September Christmas card: Ho Ho Postage

In September and October it's always fun to see all the beautiful new Christmas products that the stamp companies release. I try not to buy too many of them -- by that point in the year I've already finished a good portion of my Christmas cards -- but when I saw the Ho Ho Postage stamp set from Simon Says Stamp, I couldn't resist. And I knew I wanted to use it for my September Christmas cards.

Supplies:
Stamps: Ho Ho Postage (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Pre-folded #4 cards (Marco's Paper), Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!), red glimmer paper (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Real Red (Stampin' Up!), Sea Glass (Gina K Designs)
Accessories: Ho Ho Postage dies (Simon Says Stamp), Pattern Party masks (Stampin' Up!), white Glitz Glitter Gel (Gina K Designs), Bitty Blooms punch pack (Stampin' Up!), Candy Cane Lane baker's twine (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

I love the images in this stamp set, and with some of them, I think that if I carefully ink just the edges of the stamp, I can use the outline with other small images to make faux postage for any season.

For this card I inked  the large reindeer stamp with Sea Glass and one of the smaller sentiment images with Real Red -- I love those colors together! I stamped the images on white card stock and cut them out with the matching dies. I wanted to give the reindeer a red nose, so I looked through my punches and happened to find a small oval punch that was almost the exact same shape as the nose on the stamped image. (That punch was part of the Bitty Blossoms punch pack -- I never would have thought to use a flower-builder punch for a reindeer's nose!) I punched the oval out of red glimmer paper and glued it over the stamped image.

I wanted to keep the background of the card white, but I also wanted to add a little "something" for visual interest. I looked through my stencils and found one with a simple diamond-like pattern and used it with white Glitz Glitter Gel to add sparkle to the card base. I purposely didn't apply the gel all over the card front; I applied one "swish" of gel and then smoothed it out a bit. I think it looks a bit like falling snow.

I used foam tape to attach the two die-cut images near the middle of the card, overlapping the corners just a bit. To finish the card I tied a bow out of red-and-white twine and glued it to the reindeer image. Simple, sparkly and so cute!

Thanks for stopping by!

Shabby chic pair

Even though I love to make clean and simple cards, sometimes it's fun to create something a little more elaborate. In the case of these two feminine birthday cards, I went for a vintage, shabby chic feel.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Blessings (Gina K Designs)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Powder Pink card stock
Ink: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Powder Pink, VersaMark
Accessories: Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate (Taylored Expressions), gold metallic thread, gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Share What You Love Artisan Pearls, Deco Labels dies, gold embossing powder, Dimensionals

I used the Birthday Blessings stamp set from Gina K Designs for these cards. To make the backgrounds, I chose four images from the set and, using a different color ink for each image, I stamped them several times on a half-sheet of Very Vanilla card stock. Then I added some gold spatter and cut the sheet in two pieces.

For this card I layered the stamped piece behind a Crumb Cake scalloped frame and adhered the panel to a Powder Pink card base. I stamped and embossed the sentiment with gold on Very Vanilla card stock and die cut it. I looped some gold thread behind the sentiment and then attached it to the stamped panel with Dimensionals. Three pink pearls were the perfect finishing touch.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Blessings (Gina K Designs)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Powder Pink card stock
Ink: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Powder Pink, VersaMark
Accessories: Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables dies (Lawn Fawn), Deco Labels dies, linen thread, Gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Share What You Love Artisan Pearls, gold embossing powder, sponge, Dimensionals

I used many of the same supplies for this card, but I gave it a little more of a distressed look by sponging the edges of the stamped layer, the die-cut sentiment and the card base with Crumb Cake ink.

Instead of framing the stamped panel on this card, I die cut it with a stitched rectangle die. I wrapped linen thread around the bottom of the panel three times and adhered the ends to the back of the card stock. Using Dimensionals, I attached the die-cut sentiment over the twine.
I attached that whole panel to a layer of Crumb Cake card stock and then mounted that on the card base. Again, I finished off the card with three little pink pearls.

Thanks for stopping by!

Fun with faux postage

When I was cleaning out my craft space over the summer, I came across some sheets of embossed paper from years ago. They're 12" x 12" papers with a series of small rectangular images, and each image looks like a tiny collage. I bought them at Archiver's (do you remember those stores?), and I think we had used the paper on a make-and-take project. I must have really, really liked it because I bought four or five sheets.

My favorite thing to do with these embossed papers was to use a decorative scissors with a stamp-style blade to cut apart the rectangular images so they look like fancy postage stamps. And that's exactly what I did for these two cards:

Supplies:
Stamps: Dictionary (Stampin' Up!), Simple Strips Background (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Life's Journey Stamp Collage Embossed Paper (K & Company); Crumb Cake, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!); Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaMark (Tsukineko); Crumb Cake, Soft Suede (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Linen thread, Classy Designer Buttons (Stampin' Up!); real flower confetti (Pressed Petals); Simple Strips die (Taylored Expressions); stamp-edge scissors (Fiskars); Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

Aren't they fun? You can't tell in the photo, but the details like the flowers and butterflies in the small images are embossed, which adds a great texture to the cards.

Here are a few other details:
- I used a piece of DSP with a vanilla and black diagonal stripe on the bottom of the Basic Black card. The vanilla keeps with the vintage feel of the "stamps" and isn't as stark as white. I tore the top edge of the DSP to echo the collage style of the images.
- To make the two-tone background on the Crumb Cake card, I inked the whole background stamp with Crumb Cake ink. Then I lightly tapped the edge of the Soft Suede ink pad on random parts of the stamp before applying it to the card stock. It creates a nice aged, distressed look.
- The flower on the Crumb Cake card is a real pressed flower! A friend gave me a small package of them awhile back, and I love how it coordinates with the flowers in the "stamp" image. The flowers are very delicate and lose their petals fairly easily. I placed tiny drops of glue behind as many of the petals as I could, so hopefully some of them will stay on the card.

I ended up using a lot of older products -- embossed paper, background stamp, scissors, DSP and embellishments -- on these cards, and I'm so pleased with how they turned out. Sometimes when you're constantly being bombarded with new stamps, dies, papers, etc., it's fun to go back and pull out some old favorites.

Thanks for stopping by!

Bright birthday cards

It's been a rainy, windy, chilly few days around here -- fall is definitely in the air. I don't mind the cooler temps, but I do wish the sun were out. Since that's not in the forecast for today, I thought these birthday cards might help bring a little brightness to the day.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Balloons (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Whisper White,Basic Black card stock; Neutrals Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack
Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Poppy Parade, Tangelo Twist, Daffodil Delight, Cucumber Crush, Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Gorgeous Grape, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Wreath Builder Template (Gina K Designs), white crochet thread (DMC), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

I should apologize for the less-than-great pictures of these cards. I took them on a really sunny day (just the opposite of today!) so there are some shadows on the cards. I hope it's not too distracting.

As it turns out, I only used two stamp sets for all of the cards in today's post: the Birthday Balloons stamp set for this card and the next one, and the set And Many More for the last two cards.

I also used the Wreath Builder Template from Gina K Designs for the first two cards. I wanted to try using it to make something other than an actual wreath, so I opted for a ring of rainbow balloons. I kept the rest of the card black and white, with a black card base, polka dot paper, and white thread. A few clear sequins and a little sparkle without distracting from the balloons.

For the inside of the card I used the balloon stamp in a more traditional way. I cut a panel of white card stock and stamped a sentiment in black near the top of the panel. Then I stamped three balloons in different colors, positioning one so the top portion is off the card stock. I used a ruler and fine-point marker to hand-draw the balloon strings.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Balloons (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Whisper White, Poppy Parade card stock; Oh My Stars Collection Kit (Bella Blvd)
Ink: Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay, Gorgeous Grape
Accessories: Wreath Builder Template (Gina K Designs), gold star embellishment (Paper Pumpkin leftover), double-stitched Daffodil Delight ribbon, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Since I used the same stamp set for this card, I also decided to stick with the Wreath Builder Template.

Using the four different star images in the stamp set and four different ink colors, I made a bright starry wreath to surround the sentiment on the focal panel. It's a little on the wild and crazy side, but I decided to go with it and add even more stars! I placed a piece of starry patterned paper  below the stamped panel and a single gold star near the lower right corner. To finish it off I adhered a piece of Daffodil Delight ribbon across the front of the card to cover the edge of the patterned paper.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: And many More (WPlus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist card stock
Ink: Lemon Lime Twist, Pineapple Punch
Accessories: It's Your Day die (Simon Says Stamp), Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate (Taylored Expressions), Glitter Enamel Dots

For this card I focused on the "filler" images from the And Many More stamp set. Using a white card base, I stamped the speckles using Lemon Lime Twist and the stars/confetti using Pineapple Punch. Once I had those sprinkled around the card front, I layered on a die-cut frame and sentiment, both from Lemon Lime Twist card stock. For a little bit of sparkle I added three green Glitter Enamel Dots.

This would be a fun design to try with different color combinations. Or you could adhere a layer of patterned paper -- or a watercolor wash or alcohol ink background -- on the card front instead of stamping the background.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: And Many More (WPlus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Thick Whisper White
Ink: Berry Burst, Crushed Curry, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Stars dies, Layering Circles dies, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Dimensionals

For this card, I made a window that lets you peek through to the inside of the card. I started with a white card base and stamped the circular sentiment slightly above the middle of the card and cut out the center with a circle die. On the rest of the card front I randomly stamped the circles in Crushed Curry and the stars/confetti in Berry Burst.

To embellish the card front, I die cut three stars out of Berry Burst card stock and covered them with clear Wink of Stella glitter. I placed one of the stars over part of the sentiment -- it reads "Happy birthday dear friend," and I wanted something less specific -- and the other two near the left side of the card.

Inside the card I stamped a birthday cake that peeks through the window on the front. To make the cake layers I inked the solid bar image with Berry Burst ink and stamped it three times, one above the other, without re-inking. Then I stamped the scalloped image on the top layer to look like icing. I stamped the candle image in Crushed Curry ink and added a touch of glitter to the tops of the candles.

I also stamped a sentiment below the cake, making sure it was low enough that you can't see it through the window on the front of the card. The sentiment also acts as a visual cue for where to sign the card or write a note; as long as it's below the sentiment, you won't be able to see it when the card is closed.




Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have some brightness in your day!

Sunflower cards

With the sunflowers blooming in our garden, it seems like the perfect time to share several sunflower cards. I've got several pictures, so I'll try to keep the text short. As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment, and I'll respond as soon as I can.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Sunflower
Paper: Very Vanilla, thick Very Vanilla card stock; Wood Textures Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack
Ink: VersaMark, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede
Accessories: Clear embossing powder (Stampamania), blending brushes (Picket Fence Studios), Dazzling Metallics sequins (Craft Medley), linen thread, foam tape (3M)

For this card I used the emboss resist technique, which I haven't tried in ages. I embossed the large sunflower with clear embossing powder on Very Vanilla card stock, then blended Crushed Curry and Soft Suede ink over the embossing.

I adhered a piece of woodgrain DSP along the bottom of the panel and wrapped linen thread around it, tying it in a bow. I added three dark brown sequins and used foam tape to attach then panel to the card base.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Sunny Honey stamp and die set (Local King Rubber Stamp)
Paper: Crushed Curry card stock, natural card stock (Cougar), Wood Designer Card Stock (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Crushed Curry, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso
Accessories: Crocheted lace (Target), clear droplets (Pretty Pink Posh), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

Both this card and the next one use a stamp and die combo I bought at the last stamp show I attended. This stamp comes with a detailed die to cut out the image. But at the company's booth at the show, they were demonstrating how you could use an embossing mat instead of a cutting plate with the die, and it would emboss all the detail lines over the stamped image.

To create the multi-colored image I used markers to apply ink directly to the stamp. Then I embossed it with the die. I know that you can use dies to emboss, but the way this one is designed, it just adds so much texture to the image (see close-up picture below).

For the card base I used Crushed Curry card stock. I added a piece of dark woodgrain paper to the bottom part of the card base and then adhered a piece of crochet lace across the top of that paper. I attached the focal image over the lace using foam tape and added three clear droplets.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Sunny Honey stamp and die set (Local King Rubber Stamp), French Script
Paper: Crumb Cake card stock, natural card stock (Cougar)
Ink: Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso, Basic Black
Accessories: Espress-o Yourself mini prills (US Art Quest),linen thread, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

This card uses the same technique as the previous one, but with a more muted color pallet. For the card base I used Crumb Cake card stock stamped with a French Script background stamp (using Crumb Cake ink).

To embellish the main image, I covered the center of the flower with liquid glue and then added dark brown mini prills. I love how they mimic the look of sunflower seeds. I also glued a linen thread bow to the top of the sunflower stem, and then I attached the focal image to the card base using foam tape.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Painted Harvest, Delicate Details
Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Hello Honey
Accessories: Hello Honey striped ribbon, tiny attacher (Tim Holtz), Box of Chocolate sequins (Craft Medley), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

This card is actually one of a set I made for my cousin who loves sunflowers. I stamped a large piece of Very Vanilla card stock with sunflowers and then cut the panel into smaller pieces, so each piece looks a little different. In hindsight, I think I should have stamped the flowers closer together. Instead I ended up filling in some of the white space with a little dots image stamped in Crumb Cake.

I mounted each stamped piece on Early Espresso card stock and attached a length of striped ribbon with mini staples.

For the card base I used Crumb Cake card stock. I stamped a lace image across the card front slightly below the center. I actually stamped the image twice -- once facing up and once facing down -- to help it stand out a little more.

I attached the panel to the card base and added three brown sequins to finish it off.

Here is a picture of the cards and envelopes packaged in a clear card box. I wanted to decorate the box a little, so I stamped and cut out another sunflower, gave it a couple of ribbon tails and then added it to the box.

In all honesty, I'm not crazy about this card set. I had a hard time finding a layout I liked, and I don't think this one is quite right. Maybe I should have skipped the ribbon or added a cut-out sunflower for some dimension. I'm not quite sure.

At any rate, I hope you found a little inspiration among all these sunflowers. Thanks for stopping by!

Sunflowers!

Back in June I mentioned in one of my posts that we weren't going to plant a vegetable garden this year. Instead, we planted a variety of sunflowers. Well, they're finally starting to bloom, so I thought I'd share a few pictures.

This guy is the tallest of the bunch so far, and it's a dark red/purpley color. Not your typical sunflower color! There are several buds on the stalk, but this one is the most open. The lighting isn't very good on the second picture -- the sun was really bright that afternoon -- but it does give you a good idea of the color.

Here's another unusual sunflower color. This variety is also much smaller and shorter than what I usually think of as a sunflower. It also seems to have a smaller center in relation to the size of the petals. If I saw this growing wild, I don't think I'd even know it is a sunflower; it reminds me of a daisy. But I love the delicate, pale yellow petals.

This one was actually the first sunflower to bloom, and it's got that bright yellow color. But it's tiny! You can't tell in this picture, but this flower can't be more than two feet tall.

Just for fun, here is the whole sunflower patch. It's maybe not as full as the picture I had in my head, but we had a pretty good crop. I think I may have accidentally pulled a few early on when I was weeding. Oops. Speaking of weeding, you should have seen the garden before I took this picture. The weeds were out. of. control. There is still a good bunch of weeds mixed in with the strawberries (conveniently not in the picture), but I could only tackle so much. Back to the sunflowers -- if you look closely, the flower closest to the bottom of the photo, a little to the right of center, is the tiny one in the last photo. The big, dark ones are the tallest ones in the back to the left. The light colored sunflower is somewhere in the middle toward the right side of the photo.

We do have a few other things growing in the garden, too. At the back of the garden we have a stretch of chain link fence. My sister planted some scarlet runner beans along the fence, and they're happily vining away and showing off their pretty red flowers.

The beans that she planted were ones that we grew and dried a couple of years ago. The beans that we planted at that time were from a company called Rancho Gordo, which produces and sells heirloom beans, especially those indigenous to the Americas. My sister wants to let these beans dry on the vine and then shell and cook them. Yum!

Here is a close-up of some of new little beans. Aren't they cute? We have quite a few large ones already, too. I just love the bright red flowers.

Our neighbor has planted cucumbers and some kind of squash just on the other side of the white fence. Apparently they really like our yard, though, because they have both found their way through the fence and are mingling with the sunflowers.

We were able to redirect the squash a bit so it's stretched along the white fence, and while I was doing that, I found this little tendril starting. I love all the fuzziness!

On the other side of the chain link fence, right along the alley, we have a little garden patch that is a bit out of control. Part of the craziness is weeds, of course, because they are everywhere, and this summer they are just stressing me out.

But another part of the craziness is marigolds. My sister had saved some marigold seeds from flowers we planted a few years ago, and for the heck of it we decided to plant them in that patch. They grew, and grew, and have kind of turned into bushes. These are a few of the marigold blooms.

Well, that's it from the garden for now. I'm hoping that in the next week or two we'll have more sunflowers open so the garden is full of color. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I was going to include a few sunflower cards to continue the theme, but this post has gotten pretty long already. I'll save those for next time. Thanks for stopping by!