Twin baptism cards

Just before Thanksgiving, one of my cousins had twins. Today is their baptism, and although I wasn't able to attend, I wanted to make them cards. And since they are twins, I used the same card design in two different colors.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Hello Friend, Happy Wishes (Wplus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Petal Pink card stock
Ink: So Saffron, Petal Pink, Soft Seafoam
Accessories: Lattice die, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, 1-1/4" scalloped circle punch, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Share What You Love Artisan Pearls, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

I wish the lighting was better in these pictures, but I had to get the cards in the mail, so I didn't have a chance to retake them. At any rate, if you are a regular visitor at my blog, this layout may look familiar. Religious cards are the most challenging ones for me to make because I don't buy many religious stamps. So for these cards, I fell back on my tried-and-true method of trimming down a Lattice die cut into a cross. (If you want to see the other cards, check out these posts: Baptism times three, Soft and simple baptism card, and First communion card.) I do try to change up the backgrounds so the cards aren't exactly the same.

For these cards, I used soft pink, yellow, and green to stamp a wreath and flowers on panels of white card stock. I rounded the corners and adhered each layer to a coordinating card base. I added a punched scalloped circle in the middle of the wreath and then glued down the cross. In the center of the cross I added two small white flower punches and a tiny colored pearl.

Inside each card I added a white panel stamped with a sentiment in the coordinating ink. I also stamped a couple of leaf clusters to fill in the space a little and to bring in another color.

Thanks for stopping by!

Flowers and foliage

I'm finally nearing the end of my 2019 cards. Just a few more posts, and then I can move on to new projects. So without further ado, here is a collection of cards featuring lots of flowers and foliage.

Supplies:
Stamps: Crimson Morning 1001, Distress Frame 985 (Rubbernecker Stamps)
Paper: Royal Ultra White Felt watercolor paper (The Paper Cut); Lemon Lime Twist, Basic Black, Real Red card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Color Burst powders - Lemon Yellow, Marigold, Fuschia, Chartreuse, Pthalo Green (Ken Oliver Crafts)
Accessories: Scripty Hello die (Lawn Fawn), Go Green sequins (Craft Medley), Art GLitter GLue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)


I made this card after I took a couple of classes with Rubbernecker Stamps at the Stamp and Scrapbook Expo last summer. I still need to practice more with my Color Burst Powders, but this one was better than some of my earlier attempts.

The "hello" was cut out of red card stock multiple times and then layered together to help it stand out.

Supplies:
Stamps: From the Vault Aged Shadow, Antique Bee and Flowers (Hero Arts)
Paper: Thick Very Vanilla card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Sandy Beach (Gina K Designs), VersaFine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), metallic art pencils (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Clear embossing powder (Stampamania), All Year Cheer washi tape (Stampin' Up!)


I love this stamp image, and apparently a lot of other people do, too, because for a long time every time I tried to order it, it was out of stock. Once I finally got it, I had to use it to make a couple of quick, clean and simple cards.

This card was inspired by one I had seen online (and can't seem to find again to provide a link). It's one layer, with a neutral color palette and metallic accents - a good all-occasion card to have on hand.

Supplies:
Stamps: Antique Bee and Flowers (Hero Arts)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Crumb Cake card stock (Stampin' Up!); gold foil sheets (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Crumb Cake (Stampin' Up!), gold paint pen (Sharpie)
Accessories: Clear embossing powder (Stampamania), Circles Collection and Deco Labels dies (Stampin' Up!), Bitty Banner punch (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M)

This card has a similar color palette, but I added a few layers. It's hard to see in the photo, but I also added gold splatter to the card base.

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Wishes (Wplus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Cucumber Crush, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!); Neutrals Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Cucumber Crush (Stampin' Up!), Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Wreath Builder Template (Gina K Designs), Finishing Touches edge dies (Stampin' Up!), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), twine (unknown), pearls (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M)


For this card and the next one, I used my Gina K Designs Wreath Builder template to create the focal images. On this card, I positioned the stamp so the stem part of the repeated image forms a circle. I left the wreath green and accented it with a few pearls.

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Wishes (Wplus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Cucumber Crush, Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Cucumber Crush, Flirty Flamingo, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Wreath Builder Template (Gina K Designs), Circles Collection dies (Stampin' Up!), Happy Wishes Words die (WPlus9 Design Studio), white tea lace paper doily (Stampin' Up!), 2016-18 In Color enamel shapes (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M)

For this wreath, I angled the leaf image so they aren't connected when stamped with the template. I filled in the empty spaces with little pink, red, and yellow flowers and pink enamel dots.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Hope for Comfort
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White card stock; Pocket Blossom card stock stack (DCWV)
Ink: Crumb Cake
Accessories: Detailed Floral dies, Bitty Butterfly punch, pearls, foam tape (3M)


The flowers are more subtle on this card, but I think that and the soothing color palette are appropriate for the sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps: Mondo Wildflower (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!); watercolor paper (Strathmore)
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); ZIG Clean Color Real Brush markers - 021, 020, 050, 052, 040, 036, 037, 067, 041, 065, 043, 803, 080 (Kuretake)
Accessories: Mondo Wildflower dies (Essentials by Ellen), Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate (Taylored Expressions), jute twine (May Arts Ribbon), clear droplets (Pretty Pink Posh), sequins (Craft Medley), clear embossing powder (Stampamania), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), foam tape (3M)

I'm happy with how the large flowers turned out in these images, but the cluster of little flowers gave me fits when I made these cards. I could not figure out what colors to use for them, and I'm not crazy about either of my choices.

Supplies:
Stamps: A Happy Hello (Gina K Design)
Paper: Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!), Slate card stock (Gina K Designs)
Ink: Slate, Lucky Clover, Tangerine Twist, Coral Reef (Gina K Designs)
Accessories: Happiness Blooms enamel dots


My plan for this card was to have an all-flower background with most of the flowers in a neutral and a pop of colorful flowers. I didn't like the end result as much as I'd hoped, though; I think because the gray is a little too dark and it detracts from the color.

Supplies:
Stamps: Wild at Heart (Gina K Designs)
Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Gina K Designs)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineno); left card - Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up!); right card - Passion Pink, Sweet Mango, Wild Dandelion, Key Lime, Sea Glass (Gina K Designs)
Accessories: Sparkling Silk (Fun Stampers Journey), black and white twine (Stampin' Up!), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), rhinestones (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

This background stamp is so pretty, and it comes with some wonderful sentiments. For the card on the left, I applied ink to the stamp with ink cubes, dragging each cube across the stamp in a straight line and overlapping the colors just a bit. I think it will be fun to try some other inking techniques with this stamp, too.

Thanks for stopping by (and making it through another long post)!

Bookmarks and rainbow cards

I have a friend who teaches yoga, and for the last several years I've created little gifts for her to give her students over the holidays. This past Christmas we decided to make bookmarks with space on the back for people to record the books they read during the year.

Supplies:
Stamps: Struggle Is Part of It (Unity Stamp Company), Book Club (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist, Brights Collection card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Poppy Parade Blends markers (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: ZIG Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen (Kuretake), scalloped circle punch (Stampin' Up!), silver elastic cord (Stampin' Up!), Mono Multi liquid glue (Tombo)

I played around with many different designs, but because I would be mass producing the bookmarks and time was limited, I decided to go with this clean and simple layout. I trimmed all the white layers and then stamped the stack of books and the sentiment using black ink. (I used a stamp positioner so it was easy to get the images stamped correctly every time.) I colored the little heart with a red marker and added clear glitter over the pages of the stamped books. It's a nice subtle sparkle; I wish you could see it in this picture.

To add a pop of color, I mounted the bookmarks on a rainbow of card stock. I used all the colors from the Stampin' Up! Brights Collection and added in the retired Lemon Lime Twist. (I made four of each color for a total of 44 bookmarks.)

I created the layer for the back of the bookmarks on the computer. I set up a table in a Word document and sized the table cells to fit the back of the bookmark (I think I was able to get four per page). In each table cell, I added the heading at the top and blank lines all the way down. Once that was set up, I printed the pages, cut apart the cells and glued them to the back of each bookmark.

I also added a coupon for a free yoga class to each bookmark. I typed and printed the text, cut it out with a scalloped circle punch, and tied it on a length of silver elastic cord. Then I slipped the elastic around the bookmarks.

I think one of my favorite things about these bookmarks was seeing them all stacked together in this gorgeous rainbow. Isn't it pretty? That rainbow inspired me, and since I had lots of uniform card stock strips left over from cutting the bookmark bases, I created a few rainbow cards.

Supplies:
Stamps: Dance, Sing, Love (Penny Black), Simple Strips Background (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Basic Black, vellum, Lemon Lime Twist, Brights Collection card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Smile die (Gina K Designs), Simple Strips die (Taylored Expressions), black enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet), foam tape (3M)

Oh, I love these cards! They're so simple, but very striking. I adhered skinny strips of the colored card stock at a diagonal on white card bases and then trimmed off whatever went past the edges. (For one of the cards, I glued the strips on white card stock and then adhered that to a white card base. For the other, I adhered the strips directly to the white card base.) I finished the first card by adding a layer of vellum card stock stamped with a quote. For the second card I added a die-cut word and a stamped sentiment strip. I added a few black enamel dots to each card. (The dot on the letter I in smile is an enamel dot. I always seem to lose track of those little pieces, and enamel dots are a great solution.)

Supplies:
Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist, Brights Collection card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Signo white gel pen (Uni-ball)
Accessories: Hello die (Gina K Designs), Bold Butterfly dies (Stampin' Up!), rhinestones (Stampin' Up!)

I really wanted to make a card with all the colors together, so I went with this long layout, sometimes called a slimline card. It's about 4" wide and 9" tall and fits in a business-sized envelope.

For this card I glued the card stock strips onto a piece of white card stock which I adhered to a  white card base. Using white instead of black as the accent color, I doodled a border around the edges with a gel pen and then added two die-cut butterflies and a die-cut hello. I placed two rhinestones along the body of each butterfly and then scattered a few more rhinestones around the card.

I wanted to make a second card this size, but after I glued all the strips down to a white layer, I discovered that one of them must have been cut just slightly crooked. The top half of the strips was straight, and the bottom half was definitely not! So I cut that panel in half, trimmed the wonky half so the strips were straight and created two cards instead.

Supplies:  
Paper: Whisper White, thick Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist, Brights Collection card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Hugs Sugar Script die (Birch Press Design), Birthday Pop-Up dies (Stampin' Up!), ZIG Wink of Sella cclear glitter brush pen (Kuretake), white enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet), foam tape (3M)

I finished these cards in basically the same way as the others: die cuts and enamel dots. I like how the colors of each card combined with the font of the sentiments gives one card a more feminine feel, and one looks a little more masculine.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a day filled with rainbows!

Animal antics

I'm back with another group of cards from 2019, and this bunch is all about the animals. (Most of these are also birthday cards because that seems to be what I always need.)

Supplies:
Stamps: Say What? Pets, Critter Chatter: Pets (Lawn Fawn)
Paper: Gray Granite, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Gray Granite (Stampin' Up!), alcohol markers (Artify)
Accessories: Say What? Pets dies and Speech Bubble Backdrop die (Lawn Fawn), Mini Strips die (Taylored Expressions), foam tape (3M)

And here is the inside:

Supplies:
Stamps: Say What? Pets (Lawn Fawn)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), alcohol markers (Artify)
Accessories: Say What? Pets dies (Lawn Fawn), Wonky Stitched Circles dies (My Favorite Things), clear droplets (Pretty Pink Posh), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

Supplies:
Stamps: Paw-some stamp and die combo (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: 110-lb Solar White card stock (Neenah); Balmy Blue, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Blends/Blendabilities alcohol markers - Poppy Parade, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Balmy Blue, Soft Suede, Mocha, Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Partly Cloudy dies (Honey Bee Stamps), Grassy Border die (Lawn Fawn), clear droplets (Pretty Pink Posh), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

Supplies:
Stamps: February 2018 My Monthly Hero Kit (Hero Arts)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaFine Clair Nocturne (Tsukineko); Twisted Citron, Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide inks (Ranger)
Accessories: Wonky Stitched Circles dies (My Favorite Things), clear embossing powder (Stampamania), Go Green sequins (Craft Medley), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

This card is similar to one I submitted for a card contest last summer (see Aug. 3, 2019, post). I decided to submit the other card because I thought the circles and feathers on this one covered too much of the bird background.

Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Party (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Bermuda Bay card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Colored pencils (Prismacolor), Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Backyard Party dies (Essentials by Ellen), Bright Candy Dots (Stampin' Up!), Banners dies (Stampin' Up!),Taylored Expressions), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)

This last group of cards all feature the same images. I stamped, colored and die cut a whole bunch of the animals and accessories, divided them up and then worked them into cards.

Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Party (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!), 120-lb white card stock (Purely Simple Paper)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), colored pencils (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Backyard Party dies (Essentials by Ellen), black and white baker's twine (Stampin' Up!), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Gamsol kit (Taylored Expressions), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)


That little tuft of grass stamp makes a perfect little background accent.

Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Party (Essentials by Ellen), Distressed Dots (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Real Red (Stampin' Up!), colored pencils (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Backyard Party dies (Essentials by Ellen), Wonky Stitched Circles dies (My Favorite Things), black enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet), Gamsol kit (Taylored Expressions), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)


There are all kinds of circles on this card: focal layers, balloon, enamel dot, the background, and even the snail's shell and the chipmunk's hat.

Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Party (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), colored pencils (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Backyard Party dies (Essentials by Ellen), Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate (Taylored Expressions), Dazzling Metallic sequins (Craft Medley), Gamsol kit (Taylored Expressions), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)


I love how the die-cut frame really brings attention to the owl.

Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Party (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!), 120-lb white card stock (Purely Simple Paper)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), colored pencils (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Backyard Party dies (Essentials by Ellen), washi tape (Stampin' Up!), Baby mix sequins (Craft Medley), Gamsol kit (Taylored Expressions), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)


I used a strip of washi tape to make the ground. The stripes make me think of Abbey Road!

Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Party (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pacific Point card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), colored pencils (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Backyard Party dies (Essentials by Ellen), Wonky Stitched Circles dies (My Favorite Things), Decorative Dots embossing folder (Stampin' Up!), Gamsol kit (Taylored Expressions), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)


I love all those little critters with their party accessories!











Thanks so much for stopping by for another card smorgasbord. I've still got a few more left, and then I can finally start working on some new cards and projects!

2020 'bear-y' fun easel desk calendar

Happy New Year! The first day of 2020 seems like the perfect time to share the desk calendars I made as Christmas gifts this year. I always look forward to making the calendars, but I think I would enjoy the process a bit more if I wasn't stressed about finishing them right before Christmas. So this year I saved a little bit of design time by making all six calendars the same and using (for the most part) the same stamps and dies for all of the pages. I love the Bear Ware stamps from Ellen Hutson, and they were perfect for the calendars.

Supplies:
Stamps: All Inside, Bear Ware, Bear Ware 2, Bear Ware 4, Warm Fuzzies, Retro Holiday Greetings (all Ellen Hutson), Ocean Borders (Honey Bee Stamps)
Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar, Close to Cocoa, Pool Party, Blush Blossom, Calypso Coral, Soft Sea Foam, Highland Heather, Balmy Blue, So Saffron, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Real Red card stock (Stampin' Up!), tear-off calendars (Taylored Expressions)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Pool Party, Blush Blossom, Calypso Coral, Soft Sea Foam, Lavender Lace, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Pumpkin Pie (Stampin' Up!); Signo white gel pen (Uni-ball); gold paint pen (Sharpie); various alcohol markers (Copic, Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: All Inside, Bear Ware, Bear Ware 2, Bear Ware 4 dies (all Ellen Hutson); Pattern Party Decorative Masks (Stampin' Up!); blender brush (Picket Fence Studios); white embossing powder (Hero Arts); foam tape (3M); Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute); clear card boxes (Taylored Expressions)

For each month I decided on a theme and then stamped, colored and die cut the bear and all the little accessories to create that page for each calendar. Here are closer pictures of the pages:

The calendar pages are the size of an A2 card (4-1/4" x 5-1/2"), so each completed calendar fit perfectly in one of the clear card boxes from Taylored Expressions. I did turn every other page upside-down to even out the thickness of the stack.

I think these turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself. And I hope the recipients enjoy using them throughout the year! Thanks for stopping by!