YNS Friday Fun!

This month's theme for Friday Fun at Your Next Stamp is all about gift giving, so I modified a card pouch tutorial from SCS to serve as a fun little gift idea for a co-worker, teacher or Secret Santa.

I started with a 3.5" x 11" piece of kraft cardstock, scored it at 4.5" and 6" and then rounded each corner. Before adhering a clear 3x3 box (cut in half) inside, right above each scored line, I used a small oval punch to create handles on each end.

 
I used the same stamps and dies for the 3x3 cards as the front of the card pouch, varying the colors and patterned papers.

A side view of the pouch shows the position of the clear boxes holding the 3x3 cards and envelopes. I think I could have positioned the clear box halves down just a tish for a cleaner fit.

Stop on over at the YNS Blog for more Friday Fun and have a great weekend!

~Amy

Supplies:

YNS Stamps: Winter Smiles Robin, Holiday Joy Robin (snowflake)

YNS Dies: Tree Trio

YNS New Release Hop

Hello!  Welcome to the Your Next Stamp November New Release Blog Hop!  We are so excited this month because we are introducing ANOTHER new illustrator to the YNS family ~ Macy Wong!  Her images are so super sweet and we know you are just going to love them!  We also have some adorable new Franfou images, and Mabel Designs!  To start the hop, head on over to Kerri’s Blog. 

Did someone say prizes???  We have 3 new release prizes hidden along the hop!  You must leave comments on all of the DT blogs to qualify for the prize drawing.  You have until Friday, November 9th at 12 midnight (EST) and the winners will be posted on the YNS Blog on Saturday, November 10th. 

Here's my project using the Tree Trio die, a sentiment from Winter Smiles Robin and the sweet birdie from Holiday Joy Robin: 

Karen is also offering a fabulous Hop Special ~ 15% off your entire purchase including sale items!  The code is YNSNOV2012.  She also has some great bundle deals and some awesome steals in the YNS Bargain Bin!

Now it’s time to hop on over to Peggy’s blog, but don’t forget to leave me a comment before you go!  Happy Hopping!

~Amy

YNS Sneaky Peek Day 1

Welcome to another round of YNS Sneaky Peek with a new release coming to you on November 6th! Stay tuned to the YNS blog for complete details. I'm showing off the cutest skating girl illustrated by someone new to YNS, Macy Wong. Her designs will melt.your.heart. ♥

Is she sweet or what?! I've created a skating rink using a layer of vellum over a matching circle of aqua card stock and even added some figure 8 lines in the 'ice' using an embossing tool. The patterned paper is from Fancy Pants (Hopscotch). Finally, I couldn't resist adding a few of my favorite bare trees using my favorite new die from YNS: Tree Trio, and if you're wondering about this fun sketch, it's Jen del Muro's November SFYTT turned upside-down. Check it out over at Jen's blog.

Here's a closer look at the skating rink and sparkling trees...

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend!
~Amy

YNS Fun Friday: In the meadow...

...we can build a snowman! That's just what I've done with the following goodies from Your Next Stamp: Your Next Die Tree Trio, Fence & Whimsy Star dies. As soon as I started using the skinny tree trunk from the Tree Trio set I knew I had to use them as snowman arms, and that's where it all started. Ü

 My meadow scene also includes a paper pieced pair of mittens from Celebrate The Season, Stickles for a little sparkle, stick pin, ric rac, buttons, twine and a hand cut scarf from the wonderfully whimsical patterned papers of Authentique's Festive 6x6 pad. The 'snow' is none other than torn pieces of a glassine bag, and the authentic BINGO card was a gift from my BSF, Leigh!

BE SURE to stop over at the YNS Blog for the last week of this month's Fun Friday theme: Bring On The Snow fun, YNS style! Thanks for stopping by today.
~Amy

Moose You in Alaska!

I'm always reminding myself to find the good in every situation...I'm a work in progress...it takes alot of reminding! Anyway, having my daughter way far away in Alaska has made me realize (here's the good) that her current location is serving for some fun inspiration: moose, trees, snow, more snow, more moose...you see, right? Ü

Here's the laundry list:

• moose from Silhouette
• YNS Tree Trio die (my new love)
• sentiments from Paper Smooches (Chubby Chum Pals & Word Salad)
• yummy paper (Fancy Pants Hopscotch 6x6)
• woodgrain embossing plate from PTI

Have a great weekend!
~Amy

YNS Fun Friday: Believe!

This month's Fun Friday theme is Let It Snow, so I'm featuring a little something fun to sprinkle on the snow the night before Christmas: Magic Reindeer Food, of course! I've seen so many cute packaging ideas for Magic Reindeer Food already this year and here's my version starring Cory Reindeer, one of the latest and greatest new stamp lines at Your Next Stamp, along with a sentiment from Celebrate the Season.

 Here's a side view which shows the Your Next Die Bookmark/Tag Layered Die Set in action. I die cut a folded piece of kraft cardstock, leaving the bottom edge of the die hanging slightly over the fold of the cardstock so it didn't cut through, leaving a double-in-length, double ended book mark that I was then able to score 1/2" from either side of the middle fold to create a 'base'. I think you'll see what I'm talking about when you look at the side view:

 I did the same type of 'omitting' (if you will) with the scalloped end of the medium size bookmark tag below for the Magic Reindeer Food verse:

Other fun details include the Your Next Die Whimsy Star die cuts, black gingham ribbon, mini jingle bells and of course, a tube of that sparkling reindeer food! Please leave me a comment with any questions you might have about the construction of my MRF packaging and I'll do my best to help you out!

Be sure to stop by the YNS Blog for all of today's Fun Friday participants, and then have yourself a fun weekend!
~Amy

YNS Fun Friday: Halloween (no sweets) Treat!

Here's a little non-candy treat you can whip up for Halloween this year using the new Your Next Die Bookmark/Tag layered die set. I used the largest of the set to create a candy corn bookmark, embellished with a sentiment from Got Candy? and black stars using Your Next Die Whimsy Star layered die set. The bookmark is tied to a glassine bag holding a trio of Halloween pencils, all calorie free and allergy free! You could, of course, add a handful of candy to the glassine bag for a win-win treat!

Now, for part 2 of today's post, we're sharing storage/organization tricks (pun intended) for our stamps and dies. Many of you will love me because I DON'T have a fancy organization system other than keeping all of my YNS stamps and dies together in plastic 6-drawer 12x12 storage bins that look like this:

I have 4 of these storage bins filled with my stamps, separated by company. There are also drawers specifically for embellishements and patterned paper as well. Each bin comes with an attached cover, so you can easily pull out a drawer to search through without spilling the contents all over...a plus in my world! Check out the YNS Blog for more fun Halloween tricks and treats from the design team. Have a great weekend all!
~Amy

YNS New Release Blog Hop

Welcome to the YNS New Release Blog Hop! I'm showing off the adorable new set, Dress Up Fhiona! I decided to dress her up for Halloween, pulling in the bright greens of the designer papers from My Mind's Eye, Blackbird Collection.

Since I went the Halloween route, I used a YNS sentiment from Spooktacular, and framed it with Black Licorice Divine Twine.

Let's talk about the hop and all of the great things going on over at Your Next Stamp, shall we?! First off, you may have hopped here from Jen's blog, and after you're finished here, you'll hop along to Diana's blog. Now, that's just the half of it...you NEED to stop by the YNS blog because you will find the complete new release details as well as Hop Specials and Hop Prizes!!

Thanks for hopping by today!

~Amy

YNSC #57 New Release Blog Hop!

Welcome to our YNS blog hop celebrating the release of new stamps and dies: Holiday Snow Globe Set, Fancy Frame Die and stamps, Crisscross Die and stamp, and 3 single stamps, one of which includes a fabby new Your Next Die! I've used Holiday Snow Globe for my project today: gift tags!  I'd recently seen recycled newspaper gift wrap, liked the look and decided to pair it up with an adorable YNS Holiday Snow Globe gift tag.

 Here's a closeup of my very simple Copic colored tag, tied with silver cording and 2 simple jingle bells.


Another tag option that could be easily mass produced. Each of the tags shown here are stamped with to/from on the back (included in this awesome set), but I forgot to take a photo of it, so you'll just have to trust me-- it's just darling!

If you started at the top of the hop and are working your way through, you hopped here from Jen's blog, and from here you'll hop on over to Wendy's blog. BE CERTAIN to go to the YNS blog for entire hop details because there are PRIZES involved, people!!
 ~Amy

YNSC #56: Holiday Joy

This week's YNS Challenge is to use die cuts, so I pulled out my Your Next Die--Happy Holidays die set and a sentiment from the Reindeer Fun Bundle (on sale now!) and got to work on a CAS Christmas card. I've been very much drawn to all things clean and simple (CAS) lately, which I see as my way to simplify life and preparations for the holidays in order to minimize the stress that often accompanies the upcoming holiday season. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my CAS card for this week's challenge!

Stop by the YNS Blog for more die cut inspiration from the YNS design team and all of the details for YNSC56!
~Amy

YNS 14 Days of Holiday Fun: Day 11

Today marks Day 11 of the 14 Days of Holiday Fun from Your Next Stamp, and I've got the cutest darn owl for you, aptly named Holiday Owl. Remember that since he's being released today, you have the opportunity to purchase him to-day! Check out the YNS Blog for all of today's deals and details!

Because I fell head over heels in love with this owl, I decided to put him in a frame so I could look at him all season long! I've combined Holiday Owl with another really fun set, Happy Holidays Stamp and Die Set which is NOW available for purchase at YNS. Patterned paper is from Echo Park with lots of glitter sprinkled here and there, and everything is tied up with olive grosgrain ribbon, linen thread and a big old button! Last, but not least are those Snowflake Glittered Skittles you see here and there on the red snowflake paper.

 Here's a closer look at those adorable tree and stocking dies from the Happy Holidays Stamp and Die Set...

Thanks for stopping by for more YNS Holiday Fun today! I'll have one more day of Holiday Fun featured here on Thursday, so stop over!
~Amy

YNS Challenge 53: Halloween!

It's all things Halloween for YNS Challenge #53, and in honor of that Karen would like to offer up a free YNS Halloween digi to everyone who would like to participate in this week's Halloween challenge. All you need to do is email her (karen@yournextstamp.com), let her know you'd like to participate in challenge #53, and she'll send a digi to you--how cool is that?! In addition to that, you can also win EEK the Bat cling stamp by playing along as well as the YNS blinkie to display on your blog! Finally, yours truly is YNS53 challenge hostess, and I'd like to show you a really quick, easy and cute Halloween treat bag idea for you to try!

Here's what I used to make these treat bags:

• 3 3/4 x 6 inch glassine bags
• YNS Spooktacular stamp set
• 2 1/2  x 3 inch piece patterned paper
• 1 3/8 inch circle punch
• staples, mini clothespins, etc.

Directions:

• Stamp desired Halloween image on lower edge of glassine bag and set aside to dry.
• Stamp sentiment on lower edge of patterned paper (2 1/2" end) and notch a banner edge with scissors.
• Punch circles from desired patterned paper or cardstock.
• Fill glassine bags with desired treats and fold top edge over about 1/2".
• Fold stamped banner and punched circle over top edge of bag and staple to secure.
• If using a mini clothespin, staple bag under the punched circle; adhere circle and attach clothespin.

This is a great way to use up scraps of patterned paper and cardstock, so have fun with these! Be sure to hop on over to the YNS Blog for all the challenge details along with everyone playing along with more yummy Halloween samples!
~Amy

Wicked Sweet Holiday Lights from YNS!

How exciting, huh?! Your Next Stamp is in the die business and calling it Your Next Die...so perfect! What's even better than that?! Their first official die--Holiday Lights, of course! I can't wait to use it in it's fullest capacity for Christmas, but I just couldn't pass up a Halloween idea I had floating in my head...

Wicked Sweet goes to the Halloween Ball under the Holiday Lights...how fun is that?! She even looks like she's standing along the sidelines of the gymnasium-turned-dance-hall, hoping someone will notice her wicked sweet green hair and ask her to do the monster dance. Ok...enough already!

Here's a close up of the die in full force. I die cut black felt and then various patterns from Pink Paislee's Phantom 6x6 pad, layered the bulbs on top of the die cut felt piece and then wrapped linen thread to mimic the 'threads' of each light bulb before layering it atop a triangle banner. You'll also notice some awesome new Divine Twine in Halloween colors--a gift from my BSF, Leigh O'Brien...love.it.

Now that you've had a chance to see what I've done with the YND Holiday Lights die, scoot on over to Karen's blog for a list of the YNS design team members playing along with today's debut!
~Amy