Elephant Parade

Hello my stamping friends. Today I have a couple sneak peek items from the Occasions Catalog and the Sale-A-Bration brochure. You may think it’s unusual that I would use our new Lucky Elephant stamp but I have a friend who absolutely loves elephants and I actually purchased this stamp just to make cards for her. I know she will appreciate them.

I’m going to show you my progression of cards to get to the ones I liked. When I put a card together it isn’t always the way I want it to be on the first try. There is definitely a process to being creative. It’s called trial and error! 🙂

To be honest, I really didn’t know what to do with this elephant so I started basic.

 

I was very disappointed with the stamping and coloring so…I tried again.

A little better but still not cutting it. I found out her favorite color is blue so…

The one on the right came next – still just OK. Add a little DSP and ribbon…that’s it!

After several attempts I figured out that the elephant had to be stamped using a well inked stamp pad. My Night of Navy had just been re-inked and I got full color whereas my Tip Top Taupe may be a bit dry therefore not good coverage.

So, a set of six cards in Night of Navy with Floral Boutique will be a little gift for my friend.

 

Products Used:

Stamp Sets – Lucky Elephant (NEW – Occasions Catalog)

Ink – Night of Navy

Paper – Whisper White, Night of Navy, Floral Boutique DSP

Accessories – 3/8″ Metallic Ribbon Combo Pack (SAB Free Item)

 

If you are very fond of elephants…you will want this stamp. It comes with one other stamp – “Good Luck”. The set is called Lucky Elephant and you will be able to order it on January 4th.

On January 4th I’ll put the new Occasions Catalog and the Sale-A-Bration brochure on my blog (here).  If you would like to pick up a copy of each or have me mail them…just send me an email.

Have a very Happy New Year and be SAFE!

Until next year…Happy Stamping!

Money Holder

Hello my friends, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/holiday.  My husband and I had a great time with our daughter, three grandchildren and my 93 year old mom. Hopefully next year our son in law will be with us. (He has been in Okinawa with the Marines for almost a year now.)

Today’s item may be too late for some of you but…there’s always next year! I actually made this on Christmas Eve. I always forget something!

Our daughter loves to see these little envelopes on the tree! This one is quick and easy.

The flap slides under the tag to close. I used some of last years gold cord to top it off.

Special note:  punch a half circle (above the tag) to make it easier to remove the $$$. I forgot to put that on the direction sheet below.

I think I have all the measurements on this sheet for scoring and cutting. The only thing I forgot was the half circle punch.

 

Products Used:

Stamp Sets – Oh, What Fun, Cookie-Cutter Christmas

Ink – Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red, Garden Green

Paper – Real Red, Whisper White, Candy Cane Lane DSP

Accessories – 1″ Circle Punch, Gold Cord, Ornate Tag Topper (R)

 

Look for some Sneak Peeks of new items from the Occasions Catalog and Sale-A-Bration in my next blog post! Until then…Happy Stamping!

Joseph’s Coat of Colors Technique

Hi Stampers! Today I’m sharing a wonderful technique I learned from a fellow demonstrator, Dawn Griffith. It’s really very stunning and I have so many ideas for making more of these type cards which I’ll share at the end of this post.

There are a few steps involved but the time and effort is worth it.

Here’s the inside…

And a close up…

I really like this technique and since this was my first card you can see a couple little mistakes. You will need to really work to see where you stamped and make sure your stamp is completely covered with Versa Mark and the second tip is to really work the black (or whatever color you choose for the final layer) many times…be patient.

Here’s how to make this unique card:

Card base in Sweet Sugarplum 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″; Black 5 1/4″ x 4″; Whisper White #1   3 5/8″ x 4 7/8″;  Whisper White #2  3 3/8″ x 4 5/8″

1. Using Whisper White #2 piece sponge in blotches of the following colors – Sweet Sugarplum, Daffodil Delight, and Bermuda Bay. **Be sure to cover the card completely and overlap colors to create new colors.
2. Use your Embossing Buddy over the colored piece to remove static.
3. Stamp your design (I used Paisleys & Posies Stamp Set) using Versa Mark ink. This is the hard part because it’s difficult to see where you stamped.
4. Use clear embossing powder over your stamped design.
5. Use your heat gun to emboss.
6. Using the new Sponge Brayers and black ink, keep rolling the color over the embossed design until you get the shade you desire.
7. Take a tissue and wipe off the card – this removes the excess black ink on the colors and really brightens them up.

I like this technique so much I think I will try different stamps (like flowers), different background colors and different brayer colors. I’ll post them once I have time to make some.

Products Used:

Stamp Sets – Paisleys & Posies, Flourishing Phrases

Ink – Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay, Sweet Sugarplum, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versa Mark

Paper – Sweet Sugarplum, Black, Whisper White

Accessories – Stamping Sponges, Embossing Buddy, Heat Tool, Sponge Brayer, Very Vanilla Lace Trim

Definitely try this technique – it’s well worth the effort!

 

I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy Hanukkah!

Until my next post…Happy Stamping!

 

Thank You, Friend

Hello stampers! I have a quick and cute thank you card for you today.

I have been wanting to use the stamp A World of Thanks and I finally did it. I really like this stamp. It’s a great background and it makes a card come together quickly.

The Hostess set Love You Lots is just too cute! I originally got it for the hedgehogs but I’ve also fallen for the ladybugs. The elephant and mouse are pretty darn cute too.

 

Products Used:

Stamp Sets – A World of Thanks, Love You Lots (Hostess)

Ink – Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper – Basic Grey, Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red

Accessories – Layering Ovals Framelits, Real Red Stampin’ Write Marker

 

Tip:  I found it difficult to hold the largest block (F) so I inked it up laying down and then put my Whisper White paper on top then rubbed it with the I block.  If you look closely you may see a bit of a shadow where I sort of dropped the paper as I picked it up. This was a good point to mention to my class so their cards turned out much better. 🙂

I really like this card so I may make several in different color schemes. Lately I’ve needed lots of thank you notes.

Friday’s post will highlight a new technique I learned from fellow demonstrator, Dawn Griffith.

Until then…Happy Stamping!

P.S.  I’d still love to show off your masterpieces so email me a photo of your creations. We all love to see what others have created. Don’t be shy!

Flourish Thank You

Hello – sorry I’m a day late. Just returned from a trip out of the country and I should have prepped this post before I left. I’m happy to be home and back in my craft room. Traveling is wonderful but it is always nice to return home. 🙂

Today I have one of the three Thank You cards we are doing in my classes this month. Are you saying “What! No Christmas cards?” Well, since we’re almost 11 days away I think it’s a bit late to think about making all your Christmas cards. So, now it’s time to make thank you cards for all those fantastic gifts you will receive.

The bit of texture from the Elegant Dots Embossing Folder adds to the popped up white piece of cardstock.  I love that Penned and Painted Stamp Set. I guess I say that often. Well, I do love the sets I purchase or I wouldn’t get them. 🙂

A bit of curling on the petals gives the flower a natural look.

Simple verse inside with room to write a special note. Keep in mind – a hand written note is always a nice touch.

The sprig of Night of Navy from Flourish Framelits just finishes this card front. I sponged the circle to make the sentiment stand out. The center of the flowers are done with Basic Rhinestones colored with a yellow Sharpie.

 

Products Used:

Stamp Sets – Penned & Painted, Gift of Love, Floral Phrases

Ink – Night of Navy, Sweet Sugarplum, Pear Pizzaz, Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper – Whisper White, Night of Navy

Accessories – Flourish Thinlits, Elegant Dots Embossing Folder, Basic Rhinestones

 

I hope you enjoyed this card. It’s fun to make and really shows how much you appreciate the recipients thoughtfulness.

I’ll have two more Thank You cards to show you on Friday and next Monday. Until then…

Happy Stamping!

 

Elegant Wedding Card

Happy Friday, Stampers! You made it through the week. Today I’m changing it up a bit. Instead of more Christmas ideas I’m tossing in an elegant wedding card. This actually came about because I was playing around with the Detailed Floral Framelits. I decided to see how it would look in Silver Foil paper. Well, one thing led to another and this is what I came up with.

This framelit set is just so beautiful you really don’t need to do anything to it. I used a simple Satin ribbon (now on Clearance) to close the doors.

A simple wish inside using Night of Navy ink to match the Night of Navy Cardstock and the Floral Phrases Stamp Set. This is just so beautiful there is nothing more to say. I really love both the Detailed Floral Framelits and the matching Floral Phrases Stamp Set.

Have  an enjoyable weekend and I’ll be back on Monday with a Thank You Card.  Until then…Happy Stamping!

Christmas Gift Card Holders

Happy Monday, Stampers! Today I will show you just a few really neat gift card holders. The first one isn’t so Christmas like but it’s for my friend who loves yellow.

This card and the next two were made using the Gift Card Envelope & Trims Thinlits. This is another one of those super handy die sets that you must have. You may notice that I also used the new Stitched Framelits. Love those! I forgot to mention that I also used them on some of my gift tags on Friday.

I used This Christmas Specialty DSP on this one. Love the music notes! I also used the Stitched Framelits with Oh, What Fun Stamp Set.

Again I used This Christmas Specialty DSP and then Cherry Cobbler Cardstock for the poinsettia. The flower was made with the Festive Flower Builder Punch. That is another MUST HAVE punch. I used Gold Glimmer Paper for the center.

This card holder is a bit different – here it is on the front…

Now open it up…

Really cool, huh! Once again I used that wonderful Candy Cane Lane DSP with the Cookie Cutter Christmas Stamp Set. Some bright Silver Glimmer Paper stars to add to the falling snow. 🙂

Directions for Gift Card Holder:

Cut paper 4 1/4″ x 11″;  Score at 3″, 5 1/2″, 8″;  Do Not fold on score lines yet!  Using your Stampin’ Trimmer cut 3/8″ from top of center score line (that would be the 5 1/2″ line) to 3/8″ from bottom of that line. Now fold on your score lines so that the slit score is in the center. Using Tear and Tape adhere the two center pieces – careful to put the tape only on the edges and not the slit side. (Ha, ha…you laugh!) Use a 1″ circle punch to make a place to pull the gift card out (see photo). Now you are ready to decorate to your hearts content!

You can tie the booklet together (as shown) or use a belly band and incorporate it into your design. We tried both Baker’s Twine and ribbon. I think I’d rather incorporate a belly band next time.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these gift card creations. I sure enjoyed making them!

I’ll have a non-Christmas post on Friday. I’m sneaking in a wedding card. 🙂

Have a great week and I’ll see you on Friday…until then…Happy Stamping!

Christmas Tags!

Greetings my fellow stampers! Today I have a few of the many tags we made at my last classes. I put out all my Christmas papers, ribbons, etc. and let my class participants “go wild” making their own tags after we finished a few I designed. Some of the gals made as many as 20 tags and they are all set for wrapping time.

Here’s a cute little circle tag using the Merry Tags Framelits. This is such an awesome set of dies. I love it!

 

Here’s one using Cheerful Tags Framelits and the Tin of Tags Stamp Set…

This is what’s inside…

Trim the Tree Tag using the Merry Tag Framelits and Cheerful Tags Framelits again along with the Merriest Wishes Stamp Set.

I used the Cheerful Tags Framelits to make this stunning bottle tag. These framelits do all the work for you!

Inside this tag I continued the gold look…

See the hole…that’s where you slip the tag onto the neck of any bottle – wine, lotion, anything!

Here’s one more…using the Merry Tags Framelits.

I also used the new Cable Knit Dynamic Embossing Folder. Sorry about the names but we experimented to see if it would be too difficult to write on the embossing – result was “no problem”.

Let me tell you…making tags was a breeze with our new framelits. If you haven’t already purchased them…do it now. You will use these forever.

Have a great weekend and I’ll have a new post for you on Monday with Christmas Gift Card Holders.

Until Monday…Happy Stamping!