August Christmas card: Santa gnome

I'm just sneaking in my Christmas cards this month! I actually designed this card a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't have a chance to finish them until yesterday.

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Winter Gnome (Unity Stamp Co.)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Shaded Spruce, Gray Granite (Stampin' Up!); alcohol markers - Shaded Spruce, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Nude, Bronze, Mocha (Stampin' Up! Blends/Blendabilities) and W3, R81 (Copic)
Accessories: Layering Ovals dies (Stampin' Up!). red rhinestones (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M)

I was having trouble finding inspiration this month, so I went with a simple design. I started by stamping the Santa on white card stock and coloring him with alcohol markers. According to the stamp set, he's a winter gnome, but he looks like Santa to me, so I guess I'll call him a Santa gnome. :)

I used an oval die to cut out the Santa gnome and then set him aside to finish the rest of the card. I chose thick white card stock for the card base and made a simple background by randomly stamping the other two images in this stamp set: a small snowflake (using Gray Granite ink) and the sentiment "happy winter" (Shaded Spruce ink). I stamped the images twice before re-inking the stamps, so there is a little variation in the colors.

I applied strips of foam tape to the back of the die-cut oval and then adhered it to the middle of the card front. A few red rhinestones add just a hint of sparkle and pull a little bit of the red from Santa's coat onto the card base.

It's hard to believe September is only a couple of days away. I'd better start thinking about my September Christmas card now! Thanks for stopping by!

Bunches of blooms

I'm trying to group together some of the cards I have left to share so that I have some chance of catching up on my blog posts. Today I'm focusing on a few flowery cards.

Supplies (all Stampin; Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Garden in Bloom, Petite Pairs
Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Granny Apple Green card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Melon Mambo, Flirty Flamingo, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green
Accessories: Apothecary Accents dies, Sprig punch, Stitched Frames Stacklets dies (Taylored Expressions), Princess sequins (Craft Medley), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), jute twine (May Arts Ribbon), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

These two cards use the same color pallet; the only difference is that for the card on the left I stamped the outlines using black instead of the flower color, like on the right. It's interesting how different they look! There are no fancy techniques on either of these cards, just basic stamping with a few die-cut or punched shapes and a little embellishment. I've always loved the stamping part of making cards, so sometimes it's nice to just let shine.

Supplies:
Stamps: Flip the Floral (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Sugar Cube card stock (Taylored Expressions); Basic Black, Pool Party card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Oreo (Taylored Expressions); colored pencils - PC909, PC929, PC935, PC1008, PC916, PC932, PC912, blender pencil (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Sentimental dies (Avery Elle), Hello die (Gina K Designs), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), black enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

I made the white panels for these cards at the Taylored Expressions Stamp Joy event last fall. We were learning different ways to use this floral border stamp, so we used a stamp positioner to stamp it in a vertical and horizontal orientation. (We also did a diagonal piece, but I think I messed up that panel.) I turned the panels into easy cards by mounting them on card bases and adding die-cut words. I did cut the words out a few times and then glued them together to add some dimension.

I colored the flowers on the left card with colored pencils (although I wish I had used different colors for the roses instead of just pink), and I left them black and white -- with a pop of Pool Party -- for the right card.

Supplies:
Stamps: It's Spring Time (Rubbernecker Stamps)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Wild Wasabi, Yoyo Yellow card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Color Fuse ink sets #1 (Lemon, Custard, Autumn), #5 (Rose, Blush, Bubblegum), #10 (Moss, Clover) (Rubbernecker Stamps); Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

These are two more cards with lots of stamping. I love the detail on these flowers; each flower is made with three separate stamps for the petals and then another stamp for the center, although in looking at these now, I can see that I was a little off with some of the flower centers. Oh, well! It was really fun to play with the Color Fuse inks (sets of four ink cubes in graduated color groupings), and these bright colors make for cheerful birthday cards. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Mod Floral Stack (Reverse Confetti)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Lime Rickey, Aquatini, Something Borrowed, Flirty Fuschia (Catherine Pooler); Intens-ified Black (Hero Arts)
Accessories Moonshine Confetti (Hero Arts), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

OK, this isn't your traditional flower, but it definitely has a floral vibe -- and the stamp set is called Mod Floral Stack -- so I decided to include it here.

This is a very simple card. I stamped the petal images in four cool shades of green, blue, and purple on a panel of white card stock and added one piece of round confetti at the top of the flower. I stamped the sentiment along the top of the panel using black ink.

When that was done, I didn't like the placement of the images; everything seemed too high. So I added a strip of black card stock along the bottom of the panel. I really like that extra emphasis on the bottom of the card and how it echos the line created by the sentiment. To finish the card I used foam tape to mount it on a white card base.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and happy.

Rooting for You card set

I haven't posted a card set in awhile (probably because I haven't made many recently), so for today's post I'm sharing a set of cards I made as a birthday gift for a friend. (I apologize in advance that the photos aren't great. I had to take them later in the day, and my lighting is not the best.)

Supplies:
Stamps: Rooting for You (Concord & 9th)
Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Pear Pizzazz, Mossy Meadow, So Saffron, Pool Party, Calypso Coral (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Rooting for You dies (Concord & 9th), Subtles Candy Dots (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

I realize that I forgot to take a picture of the full card set. I made six cards total, two of each of the different letter board signs with a variety of plants and planters.

This stamp set was so much fun to play with. Each plant and planter is two stamps: one for the outline and one for the fill-in color. So I just took a piece of white card stock and stamped a whole mess of the four plant outlines and the four planter outlines using black ink. Then I chose two greens for the plants and three colors for the planters and stamped the fill-in images. I also stamped the six letter board signs, using a different frame color for each type of sign.

Once everything was stamped, I used the coordinating dies to cut out all of the pieces. Then I put together the plants and planters, adhering them with a little drop of liquid glue.

For each card base I used a piece of thick Whisper White card stock. (I cut and scored my card stock so the fold is at the top of the card. I'm not sure why I prefer this, but I almost always design my cards this way.) I stamped the single shelf slightly below the middle of the card and then added the letter board and plants using foam tape. The bottom of the card seemed too empty, so I added two Candy Dots in the lower right corner (I chose the color to coordinate with the letter board sign).

Supplies:
Stamps: Rooting for You (Concord & 9th), Tiny Words Birthday (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Pear Pizzazz, Mossy Meadow, So Saffron, Pool Party, Calypso Coral (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Rooting for You dies (Concord & 9th), Simple Strips die (Taylored Expressions), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

When I was done assembling the card set, I had enough little plants left over to make one more card. I used a Crumb Cake card base and added a row of plants, placing some of them slightly higher or lower and using foam tape on a couple to create more dimension. I added a stamped sentiment on a strip of white card stock and finished the card with a few of my favorite sequins.

Thanks for stopping by!

What's the buzz?

I'm trying (again!) to post on my blog more regularly. I have such a back-log of cards to post that I feel like I'll never get caught up! This afternoon I spent a little time prepping photos for three posts - let's see if I can get them all done this week. I'll start with a couple of sweet bumblebee cards I made in the spring.

 

 

I really liked this stamp set when I first saw it (and I still do), but once I got it, I struggled a bit with how to use it. (Don't you hate that?) I did use it for a couple of bee-themed valentines, which I loved, but I wanted to come up with a different layout for some birthday cards.

 

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Honey Bee
Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White card stock; Golden Honey Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: Pool Party, Soft Suede
Accessories: Detailed Bee dies, gold glitter enamel dots, polka dot washi tape (Kamoi Kakoshi Co.), foam tape (3M)

For my birthday cards I decided to focus on the large beehive image -- stamped on white card stock and die cut -- and the bees from the coordinating Golden Honey Specialty DSP (I love the gold foil!). I used the dies to cut out one large bee and two small bees and set them aside to create the card base.

I used Pool Party card stock for the base and glued the bee hive just slightly above the middle of the card front. I stamped the curved sentiment above the beehive using Soft Suede ink and then filled the rest of the card front with Pool Party flowers.

Using foam tape I added the three bees around the hive. Then I added a bit more gold with polka dot washi tape along the bottom of the card and a few gold glitter enamel dots (I love that they look like little drops of honey).

 

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Honey Bee, Delicate Details
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Whisper White card stock; Golden Honey Specialty DSP
Ink: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Detailed Bee dies, gold glitter enamel dots, foam tape (3M)

My second birthday card started out the same way: with a stamped and die-cut bee hive and three bees die cut from the DSP (although this time I used two large and one small).

I decided to use a neutral color pallet for this card, and while I was trying out some different color combinations, I came across this panel of Crumb Cake that I had previously stamped with the lacy background. I liked how the lace looked with the bee hive, so I went with it!

I glued the hive over the background and stamped the sentiment just below it. Again, I used foam tape to add the bees. To give the card a little texture, I distressed the top and bottom edges of the Crumb Cake panel and then adhered it to a Soft Suede card base, leaving a narrow border of the Soft Suede showing at the top and bottom. A row of three gold glitter enamel dots in the upper right corner finish off the card.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a bee-utiful week!

A nod to the Muppets

Happy Friday! We're due for a storm tonight, and the sky is already getting dark, so I thought I'd bring a little color -- and nostalgia -- to this gloomy evening.

 

Supplies (all Taylored Expressions unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Mini Strips - Fun and Funny, Whole Llama Love

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!); Cookie Monster, Lime Zest, Pineapple, Plum Punch, Candy Corn card stock

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

Accessories: Build-a-Scene - Trees dies, Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate, Splatter embossing folder, Brick embossing folder, 3/8" circle punch (Stampin' Up!), googly eyes (Inkadinkadoo), Brights Candy Dots (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

Almost exactly three years ago, I shared a card featuring these characters that remind me so much of the Muppets. I loved watching The Muppet Show on TV as a kid, and one of my all-time favorite Christmas albums is John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together. I still listen to it multiple times every year, and since we have an Amazon Echo I can ask Alexa to play it whenever, and I don't have to dig out the CD. :)

But back to the card. I used six of the different treetop dies from the Build-a-Scene - Trees die set and chose six fun, bright card stock colors. I cut a few of each shape from each color of card stock and then mixed and matched them to create the heads and hair. (That sounds much simpler than it was; I kept moving around pieces, and I changed my mind I don't know how many times before I finally glued everything together.) I added googly eyes, and for the mouths, I punched 3/8" black circles and then cut them in half. For a few of the characters I also added Candy Dots for their noses.

The card bases are pretty straightforward. I embossed four card bases (two with a splatter texture and two with a brick wall texture) and then added a scalloped frame. (For the Lime Zest card base, I stamped the sentiment on a strip of white card stock and adhered that to the card base before adding the frame.) Using foam tape I added four faces in each frame and then finished with the sentiments. No need for extra embellishments with these fun characters!

 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

 

Making cards with stickers

Earlier this summer I found a new-to-me company called JD+Brooklyn, which specializes in diverse stickers for planners or journals. I have not gotten into the planner culture, but while I was browsing all the awesome sticker designs, I found several sets that I thought would be really fun for card-making, including fairies, ice cream treats, cute little animals dressed like pirates, and fun pandas. I haven't had a chance to use all of them yet, but I do have a few cards to share with the fairies and ice cream treats.

Supplies:

Stamps: Pure Magic (Essentials by Ellen), Twinkle Twinkle Background (Taylored Expressions), December 2018 My Monthly Hero kit (Hero Arts)

Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Basic Black, Gorgeous Grape card stock (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: VersaMark, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); journaling pen (Stampin' Up!)

Accessories: Fairy stickers (JD+Brooklyn), Frost White shimmer paint (Tsukineko), Opaque Bright White embossing powder (WOW!), Layering Squares dies (Stampin' Up!), Princess sequins (Craft Medley), Moonshine confetti (Hero Arts), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), sponge dauber (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

I love these little fairies sitting on the mushroom houses, and they are perfect for the magic- and fairy-related sentiment stamps I have. For the purple card, I adhered the largest sticker to a square of white card stock, matted it with a black scalloped square, and then set it aside while I made the card base. I wanted a magical-looking background, so I applied Frost White shimmer paint to the Twinkle Twinkle Background stamp and then stamped it on a purple card base. When the shimmer paint was dry, I stamped the sentiment near the bottom of the card with VersaMark ink and embossed it with white embossing powder. I added the focal panel with foam tape and scattered some purple sequins to finish the card.

I wanted to do something different for the second card, so I went the clean-and-simple route. Using a thick white card base, I stamped the sentiment near the lower right corner and adhered the sticker above the sentiment. Then I used a journaling marker to draw a whimsical border around the whole card. For a little embellishment, I added some sparkly Moonshine confetti. I wasn't sure how this card would turn out, but I actually think it's my favorite of the two!

Supplies:

Stamps: Here's the Scoop (Concord & 9th)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Lovely Lipstick, Gorgeous Grape card stock (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

Accessories: Stickers (JD+Brooklyn), Here's the Scoop dies (Concord & 9th), Layering Circles and Stitched Shapes dies, Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

This sticker sheet had four rows of the same six stickers, so I decided to use one row per card and then add the extra stickers inside the cards. These images worked perfectly for a grid layout, so I die cut eighteen small stitched white circles and added stickers on them. Then I matted those circles with scalloped circles in coordinating card stock colors and adhered six circles to each Crumb Cake card base. To add a sentiment, I stamped a perfect "You're so sweet" on little die-cut banners and used Dimensionals to add one to each card.

Inside the cards I added a white panel stamped with a big "Happy Birthday!" sentiment and two more stickers in the bottom right corner.

I also want to add that I had a great customer service experience with JD+Brooklyn. After my order initially shipped, I waited awhile, but it never arrived. The tracking info for the order never even updated, so it must have been stuck somewhere. But the company re-sent my order, and I received that one just fine. Yay! So check them out if you're looking for some fun stickers for your planner or journal -- or for making cards!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

 

Stencils and ink blending

Today I'm going to share three cards that don't use any stamped images. Instead they feature colorful backgrounds made with stencils and ink blending.

Supplies:
Stamps: Big Hello, Mini Strips - Fun & Funny (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Guava, Candy Corn, Pineapple, Lime Zest, Cookie Monster, Oreo (Taylored Expressions)
Accessories: Folk Art Tulip stencil (Taylored Expressions), Mini Strips die (Taylored Expressions), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), blender brushes (Taylored Expressions), sparkling cleaar sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

Rainbows always make for a happy hello! I love how the pattern on this stencil lends itself to columns (or rows) of color, so I chose five colors and blended them over the stencil in rainbow order. With all that color and pattern, I decided to skip an image and just let a sentiment by the focal point. I chose a bold, script "hello" and stamped it with black ink in the middle of the stenciled panel. (I used a stamp platform so I could stamp the image several times and get good coverage over the blended ink.) I stamped a small "hola" and "bonjour" around the "hello" and then added a sentiment strip for a little dimension. I love all the different ways to say "hello"! I rounded two opposite corners of the stamped panel, adhered it to a black card base, and finished it off with three clusters of clear sequins,

Supplies:
Stamps: Say It Big (Unity Stamp Co.)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Poppy Parade, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Up!); Oreo (Taylored Expressions)
Accessories: Basic Pattern Decorative Masks (Stampin' Up!), blender brushes (Taylored Expressions), Artistry Blooms sequins (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M)

For this card design, I used basically the same techniques as the previous card, but with three ink colors instead of five for the background. I also blended them horizontally over the stencil rather than vertically. I stamped the large part of the sentiment directly on the blended background and added the small "happy" on a banner. I adhered the blended panel to a layer of black card stock (leaving a tiny border) and then mounted it on a white card base. To embellish the card I added three orange sequins; they're hard to see in the photo because I placed them on orange polka dots, but I liked how that looked.

Supplies:
Stamps: Drop a Note (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Sugar Cube, Guava card stock (Taylored Expressions)
Ink: Guava, Pineapple (Taylored Expressions); Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Birds & Blooms stencil (Taylored Expressions), blender brushes (Taylored Expressions), Mini Treat Bag dies (Stampin' Up!), Glaze & Glue (Craft Fantastic), foam tape (3M), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

 

For the last card, I blended just two ink colors over the stencil, Guava on top and Pineapple on the bottom, meeting in a bit of peach in the middle. I rounded the corners of the panel and adhered it to a Guava card base. I stamped the sentiment on a strip of white card stock, trimmed the right side into a banner end and adhered it to the card base (using foam tape) so it was flush with the left edge of the card base. To finish the card, I die cut three small hearts from Guava card stock, coated them with clear glaze so they looked like enamel shapes, and glued them to the card base when they were dry.

I don't do a lot of ink blending, but these cards make me want to pull out my stencils more often. Thanks for stopping by!

Belated blog birthday

Note: I worked on this blog post over three days this week. Finished it yesterday, hit Preview to make sure it looked okay before publishing, and it was gone. Everything except the post title disappeared into who knows where. Sigh. Yesterday was not a great day to start with, and that just about put me over the edge. But today seems better, so I'm going to try this again.

Earlier this week my sister reminded me that Aug. 1 was my blog's birthday. I missed it. Oops. So as a belated celebration of nine years of blogging, I'm going to share five birthday cards made with the Wish Big Peek-a-Boo Parts stamp set from Hero Arts.

This stamp set includes a large background stamp as well as a number of smaller images and sentiments sized to work with the Peek-a-Boo dies from Hero Arts (although I only used the die for one of these cards).

Supplies:
Stamps: Wish Big Peek-a-Boo Parts (Hero Arts)
Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Tangelo Twist, Daffodil Delight, Call Me Clover, Pacific Point (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: It's Your Day die (Simon Says Stamp), Nesting Squares Rounded Quickutz dies (We R Memory Keepers), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

One of the first techniques I wanted to try with the background stamp was rainbow stripes. I placed the stamp on my stamp positioner, used mini ink cubes to apply ink across the stamp in stripes, and then stamped it on white card stock. I had a little ink smear on the stamped panel, so rather than tossing the whole piece, I used a square die to cut up the panel and then mounted the piece on black card stock. On top of the stamped panel I added a black die-cut sentiment that lets some of the colors peek through.

For the card base I actually used the small images in the stamp set. I stamped the images, and a few of the sentiments, all over a white card base using black ink. Then I adhered the focal panel using foam tape and finished the card with some clear sequins.

Supplies:
Stamps: Wish Big Peek-a-Boo Parts (Hero Arts), Simple Strips - Birthday (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Call Me Clover, Pacific Point card stock (Stampin' Up!); Brights 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper (DSP) (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Tangleo Twist, Daffodil Delight, Call Me Clover, Pacific Point (Stampin' Up!); Oreo (Taylored Expressions)
Accessories: Wonky Stitched Circles dies (My Favorite Things), Simple Strips die (Taylored Expressions), Balloons dies (Simon Says Stamp), white crochet thread (DMC), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

For this card, I used the same technique to ink and stamp the background image, but this time I cut it out with a circle die instead of a square. I die cut three balloons from coordinating card stock, tied a bow to the largest balloon, and adhered them to the stamped circle.

For the card base, I cut two pieces of yellow DSP - I think the stripes and polka dots look so cute together - and glued them to the front of a white card. Then I used foam tape to add the focal piece near the top of the card and a sentiment strip below it. I didn't add any extra embellishment on this card so it was a little more guy-friendly.

Supplies:
Stamps: Wish Big Peek-a-Boo Parts (Hero Arts), Simple Strips - Birthday (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Whisper White, Pacific Point card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Poppy Parade, Tangelo Twist, Daffodil Delight, Cucumber Crush, Pacific Point (Stampin' Up!); Oreo (Taylored Expressions)
Accessories: Happy Birthday die (Stampin' Up!), Simple Strips die (Taylored Expressions), Rhythm 'n Blues sequins (Craft Medley), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

For this card, I stuck with the multicolored background, but this time I used the ink cubes to create random "splotches" of color instead of stripes. One tip to keep in mind with this technique: Start by applying the lightest color first and work your way to the darkest. That way you don't end up with blue ink on a yellow ink pad. Once that was done, I adhered the panel to a blue card base.

For the focal image, I used a large die-cut "Happy Birthday." I cut out the sentiment a few times and layered the pieces together to create some dimension on the card base. I added a sentiment strip using foam tape and finished off with three blue sequins.

Supplies:
Stamps: Wish Big Peek-a-Boo Parts (Hero Arts)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Basic Black, vellum card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black (Tsukineko); Blends markers - Poppy Parade, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Clear embossing powder (Stampamania), Birthday Wishes Frame die (Simon Says Stamp), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Scor-Tape (Scor-Pal)

For this card I stamped the background image on a white card base using black ink and then embossed it with clear embossing powder. I used alcohol markers to color in some of the images and then rounded the corners of the card base.

To make the focal image, I die-cut a Polaroid-style frame with a "Birthday Wishes" sentiment from black card stock. (This is the same die I used for one of the cards in the Sending tropical sunshine post. I just trimmed off the words for that card.) I backed the die cut with a piece of vellum, and attached it to the card base at an angle. I think the vellum works perfectly here; it doesn't completely hide the colored images behind it, and it also helps the scripty text stand out from the busy background.

Supplies:
Stamps: Wish Big Peek-a-Boo Parts, Mini Messages (Hero Arts)
Paper: Granny Apple Green, thick Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Granny Apple Green (Stampin' Up!); Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Blends markers - Granny Apple Green, Poppy Parade, Mango Melody, Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!); Stardust Gelli Roll pen (Sakura)
Accessories: Peek-a-Boo Doors die (Hero Arts), twine (Stampin' Up!), rhinestones (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

Finally I pulled out the Peek-a-Boo Doors die to use with this stamp set. I wanted the front of this card to be monochromatic, so the images and words behind the doors really pop when you open them. I stamped the background image on a piece green card stock using the same color ink. Then I ran the panel through my die-cutting machine with the Peek-a-Boo Doors die (that creates all the little flaps) and set it aside to make the card base.

There are a couple of tricks you can do to make sure you are stamping the images in the right places on the card base. One option is to use the die with a piece of scratch card stock to make a template. Just cut off the flaps, place it over your card base (use a bit of temporary adhesive if desired) and stamp in the openings. What I did was to open the card base, place the die on the card front and then run it through your die-cutting machine with an embossing plate instead of a cutting plate. That will create little indentations where the doors would normally be, and you can just stamp in the boxes. You will, however, be able to see the indentations on the back of the card front, so if that will bother you, I'd go with a template. Either way, be sure you have the right orientation of the template or die, so that when you adhere the panel to the card base, the flaps line up with the images. And be sure not to glue the flaps closed!

The front of the card looked a little too plain to me, so I used a Stardust Gelli Roll pen to color in the stars on the front of the card. I also placed a rhinestone on each of the gift images and added a small twine bow.

There you have it - five cards using different layouts or techniques with the same stamp set. (I did a similar post a few weeks ago: A taste of the tropics.) If you like this format, let me know and I'll try to do more posts like this in the future.

Thanks for stopping by today and being part of my nine years blogging! I'll have to plan something special (and remember it!) for next year.