Constantly Stamping

Global Design Project #GDP013 Color Challenge

We have a color challenge this week at Global Design Project.

I think that Real Red or Old Olive stamped on Crumb Cake has a very vintage feel to it, so I decided to make a Curvy Keepsake Box. I have been wanting to use this wonderful chevron stamp that comes in the Project Life Seasonal Snapshot 2015 stamp set and I love that it fits perfectly on the Curvy Keepsake Box. If you love to stamp you will enjoy making this box. 

I stamped the pattern several times in Real Red ink on Crumb Cake cardstock. To keep with the vintage theme, I sponged Crumb Cake ink on all the edges. Just like most of the boxes I make, I wanted this one to be easy to open, so I tied some Sahara Sand 7/8" Lace Trim around the box and tied it in a bow. To remove the bow, just slip it off the box.

While I was stamping, I decided to do a companion box with the opposite color scheme. This box is exactly the same except it is stamped in Old Olive ink. To add a little more interest to both boxes I attached a wooden snowflake element to a mini clothespin using a mini glue dot. Then for extra security I tied the linen thread around the front of the clothespin, around the snowflake, and through the button.

I love that I can get these boxes prepared ahead of time and then I can fill them just before I actually need them.

Be sure to join us over at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog to see what what the other design team members created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shut the Barn Door!

I have another project for this week's "On the Farm" Challenge this week over at Global Design Project Challenge Blog. To create this barn door card I stamped the Hardwood stamp with Soft Suede ink on Crumb Cake card stock twice. I cut it into strips, sponged the edges with Early Espresso ink and then assembled the card front. For the door sign I stamped the sentiment from Thankful Forest Friends (#139723). The fall swag leaves were cut with the little leaf trio die from the Square Pillow Box Thinlits.

Be sure to check out all of the amazing entries this week over at Global Design Project.

Down on the Farm #GDP007

Howdy, Y'all! We are down on the farm this week over at Global Design Project. I have fond memories of visiting my grandparents on their farm when I was a girl. They had a couple of apple trees, and while the apples weren't that great for eating, they sure made delicious apple pies. Yummmmm! So for my "Down on the Farm" project, I naturally thought of apples. I used the Farmer's Market DSP and the Square Pillow Box Thinlits Die to create this project. The leaves are cut with the Leaflets Framelits and backed with Early Espresso cardstock to hide the pattern on the back. The sentiment is from the Among the Branches stamp set and punched out with a 2" circle punch. I backed it with the reverse side of a Metallic Foil Doily.

We would love for y'all to join us over at Global Design Project this week. Our designers have some amazing projects to share with you!

 

 

Fancy Friday Blog Hop Sketch Challenge

 
It's time again for our Fancy Friday Blog Hop. This month we are featuring a sketch created by the amazing Jen Timko. The new 2015-16 Idea Book and Catalog goes live next Tuesday, June 2, 2015. One of the perks of being a SU demonstrator is that we can sometimes get our hands on new product before it is released to the rest of the world. This beautiful flower and greeting is a new host set called "Best Thoughts". I inked the image with Memento Tuxedo Black and stamped on Whisper White cardstock. SU no longer carries alcohol markers, so I did some quick coloring with Copic markers (YG06, YG09, YG 67, R05 R08, & R22). I stamped and colored the image twice and fussy cut it. I cut a portion of the flower image and added it to the base flower with dimensionals. I tucked some leaves behind the flower for more interest. I also gave some subtle highlights to the stamens with a uni-ball Signo Gel Pen.

If you are hopping with us, you may be wondering how this card fits with the challenge...take another look. I turned the sketch upside down. Now does it make sense? Sketch challenges are meant to give you inspiration, but you don't necessarily have to interpret them literally. Don't be afraid to look at the sketch from every direction. What doesn't work one way may work for you in a different way.

Another feature of this card is the background. If you look closely you will see that I used the Striped Scallop Thinlits die cut twice. I rotated one of the pieces 180 degrees and placed it on top of the other. I trimmed away any excess and tucked the edges under for a clean look. The card base is made from Very Vanilla cardstock and the edges were sponged with Crumb Cake before applying the die cut pieces.

Now, be sure to head on over to see the "fancy" techniques that and the rest of the Fancy Friday team have for you.

Trendy Die-Cut Valentine!

Black, white, and gold are very trendy in the paper crafting world, so I thought it would be fun to use the supplies I had on hand to create this fun Valentine's Day card.

I started with a 5.5" x 4.25" Basic Black card base with a top fold and covered the front with some striped paper from the Stacked with Love DSP Stack (#137779). I tied on some Metallic Gold Baker's Twine (#132975) and tied it in the center.

To make the focal point of the card I die cut some Gold Glimmer Paper with the fourth largest heart in the Hearts Collection Framelits and then die cut the sentiment out of the center with a die from the Label Card Thinlits (#133479). I cut the sentiment again out of Whisper White cardstock and again from some Red Glimmer paper. I placed the white die cut words in the negative space of the heart and trimmed down the red heart so that it would be an exact match. I used dimensions on the top and bottom of the heart to raise it up above the twine and to hide the knot.

Finally, I punched several small hearts from gold foil cardstock using the small heart on the Owl Builder Punch and placed them randomly on the card front.

I still want to come back and tell you more about Orlando, but with Valentine's Day only a week away I wanted to get this card posted first.

 

Flower Patch Sweet Treat Envelope

The Holiday Mini Catalog goes live on Thursday, August 28, 2014 and I thought it would be fun to create a sweet little treat with the new Gift Card Envelope Thinlits Die. It is the perfect size to hold one of those delectable Ghirardelli chocolates and oh so easy to create. After all...who in their right mind wouldn't like to receive a delicious chocolate treat!

Using my Big Shot Machine, I die cut some Calypso Coral DSP from the Subtles Backgrounds DSP Stack, wrapped it around a treat, and tied it closed with some Linen Thread. Seriously, it doesn't get much easier than that!

On the front I just stamped a flower from the Flower Patch photopolymer stamp set and die cut it with the coordinating Flower Fair framelits die set. For the flower center I stamped the greeting from the Hello There hostess set and punched it out with the 1-3/4" Circle Punch. The flower is attached to the front of the envelope with dimensionals on either side of the linen thread. That way it is easy to open without destroying the packaging. I just think this turned out so "sweet" and I can hardly wait to make more.

 

Catching Up!

Several weeks ago I showed you some cards that I made using the circle dies. You can see that post here. I thought I would show you some more cards that use this same technique only this time I used the Flower Pot DSP to create my samples. Here are some cards that I made as convention swaps.

Here are the first two cards...

Here is another set using a different pattern from the same designer series paper, Flower Pot. This time I paired it with some Tangerine Tango polka dot DSP from the Brights Collection...

I know you must be wondering where I have been lately. Well, I came home from convention only to have our blackberries coming in faster than we could pick them...sometimes 5-6 gallons per day. So I have been making lots of jam, jelly, and blackberry cobblers. Don't get me wrong...I am very grateful for the abundance, but it was a lot to keep up with. School is getting to kick into high gear and I have been preparing for that as well.

On top of all of that, I have teamed up with Mercedes Weber and Alanna Wharf to bring you our latest creative adventure...Classy & Chic Stamp Class by Mail Boutique. We have put together lots of beautiful, exclusive projects using the Choose Happiness stamp set that you won't see anywhere else. If you would like to find out more, click here. The deadline for the August kit is right around the corner, so be sure to sign up TODAY!

 

 

 

AWW - Embossed Resist Taken a Step Further

Welcome back to the Artisan Wednesday WOW Blog Hop. I just spent the past several days in Salt Lake City at the Stampin' Up! Annual Convention. I had a great time and got to spend some time with several of the 2013 Artisan Design Team sisters. One evening at convention we all went to dinner and swapped cards. This is the card I made for my Artisan teammates. It is really difficult to tell from the photos, but the background of this card is the star of the show.

Now, don't get overwhelmed with how it was created. It is simply the emboss resist technique taken a step further. I started by stamping the wood grain image on a piece of Kraft cardstock with VersaMark ink and heat embossing it with clear embossing powder. Next I used a Cherry Cobbler ink pad and saturated the entire card front with ink. Then I wiped the embossed areas clean with a paper towel. (This entire process is a little messy, so be sure to wear gloves.) I placed the card front in between two pieces of copier paper and ironed it. The embossing powder is lifted off the card and absorbs into the copier paper. You will probably have to repete the process at least once using clean copier paper each time. The end result is AMAZING. I learned this technique from the very talented Jennifer McGuire as part of the Online Card Classes Pattern Play class and couldn't wait to give it a try.

Now here is the tricky part. You really need to give the card base time to dry completely before moving on to the next step. I made several of these cards at the same time, so I spread them all out and let them dry overnight. I made sure to use an Embossing Buddy over the entire card front, then I stamped the greeting with VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.

Then it is just a matter of stamping and die cutting the flowers. I used the Flower Patch photopolymer stamp set and coordinating Flower Fair framelits die set along with my Big Shot Machine to die cut the flowers. I stitched the button onto the top flower with linen thread before adding it to the larger bottom flower with dimensional adhesive. The card needed a little balance, so I added a small heart to the upper right corner.

On a different note, I want to say congratulations to three of our outgoing design team membersroCindy Schuster, Becky Cowley and Mercedes Weber will all be a part of the 2014 Artisan Design Team that was announced this past week at convention. I love these wonderful young ladies and I look forward to seeing their incredible talent over the next year.

That's all for today folks. I will be back soon with news and inspiration from our annual convention. Now head on over to see what my very talented friend, Erica Cerwin, and the rest of the design team have in store for you this week.