February Christmas card: Wonderful snowman

It's a good thing we have a leap day this year, or I don't know if I would have been able to post my February Christmas card before the end of the month. I did finish making them on Thursday, though, so at least I didn't leave it completely until the last minute. Actually I had stamped and die cut the snowmen about a week earlier, but I just couldn't come up with a layout that I liked. Finally I settled on a small scalloped frame and a simple stamped background.

Supplies:
Stamps: Most Wonderful (WPlus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!); Sea Glass card stock (Gina K Designs)
Ink: Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up!); Sea Glass, Turquoise Sea, Key Lime, Lucky Clover, Sweet Mango, Tangerine Twist, Slate (Gina K Designs)
Accessories: Most Wonderful dies (WPlus9 Design Studio), Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate dies (Taylored Expressions), Snowflake Confetti die (Taylored Expressions), jute twine (May Arts Ribbon), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

This is a fun layering stamp set -- all the colors on the snowman are separate stamps that you just layer on the image. (The trees in the background are two layers, and there is also an adorable little layering bird and a second snowman in the set, along with several great sentiments.) I stamped the main snowman image using a light gray ink. For the hat and mittens I used two shades of green, and I chose two shades of aqua for the scarf and pom-pom on the hat. The nose is two shades of orange, and the "coal" pieces are dark gray.

Once the snowmen were all stamped, I cut them out using the coordinating die. Tip: I stamped all the parts of the snowman except the pom-pom before die cutting. I stamped the pom-pom after I cut out the snowmen so I could make sure I had the correct placement.

For the card base, I used thick white card stock and stamped a few light gray trees along the middle of the card. Tip: I only used one ink pad to stamp the two-step trees. For the base layer, I inked the stamp, stamped the image on scratch paper, and then stamped the lighter image on the card base. For the detail layer of the trees, I stamped the gray ink "full strength." I stamped the sentiment using dark gray ink over the trees on the right side of the card.

I die cut the scalloped frame and the small snowflakes out of aqua card stock. Tip: I was able to fit the snowflake die inside the frame die, so I cut them at the same time and saved card stock. I tied a small jute bow around the top right edge of the frame and then glued it to the card base. Using foam tape, I added the snowman in the middle of the frame. I filled in some of the white space by adding a few aqua snowflakes. (I forgot to take a picture of the inside of the card, but I also added a few snowflakes there, too.) Ten more Christmas cards ready for December!

On a different note, my work schedule changed this week, and I'm still adjusting. I used to have a little time in the afternoon to start a blog post before dinner, but now I'm basically getting home at dinner time, and tackling a blog post in the evening after work is just hard for me. So I'm not entirely sure what the next couple of weeks will look like for blogging. I'll do my best, but I'm trying to figure out a lot of things right now. Thanks for sticking with me -- and thanks for stopping by!

Elegant florals

Today I'm sharing a set of floral cards that is a little different: instead of stamping bright, colorful flowers, I stuck to an elegant black and white pallet with little accents of gold.

Supplies:
Stamps: You Are My Person, Empowered Words, Butterflies and Sunbeams (Unity Stamp Company)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Art Philosophy Metallic Accents paint (Prima)
Accessories: Apothecary Accents dies (Stampin' Up!), Nested Banners dies (Simon Says Stamp), gold mini sequin trim (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M)


First, I apologize that these photos are so dark. I had a hard time getting good pictures of these cards, so the white card stock has a blue tint.


The You Are My Person stamp set from Unity contains four large flower images and a few sentiments, including the "you are lovely" in the top right card. I fell in love with the set as soon as I saw it!

For my first project with the set, I decided to make a set of one-sheet wonder cards. Using black ink, I stamped the four flowers all over a full 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of white card stock. Tip: When repeatedly stamping an image, be sure to turn the stamp so the images face different directions and look more natural.


Once the stamping was done, I cut the sheet into four panels that were each 4-1/8" 5-3/8". I felt like the panels needed a little "something," so I used some metallic paint to add gold splatter. Then I adhered each panel to an A2 black card base, leaving a 1/16" black border around the white card stock.

I used sentiments to create focal points for the cards. I stamped four different greetings on white card stock and then cut them out using either a banner die or a rounded label die.


I wanted to add some gold to the sentiments, so I adhered a length of gold mini sequin trim to each card base where I wanted to place the sentiment piece. Then attached the sentiments over the sequin trim using foam tape.


I enjoy making cards like this because they really can be used for any occasion, depending on what (if any) sentiments you use. I actually mailed out some of these cards as non-traditional valentines for friends.






Thanks for stopping by!

More rainbow backgrounds

Last month I shared several cards with rainbow backgrounds that I made with strips of card stock leftover from some bookmarks I made for my yoga teacher. Well, after those cards I still had strips leftover, so I ended up making three more rainbow cards that I never posted -- until now, that is!

Supplies:
Stamps: Simple Strips - Birthday (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist, Brights Collection card stock (Stampin' Up!); Delightfully Detailed Laser-Cut Specialty Paper (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Oreao (Taylored Expressions), Signo white gel pen (Uni-ball)
Accessories: Simple Strips die (Taylored Expressions), Hearts Entwined die (My Favorite Things), Mandala Cutting Plate die (Taylored Expressions), Moonshine Confetti sequins (Hero Arts), rhinestones (Stampin' Up!), Iridescent Sequin Assortment (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam strips (3M), Artist-tac adhesive sheets (Graffix)

Aren't they fun? The colors just make me happy, even though the cards themselves are fairly simple. Here's how I finished each card:

Left card - I added a framed piece of white laser-cut paper and a birthday sentiment strip to the rainbow panel. I trimmed the panel and attached it to a black card base so a narrow strip of black is visible on the right and left edges. A few sparkly sequins finish off this birthday card.

Middle card - I glued a white Hearts Entwined die-cut shape to the background and added little rhinestones in three of the hearts. Using a white gel pen, I doodled a border around the edges of the card base.

Right card - I die cut the Mandala Cutting Plate with white card stock and glued it to the rainbow background. I added some iridescent sequins, matching the sequins to the color of the stripes.

And that's it! Bright, simple cards that are sure to bring a smile to the recipients. Thanks for stopping by!

Bold daisy

I have a bad crafty habit of getting excited about new stamping products, buying said products ... and then not using them. Sometimes it's because orders arrive when I'm busy with other projects or commitments and just can't put new stamp sets or dies to use right away. Other times it's because I get "crafter's block" and can't quite figure out what to make. But regardless of the reason, I want to get better at using all the supplies I have. To that end, I decided to set myself a goal to use five "new" products -- stamp set, die, stencil, etc. -- every month. The Mondo Gerbera Daisy stamp set was one of those products.

Supplies:
Stamps: Mondo Gerbera Daisy (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White card stock; Golden Honey Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); colored pencils - PC922, PC1003, PC1034, PC908, PC909, PC935, blender pencil (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Mondo Gerbera Daisy dies (Essentials by Ellen), Iridescent Sequins Assortment (Stampin' Up!), Citrus assortment sequins (Craft Medley), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

This bright orange daisy against the bold black and white stripes just makes me happy! And since I'm also trying to work on my coloring skills (not intensely, but here and there), I pulled out some colored pencils and got to work.

I used two shades of orange and a bit of yellow to color the flower petals, and then I used black to add some shadows to the "nooks and crannies." This is a tip that Kathy Racoosin talks about during her coloring classes and challenges. I had never tried it before, but it really does make a difference. (I'm not sure if I added enough black; I didn't want to overdo it on my first attempt.) I used the same technique for the flower center and stem and then cut it out using the coordinating die.

For the rest of the card, I used a heavy white card base and added a layer of black-and-white striped DSP. I adhered a panel of white card stock in the middle of the card and used foam tape to add the die-cut flower. I stamped the first part of the sentiment at the top of the white panel and the rest on a small banner that I placed at the bottom of the card. A few sequins were the perfect finishing touch.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I don't do the whole romantic part of Valentine's Day, but it's a great reminder to send some love and hugs to my friends and family. I still have several valentines to share with you, but as I mentioned in my last post, some of my cards were more general friendship-type cards. So for today I'll focus on the designs that were more valentine-y (that's the technical term).

Supplies:
Paper: Crumb Cake note cards and envelopes (Stampin' Up!), Unforgettable Designer Cardstock Paper Pad (My Mind's Eye)
Accessories: Heart Frame dies (Avery Elle), foam tape (3M), Artist-tac adhesive sheets (Grafix), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

These cards are simple and use very limited supplies -- card bases, patterned paper, dies, and adhesive -- but I really like how they turned out. I love these colors together.

To make these cards, I determined what size I wanted the background layer and then cut a piece of card stock to that size. I covered that piece of card stock with adhesive (thank you, adhesive sheets) and just started adding strips of patterned paper. Once the panel was covered, I trimmed up the edges and glued the piece to the card base. Then I die cut the hearts and adhered them to the background panel with either liquid glue or foam tape. I didn't even add any sequins or embellishments to these cards. (Whaaaat?)

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Love (Concord & 9th)
Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, vellum card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Worn Lipstick, Peacock Feathers, Candied Apple Distress Oxide inks (Ranger)
Accessories: Leafy Border stencil (Echo Park Paper Co.), blender brush (Picket Fence Studios), 2016-18 In Color enamel shapes (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M)

To make the background on this card I used a stencil and blender brush to apply ink to a piece of white card stock. I wanted the rows to be a pattern of different colors (patterns make my brain happy!), so as I blended ink onto each row, I used scratch paper to cover the rows above and below. Once the background was done, I adhered the panel to a Bermuda Bay card base.

To make the focal image, I stamped the heart on white card stock using Candied Apple ink, added the ends of the arrow with Peacock Feathers ink, and then cut out the image by hand. To help the heart stand out against the bold background, I added a layer of vellum over the background and then adhered the heart with foam tape. I finished off the card with three small pink enamel hearts.

I hope your day is filled with love and laughter! Thanks for stopping by!

Meals on Wheels valentine roundup

Before I get to the photos of my last Meals on Wheels valentines, I thought I'd share a picture of the whole group of fifty cards. Drum roll please ...

Ta da! It's fun to see all of them together. I think it's a good group of cards; nothing fancy, but a nice variety.

So far I've shared details for all the cards except the two groups on the left side of the middle row and the middle cards in the top row. (To find the previous posts, click on the Valentine's Day label on the right.) Info about the cards in the middle row are below. However, I didn't do a separate post for the cards in the top row because they are made with the For the Love of Felt project kit from Stampin' Up!, and I basically made the cards as they were designed.

Now on to the last two groups of cards:

Supplies:
Paper: Thick Whisper White, vellum card stock (Stampin' Up!); patterned papers (unknown)
Ink: Signo white gel pen (uni-ball)
Accessories: Heart punches (Stampin' Up!), Hearts die (Sizzix), Cherry Cobbler baker's twine (Stampin' Up!), Diamond Dust sequins (The Makery), Quilt Top embossing folder (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

While I was looking through one of my boxes of patterned paper, I found some scraps of red and white papers from previous Valentine's Day projects. I wanted to use them up, so I cut some into card backgrounds and then added a variety of mats, layers, punched or die-cut hearts, and sequins. Simple layouts, but definitely festive.

Supplies:
Paper: 80 lb Natural card stock (Cougar), Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP), Life's Journey Stamp Collage Embossed Paper (K & Company), red patterned paper (unknown), Real Red card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Crumb Cake (Stampin' Up!), Art Philosophy Metallic Acccents paint (Prima)
Accessories: Diamond Dust sequins (The Makery), Cherry Cobbler baker's twine (Stampin' Up!), Sunshine Wishes dies (Stampin' Up!), stamp-edge scissors (Fiskars), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

Finally I combined a few of the red paper scraps from the previous cards with some faux postage stamps and newsprint-style DSP to make a set of valentines with a vintage feel.

I sponged Crumb Cake ink around the edges of the DSP to make it look aged. And to add a little sparkle, I splattered a bit of metallic red paint across the paper. I added baker's twine bows to a few of the cards and then finished them up with (of course!) a few sequins.

Whew! That's finally it for my Meals on Wheels valentines. Now I have to move on to the valentines I sent out personally! I don't think I'll be able to post all of those before Valentine's Day. But the good news is that most of the cards are not very valentine-themed, so they're great designs for year-round card-making (and sending!). Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs for Valentine's Day

Yesterday I dropped off all my finished valentines for Meals on Wheels. Yay! I haven't shared  them all, though, so they'll be coming in the next two or three posts. Today I have three different card designs filled with hugs.

Supplies:
Stamps: ...Say It with Love (Unity Stamp Company)
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Inks (Ranger); VersaFine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Hearts and Stars decorative Masks (Stampin' Up!), black and white twine (Stampin' Up!), blender brushes (Taylored Expressions), foam tape (3M)

I blended pink and purple ink through a heart stencil to make the background for this card. I stamped the bold hugs image over the hearts using black ink. (I used a stamp positioner so I could stamp the image multiple times and get it completely covered.) I stamped the smaller sentiment on a strip of white card stock, trimmed the ends and adhered it to the card base with foam tape. To finish the card I wrapped twine around the card front and tied the ends into a bow.

Supplies:
Stamps: Quick Critters Stamp and Die Combo (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Thick Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand card stock (Stampin' Up!); Unforgettable designer card stock paper (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: 1-3/8" square punch, foam tape (3M)

The Quick Critters stamp and die combo makes the cutest little animals! And I love that, instead of coloring them, I can just cut them out of patterned paper, which is exactly what I did for this card. On Very Vanilla card bases, I adhered a row of three squares of Sahara Sand card stock, stamped the sentiment and then added a strip of red patterned paper along the bottom of the card. Using foam tape I adhered a critter to each Sahara Sand square, mixing up the type of animal and color/pattern on each card.

Supplies:
Paper: Whimsical Specialty Paper Pad (Pink Paislee); Cadet Blue layering swatches (The Paper Cut); thick Whisper White card stock, copper foil sheets (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Hearts dies (Little B), Hugs Sugar Script die (Birch Press Design), Owl Builder punch (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

This is a layout I often fallback on when I'm feeling stuck and/or when I want to use patterned paper. I used two patterns for the background of the card: a large piece of a busy print and a smaller strip of a more subtle pattern. (I also die cut the word hugs from this piece of paper.) The focal image -- on this card, a heart die cut from a third patterned paper -- is centered over the seam between the two papers and attached with foam tape. I glued the die-cut word to the right side of the heart and added a tiny heart punched from copper foil sheets to the upper left corner of the focal layer.

Thanks for stopping by!

Gnome one like you

I love good punny valentines, especially when they feature a couple of adorable gnomes.

Supplies:
Stamps: Oh Gnome! (Lawn Fawn)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!); Pocket Blossom paper pad (DCWV)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Calypso Coral (Stampin' Up!), gold paint pen (Sharpie); alcohol markers - Warm Gray No 3 (Copic), Granny Apple Green, Calypso Coral, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Bronze, Nude (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Oh Gnome! dies (Lawn Fawn), Wonky Stitched Circles dies (My Favorite Things), twine (Target), foam tape (3M)

My first step in creating this card design was to choose the patterned paper for the background -- a small print of light and dark coral flowers. I selected the colors for the gnomes based on the colors in the paper and then stamped, colored, and die cut two gnomes for each card. It's hard to tell in the photo, but there are touches of gold foil on the patterned paper. I added gold to the images on the man's belt buckle and the woman's apron.

I created the whole focal point by die cutting a stitched circle from white card stock. I stamped the sentiment on the circle, added the gnomes with foam tape, and then stamped the little heart. I attached the circle near the top of the card base with foam tape and added twine around the bottom portion of the card.

Thanks for stopping by!