Weddingbee

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How do you thank all these wonderful people? I was anxious and wanted to get my thank you cards out ASAP, so I made the following. Then I realized I totally skimped on an envelope liner even though the thank you card was not enough to say the many thanks and love I wanted to smooch them with.

Supplies:
Brown Pigment Stamp pad
Versamark Watermark Inkpad
Clear Embossing Powder
Heat Embossing Gun
Rubber Stamps
Two Sheets of Cover Cardstock Paper

Left to right:

1. Brown Stamp Ink “Hugs & Kisses” -> Cover with Clear Embossing Powder and shake off
2. Versamark Watermark pad with Cherry Blossom stamps -> Stamp all around card
3. Cover with embossing powder -> Shake off excess

Tip: Notice I folded two sheets of hard cover stock to use as my “trays” for powder. One acts as a pouring agent while the other acts as a tray underneath so that you can repeat the cycle over and over again. It later serves as pouring agent again to return excess back to its container. (see below) Easy, no mess, clean up

4. Voila - Final product PRE - heat embossed

Use heat emboss gun and blast away

Sample #1: Brown “hugs & kisses” text with clear watermark ink cherry blossoms

The most awesome thing about the Versamark inkpad is that you’re basically bringing the color of the paper a shade darker! On lighter shades, it adds a nice watermark like this example I learned from Paper Source.

Next I played around with a Platinum Stamp pad with Clear then Black Embossing Powder

Tip: Usually when you use any pigment ink pad, it wouldn’t matter what color you used underneath the powder because the color of powder you used is the color your final product would be.

Sample #2: Platinum pigment ink with Clear Emboss

Sample #3: Top: Platinum Pigment Ink/Black Embossing Powder
(yeah didn’t work out so well with the platinum ink pad and black embossing powder: VERY SPOTTY!)
Bottom: Versamark Watermark Ink/Black Embossing Powder (looks way betta)

Tip: Black embossing powder is a bit tricky to work with, so make sure to shake off as much excess of the powder as you can. I usually flick the paper hard and repowder if necessary, and then reshake off all the little powders; otherwise you end up with little specks surrounding your text/image after you’ve heat embossed like the above image surrounding the words “kisses” on the bottom row.

Then finally …. they make their way to envelop my friends with much hugs and kisses that they blasted me with at the shower! ( man I wish I had made a liner! But getting these out 2 days after shower, I think I’m a little exempt )

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So each runner is almost exactly 12 inches. If you can see those little diamond things on the outside of the large pattern, we cut right down the middle of those to make each runner. That way we could fold each edge under about 1/4 of an inch. We made the first runner 120″ long, which will be the longest possible length. When we put it on the table we’ll decide how long we actually want them to be and trim accordingly. The first cut was through the width of the fabric, to get the appropriate length:

Then we cut out each runner…if you look closely you can see the lines that we drew right on the fabric. The ends get folded under, so even if you’re not completely accurate (I am nearly incapable of cutting in a straight line) you won’t see the lines.

Then you pin each of the edges under 1/4 of an inch. After Mama Sundae pinned them this way she realized it was easier to put in the pins in vertically because you can run the sewing machine right over them.

We decided that white thread would blend the best, and it turns out you can barely see it. The actual sewing takes only a few minutes, it’s the cutting and the pinning that takes awhile.

Here is the first finished product! As you can see, my Mom’s measuring skills were right on and the large pattern is perfectly centered all the way down.

The lumps in the fabric are just because we didn’t feel like ironing at the moment. They lay quite nicely and the fabric is a great weight so that they hang over the edge perfectly.

We also decided that sewing some black ribbon onto the edges might make it look more finished. Mama Sundae is going to get some ribbon and make another runner with the ribbon attached this week. We’ll take both of them up to Wisconsin and decide which we like best when we see them on the tables. I would guess it will take about an hour to make each runner (okay, it will take my Mom about an hour to make each runner. It would take me about a day per runner), and I tried to let my Mom off the hook several times this weekend but she insists that she wants to make them. Thank goodness for Moms

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I think there’s something wrong with me. Because I just want to eat them right out of the bowl:

Also finito are the labels for the bags themselves:

I went back and forth about these babies forever. Kept changing the shape, design, colors. I originally had them in the same pink paper as the kiss seals, but then I realized that in white, they looked more like old school, hand-typed labels. Wedding theme power, activated!

This ended up entailing a bit of work, however, including the snipping of a zillion corners with a rounder punch and, of course, the requisite trip through the ol’ Xyron:

I kept the stickers low on the bag so they wouldn’t get scrunched down. The final look:

I probably made far more kiss/swak/mwah stickers than will ever be used. But they were just too yummy, I couldn’t stop. I guess I can always throw them on the back of my love letters… « Hide it

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Why is this paper cutter so cool, you ask? Firstly, the blades are super sharp and precise. Trust me - I went through 3 different paper cutters in the DIY process and no matter what I tried, either the blade didn’t completely cut through the grains of the textured paper or the cut wasn’t straight. The arm of this paper cutter, however, is much tighter and the blades act more like a pair of extremely large scissors, giving an extremely clean cut!

The BEST part though - get this - is that the blade has a laser in it that shows you exactly where the cut will land! You will know if your blade is even the slightest bit off! Check out the laser in action…

Closeup of the blade and laser…

Believe it or not, this baby is pretty affordable too at ~$45-$50. Most other paper cutters are about $25-$30, and from my experience, they don’t cut too cleanly particularly when you have very textured or fibrous paper. (I’m afraid to admit that I probably spent about that price experimenting with paper cutters that didn’t work too well.)
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Snug in their box.

Ready to go. (Almost.)

Sayonara, my babies. I will see you in a few weeks.

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Paper Trimmer. This has been my favorite product for a long time. I actually have two–one big one and one small one. I recommend the rotary cutter over the guillotine–a lot of the time, paper slips on the guillotine and doesn’t give you a straight cut. In addition, the bottom of the paper often doesn’t get a clean cut with a guillotine. You can either go cheap or heavy duty (I consider the one pictured above heavy duty). Either one works great, but the heavy duty ones can cut more paper and have more rulers, which can be useful.

image from paper-source.com

Teflon Bone Folder. I had never heard of a bone folder before working at Paper Source, I’ll admit it. But if you need to do a lot of folding (like if you’re making invitations or envelopes), this thing is indispensable. Basically you rub it along a fold and it makes a really nice, clean crease. You can also use it to jam things into small spaces (for example, I once made a box and used it for that purpose). I recommend teflon over the recycled bone for two reasons:

1) the recycled bone can leave a shiny residue behind (this is calcium from the bone), whereas the teflon does not.
2) if you drop the recycled bone, it can break or chip.
The teflon bone folder is more expensive, but it’s worth it.

image from paper-source.com

Zots. At first, I was a lover of Super Tape. That stuff will stick anything together, I swear. However, it also took off a layer of skin every time I tried to use it. That’s when I discovered Zots. These suckers are just as sticky as Super Tape, but they’re much more user friendly. Zots are little adhesive dots, which come on a roll of parchment paper-like stuff. If you rip off the parchment paper in little pieces, you can stick your zot directly from the parchment paper onto your surface, so you never have to touch the actual adhesive. After using about 800 of them, you’ll appreciate that.

image from walgreens.com

Glue Dots Removable Adhesive Dots. Why Zots doesn’t make a removable version, I do not know. However, these things are GREAT for attaching things you don’t want to be stuck together forever. For example, I used them to attach my RSVP postcards to my invitations. They don’t leave any residue behind. Believe it or not, I found these at Walgreens, of all places.

A metal ruler and an x-acto knife. There are no pictures of these because you can buy any brand you like–I have no preference. These are great for cutting book board or long pieces of paper that won’t fit in your paper trimmer. Apply firm pressure to the ruler and use it as a guide for your x-acto to get a very nice, clean cut. A tip: if you get the kind of metal ruler that has cork on the bottom, flip it over so the cork is facing up before you use it as a guide to cut with your x-acto knife. Otherwise, your x-acto can slip into the space between the cork and your paper, and you won’t get a clean cut.

So those are my top 5 (well, 6, if you want to get technical) DIY products.

Have I missed anything? What are your favorites?

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Supplies:
8.5 x 5.5 inch pink cardstock
Two shades of green cardstock
Adhesive
Flower punch
Black ribbon
Black ink pad
A seed stamp (a black marker to draw seeds would work just as well)
Paper cutter

First, put your pink card stock on a table vertically and score it at 4.25 inches. Fold in half so that you have a 4.25 x 5.5 inch card.

Next, we will make the melon rind.

Using your paper cutter, cut one of the green cardstock sheets into a 0.5 x 4.25 inch strip. Cut the other shade of green cardstock into a 1.5 x 4.25 inch strip.

Use adhesive to stick the smaller green strip to the larger green strip.

Adhere the melon rind to the pink cardstock.

Use the seed stamp (or a black marker) to stamp melon seeds.

Punch a “bite” into the top right corner of the melon with your flower punch.

Decorate with the black ribbon and inside, stamp (or write) “You’re one in a melon!” If you’re making a thank you card, you could also use, “Thanks a melon!” or “A melon thanks!”

Have fun!
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Here are the supplies I used: Wilton’s blossom and heart cookie treat pans ($6 at Wal-Mart or use a 40% off coupon and snag one at Michael’s), 6 inch cookie sticks, clear treat bags, and a roll of raffia.

Since the cookies were travelling accross the country for several days, I needed them to stay as soft as possible. I used Tyler Florence’s Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. This recipe calls for a lot of flour and the end result is a softer, cake-like cookie.

Tyler Florence’s Big, Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) block dark chocolate, coarsely chopped. (I used 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips, which I then realized was 1/2 c. too much. Oh well.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms.

Turn off the mixer and fold in the chocolate chunks using the spatula.

To form the cookies, scoop about 1/4 cup of cookie dough into your hands and roll it around into a ball; place them about 3-inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets; you should get about 4 cookies on each pan. Press down the tops of the dough slightly and bake until the cookies are light brown, 12 minutes for chewy cookies, or about 15 minutes for crispy cookies.

These cookies rise quite a bit in the pans, so if you attempt this treat, fill the pan just a tad under. Insert one of the 6-inch cookie sticks into the dough before you pop them in the oven. Once they are finished baking, let them cook for at least 5 minutes before removing them from the pan or the dough may break. After they are completely cooled, place them inside of a treat bag and tie them off with a strand of raffia.

Yum! Cookies on a stick are so much fun to eat.

Here are the cookie treats ready for mailing. I “accidentally” broke a few, so I had to eat them. Shucks.

You can do so much with these pans. You can bake a sugar cookie recipe and decorate the treats with icing. I’ve used the round pans to make baby rattle treats for my director’s baby shower. The possibilities are endless!

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At one of the ’stations’ they were demonstrating how to make a save-the-date from start to finish. They included the printing process (more on that in a later post), how to emboss a design and how to assemble everything right down to a label on the front of the envelope.

Elsewhere in the store, Miss Canary was getting an order for letterpressed cards filled. The lucky bird apparently won the raffle from last year’s event!!

One of the many great things about Paper Source, is that they have access to a bazillion different designs AND they have sheets to show you what each type of print looks like in each color ink they offer on each type and color of paper! It is so helpful to get to see it in person!

After watching the demonstration on how to make a Save-the-Date, Miss Toucan and I headed over to the ‘Make and Take’ table where we had a hands-on tutorial on how to use embossing powder to make favor boxes even more special!

Here is Toucan with her favor box template.

We stamped a pattern onto the favor boxes using Versamark ink. The ink itself is clear, but when applied to paper, it is a shade darker than the paper you are working with. It is great for watermarking effects. In this case, we used it so that we could adhere the embossing powder to the ink.

Here I am with the magical embossing gun. It is a bit like a hair dryer, in that its main function is to blow hot air**, however it runs at a higher heat with a lower fan setting. You can actually see the embossing powder transform as you use it. I swear to you it was the most amazing thing!! We were addicted.

Below is the best picture we got that really shows how the powder changes to a gel-like substance right before your eyes.

Um…yeah…far be it from me to ever get in the way of Miss Toucan and her embossing tool!!

After the embossing fun, we took a white gel pen and made itty-bitty, tiny little dots in the centers of the flowers that were in the stamp pattern.

I handed that tedious task to Miss Canary who was back from her paper-ordering adventure in the other part of the store.

Here is Toucan with her (mostly) finished product…

And Miss Canary…

The final steps were to fold up the boxes and attach them with white brads so they would stay together. Then we tied a chocolate brown ribbon around them for a finishing touch.

Soooooo pretty. Of course, my favorite part was Miss Toucan’s face as I mentioned to her during the tedious process of dotting all of the little flowers that it was all fun and games until you had 200 of these to make the night before your wedding!

There was lots more to share from the event so until my next post, this is Mrs Corn coming to you not-so-live from Boston, MA.

** please hold all comments from the peanut gallery on how Mrs Corn’s main function also seems to be being a tool that blows hot air.
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I used Adobe Illustrator to create the graphics and to lay out each matchbook cover.

The layouts were printed on pink cardstock and then scored lightly along pre-made lines to make folding easier.

I wrote out lyrics from love songs about fire and light etc. on the “matchsticks” which I cut along the lines and stapled onto a hidden flap.

I dialed down the opacity of the graphic from the cover and then printed and cut a small stack of notepad paper for each book.

I also included a greeting onto the top spine of the matchbook.

Since technically, it was a “card” swap, I also whipped up simple cards on white cardstock to complete the package.

I’m a big fan of these notepads now and am designing another set for an upcoming bridal shower. Minus the spider of course!
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