Christmas Wreath - Clean & Simple

I have offered to donate a set of Holiday Cards for my local PTA's Bingo night. Because I've been making a conscious effort to watch my card-making pennies, I wanted a card that had very few layers.

I picked up this set by Studio G iClear a few weeks ago and have mulling around with a few ideas.


Details:
Stamps: Studio G i Clear - wreath, Hot Fudge Studio - sentiment
Ink: Memento - Cottage Ivy
Paper: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, stock green

CAS86 Sunflower thanks

I made these yesterday afternoon, but due to the rainy Canadian weather the pictures I took turned out to dark, so I had to retake them today which thankfully is sunny.

This is for the Clean & Simple Challenge #CAS86 inspired by Cookiebaker.

My take on an even simpler version of the above card.

Details:
Stamps: Hampton Arts - Square border, Anita - Sentiment, Inkadinkadoo - Garden Delight
Ink: SU: Summer Sun, Really Rust, Pumpkin Pie, Memento: Rich Cocoa
Paper: SU
Accessories: Ribbon, Raffia

No Tape - No Problem!

I ran out of tape this morning so challenge myself to make a card that didn't require any. I like the CAS effect.

Casing Myself - Mothers Day

When I first made the card shown here, I thought it would make a good Mother's Day card layout. I ended up changing the image and sentiment. So I cased myself, it happens.

Details
Stamps: SU - Pocket Silhouettes, Studio G Clear Stamps
Ink: SU - Not Quite Navy
Paper: SU - Urban Gardens, Not Quite Navy, Not Quite "Kiwi Kiss", Shimmery White

Simply Easy

I have used this layout before, but decided to give it another whirl.

I swiped the ink pad across the ink and then went back over the edges with a heavier hand. I still have trouble getting a solid ink impression from some stamps, even after using a rubber eraser on them to remove the machine oil.

Details:
Stamp: Studio G Clear Stamps
Paper: SU - Urban Gardens, Not Quite Navy, Not Quite "Kiwi Kiss"
Ink: Not Quite Navy

Thanks Fishy

I kind of into CAS cards right now. Maybe because they are very easy to make and require less fiddling. I needed to do two Thank You cards for my kids swimming coaches.

I sponged Certainly Celery Not Quite Navy and Bashful Blue onto my Cuddlebug emboss folder then ran a piece of paper on it through the machine. You can't tell in the photo, but the result was sort of a crackle tie die look. Embossing Polka Dots tutorial found here at Embellishmagazine.com.

The image is a digitstamp by Dustin Pike called FishieBowl.

Details:
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Tombows
Stamp: Dustin Pike: FishieBowl
Paper: SU: Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Not Quite Navy
Embellishments: Stickles, scallop punch, circle punch, coluzzle, ebossing folder

Triple Snowflake

I finally made a one layer card that doesn't look third rate. I have really struggled with one layered looks. I like the results so much and it was WAAAAY easy - this may just end up as this year's holiday card. How much easier can you get with no layers and no adhesive required, as well as cost affective.

I made a die cut template of the 3 windows or panels on a scrap piece of cardstock and laid it over my card in order to sponge. This will make it easy for mass production.

The ribbon photographed much darker then IRL.

This card was inspired by LaLatty's Stamp & Stuff September 20, 2009 post found here. I loved the sponging technique with the snowflakes and gave it a whirl, but used my Cuttlebug postage stamp die cut for the 3 panels sponged in Bashful Blue and Baja Breeze.

All that was needed to bling it up was some Stickles and a gemstone in the centre snowflake.

Here's my case of LaLatty's & tankgrl 's snowflake cards.

Details:
Ink: Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy
Stamps: Hero Arts: Diamond & Crystal Snowflakes, Hot Fudge Studio sentiment
Accessories: ribbon, Stickles, gemstones

Non Traditional Colours

Here is my take on the Hero Art: Merriest Wishes stamp I used in my previous post, but with non traditional Christmas colours - again my goal was clean and simple for possible mass production.
I really love the colours. It was a bit of a pain trying to get the individual colours on the stamp using stamping dots. I should invest in some SU markers. I have tried my Tombow markers on stamps without much success. This would be fairly easy with SU markers I think.

I also wish I had purchased the rhinestones I was eying at the craft store today. Oh well. Live and learn.

Details:
Stamp: Hero Arts: Merriest Wishes
Ink: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, pink
Paper: Pebbles:The Pathway
Embellishments: Stickles

Crisp & Clean Christmas

Again another photo where you can't quite see the glitter. There is red and green stickle dots in the Christmas tree as well as in the 3 stars at the bottom of the green mat.

I bought this stamp set a few years ago and never used this Christmas tree before. I really like it, I think I am going to play around with it and and try some different things maybe some different colours too (thinking pink brown and green).

Details:
Paper: Riding Hood Red & Garden Green
Ink: Memento Red & SU Garden Green
Stamps: Hero Arts: Merriest Wishes
Accessories: star stamp, red & green Stickles

Urban Silhouettes

Ever notice how the SU - Pocket Silhouette stamp set, lends itself to any occasion. I prefer the boldness of the Not Quite Navy card myself.

This layout is from FTL 49- Sketch found here @ Clean and Simple Stamping.



Details:
Stamps: SU - Pocket Silhouettes
Paper: SU - Urban Gardens, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze
Ink: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, VersaMark
Accessories: Ribbon, clear EP, White EP

Home Sweet Freebie SC232

Yes another freebie this one from D.A.I.S.I.E. Company Digital scrapping site found here. It is a Christmas image, but I'm pretending it's not. The layout is for yesterday's sketch challenge at SplitCoastStampers SC232.

I was really enjoying this image the way it was coloured until I added the yellow on the roof, it's too over powering. Oh well, you need to learn when to edit I suppose.

Details:
Stamps: D.A.I.S.I.E Co. x-mas freebie, computer generated sentiment
Ink: Tombows, gray Copic
Paper: Minds Eye, SU: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Michaels pink cardstock
Accessories: Making Memories grommets, SU scallop punch, Cuttlebug emboss folder, skittles

Home Made Geisha

The Geisha was hand drawn then scanned into Photoshop. My hubby helped make the eyes and eyebrows symmetrical, then the image was shrunk and printed onto cardstock. I thought my Copics might cause the printer ink to run, but it didn't.

I have an in-law that has an engraving business, he has mentioned before that he can turn my images into actual stamps. I am gonna give this one a try as well as some other images I have created.

As you can see I used the colours from this weeks SCS colour challenge CC220: Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Pumpkin Pie.



Details:
Stamps: hand drawn geisha
Paper: SU - Washington Apple
Ink: Copics, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard
Accessories: SU ribbon, Dollar store accessories and flower

Copper Fathers Day

Lovely As a Tree was the one stamp set that I promised myself to purchase at my SU stamp club, and wouldn't you know it, I didn't bother ordering it until the last month. Perfect for Fathers Day though. Thanks goodness it arrived in time.


This card was super simple to make. Good to have those easy one's for when you are in a jam.

Details:
Stamps: SU - Lovely As A Tree, SU - All Year Cheer II
Ink: Versamark, Copper emboss powder, Color Box - Copper pigment
Paper: copper, black, Old Olive, Whisper White

Aligator Birthday

I am on a roll with masculine cards. I have to do 4 Father's Day cards plus two adult masculine birthday's all for the month of June, as well as the Get Well card that I posted yesterday.

I am having trouble water colouring my images with my Tombow markers since buying new white cardstock. I ran out of the plain white cardstock from Michaels and picked up some Whisper White from SU and some from the local office store. My Tombows won't blend on either paper. So I had to resort to paper piecing the alligator on green cardstock.

The sentiment is computer generated.

Details:
Stamps: Sandylion - Boy clear stamp
Ink: Tuxedo Black, gray copic
Paper: Fall Matstack, SU - Kraft paper, Michaels cardstock
Accesories: Su - ribbon, button, floss, SU - mat pack

Mothers Day Window

Originally I had intended or attempted to make a single layer card with a window cut out. It evolved some and is no longer a single layer, but I am satisfied with the outcome.

I really love the new Sizzix - Butterfly die that I purchased from The Memory Keeper - that store is huge! I embossed each butterfly then used my VersaMark pen on the edges and the embossed areas. Stickles on the flowers added some sparkle. I find the marker has more control on embossed items with the pen rather then just swiping with the my VersaMark pad.

After I finished the card I realized why this colour combo seemed so familiar, it's the colour palette of my DD's room


Details:
Stamps: SU - Mixed Bouquet, SU - All Year Cheer II
Ink: SU: Certainly Celery, Blush Blossom, Appricot Appeal, Pale Plum & Lavender Lace, Versamak pen
Paper: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Lavender Lace, Whisper White
Accessories: Cuddlebug Swirls emboss folder & Circles emboss folder, SU - Apricot Appeal ribbon, Nesstabilities, Sizzix - Butterfly die, and stickles.

Kraft Homage

This is my homage to Jennifer Bucks - The Buck Stamps Here "Late" design for the No Time to Stamp challenge "Thread it Through"

I have Kraft paper and the SU - Simply Silhouette stamp set, but instead of merely casing, I was inspired to create this card:

I have wanted to use this butterfly since my hubby bought me this set Inkadinkado- Garden Delight last year, but never knew how to use it since it was so large.

I had planned on stamping it in Memento Rich Cocoa then adding the image to a card with an orange and cocoa theme. However when I stamped the image out in just the Memento Rich Cocoa it reminded me of Jennifer's card and before I knew it, I had a monochromatic homage to Jennifer Buck's "Late".

I didn't have any coordinating DS to match so I created my own using the Stampendous - Tiled Quad Cube, also a gift from my hubby - ain't he grand!

Details:

Stamps: Inkadinkado - Garden Delight, Stampendous - Tiled Quad Cube, SU - Pocket Silhouettes

Ink: Memento - Rich Cocoa, SU - Whisper White pigment

Paper: SU - Close to Cocoa & Whisper White

Embellishments: Silver Brad, Mat Pack

Manhattan Breeze

There is a story behind this card. Last night I arrived at my monthly stamp club to find out that I was a week early. My SU Rep Jennifer Tinline was having a BIG SHOTS night and since it's a half hour drive for me, I decided to stay.

One of the projects we made last night was using the Manhattan Impressions Die on a full piece of vellum mounted with a ribbon at the top of the card - the whole card being covered in vellum. I had seen a very similar card on SplitCoastStampers using this Impression on vellum, but didn't know how the look was achieved. I had asked the designer, but had no response - I wish I had book marked the link.

At that time I had thought the Manhattan Impression plate was a die cut only, not an embosser. Once seeing the vellum embossed in person, Jenn and I played with the vellum and accidentally discovered that if you gently pull at the vellum on the edges, the vellum will tear away from the embossed edges giving the below effect. It gives an intentionally ragged edge look.

Now I know how the SplitCoast sample was achieved and so do you. I mounted the the vellum at the bottom of my card and covered the tape remnants with SU Organza ribbon. It's a very elegant effect with out a whole lot of work.

Details:
Embellishments: Manhattan Impression Die, SU Organza ribbon
Paper: Baja Breeze, vellum
Stamps: SU sentiment (not sure what set)

No Stamp Wedding Invitation

Tonight my husband asked me to mock up a wedding invitation for one of his staff that is getting married this September. The wedding is under a very tight budget so the bride and groom picked up a do-it-yourself invitation kit, but were very unhappy with the results.

I needed to come up with something fairly easy and inexpensive since my husband and I are going to eat the cost for the invitations on their behalf. Of course the happy couple has vito power, they can change the colour scheme and etc to work for them. I took my inspiration from Kim @ Blogging along found here.

I love the scallop along the bottom, it's a cute touch.

BTW, the invitation details inside are fake.

Details:
Paper: Amy Butler - Sola Ficus, Baja Breeze cardstock, white cardstock
Accessories: Martha Stewart eyelet punch, cuddlebug folder - swirls, ribbon

Masculine Case - QUESTION

Here is a question for any of you who read my blog, if there are any of you?

What is your most versatile stamp set? Read details below:

I had to make a quick masculine card for a family friend who is going through a medical ordeal. I admit that I have a hard time with masculine cards. I don't think I am very forward thinking when purchasing my stamps sets making sure that my sets are versatile for all occasions. For example I have a lot of masculine stamps that work for Father's Day and birthdays, but aren't appropriate for the occasion I mentioned above.

I think I am going to have to work on that, making sure my future stamp purchases are more versatile. I like SU's - Lovely as a Tree. It can work for masculine, feminine and pretty much any special occasion as well as for Sympathy or Get Well. That's the kind of stamp sets I have to be better at picking up.


Here is the card, I basically cased.

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1028676?si=masculine

Details:
Stamp: Rubber Stamped - Monkey Paw Fern, Studio G Clear stamp sentiment
Paper: scraps
Ink: Color Box - Copper