Endless Wishes: 5 Ways on Fridays!

Well, I had this ready for last Friday when my computer was out of commission…and wouldn’t you know it: Stampin’ Up! sold out of this awesome Photopolymer stamp set on Tuesday!!! GRRRR…

But I’m sharing it anyway because of all the time and effort I put into it, and those of you who were lucky enough to snag one before they sold out~ You’re Welcome! Of course,  many of the designs & techniques could be re-created with another snowflake stamp set, such as Festive Flurry 🙂

P.S. Endless Wishes *is* available as a digital brush set (item #136559) for all you digi-crafters and if SU! changes their minds and produces more, I’ll make sure to update this post (we can hope, right?)

1. Faux Diamonds. This is always a big hit and so very easy! I gave step-by-step instructions on the Faux Diamond technique in this post. The Designer Series Paper is from the Winter Frost Specialty DSP (132341)

2. Random Stamping. Just go crazy with it. Let them overlap, go off the edge of the paper and layer them on top of one another. I really loved the look of White/Baked Brown Sugar/Cherry Cobbler on Crumb Cake card stock and even stamped a piece to go on top of my jar of apple pie filling.

3. Make a Window. The Squares Collection Framelits (130921) and the Big Shot (113439) create perfect windows. I used a piece of a window sheet and stamped the snowflakes using the White Stazon ink pad (106960), then placed it between the Navy and (polka dot embossed) Blushing Bride layers to appear that you were gazing outside to a frost covered world.

4. Use the Words. While the snowflakes are delicate and delightful, the words are what sold me on this set. It’s awesome to be able to mix up the script with the print and come up with dozens of greetings. So cute! I paired the greetings with some of the Season of Style Designer Series Paper (132340), the 1″ Cherry Cobbler Grosgrain ribbon (132135) and Cherry Cobbler Baker’s Twine (123125) and a Vintage Faceted Designer Button (127555).

5. Monochrome Embossing. The words & snowflakes on the white were simply stamped using the Silver Encore pad (132141) and I embossed in silver on the Silver Foil Sheet (132178). This card is stunning in person, though the photo doesn’t do it justice (sorry…I tried). Just because it needed MORE bling, I added the Silver Glimmer paper (124005) as a layer, too!

Stamped snowflakes are much warmer than the real thing, eh?
post signature

Another Milestone Celebration

My friend Kristi just passed her $100,000 career sales with Stampin’ Up! and I wanted to celebrate her great accomplishment!

Kristi likes purple (and sparkles), so I created a Rich Razzleberry swing card using the Stampin’ Up! Label Card Thinlits, made a Faux Diamond covered quote from the Feel Goods stamp set (can you see the sparkles over the words?) and a co-ordinating tube for her 100 Grand Candy Bar using the Label Love set and Artisan Label punch:

Here’s what it looks like when you open the swing card (a silver glimmer paper YAY!) and it has another flap over the place where I wrote her a message:

Some things I love about Kristi:

  • She’s always got bling on. And you’ll never see her in public in sweats 🙂 She’s always dressed nicely and looks fabulous. 
  • Her paper crafting designs are always very detailed and perfectly created!
  • She’s a loyal friend
  • Her optimism is contagious!
  • You can give her an assignment and she follows through. Dependable and thorough.

If you aren’t familiar with the Faux Diamond Technique, IT IS SO EASY! I like to do it on a small focal point of a card. Here are basic instructions:

1. Stamp image on card stock and let it dry
2. Press front of stamped card stock into Versamark Pad (102283), covering completely
3. Sprinkle Iridescent Ice embossing powder (101930) over ink-covered card stock. Shake off excess powder
4. Heat embossing powder with Heat Tool (129053) until set. See the diamonds sparkle!

As always, you can order supplies to try this technique at home from my Stampin’ Store.

post signature

A Shapely Birthday

I’ve needed to make birthday cards for my Stampin’ Family, and the sketch over at Create with Connie & Mary inspired me to make this simple, shapely and cheerful greeting (with a little embossed bling on the birthday)!

Don’t be afraid to take a sketch and turn it on it’s side, like I did with this one:

Card Recipe (all supplies from Stampin’ Up!):

Stamps: Blue Ribbon (wood~131964 or clear~125981)
Ink: Bermuda Bay (131171) and Raspberry Ripple (126859)
Paper:  Calypso Coral, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla card stock, Birthday Basics DSP(130145) 
Accessories: Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder (131930), Heat Tool (129053), Big Shot (113439), Oval Accent Bigz Clear die (127055),  Ovals Collection framelits (129381), 2-3/8″ Scallop Circle punch (118874), Occasions Paper Piercing Pack (129387), Paper Piercing Tool (126189) and Stampin’ Pierce Mat (126199).  

As always, you can order supplies HERE and don’t forget that Designer Series Paper (DSP) is Buy 3, Get 1 FREE this month and if you order on my website during July 2013, enter hostess code JF3KWJT7 because someone will be the “Mystery Hostess” and get some fun goodies this month!

I’m going to make a bunch of these cards with the other papers in the same pack and I’ll post a picture on my FB Fan Page, if you want to see samples in varying colors and designs 🙂

post signature

A Tuesday Two Layer (Pinterested)

I am always drawn toward simple and elegant cards, so when I was browsing Pinterest a few weeks ago, I found an idea that appealed to me and I searched for a flower that I could substitute for the original and found the perfect one in “Everything Eleanor” (catalog pg 112). Usually this set is very Victorian, but this card makes it look fresh and modern:

 I used the 5″ x 3.5″ Notecards (Item 107311) and just added a single white layer, embossed the flower in black and water-colored it in using a Aqua Painter (103954) and ink refills. If you think all white card stock is the same, I dare you to try Stampin’ Up! card stock!!! It’s “like butter” to stamp on and so smooth 🙂 I just drew the lines and used expressions from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set (pg 133) to make a whole cadre of cards:

 Simply Lovely! Enjoy!

http://p.datastomp.com/9/3/39.js

Diagonal Fold Card Tutorial

Today I am sharing a fun card and envelope tutorial that uses the Simply Scored and Diagonal Plate from Stampin’ Up! If you are visiting to see the long envelope tutorial, you can see it here…but stick around for a minute to see this fun fold card, too! We’ll start with the card front:
 
The finished card is 4″x4″ and opens like this:

To create this card, use a piece of 12″x4″ card stock (I used Marina Mist). Score it at 4″ and 8″ on the Simply Scored, then put on your diagonal plate and score diagonally at from the top corner and at the 8″ mark. Fold the straight score lines in toward the center of the card and then fold the triangle folds BACK away so that two folded edges meet in the center of the front of your card.

Cut your Designer Series Paper to 3.5″ square and cut in half diagonally to put on the front of the card inside the scored diagonal areas. I used the Nursery Nest DSP which has been retired, but try any of our fun NEW Designer Series Paper and create your own!

Next, create a 3″x3″ focal point (the baby feet on this sample) and when you are adhering it to the front of the card, ONLY use adhesive in the bottom left corner/triangle so that your card can open! For my focal point, I did the emboss resist technique with the Baby Prints stamp set: Stamp baby feet on white card stock using Versamark ink and emboss in white (or clear). Sponge ink over cooled, embossed image and wipe off the excess with a tissue: Voila! Your feet appear magically!

Of course, this card needs a special envelope, so I created a matching one with the Simply Scored tool and Diagonal Plate (for tutorial, click HERE): 

Rhaphsody in Blue

You can never go wrong with a monochromatic color palette 🙂 and while this one was created with a now retired color (Ballet Blue), I’ve made this card in MANY colors recently and they were all equally as beautiful!
Have you tried the Embossing Resist technique? It’s very simple: emboss an image using the Versamark ink pad and clear embossing powder on white card stock (I used the swirl from the Elements of Style stamp set…my FAVORITE set from the Summer Mini Catalog!). Let it cool for a few seconds, then sponge a classic ink color over the top and wipe off any extra ink with a tissue. The embossed image “resists” the ink.
I used the Finial Press embossing folder with the Big Shot for the background texture, and the Top Note die for the white background shape. And who could resist that hummingbird (from the same stamp set)?
Try this technique and share it with me by posting a link in the comments to your card!