This is SO COOL!

Normally I don't post on Sundays, but my daughter and I were up late last night crafting with my NEW Stampin' Up! Big Shot Die Cut machine and I made the most fun discovery!

I had been flipping through a magazine on the way home from the beach on Friday and saw these cute paper candle shades that fit over a wine glass holding a tealight candle. And I said to myself, "Self, I think the basket die you just ordered would work really well to make a shade like this one, we must try it out!"

Well, after suffering through unpacking, laundry and Emma's ice skating, I finally made it home to the studio and made THIS! Isn't it cool?!! And it was so stinkin' EASY!!

I used the Baskets and Blooms Bigz XL Die from Shelli's Signature Collection (a Stampin' Up! exclusive die) and the Bella Rose Designer Series Paper. The pearls are from the Pretties Kit and the ribbon is Pretty in Pink Taffeta. I used the 3/4" Circle punch for some of the flower centers.

I cut the entire die twice which gave me four basket pieces and multiple flowers, then I cut just the flowers again for extras. There are three open and three closed flowers around the finished shade.

The shade itself used three basket pieces and I just adhered them together with Sticky Strip after I adhered the flowers in position. (Next time I'll overlap the perforated edge just a bit as it will give a smoother look to the shade and no light will shine through the perfs. But I was in a hurry cuz I was so excited that it was actually WORKING!)

When the shade was finished, I just dropped it down over a wine glass that I'd gotten from the Dollar Store and inserted a tealight candle. Voila! Instant candle lamp!

Wouldn't these be cute as party favors, wedding decorations or holiday decorations on a mantlepiece? I can't wait to make more with different paper!

YOU are going to LOVE the new Big Shot - this project isn't all I've done so far; I'll have more cool things to post tomorrow - including a cute, easy project that Emma made on her own!

Stay tuned!

~~Robin