Oct 28, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
For those of you who receive my daily blog post, you know I love a good challenge. (If you don’t receive it, and would like to, please sign up). There happened to be several challenges within the same time frame, and I decided to combine the requirements of not one, not two, but three challenges!
Tic Tac Toe, using a diagonal row, would give me “oval-FREE-die cut.”
CAS(E) this sketch! would provide the lay-out.
Fab Friday would give me my three colors.
Wouldn’t this be fun? The Painted Autumn Designer Series Paper is my “go to” for these fall colors, and I selected a piece of Pumpkin Pie and Tangerine Tango for the background. I chose a card base of Thick Very Vanilla to match the dots in the DSP.
The circles in CAS(E) this sketch became ovals, which I die cut with the Layering Ovals, to satisfy the Tic Tac Toe challenge. I also used die cutting (Layering Seasons die set) for the leaves.
The sentiment (retired from Lighthearted Leaves) was stamped in Fresh Fig ink, for the Fab Fri color challenge. This color was also used for one of the die cut leaves.
For the Tic Tac Toe “free” square, I added lace at the bottom in honor of Peggy Noe, (she loves lace) who is this week’s designer.
I like to send a few Thanksgiving cards, so this one will come in handy. Thanks to the three great challenges for providing inspiration!
If you click on their graphics, it will take you to their sites.
Oct 27, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
I was captivated by this week’s Fusion Challenge photo; the brilliant leaves against the dark background. How could I re-create this photo using my Stampin’ Up supplies?
I began with a Night of Navy background, and made circles of color ( Dapper Denim, Craft Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist) using Sponge Daubers.
Next, I cut two Basic Black branches and some Thick Whisper White leaves from the Seasonal Layers die set.
It was fun coloring the leaves with the new Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers. I used: Light and Dark Daffodil Delight, Light and Dark Pumpkin Pie, Dark Crumb Cake, and Bronze. The big decision was whether to use dimensionals, or not. Of course, I did!
I really liked the glistening branches in the photo, so I added Wink Of Stella to my branches.
What a fun project this was! Thank you to the Fusion designers for the inspiration!
Oct 26, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
For today’s challenge at Freshly Made Sketches, I used Soft Sky for the card base, Thick Whisper White and Mint Macaron Glimmer Paper.
This is the sketch:
I started by using the Winter Wonder Embossing Folder to emboss the large snowflake, and die cut it with a Stitched Shape Square to fit the sketch. It was layered on Soft Sky cardstock to match the card base, having a 1/16 border. Continuing the theme of snow, I used the Softly Falling Embossing Folder, also in the Thick Whisper White cardstock, for the large rectangle.
Mint Macaron (Silver would work well also) Glimmer Paper created my third shape. I felt a solid piece would have been too much, so I gave it some space by using two of the Layering Squares for the outline.
This all felt so peaceful, that is the word I chose for the sentiment, even though it’s retired.
If you would like the word “peace,” and you don’t have a demonstrator, send me your address. Let me know the color you would like, and I’ll send you some.
It will be in the 90s in San Diego today, so this card is keeping me cool! I love the way snow sparkles when the sun shines on it!
Oct 25, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
What is a Swirly Scribbles Metallic Christmas Wreath? I had no idea, before beginning this project. But, here it is:
The design for the lay-out was inspired by this week’s Global Design Project challenge:
I needed to keep adding to my Christmas card stash, wanting to have plenty when it comes time to send them. So, I determined the circle would be a wreath, and I would use the Swirly Scribbles die for cutting. I played around with colors, and decided on a Crumb Cake card base with two panels of Wood Textures DSP layered on Whisper White. I raised the panels on Adhesive Foam Strips for dimension, and placed my Whisper White wreath in the center.
I used three colors of foil (Gold, Copper, Champagne) for the leaves, which I cut with the die from Lovely Laurel. For extra shine, I sprinkled in some gold and silver sequins, and a few rhinestones. Can you see them?
The wreath was deserving of a gold embossed sentiment, so I got out my powder, Versamark, heat tool, and stamped “Merry Christmas” from the Star of Light stamp set. I used the die from Bunch of Banners for cutting, and it was a perfect fit across my wreath.
Thanks for visiting my blog! I hope you liked my shiny wreath!
Oct 24, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
I’m having so much fun with the Stampin’ Blends, I’m seeking stamp sets that have elements “needing” to be colored. The Tuscan Vineyards stamp set had a beautiful bunch of grapes that were calling to me.
I first stamped the image in Chocolate Chip ink on Very Vanilla cardstock. The grapes were colored with Light and Dark Rich Razzleberry, and Light Cherry Cobbler, and the leaves were colored with Light and Dark Old Olive, and Dark Crumb Cake. I used Layering Oval Dies for cutting around the grapes, and the scalloped (Old Olive) layer beneath.
I would also be able to use my colored grapes in this week’s Paper Players challenge, and they would be my “any element.”
Vineyards are so beautiful! I took this photo at the Orfila Vinyard in Escondido where we are members.
I wanted to capture the rustic feel, so used Burlap Ribbon, snipping the bottom to form the banner, and four strips of Tear Tape fastened it to the Crumb Cake layer. I chose Fresh Fig for the card base, and a layer of Very Vanilla to make it pop, like the sunshine in the photo.
To complete the sketch I used a die from Eclectic Layers to cut the trellis from Soft Suede, and fussy cut a row of corks that was also in the Tuscan Vineyards stamp set. Gotta have corks!
Last, but not least, the sentiment. It seemed to call for “cheers” (cut from Copper Foil), which is one of the retired, Greetings Thinlits Dies. I love my paper words; stamping a sentiment would not have worked here.
Thank you for the inspiration, Paper Players! Cheers Everyone!
Oct 23, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
We’ve been having discussions about the new Stampin’ Blends alcohol marking pens, and their characteristic of absorbing through paper. I had an idea to test it with the Lemon Zest stamp set and Lemon Builder Punch.
I used the Lemon Builder Punch for two lemons and four leaves; one set with Thick Whisper White, and one with regular Whisper White. I colored the Lemons with a heavy dose of Light and Dark Daffodil Delight, and the leaves with Light and Dark Old Olive. I also added some Color Lifter, and you can see how it added veins on the leaves.
Can you tell which is which paper? The thick paper required more coloring for it to soak through. It’s the one on the left, and you are seeing the back side, because I liked the texture. I molded the one on the right while it was still damp, and let it dry before placing it on dimensionals.
I decided to let them hang from the Seasonal Layers tree branch. I tripled layered the branch in Whisper White so it would have dimension, yet blend in with the Layered Leaves background that was embossed with the folder. I matched the card base to the Old Olive leaves.
I’m always needing masculine birthday cards, so that’s what this would be. It got my husband’s approval (he’s my barometer), so out came the Bunch of Banners die to cut out “Happy Birthday.”
I had to complete the inside of this card, because the Lemon Zest stamp set has perfect sentiments that go together. Like, “Happy Birthday” and “Squeeze it for all it’s worth.” And, that slice of lemon is ready to be squeezed!
I’m so happy about my Stampin’ Blends discovery. I think I’ll call it the “soaking” technique.
Thanks for stopping by!
