Monday, June 30, 2008

Hair Gel "Water" Card

Who would have thought to use hair gel on a card? Well, someone did -- and isn't it fabulous?

The hair gel (any kind will do!) goes in a tiny, little ziploc bag (available in the craft or jewelry aisle) and gets adhered to the window over the fish to look like water. You really only need just a thin layer of gel in the bag. (Too much gel risks postal hazards.)

It's hard to see the fish in this picture, but I did the Rock 'N Roll technique. I inked it first in Tempting Turquoise and then "rolled" the edges of the stamp image on the Brilliant Blue ink pad. I added some 2-Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds to give him a little sparkle. Using the window as a guide, I adhered the fish to the Brilliant Blue card base.

Then I put SNAIL adhesive on either side of the window and adhered the bag of hair gel to the Tempting Torquoise cardstock like this:

Use Stampin' Dimensionals in the corners to adhere this to the Brilliant Blue card base.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Supplies: Life's a Breeze stamp set, Something Fishy Jumbo wheel, Hugs & Wishes, Tempting Turquoise Classic ink & cardstock, Brilliant Blue Classic ink & cardstock, Whisper White Craft ink & cardstock, hair gel, 2" x 3" craft bags, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sun Fun 6x6 & Birthday Card

Here's another 6" x 6" scrapbook page and card combination I did as a make and take at several workshops this month. Can you tell I've been hooked on that East Coast Prep paper lately?!


The photo is of Thomas before we went to the pool a couple weeks ago. I just love those blue eyes!

The card is a 3" x 6" card, so you just fold the 6" x 6" cardstock in half. The squares of paper are 1-3/4" x 1-3/4". We used the Life's A Breeze stamp set for the perfect summer images.


Supplies: Life's a Breeze, All Holidays, More Mustard ink& cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, East Coast Prep Designer Series paper, Basic Black ink, Wild Wasabi ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Fresh Cuts Favorite

If you've stamped with me this month, you have already seen -- or even made -- this card. It is my favorite with the Fresh Cut stamp set and die-cut notes. It's just so pretty!

Supplies: Fresh Cut stamp set, Fresh Cut notes, Sofy Sky Classic ink pad, Blue Bayou Classic ink pad & cardstock, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Pretties Kit, Stampin' Sponges

When you open the die-cut notes, you have to punch out part of the petals. For this card, I sponged those petals with Blue Bayou ink and then put them back on the note card, between two petals to make another layer of flower. So easy!


There's only a few more days to order the preview Fresh Cut stamp set and die-cut notes. Email or call me to order (see contact info on the right). Click here for more samples using the Fresh Cut stamp set.

Celebrating...everything!

Today is my Stampin' Up! Anniversary -- I have been a demonstrator for 6 years! And I'm so excited to celebrate two milestones this year on my SU! Anniversary.

I had a great time at Nancy & Lisa's party last night (thanks, ladies!) and when we finalize their workshop order, I will hit my $100K milestone. Yes, in the last six years, I have sold a total of $100,000 of Stampin' Up! product!! The incredible thing about this milestone is that Stampin' Up! gives cash bonuses to all demonstrators for every $100K they sell. After Convention in August, I will receive $1,000. WOW!! And it doesn't matter how long it takes you to sell that...could be 2 years, could be 20. They truly know how to spoil their demonstrators!

And if that wasn't enough, it is official as of this morning, I earned the free trip to Hawaii!!! Stampin' Up! will pay for me and my husband to fly to Hawaii and stay at a luxury resort next spring with the other several hundred demonstrators who earn the incentive trip each year. WAHOO!! I have to give a shout-out to all of my downline. In conjunction with my personal sales, it was their promotions this year that helped me earn the trip. I am so proud of you guys -- you truly have had an incredible year!

Ok...back to stamping projects. Sorry I missed posting yesterday. I crashed on the couch as soon as I got back from that party last night. But here's a special card I stamped up this morning for my sideline Judy. She also just earned the incentive trip (her first!) this week and I am so excited for her! Congratulations, Judy!

Supplies: Summer Day Simply Scrappin' Kit, Taffy Alphabet, Whisper White cardstock (7" x 5-1/2" folded in half to make 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" card), Pretties Kit, Flower Fusion (felt flowers), Cutter Kit (edge distresser on Pumpkin Pie cardstock), Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini & Pop-up Glue Dots

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Jim's Birthday Cards

Today is my husband's birthday. Happy Birthday, Jim! Since I always show him what I'm working on for classes and workshops, I felt like I needed to make something new for his birthday card. I'm not entirely happy with the outcome, but here it is:

I used the new "Owl Together Now" stamp set that I got on the cruise. It's so cute! I love all the punny sayings that go with the owls. This card took a bit of a different direction after I got started, so I ended up trimming it down to 4-1/4" x 4 1/4".

Supplies: Owl Together Now stamp set, Celery Prints paper, Jet Black Staz-On Ink Pad, Close to Cocoa marker & cardstock, Creamy Caramel marker & cardstock, Pumpkin Pie marker, So Saffron cardstock (embossed with Versamark & Iridescent Ice embossing powder), Apricot grosgrain ribbon, Pewter Hodge Podge Hardware

Mine wasn't the only hand-stamped card that Jim received today. Here's the one from my mom:

I love how she layered the star punches!

Supplies: Flannel Plaid background, Sincere Salutations, Sahara Sand ink & cardstock, Not Quite Navy ink & cardstock & brads, Bravo Burgundy cardstock

And another from my grandmother:

This one was actually hand-stamped by ME! My grandmother, "Nonie" as we call her, makes cards from my mom's old card front samples. I made this card three years ago, so I was happy to see it again; it's always been one of my favorites. The Summer Sketches stamp set is still current and is fabulous for watercoloring! I painted the boy's hair red because the image reminds me of Thomas. I just love the beachy colors (Creamy Caramel & Bordering Blue) and feel of this card. The linen Magic Mesh was the perfect nautical embellishment.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Just Like You Gift Card Holder

Here's another project with the Just Like You stamp set. This set is retiring in August, and when you buy it, Stampin' Up! donates $2 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Send me an email to order if you don't have it yet!

The base of this gift card holder is just a half sheet of cardstock. Use the Word Window Punch make this super quick pocket perfect for giving gift cards any time of year!

Start with a 4 ¼” x 11” piece of cardstock. Score it at 3”, 5 ½”, and 8”. Fold up so that the front and back are the 3” sides and the there is a 2 ½” peak in the middle of the “card”.

Apply SNAIL on the inside of the 2 ½” peak fold along 3 edges (NOT along the fold) to adhere it closed. Make sure to keep the adhesive close to the edges so there is room for the gift card to fit inside this pocket.

On the inside of the card, use the Word Window Punch to punch along the fold of the 2 ½” flap, overlapping the punch and leaving only about a ¼” on each end. Use one of the circle punches to punch a half circle notch in the middle of the Word Window pocket. The gift card fits inside the pocket.

The belly band is a strip of cardstock wrapped around the card (not too tight!) and slides off so you can open the card.

Supplies: Just Like You stamp set, Everyday Flexible Phrases stamp set, Certainly Celery Classic ink pad, Groovy Guava Classic ink pad, Apricot Appeal Classic ink pad, ½” Circle Punch, Build-a-Brad, 1 ¼” Circle Punch, 1 3/8” Circle Punch, 1/8” Hole Punch, Word Window Punch

Monday, June 23, 2008

Paisley Butterfly Card

I don't usually like paisley, but I love the idea of turning the paisley stamp from the Polka Dots & Paisley stamp set into a butterfly wing. The problem is that there is only one paisley and it only curves one way. The key to making the paisley butterfly is stamping on Vellum Paper!


Directions:

  1. Start with a standard card -- 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" of So Saffron cardstock, folded in half. Stamp paisleys all over the front of the card using So Saffron ink.
  2. Use the Paper Cutter to trim off 1 1/2" from the bottom front of the card.
  3. Stamp the greeting in Old Olive ink on the inside of the card. If necessary, trim more off the front flap of the card so that the greeting shows in the front.
  4. Make a scalloped border using the Slit Punch. Take a 5 1/2" x 2" strip of Old Olive cardstock and insert the slit punch all the way. Make the first punch half off the edge of the cardstock. Move it over, overlapping the first punch just slightly, and punch again. Continue punching the strip in the manner. When you are done, the cardstock will separate into two pieces; one is your scalloped border. (The other piece makes perfect "waves" for your next card of scrapbook page.) Adhere the scalloped border to the front flap of then card.
  5. Stamp the paisley on Vellum Paper using Jet Black Staz-On ink (it dries faster than Basic Black ink). Use markers to color in the paisley. Cut out each paisley. Because the vellum is translucent, you can flip over one paisley and still see the stamped and colored design!
  6. Use an Old Olive marker to color and stamp the stem and one petal of the bold flower from the Polka Dots & Paisley stamp set. This will be the body and one antenna of the butterfly. Use the fine point of the marker to hand-draw the other antenna.
  7. Adhere the butterfly wings to the 2" x 2" white square on either side of the body. I used 2-Way Glue on the center of the wing. I applied more 2-way glue to the top of the wing in the same place and sprinkled it with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. Mount this onto a 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" piece of Old Olive cardstock and adhere to the front of the card.
  8. Use the fine point of the Old Olive marker to make a flight path from the butterfly to the other side of the card.

This stamp set is retiring, so make sure to get it before it's gone in August!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

3" x 6" Sketch Cards

I needed to make a bunch of cards this weekend and Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge was just the inspiration I needed to get rolling!


















Supplies: Live Your Dream stamp set; Fundamental Phrases; In Color textured cardstock; Afternoon Tea Designer Series paper; Groovy Guava, Wild Wasabi, & Chocolate Chip ink pads; 3/4", 1", 1-1/4", & 1-3/8" Circle Punches, Boho Blossoms Punch, Chocolate Twill Ribbon

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Masculine Thank You Card

Here is another card from my recent Masculine Cards Class.

It's nice to have a stash of cards to use whenever an occasion arises. In fact, with many of these cards, I left the greeting off so I could choose what I need when I am ready to send the card...whether it's next week or next month.

Supplies: Wanted stamp set, (retired) Outlaw Designer Series paper, Sage Shadow cardstock, Chocolate Chip Classic ink pad, Very Vanilla cardstock, Creamy Caramel cardstock, (edges distressed with) Cutter Kit distressing tool, Vintage Brads, Crafters Tool Kit

Friday, June 20, 2008

Let the Cute Begin Card

It's an honor to have another card chosen for Stamper's Showcase today. Here's another card I made for our group's Occasions Mini catalog swap. This card is really co-created by my mom! She won this stamp set at Leadership Conference in January, stamped the images for me, and sent them in the mail (she lives two states away) so I could use it for my swap cards. Thanks, Mom!

Stamper's Showcase #9072:
Occasions Mini Catalog ends June 30, so make sure to order your favorite stamp sets and products before then.

Supplies: Big on Spring stamp set, Barely Banana cardstock, Bashful Blue cardstock & marker, Basic Black Classic ink pad, Whisper White cardstock, Slit Punch (to make scalloped border), Crafters' Tool Kit, Gold Brads, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter

Thursday, June 19, 2008

6x6 Page/Card Make & Take

Even though there was just a few people at Cindy's workshop, we still had a great time stamping and chatting. I always look forward to this "grown-up" time in the evening after being home with the kids all day! Thanks again for hosting, Cindy!

Here is the make and take project from Cindy's workshop. The supplies were all the same and everyone had the option of making the 6x6 scrapbook page or folding the 6" x 6" square to make a 3" x 6" card. Everyone made the card!

My favorite part of the card is that by using the alphabet stamp set, you can customize the greeting to suit whatever you need. I stamped "thanks" on mine and Becki stamped "You ROCK!". We joked that if you wanted, you could do sentiments like "Sorry I gave you herpes" or "Have a nice period". You just can't find cards like that at Hallmark! Those would be truly one-of-a-kind creations.

Supplies: So Saffron ink pad & cardstock, Cutie Pie designer series paper, Purely Pomegranate ink pad & cardstock, sponge dauber (to apply ink to), small chipboard flower, Whisper White cardstock, Clear rhinestone brad from Pretties Kit, Stampin' Dimensionals, Short Order Alphabet, Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 5 Petal Flower Punch

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Daddy's Girls 12x12 Scrapbook Page

My fabulous friend Cindy hosted a Stampin' Up! party on Monday. I asked her to send me pictures of her twin daughters and I used them to make this scrapbook page to showcase at her party.

The pictures are so beautiful that it made it easy to put this darling page together. Since I was working at the last minute, I pulled out an old Stampin' Techniques booklet (rev 4/06) and used this layout for my page.

Honestly, I like my page better than the sample! All I did was change the colors and embellishments to better suit the photos.

Obviously I gave the page to Cindy at the party, but I sure wish I could have kept it for my wall! I'd love to design a page for your scrapbook when you host your next party! Contact me now to set your date!

Details: 12x12 Certainly Celery cardstock for base, 8-1/2" x 11" So Saffron layered on it with journaling printed right on it (Harry Paul font from "Write Me a Memory" font CD). The journaling says, "Sarah and Abby have Daddy wrapped around their little fingers. Father's Day, June 15, 2008" Accent paper is from the Cutie Pie Designer Series. I used a Sponge Dauber to apply Whisper White Craft Ink on the chipboard flowers. The larger flower has a clear button in the center. SNAILed to the clear button is a 1" circle punched image from the Cutie Pie paper. Lastly, the alphabet for the title on the side is the Big Deal alphabet.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Fairytale Love Card

I had another card featured on Stamper's Showcase on Sunday. Stamper's Showcase is a fabulous resource for demonstrators available on the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator website. Every day they post 5-7 new projects. I check it daily to see what's new, but you can also search by stamp set and find samples to inspire you using the stamp sets you already own.

Stamper's Showcase #9042:
This was a card I made for an Occasions Mini card swap. The greeting is from the fabulous set Full of Life. There's a lot of great sayings in that set, but make sure to order it by June 30, because it may not be available in future catalogs!

I used a sponge dauber to color the chipboard heart with Real Red Craft ink. There's lot of things you can do with Chipboard. For other chipboard projects, click here.

Supplies: Full of Life stamp set, Love wheel, Real Red marker and cardstock, Basic Black marker and cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Real Red Craft ink, Sponge Dauber, On Board Simon Upper (chipboard heart), Ticket Corner Punch, red gingham ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Monday, June 16, 2008

Happy Bug Day Card

I loved the size of that Hoppy Birthday card, so I tried it again with the Bugs & Kisses stamp set. I originally made this a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card, but I like the way it looks better in the 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" format.

Supplies: Bugs & Kisses stamp set, East Coast Prep Designer Series Paper, Tempting Turquoise Classic ink & cardstock, More Mustard Classic ink & cardstock, Real Red cardstock, Wild Wasabi cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Scallop Circle punch, 1-1/4" & 1-3/8" Circle Punches, Crafters' Toolkit (paper piercing tools)

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Just Like You Card

With the list of Retiring Stamp Sets out today, I thought I'd post a card today using a retiring stamp set. The Just Like You stamp set is this year's Ronald McDonald House Charities stamp set. For every Just Like You stamp set that you buy, Stampin' Up! donates $2 to the RMHC. This is in addition to the $100,000 they donate annually as a national sponsor! Each year a new stamp set it designed just for this cause. Make sure to order Just Like You before it retires in August! For more information on Stampin' Up's Making a Difference campaign, including more samples using the Just Like You stamp set, visit http://www.stampinup.com/us/enu/487.asp

I don't know what to call this card. I just took an 11" x 4 1/4" piece of cardstock, folded it in half and then folded back one end. I CASEd the layout from a card my mom made with this set. I used coordinating paper from the Flowers for You series for the background and stamped the flower in Regal Rose and Old Olive. A Pretties Kit rhinestone brad really finishes off the card.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Hoppy Birthday Card

I had the second session of my Masculine Cards Class in Springfield this morning. We had a great time stamping. Thanks again to Terri for hosting the class at her house. This is one of the cards that we made:

This was one of my favorite of the five designs we stamped. We used the Unfrogettable stamp set and the East Coast Prep designer series paper. Everything was punched with the 1 3/8" Square Punch. My favorite part of the card is the size -- it's 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" -- just a little bit shorter than the average card. The flat cardstock is 7" x 5-1/2" (as opposed to the normal 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" measurement). These will fit in the standard medium size envelopes or the small open-end envelopes. I think I will play around with this new size card some more and see what else I can come up with.

Supplies: Unfrogettable stamp set, East Coast Prep paper, Wild Wasabi ink & cardstock, Kraft cardstock (card base), Whisper White cardstock, Jet Black Staz-On ink, Aquapainter & Wild Wasabi refill, Wild Wasabi double-stitched ribbon

Friday, June 13, 2008

Star-Spangled Father's Day Card

I made this card to give to Jim for Father's Day on Sunday.



The patriotic theme is especially appropriate because every year for Father's Day, I give him matching t-shirts...one for him and one for Thomas. It started the year that Thomas was born. I bought flag shirts at Old Navy with the year on it and then took pictures of the boys together in their shirts. It will be fun to create a "through the years" book when I get a few more pictures of them.

Supplies: All Holidays stamp set, Classic Stars jumbo wheel, Night of Navy ink & cardstock, Real Red ink & cardstock, Small Star Punch, Whisper White cardstock, Real Red wide grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thursday, June 12, 2008

My First Time!!

Tonight was the first time I have ever scrapbooked photos that I took earlier in the day! I am so far behind on my scrapbook that I never dreamed this would happen.

It's hard to see in the photo, but I wheeled the Classic Stars jumbo wheel on the Basic Black cardstock. Stamp Sets are Well-Worn Alphabet and Life's a Breeze (sunglasses). I used the Spiral Punch to create the photo negative look for the smaller photos. The journaling says "Thomas & Claire jammed out on their air guitars before a trip to the pool on Claire's birthday."

My motivation to do the scrapbook page tonight was so that I would have an excuse to share a video with you. I didn't intend to share personal videos of my children when I started this blog, but this is just too funny not to share! I took one picture of Thomas & Claire playing their air guitars, but a photo just wouldn't capture it, so I turned on the video camera. Check it out:

They just crack me up! You can imagine how thrilled Claire was to later receive this guitar when she opened her birthday presents.

I made her birthday card during nap time today. Normally, I don't put so much thought into cards for children since they really don't care what it looks like. But after I promised I would post her card, I felt some pressure to impress you! So, I had another "first time" and finally tried the Sticky Cut Letters I bought last fall! My poor Bead Duos have sat unused this whole time too. Can you believe it!? I'm such a hoarder!

The Sticky Cut Letters were really easy to use. They work like Sticky Strip (VERY sticky), but with the powder pal tray, adding the beads and pressing them into the open adhesive was easy. I put the chunky beads on first, then "drained" them back into the container and added the micro beads to fill in the spaces. The rest of the card used pieces from the Summer Days Simply Scrappin' Kit (not just for scrapbooking!). The card came together fairly quickly (after playing around with the beads for awhile). The greeting comes from the Three Thoughts Simply Sent Card Kit. I always forget I have it, but the greeting stamps are so versatile.

Whew! I think that's enough for one night! I'll be back tomorrow with a Father's Day card!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

So Cute 6x6 Scrapbook Page

This scrapbook page is posted on my inspiration board in my stamp room right now. I just love the picture of baby Claire and the clean style of the completed page. It's hard to believe Claire will be 3 tomorrow! I'll post a more recent picture of the birthday girl tomorrow night along with the card I make for her.

As for the scrapbook page...I adapted a layout I did for another page last fall.

It always amazes me how different a card or scrapbook page can look just by changing the color scheme and stamp set.

Supplies: (So Cute page) So Saffron ink & cardstock, Cutie Pie paper, Purely Pomegranate ink, cardstock & stitched ribbon, Two Cute stamp set, Rough Edges Alphabet; (Fall page) River Rock ink & textured cardstock, Old Olive ink, Soft Sky cardstock, All Through the Year stamp set, Fall Flowers paper, Very Vanilla Taffeta ribbon; (Both) Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Short Order Alphabet stamp set, Whisper White cardstock

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Watercolored Thank You Card

It's been awhile since I watercolored and I had forgotten how much I liked it. It makes me feel like an artist -- and even better yet, it's so much easier than it looks!
My very favorite tool for watercoloring is the Aquapainter. It's a paint brush with the water jar built right in to the handle. You have to be careful not to use too much water, but you get the hang of it after a couple of cards. On this card, I use drops of reinker in the coordinating ink pad lid (for a little more concentrated color than just pushing down on the ink pad to pick up color). I used Almost Amethyst, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue (sky), and Blush Blossom. The Watercolor Paper is the most ideal medium for watercoloring because it accepts the water better without curling the cardstock. And it's pre-cut and ready to mount on your card front.

I added some sparkle to this card with a little bit of Dazzling Diamonds on the flowers and the dress. And it still needed something more, so I watercolored a small flower from the Pretties Kit and used mini glue dots to attach a half pearl and then more mini dots to attach it to the card front.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Get Whale Soon Card

By the time I made this card for Jessica (who was horribly sick with strep throat last week), she was already starting to feel better. So Jess, here's it is...I'm glad you're feeling better and I look forward to seeing you and the boys on a not-so-rainy day soon!
Supplies: Pun Fun stamp set, Flowers for You Designer Series paper, Certainly Celery cardstock, Tempting Turquoise cardstock, Bold Brights brads, 2-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Fresh Cut 4" x 4" Card

Here's another Fresh Cut note card:


I had to double-check with the Post Office to see if this size is mail-able. (The die-cut notecards come with coordinating envelopes.) Unfortunately, it's too small to mail in the 4" x 4" envelopes. This size card can be mailed if put in a larger envelope, like the regular medium size envelopes in the catalog.

Colors on this card were Sage Shadow and Barely Banana. I used the 5-Petal Flower Punch again to add an embellishment behind the die-cut. Some Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon and a fire rhinestone brad finish out this quick card.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Monogram Notecard Set

I recently freecycled some moving boxes. A couple from Villa Grove stopped by and picked up every flat box we had in the garage and several boxes full of used packing paper. I was so thrilled to get rid of them and enjoyed chatting with them. I was completely floored when I received a card in the mail the next week. It was a thank you card for the boxes and included a $25 gift card to Bed, Bath, and Beyond -- AND coupons to use with the gift card. On the heels of a less-than-stellar Mother's Day, I was so incredibly touched by this random act of kindness. And although this seems like such a small token of my gratitude, I made this notecard set to send with my thank you note.The notecard holder is made from one sheet of 8-1/2" x 11" Certainly Celery cardstock. I scored it in half at 5-1/2" and turned it and scored it at 2-1/4". I folded it in half on the 5-1/2" score line and then cut the inside corner diagonally from the bottom to the 2-1/4" score line (see image below). This reduces the bulk in the center of the folder, allowing it to close easier. I folded the inside pockets up. (Optionally, you could use Sticky Strip to adhere the outside edges down to form a true pocket. I left mine loose.)

With the folder closed, use the 1/8" hole punch to punch a hole about 1/2" in from each edge. Thread ribbon through the holes so that it crosses the inside pocket. The ribbon, when tied, will hold the notecards in place.

The notecards are the small notecards and envelopes available from Stampin' Up!. They come in a package of 20. I just used 8 for this monogram set. The Designer Series paper strip is 1" x 5" pieces of the Porcelain Prints collection. I used Blue Bayou ink and cardstock and Certainly Celery cardstock with coordinating circle and scallop circle punches. The Lovely Letters alphabet set complemented the paper and finished off the monogram cards nicely.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Chipboard Thanks Card

I really do CASE a lot. It's so easy to be inspired by all the beautiful cards in the catalog and that I see my fellow demonstrators create. Since I often don't have a lot of time to stamp, I find myself turning to these inspiration cards and making them over in a new way.

This card was CASEd from a card made by my sideline (fellow demonstrator) Lia Hege. I absolutely love the colors she chose: Sahara Sand for the base and So Saffron, Soft Sky, and Chocolate Chip for accents & embellishments.
I used the exact same layout as Lia's original card, but substituted some chipboard for the center flower stamp that she used. I used my Petals brass template to pierce around it. The window is punched with the scallop circle punch and the center flower from the Boho Blossoms punch. (Use the crop-a-dile to punch a hole for the clear rhinestone brad from the Pretties Kit.)

I love the "faux bow"...just tie a smaller piece of ribbon in a knot around a longer piece of ribbon and then adhere it flat to the card front. It's a great way to save ribbon and makes it much easier to get the ribbon to lay flat on the card.

Lia's original card had piercing on the Soft Sky cardstock in a line just above the ribbon. I wish now that I would have added that to this card. I think it will tie in well with the piercing around the chipboard.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Fresh Cut Thank You Card

As a demonstrator, I was given the opportunity to preorder the Fresh Cut stamp set and die-cut notecards. (You'll be thrilled to know that the Fresh Cut stamp set is die-cut too, so mounting it is super easy!)

I finally got a chance to sit down and stamp with it on Monday. Here is my first creation:

I didn't stamp the background straight over the flower, so I trimmed down the front of the notecard and mounted it on a larger card. I like this color combination (Groovy Guava and Blush Blossom). It's so soft and spring-y. And I was delighted to find that the 5 Petal Flower punch fits perfectly behind the die-cut flower! (Other punches used: Large Oval Punch & Key Tag Punch)

Watch for more samples using this great new stamp set! Attend my Totally Hands-On Workshop in Champaign later this month and you'll get to make a card using the Fresh Cut stamp set & notecards. See my Calendar of Events for details.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Ruffled Ribbon Card

After seeing Tara's owl card with the ruffled ribbon last week, I just had to try it for myself. I went back to my trusty Round Tab Punch card and used the same layout, but substituted the rub-ons on ribbon for my own ruffled ribbon.

Making the ruffles was a little trickier than I thought it would be. It was hard to keep the ruffles even and straight, but I got into a rhythm after I started. As Tara described, I put the sticky strip on my card and then ruffled the ribbon as I adhered it down on the sticky strip.

Supplies: True Friend stamp set, Fresh Cuts stamp set (inside greeting), Pretties Kit, 3/4" Circle Punch, Groovy Guava textured cardstock and Classic ink, Afternoon Tea Designer Series paper, Chocolate Chip Poly-Twill ribbon, Round Tab Punch (to create window).

Monday, June 2, 2008

Go Fish Game

I wish I could take credit for this -- but I CASEd it from none other than Stampin' Up! This was the make and take project for kids on the cruise. I finally got a chance to make one of my own this afternoon. It came together fairly quickly.

Supplies: Life's a Breeze stamp set, Something Fishy Jumbo Wheel, Best Friends Lower Alphabet, Bashful Blue Classic ink & cardstock, Wild Wasabi Classic ink & cardstock, Real Red Classic ink & cardstock, Pumpkin Pie Classic ink & cardstock, Basic Black Classic ink, 1-1/4" & 1-3/8" Circle Punches, 1/2" circle punch & 1/8" hole punch for tag reinforcer, linen thread.

Measurements: The cards are 4" x 2-1/2" Whisper White mounted on 4-1/4" x 2-3/4" Bashful Blue. The "belly band" slides on and off the empty Accents & Elements tin (available from Stampin' Up! in a 3 pk for $9.95). The belly band is 2-1/2" x 11" of Bashful Blue cardstock, scored at 2-1/2", 3", 7-7/8", 8 3/8". Adhere together with a half (cut lengthwise) piece of sticky strip. The tag is 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" with the top two corners cut off. (I eye-balled one corner, then held the cut corner to the other size as a guide.)

There are 20 cards total (2 each of 10 designs). If you don't know how to play "Go Fish", click here for a description.

The way Claire has been destroying games lately, I hesitate to actually give it to my kids to play with. It will have to be a top shelf game for now!