Sister Stamps Note Pads

Actually I don't know what to call these... I found the unfinished ones at Ben Franklin and was stoked since it came with the notepad and pen!  Covered each one with washi paper and even coordinated the pen to match.  

Here's what it looks like open.  I added in a mini calendar and post it notes so the recipient can make notes and check dates.

Made a bunch more to sell at the craft fair..

Wow!  Can't believe the craft fair is tomorrow!  So not ready, but ready or not, here it comes!  If you would like directions, please email me at midoridew@hotmail.com.  Thanks!

Favorite Frame

I gotta say, I think this is my favorite frame of the bunch.  I love the washi. I love it so much I almost didn't want to use it on the frame.  Then I had such a hard time deciding which image to use, then what embellishments to use with it.  I wanted it to be perfect!

If you look really closely, you'll see that the washi has a subtle pattern to it.  It includes tiny cranes, hexagons, sakura, etc. all in a pale blue color.  This was a paper I got from the Paper Source in LA.  I had initially only bought one sheet, but after using a lot on one project during the Anniversary release, I decided to conserve... Luckily, I was able to replenish my stash when I went back to LA in October.  Yay!

To add interest, I added in a crystal flourish. I think its a Recollections brand, which I got from Michaels.  Finally, added some acrylic flowers that I bought from Etsy and also found some at Craft Supply in Honolulu.

Ended up coloring Miyoko's cupcake light pink.  Somehow I just can't imagine a blue cupcake!?  Weird yah, so even though the rest of the design has blues, I went with a light pink wrapper and cherry.

So in case you come to my craft fair and don't see this frame, it's cause I decided not to sell it!  I'm still debating...

Sweet Miyako

Gee, its been awhile since I used Miyako on anything.  I forgot how to color her!  It was kinda fun using all the old images again.  I need to do that more often and give them some love.

I just love how many uses there are for this image.  I guess even though she was released as a Valentine's Day image, Miyako can be used year round.  I've seen her used a lot on Mother's Day cards and birthday cards.  Love to see all the new ways of using our images.

Since this image is so versatile, I thought it would be perfect on a frame.  I think it would be so cute to use this frame as a gift. I would probably insert a photo of someone's granddaughter and give it to them.

Washi paper was from my Japan stash.  Cherry blossoms are from Wild Orchid Crafts and I believe the flourish is by Recollections.  I seem to be going through those flourishes quite frequently nowadays!

Okidoki... back to crafting!

Sisters or BFF'

I really like this image.  It reminds me of me and my sister.  Originally I was going to name it Sisters instead of BFF, but then I thought that more people would be able to relate to it if it was called BFF's since anyone can have a BFF, but not everyone has a sister.  Either way, I thought every female could appreciate and enjoy this image.

I colored their bow/flower to make it look like they traded.  I remember doing stuff like that with friends when I was little.  Somehow it was always more fun to wear your friends stuff than your own. 

This washi paper was from the Paper Source.  If you live in an area with a Paper Source, you really should check out their paper area.  I found the prettiest washi papers there.  I'm hoping when I go back to Japan I'll find more of the papers they carried.

Can't believe the craft fair is just days away!  If you see me and I don't respond, it could be because of lack of sleep!  Ha ha ha!

Miyono Dances

My mom always liked the song "I hope you dance" and said she identifies with it a lot.  I guess I had that in the back of my mind when I named this image after her.  I feel like the cranes were dancing in the background, so I used Miyono since she's the dancer of the group.  

When I first covered the frame with this crane washi... I admit, I had a hard time parting with it. It has become of of my favorite papers!  But I knew it would make a lovely frame, so I reluctantly used it on this one.  Now I'm glad I did since I really liked how it looks on the frame.  Secretly I am wondering if I should pull this one and keep it for myself?!  We'll see if it makes it to the table.  Ha ha ha!

Found these acrylic flowers at Craft Supply in Honolulu!  So glad I made the time to visit that store.  I used to go all the time when they were located on King Street, but haven't shopped there in years.  Added some crystal bling flourishes for interest.

So what do you think... sell of keep?  I'm on the fence!

Revisiting Ayako

I'm pretty certain that behind Kiyomi, Ayako is the next most popular image.  I'm guessing everyone likes her umbrella?  I guess I can't choose since I like all of them!  I guess I think of them as my children.  Silly yah? It's so weird to think of things that are not even alive as my children.  I guess it's cause I name them and give them some personality when I introduce them to world, so I feel a connection to each and every one of them.  

OK back to the project.. Yes, yet another frame.  If you've been visiting me all week, it's pretty much the same sphiel... enlarged image, colored & cut out and popped up onto a washi covered frame.

Here's a close up of Ayako...

Be back soon with more to share!

Fun With Mei Lin

Sometimes I spend so much time promoting our new Sister Stamps images that I neglect the first releases!  Sorry girls!  Time to give them some love too.  So I decided to enlarge Mei Lin and add her to one of the frames.  Mei Lin was from the first release of Sister Stamps.  I just love her hairdo! I don't think I've ever had that hairdo myself, but its really cute!  And her pinwheel really brings this image to life.  It continues to be one of my favorites!

Here's a close up Mei Lin...

Check back soon for more craft fair samples!

The Countdown Begins!

Woah!  Today is not only release day for the new Sister Stamps images (Release #10), but it's also exactly one week until the craft fair at my house!  OK now I'm panicking!  

Luckily, I had made a bunch of these frames to sell.  Continuing on with the shares... today I have Kiyomi.  Kiyomi is still... without a doubt... the best selling image of Sister Stamps.  I can't get over that no matter how many images we release, she remains our most popular.  And funny how its the image I happen to name after my sister!

The Kiyomi image comes with a butterfly, but I hardly color up the butterfly.  Instead, I opted to punch out a small butterfly using a flat EK success punch and added some crystals.  

Do you like her hair?  It's a lot more work, but I think its worth the time and effort.  It really makes it look like she has bangs and her hair is pulled back into the pigtales.  I saw Amy Young do this on her blog- 1000 sheets of paper. Thanks Amy!

If you are interested in coming to my craft fair, please email me at sisterstampsllc@gmail.com and I will send you the address.  Thanks for stopping by!

It's Nobu's Turn

Nobu was the very first boy that Sister Stamps released, so he'll always hold a special place in my heart!  No matter what new boy images come out, he remains one of our more popular boys.  

I enlarged him on my computer so that he would fit the frame better.    Since the washi paper is pretty busy, I opted for a plain gold circle behind him so that he stands out a bit.  After coloring Nobu, I cut him out and popped him up off the frame to add some dimension...

And here's a close up of the little guy...

Come visit me soon to see another frame using Sister Stamps images!  Don't forget to enter to win some blog candy over at the Sister Stamps blog!

For The Boys...

OK one more post before I go to bed...

I really like this Buddies image that my sister came up with.  They are just so darn cute!  I don't even have boys where I could make use of this frame, but I really like the image, so I'm tempted to keep it for myself!

I used the same design as the Katsura frame I shared yesterday.  I just free hand cut the "hill" and placed the boys on top with pop dots.  I also cut out the froggie and had him playing along with them.  This reminds me of when my cousin and I used to play leap frog in her yard.

Here's a close up of the buddies.

I have more to share with you soon.. Stay tuned!

Craft Fair Frames

So I've been busy making some new frames this year.  I've decided to break down my posts and spread them out since there's a lot to share...  I've even created some new ones using new images, but I'll wait to post them once the images are released.

Until then, I'll be sharing some of our favorite images that were used on these press board frames.  These unfinished frames were purchased from Ben Franklin and covered with washi paper.  At this point, I have so much washi, I can't remember where I got this one from.  I'm guessing it was from Japan since it's pastel green and most of the ones I picked up in Japan were pastel.

While on one of many trips home in November, I took a bunch of images with me that were enlarged on the computer.  This makes a nice size for the frame.  On my down time, I colored in the images so that all I had to do was cut them out when I got home.

Since Katsura looks like he is balancing, I felt like I needed to add in something for him to stand on.  I opted to free hand cut the "hill" out of gold cardstock and then used pop dots to adhere him to the frame.  I think the "hill" was just the added touch needed to accent the boy without competing with the boy or the washi background.  Here's a closer look at Katsura...

Thanks for stopping by!  Can you believe its Wednesday?   See you soon with another frame to share.

Happy Halloween!

Uh yes, I know I'm a bit late.. but I've been busy getting through Thanksgiving, Black Friday and work. As I was working on some Sister Stamps posts, I came across these pix of Halloween goodies I made for my last craft fair!  Talk about late yah?  Well, even though I'm late I thought I'd blog about them so I can refer back to them next year when I'm grasping for ideas...

The Halloween craft fair I participated in was especially challenging.  When I think of Halloween, I automatically thing of Halloween candy!  Am I right?  Well, since the craft fair was at a school, and the schools now do not allow candy or other unhealthy snacks, I had to use my brain for once and come up with alternative treats.  Normally I would put M&M's or other small candies in the candy stick bags, but I lucked out and found these straws with flavoring inside, so when you drink milk, it will flavor your milk! It came in chocolate, strawberry and cookies 'n cream.  Kids seemed to like this a lot.  The bat, spider and kitty were part of a PTI set I bought last year.  The ghost is from an old Sizzix die and the pumpkin and Frankie were paper punch art.  I think I saw the Frankie at Ben Franklin.

Also made these fry box friends and dressed them up for Halloween.  See the healthy treats?  Added goldfish and fruit snacks.

 And finally, decided to go with some bookmarks- after all it is a school right?  Well, I guess no one was into reading cause I didn't see one!  That's ok cause I think they are funny to look at.  Hee hee. They make me laugh.

I found more craft fair stuff, so I'll post more soon. Until then- check out the Sister Stamps blog for our next release!

Shabby Pin Cushions

So I found some great YouTube tutorials on how to make stick pins- so easy!  I got addicted to making them and ended up with a whole bunch.  Decided to make some pin cushions to go along with them.  Found some old mini tin pails that were leftover from a project for Emi's school.  After making the foam insert, I decorated each pail or watering can using lace trim, pearls or anything else that was shabby that I could find! Each pin cushion turned out different- here's what I came up with...

I had fun making these.. I think they will make some cute gifts for xmas!

More Craft Fair Shares

Can't believe the Pumpkin Patch craft fair has come and gone!  It happened so quickly!  Guess I need to start working on stuff for my Christmas Craft Fair. 

Anyway, just wanted to share some of the shabby things I came up with....  Made a few more of the earring holder/message board frames..  Used some butterfly lace I found at Walmart and added some stickles to make them sparkle.  Picked up this butterfly from Michaels and added on some pearls to the body.

Here's some 3 tiered frames that I tried my hand at.  After painting them, decided on some bling accents.  Kept it very simple....

I think this is a nice frame for wedding photos.

I love the scrabble tile look with my shabby projects.  Had my daughter in mind when I made this one.  She has two BFFs and loves the color blue.  Daisy accents are my favorite- got them from I am Roses.

Did another take on the bling frame.  This time painted it pink and added some black bow accents. Love the parisian look!

This last frame was one of my favorites.  I wanted to use some pearl beaded trim that I found at Walmart.  Sadly, its no longer available there!    Added on more large I am Roses pink roses.

Be back soon to share more projects from the fair!

Attention Hilo Peeps!

It's almost here!  Tomorrow you can find me (and my friend Susan) at the first annual Waiakea Intermediate School Pumpkin Patch event!  There will be food, games, crafts, entertainment, and pumpkins (of course!).  The event starts at 9:00am and runs through 2:00pm.  The craft and food booths will be located around the library, which is located right behind the main office.  

The front lawn will house all the entertainment and the pumpkin patch.  I hear they will also have a petting zoo too, so Hilo folks- bring your family for day full of fun!

I've been busy trying to make some things before the fair.  Here's a sampling of what you can find at my booth. We will also have some fun treats for sale- just in time for Halloween!  Here's what I've been busy working on....

First up is my snowflake ornaments!  I made them in several pastel colors. I love snowflakes and was so happy to find the tutorial on youtube by CynthiaLooWho.

You may remember that I made my friends Linda and Cami  an easel message board/earring holder?  Well, I  modified it a bit based on these frames I found at Walmart.  They were perfect since it didn't contain any glass or acetate.  Now why would someone want an unfinished frame like that?  I guess I did!  Worked out great for me!

Here's the coasters I thought I'd try out.  Just cut up some of my precious washi paper and decoupaged it onto the tiles.  Also added some cork for the bottoms so it won't scratch your table.  Selling them in a set of 4.

Another fun project that I enjoyed making was this mini watering can pin cushion. I added in some of the stickpins I've been working on.  Had to give it a shabby chic touch by adding some beaded trim.

So if you have some time tomorrow- please stop by and say hi!

Updates...

Boy oh boy have I been a busy girl... Just got back from vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth, and gearing up for a upcoming craft fair, of which I'm really not sure why I agreed to participate in it since I literally don't have much to fill a booth!  In addition, I also have a make 'n take coming up at Island Scrapbooking for their 9th Anniversary Sale happening this Saturday! Phew!  Lots to do in a short amount of time, but wanted to pop in to explain my absence and tell you about these fun events.

Here's the details:

Island Scrapbooking Anniversary Sale
Date:  Saturday, October 13th
Time:  10am-2pm
Location:  Island Scrapbooking
Come join me for a free make 'n take beginning at 10:30am.  Not sure what we'll be making yet!  Ha ha!  Guess it will be a surprise!  Tracy will also be doing a 2nd make 'n take in the afternoon.  Please join us for some fun and in-store specials all day long!

Waiakea Intermediate School Pumpkin Patch & Craft Fair
Date:  Saturday, October 20th
Time:  9am-2pm
Location:  Waiakea Intermediate School
Featuring food, crafts, games, celebrity dunking booth, live entertainment, and a pumpkin patch!  Please visit me at the craft booths.  Oh yah- Puna Taiko will also be performing for those of you who love Taiko.

AND....
For those of you who are interested... I will be hosting another craft fair (at my house), this year, it will be held on Saturday, December 8th.  More details will be provided as it gets closer.

Need to get back to crafting... Hope to see you soon!

Surprise Birthday Blog Hop!

Today we are celebrating Leanne's birthday by throwing a fun birthday blog hop party!  We thought we'd gather a few of her friends and design team members to celebrate her special day.  If you came here from Danni’s blog you are in the right place.  If you didn’t you may want to start at the beginning at Yumi & Fumi's Handmade Crafts blog. 

I met Leanne through blogland- mainly because she is so nice and leaves comments on almost all my posts!  So sweet!  I was fortunate enough to meet her in person too!  I heard she was going to the Winter CHA and thought I'd try to meet up with her then.  I'm so glad we were able to meet in person.  Leanne has been a blessing to Sister Stamps too.  Not only was she one of our guest designers, but she frequently posts Sister Stamps cards for her Lilo's Fun Friday posts!  I can't thank her enough for all the publicity she's given Sister Stamps over the past year.  Thanks Leanne!  You are such a sweetie!  Hopefully we will cross paths again one day and have time to hang out.

Sooo Leanne...  Are you surprised that I participated?  Ha ha ha ha ha!  I know you are! OK enough talking... on to the card!

I gotta admit, this is my 2nd try.  I guess I'm out of practice!  I decided to use Mariko since she is holding a gift- perfect for birthdays...  Since I'm still into the shabby chic theme, I decided to try incorporate it but using brighter colors.  I turned to my new 6x6 American Crafts DP for the flag paper and drew my colors from that pallet.  

 I found a heart doily from my stash and decided to use that in my background.  Stamped "Surprise" from my new Penny Black birthday set (love that by the way).  Used a crystal flourish and a variety of flowers by I am Roses and Wild Orchid Crafts.  The smaller acrylic flowers are by Dress Me Up buttons.  Here's a better look at Mariko.

Just wanted to share my shabby style here... Inserted into the large white rose is actually a stick pin I made.  Can you even see it?  There's a bunch of beads under the rose.  Stick pins are my new favoritte embellishment.

Thanks to Eva for helping coordinate this surprise hop!  And Happy Birthday Leanne! Tanjyoobi Omedeto Gozaimasu!   Go have a good time girl!  Now you are off to see Kathy from Pixie Boutique!  Be sure to end at Leanne's personal blog to wish her a Happy Birthday!!

Thanks for coming!