Sunshine

  

For this card, I pulled some Simon Says Stamp cardstock and decided to play with color. I also wanted to create a slightly smaller card, so I prepped a base that measures 3 3/4 by 5".

I started by die-cutting the rectangle out of dandelion cardstock. I then stamped the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp's You Are My Sunshine stamp set in Versamark ink, then embossed it in white.

I then got to work on the background. I cut 1 1/4" strips from smoke and slate, two colors you can find in this pack. I adhered them to a piece of printer paper, making sure they were pressed against each other and lined up straight. I took the panel over to my Bigshot and cut out the same recangular shape out of the middle of the panel.

I adhered the panel to the card base, then popped in the dandelion rectangle for an in-laid diecut technique.

As a last step, I added a few orange enamel dots from Studio Calico's Yellow & Orange enamel set. They were a perfect color match!

Supplies:

Simon Says Stamp You are my sunshine stamp and die set

Simon Says Stamp 100#lbs cardstock in Dandelion, Smoke and Slate

Tsukineko Versamark embossing ink pad

Hero Arts White embossing powder

Studio Calico Yellow & orange enamel set

Fox Hello

This card was a result of a bout of insomnia. It was too hot, and I just couldn't fall asleep, so I made a card.

I started with the Gorjuss The Fox stamp set and Copics. I recently got a bunch of new Copic colors, including the color E08 - which is labelled "Brown", but it looks more reddish to me. I thought it would make an interesting hair color. I stamped the girl and the two foxes on some Copic marker paper. I colored in the skin first, then the reddish brown hair. From there, I chose a teal for her dress and a more yellow orange for the tail and the foxes.After they were colored, I carefully cut them out with my scissors.

I looked through a few paper pads, and found Simple Stories: Say Cheese. It had some great patterns and a starry paper that had a mustard-like tone. Since it echoed the stars on the girl's dress, I thought it was the perfect background to use.

I created the base from navy cardstock, then cut a piece of deep orange cardstock to measure 3 3/4 by 5". I cut the patterned paper to measure 3 1/2 by 4 3/4, and adhered them together. After adhering the girl and the foxes, I realized there wasn't a whole lot of room left over for a sentiment, so I die-cut a small "hello" from the navy cardstock.

Lastly, I added a few strips of washi tape for an extra touch of color.

Supplies:
Gorjuss The Fox stamp set
MFT Hybrid Ink in Black licorice
Simon Says Stamp Heavyweight 100#lbs cardstock in Soft Navy and Burnt Orange
Simon Says Stamp small hello die
Copics: Skin (E00, E11, E13, R20), Hair (E08, E37, E59), Dress/boots (Y11, BG11, BG23, BG34, BG18), Socks (C2, E44, E27), Fox (Y13, Y35, YR14, YR68)
Kelly Purkey Teal Polkadots washi tape
Freckled Fawn washi tape

SOG-Threshold

I bought Some Odd Girl's Threshold Mae stamp a few weeks ago now, but I have not had the time to sit down and make a proper wedding card. I don't know why, but wedding cards are really challenging for me. Maybe it has to do with the fact that a lot of them are very white or minimal, and I really like color...

Anyway, I put the stamp aside for a while and worked on a whole bunch of other cards. But the gorgeous stamp kept calling out to be used, so I decided to at the very least stamp it out and color it with my Copics.

I wanted to make an ombré effect with her dress, so it was white dress that tinged to a purple/pink at the bottom - a bit like an orchid petal. I'm actually really pleased with how it turned out, it's evem better than what I had in my head.

After I finished coloring, I just couldn't let the image sit there. So, I whipped up a quick background.

I used Mama Elephant's Femme Frames to cut out  a scalloped blue panel and a stitched white panel. While I had my Bigshot out, I also grabbed a piece of patterned paper and die-cut it into a decorative frame.

I adhered all the elements together, then boggled for a while on decorations. I finally decided to just add some pearls and some flowers in the upper right corner. I couldn't stick with just white flowers, of course, so I chose some colorful paper flowers.

And there it is. Maybe not perfect, but some parts of it are nice. :)

Supplies:
Some Odd Girl Threshold Mae
Mama Elephant Femme Frames dies
Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 21 die
Simon Says Stamp Soft Navy 100#lbs cardstock
Neenah Solar White 110#lbs
Copics: Skin (E00, E11, E13), Hair/Eyes (E23, E37, E57, E59, B45, B37),  Suit/flower (W2, W4, W6, W8, 100 Black, R34, R46, R59), Dress/veil (RV00, V01, V95, B000, B00, C2, C4, 0 Colorless Blender)
Sakura Gellyroll white gel pen
Black and white pearls

Wedding Wishes

Avery Elle posted a new challenge in their challenge blog:

 

I decided to make a wedding card using Avery Elle's newly released So Happy stamp set.

I started by grabbing a piece of vellum and stamping the sentiment in Versamark ink. I then embossed it in gold and set it aside to work on the rest of the card.

I cut a piece of Avery Elle birch woodgrain cardstock to 4 1/4 by 5 1/2, and then diecut a window in the middle. I cut a piece of dark blue cardstock to measure slightly larger than the window. I created a diamond pattern by scoring the cardstock with my scoreboard.

After adhering the blue panel to the card base with tape adhesive,  I added white pearls to each of the diamond corners.

I wrapped the vellum with the sentiment around the woodgrain panel and adhered it to the card with foam squares.

As a last touch, I added some golden sequins.

Supplies:

Stamp: Avery Elle So Happy stamp

Ink: Tsukineko Versamark Ink

Card Stock: Avery Elle Birch Woodgrain heavyweight cardstock, Avery Elle Sapphire heavyweight cardstock, Bazzill Vellum 40lbs

Melissa Frances pearls

Avery Elle Gold Premium Sequins

Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares

Ranger Studio multi-matte adhesive

Starry Camping Scene (Lawn Fawn)

As you've probably noticed, I'm a big fan of Lawn Fawn. Their stamps have an adorable style, but -and this is very important- all of their sets have a charming style that matches. So, you can take a piece from one stamp set and another piece from a different set and end up with a card that just works.

For this card, I wanted to create a kind of camping scene, and just have fun with color.

I started by preparing my base by cutting a piece of woodgrain cardstock to measure 4 1/4 by 11". I scored it at half-way point to create a top-folding A2 card. I also cut a piece of white cardstock to measure 4" by 5 1/4".

I stamped a starry background from Lawn Fawn's Starry Backdrops. I used a yellow pigment ink and I stamped the stars twice, one below the other. Immediately after, I embossed the stars with clear embossing powder. This meant the stars would resist other ink and I could get to work on the rest of the sky.

I started with the lightest blue color and I used my blending tool to go all around the sky. I then moved to the medium ink and focused mainly on the top. Lastly, I used a dark color only near the top of the panel. This created a pretty great gradient background.

After the sky was done, I wanted to make the ground, so I grabbed another piece of white cardstock and cut along the top in a curvy shape to create ground. I used a combination of 3 green distress inks. I adhered it to the star panel.

For the rest of the scene, I pulled out 3 more Lawn Fawn stamp sets:
- The car and camper van came from Happy Trails
- The large pine tree is from Critters in the Forest
- The bear and the crescent moon are from the newly released Love You S'more

I stamped all of the scene elements onto Copic marker paper and colored them in using my Copics. All three of these sets have dies, but I wanted them to blend into the background, so I fussy-cut them with scissors.

I spent a little time playing with the positioning of all the pieces. When I was happy, I adhered them with tape runner or foam adhesive. The scene looked complete without any other embellishments, so I left it alone.

Supplies:
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Starry Backdrops, Lawn Fawn Happy Trails, Lawn Fawn Critters in the Forest, Lawn Fawn Love You S'more
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in Black Licorice, Memento Luxe pigment ink in Dandelion, Ranger Distress Ink in Broken China, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire (blues), Bundled Sage, Mowed Lawn and Peeled Paint (greens)
Cardstock: Simon Says Stamp Kraft Woodgrain cardstock, Neenah Solar White 80 lbs cardstock, Copic Marker Paper
Copics: Moon (Y13, Y35, YR12), Camper van/Car (E35, E37, W2, W4, C6, Y13, Y35, YR12, B91, B95, B18, R22, R35), Bear (E23, E37, E29, E59, E42, E50), Pine Tree ( G43, YG67, G29)
Hero Arts Clear Embossing Powder
Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares

Thinking of You

I received my Simon Says Stamp card kit this morning, and just had to play with the goodies right away.

When they first unveiled the kit, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to get it or not. I actually already bought the patterned paper that comes with the kit, as well as the chevron washi tape. And I already had the Schoolhouse Red ink, which is similar to the ink in the kit. But I saw a few of the inspiration cards and videos, and decided it was something I wanted in my collection.

And I'm glad I got it! I love the stamp set, especially since the sentiments can be used elsewhere, and they're nice and bold (so they stamp and emboss great). Plus it's nice to just play around with the patterned paper and know I don't need to save any of it because I've got a back-up pad in my stash.

For this card, I wanted to make something that looked like a big envelope - without using an actual envelope.

I started by preparing the base by cutting a piece of red cardstock from the kit in half, and scoring/folding it to the standard A2 size (4 1/4 by 5 1/2"). I then cut a piece of the busy tiny chevron paper to measure 3 3/4 by 5". I adhered it to the base.

Then I got to work on the large mock envelope. I cut a piece of patterned paper to measure 2 3/4 by 3 3/4. I stamped "Thinking of You" in black near the bottom right, where the address would be. I also stamped the round "hello" with the Lipstick Red ink from the kit on a separate piece of white cardstock and cut it out with a circle paper punch. I adhered it to the top right of the envelope, so it would look like a stamp.

I used the skinny stamp to stamp the bottom of the envelope: once in lipstick red, and once in navy. I also added a puffy sticker from the kit to the upper left side of the envelope. The envelope wasn't popping from the page to my liking, so I matted it with a piece of plain black cardstock. I adhered it to the card base with foam squares.

I stamped a few of the envelopes on a piece of white cardstock, adding hearts to two of them. I tucked them under a corner of the large envelope, adhering them with my tape runner.

Lastly, I drew in a round dot border around the patterned paper panel for a bit of extra contrast. And voila! Card is done.

Supplies:
Simon Says Stamp July 2014 Card Kit
MFT Hybrid Ink in Nightshift Blue (navy), Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black (sentiment)
Simon Says Stamp Black heavyweight #100lbs cardstock
Circle punch
Uniball Signo broad white gel pen
Best Creation big squares foam tape adhesive

Hello Sunshine

This card started with one of the new My Favorite Things stamp sets: Every Day is a Picnic. The set is a part of the Birdie Brown line, and it's designed by Torico. I actually currently own all of the Birdie Brown sets, and I'm very fond of the style -- meaning, expect more Birdie Brown stamps on cards in the future!

For this particular card, I started by die-cutting the different elements I'd be adding to the card. Now, normally I stamp and color first, but the dies that go along with the BB sets are solid steel. So, it would be very difficult to line them up after they're stamped and colored.


I had a bit of trouble getting the girl to stamp out perfectly, mainly because it's a bit of a larger stamp and there are quite a few fine lines with the flowers. But I recently bought a Stamp-a-ma-jig, which should make lining up much, much easier in future cards. After stamping out different bits, I colored them in using my Copics and set them aside.

For the base, I cut a sheet of MFT Berrylicious cardstock in half and folded it to measure 4 1/4 by 5 1/2" (standard A2 size).

I decided to create a background scene using two pieces of patterned paper from Bo Bunny Lemonade Stand 6x6 paper pad. I chose a cloud pattern for the sky, and a green bokeh pattern for the ground. I hand-cut a sloping top for the grass to add a bit more interest. Initially, the patterned paper was e the same size as the card front, but I didn't like how the stamped elements fit onto it (too much blank space). I cut them down a little and matted them to a piece of kraft cardstock that was slightly larger than the panel. I added a white stitched border around the top of the grass using a white gel pen.

I layered the different stamped elements around the scene, using a combination of tape adhesive and foam squares. I then adhered the panel to the card front. For the sentiment, I really wanted to use "hello sunshine", so I grabbed a Tiddly Inks stamp set.

Finally, I tied a piece of silver ribbon around the bottom of the card, and added some Wink of Stella glitter to the sun and the flowers on the girl. And the last touch was just adding a few details to the butterflies with a black pen.

 Since the theme for June's Work it Wednesday is anything goes, I'm entering this card in the linkup. :)

Supplies:
Stamps: MFT- BB Every Day Is A Picnic, Tiddly Inks Beach Babe (sentiment)
Die: MFT - BB Every Day Is A Picnic Die-namics
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in Black Licorice
Cardstock: MFT Heavyweight Cardstock in Berrylicious, Neenah Desert Storm 80#lbs
Bo Bunny Lemonade Stand 6x6
Copics: Skin (E00, E11, E13, E15, R20), Hair (Y21, Y35, E23, E37), Hat/Picnic Basket (E42, Y32, Y35, E23, E35, E37, E18), Shirt (R22, R35, R59, V12, V06, YR14), Shorts (B91, B95, B45, B99), Sunshine (Y21, Y35, YR15), Butterfly (BG11, BG32, R81, R85) Flowers (G14, G46)
Uniball Signo Broad white gel pen
Silver Ribbon

Lighthouse Thanks

This card is using supplies from Lawn Fawn's newest release.

I started by grabbing a piece of starry patterned paper from Hello Sunshine petite 6x6 paper pack. I die-cut it into a banner using the newly released Stitched Party Banners die. While I had my Bigshot out, I also cut a stitched circle from the same die set out of a piece of white cardstock. I also die-cut the Scripty Thanks from the same white cardstock.

I stamped the lighthouse from the Life Is Good stamp set on a piece of Copic marker paper and colored it in using my Copics. I took a little extra time to blend in the colors, so it would create dimension. After the lighthouse was done, I carefully cut around it. I grabbed the same yellow and orange Copics I used on the lighthouse to create a light burst effect on the stitched white circle.

For the card base, I knew I wanted to use a notecard, but I found that the polkadot patterns competed with the starry patterned paper. So, I made my own 4-bar base from a piece of Kraft cardstock. I used a notecard as a measuring guide, and it turned out just perfect. The best part is that the card will fit into one of Lawn Fawn's envelopes!

The patterned paper was looking a bit faded, still, so I took my mini blender tool and brushed the edges of the panel with Faded Jeans distress ink. I then arranged the circle piece and the light house. To tie in the top and the colors, I tied a piece of red ribbon to the top of the banner.

I adhered the banner to the card front using foam squares, then I adhered the "thanks"diecut under the
lighthouse. I used Tombow mono-multi liquid glue to adhere only the top of the letters. This made them securely attached to the card, while at the same time floating on the bottom - which I thought was a really cool effect.

I stamped the sentiment from Life is Good set in navy blue ink. As a last touch, I drew in a white stitched border just inside the card base.

Supplies:
Stamp: Lawn Fawn Life Is Good
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in black licorice and nightshift blue
Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Party Banners, Lawn Fawn Scripty Thanks
Cardstock: Neenah Desert Storm Environmental cardstock 100#lbs
Paper: Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine Petite 6x6 paper pad
Copics: R08, R46, R59, C2, C4, C6, Y13, Y35, YR13, E23, E35, E29
Ranger Distress inkpad in Faded Jeans
Ranger Mini round blending tool
Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares
Red ribbon

Avery Elle- Pink Thanks

This is the final card in my stamp trio challenge, using Avery Elle's Many Thanks stamp set.

With this card, I wanted to go in a more feminine direction, so I pulled out some pink ink and ribbon.

I started by creating a card base that measures 4 1/2 x 10", folding it in half to create a top-folding card that measures 4 1/2 by 5". This is slightly smaller than an A2 card.

For the center panel, I cut a piece of white cardstock to measure 4 by 4 1/2. I started by stamping the sentiment in black ink. I then pulled out Avery Elle's Brushed stamp set and stamped a small brushstroke stamp 3 times in the upper right corner. I used a pink color twice, and a brown in the middle to add just a touch of warmth.

I added a piece of pink ribbon to the bottom of the panel, then adhered the panel to a piece of patterned paper. I adhered the front to the card base.

Lastly, I added 3 small enamel dots by the sentiment to tie all the colors together.

Supplies:
Stamps: Avery Elle Many Thanks, Avery Elle Brushed
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in black licorice, Mama Elephant Pigment Ink in bubblegum and hazelnut
Neenah Desert Storm environmental cardstock in 100#lbs
Simple Stories Color Vibe 6x6
Pink ribbon
My Mind's Eye Reds enamel dots
My Mind's Eye Charmed enamel dots

Avery Elle - Simple Thank You

This is the second card in my stamp trio challenge, using Avery Elle's Many Thanks stamp set.

This card was very simple to create, and it uses only a few supplies. So it's perfect for beginners or for occasions when you just need a super quick card.

I started by creating a base from a piece of Avery Elle's Whipped Cream cardstock. I cut the cardstock in half to measure 5 1/2 by 8 1/2", and scored in the middle to create the standard A2 card (5 1/2 by 4 1/4").

For the paper, I wanted to continue with the sunset-like theme, so I chose a piece of paper from Authentique's Radiant 6x6 paper pad. I cut it to measure 3 3/4 by 5". I also cut a piece of Avery Elle's Fizz cardstock to measure 4 x 5 1/4". I adhered the patterned paper to fizz cardstock.

I cut a 3 1/2" by 5" strip of vellum. I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink, and embossed it with Ranger's Platinum embossing powder. I adhered the strip to the front panel by wrapping it around the front and securing with a piece of tape.

I adhered the front panel to the card base. As a last touch, I added 3 shimmering gold sequins to the upper right of the card.

Supplies:
Stamp: Avery Elle Many Thanks
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark ink pad
Cardstock: Avery Elle Heavy cardstock in Whipped Cream and Fizz, Bazzill 40lbs Vellum
Authentique Radiant 6x6 paper pad
Ranger Embossing Powder in Platinum
Pretty Pink Posh 4mm sequins in Metallic Gold

Avery Elle - Sunset Thank You

It's time for another Stamp Trio Challenge! This time, I will be using Avery Elle's newly released set Many Thanks. As last time, I will make 3 different cards using one stamp set.

For this first card, I wanted to go with golden/sunny tones, and some great contrast.

I started by creating my base from Avery Elle's Fog heavy cardstock. Since I wanted a top-folding card, I cut the sheet of cardstock in half to measure 4 1/4 by 11". I then scored it at 5 1/2", to create a standard A2-sized card. I cut a piece of white cardstock to 4 x 5 1/4 to create a front panel.

I started with the sentiment from the Many Thanks set and stamped it in Fog pigment ink (which matches the base cardstock) just a bit lower than the middle of the panel. Although fog is a gray ink, it actually has a warm, yellow undertone - which makes it a great match for the golden colors I wanted to use on the rest of the cardstock.

I pulled one of the sketchy circles stamps from Many thanks, and stamped it around the top of the panel using yellow, orange and pink pigment ink. I didn't use any particular pattern, I just stamped where there seemed to be some of empty space.

After letting the panel dry, I grabbed a piece of Avery Elle Fizz grosgrain ribbon. This ribbon matches the orange I used for the sketchy circles and it's a middle color that contrasts well with the fog ink. I adhered the ribbon to the bottom of the white panel, then adhered the panel to the card front with foam squares.

Lastly, I added two white enamel dots to the left corner of the card to add a bit more interest. I considered using gray enamel dots, but I didn't have any that matched the warm gray of fog pigment ink.

Supplies:
Stamp: Avery Elle Many Thanks
Ink: Avery Elle Pigment Ink in Fog, Fizz, Mimosa, and Raspberry
Cardstock: Avery Elle Fog Heavy Cardstock, Bazzill Marshmallow (white)
Avery Elle Fizz grosgrain ribbon
My Mind's Eye Charmed enamel dots
Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares

Avery Elle - Plum Birthday

Having recently bought Avery Elle's Brushed stamp set, I decided to pull it out and play with some color combinations. As an extra challenge, I only used Avery Elle products in this card.

I started by creating a center panel from Ultra Smooth Pure White cardstock, measuring 3 1/2 by 5 1/2". This created a skinny center panel that I could stamp on easily.

 I wanted to go with a breezy or even slightly nautical feel, so I settled on Sea Glass, Mint to Be and Aquamarine. Alternating the three colors, I stamped the largest brushstroke stamp at the top of the panel. I left room for the sentiment (tip: position the un-inked stamp where you want the sentiment to go and it will show you how much empty room you'll need to leave). Then, I continued stamping the large brushstroke stamp to the very bottom.

I inked the sentiment in Sugar Plum and stamped it in the empty space.

While the pigment ink was drying, I got to work on the card base. I cut a piece of Birch Woodgrain White cardstock in half, so it measures 4 1/2 by 11". I scored it in half to create a top-folding card. I didn't like how the center panel faded into the base, so I cut a piece of Sugar Plum cardstock to measure 3 3/4 by 5 1/2". I matted the center panel onto the sugar plum panel and adhered it to the card base.

Lastly, I added 3 Royal Blend sequins by the sentiment. And voila! Card is done. :)

Supplies:
Stamp: Avery Elle Brushed
Ink: Avery Elle Pigment Ink in Sea Glass, Mint to Be, Aquamarine, Sugar Plum
Cardstock: Avery Elle heavy cardstock in Birch Woodgrain White, Ultra Smooth Pure White and Sugar Plum
Royal Blend Sequins
Adhesive: Ranger Studio Multi Matte, ATG

Happy Fathers' Day!

Happy Father's Day to all of you dads!

This card features a great stamp set by Sweet Stamp Shop - Dad's Toolbox. I started by stamping the toolbox and the tools, then I colored them in with my Copics. I carefully cut them out, leaving a small white border.

For the front panel, I grabbed a piece of white woodgrain paper from Simon Says Stamp. I cut out the three windows using Simon Says Stamp's tri square craft die. I adhered the front panel to the card base using foam tape. I added the tools to the inside of each window with foam squares.

I stamped the sentiment onto a piece of black cardstock with versamark ink. I then embossed it in white. After trimming the cardstock to size, I cut the end into a fishtail banner. I adhered the sentiment panel to the cardstock with foam squares.

Supplies:
Stamp: Sweet Stamp Shop Dad's Toolbox
Die: Simon Says Stamp Tri Square Craft Die
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in Black Licorice, Tsunkineko Versamark Ink Pad
Hero Arts Embossing Powder in white
Copics: Toolbox (R08, R46, R89, C02, C04, C06), Tools (C02, C04, C06, B24, B18, Y06, Y35, G14, E23, E37, E50)
Cardstock: Bazzill Marshmallow (base), Simon Says Stamp White Woodgrain, Bazzill Licorice Twist (black)
Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Tape
Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares

Beginner-Friendly: Journal Card Trio

Most card-makers will tell you that card-making can be a pretty expensive hobby. There's always that new stamp, paper pad, trinket or tool that you just HAVE to have. Even those who are lucky enough to be able to afford the tons of new products that become available each month can get overwhelmed. And, if you do happen to purchase the lot of them, there's another new shiny coming out next month.

For beginners, it can be even more overwhelming. There's a million and one supplies, each more beautiful than the next. And when you're starting out, you're not really sure what kind of style you like for your cards, either - which means trying out all kinds of techniques. And until you get familiar with the right kind of supplies, it's also extremely easy to waste money on things you won't really use (I'm looking at you, 350-sheet 12x12 best-of-paper pad that is just sitting there, gathering dust).

So, I wanted to start a series on a few simple ways to make cards. All of the cards featured in this series will be easy to make, use very few supplies and give you a leg up in figuring out what kind of card style you like to make.

This time, I made a trio of cards using one simple and cheap supply: 3x4 journaling cards. These cards are normally used in scrapbooking (especially Project Life) and journals. But they make a pretty awesome and easy launching point for your cards.

Supplies: 

Melissa Frances The Sweet Life 6x6 Paper Pad
Melissa Frances The Sweet Life 3x4 Journaling Cards
Pink Ribbon
Bazzill Marshmallow Card Stock (base)
Paper Trimmer
Scissors 
Adhesive

This card only uses 3 extra supplies: patterned paper, journaling card and ribbon. Since the journaling card and the paper pad were from the same manufacturer and the same line, their colors match. The journaling card also has a sentiment on it already, which means it's not necessary to stamp.

The challenge of this card is going to be what the best way is to position and layer your different pieces. I decided to have the journaling card on the top layer, so it's easy to read the sentiment. At first, I only had the horizontal ribbon with the bow on the card, but I found that it's too covered up by the journaling card. So I added another straight strip of ribbon to the vertical panel. This brought an extra touch of color to the background and made the ribbon feel less out of place.

Supplies:
Pink Paislee Switchboard 6x6 Paper Pad
Pink Paislee Switchboard 6x6 Journaling Cards
Doodlebug Sprinkles Vellum in Coral
Ranger Glossy Accents
Hazel & Ruby Green With Envy Sequins
My Mind's Eye Charmed Enamel Dots
Simon Says Stamp Stripe Greetings
Flower Paper Punch

MFT Heavyweight Cardstock in Primitive Cream
Paper Trimmer
Scissors 
Adhesive

For the second card, I've stepped it up a bit and added a stamped message as well as several embellishments.

The challenge of this card was choosing which embellishments to go with. I didn't have any of the stickers or brads that this particular line comes with, so I had to look through my own supplies to find something that will work. I started with the Coral Vellum, because there's a touch of coral red color on the journaling card. I didn't like how plain the flowers looked just by themselves, so I added some enamel dots to each center. I used both white and black as both colors for the centers, as both colors are present in the card.

Lastly, I added a few green sequins, using glossy accents as glue. I didn't have any sequins in the sage green that's on the journaling card, but I did have some shiny and shimmery light green sequins. Even though the colors don't match exactly, the shimmer and shine makes the sequins blend in.

 To make the journaling card even more special, I also added a little bit of glossy accents to the heart on the telephone. This tied into the shimmer of the sequins.

Supplies:
Simon Says Stamp 100#lb Cardstock in Sunshine
Bazzill Heavyweight Cardstock in Marshmallow
Simple Stories Birthday Sn@p cards 
Simon Says Stamp Hello You stamp
My Mind's Eye Charmed Enamel Dots
Sharpie Thins black pen
Paper Trimmer
Scissors 
Adhesive 

For this card, I scaled back on the amount of embellishments and focused on adding a personal touch: a simple hand-drawn border and a small arrow.

Now, I didn't have a patterned paper that fit the journaling card, which meant that I needed to be very careful about choosing the color of the card's base. I ended up going with the Sunshine cardstock from Simon Says Stamp. This color falls between the yellow and the orange on the card, but it has a similar brightness and saturation. Since the journaling card had a bit of white inside the balloon, I used a white piece of cardstock as a background to make the journaling card stand out better.

This card also uses a little bit of stamping, and a little bit of creative cutting. I cut out the word "YOU" from another journaling card. I used the rest of the card strips to make a couple of fish-tail banners. Adding a simple black enamel dot created a "pinned" look and tied in the color of the border and stamp.

The balloon journaling card had a blank balloon in the middle, and I used that as the canvas to stamp. The stamp I used was laid out in one straight line, so it would not fit into the balloon as it was. I used a technique that masks off the parts of the stamp I didn't want to stamp (check out this blog entry and video to see how it's done).

---
And there you have it! I hope this entry was helpful to some of you out there. :)

Amazing Birthday

I love making birthday cards. They can be silly or serious, they can be cute or classic, but they always make for a card that brings a smile to the recipient's face.

For this card, I wanted to play with Sweet Stamp Shop's June release - Elephant Hearts, Juggling Act and Monkey Business. I happened to grab all 3 of these stamps as an early bundle at the beginning of June, and they were just begging to be used together.

I started by stamping the elephant, the bear and the monkey on some Copic coloring marker paper. I colored them in with my Copics and carefully cut them out. I also colored and cut out the balloons that come in the elephant set.

The rest of the card was really simple to assemble. I made a base from kraft card stock, and adhered a piece of patterned paper to it. I then cut a piece of white cardstock to 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 for the center panel. I matted the white panel with black cardstock to create some interesting contrast.

I didn't bother cutting the strings of the balloons, as they were very thin. Instead, I stamped the balloon stamp directly on the white panel and layered the Copic-colored tops with foam squares. I also used foam squares to adhere the elephant, bear and monkey - making sure they were positioned as if they were standing on each others' heads.

I stamped a simple "Amazing!" sentiment, and the card is done!

Supplies:
Stamps - Sweet Stamp Shop Elephant Hearts, Juggling Act and Monkey Business.
Cardstock - Neenah Desert Storm #100lbs, Bazzill Marshmallow, Bazzill Licorice Twist
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in black licorice
Copics: Elephant (W2, W4, W6, R81), Bear (B000, B00, BV11, R04, R59, R81), Monkey (E21, E23, E35, E37, E47, R81), Balloons (V12, V06, R81, R85, BG11, BG32)
Uniball Signo Broad White Gel Pen
Scrapbook Adhesives 3D white thin foam squares

Birthday Miyoko

This weekend is the birthday of one of my sisters-in-law. So, I created this cute and simple birthday card featuring Miyoko from Sister Stamps and using a new technique (for me): paper-piecing.

I started by stamping Miyoko on a piece of Copic X-Press blend it paper and colored her in using my Copics. I then stamped her dress on a scrap piece of floral patterned paper. Working very carefully, I cut around the dress. I made sure to cut out the space for hands as well as the sash. I adhered it to the stamped image. Using Copics, I added some shadows on the patterned paper so the kimono didn't look flat.

I die-cut a small panel out of light blue patterned paper, and a larger panel from lilac Doodlebug sprinkles vellum. While I had my BigShot out, I also die-cut the word "happy" out of black cardstock.

I created a panel from patterned paper measuring 4 x 5 1/4 and adhered it to the A2 card base. I then arranged the small panels and adhered them together with my regular adhesive, making sure none of it was around the vellum edges. I added Miyoko to the front using foam squares.

After adhering "happy" to the bottom of the card, I stamped a simple "birthday" and the card was done!

Supplies:
Stamp: Sister Stamps Miyoko Rubber Stamp, Waffle Flower Bowtiful
Die: Simon Says Stamp Happy Craft Die S189, Sizzix Fancy Labels
Ink: MFT Hybrid Inkpad in black licorice
Copics: E00, E11, E13, BV11, BV17, BV25, B99, R81, RV55, V11, V06, V17, R08, R59, B00, E23, E37, W2
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110#lbs (base), Bazzill Heavyweight Cardstock in Licorice Twist
Paper: Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine Petite 6x6 (base), American Crafts Dear Lizzy Daydreamer (blue panel), Pebbles Inc Garden Party 6x6 (kimono)
Doodlebug Sprinkles Vellum in Lilac

Stork and Stars

Although Lawn Fawn's Plus One is an older baby-themed set, a set of its matching dies was made available during the newest Lawn Fawn release.

For this card, I wanted to create a water-colored sky background. I started by cutting a piece of watercolor paper to measure 3 1/2 by 5 inches. Working on my craft sheet, I used distress ink pads and water to create a blended blue and purple background. If you're not familiar with this technique, check out this video by Kristina Werner.

After drying the watercolor paper with my heat gun, I adhered it to a piece of 110lb white cardstock (using lots of adhesive!). Watercolor paper has a tendency to warp or curl up when wet, so adhering it to a thick stiff base will help it stay flatter. I die-cut several stars from Lawn Fawn's Let's Polka petite 6x6 paper pad, using Simon Says Stamp mini stars craft die. I adhered them to the card with some liquid glue.

I stamped and die-cut the stork from white cardstock and colored him in using my Copics. I adhered him to the card using foam squares, and stamped a very simple greeting underneath him.

Lastly, I adhered the panel to the card base.

Supplies:
Stamp: Lawn Fawn Plus One
Dies: Lawn Fawn Plus One, Simon Says Stamp mini stars craft die
Paper: Lawn Fawn Let's Polka Petite, Neenah Solar White 110lb (panel)
Base: Neenah Desert Storm 100lb
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in black licorice, Ranger Distress Ink in Peacock Feathers, Seedless Preserves and Faded Jeans
Copics: B00, Y21, Y35, E23, YR12, YR15
Tombow Mono multi liquid glue
Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares

LF- Somebunny is on the way

This is the last card for my Stamp Trio Challenge. As with the first two cards, I've been using Lawn Fawn's Hello Baby stamp set.

I started by cutting and scoring a piece of MFT's Primitive Cream cardstock to measure 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 inches. Then, I cut out a piece of polka dot patterned paper from Lawn Fawn's Hello Sunshine 6x6 paper pad to measure 3 3/4 by 5 inches.

After adhering the patterned paper to the card, I wanted to make the colors a bit more subtle, so I added a piece of vellum.

For the center panel, I cut out the smaller banner from Lawn Fawn's Stitched Party Banners die set. I also cut out the stitched circle from the same die set, using plain white cardstock.  After stamping and die-cutting the two bunnies, I colored them using my Copics and adhered them to the circle with some foam squares. I stamped a small heart between the bunnies.

The sentiment started with die-cutting a banner from Simon Says Stamp's Folded Banner Die. After putting together the banner, I stamped the sentiment from the Hello Baby set and adhered it to the card with foam squares.

As a last touch, I tied a piece of light lilac ribbon to the top of the pannel and adhered it to the card.

Supplies:
Stamp: Lawn Fawn Hello Baby
Dies: Lawn Fawn Hello Baby, Lawn Fawn Stitched Party Banners, Simon Says Stamp Folded Banner
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in black licorice and hot fudge
Paper: Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine 6x6
Cardstock: MFT Heavyweight Cardstock in primitive cream
Copics: W2, W4, W6, R81, R95
Doodlebug Sprinkles Lily White vellum
Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares
Pale lilac ribbon

Happy Shower

Continuing on with the stamp trio challenge, this card also uses Lawn Fawn's Hello Baby stamp and die set.

For this card, I wanted to create something simple and sweet. The best part is that it's a card that's easy to reproduce, so you could create a set of them and package them as a sweet and thoughtful gift for someone.

I started by taking a Lawn Fawn Mermaid Notecard to use as the card base. These adorable notecards are smaller than the A2 card, which makes the card even cuter.

I cut a piece of rainy patterned paper and adhered it to the card front. I then stamped the bunny, umbrella and 3 clouds on a piece of white cardstock. I colored them in with my Copics and die-cut them with my BigShot.

I adhered the clouds, umbrella and bunny with foam squares. I layered the bunny over the umbrella so it would look like he's holding it. I then stamped a Happy Shower sentiment and stamped a small red heart for an extra punch of color.

Lastly, I added a piece of pink ribbon to the top of the card and tied it into a pretty bow.

Supplies:
Stamp: Lawn Fawn Hello Baby
Base: Lawn Fawn Mermaid Notecard
Ink: MFT Hybrid Ink in black licorice, Memento Luxe in love letter
Paper: American Crafts Dear Lizzy Daydreamer 6x6
Copics: B00, BG11, BG32, BG49, E11, E37, E47
Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares
Pink ribbon