Rolo Turtles and other stuff

its been crazy at work...end of the year, tax paying time...and we are chasing our tails trying to keep up...kids are outta school...and they are spending a few days away from home...I am trying to get all the last minute Christmas and holiday stuff done this week...Tuesday will be my last and only shopping day before Christmas...I have to work the rest of the week...
I have been working on some new designs...I will so many new projects to share after the first of the year...Lots of ideas for your photo's too...
I got this neat recipe for Rolo Turtles...check this out...too easy...get those square Synders of Hanover pretzels...I love the butter flavored ones...put on a cookie sheet, top with a Rolo caramel candy, heat in the oven until softened enough to press 1/2 a pecan into the candy...remove from heat...I popped them in the fridge for a few minutes, store in an air tight container...oh my gosh, are these little babies good...
I will share more later...I also created a new cookie...and oh my goodness, they are good...
More later...

My Beginnings...

This is my first oil painting...well, actually it was the third one...but the first one that looked ok enough to show ya...I wanted to take oil painting lessons so much...so in 1985 I signed up at what was back then, the only arts and crafts type store in our entire area...

Heart Book-this one is finished

I added some punched flower shapes, layered and curled with an acrylic stone center...to the front of the book...some fibers to the snap ring...
I stamped the names of each person using my little alphabet stamps from PSX...


I am going to put this little book on my desk at work...It contains my grand children, nephews-their wives and children...for more info about the heart book kit....see it below or check out the special on http://thestudioinpreston.blogspot.com

Heart Book Kit-under construction

This is all I have done to the cover so far...
These are 3 of the pages with our little girls...my grand daughter and my two great neices...
The little folders on the pages are great for adding more photos to this little book...I used a variety of punches as well as the die cuts from the kit to add these pictures to the book...
This is my youngest nephew and my first great nephew...gees...now I feel old...LOL....I can't wait to get the rest of the photos added and the little book finished...but dang it...as luck would have it...I have to work my real job this afternoon...I wanted to share what I had done so far...will update with finished book hopefully by the weekend...
Be sure and check out my studio blog http://thestudioinpreston.blogspot.com for a special offer on this book kit email me at debbiesdiecuts@yahoo.com for more info...

Treat/Treasure Box How To

I punched the scallop from green cardstock and the circle from white, stamped the Innovative Stamp Creations images in green and red...I am so tickled with my new punches...
I used the matchbox die cut to create the treat box...very simply just rubbed the distress ink pads across the white cardstock die cuts...almost gives a faux fabric effect...I have been doing this for years...and still its one of my favorite coloring methods...I did the box part in green and the sleeve in red...
After I stamped and glued the circle to the scalloped punched pieces...I glued them onto the peppermint patty top...Two rows of two deep fits perfectly in the little box...These were fun to make...and will be a hit at work...

I have been so busy at work since last week...its Tax Season...gees...the modem goes out in the main computer, can't run the reports, finish out last month or even post payments and entries...well until today...I had to account for 3 days worth of payments, etc...and guess what...we balanced to the penny...yeah...but gosh, it was an exhausting day...
I did get all active orders finished...so lots of mail going out tomorrow...if you placed an order or won a giveaway drawing...be on the look out...cause mail will be heading your way...
I have almost finished the Christmas shopping...3 more gifts...then its just the cooking/baking/chex mix, etc, that I make every year...and I get 5 whole days off for Christmas...yeah again...
Stay tuned for some new stuff coming later this week...and a new giveaway...

Heart Book-Our newest kit

This is the newest book kit at Debbie's Die Cuts...one of our designers Donalda Cox made this beautiful sample...she used stamps from Innovative Stamp Creations...This is the cover of the heart book...
These are some of the inside pages of the book...
I will get some better photos later this week to share...I wanted her to send me these so I could share this weeks special with y'all...
The domino die cuts make perfect little fold overs to add to a page in the book...
The photo holders are perfect for adding labels and more...
Be sure and check out the studio blog http://thestudioinpreston.blogspot.com for a special offer on the Heart Book Kit from Debbie's Die Cuts...

Special offer on Sticky Note Cover Die Cut

Check out my studio blog at http://thestudioinpreston.blogspot.com for a special offer on the sticky note cover die cuts...

Sticky note cover die cut-simple gift ideas

These are so neat to theme...and with the help of patterned scrapbook paper, they are so easy and quick to make...I just used ink directly from the pad to color the white die cut, then cut black cardstock to size, cut the bus pattern paper a bit smaller and layered on the front of the cover...I did use my corner rounder on both of those layers...I then trimmed my #1 Bus Driver computer generated image and used my Marvy Southwest Corner punch on it...
I could not find my apple punch...dang it...its buried under something I am sure...So anyway...I used my round punch for the yellow computer generated piece, layered onto a black square...The school pattern paper is perfect for any teacher...That means the 4 that will getting these at school for sure...LOL...
The front of the sticky note books
The back of the sticky note books...its not necessary to do the backs with anything...but, I can't leave well enough alone...I have to add something, if there is blank canvas to work on...The little hands punch is perfect for teacher gifts...
I use a label format on my computer and print out sheets of the various phrases, words, messages, etc that I want for my sticky note covers...This is great when you have lots of themed books to make...or if you make them for Craft shows, etc...

Sticky Note Cover Ideas

This is an assortment of Sticky Note Die Cut Covers I have made lately, or ideas from the past...You can see the diversity of gifts you can make using these neat little covers...They can be stamped, painted, layered, inked and more...If you have any questions, just email me...I will be happy to help ya debbiesdiecuts@yahoo.com

Sticky notes how to part 1

This is the sticky notes cover die cut...it does look a bit confusing at first...but its really easy...
This section, colored with ink...is folded in...to help stabilize the back of the book...
This opposite side, is the front inner flap, that creates the pocket for the closure tab...Apply glue only in the dark colored areas...be sure and leave the middle section with no glue...
This is how the back inside flap looks after its folded in and glued into place...
This is the front inside flap glued into place...

Sticky notes how to part 2

This step in optional...I cut a 3 x 3 piece and then round the corners to go opposite the sticky note pad...
This is how the sticky note pad-right side and the 3 x 3 panel-left side...looks in place...
The closure tab slips into to place
Finished outside of Sticky notes cover...

Ornament boxes on a tree

This is a shot of a few of my ornament boxes on my little tree in the studio...

Quick Candy Bar Idea

I just had to share this...Snicker mini candy bars, 8 for $1.00 at Dollar General...Stamps from Innovative Stamp Creations...Betsy has a neat new Christmas sheet...I cut the cardstock to size, 2.5 x 3.5, then molded it around the candy bar, so I would know, where I need to stamp each image...Then using Library green ink, I stamped the images, I used Maroon to dust the entire piece...
I wrapped the candy bar and glued the new wrapper into place, you may have to secure the cardstock to the back of the candy bar, if it does not want to stay on well...Sometimes, the larger or thicker the candy bar you are wrapping, securing your homemade wrapper to the back with glue is necessary so the wrapper stays in place and looks good...

Ornament boxes with Innovative Stamp Creations

I just love my new stamps from Innovative Stamp Creations....The background script, tree and scroll image were perfect on this ornament box...
After I stamped all the images, I used butterscotch ink and my stipple brush to color the box...
This is one of my favorite ornament boxes so far...I love using the large scalloped punched shape with the ISC image...I attached it to the box, using a red heart brad...I created a new cookie for the holidays...and this will be perfect for my employee Christmas party favor...
I used the ISC ornament stamped in Maroon over the entire box, that stamp is so awesome...I then lightly dusted the entire box with Library Green ink...I used a beautiful red raffia from Really Reasonable Ribbon to tie the box closed and make the hanger for the ornament...Now, I have to make 27 of these...and then make the cookies to go in them...Be sure and check out the special on my studio blog for a pack of these ornament boxes http://thestudioinpreston.blogspot.com/ Tell me you saw this posting about the ornament boxes, and get a special freebie with your order...

Snowman candy bars and treat box-Mini Tutorial...

I stamped the little snowman image from The Stamping Studio on my candy bar wrappers...then colored the carrot nose, heart and ear muff and mittens with marker...I dusted the entire piece with stonewashed blue adirondack ink...
I stamp the snowflake image on the wrapper around the snowman image...then just glue the wrapper with glue stick to secure around candy bar...
I attach the photo holder handle the the box with mini brads...
Side view of box, showing snowflake images stamped on sidees and little beads for feet on the box bottom...
The large snowman from The Stamping Studio is stamped on the matchbox sleeve...This box sleeve was cut from glossy cardstock and colored with adirondack alcohol inks...

Tag Book Kit-How To Ideas-Tutorial

This is a sample of how the cover can be embellished using pattern paper and die cuts...I colored the tag page by rubbing an ink pad over the tag...then I tore the pattern paper tag in half and sponged ink along the torn edge...I like to use brown for this, to make it look more like the torn edge was old...I color all the white die cut embellishments with inks, either by rubbing the ink pad directly on the die cut, or using a sponge, or color duster or stipple brush, or even a waded up piece of plastic wrap...
I used a mini envy die cut as a pocket on this page...along with a photo holder die cut to accent the pocket
Here I have used some of the frame center cut outs as places for small photos or journaling, accented with a photo holder die cut, cut in half...small tags, and other small die cut shapes, make perfect embellishments...
Here is another example of a pocket made from another mini envy die cut, I also used the domino die cut as a mini foldover with the heart for the cover...The small scalloped squares on the tag are from a punched shape
The back cover can be used for an extra photo, or a place to add a sentiment, etc if you are giving this tag book as a gift...These books make wonderful ways to share those photos that aren't quite up to our big scrapbooks...my favorite thing is to get wallet sized photos made to use in these books...the wallet size photos work great in the two frame sizes in the kit, with very little cropping needed...For a more custom look use pattern papers that help enhance your photos...such as Christmas, birthday, summer, etc...
See the special offer on this tag book kit in the next posting...I will be sharing the books I am working on soon...