Archive for the ‘Tour de Freaks’ Category:
Best Dad Ever Birthday!
Yes! It's time for the Tour de Freaks…brought to you every month from the Control Freak Swappers! This tour's theme this month is BIRTHDAYS! Yeah! Everyone has one of those, right? You've probably just come from Yvette Ashe's blog, weren't her projects wonderful? After visiting here, you can continue on your way by following the link at the bottom.
Here's what I've done this month! I used a masculine theme for my card and little favor box! Inside the favor is a few treats…plus, I plan to roll up a gift certificate for my dad…the place I get them still gives out the paper kind, so that will work perfectly!

Isn't that fun? I know my dad will love it! Here's a closeup of the card.

- The base is 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 Midnight Muse folded in half.
- I added a 3 3/4 by 5 piece of Very Vanilla that is embossed with the Chevron Embossing Folder.
- I cut the Parker's Patterns Designer Paper with the Scallop Duo Die and added it to the right side.
- I punched a Decorative Label Punch from Midnight Muse and place it towards the left.
- The ties from Best Dad Ever were stamped three times with Cajun Craze, Midnight Muse and Early Espresso, then cut out (I used some on the favor, too). I adhered them to the Decorative Label Punch piece and added a Hung Up Cute Clip to the top for the ties to "hang" on.
- The top tie I pierced with the tool, then added a VIntage Trinket tie tack.
- I stamped Happy Birthday twice with Midnight Muse ink…once on Daffodil Delight and once on Very Vanilla, punched the Daffodil Delight with the Ticket Duo punch, then cut the Happy off the Very Vanilla and added it to the top.

The favor was SO fun to make! Can you tell what I used for the top sleeve portion? If you guessed the Clear Scallop Square Die…you are RIGHT! Since the top element with the ties is the same as I described above, I'll just give you the dimensions of the favor.
- Cut the Clear Scallop Die with Parker's Patterns Designer Paper. Score at 7/8, 1-1/2, 2-7/8 & 3-1/2. Fold and adhere just the tips of the scallops together to form the sleeve.

- Make the bottom to hold 3 Hershey Nuggets with a 2-1/4 x 5-3/4 piece of Midnight Muse cardstock. Score 1/2 each on all four sides. Cut slits from the narrow end to the score mark for the tabs. Adhere the tabs inside the box bottom.
- Wrap 1 x 3 pieces of designer paper around the Hershey Nuggets.
- Slide the box bottom inside the sleeve.
- Decorate the top same as the card above.
OK…so what do you think? I'm really happy with how it turned out!!! Makes a great little masculine gift!
So, continue on to Patty Bennett's blog for the next stop on the tour! Enjoy the birthday theme this month!
March 2013 Tour de Freaks
It's time for the monthly Tour de Freaks, brought to you by the Control Freak Swappers! The theme this month is Spring/Easter! I know I'm wishing for spring around here…we are in for a COLD week in Ohio! You may have just arrived from Wendy Weixler's blog…weren't her projects FUN! Make sure to continue on around to all the stops and see all the projects we have for you!
My first card is a Cascade Card. I've always wanted to make one. I had one of my customers request this card for a recent class. I used the Blossom Punch and Sycamore Street Designer Paper on mine because it was for a class setting…but I think it would be fun done with the Secret Garden stamps and Framelits, too! I love how the design flows and is 3D, yet it folds up to fit flat in a regular sized envelope (except for those Pearls, of course!) I also thought it was a great way to showcase the Sale-A-Bration Designer Paper, Sycamore Street, that I am going to miss SO MUCH!!! Remember, SAB ends on Friday, so you need to grab yours now!

Some quick details:
- The base is two diagonal pieces interlocked together of Island Indigo cardstock. I stamped them with a couple of the Secret Garden open line images in Island Indigo ink.
- I used Summer Starfruit on the back to give it some stability.
- I used the Blossom punch, the 1 1/4" Scallop Circle and 7/8" Scallop Circles for the flowers, placing Stampin' Dimensionals between each layer and adding a Large Pearl in the center.
- I punched a couple Bitty Butterflies from Summer Starfruit and added Rhinestone jewels for the bodies.
- The Sassy Salutations greeting was stamped with Island Indigo on Whisper White and punched with the Decorative Label punch.
Here's a side view:

Next is a little decoration that I pulled together pretty quickly! I just don't have that many Spring or Easter decorations, so this worked out perfectly!

Isn't this a FUN sign for your house? I have it hanging on my cabinet doors. The base is a metal sign I found measuring about 4 1/2 x 10 1/2. I just covered up the front. And…isn't that bunny so fluffy looking? Really cute! The bow in her hair is from Dapper Dad…I knew I could use that bowtie as a feminine bow! It is double layered…I know you can't see it from this angle. Here's a closeup of the bunny itself.

A few details for you:
- The bunny base is made with the Flower Folds XL Die, I used two each of the three largest sizes cut from Whisper White cardstock.
- The nose/muzzle is two 1" circles of Whisper White, on top is the Small Heart from Primrose Petals cardstock, sponged with Primrose Petals Ink. I cut fine strips of Basic Gray cardstock for the whiskers.
- The eyes are 1/2" Circles of Island Indigo, with 3/8" Circles of Basic Black, highlighted with a White Gel Pen. I added the eyes to the Basic Gray 7/8" Scallop Circles, cut for "lashes".
- The ears are two Oval Framelits, larger cut from Whisper White and inside cut from Primrose Petals cardstock. I adhered between the two largest sizes of Flower Folds and slightly curled them.
- I stamped the bowtie from Dapper Dad twice with Summer Starfruit Ink, cut them out and adhered together with a Stampin' Dimensional in the center. I added a 1/2" Circle of Primrose Petals to the center and a Rhinestone Jewel.
- The background designer paper is from Birds of a Feather to cover the sign and the Typeset Alphabet Bigz letters were cut from Island Indigo cardstock.
- Finally, the flowers were punched with the 7/8" Circle from Primrose Petals, cut slightly towards the centers to form petals. I added a 3/8" Circle of Summer Starfruit inside each one and added a Rhinestone Jewel.
- I added Primrose Petals Stitched Ribbon to the back of the sign to form the hanger.
Isn't she CUTE???? I think so! She really was QUICK to put together and would fit on any size sign you might have!
The next stop on the tour is Lisa Martz…our group mom, who always has fabulous projects! Make sure you continue on around for more fun projects with the Easter/Spring theme!
February Tour de Freaks
It's time for the February Tour de Freaks…brought to you by the Control Freak Swappers! It's the best time of the month, don't you think? I love seeing my fellow Freaks come up with some great ideas! This month we are featuring the Spring Mini. Pretty easy considering all the FUN stuff in that mini! You may have just come from LeeAnn Greff's blog…didn't you love her projects? Make sure to take the entire tour, we have 12 stops…it will bring you back around to here!
I decided to feature the Oh Whale stamp set. I just recently completed a baby ensemble using this set and it was so much fun! My first is a card. This dotted print in the Sale-A-Bration Designer Paper, Sycamore Street, truly is my favorite right now! Wish I had it in all different colors! lol! I've been using the little heart on the Whale Clearlit as the fin, it fits perfectly…and tying the Baker's Twine around the tail is just so fun! Although it is a little hard to see the right edge of the card, it is normal 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 sized card. Yep, I have another one of those 2 1/2" Pool Party Core'dinations Circles left over from another project featured behind my whale.

My next project has been in my head for a while…I finally decided to keep it for this month's tour. Specimen Art is so popular right now. And, I love when they have a uniform theme going and highlight one of the specimen with a different color. So, that's what I did with my frame. It is a 10×10 shadow box frame I picked up at the big box craft store. The background is 10×10 Pool Party cardstock and I layered on a 9 1/4 x 9 1/4 Whisper White background. Then I cut all the whales with the Clearlit and Sycamore Street Designer Paper and popped them up with Stampin' Dimensionals. The different whale was stamped with Island Indigo, I added the heart fin and Baker's Twine on the tail and a rhinestone for his eye!

Wouldn't this be fun in a baby's room? Add the name, birth date, weight and length along the bottom and have a personalized birth announcement, too! It is so much more impressive in person than this photograph shows!

Make sure to continue on around the rest of the tour! Next stop is Justin Krieger's blog…I know you'll love his ideas for our February Tour de Freaks!
January Tour de Freaks – Sale-A-Bration!
It's time for the January Tour de Freaks…brought to you by the Control Freak Swappers! We are featuring Sale-A-Bration products! It is ALMOST here…the best time of the year! You probably just came from Jan Tinklenberg's blog...isn't she fabulous?
I've used a couple of the Sale-a-Bration sets in my projects this month…and the lovely Sycamore Street Designer Paper! I know I'll stock up on this DSP! My first card came to me in my sleep…literally! I must have been thinking about what I wanted to do and I woke up with this idea! Don't you love the Soda Pop Tops? And those wonderful LARGE rhinestones!

My second card uses the same Sycamore Street Designer Paper and the fun little butterflies! I also was challenged on how to use the Needlepoint folder on an angle…finally had to make it into a layer to get it to fit!

And my third is a little project…a Sticky Note Pad holder! I received one in a swap at Leadership (Jackie Van Sickle)…I haven't made one of these in YEARS! I switched it up using more Sycamore Street Designer Paper and the Madison Avenue stamp set. And…I used one of the little Soda Pop Tops for the center of the flower with a rhinestone jewel. I love that look, don't you?

Measurements are 3 1/2 x 11, score at 5 1/4, 5 1/2, 5 3/4. I rounded the corners, then decorated with the Oval Framelits and the Vine Street Embossing Folder. It is held closed with a half of a velcro dot. And here is the inside:

What a fun little project for your next class! I know we'll be doing one in my Stamp Clubs this month girls…so be watching for it! Hope you enjoyed my projects this month. Next stop on the tour is the wonderful Justin Krieger at JK Cards Online. Everyone is linked, so just go around until you get back here! Enjoy the blog tour!
December Tour de Freaks – Winter Fun
WOOHOO!!! It's time for the Tour de Freaks…brought to you by the Control Freaks Swappers! We have some Wonderful Winter Fun for you during this tour! So…grab a cup of coffee or cocoa and take the tour for some AWESOME ideas! It's a short one…only 9 stops, so won't take you long at all! You've probably just come from my friend, Mary Brown's blog...weren't her projects cute? I always love her work! If you are arriving here prior to the 20th, please note that not all links may be working yet.
My first project is a spin-off of the Heart framelit Christmas Tree card that I did for the November Tour de Freaks. This time I turned it into a Snowman triangle card! Isn't he FUN…and he is getting ready to throw a snowball at you! Too bad the photo doesn't show all the Dazzling Details glitter on the body of the snowman…he is super sparkly!

OK…here are some quick directions…I know I had several ask for the Christmas tree and it was done the same way. If the snowman looks familiar, it was one left over from my charger plate project I shared here on Monday.
- I cut a base 4 x 8, folded in half. Then cut it with the Perfect Pennants die. Place the open ends right on the bottom wide part of the largest pennant, then cut. The resulting triangle will be slightly shorter than the full pennant, so the fold at the top keeps it from cutting thru. I used Cherry Cobbler cardstock for the inside of my snowman for some contrast.
- I then cut two large pennants out of Whisper White, layering them on the outsides of the Cherry Cobbler triangle and cutting off the excess at the top. It just gives it some extra stability.
- I made the snowman front from the three largest circles on the Circles #2 die, then embossed with the Northern Flurry folder. I sponged around the edges with Crumb Cake.
- I started building the snowman by adhering the the sizes together on top of each other. I tied a scarf of Gumball Green Sweater Trim around the neck. I colored pearls and rhinestones with black Sharpie for the eyes, mouth and buttons. A little triangle of Pumpkin Pie for the nose.
- For the back of the snowman, I only used the largest two circles…not the head circle so that it doesn't interfere when the card opens.
- The hat is two of the 1 1/4 squares back to back, trimmed on a slant and the Word Window for the brim on each side. I used a sliver of Red Glimmer paper for the hat band, then the small Itty Bitty flower out of Silver Glimmer with a rhinestone in the center. I used more Dazzling Details along the top and brim of the hat.
- I cut slivers of Early Espresso for the branch "arms" and added a 1/2" circle Snowball at one end.
- I also punched six more 1/2" circles for the pile of snowballs on the ground, sponging around each with Crumb Cake.
- I stamped Merry Christmas from Family Reunion (love that font!) in Basic Black and cut flag ends. It is popped up on the front with Stampin' Dimensionals and some added Dazzling Details.
My second is a fun ornament for your tree. My Christmas tree is decorated in lots of Snowmen and Frosty Friends so I thought this would be a fun addition. It also opens for a FUN treat inside. Can you tell what Stampin' Up! product that I used????

Here are some details for covering the empty brad/button container!
- I punched a 2 1/2" Circle of Basic Black cardstock for the top and adhered it to the lid.
- I covered the sides of the bottom piece with 1/2" x 11 strip of Basic Black cardstock (cut off excess). Then punched a 1/2 x 12" strip of Red Glimmer Paper with the Scallop Trim Border Punch to adhere over top of the Basic Black for the hat band.
- I cut a 3/8" strip of Basic Black cardstock for the sides of the lid.
- I used my scissors to pierce a hole in the top and fed two ends of a loop of 3/8" Stitched Grosgrain Real Red Ribbon thru the hole and tied a knot inside the lid to secure.
- I added some "holly" leaves by punching Gumball Green with the Large Oval Punch, the taking "bites" out of the sides with the same punch, creating the holly leaf look. I punched three 3/8" Itty Bitty Circles from Red Glimmer Paper and popped them up on top of the leaves with Stampin' Dimensionals.
- Finally, I cut a 3 1/2" Circle from the die out of Basic Black cardstock and adhered the container's bottom to it with Sticky Strip.
Isn't that a fun ornament for your tree…AND…you can fill it with something small…like M&Ms or peppermint candies like I have! I love my snowman hat ornament!

Well…hope you have fun taking the rest of the tour! Next stop is Justin Krieger...I'm sure he will have some FABULOUS ideas, too!
November Tour de Freaks
It's CHRISTMAS time on the Tour de Freaks, brought to you by the Control Freak Swappers, and we have LOTS of ideas for the holidays! We have 17 stops this time, so make sure you go around the tour and see everything! You've probably just come from Yvette's Paper Garden blog…weren't her projects lovely? I always love her designs.
For my first card, I decided to do a shaped card! It was really FUN to put together. Can you tell what I used? Yep! The Heart Framelits and Perfect Pennant die for the base! It is so pretty with the Silver Dazzling Details for "ornaments" and the lovely Watercolor Winter poinsettia!

The tree is Gumball Green and embossed with Petals A Plenty. The poinsettia from Watercolor Winter is double layered out of Real Red cardstock, I cut out the center of the second one to pop up over top of the full flower. I stamped another flower on Always Artichoke and cut it up for leaves behind the Poinsettia. I used the clear Dazzling Details around the edges and the Silver in the center, too. It fits in a normal sized envelope! Merry is the greeting from Pennant Parade stamp set and punched with the Small Jewelry Tag punch. The tree trunk is Early Espresso embossed with the Woodgrain Folder.
As many of my customers know, I love to decorate for the holidays. Lots of pretty wreaths and garland. My second project was inspired by my girlfriend, Mindy Gray. She did a Halloween one at a weekend retreat I attended and I thought Be of Good Cheer Designer Paper would be perfect for it. I'm excited to be holding a class on this during the first part of December…it is just so much more dramatic in person than it looks here in the picture!

Daydream Medallions and the Floral Framelits just set off the center perfectly! And I love all the patterns in Be of Good Cheer paper package! I also used my Rosette XL Die for the FIRST TIME on this project! It was much easier to use than I thought it would be!
Next up we have my good friend, Mary Brown at Stampercamper's Corner...you are going to LOVE her projects, I do! Make sure to follow the tour around to all the stops. They are all direct linked so you won't get lost!
Sept 2012 Tour de Freaks
Woohoo!!! It's time for the monthly Tour de Freaks, brought to you by the Control Freak Swappers! We have a fabulous lineup of stops on the tour today, I know you'll be impressed. Our theme this month is Halloween and Fall. You've probably just come from Dawn Olchefske's blog...aren't her projects darling?
My first card is one that my Orchard Harvest DSP class did last week. I liked how it came out! I borrowed the layout from my good friend, Mary Brown…her card was Christmas theme, but I switched mine out for Fall! LOVE the little ears of corn in the Perfectly Preserved stamp set. Reminds me of growing up on the farm in Illinois. My dad planted for Delmonte…yummy…they have the BEST sweet corn!

- I used the Window Frame Framelits for the base of the Cajun Craze card.
- The center is cut out and layered with Orchard Harvest DSP inside.
- I pierced around the edges of the Framelit, too.
- I used Stampin' Write Markers to ink up the ears of corn (three different times), cut with the Cannery Framelits and added a wood button tied with Linen Thread and layered behind the Seasonal Sayings greeting!
This card was a favorite in class (well, besides the little 3D project we did!)
My next card uses Wonderfall and my favorite stripe in the Orchard Harvest DSP package! Love those little x's!
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- Base of the card is Cajun Craze.
- I added the stripe from Orchard Harvest DSP across the top of the More Mustard Layer, then wrapped the ends of the Early Espresso Tulle Ribbon to the back and adhered. I tied the center of the Tulle with a bow of Linen Thread.
- Behind the Tulle Ribbon, I tucked the stamped leaves from Wonderfall stamp set, inked in Cajun Craze, Island Indigo, More Mustard and Lucky Limeade, then cut out (by hand!)
- I added a couple pearls in the top leaf for a little bling.
- I stamped Thanks from Perfect Punches in Raspberry Ripple and punched with the Scallop Oval punch. It is popped up on the front with Stampin' Dimensionals.
Next up is a little favor for Halloween or Fall. I guess really Owls can be for any time! I used the vellum sack and the gogglie eyes from the Ghoulish Googlies Designer Kit, though!

- The eyes are the 1 3/8" circle punched from Vellum cardstock and run thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Folder.
- The centers are 3/4" of Daffodil Delight and 1/2" Circle of Basic Black with Googlies eyes in the center.
- The beak is a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock folded in half, then put thru the Pennant Punch (be careful you are cutting thru 2 layers!) I then punched a smaller triangle with the Pennant Punch of Daffodil Delight for the inside.
- The "nostrils" are 1/8" Circle punched from Basic Black cardstock.
- I punched the wings from Vellum Cardstock and the 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch cut in half and attached with Silver Brads to the front of the vellum sack.
- The feet are the Pennant punched three times from Pumpkin Pie and adhered together, then adhered to the bottom of the bag.
- I filled it with some Hershey Nugget candies. The bag is tied closed with Linen Thread tied in a bow at the top.
I hope you enjoyed my projects. Next up is the fabulous Mary Brown…I know you'll LOVE her projects! Make sure to take the tour all around! Thanks so much for stopping by!
August Tour de Freaks – Back to School
It's time! It's the August Tour de Freaks, brought to you by the Control Freak Swappers! Our theme this month is Back to School Hard to believe it is that time again! You've probably just come from Yvette's blog...aren't her projects cute?
I wanted to design an easy, back to school thank you for teachers. Something they could use, but wasn't too hard to pull together! So, here is a little something for their desk!

Starting with the Apple Tree card.

The base of the card is Real Red. I layered on Whisper White. At the bottom, I cut the ground in a curve with Old Olive cardstock. I ran it thru the Big Shot with the Woodgrain Impressions Folder, then highlighted the raised areas with Old Olive Ink. I like how that turned out! Then I cut a small thin strip of the Early Espresso Coredinations Paper, used the Woodgrain folder again on it, and sanded off the raised areas. I made sure I got that fun "knot" of wood. The tree topper is the scallop circle from the Perfect Pennants Die, and a 2" Circle Polka Dot Parade DSP inside. I stamped the apple from Perfectly Preserved stamp set and cut them out with the Cannery Framelits Set. I added a Rhinestone jewel to the front of each apple. Finally, I stamped Thank You in Real Red from Wacky Wishes hostess stamp set!

Next is a little photo or note holder made from a large binder clip! I covered the base with the Storytime DSP rulers, layered on Real Red or So Saffron cardstock…so fun! I added large scallop circles (Real Red on one side and So Saffron on the other), then 1 3/4" punched circles inside. I used the Fancy Fan to emboss the center area. Then used Perfectly Preserved and Cannery Framelits again for the apples on each side. I tied a 1/4 Real Red Stitched Ribbon around the base, too.

My last project is a teeny tiny paint can. I think it is the 2 oz size. On top is a So Saffron Circle and I used the Apple again for on top. I tied the little opener ring onto the handle with the 1/4 Real Red Stitched Ribbon, then I adhered the bottom to another Scallop Circle from the Perfect Pennants Die. Inside are colorful plastic paper fasteners. I love the colorful office supplies and thought they would be useful for a teacher's papers!
So, hope you like my quick and easy back to school teacher gifts! Make sure to continue around on the tour…it's a short one this month! Next stop is Gretchen Barron…enjoy her fun projects, too!
Gum Holster Template
During the July Tour de Freaks, I promised the template for the Bootiful Occasions Gum Holster project that I made for one of my Convention swaps shown here again.
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So…here is the pdf file with directions and photo of the template…not to scale.
Download: GUM HOLSTER TEMPLATE TUTORIAL
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Here is also another sample that my Club Members made in May using Mouthwatering stamp set with Watermelon Extra brand Gum inside!


Enjoy!
July Tour de Freaks – Freak for All!
Woohoo! It's time for the Control Freak Swappers July Tour de Freaks Blog Hop! We have a Freak-for-All this month…several of us will be showing off our swaps we did at Convention with our fellow Control Freaks and some will be showing off the new Holiday Catalog items! You've probably just come from the wonderful Patty Bennett's blog! We have a total of 16 stops for you this month…enjoy!
My first card is one I swapped at Convention with the Freaks. I thought it was a fun tuxedo card and great for those masculine cards we always need.

I used a base of Basic Black. On the Whisper White, I used the scoring tool to run some "pleats" down the front of the shirt. I added Basic Black Mini Brads for the studs. The collar is the smallest Pennant Die piece. The bowtie is the Pennant Punch from Summer Smooches Designer Paper and a 1/2" Circle Punch for the center. It's popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. I used the Scoring Tool again horizontally for the Cumberband on a piece of Basic Black (hard to see in this photo), then stamped Happy Birthday in Basic Black and punched with the Modern Label Punch.

My second swap item was not a card…I didn't follow the rules of doing a second card because I wanted to give each of them a little treat. Although the design could easily be turned into a card! I made a little "gum holster" box. Inside is a package of Extra gum! The box base is Early Espresso. I used the Real Red 1/4 Stitched Ribbon for the handle. On the front I added the Real Red Polka Dot Patterns Designer Paper on the flap (and on the back), then Whisper White on the front stamped with Kick Up yer heels in Early Espresso Classic Ink. I stamped the boot with Early Espresso on Real Red and cut it out. Then used a Antique Brass mini brad in the center so it works as a closure on the flap. I knew it needed just a little bit more bling, so was SO happy to see that Stampin' Up! has a little star punch in the Holiday Mini! I used the punch on Red Glimmer Paper for an extra "kick" on my box! Here's the inside:

Isn't that cute? And, because I know I'll get asked, I'll put up a template and directions in a couple days after the tour is finished…sound ok?

My last card is a sneak peek from the new Holiday Catalog! I'm sure you've received yours in the mail and DROOLED over it! Oh my goodness! LOTS of goodies in that catalog! I fell in love with this Halloween set, Googly Ghouls! The eyeballs are just too cute! I made up several of these cards for swaps with friends I knew.
The base is Tangerine Tango and I layered on Basic Gray that I ran thru the Big Shot with the new Chevron Impressions Folder. I added a strip of Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP. Then I added two narrow Basic Black "flags" going down the front with the mini silver brads secured at the top. I stamped the mummy ghoul in Basic Gray on the Very Vanilla and added the googly eyeball. I stamped Booo from the same set in Tangerine Tango along side the mummy. FUN!!!
Time to continue on to the next stop on the Tour, the fabulous Mary Brown at StamperCamper's Corner! I know you'll love her projects!








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