Wild & Crazy

Well, not really... but the card does feature a zebra. I really liked the touch of the Pool Party ribbon with grey and white, so that kind of inspired this card. I stamped the stripes first with black, then stamped over with white pigment ink, and then I cut it out. I like how the white ink subdued the black just a bit.

The card is very basic in design since I wanted the zebra to remain the focus.

Supplies:

• Stamps: It's a Jungle Out There
• Ink: Black Onyx, Fresh Snow
• Paper: White, Smoky Shadow, Pool Party
• Accessories, etc.: Limitless Layers- 1-3/4 circle, Animal Prints Impression Plate, Pool Party ruffled ribbon

Christmas Card Class

This weekend, I decided to put together a Christmas card class for a few friends. It was a lot of fun! The get together started with 4 structured cards, and then afterwards, everyone just did their own thing with the supplies leftover.

The first card was this one. It's super simple, especially with the use of the scor-tape sheets, it makes the process so much faster. Basically, adhere the sheet to a piece of cardstock, die cut your shape, then sprinkle glitter liberally. It's not a good stamp class unless everyone leaves with a bit of glitter on them, ha!

Supplies- Vintage Ornaments die, Big & Bold Holiday Wishes, Silver Ink, Tempting Turquoise Paper, Glitter, Rhinestones

Next up, I wanted to showcase Copic markers. This card doesn't exactly use them to their full potential, but it's nice to do a bit of colouring now and then. I also wanted to show what I call the "sneaky bow" technique, where you use string to make the bow, instead of tying it.

Supplies: Classic Christmas, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Satin Ribbon, Copics, Button, Rich Cocoa Ink

The next card was a bit more fussy, but I think it was the favorite. Most people didn't seem to want to have to give it away! I used the Love Lives Here: Holiday and matching dies to make the little stockings, added a bit of baker's twine for whimsy, applied the woodgrain texture plate to the paper, and also made use of rustic colours. I quite like how it turned out too!

The final planned card made use of embossing. It's always a nice and simple, yet sharp technique that goes over well with all levels of stampers.

I used Snowflake Serenade and Stylish Sentiments: Holiday on Night of Navy paper. I also went with one of my basic, fall to layouts. I use this one all the time.

So, afterwards, there were some leftover components from the card kits, and I had brought out all my holiday stamps, and it was a bit of a chaotic, but fun free for all. I even ended up making a few more cards.

This one, using Classic Christmas and Stylish Sentiments, and a bit more colouring. I quite liked the teal, light aqua, and gold colour combination.

And this super simple one layer card with just a small embellishment pop with the bow, using a Wreath for All Seasons.

It was a lot of fun, everyone left with at least 5 cards, and I think there may just be a birthday card class in the future!

Reach for the Sky!

I saw that I hadn't actually posted anything here in May yet, oops! So here's a "reject" from a recent publication call.

Cut out 2 curved pieces of Pear Pizzazz paper. Stamp background images on each, adhere to Baja Breeze panel. Stamp clouds and kite image to Baja Breeze. Stamp kite image onto white card stock, cut out and adhere with foam tape. Stamp sentiment. Mat main image on Orange Zest, then onto white card.

• Stamps: Up, Up, and Away, Up, Up, and Away sentiments, Background Basics: Petal Power
• Ink: Orange Zest, Certainly Celery, Fresh Snow, Onyx Black
• Paper: White, Orange Zest, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze

Size: 4.5x5.25

PTI April Blog Hop!

This month's blog hop is dedicated to all the boys and men in our lives! Now is your chance to create Father's Day projects, boy birthday cards and more to build up your stash! Focus on masculine color schemes, fresh pattern combinations, understated embellishments and unique uses of images you may already have in your stash!

I decided to make a technique based card. I'm sure there's an actual name for this technique, but I haven't actually watched any tutorials about it. I started off with a piece of

acetate. I scribbled various colours of Copic markers all over it. Then I spritzed alcohol on it to give it a speckled and blended look. I flipped it over and stamped some images from Leaf Prints on it with Stazon. I attached that to a piece of vanilla cardstock by using a large piece of Scor-Tape. Then everything else kind of fell into place.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Leaf Prints, Masculine Motifs (Papertrey Ink)
• Paper:Vanilla, Dark Chocolate
• Ink: Stazon Timber Brown
• Accessories, etc: Various Copics in the YR Family, Wood button, baker's twine, twill ribbon, acetate

A more complex take on FTL134

So I was just playing around with new stuff, cutting out some dies and doing a bit of stamping, (basically putting together my own embellishments) when I decided I needed to actually make use of them. I tend to put together all sorts of embellishments, but then I end up leaving them in my completed folder for ages. I looked at what I had put together and realized that it would work nicely with my clean and simple fall to layout sketch this week!

Supplies (all supplies by Papertrey Ink):

• Stamps: Love Lives Here, Textstyle I,
• Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate
• Paper: White, Dark Chocolate, Scarlet Jewel
• Accessories, etc.: Love Lives Here dies

MIM: Blending Inks

Since I had the day off, I figured I'd have a go at the latest PTI challenge. The challenge was to blend inks. Whenever I think of this technique, I have a hard time not putting together a sunset or sunrise theme. So I really wanted to break out of that box and do something different.

I started by stamping the Chrysanthemums and

leaves on my paper. Next I chose my colour palette (Paris Lights, Summer Sunrise, Orangerie for the flowers; Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado for the leaves; Aqua Mist for the background). I started with the lightest colour in the middle of the stamped images and worked in a circular motion outwards.

Once I was done the flowers and leaves, I added in the Aqua Mist. Next, I wasn't totally satisfied with how it looked so I inked up a text background with Chai Tea ink (I love using these on background stamps, they blend so nicely into the scene.

The final step was to add a greeting on a punched out label and decorate it with a button and a bit of ribbon and string.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Year of Flowers: Mums, Textstyle II, Round and Round (all PTI)
• Ink: Paris Lights, Summer Sunrise, Orangerie, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate
• Paper: Orange Zest, Ripe Avocado, White,
• Accessories, etc.: Modern Label punch, ribbon, button, string

MIM: Impression Plates

Unfortunately, I didn't find the time last week to join in on PTI's Make It Monday challenge. This week however, I had to try the technique. The challenge was to use your impression plates to cover only part of your paper. You can check out the technique here.

Here's my card:

I went clean and simple with my design (shocking, I know!). I tried a few different things with the impression plate, but it wasn't exactly working out, so I took the easy approach. I haven't used much of my felt stash recently, so I decided to make a layered blossom.

I really like these fancy swirly buttons (found in the Vintage Cream button collection), but the big loop on the back always deterred me from using them. I took my old Stampin' Up rubber cutting scissors and carefully cut into the plastic loop. It took two takes to get it down to a manageable level. Since it was a bit rough after that, I stuck it into a dimensional glue dot, and stuck that to my felt flower.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Birthday Basics
• Ink: Dark Chocolate
• Paper: Rustic Cream, Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy
• Accessories, etc.: Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides Felt; Blossoms Die; Button; Diamonds impression plate, Scor-It

MIM- Fun Foam

When I first saw the latest MIM challenge I had all sorts of interesting ideas about what to do. When I watched the video, I was reminded of how I too had made my own stamps using various fun foam shapes. However, when I went to get started, the fun foam was nowhere to be found. I searched through some closets and found a few hearts and flowers. I managed to find a few pieces that were big enough to stamp and cut out.

I really wanted to make something with the number dies. Fun foam is the perfect medium for making stamps out of these dies! But, the pieces I found where definitely not big enough to try!

Here's my card.

I decided to use the fun foam for the balloon tops. It seemed like a good fit, texturally. Due to colour choices available in the fun foam, I went with some bright colour pairings- Pacific Point for the sky and Only Orange for the tag.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Up, Up, and Away (PTI)
• Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Fresh Snow
• Paper: Only Orange, Pacific Point, White
• Accessories, etc: Fun Foam, Double Ended Tags

MIM: Glitter Strips

I had some spare time to try my hand at the latest Papertrey Ink Make It Monday challenge. This week's challenge was to use glitter strips. I used Scor-Tape a few ways on the card. First, I stamped the rainbow, cut it out, coloured it with Copics, then stuck that to a sheet of Scor-Tape. I put together my sky scene, then decided to add a glitter border to the white card base (just in case my rainbow didn't count as using a"strip"of Scor-Tape). Besides, what's a little more glitter, right?

Supplies:

• Stamps: Up & Up and Away (plus sentiments)
• Ink:Fresh Snow, Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Pacific Point, Real Red, White
• Accessories, etc.: Cloud die Vintage Cream felt, Scor-Tape (1/4'' and sheets), glitter

MIM: Vellum Sentiment Strip Challenge

I have to say, it's nice to be doing a regular challenge (besides my weekly CAS sketch card)! I am enjoying PTI's Make It Monday challenges (it's always nice to have the possibility of winning something too)

I wanted to do something a little bit different than the typical sentiment strip. It's not much as far as "out of the box" goes, but I decided to fancy up one edge of the strip with a scallop punch. I used to never use Perfect Plum, but I really like it with these other colours.



Supplies:

• Stamps: Beautiful Blooms II, Big Birthday Wishes
• Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Perfect Plum, Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate
• Paper: White, Vellum, Sweet Blush, Perfect Plum, Scarlet Jewel
• Accessories, etc.: Scallop edge punch, By the Numbers die

Combo Challenge

When I heard the news that fellow Clean & Simple Stamping blogger Heather Pulvirenti was starting up a bi-weekly colour challenge, I knew I had to join in the fun! Colour challenges are a great way to get those creative juices flowing. One thing I really like about colour challenges, is I usually have NO idea what I will end up making, I pretty much let the colours dictate my card theme and layout.

So here is the colour lineup for Heather's first Totally Hues challenge. Isn't it delightful?

I had also decided to make another entry for PTI's Make It Monday challenge (use lots of one type of sentiment on a card), so that also came into play for the whole process. Whenever I want to do a colour challenge, the first thing I do (and I'm sure I'm not alone) is grab a sheet or scrap of each colour and see how it all looks together. These colours shouting out "HAPPY!", so I decided I'd make a birthday card. I also have a ton of birthday sentiments, so that worked well for the sentiment part of the challenge. I had a loose piece of paper on my table that had a few sketches on it, so I decided to go with one of those.

Finally, here's the card:

Supplies:

• Stamps: Cupcake Collections, Big & Bold Wishes, It's a Celebration, Birthday Bash Greetings, Birthday Basics, Faux Ribbon (all by Papertrey Ink)
• Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Hibiscus Burst, Daffodil Delight
• Paper: White, Simply Chartreuse, Hibiscus Burst, Hawaiian Shores, Harvest Gold
• Accessories, etc.: Eyelet Border Punch, Corner Rounder, Limitless Layers Die-1-3/4

More PTI Anniversary Challenges

Here's my entry for today's challenge of "Thinking Big". Whenever I need a big sentiment, I think of these great greetings in Big and Bold Wishes. The main greetings are also in one of my favorite fonts!


I still love how teal and brown go together, so that's what I went with on here. The greeting is actually stamped with Stampin' Up!'s Early Espresso, but it photographed almost black. I hadn't used the button bow technique in a while so I figured I'd do that. That technique is where you loop the ribbon, tie a knot in the center with string to actually cheat making the bow, then add your button on top- I know I found out how to do this from a video, but I cannot remember who posted it, sorry!


Size:6-3/4x3-3/4
Supplies:

• Stamps: In Bloom, Big & Bold Wishes(Papertrey Ink)
• Ink: Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal (Stampin' Up!)
• Paper: White, Taken with Teal, Chocolate Chip
• Ribbon/String:5/8 inch Satin Ribbon- Teal Michaels, Baker's Twine Dark Chocolate v
• Button- Dark Chocolate(Papertrey Ink)
• Punch:Border Punch- Diamond Lace (EK Success)

Colour Challenge

As much as I would have loved to tackle all of the colour challenges presented for today's PTI anniversary challenge, I just didn't have enough time in my day! I did manage to squeeze one quick card in though. I decided to use Nichole's colour combo:

I wanted to follow the challenge exactly, so I didn't even bring in a neutral!

I thought these colours would work nicely for a masculine card. I pulled out Masculine Motifs and got to work. I went with one of my fall to layouts. I added the leaves in dark chocolate to the side panel, it didn't seem finished though, so I stamped over that with a Text Style background.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Masculine Motifs, Background Basics: Text Style II
• Ink: Terracotta Tile, Melon Berry, Dark Chocolate
• Paper: Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Melon Berry, Terracotta Tile
• Accessories, etc.: Button, String, Corner rounder

Go To Sentiments

I decided to try something a little different for the Make It Monday challenge. I always make birthday cards and I have SO many birthday sentiments, but I didn't want to rely on those. I decided, instead, to make a baby card. It was fun going through all my PTI sets to see how many great sentiments there are for baby cards!

I stamped a few practice versions on scrap paper to see what looked best, then once I stamped everything on the Kraft, I decided I needed to add a few embellishments. I went with glitter and stars!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Mixed Messages, Bitty Baby Blessings, Baby Button Bits, Baby: Inside and Out, Star Prints
• Ink: Rich Cocoa
• Paper: Kraft, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores
• Accessories, etc.: Sticky Sheets, Glitter, Glue pen, pop dots, Star punch

Quick Tag Post #2

As many stampers are aware, Papertrey Ink's anniversary celebrations are underway. Today's contest is an awesome one- the prize is a chance to develop a stamp set with Nichole Heady. I've always wanted to design stamps, so this prize has me quite excited.



Here's my card featuring Nichole's Tag. I decided to use the colours as the rest of my inspiration once again- Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, and Hawaiian Shores. I thought it'd be fun to mix all sorts of frames here, so I matted the tag on a circle, then put that on Fillable Frames #4. I finished it off by adding everything to a polka dotted stamped scalloped square.

I found that the circle images seemed to work nicely on 4.25 square cards.

Quick Tag Post #1

As many stampers are aware, Papertrey Ink's anniversary celebrations are underway. Today's contest is an awesome one- the prize is a chance to develop a stamp set with Nichole Heady. I've always wanted to design stamps, so this prize has me quite excited.

I would have loved to use all 9 free tag images today, but time is always one's enemy. I managed to get two done. The first one uses Dawn's patterned image. The second card can be seen on the next post.

I decided to pair it with Limitless Layers- Circles, a Double Ended Banner die, and some Diamonds Impression Plate ( as well as Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Dark Chocolate, and Summer Sunrise).

A few anniversaries

I figured it was high time for an update. Unfortunately the exact thing that I said wouldn't happen did- once I started dedicating more of my time to the Clean and Simple Stamping blog, the time dedicated to this blog translated to one or two posts a month. I don't have nearly the same amount of free time I had when I first started blogging, so when I do have time to stamp, I feel obligated to maintain the sketches over at CAS.

So, when my grandmother returned the empty cardbox, I welcomed it as a reason to stamp for fun. I ended up making 12 birthday cards, 4 sympathy cards, and these anniversary cards. I find that if I make 4 of the same design in one sitting it doesn't become super boring.

Anyway, onto the cards!

Since I picked up the limitless layers-circles die from Papertrey, I have been trying to incorporate them into several designs (and unfortunately, often failing!). Finally, I figured out a design that would use all the things I wanted to include- that fun scalloped circle, some layered images, and still plenty of room for a sentiment without it being a boring layout.

I thought about leaving the pink background blank, but I really like using these flourishes with the heart image and adding some small hearts to the mix.

Supplies (most supplies from Papertrey Ink, unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Round and Round, Heart Prints, Fancy Flourishes
• Ink: Cherry Jubilee, Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso (Stampin' Up!)
• Paper: Ruby Red, Pink Pirouette (Stampin' Up!), White, Dark Chocolate
• Accessories, etc.: Limitless Layers- Circles die, Eyelet lace die