Constantly Stamping

GDP327: Global Design Project Theme Challenge

Our theme this week at Global Design Project is plants and leaves. I didn't realize just how many of my favorite stamp sets retired until I tried to make this card. I had to reach way down into my bag of tricks to come up with an idea for this one.

My friend Cindy Schuster once told me that I am a "technique person" when it comes to cardmaking. I think she is spot on, because I really do love a good technique, and this card certainly supports that notion!

I actually started this card base several months ago, but it has just sat on my table waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it. I began with a Crumb Cake card panel and used the Stitched Greenery Die to add the detailed pattern. Then I used several different colors of Stampin' Blends to color the leaves. I only used one of the two colors of each blend and then I added shading with similar colors of dry Watercolor Pencils. I would love to tell you what colors I used, but it has been so long ago, that I am not certain. If I had to guess I would say that the Blends are Light Smoky Slate, Dark Crumb Cake, Light Cajun Craze, Light Soft Suede and possibly Light Early Espresso. Also, the pencils over top of the ink changes the color, so it is difficult to say. The watercolor pencils used are Basic Gray, Early Espresso, and Cajun Craze.

I made the Early Espresso frame larger by piecing together two frames cut with the Painted Labels Dies (#151605). I hid the seam with the sentiment strip. The greeting is stamped in Early Espresso ink on Crumb Cake cardstock using a sentiment from the Nature's Harvest stamp set (#156813) and cut with the coordinating label from the Harvest Dies (#156504). The cone flowers are from the same set and stamped with Cajun Craze ink on Crumb Cake cardstock. Finally, I added two Brushed Brass Butterflies to direct the eye into the layout and complete the card.

We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this fun challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

 

 

GDP344: Global Design Project CASE Challenge

We are CASEing Charlet Mallett's lovely card this week at Global Design Project. CASEing is where you copy and selectively edit somebody else's design. Charlet's cards are always so well designed, and this card is no exception, so it was easy-peasy to CASE her card.

Here is what I see when I look at Charlet's design: bright and cheerful purple and green florals, a white card base with a die cut layer, a symmetrical design with flowers in the top left and lower right, three black sentiment strips with white embossing, and clear gems scattered onto the layout. I tried to incorporate all of these things into my card design, and this is what I came up with.

For my card I started with a standard thick white card base and die cut a layer of white cardstock using the Stitched Rectangles dies (#151820).  Eventually I layered this panel onto the base using a Foam Adhesive Sheet cut slightly smaller than the panel.

Next, I stamped and die cut several flowers and leaves using the Cottage Rose Bundle found on page 57 of the new Annual Catalog. I am in love with this stamp set and coordinating dies and I am sure it will become a favorite set in my collection.

I can see several ways to use and color these beautiful flowers, but for this card I used Stampin' Blends alcohol markers and took my cues for the shadows from the artist who designed the set. By coloring the entire flower with Light Highland Heather and then going back in and adding Dark Highland Heather to the areas where the artist drew in the shadows, I was able to quickly and easily add shading to these gorgeous blooms. This is one time when I didn't try to blend the layers and I think the results are spot on. I used the same technique on the smaller flowers using Daffodil Delight and with the leaves using Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends.

After I finished coloring everything, I used the coordinating dies to cut the layers and I added a few white floral elements to tuck behind the finished layout. For the sentiments I stamped the words "thank you" from the Art Gallery stamp set (#158201)

Finally, I added a few Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels and the card was complete.

We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

 

Global Design Project: GDP315 Theme Challenge

Our theme  for this week's challenge at Global Design Project is "pumpkins". 

I started with a top-folding card base made with Bumblebee cardstock and covered it with Pattern Party Designer Series Paper (#155426). You can earn this very versatile paper pack for free by hosting a Stampin' Up! workshop.

The Pretty Pumpkins stamp set (#156472) is a great stamp set for this challenge. I stamped the pumpkin trio with Memento ink and then colored them with Stampin' Blends markers. I don't have the coordinating die set, so I fussy cut them by hand. I also added a sunflower to the mix from the Celebrate Sunflowers stamp set (#152517). I borrowed the "hello" from the Timeless Tropical set (#151497) stamped on Bumblebee cardstock and then die cut it with the banner from the Tasteful Labels Dies (#152886).

I placed everything on a white cardstock circle that I cut with the Layering Circles Dies (151770). Next, I wrapped the card with some Linen Thread (#104199) and placed the circle on the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals (#1104430). Finally, I added a few Pearl Basic Jewels (#144219).

We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this fun challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

Global Design Project: GDP312 CASE Challenge

It was a joy to CASE Madeleine Mrotzek’s card this week at Global Design Project. Madeline has a soft, beautiful stamping style. You should check out some her other projects at her blog.

For my card, I focused on using a similar layout, corner floral elements, and color palette by using the Hand-Penned Petals (#155070) stamp set along with a sentiment from In Symmetry (#155140). I stamped with Gray Granite ink on white cardstock and then die cut the floral images using the coordinating Penned-Flowers Dies (#155557). 

I wanted a little more variation in color than the stamp set would give, so I decided to color my floral images with Stampin' Blends Markers using a very loose-handed coloring technique.

I skipped the embossed background and let the florals stand on their own. I filled in the florals a little by adding some additional leaves. This also helped a little with the flow of the card and kept it from being too sparse.

I trimmed the card front down with the largest Stitched Rectangle die (#151829) and then mounted it on a slightly larger piece of Old Olive cardstock before adhering the entire panel onto the front of a top-folding card base.

I hope you like today's project. We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

 

GDP303: Global Design Project Theme Challenge

It's time for our theme challenge at Global Design Project. As you can imagine, I love flower challenges! The most difficult thing for me was deciding which flowers to use.

A few weeks ago I made a sneak peek of this gorgeous stamp set and now you can get your own set. Beginning tomorrow (August 3, 2021), you can earn the Delicate Dahlias stamp set (#156601) for free with a $100 purchase (U.S.D.)

Just for fun and something a little different I made my very first slimline card (3.5"x8.5"). I was a little surprised at how much more difficult it was. In photographs, it doesn't look like much, but in reality there is quite a big difference. It is a good thing that the dahlia stamp in this set is fairly large...it helps fill the space.

Just a few additional notes about this card. I used the "thanks" from the Biggest Wish stamp set (#155052) along with the Tailor Made Tags dies (#155563) and some white heat embossing. I backed it with a strip of gingham Pansy Petals DSP (#155807) and added a little greenery behind the tag cut with the Penned Flowers dies (#155557). Finally I added a little sparkle with some Genial Gems (#155500).

We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this fun challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

Global Design Project: GDP276 CASE Challenge

This week at Global Design Project we are CASEing this card made by me. It is always a little strange for me to CASE myself.

I wanted to stay true to the original card, but yet it needed to be different, so I started with a simpler background (Hydrangea Hill DSP #154570). The subtle stripes give a gentle nod to the more complex plaid background.

As I looked through the new Spring Catalog, I was fascinated with the beautiful True Love Designer Series Paper (#154281). I was amazed that the flowers are very similar to the stamp set I used on the original card. This DSP is an incredible array of black and white prints that lend themselves quite well to coloring with Stampin' Blends. I did have to do some fussy cutting for this card, but I can honestly say that the floral images were quite easy to cut. I spent the better part of a Sunday afternoon cutting out all of these. Now, when I need them, they are ready to color.

I decided to stay with the same color pallet and added a few additional colors that I had in my Stampin' Blends marker collection...Misty Moonlight, Highland Heather, Balmy Blue, So Saffron, and Old Olive. I also used a similar layout but added some linen thread and instead of fussy cutting the sentiment (Peaceful Moments #151595), I die cut a stitched circle.

Finally, I used some Pastel Pearls from the Hydrangea Hill Suite (#144220) to finish the card.

I hope you like today's project. We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

 

Global Design Project: GDP273 Color Challenge

All the Christmas decorations have been put away, our family survived Covid 19, 2020 is finally over, and I am looking forward to a promising new year.  This week at the Global Design Project blog we are kicking off 2021 with a great new color challenge.

I love using designer series paper when I can, but for this challenge, I decided to create my own background using stamps, ink, paper, and Stampin' Blends. I wanted to be true to the challenge and I didn't have anything else that would give me the romantic look that I was looking for.  The Fancy Phrases stamp set (#152530) is perfect for this project. I also used it to stamp the sentiment.

Most of my projects lately have been very dimensional, so it was a bit of a challenge to create a more traditional card.

To create this beautiful embossed heart, I die cut two hearts...one in Soft Sea Foam cardstock and the other in Whisper White using the Stitched Be Mine die set (#151814). I embossed the inside portion of the Whisper White heart using the Parisian Flourish 3D Embossing Folder (#151474). Here's a little tip: Turn the heart about 35-45 degrees in the folder to give the embossed design a less "formal" look.

To finish off the card, I stamped some additional flowers/leaves using the All Things Fabulous stamps and coordinating dies (#154112). I also added a few Clear Rhinestone Basic Jewels (#144220) for some sparkle. And, of course, it wouldn't be complete without some Linen Thread. I love that this card can be used for Valentine's Day but that it is good for other occasions too.

Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this great color challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

Have a blessed day!

Global Design Project: GDP256 CASE Challenge

This week at Global Design Project we are CASEing this amazing card made by Kayla McCreadie.
I kept quite a bit of the same elements on my card that Kayla used on her card but changed up the elements and the color pallet to give it more of an Autumn theme. As I sit here sipping my new favorite coffee drink...Pumpkin Spice Whipped Coffee (a.k.a. Dalgona Coffee with some pumpkin spice added)...I definitely have sweater-weather on my mind.

I started with a Crumb Cake card base and then added several die-cut maple leaves from the Gathered Leaves Dies (#150662) also cut from Crumb Cake cardstock. I love that the leaf dies in this set cut and emboss at the same time. Next, I added splatters of Cinnamon Cider ink using a Stampin' Write Marker (#153125 2020-2022 In Color Marker Assortment).

I combined two different stamp sets to create an even more amazing focal image. First, I stamped and fussy cut the sunflower arrangement from Jar of Flowers (#152515) on Shimmery White Cardstock with Memento Jet Black Ink. I also stamped the pumpkins from Gather Together (#150589). It is amazing how well these two sets compliment each other. I used Stampin' Blends to color the images before cutting them. (Colors: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Cinnamon Cider, Just Jade, Crumb Cake, and Soft Suede.)

I also stamped and fussy cut the greeting from the Gather Together stamp set on Very Vanilla cardstock with Memento Ink. Kayla also used some ribbon and a linen thread bow on her layout, so I decided to work that into my design as well. I used Mint Macaron Basket Weave Ribbon (#153553) and Vanilla Open Weave Ribbon (#152475). After determining the exact placement of everything, I taped down a Gold Hoop Embellishment (#152474) where the adhesive would be hidden. By the time I added all the additional elements with Stampin' Dimensionals, the hoop was quite secure on the card. I also tucked in some greenery that was cut from Just Jade cardstock with the Forever Flourishing Die Set (#152714).

Finally, I mounted the card front on a slightly larger piece of Soft Suede cardstock and then onto a Cinnamon Cider card base.

I hope you like today's project. We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

 

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.