Serene Silhouette Sympathy

Today I have two cards to share...both use the same supplies, technique and colors but I changed up the layout. One is a sympathy card and the other is for a birthday, but either could be used for any occasion really. The Serene Silhouettes stamp set is quite versatile!

I started out planning to make two of the same cards...one to send and one to have on hand for my sample board...BUT I made a slight error. When I use the Woodgrain Embossing Folder and the Timber Wheel on multiple layers, I like to make sure that the grain of the wood on all layers is running the same way. I didn't pay attention to that when I embossed my stamped image of the tree branch and birds, so I decided to make the extra card like this...

I like the way both of these turned out and cannot really pick a favorite. Which one do you prefer?

Thanks for visiting me today...have a great weekend!

Thank You Thursdays

Just yesterday I shared a shadowbox frame decorated with the Witches' Brew Washi Tape. Great news...today it's on SALE! 

Have you visited the Stampin' Up! Get Inspired Blog before? They recently reached a milestone--250 posts and want to celebrate with you!
Beginning today (October 3), Stampin' Up! will begin a series of Thank You Thursdays posts, where they will offer discounted products for one day only (while supplies last)! 

Visit the Get Inspired blog each Thursday in October to see the new deal. And thank you for helping to make the Stampin' Up! blog an inspiring place to be!

Today's Deal-Designer Washi Tape! Choose from one (or all three) of the designer Washi Tapes below! 

Witches' Brew Designer Washi Tape 132156
Regular Price: $4.95 Sale price $3.71 through 10/3/2013. Discounted price will appear at checkout.
Epic Day This And That Designer Washi Tape - 131269 Regular Price: $4.95 Sale price $3.71 through 10/3/2013. Discounted price will appear at checkout. Gingham Garden Designer Washi Tape - 129314 Regular Price: $4.95 Sale price $3.71 through 10/3/2013. Discounted price will appear at checkout.  If you would like to place an order for the Washi Tape, please visit my online store.  Don't forget to enter the Hostess Code: Q7M6ZJM9 to be entered into my drawing for free goodies!

Wicked Wednesday Witches' Brew Shadowbox

I just love Halloween! During the month of October I thought it would be fun to feature a special Halloween project each Wednesday. So, for my first Wicked Wednesday post here's a shadowbox I created using the Witches' Brew products from the Holiday Catalog. The photo is my husband and I as rockers Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie at our Halloween party a couple years ago.

Unfortunately it's really hard to see all the dimension and layers from these photos. The frame doesn't stay together properly without the glass in place so I also had to deal with the glare, when trying to photograph this project. So despite my best effort, the pictures don't really do it justice.

I love how the Witches' Brew Washi Tape fit perfectly on the outside of the frame. It was pretty easy to line up the pattern and cut a mitered corner, with exception to the last corner...so I stamped the little skull embellishment to conceal the odd corner on the top right.

The Witches' Brew DSP made this project so easy! The blackboard style hand-doodled looking sheet was the perfect frame for my photo. All I had to do was cut it to size and embellish. I carefully cut around the top spider web with my x-acto knife so I could slide my matted photo under it. Here's a closer look...

The cute little pennants show some of the other fun patterns in the Witches' Brew pack of DSP. Here's a closer look at the bottom...

I stamped the crow from the Toil &Trouble set and carefully cut it out to perch on the old boards. Lots of orange colored rhinestones finish off this project. The ones inside the skulls eyes actually look like they are glowing! Here's a look at the finished piece sitting on my mantle all decorated for Halloween...

As long as we are on the subject of Halloween...have you seen the new Halloween stamp set yet? It's a photopolymer set called Bite Me.

If you would like to learn more about the Bite Me stamp set you can visit my demo website to see more on this and other new arrivals.

If you live in the US and would like to place an order with me, please use the Hostess Code:  Q7M6ZJM9 You will then be entered into my drawing for free goodies!

Everyone who places an order with me will receive a hand stamped surprise in their mailbox! Everyone who places an order of $40 or more will be entered into my drawing for free goodies. Prizes will depend on the total workshop amount. Remember: if you are placing an large order of $150 or more please do not use the hostess code, because you will be eligible to collect hostess rewards all on your own.

Thanks for lurking on over today...have a wicked good day! Check back next Wednesday for another spooky project.

Colorful Autumn Thanks

It won't be long before the leaves here are as colorful as the ones on this card. This is one of the creations we stamped yesterday at my Best of Autumn card class.

The background panel was sponged using Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Crushed Curry & Always Artichoke. Then the leaves were stamped using Early Espresso. Finally, the Timber Wheel inked with Crumb Cake was rolled over the top. This coordinated nicely with the Woodgrain embossed background. The sentiment is from the Hostess Set Simply Sketched. I added detail to the strip of Always Artichoke Cardstock by cutting the end with the Mosaic Punch.

Thanks for visiting me today!

Simply Sketched Color-blocked Thanks

Here's a quick card I made recently using my clear blocks inked with color to create the background. The little bird from the hostess set, Simply Sketched, was then stamped and water colored.

Stamps: Simply Sketched
Ink: Soft Sky, Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar & various other Classic Inks to water color

Card stock: Soft Sky, Baked Brown Sugar & Very Vanilla

Accessories: Subtles Candy Dots, Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Beautifully Baroque EF, Apothecary Accents Framelits & 1/2" Circle Punch 

Thanks for visiting...have a GREAT weekend!

Flower Shop Thank You & Tip

I just love stamp sets that have coordinating punches! Top on my list of favorites are the Flower Shop stamp set and matching Pansy Punch and the Papillion Potpourri set with its 2 coordinating punches. Today I have a card using both of these sets along with a helpful tip using the Flower Shop set to share with you. First the card...

I stamped the main panel using Calypso Coral, Bermuda Bay & Pear Pizzazz, then cut it into strips. I then ran the strips through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. (I cut and then embossed because it's easier for me to cut straight before the texture is added.)

Now onto todays tip:

I remember reading a very helpful tip online somewhere (but now I cannot find it?) when I first got this set. It makes punching out the stamped flowers so much easier! Thanks to whoever it was that first shared this tip!

At first glance, you may think all the petals on the flowers are the same...so just stamp & punch, right? Well, actually the petals are all slightly different, so if you just slap the image on the block & stamp, you then have to fiddle with the image until you get it lined up inside the punch. So to avoid all that, take a black Sharpie marker and make a mark on each stamp as shown below.

Now, just select your stamp and place it with the marked petal at the bottom of your block, as shown below. (If you are using wood mount...same thing...just make sure to mount the correct petal pointing down)

Stamp your image with that marked petal towards the bottom edge of your card stock and it will line up easily with the bottom petal inside the punch. I also made a small block dot using my Sharpie inside my punch. Hope this tip helps you as much as it has me!

If you don't have it already....just a reminder that Papillon Potpourri and the coordinating Bitty Butterfly Punch is on SALE this month! Find out all the details here.

Serene Silhouette Circles

Stamped using this years batch of In Colors paired with Whisper White, this card has a pretty, summery feel to it...which I thought was perfect to share here today on one of the last days of Summer.

Notice all the bling on this card? Looks like I used a whole lot of Basic Rhinestone Jewels doesn't it? Actually I just used little dots of Silver Sparkle Dazzling Details. Otherwise, it would have taken at least 40 rhinestones to get this same look. I layered some 1/8" Silver Ribbon over the White Organdy for some more silver shimmer.

Sparkling Festive Flurry Ornaments

I couldn't wait to make some of the beautiful snowflake ornaments/tags like the ones in the Holiday Catalog using the Festive Flurry Bundle! I actually made these right away after receiving my goodies and then made more of them at my Christmas in July Class, but I forgot to share them here...

The largest snowflake is made of 3 layers...I cut a light weight chipboard piece from a cereal box and then sandwiched it in between two Pool Party card stock snowflakes. This makes it a lot sturdier and I figure it will hold up as a pretty tree ornament for many years. I adhered the 3 layers together with Tombo Multipurpose Liquid Glue (my favorite adhesive!) with the Silver 1/8" Ribbon sandwiched in there as well. If you leave a large enough loop at the top it makes a pretty bottle tag for a bottle of wine. Who wouldn't like to receive this as a hostess gift during the holidays?

Each stamped layer is embossed in Silver Embossing Powder. The beautiful Frosted Finishes Embellishments, extra Basic Rhinestone Embellishments along with the layer of Silver Glimmer Paper really makes these snowflakes sparkle & shine. I'm sure I will be making many more of these to adorn my Christmas packages this year.

Stippled Blossom Get Well

I think that perhaps it may be nearly impossible to create something that isn't pretty using the Stippled Blossom set. I just love the beautiful 2-step rose and the coordinating images! I think that it has an old-fashioned quality to it especially when using soft muted colors like I used here.

Stamps: Stippled Blossoms, Creative Elements, Papillion Potpourri, En Francias & Thoughts & Prayers (sentiment)
Ink: Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding & Wild Wasabi
Card stock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Crisp Cantaloupe & Pool Party
Accessories: Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder, Victoria Crochet Trim, Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Apothecary Accents & Window Frames Framelits, Word Window & Bitty Butterfly Punches, Basic Pearls & Stamp-a-ma-jig

The little butterfly stamped from the Papillion Potpourri set and punched out with the Bitty Butterfly Punch makes a cute accent on this card, don't you agree? What, you don't have these items yet? Well, now is the time to get them! During the month of September they are on sale for 15% off! Find out all the details here.

As you can see, I also decorated my envelope. I like to use the frame from Creative Elements as a spot to write my return address. Another way to make your envelopes special is with the new SU! Envelope Punch Board. This tool looks pretty cool...but I don't have it yet. You can make any sized envelope...and the size chart is printed right on it to make it easy.

Envelope Punch Board: Item	133774	Price $19.95

Want to see this in action? Check out this video.

Have a great weekend!

Black Magic Wildflower Meadow

A while back I was playing around with a technique using White Craft Ink and my Aquapainter with Classic Ink to color the Wildflower Meadow image on Crumb Cake card stock. I loved the results, but never did figure out what that technique was called? (Here's the cards I'm referring to) Anyways....

at the time, I  thought that I could try the same thing on Basic Black card stock. That didn't work out so well...the colored ink disappeared after it dried and I just ended up with white ink on black card stock...which is OK, but not the look I was going for. So, I ended up digging out my colored pencils to try the Black Magic Technique.

Now that's more like it! It's easy too! Just stamp your image with White Craft Ink onto Basic Black Card stock (or probably any very dark color) allow to dry, or use your heat tool, and then using your colored pencils, color as desired. I used my retired SU! Watercolor pencils as they were handy. I thought this shade of red was a good match for Strawberry Slush so I used that color to finish off my card.

The DSP is from the Quatrefancy Specialty pack. The label was created by stamping the label image from the Creative Elements set in black and then cutting just the ends with the Apothecary Accents Framelits. I shared this trick here a while back in case you missed it.

I'm glad I finally gave this technique a try...you should give it a try as well!

Embossed Morning Meadow

This is the 3rd card in a set that I created using the same layout & technique. The first two cards I shared used the Serene Silhouettes stamp set, but since this image from Morning Meadow is the same size, I chose this one for the third, and maybe my favorite, of the trio.

Stamps: Morning Meadow, En Francias, Papillon Potpourri & Simply Sketched (sentiment)
Card stock: Blushing Bride & Very Vanilla
Ink: VersaMark, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede & Blushing Bride
Accessories: Blushing Bride Pleated Ribbon, White EP, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Basic Pearls, Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder, Bitty Butterfly, Large Oval & Scallop Oval Punches

Here is the set of all three cards we made in my last All Occasions Card Class. (the anniversary card shown on the right is a stepped up version I made later) I am offering this class again on September 19th. If you live local and would like to attend please contact me.  

Which one of these three do you like best? 

If you would like more info on this technique and the other two cards, just scroll down to see my last two blog postings. 

Todays creation uses the Butterfly Bundle which is on sale this month for 15% off! Visit my demo website for more info.

Masculine Silhouettes

Thank you so much for the lovely comments on my last post...each one put a smile on my face! I guess when I wrote that post I had hit my limit of rude people...both in real life and online, and just couldn't take it anymore...so had to say something. Thanks again for listening and/or taking the time to comment.

Now, on to the real reason you stopped by...another card! This is one we made at my last card class. I always like to include at least one masculine card...and good thing I did because my Step-Father's birthday crept up on me earlier this week and I had this one all ready to give him.

I used the same design and technique as my last card (scroll down to read more about the offset embossing technique) but as you can see, the different colors and texture make it more masculine.

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Apothecary Art & Timber Wheel
Card stock: Always Artichoke & Very Vanilla
Ink: VersaMark, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Always Artichoke & Marina Mist
Accessories: Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon, White EP, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Woodgrain Embossing Folder

Have a fun & safe Labor Day weekend! I cannot believe summer went by so fast!