Jun 28, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
Pinterest really opened my eyes to the fact that people are interested in Christmas and Holiday cards all year. I’ve noticed that these cards are being pinned daily, and I was curious to see which ones were the most popular. Would you like to see the three cards that have been pinned the most?
Here he is, our cute gingerbread boy! And, he is made with our Cookie Cutter Builder Punch, which carried over into our current catalog. This Candy Cane Lane Designer Series paper was a favorite, and I can’t wait to see the new ideas that Stampin’ Up has come up with to coordinate with this punch.
The second, most pinned card, is made with the Star of Light stamp set and Starlight Thinlits Dies, also in the current catalog. Again, I’m looking forward to seeing Stampin’ Up’s new take on this set.
This third card was made with Wonderful Wreath, which is no longer available. But I’m happy to report that the sheet music from last year’s Designer Series paper is in the current catalog as a background stamp. This was “music to my ears!”
Thanks for stopping by and allowing me to indulge in my little Pinterest experiment. I’ll admit, since joining Stampin’ Up, thinking about Christmas cards in July is a good idea.
Jun 27, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
One man’s Tree Rings are another man’s Polymer Clay. Maybe I should explain? Stampin’ Up came out with a visually unique background stamp named Tree Rings, and, yes, it looks like that. But, when I first saw it, I thought of polymer clay. When my daughter was in a high school art class, she came home with the most beautiful projects made with this colorful clay. Here’s an example of what I found on the web:
So, I set out to turn the tree rings into polymer clay, stamping with Basic Black ink on Whisper White cardstock. Always needing masculine birthday cards, I chose the colors of Dapper Denim, Tranquil Tide, Marina Mist, Emerald Envy, and Lemon Lime Twist. I used three stamps from the Swirly Bird stamp set for inking the colors on the circular shapes. And, I used one of the dies from Swirly Scribbles for cutting two shapes from the colors of cardstock. Can you see the two shapes made with the one die? I glued those shapes to the art piece, and snipped off the overlapping edges.
I had planned to use our Happy Birthday die for the sentiment, but it needed to stand out among all this pattern. It would be Basic Black, but even our tiny dimensionals would show. My solution was to layer it twice; once for shadowing and another layer for lifting.
The last decision was the card base color. I chose Island Indigo, because it blended well with the other colors, and seemed to look better than duplicating a color. It’s been fun, Polymer Clay! Who knows what you’ll be the next time we meet!
Jun 26, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
Today’s card is a combination of two challenges: The colors are from Global Design Project 093, and the sketch is from Just add Ink #365.
My first decision was to use the Lemon Zest stamp set, and ink the half lime with Lemon Lime Twist. I wonder how I thought of that? The lime was easily cut with a Layering Circles die, and I used the Lemon Builder Punch to punch a few leaves while I was at it. The lemons and limes are so pretty with the embossed Layered Leaves, so I zipped a piece of Pool Party cardstock through the Big Shot for the background.
I decided to add more leaves and citrus blossoms, so found a sheet of Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper to coordinate. The embossed piece was lifted on Thick Whisper White cardstock, and the two were layered on a Pool Party card base. To complete the sketch, I used the Triple Banner Punch, and used the color Berry Burst for the sentiment. “Happy Birthday!” in the Lemon Zest stamp set fit the banner perfectly, and I layered the Whisper White on Berry Burst for more impact. The final touch was Glitter Enamel Dots in the three colors. I love the way they sparkle!
Thank you for the inspiration, GDP093 and Just Add Ink #365. It’s been fun!
Jun 24, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
It’s week three for the Tic Tac Toe Challenge, and I was ready! Looking at the designer’s wonderful samples, many ideas started popping into my head. I was thinking of a blue denim shirt with a pocket, paired with a butterfly stamp I received as a gift. The butterfly isn’t in the current catalog, but it’s new to me, and I was looking forward to using it. So, I chose the top row arcoss: Blue-Butterfly-Bow.
The Delightful Daisy Designer Series Paper has a print just like the fabric I had in my mind. This slightly faded shirt might even be hanging in my closet. Now let’s talk about this cute pocket! The seamstress did a pretty good job of lining up the pattern, don’t you think? It comes from the Pocketful of Sunshine Bundle with stamps for the stitching and dies to cut out the pieces. This pocket tab says “THX,” but there are several choices in the set. It’s the perfect size for checks, money and gift cards, so I know I’ll be using it for future gift-giving occasions. Today it’s the landing spot for this beautiful butterfly, colored with the watercolor pencils shown below.
My last decision was the bow. I decided to “tie” it together with Linen Thread that would match the khaki (Crumb Cake) pants (card base). You should join in the fun at the Tic Tac Toe Challenge. It’s easy to find squares you can use; I ended up using stitching and yellow accidentally!
Jun 23, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
Sheet Music has been reborn! Last season’s “This Christmas Specialty Paper” included a few sheets of sheet music, and I used every inch of it. I can’t tell you how excited I was to learn that Stampin’ Up now offers a Sheet Music background stamp. I stamped it here in the traditional black and white, but now I can make music in any color my heart desires. The sun was shining on this card as I photographed it, highlighting the die cut Flourish with shadows.
Sheet Music
Here is this week’s CAS(E) this Sketch used for inspiration:
Lemon Lime Twist is the color I chose for the flourish to go with the neutral colors of Whisper White, Basic Black and Crumb Cake. Sometimes, I just can’t help but add these tiny pearls for embellishment. I purchased the Sheet Music rubber stamp on a wood block, but it’s available ready to mount on a clear acrylic block if you prefer.
It wasn’t hard choosing the sentiment. The Flourishing Phrases stamp set happened to have “Just a note.” How perfect is that?
Thanks for stopping by my blog, and I appreciate your comments. Also, if you have an idea for a card you’d like to see me create, please ask. I love a challenge!
Jun 22, 2017 | Gallery, Hand-Crafted Cards |
One prissy poodle coming up! And, she presents herself on a clean and simple card. It’s so easy to crop this poodle from the Birthday Delivery Designer Series Paper, because she has her own framelit die in the Birthday Friends Framelits set. No fussy cutting! The road she is prancing on is Real Red Designer Series Paper cut with a Swirly Scribbles die.
I wanted the background to blend with her fur, so chose Crumb Cake, a favorite neutral color. The reason I HAD to make this card, was to use the Celebrate embossing folder. Doesn’t it create a neat effect? And, “In Style” from the Beautiful You stamp set seemed perfect for the poodle’s attitude. She was anxious to show off her new embossing folder, a gift from Mary Fish for participating in #bandit13.
Just adhere the Crumb Cake to the Real Red card base, pop on a little red enamel heart, and you’re good to go. Now go celebrate!
