions Alphabet stamp set and cut that out using a thinlit from the Circle Card set.  Finally I used some Silver foil Baker's Twine to attach that tag to the little chocolate holder (after adhering the chocolate using two glue dots) and the project was finished.

 

Later in the day we made a Valentine's card.  I love the musical note paper in the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper and thought it would be perfect used with the "A Little Love Note" sentiment from the new Love You to the Moon stamp set.  Along with that I used a base of Originals Ivory cardstock, a layer of Baked Brown Sugar cardstock and then a layer of Very Vanilla embossed with that cute Decorative Dots embossing folder from the new Sale-a-bration brochure.

A strip of the polka dot Gold Foil vellum cardstock, a circle of the Modern Medley paper, a pretty Crisp Cantaloupe scalloped heart using the framelit from Hearts a Flutter, and all I had to do was cut a heart using the second smallest framelit from the Hearts Collection and stamp it with the sentiment.  Finally I added three Goldl Foil hearts cut out using the Small Heart punch.

Everyone loved the projects.  We made money for the club.  What more could I have asked for?