Tag: Technique

Fence Me In: A Split-Front Card

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Split-front cards are trending in paper crafting, and the Sending Smiles bundle makes today’s card a sunny one!

I’d been seeing these pretty cards and knew it was time to jump in, so today I taught you how with a video. Will you try this unique style of a split-front card?

The Sending Smiles stamps and Sending Dies WILL be carrying over to the 2023-2024 catalog in May, but they won’t be bundled together with a discount, as they are now!

Have a ball making your own Fence-Post cards! Here are the supplies you need for this version:

Product List
Sending Smiles Bundle (English)
$49.50
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock
$8.25
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
$9.25
Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
$9.25
Paper Trimmer
$25.00
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
$6.00
Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad
$8.00
Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad
$8.00
Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine
$63.00
2022 2024 In Color Matte Decorative Dots
$8.00
Baker's Twine Essentials Pack
$11.00
Foam Adhesive Sheets
$8.00
Multipurpose Liquid Glue
$4.00
Mini Stampin' Dimensionals
$4.25
Mini Glue Dots
$5.25

If you are wanting the best deal to gain CREATIVE CONFIDENCE, add $125 worth of these items to a STARTER KIT (and only pay $99)…then you’ll be part of my Sprinkled Ink team and connected to other creative people sharing what they love! It’s my job to help you learn and grow your business, and we’ll have a fun time doing it together.

Floating Circle Card

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When you have thin strips of Designer Series Paper you don’t want to throw away, just glue them to a window sheet and die cut a “floating circle”! Want to see more? Watch my Facebook Live video from 10/17/22 and see how easy this card was to create!

We stampers love a little shine and shimmer, and that’s just what you’ll get in the Splendid Day Specialty Designer Series Paper pack…this angle shows how each double-sided paper has one metallic side and one pretty printed side, and you really can’t bear to let any go to waste:

Pick a small sentiment to stamp on one of your non-metallic strips. Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals are easy to hide behind the strips, and lift your circle off the card to make it look like it’s floating! Add a floral image and you have a simply sensational card.

While this DSP was created to coordinate stunningly with the Splendid Thoughts bundle (see my original card below the supply list), I used the Sending Smiles bundle for my video demonstration – the sentiments in the Sending Smiles stamps fit on the strips perfectly.

This is one to try immediately in your stamp studio!

Product List
Sending Smiles Bundle (English)
$49.50
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock
$8.25
Splendid Day 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper
$15.00
Window Sheets
$5.00
Soft Sea Foam Classic Stampin' Pad
$8.00
Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad
$8.00
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
$6.00
Stylish Shapes Dies
$30.00
Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine
$63.00
Stampin' Seal
$8.00
Mini Stampin' Dimensionals
$4.25
Add All to Cart

Same card, with the Splendid Thoughts bundle (sentiment still from Sending Smiles stamp set):

Cards to Dye For

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In true re-cycle fashion, tie dying is back on trend! And it seems a bit more classy than the first time around, don’t you agree?

Naturally, Stampin’ Up! saw this coming and created the Spiral Dye stamp: It creates GROOVY backgrounds for cards (at 4-1/2″ x 5-3/4″, it covers a standard A2 size card front).

The COOL thing about this stamp is that when you spin the stamped image 180 degrees, you can stamp it a second time with another color and get the Tie-Dye effect! The Stamparatus tool makes it SUPER easy:

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Looking at the spiral, it reminded my how often my “well-laid plans” get changed and I have to make adjustments. It happens to you, too, right? Learning to pivot and change directions is a skill that takes practice, but will help us learn to deal more smoothly with life’s unexpected challenges. Which is where I got the inspiration for this card:

Tell me you can relate.

Using Magenta Madness and Granny Apple Green as my colors, I stamped the Spiral Dye on a 4″ x 4″ piece of Basic White card stock, then used my trimmer to cut it into 6 random pieces before adding it to my card front. Demonstrators call it the “Scrappy Strip” technique.

To get a perfect edge around the word PIVOT (cut from the very versatile Playful Alphabet Dies), use an old fashioned compass drawing tool on the smallest width and lightly trace around the letters glued to white card stock with a sharp pencil. After fussy cutting, erase any leftover pencil marks.

The Lighthearted Lines had the perfect sentiments to go with it (PLOT TWIST!) and on the inside of the card I used another quote from the set:

Another Lighthearted Line sentiment that would have worked says, “When nothing goes right, go left”

Next I wanted to try embossing with the Spiral Dye and it worked out spectacularly:

It’s even more shiny in person!

I made you a tutorial for this one which you can download by clicking the button…and BTW, if you don’t have Silver Foil Sheets from last year’s catalog, there will be some in the August-December mini catalog coming 8/3!

Download Spiral Dye Celebrate Tutorial

June 3 for Free: Dragonfly Garden

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Punches make creating cards simple by offering an element that adds that “punch” of pizzazz! This month, my 3 for Free kit will be mailed out to those who order the Dragonfly Garden bundle, which features the Dragonfly punch and you’ll be flying to the craft room to put them together.

While I will send you all the consumable supplies (card stock, paper, ribbon, etc), there are a few ink pads and supplies you may want to add to your order (if you don’t already have them) to help you complete your projects:

  • Balmy Blue Classic Ink Pad
  • Bumble Bee Classic Ink Pad
  • Blackberry Bliss Classic Ink Pad
  • Just Jade Classic Ink Pad
  • Versamark Ink Pad
  • Sponge Daubers
  • Gold, Copper OR Silver Embossing Powder
  • Heat Tool (for embossing)

To get you inspired by this bundle (and to teach you how to make some stunning watercolor backgrounds), I demonstrated these two cards during my Facebook Live yesterday (not part of my 3 for Free kit):

The technique (Stampin’ Blends on Vellum with Alcohol) is really quite magical, and so enjoyable to watch:

As I mention in the video, if you don’t want to do this technique yourself -OR- you just want MORE of it, you can also subscribe by June 10th for the Paper Pumpkin Kit “Expressions In Color” which will get you making 9 gorgeous watercolor themed cards in moments with everything you need in one kit arriving in your mailbox:

New at SU!~ Butterfly Bokeh

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You know we bring you the latest and greatest from Stampin’ Up! in our monthly “New at SU!” blog hops, but this month is a little different: Our design team decided to showcase some of our favorite RETIRING stamp sets *AND* show you some fabulous stamping techniques in the process.

I chose to use the Butterfly Gala stamp set and the coordinating Butterfly Duet punch to teach you the Bokeh technique. Yes, there are more butterflies coming (I’ve shown you the Butterfly Brilliance bundle available now as an early release) but there are none that coordinate with a punch, so if you don’t have a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine (yet) or simply enjoy the convenience of a stamp set with a coordinating punch…NOW is the time to add both to your crafting arsenal.

Bokeh is a “blurry light” look in photography, and the concept converts well to paper crafting. I made two cards to show you how pretty the effect is as well as a few ideas on how to incorporate it into your crafting.

The Blending Brushes work beautifully for Bokeh: Begin by blending your colors onto a white piece of card stock.

Next, use a sponge dauber to add various depths of “blurry light” by sponging white ink through a template using a sponge dauber. I used different sized circle punches or circle layering framelits and a piece of window sheet so I could see where I wanted the circles to be. Did I mention that all our circle punches are also retiring???

After creating your Bokeh background, you can stamp directly on it with black in (as the first card sample shows) OR layer some small focal point on your card, leaving enough space to enjoy the background as well, as the “Hello Beautiful” card displays.

Now it’s on to Diane’s post to learn the Baby Wipe technique~ she is using the Arrange a Wreath stamp set that has been very popular with my customers this year!

Product List
Butterfly Gala Photopolymer Stamp Set
$21.00
Butterfly Duet Punch
$18.00
Layering Circles Dies
$35.00
Window Sheets
$5.00
Blending Brushes
$12.00
Sponge Daubers
$5.00
Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
$8.75
Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock
$9.75
Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad
$7.50
So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad
$7.50
Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad
$7.50
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
$6.00
Uninked Stampin’ Craft Pad & Whisper White Refill
$9.50
Artistry Blooms Sequins
$7.00
Whisper White 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon
$7.50
Stitched So Sweetly Dies
$32.00
Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine
$60.00
Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
$10.00
Stampin' Dimensionals
$4.00

April 2021 New at SU! Hop: Stamping Techniques with Retiring Stamps

Scrappy Strip Technique/Dandelion Wishes: Tricia’s Stamping Creations

Clear Block Stamping/Rooted in Nature: Sugar & Scraps

Blends & Alcohol Technique/Sweet Magnolia: Lilypad Stamper

Blistering Ink Background/To A Wild Rose: De Kijkkast

Joseph’s Coat Technique/Gorgeous Posies: Stampin’ Scrapper

Mirror Stamping/Beauty Abounds: Carterie Plus

Faux Metal Embossing/Loyal Leaves: Playing with Papercrafting

Bay Window Card/Comfort & Hope: Gifted Hands Ink

Reverse Masking/So Much Love: Stamping Flair

Bokeh Technique/Butterfly Gala: Creative Juice with Loni YOU ARE HERE

Baby Wipe Technique/Arrange a Wreath: 24/7 Inkspiration

Kissing/To A Wild Rose: Scraphexe

Be a Gold-Dipper!

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I’m sorry to say that Sale-a-Bration 2020 is almost over, but the crafting will continue because we are all still stuck at home (thanks, Covid-19): Are you prepared to keep making pretty things? If not, you have a few more hours to earn Sale-A-Bration rewards by shopping in my Stampin’ Up! store! It all ends March 31st at midnight, Mountain Time.

To end with a fun technique, I’m playing along with TGIF Challenges and their “Gold Dipped” #tgifc257 challenge:

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I chose to demonstrate this card LIVE on my Creative Juice Facebook Page today, so you can watch the replay by clicking the link. Hint: There is a giveaway, too!

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The Butterfly Punch is a newly added option for Sale-A-Bration and I paired it with the Power of Hope bundle (another S-A-B option you could choose free): IMG_5053-(W)

It’s kind of hard to see, but the gold embossing powder is really shiny!IMG_5056-(W)

I’ve been mailing a card (or two or ten) each day during the quarantine and I think the sentiment inside is perfect for keeping us going:

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Play along with this challenge- or any other- to keep your sanity! Crafting (and sending something you’ve created to someone else) will get you through this lonely time.

What’s New at SU! Fall Crafting

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Thanks for hopping along with the What’s New at SU! blog hop. Our group of demonstrators from around the globe always inspire creativity with their projects and today we are focusing on FALL.

My husband grew over 200 stalks of Indian corn this year, so we have a LOT of beautiful ears and colorful kernels with which to decorate for all things Autumn:

IMG_3435-(W)We dried some of the corn and I put them into a small mason jar and pushed a battery-operated tea light into them. All it needed was a little ribbon and a tag to dress it up, and I will make a few more to decorate our Thanksgiving table.

When was the last time you colored directly on your stamp with Stampin’ Write Markers? I love doing this on words to achieve a rainbow effect.

IMG_3429-(W)This technique is easily done on a red rubber stamp (like our cling mount sets), but this saying was from a photopolymer set: When I colored and stamped it the first time, the colors pooled on the photopolymer, making the stamped image blotchy. So I cleaned it off with Stampin’ Mist cleaner on the Stampin’ Scrub and tried again~ the result the second time was MUCH better!

Before you hop on to Diane’s projects (or back to Heather’s), I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

PREVIOUSNEXT

Product List

Country Home Photopolymer Stamp Set

$21.00

Crumb Cake 8-1/2

$8.75

Scalloped Tag Topper Punch

$23.00

2019-2021 In Color Stampin' Write Markers

$15.00

Regals Stampin' Write Markers

$30.00

Terracotta Tile 1/2

$8.00

Linen Thread

$5.00

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Now & Later

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NOW: Don’t miss the LAST 2 days to get 1, 2 or 3 free gifts when you purchase one of the Share What You Love bundles! Watch my latest mashup of two of the stamps in the Love What You Do ( included in each bundle)~ you’ll be impressed by how quickly I stamp:

LATER: If you didn’t snag a Stamparatus during the pre-order earlier this year, the wait is almost over: Get yours in just 3 days (June 1st starting at noon MST). This tool may just change your life.

NOW (but not later): These products will only be available separately in the new catalog. The ONLY way to get the “Statement of My Heart” stamp is in the “Gotta Have it All” Bundle. Last day to order any of these bundles is May 31st so wait no longer!!

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LATER: You’ll be crafting all weekend when you place your order today! Click on any of the bundles to see them in my Stampin’ Store. Start spreading the love you create with stamps, ink and paper. It’s a beautiful day to make something beautiful!

This Little Piggy Found Zen

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This little piggy is happy it’s Friday!

Today’s card was inspired by #tgifc113 and the fact that the “This Little Piggy” stamp set was sitting on my desk, begging to be used today.
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So if you’ve never tried the Bokeh technique, I’ll show you how I did this one (there are a few different techniques, but this one is the easiest for me). I started with a piece of Pool Party card stock and sponged Pool Party, Tempting Turquoise, Bermuda Bay and Island Indigo in circular motions on the top. It won’t look pretty at this point. Never fear~ It gets better!

Next I took a Window Sheet and punched different sizes of circles in it. You could also use the circle framelit dies and your big shot. Lay this over the top of your dried, sponged card and apply plenty of Whisper White Ink with a sponge dauber. Remember to make some of the circles go off the edge of your paper!

 

I like to find a circle stamp (or two) in some of my other stamp sets to add a few stamped circles after the sponging too. This little circle was pulled from the “Sweet Home” set, but any will work. IMG_4593 Next I stamped the happy pig on top using Night of Navy ink and also stamped it on Powder Pink card stock to cut out. I don’t mind a little fussy cutting to make this cute guy really pop off the card. FullSizeRender 7

The flower was stamped/cut out from Daffodil Delight and as I wanted to keep it clean and simple today, I simply added a few of the new Glitter Enamel Dots in keeping with the Bokeh theme:

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Ready to try your hand at the Bokeh technique? Thanks for shopping for the supplies in my Stampin’ Store!  Remember to use my host code (posted in the right column) if you are ordering less than $150 as I draw a name for a free gift each month from friends who use the code. If you order over $150, you get to choose Stampin’ Rewards with your order!

Salt Star Background for The Kindness Projects

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A friend asked for cards for a teenage boy who needed some encouragement and it was so 
delightful to create something to bring a smile to someones face (I hope!):
Boys are hard to stamp for sometimes. Especially teenage boys. So I pulled out the Calling All Heroes stamp set (Item #138002…only available while supplies last!) and put on my thinking cap. I started by turning my cardstock to landscape for a different look to the circle card thinlit die. I used a 4.25″ x 7.25″ piece of Pacific Point card stock and didn’t run it all the way through; just over the circle side and back. 
My friend Lou Ann showed me how to make a starry night with salt so I decided to incorporate that into my card, too:

Start with a Daffodil Delight (or white) piece of card stock and sprinkle salt over it. Place it between the cutting pads and run it through the Big Shot on the Multipurpose Platform with all tabs closed. Shake/brush off the salt (remember to wipe off the cutting pads too!).
Next, brayer over the salt-embossed paper with a dark color (I used Night of Navy). Make sure the salt/dot impressions are pushing DOWN and your ink won’t reach them, creating a starry, starry night. Add a city or space-scape and voila, the milky way appears!
Please purchase the supplies to create your own from Loni’s Stampin’ Up! Store.
If you want to create something as a random act of kindness, I suggest visiting the Kindness Projects blog and sharing your he(ART)-felt good works!

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