Constantly Stamping

The Last One!

A few months ago I started sharing all of the cards I made as potential workshop card for my upline, Jill Olsen. Well, today, I have finally come to the very last card. This isn't exactly my favorite card, but I realize that there are different strokes for different folks. When I create workshop cards, my creative brain is in a different mode. I try to create a variety of cards in hopes of at least appealing to most people at a workshop. I also take into consideration using my supplies wisely so that I don't break the bank. So what does that mean? It means that I sometimes I "think too hard" and I don't always let my creativity flow in the same way it might if I am crafting just for the joy of it.

With all of that being said, with this card I only used small sections of the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack (#129312) so that I could stretch my supplies. I like for my customers to be able to use different products, so I try to incorporate as many as I can into my workshops. Here I used a variety of products from the Spring Mini Catalog as well as from the main catalog. I really love the dress form die, but I have to admit that I haven't really used it much. Just to let you know, even though the Dress Form die will be available in the new catalog released on June 1st, the coordinating stamp set "All Dressed Up" (#129171/129174) will not be included in the new catalog. So if you think you may want it, you should grab it now before it is too late.

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

Since it is Mother's Day weekend, I thought I would share the card that I made for my mother. I started with a Crumb Cake card base and then embossed a seperate piece of crumb cake card stock. The woodgrain folder really makes the card stock flimsy, so it helps if you can mount it to another piece for stability. The flowers are from the Blooming with Kindness set. I can believe I have never even opened this one until this week. The sentiment is from the Delightful Dozen stamp set. Everything is stamped with Primrose Petals ink. I stamped off onto some scrap paper for the lighter flowers. The patterned paper is from the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack. I have always thought that particular pattern looked like a quilt, so I decided to add some stitching around the edges.

I added some Crumb Cake bakers twine and the resin flower is from the Artisan Embellishment Kit. Of course You know that rarely a card goes by where there isn't a little ink sponging around the edge. I hope she likes it! Happy Mother's Day!

New Look!

Stop right there! Yes, you are in the right place. I have been working hard trying to update the look of my blog. It is difficult to find anyone who will design TypePad blogs, so I decided to design my own. I am still in the process of tweeking things, but I hope to have everything the way I want it soon. So...I thought I would share another card with you that I made a few months ago for Jill Olsen's St. George spring stamping event. She asked me to design mostly workshop cards, but she also wanted a few WOW cards for display. This one was way too over-the-top for a typical workshop, but I did have some fun making it.

SECRET GARDEN CARD
I started with a A2 Marina Mist card base. Added a Bashful Blue CS layer embossed with the Honeycomb embossing folder and lightly sanded to bring out the design. Then I used a VersaMark pad and stamped the flower images on Calypso Coral, Real Red, Daffodil Delight and Lucky Limeade CS. I heat embossed everything with White embossing powder and cut them out with the matching framelit die. Then I stamped the sentiment from the Vintage Verses stamp set. I used Real Red and Marina Mist markers to color the stamp. Then I stamped it on Whisper White CS. I cut out the sentiment using the Labels Collection Framelits. I die cut a second piece of Marina Mist to layer behind the sentiment and attached everything to the card using dimensionals. I added some stick pins from the fabric store. Then for the finishing touch I added lots and lots of pearls.

Thanks So Much Card

 
Here is one more workshop card sample using supplies from the Spring Mini Catalog.

CARD BASE: Create a standard 5.5" x 4.24" Bashful Blue card base. Stamp "Oh, Hello" in upper right corner using Basic Black ink. Emboss card front with Cloudy Day Embossing folder. Trim away 1/2" from bottom edge of the card front. Punch a strip of Melon Mambo CS with the Scallop Edge border punch and adhere to bottom of the card front. Cut three leaf stems using the Secret Garden framelits from Lucky Limeade CS. Sponge leaves with Lucky Limeade ink and attach to card base. You may want to snip away the top portion of the stem for the smallest flower so it won’t show later. Attach a thin piece of Tangerine Tango Sycamore Street ribbon (Sale-a-bration) over seam at bottom.

FLOWERS: Stamp three "line art" flowers from "Secret Garden" set with Basic Black ink on Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Tangerine Tango CS. Cut out using coordinating framelits. Attach flowers to top of stems using dimensionals. Thread buttons from Brights Collection with white baker’s twine and attach to flowers using glue dots.

BUTTERFLIES: Cut two small butterflies from Tangerine Tango and Daffodil Delight card stock using the Beautiful Wings embosslit. Attach with mini glue dots or Tombo Multipurpose Adhesive. 

 

Related articles

Oh, Hello Chevron Card

Thinking of You Friend

Bloomin' Marvelous Card

CAS Easter Card

Miracles Happen

I can't believe that a whole week has passed since my last post. Things are always crazy for me this time of year. Here is another card sample I designed for Jill Olsen for her spring workshop. I really love the DSP used on this card. Here are the instructions:

CARD BASE: 4.25" Square Card Base from Very Vanilla CS - Sponge edges with Early Espresso ink. Cut 4" square piece of polka dot paper from Tea for Two DSP collection. (HINT: I chose this size because you can get nine cards from one sheet of DSP.) Distress edges and sponge with Early Espresso ink. Attach to card base.

CARD LAYER: Cut 2"x3" piece of rose DSP from Tea for Two DSP. (Make sure the pattern goes in the correct direction.) Cut 1"x3" piece of Lucky Limeade DSP from Tea for Two DSP.

(NOTE: you can also substitute the dot or stripe pattern of Lucky Limeade DSP from the Patterns Collection. Attach to a slightly large piece of Lucky Limeade CS. Add Calypso Coral ribbon. Attach to card front using dimensionals.

SENTIMENT: Stamp sentiment from "Bloomin’ Marvelous" set with Calypso Coral ink on Very Vanilla CS. Punch out using Large Oval punch. Punch out piece of Lucky Limeade CS using the Scallop Oval punch. Ink edges of both. Attach to card.

BUTTERFLIES: Stamp two butterflies from the "Bloomin Marvelous" set in Calypso Coral ink on Very Vanilla CS and punch out using the Bitty Butterfly Punch. Stack on top of each other and attach to card using mini glue dots.

County Fair Quilt Card

Back when I was creating workshop cards to send to my upline, Jill Olsen, I remembered how much she loves quilting. So while I was playing around with the "Oh, Hello" stamp set I came up with a card design that I thought she might like. She told me that not everything had to be a workshop card...that I could send some WOW cards as well. With that in mind, I went a little crazy and designed this. I call it my County Fair Quilt Card-Best of Show.

Let me just say that this card takes a little patience, but I really think the end result is worth it. For those of you who want a little bit simpler version, check out this monochromatic version.

When I was growing up my paternal grandmother was a quilter. I will always cherish the beautiful quilts that she made for me...what a beautiful form of art! Now my sister is a quilter, but I have never had the patience, so this is probably as close as I will ever get.

When I mailed the card samples to Jill, I included written instructions, so rather than re-type everything, I am just going to copy and paste them below. You may notice that I changed the orientation of the card front. When I used a more dramatic color for the center star, it looked much better to have the star "upright".

First, let's begin with the monochromatic card.

OH, HELLO QUILT CARD 1 (monochromatic)

CARD BASE:

5.5" Square Lucky Limeade CS Base

5.25" Square Very Vanilla CS Layer

5" Square Tea For Two DSP (You can substitute another monochromatic DSP)

If you want to add the Seam Binding ribbon and bow, be sure to add it before you attach the layers together. 

 

 

CARD LAYERS:

Stamp five of the chevron designs from "Oh. Hello" with Lucky Limeade ink. Trim each piece by hand. Arrange each piece to form a star in center. (I used the retired SU Star Punch and punched a piece of Lucky Limeade CS. It made it much easier to align the pieces, but you can do it without it if you don't have the punch.) I used Tombo Multipurpose adhesive to glue everything to a 4.25" Very Vanilla CS base. After it dries, use the Square Lattice Embossing Folder to create a quilted look. Attach to a 4.5" Square piece of Lucky Limeade CS. Layer onto card base using dimensionals. Add rose from Flower Trim using mini glue dots. If desired, sponge edges with Early Espresso ink before you assemble the card.

 

OH, HELLO QUILT CARD 2 (multi-color)

CARD BASE:

5.5" Square Island Indigo CS Base

5.25" Square Lucky Limeade CS Layer

5" Very Vanilla CS Punch several one inch squares of various designs of Tea For Two" DSP and arranges along the edges of the card base.

CARD LAYERS:

Stamp five of the Chevron designs from "Oh. Hello" with various colors of ink on Very Vanilla CS. I used Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Lucky Limeade, and So Saffron markers. Trim each piece by hand. Arrange each piece to form a star in center. (I used the retired SU Star Punch and punched a piece of So Saffron CS. It made it much easier to align the pieces.) I used Tombo Multipurpose adhesive to glue everything to a 4.25" Very Vanilla CS base. After it dries, use the Square Lattice Embossing Folder to create a quilted look. Attach to a 4.5" square piece of Lucky Limeade CS. Layer onto card base using dimensionals. Arrange all the layers together and add the Calypso Coral reffled ribbon before attaching it to the card base. Add the bow with a mini glue dot. I stamped and punched the Blue Ribbon with Island Indigo ink onto Very Vanilla CS and attached it with dimentions.

 

 

 

 

Thinking of You Flip Card

You don't normally see me doing cards with flips and folds, but today's card is does just that. I really felt like the stamp was begging to be turned into a flip card. I know that it is difficult to tell from the picture on the right, but check out the one below to get a better idea of what this card looks like when it is opened up.

I started with a standard card base out of Not Quite Navy and then scored the front panel down the center. This gets a little tricky in the explanation, but basically I stamped the focal image in Cherry Cobbler CS and then cut it out using the corresponding Window Frames die. (I also stamped the sentiment again on Very Vanilla CS and trimmed it out by hand using scissors.) I used that exact same die to cut half of the front panel up to the front center score line. You can do this by placing the edge of your cutting plate where you want the die to stop cutting. While you are using your Big Shot, go ahead and emboss the front of the card with the Square Lattice folder. I chose this pattern because it is similar to the background of the sentiment.

Next, I covered the inside of the card with a piece of DSP from "Parkers Patterns". I cut a piece of Not Quite Navy CS using the next larger size of Window Frames die to create a frame for the sentiment. I covered the partially cut portion of the front card panel with the matching sentiment. To help keep the card closed, I used a Designer Builder Brad, but I removed the prongs and attached it to the card using a glue dot because I didn't want the prongs to show through the back of the card. This was an afterthought and if I had to do it over, I would attach the brad to the DSP layer before I attached it to the card base. I hope you enjoyed today's card. I think this would make a really great masculine birthday card...or even Father's Day. All you need to do is add the appropriate sentiment in the center.

Clean & Simple Thanks

Just a quick post today. I thought I would share this clean & simple workshop card. There isn't much to say about this one...the Print Poetry DSP is the star of the show. It is basically a scaled back version of this card that I made for Artisan a few years ago. I used the Tasteful Trim die to die cut the scallops. If you stack up your paper, you can cut all five layers at the same time, so it is super fast. Only glue down the straight edge of the strips and leave the bottom edge free. Then give the scallops a little bit of a curl. This little trick add a lot of depth and dimension to the finished card. The stamp set I used is Vintage Verses (Sale-a-bration) but just about any sentiment stamp will work here.