A bookcase and a baby card

When I first saw the Bookcase Builder stamp set in the Stampin' Up! Occasions catalog, I passed it by and told myself it was one I didn't need. I already had a bookshelf-type set from another company, and I didn't really need two sets so similar. Right? But then I realized that this set has a lot of different accessories to stamp on the shelves, and with both sets I could make some really fun and fancy arrangements. So I caved. Here are the first two cards I've made with the Bookcase Builder set:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Bookcase Builder, Sweet Essentials
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock, Neutrals Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Soft Sky, Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral
Accessories: Subtles enamel shapes, Dimensionals

What do you think? I had fun choosing which accessories to put on the shelves and which colors to use.

I did have to make a last-minute change, though. I had intended this to be a one-layer card with all of the images stamped directly on the card front. So that's what I was doing, and everything was going along just fine. Until I added the sentiment and accidentally shifted the stamp. Grr.

I didn't want to start over completely, so instead of trashing the card, I cut off the card front, leaving about 1/4" of white space above and below the stamped images. I cut and folded a new card base and stamped the sentiment at the bottom first (I wasn't going to make that mistake twice). I added a strip of diagonally striped DSP near the top of the card base and above the sentiment and then used Dimensionals to attach the stamped focal panel to the card base so there is a border of DSP on the top and bottom. A small enamel heart finishes off the card.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Bookcase Builder
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock
Ink: Tip Top Taupe, Mint Macaron, So Saffron
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Framelits dies, White Perfect Accents, corner rounder, Dimensionals

For my second card I wanted to use a few of the baby-themed images. I stamped the bear, blocks and duck on a scratch piece of card stock and cut them out with a small stitched circle die. I used Dimensionals to adhere them to a white card base with Dimensionals and then stamped a sentiment in the bottom right corner and a two-tone banner in the top left corner.

I wanted to add a little something to embellish the card, but nothing seemed quite right. Then I pulled out my White Perfect Accents, and they did, in fact, seem perfect. They add a little shine without cluttering the clean layout, and the shape reinforces the circle focal images. I didn't have a recipient in mind when I made this card, but I just found out yesterday that my cousin's wife is expecting twins in the fall, so I might just have to save this card for their growing family.

Thanks for stopping by!

Two lucky elephants

This weekend my sister and I are attending a Bollywood musical revue, and I'm really looking forward to the colorful costumes, joyful dancing and energetic music. With that on my mind, it seems like the perfect time to share a couple of card made with the Lucky Elephants stamp set.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Lucky Elephant, Daydream Medallions
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Crushed Curry, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Crushed Curry, Basic Gray, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Fancy Fan embossing folder, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, linen thread, gold sequins (Hazel & Ruby), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Glue Dots, Dimensionals

I started this card by selecting a color pallet of three rich jewel tones: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo and Crushed Curry. I used Rich Razzleberry card stock for the base and repeatedly stamped two medallion images all over the card front. I embossed a piece of Island Indigo card stock with the Fancy Fan embossing folder and adhered it to a punched strip of Crushed Curry card stock so just a bit of the scalloped edge is visible. I adhered the piece to the card base and just below it tied a piece of linen thread in a bow.

To make the elephant, I used markers to apply ink directly to the rubber stamp, then stamped the image on white card stock and cut it out. I used Dimensionals to adhere the elephant to the card base so he's grounded on the Island Indigo card stock. I wanted to add a bit of sparkle, so I used a gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen to add glitter to the Crushed Curry ink on the elephant and the Crushed Curry card stock scallops. I rounded the two right corner of the card and finished it off with three gold sequins.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Lucky Elephant
Paper: Smoky Slate, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Smoky Slate, Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Crushed Curry, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Modern Mosaic embossing folder, Island Indigo 1/4" cotton ribbon, Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon, Rixh Razzleberry cotton ribbon, pearls, clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, doily (kit leftover), Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

This card has a layout very similar to the previous one. For the background on this card I used the Modern Mosaic embossing folder instead of stamping images. To ground the cut-out elephant I used three strips of ribbon instead of a panel of card stock. (Quick tip: When attaching ribbon to embossed card stock, the texture often keeps the ribbon from lying flat. I solved that problem by adhering each ribbon to a strip of card stock the same color and slightly narrower than the ribbon. Then I glued the strips of card stock to the card front.)

The Smoky Slate elephant blended into the background a bit too much, so I broke up the gray by placing half a doily behind the elephant. I added tiny pearls to the elephant's blanket and a small punched flower with a pearl center in the upper right corner of the card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Beetles and bugs (the stamped kind)

Whenever Stampin' Up! releases a new catalog, there always seems to be products that are instant hits. You know what I mean -- the stamp sets that everyone buys and loves makes hundreds of adorable samples with, like the Window Shopping bundle, Dragonfly Dreams bundle and Oh So Succulent bundle, to name a few from the 2017 Occasions catalog. I don't want to take anything away from those sets, because I think they're cute, too. But sometimes I seem to gravitate toward the less-popular products. Maybe I like to root for the underdog. Or maybe I'm just contrary. Who knows. But whatever the reason, I'll be focusing on a few of those stamp sets in my next three blog posts, starting with Beetles & Bugs.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Beetles & Bugs
Paper: Crumb Cake note cards and envelopes, First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP), Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Darling Divas trim (Michaels), black mini brads (Joann's), sponge

I know a lot of people don't like bugs and do not find this stamp set at all appealing. I actually liked it right away, and I also knew right away that I wanted to make a vintage-style card with some of the images. I started with a Crumb Cake note card and added a piece of newsprint-style DSP to the left side of the card. On the rest of the card base I stamped six of the bug images, using black ink for the outline and Crumb Cake for one of the detail layers for each bug. (Bonus: The multi-step parts of these stamps are very easy to line up. Awesome!) I sponged Crumb Cake ink around the whole card front, added a piece of trim over the edge of DSP and placed a mini black brad in the upper left corner.

I really liked how this card turned out, so I made a set of six, varying the selection and arrangement of bugs on each card.

Inside the cards I adhered a layer of Very Vanilla card stock stamped with a ladybug in the lower left corner. I continued the theme by stamping a little trail of ants on the envelopes.

I realize that these cards aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I know exactly who I'm going to give them to, and I think she'll love them.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Beetles & Bugs, Labeler Alphabet
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Bermuda Bay card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Peekaboo Peach, Watermelon Wonder, Project Life journaling pen
Accessories: Confetti Stars border punch, Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals

I wanted to make a more colorful and kid-friendly card for my next project. Using black ink I stamped the bug outlines in a clockwise direction around the edges of the white card base, creating a frame. (Here's a tip: Start with the largest images first, then add the medium-sized ones and finally fill in any open spaces with the smallest images.) I filled in the detail layers using different combinations of Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Watermelon Wonder and Peekaboo Peach.

The empty space in the middle of the card was the perfect place for a sentiment. I used the Labeler Alphabet stamp set to create my own punny greeting, cut out the words and used Dimensionals to adhere them to a piece of white card stock I trimmed to fit inside the bug frame. I doodled a border around the card stock, added a few small Bermuda Bay stars and finished the card by adhering the layer to the center of the frame with Dimensionals.

Later this week I'll be sharing a couple of cards made with Lucky Elephant. Thanks for stopping by!

A couple of tasty trucks

I typically don't do a lot of coloring when I'm making cards -- it just seems to take so much time -- but sometimes there are images that just need to be colored. So that's what I did with these two Tasty Trucks cards:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Tasty Trucks
Paper: 110-lb Solar White (Neenah Paper)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, colored pencils and blending pencil (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Adorning Accents embossing folder, magenta sequins (unknown), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Glue Dots

I don't know how many purple food trucks are out there, but purple is the favorite color of little girl who will be receiving this card, so purple it is. I stamped the truck and its accessories directly on the white card base and then colored them with colored pencils. I added a little sparkle with a few magenta sequins, and an embossed scallop along the bottom creates just a bit of texture.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Tasty Trucks
Paper: 110-lb Solar White card stock (Neenah Paper), Tangerine Tango card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Tangerine Tango, colored pencils and blending pencil (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Blue sequins (Craft Medley), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Glue Dots, Dimensionals

I decided to go a little more masculine for the second card. I used a Tangerine Tango card base this time, and I stamped the truck image repeatedly across the front of the card.

For the focal image I stamped the truck on white card stock and colored it with colored pencils. I rounded two opposite corners of the white card stock and attached it to the card base with Dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment on a small scrap of white card stock and adhered it to the card base so it's tucked under the focal layer. I finished the card with three blue sequins. (I'm pretty sure everything is better with sequins.)

If you don't have the Tasty Trucks stamp set yet, you have until March 31, 2017, to earn it through Sale-A-Bration by spending at least $50  (before tax and S&H). Thanks for stopping by!

Avant Garden

I've been feeling very unmotivated to be crafty lately. I'm not exactly sure why -- various work, life and the-world-has-gone-mad stresses, I think -- but it's been a struggle to create anything. This weekend, though, I was actually fairly productive, and even better, I really like the cards I made. I focused on using some of my new Sale-a-Bration and Occasions stamp sets, and today I'll share a couple of cards using the Avant Garden set.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Avant Garden
Paper: 110-lb Solar White card stock (Neenah Paper), Basic Black card stock, gold paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, colored pencils and blending pencil (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Dotted scallop ribbon border punch, black/white baker's twine, gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, gold sequins (The Makery), Glue Dots, Dimensionals

This card makes me so happy; I just love the toile-style background and the black/white/gold color combination. To make the background, I stamped the two line-art images repeatedly, changing the orientation each time. I added splatters with the gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen (squeeze a bit of extra liquid into the tip of the pin and then flick the tip of the brush on the edge of the pen cap).

For the focal image I stamped the flower stem on white card stock and colored it with colored pencils. I stamped a birthday sentiment on the bottom of the card stock and added a baker's twine bow on the flower's stem. (The one thing I would change with this card is the placement if the focal stamp. Originally I forgot I wanted to add the sentiment, so I centered the flower on the white panel. If I were to make the card again, I would stamp the flowers higher so there was more room for the sentiment.) I matted the piece with gold paper and added a scalloped strip of black card stock on the left side. I adhered the whole panel to the card with Dimensionals and finished it off with three gold sequins.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Avant Garden, Delicate Details
Paper: 110-lb Solar White card stock (Neenah Paper), Calypso Coral card stock
Ink: Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Linen thread, Subtles enamel dots, Espress-o Yourself mini prills (USArtquest), Simply Scored tool, clear-drying glue (Art Institute Glitter), Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Since I used the line-art images in the first card, I wanted to use the bold images for the second one. I stamped two flowers with Calypso Coral and Pear Pizzazz and added mini prills in the flower centers for texture. For the bow I looped linen thread around two fingers and used a smaller piece of thread to tie a knot in the middle of the loops.

To make the background I stamped four of the images from the Delicate details set along the bottom third of the card base. I couldn't decide what to do on the top of the card base, so I used the Simply Scored tool to score a border of two lines around the un-stamped portion of the card. I layered the focal piece onto Calypso Coral card stock and adhered the whole panel to the card base with Dimensionals.

I'm looking forward to my next stamping session, and I'm grateful for that. Thanks for stopping by!

Coordinating tags and gift box

Last week I was organizing some of my craft supplies and came across a bag filled with odds and ends of Japanese papers. I hadn't used the papers in awhile, so I decided to have some crafty fun with them, starting with this small gift box:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Chiyogami papers (The Japanese Paper Place); Poppy Parade, Naturals Ivory, Naturals White card stock
Ink: Gold paint marker (Sharpie)
Accessories: Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, Scalloped and Ornate Tag Topper punches, Note Tag punch, gold Deco Foil (Therm-O-Web), gold baker's twine, In Color Accessory Pack, Baker's Twine Trio Pack, black fiber (On the Surface), metallic enamel shapes, wavy scissors (Provo Craft), Tiny Attacher stapler (Tim Holtz), Mono Multi liquid glue, 1/8" Scor-Tape (Scor-Pal), Glue Dots

While I was organizing, I also found my refill kit for Stampin' Up!'s Undefined stamp-carving kit. I haven't used the refill kit yet, but the small, sturdy black box was the perfect base for an upcycled gift box. The only writing on the box was the label on the lid, so I covered the top of the box with two different prints from the Japanese papers. I placed 1/8" Scor-Tape along the seam and rubbed gold Deco Foil over the tape.

To make a focal point for the box I punched out three small Poppy Parade flowers. I used a gold paint marker to outline the flowers and added detail to the centers, so they coordinate with the paper. I attached them in a loose cluster to the upper left corner of the box lid.

With the box completed, I decided to turn it into a gift for a friend. That meant I needed to find -- or, more accurately, make -- something to fit inside the box. I settled on twelve coordinating tags and twelve mini clothespins.

For the tag bases I used a few different punches with Naturals White and Ivory card stock. I decorated them with pieces of the Japanese papers (I used four different prints and made three tags for each print), added embellishments on some of the tags, and used various twines and fibers for the tassels. I wasn't sure how best to include the clothespins, so I simply clipped them on to a small rectangle of gold paper.

Here are a few of the tags close up. I made each of the twelve tags a little different, and I left room to write "To" and "From" and/or a little message. Or the recipient could write or stamp a message on a tag and use it as a focal point on a card. When the tags are gone, the box can be re-used as a gift box or for decorative storage.

While I had the Japanese papers out, I decided to make a card, too:

Supplies (all Stampin Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Chiyogami papers (The Japanese Paper Place); Naturals Ivory, Concord Crush card stock
Accessories: Petite Petals punch, Stitched Shapes Framelits dies, metallic enamel shapes, metallic gold thread, Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue

I love this deep, rich purple combined with the gold, and since these papers are so pretty I wanted them to be the focus of the card. I die cut three stitched squares from each type of paper and arranged them on a card base. (I trimmed the card base down a bit so the borders around the squares were fairly even.) I felt like the card needed some kind of embellishment, so I punched a small flower from Concord Crush card stock, gently creased the petals and added a gold enamel circle in the center. I looped some gold metallic thread behind the flower and attached it to the square in the bottom right corner of the card. I haven't completely decided if one flower is enough, or if I should also add a flower in the other two light-colored squares. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

You're So Lovely alternate cards

I love card-making kits for those times when I want to make cards but I don't have the creative mojo (or the time) to design my own layouts. But for awhile now I've been thinking about the idea of getting a card kit, throwing out the instructions, and making whatever I want with the components. The You're So Lovely project kit was perfect for this little experiment because although I liked the components of the kit, and it was a good deal on the Clearance Rack, I didn't really care for the card designs.

As it turns out, actually throwing out the instructions was hard; I'm a direction follower, and I like to know how something is supposed to look. So I did look at the kit instructions, but I didn't use any of the pre-designed layouts. Instead I created two four-card sets and four individual cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Sunshine Sayings
Paper: Blushing Bride, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Old Olive card stock; gold foil sheets
Ink: Blushing Bride, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Old Olive
Accessories: You're So Lovely Project Kit, Sunshine Wishes Thinlits dies, Simply Scored Tool, Dimensionals, Mono Multi liquid glue

For this card set I die cut the words from the Sunshine Wishes Thinlits die set out of gold foil sheets and paired each word with one of the die-cut shapes from the You're So Lovely kit. I chose one color to use as an accent on each card, sponged the shapes with those inks and cut a 1" strip of card stock in each color. To add a little texture, I scored a line about 1/8" away from the top and bottom of each strip before adhering them to the card bases.

I used liquid glue to adhere the die-cut shapes to the card bases and then added the words with Dimensionals cut into tiny pieces. I stamped the words for the sentiments, cut them out in rectangles and also adhered them with Dimensionals. To finish the cards I added either a few gold stars or circles from the kit.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Butterfly Basics, Bring on the Cake
Ink: Watermelon Wonder, Blushing Bride, Bermuda Bay, Pumpkin Pie, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: You're So Lovely Project Kit; Watermelon Wonder, Blushing Bride, Bermuda Bay, Pumpkin Pie sequin trim; Glue Dots; Dimensionals; foam adhesive strips

For the next card set, I used the same layout for each card and just changed the accent color. I chose the accent colors because I had coordinating sequin trim in each color (a couple of the sequin colors were leftovers from other card kit; I love having leftover embellishments). I used the sponge brayer included in the kit to apply ink to each butterfly, and then I added twine bow to each one. With foam strips I attached each butterfly to a tag; the strips are just the right width to fit behind the butterflies' bodies. I used Dimensionals to attach the tags to the card bases and then added three sequins to each card. For a little extra coordination I stamped a small butterfly in the coordinating color inside each card and on the envelope.

I wanted to find a way to package this set of cards using the contents of the You're So Lovely kit. Unfortunately, the set of cards with envelopes was too thick to fit in one of the enclosed glassine bags. Instead I cut the top and bottom off of one of the bags so I was left with a "loop" of glassine about 2" tall. I was able to carefully slide the glassine around the cards and envelopes to make a belly band.

The belly band needed a tag, so I stamped a sentiment on a round tag from the kit and added a gold circle and two Watermelon Wonder sequins. I tied a twine bow around a gold clip and used the clip to attach the tag to the belly band.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Diamond card:
Stamps: Strictly Sentiments (WPlus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: You're So Lovely Project Kit, Baler's Twine Trio Pack, turquoise sequins (Craft Medley), gold Deco Foil (therm-o-web), Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue
Happy card:
Stamps: Many Manly Occasions
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: You're So Lovely Project Kit, leftover elements from other kits, Glue Dots, foam adhesive strips

The diamond was the hardest die-cut for me to figure out how to use, but the "shine bright" sentiment from a WPlus9 Design Studio stamp set was perfect. To make my diamond shine, I applied gold Deco Foil to the die-cut using the Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets. (I had tried a couple of other options first, so my end result doesn't look as "clean" as I would like, but next time I'll know where to start.) I finished the card with a couple of shiny embellishments: turquoise sequins and a gold baker's twine bow. Inside the card I stamped a large "happy birthday" sentiment and embossed it with gold embossing powder.

When I complete a card kit I almost always have leftover pieces: die-cut shapes, embellishments, or even scraps of specialty paper (metallic foil, glimmer paper, etc.) that are big enough to punch out small shapes. I keep those elements in baggies in the drawer in my craft table, and sometimes they are the perfect accents for a card. That was the case with the "happy" card, which includes several leftover elements from other kits: the "happy" card stock sticker, the white banner that I used for the "birthday" stamp, and the small gold banners. The small striped banner is a scrap from one of the card fronts from the You're So Lovely kit, which I cut down for one of the next cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Star card:
Paper: Night of Navy card stock
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: You're So Lovely Project Kit, white/gold baker's twine, sponge dauber, Mono Multi liquid glue
Heart card:
Accessories: You're So Lovely Project Kit, gold heart from other kit leftovers, Softly Falling embossing folder, Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals

Most of the cards I created with the You're So Lovely Project Kit have a decidedly feminine feel. I wanted to make one card that was a little more masculine, so I pulled out a dark color, Night of Navy, to use as an accent with the gold and white. I inked the star die cut with Night of Navy using the sponge brayer from the kit, but I couldn't get the color dark enough, so I went over the star with a sponge dauber, which allowed me to apply more pressure and get a darker, more saturated color. To create the mat for the star, I used a piece of gold-striped card stock that was left after I cut one of the card bases from the kit down to a 3" x 3" card. I added a piece of Night of Navy card stock between the gold and white layers and embellished the card with a gold and white twine bow and three gold stars.

The 3" x 3" card was the simplest one in the batch. I glued one of the die-cut swirls on the card base, embossed a gold foil heart (another leftover from a previous kit) to add texture and attached the heart to the card with Dimensionals. A simple gold circle embellishment finishes the card, which would be a cute Valentine's Day card or gift enclosure card for a shower, wedding or anniversary gift. One quick note: When I cut down this card base, I also used the plain white card stock from the back of the card to stamp the words from the first card set above. Since different types of white card stock have different finishes and levels of brightness, using pieces from another card base ensured that the sentiment pieces matched the rest of the card bases.

There you have it! I still have plenty of leftovers from this kit -- die-cuts, tags, twine, gold embellishments, and eleven glassine bags -- and I know they'll be put to good use as well. I hope you find some inspiration from my alternate card ideas. Thanks for stopping by!