I will be back after a visit with my brother. He has driven here from Albuquerque. Yesterday we went to Slaughter Ranch and had a wonderful picnic. Today we are driving up to Phoenix to go to the Mummy Exhibit at the Arizona Science Center. I will be back to blogging soon so stay tuned!
Making a Bow
Today I would like to demonstrate how to make a bow to put on a card. I have tried several ways and found these 2 ways to be the easiest, as well as to make the best looking bow. I did take photos but I think a video is better.
Stampin’ Up! product: All My Love Ribbon Combo Pack #148584
I have my brother coming to visit this weekend so I will have something new for you all on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!
Take Time to Eat Cake
I had meant to have a nice blog out for you today, but every time I turned around there was an obstacle. Ever have a day like that? The sentiment on today’s card, “Life is too short to say no to cake,” really strikes home. Life is too short, so we all have to take time to savor the sweet things, even if it means the blog doesn’t get done until late at night.
This card again uses the Stampin’ Up! stamp set Amazing Life. The colors are Lemon Lime Twist and Berry Burst.
Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches folded at 4 1/4 inches, Lemon Lime Twist 5 1/4 x 4 inches, Berry Burst 5 x 3 3/4 inches and Whisper White 4 x 3 inches.
You will also need Memento ink (not pictured), Berry Burst ink and the Mini Ruffled Ribbon in Lemon Lime Twist.
The first step is to use the Berry Burst ink and the little flower stamp to create a background. You don’t really need to stamp the center because it will be covered by the next layer.
Lay the next layer over the top of the stamped background to ensure you have everything stamped.
Tip: The best way to get a Photopolymer strip on straight is to lay it on the paper and pick it up with the block.
Use the Berry Burst ink and position the stamp right on the edge of the Whisper White 4 x 3 inch piece. Take care to go straight down and straight up without rocking so you do not get ink where you do not want it.
Stamp around all of the edges.
Now use the Memento ink to stamp the sentiment on the bottom half of the framed card piece.
Use the Berry Burst ink to stamp the cake on the top half.
Adhere the stamped flower piece to the Lemon Lime Twist. Measure out the ribbon to be about 1 inch longer on either side so it will wrap around the card piece.
Use the Glue Dots by putting the ribbon right on the dot. Put a Glue Dot on each end, then wrap the ribbon around just a little lower than the middle of the card piece. Push firmly on the back of the card piece.
Now adhere this piece to the card base.
Apply Stampin’ Dimensionals to the back of the stamped cake piece.
Adhere the cake piece to the stamped flower piece.
Tip: To easily adhere the clear rhinestones, use the Paper Piercing Tool. Lift up the rhinestone with the tool and position on your card, then use your finger to press the rhinestone down onto the cardstock.
And there you have it! Better late than never!
Stampin’ Up products used include: Stamp Set: Amazing Life #148750; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730, Berry Burst #146944 and Lemon Lime Twist #146947; Ink: Memento #132708 and Berry Burst #147143; 3/8 Inch Mini Ruffled Ribbon in Lemon Lime Twist # 146947; Clear Rhinestones #144220; Clear Blocks: C 118486, E #118484 and I #118488; Paper Snips #103579; Paper Piercing Tool #126189; Mini Glue Dots #103683; Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430 and Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755.
So Grateful, So Happy
In today’s world, there are many negative experiences we have to deal with on a daily basis. Shifting your brain to a more positive experience, like making a card to show gratitude to someone else, is a powerful way to increase your own happiness. I have definitely felt more happiness in my life since I started stamping.
Today’s card will use 3 new elements- Designer Series Paper (DSP), ribbon and rhinestones. Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches folded in half at 4 1/4 inches, Call Me Clover 5 1/4 x 4 inches, Botanical Butterfly DSP 5 x 3 3/4 inches and Whisper White 3 1/4 x 3 inches.
You will also need the Call Me Clover ink and the Lemon Lime Twist Mini Ruffled Ribbon.
Start by adhering the Botanical Butterfly DSP to the Call Me Clover piece. Isn’t this DSP beautiful!
Lay the ribbon over the card piece and cut with about 3/4 inches on either side to wrap around. Tip: When using a glue dot, attach it to the ribbon by putting the ribbon over the glue as opposed to removing the glue dot and trying to stick it to the ribbon.
Position the ribbon where you want it, then flip the card piece over and apply pressure to adhere the ribbon to the cardstock.
For the bow, cut a 4 1/2 inch piece of ribbon and slide it under the ribbon already adhered to the card piece. I like to cut the edges at a slight angle.
Now cross the ribbon. Next pull the top piece under the bottom piece and through the tunnel to make the bow. Trim the edges if needed.
Ink the sentiment “So Happy To Have You In My Life” with the Call Me Clover ink. Stamp onto the 3 1/4 x 3 inch piece of Whisper White.
Oops! The paper stuck to the stamp. Don’t panic. Just take one corner and gently peel the paper off of the stamp.
Using the Call Me Clover ink, stamp a little flower in the upper and the lower corners.
I used the Berry Burst Stampin’ Write Marker to color the flowers, and the Lemon Lime Twist to color the leaves.
Adhere several of the Stampin’ Dimensionals to the back of the sentiment and apply to the card front. Adhere the whole piece to the Whisper White card base.
Add 3 rhinestones. One to the center of each flower, and one on the dot over the “i” in “Life”.
So, try to increase the positive experiences in your life by being creative and expressing gratitude to someone you care for. You never know, you may feel more happiness in your own life!
Stampin’ Up products used include: Stamp Set: Amazing Life #148750; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730 and Call Me Clover #146969; Ink: Call Me Clover 147139; Botanical Butterfly DSP (free during Sale-a-bration) #149622; Stampin’ Write Markers: In Color 2017-19 (set of 5 colors) #144033; 3/8 Inch Mini Ruffled Ribbon in Lemon Lime Twist # 146947; Clear Rhinestones #144220; Clear Blocks: B #117147 and E #118484; Paper Snips #103579; Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430 and Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755.
In order to be able to get the free Botanical Butterfly DSP, you need to place an order for $50. This offer is only until March 31, 2019! Select the shop button above and you can get to my store to see all the wonderful product in the catalog!
Friends Forever
Do you have any friendships that need some attention? I am very fortunate to have a best friend who I have known for over 30 years now. It is so important to honor a friendship like this by sending a card every once in awhile. So this one is for you Pam!
Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches folded in half at 4 1/4; Blueberry Bushel 4 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches; Whisper White 4 1/4 x 3 inches and 5 x 2 1/2 inches.
In order to know where to stamp the little paws, I lay the 4 1/2 x 3 1/4 inch piece of Whisper White on the card base front. Then I used a pencil to make an outline.
Placing the paws looks hard at first but if done systematically they will look well spaced. Stamp the paws in Memento ink. Start with the 4 corners. Then stamp on the long side in the center.
Next stamp 2 paws between the corners on the short end.
Finally, stamp one paw in between the paws on the long side. Viola!
Stamp the dog in Memento ink on the end of the 5 x 2 1/2 inch piece of Whisper White. Punch out with the Dog Builder punch. Turn the cardstock around and stamp another dog on the other side. Punch out.
If you would like to add the spots or Dalmatian markings, refer to the Blog from February 4th entitled Doggone Cloudy Day. You may also add the collar in Real Red.
Lay the two dogs in place and using Memento ink stamp the sentiment “Friends Forever” on the left side.
Now stamp the “Ruff Ruff” in Memento ink and the hearts in Real Red.
Adhere one dog with adhesive directly to the stamped piece. Use Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the second dog.
Adhere the dog panel to the Blueberry Bushel.
Use Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the panel to the card base.
So please take the time to let your long time friend know how much you value them by sending them a handmade card! Keep a look out Pam, the card is in the mail!
Have a wonderful weekend! Next week will be another series of 3 cards using the stamp set Amazing Life, currently available in the Occasions Catalog.
Remember to take advantage of the free product available during Sale-a-bration when you order $50 or $100 in product from either the Annual Catalog or the Occasions Catalog. Visit my store to view the catalog and the brochure of free product. There are so many neat stamp sets, paper, ribbon, embellishments, punches, and more!
Stampin’ Up! products used included: Stamp set: Happy Tails #148682; Punch: Dog Builder # 148543 and Everyday Label #144668; Happy Tails Stamp set and Dog Builder punch bundle (save 10%) #150631; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730, Real Red #102482 and Blueberry Bushel #146968; Ink: Real Red # 147084 and Memento #132708; Clear Blocks: A #118487, B #117147 and D #118485; Pierce Mat # 126199; Sponge Dauber 3133773; Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430; Stampin’ Mini Dimensionals #144108; Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755. To place an order select the Shop Now button above. Comment below if you have any questions.
Sage Advice from a Dog
We all get overwhelmed with stress at times. What to do for relief? Well, Spot here says to “Keep Calm and Wag On”! Not bad advice, eh? What I really do is keep calm and make cards!
For this card I will again be using Stampin’ Up! Happy Tails stamp set and the Dog Builder punch, as well as the Everyday Label punch, Real Red ink and Memento ink.
Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches folded in half at 4 1/4 inches and burnished with the Bone Folder. Real Red 5 1/2 x 1 3/4 inches, Blueberry Bushel 5 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches, and Whisper White 4 1/2 x 3 inches.
Using the Stampin’ Pierce Mat, stamp the dog in Memento ink to the left side on the Whisper White piece. *Look at my previous post to see how to add spots and the collar.
Stamp the sentiment onto the right side of the Whisper White piece.
Using a scrap piece of cardstock, punch the dog and heart out. We will be using this as a stencil. Lay the stencil over the stamped dog. Stamp the heart in Real Red as shown by the stencil. This will make it possible to punch out the dog and the heart together.
Lay the punch upside down on the table. Line up the image and depress the punch slightly to hold in place. Then press quickly and firmly with the heel of your hand to punch the image out.
Use the Everyday Label punch for the sentiment using the same procedure as above. Now for a new technique!
The new technique is called Sponging. Today I am going to use a Sponge Dauber to do this. I put the Dauber on my index finger. Tap down on the ink pad several times to get some ink evenly over the tip of the Dauber.
Now you are going to put the ink on the edge of the cardstock by flicking the dauber back and forth. Go all the way around the label. Start light and go darker as desired.
Adhere the Blueberry Bushel strip to the Real Red strip. Now adhere the two to the cardbase.
Use the Stampin’ Dimensionals and put them on the back of the label and the dog. I used the Stampin’ Mini Dimensionals for the back of the heart.
Peel off the protective cover on the Dimensionals, adhering the sentiment label to the card front first, followed by the dog, then the heart.
And there you have some sage advice from a dog. A dog?!?!
Stampin’ Up! products used included: Stamp set: Happy Tails #148682; Punch: Dog Builder # 148543 and Everyday Label #144668; Happy Tails Stamp set and Dog Builder punch bundle (save 10%) #150631; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730, Real Red #102482 and Blueberry Bushel #146968; Ink: Real Red # 147084 and Memento #132708; Clear Blocks: A #118487, B #117147 and D #118485; Sponge Dauber 3133773; Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430; Stampin’ Mini Dimensionals #144108; Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755. To place an order select the Shop Now button above.
Doggone cloudy day
Well, the weather outside is menacing. It is a perfect day to stay inside and cozy, and make some cards!
The next series of 3 cards will focus on “man’s best friend”.
The Stampin’ Up! Happy Tails stamp set and Dog Builder punch can be purchased until March 31, 2019 from the Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalog. If you do purchase both as a bundle, you will save 10%. So let’s make some cards!
The first step is to open the punch. Just squeeze the punch while sliding the plastic button upward. The punch will spring open.
You can insert the paper to be punched from the top or either side.
Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 folded in half at 4 1/4 inches and burnished with the Bone Folder; Blueberry Bushel 5 1/4 x 4 inches; Whisper White 5 x 3 3/4 inches and 4 x 2 1/4 inches.
First we will stamp the dog in Memento ink onto the 4 x 2 1/4 inch strip. I used a D block. Stamp at the bottom of the strip so you can use the punch. Tip: Be sure to use the Stampin’ Pierce Mat, since this is a Photopolymer stamp, to get the best image.
The way to use the punch is to have it laying upside down on the table. Insert the strip of cardstock and line up the image. You can depress the punch slightly to hold the cardstock in place, then push firmly and quickly to cut the image out.
The dog house is a 2 step stamping process. The body of the house will be in Real Red and the details (the shingles and wood grain) will be in Memento ink. I used a B and a C block.
Try to get an even layer of ink on the stamp. It may not look perfectly even, but will still give a good image. Tip: Hold the stamp onto the cardstock for a few seconds to ensure the ink will transfer completely.
The second step is to ink the details of the dog house in Memento, line it up and stamp over the Real Red house. I had to do this a couple of times to get the hang of it.
Now lay the dog without adhesive in the position you desire, to help with placement of the sentiment. Stamp the sentiment in Memento ink.
Add the bone in Memento ink and the small hearts in Real Red.
There is even a little dog collar!
You can add some spots to make a Dalmatian!
For “Spot” here, you need to Stamp Off to make the spots light enough to still see the eye. To Stamp Off, get a scrap piece of paper and have it on the Stampin’ Pierce mat. Ink the spot stamp with Memento ink and stamp onto the scrap paper first, then place the stamp over the dog image and stamp down.
Choose whichever dog you like best.
Adhere the doghouse and sentiment piece to the Blueberry Bushel piece, then adhere that to the card base.
I added some Stampin’ Dimensionals to the back of the dog. I cut one in half to better fit behind the leg. Tip: Some folks cut all of their Dimensionals in half to make them last longer.
Peel off the backing from the Dimensionals and adhere the dog to the card. Now you have a great card to send to your best (human) friend!
The next 2 cards will also be using the Happy Tails stamp set and Dog Builder punch. I will also introduce the technique of Sponging.
Sale-a-bration is still going strong! There are plenty of new products in the Occasions Catalog, so check out my shop but selecting the “Shop Now” button at the top of the page, or the “Click Here for my Store” button on the sidebar.
Thank you for stopping by! Please leave a comment and let me know how I am doing!
Stampin’ Up Products used include: Stamp Set: Happy Tails #148682; Punch: Dog Builder #148543; Bundle: Happy Tails stamp set and Dog Builder Punch #150631; cardstock: Whisper White #100730 and Blueberry Bushel #146968; Ink: Real Red #147084 and Memento #132708; Clear Blocks: B #117147, C #118486 and D #118485; Stampin’ Pierce Mat #126199; Stampin’ Dimensionals # 104430; Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755.
Fast Car Card
Still looking for a great card for your guy? This is a fast one, and is the last in a series of 3 masculine cards using the Stampin’ Up! Geared Up Garage Stamp Set. Today I introduce you to a card made with Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Paper.
Stampin’ Up! has several types of paper, one being Designer Series (DSP). This paper is a little thinner than cardstock and will have a pattern on both sides. Some come in 12 x 12 inch size. The Classic Garage Designer Series Paper comes in 6 x 6 inches with 4 each of 12 double-sided designs.
The designs are pictured above. For this card I chose the lug nut design.
Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches folded in half at 4 1/4 inches; Whisper White 3 1/2 x 2 inches and 3 x 3/4 inches; Shaded Spruce 5 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches and Classic Garage DSP 5 1/2 x 3 inches.
This card will also be pretty quick to make. First I adhered the DSP to the Shaded Spruce. Then I adhered that piece to the card base.
I stamped the car image in Memento ink onto the Whisper White 3 1/2 x 2 inch piece.
Next, I stamped the sentiment “All Geared Up To Celebrate” onto the 3/4 inch strip of Whisper White. It is important to get the label on straight so you can stamp straight! See the post on the Stampin’ Up! Cling Stamps to help you do this.
I cut the banner edge as shown.
I added 3 Stampin’ Dimensionals to raise the sentiment up a bit.
You can leave the car this way, or choose to color it. Refer to the first post in this series for instructions on coloring and shading with the Stampin’ Blends markers.
So there you have it my friends! A fast car card that was fast to make!
Stampin’ Up! continues their Sale-a-bration sale! For every $50 you spend, you can choose a free product from the Sale-a-bration brochure.
Stampin’ Up! Products used include: Stamp Set: Geared Up Garage #148590; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730 and Shaded Spruce #146981; Classic Garage Designer Series Paper #148482; Ink: Memento #132708; Stampin’ Blends: Real Red combo pack #147935; Clear Block: C #118486 and D #118485; Paper Snips #103579; Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430; and Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755.
Father’s Day in January?
This is the 2nd in a series of Blog posts about masculine cards. I have had many a time when a holiday has crept up on me before I was able to get a card ready. Ever had that happen? Well, today I am making a Father’s Day card, mostly because the sentiment is in the stamp set -Geared Up Garage-which I started using the other day. But also, I want to be ready this year!
This style of card is “grunge”. It is a lot easier than it looks!
Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches folded in half and burnished with the Bone Folder, Basic Black 5 1/4 x 4 inches, Whisper White 4 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches and a scrap of Whisper White 2 3/4 x 2 1/2 inches, and Real Red 2 1/4 x 1 inch.
You will also need Memento ink and a C block to start. Later you will need an A, B, C and D block.
Just a reminder for how to put the label on the new Cling Stamps. First remove the stamp. Then turn the label sheet so the words are backward. Pinch the middle of the desired label.
Gently remove the paper backing without removing the label. Place the stamp with the foam side down over the label, taking care to line up the edges. Press firmly.
Now gently remove the label attached to the stamp. This is very sticky! Do not set it down on anything. Put it on the block right away and when finished, directly back into the stamp case. I do not always put the labels on, but I typically will put on the labels for sentiments.
Use the Memento ink and stamp the Father’s Day sentiment onto the scrap of Whisper White. Note: You do not need the Piercing mat for the red rubber stamps, just stamp onto a smooth firm surface.
Use your paper snips to cut around the sentiment leaving a slight border.
Adhere the sentiment to the Real Red piece. Now cut a banner edge, first by making a cut in the center, then from each corner to the center as shown. Set aside.
Now for the “grunge”! Mount the lug nuts on an A block, the oil can on a B block, the tool box on a C block and the oil spill on a D block (Clockwise from top).
Start with the tool box since it is one of the larger images. Stamp an odd number of times.
Now stamp the oil can and then the lug nuts an odd number of times. I messed up and stamped 6 lug nuts! Fortunately the sentiment with cover one!
We are going to use a technique called “Stamping Off” for stamping the oil spill. First apply Memento ink to the oil spill stamp and stamp it on a scrap of paper. Then stamp onto the card piece. This gives a slightly lighter image. That way the oil spill doesn’t over-power the rest of the images. It just makes it “grungy”.
Continue to first stamp on the scrap paper, then on the card piece, until you like the result.
Adhere the Basic Black to the folded card base. Now adhere the stamped “grunge” piece.
Apply Dimensionals to the back of the sentiment banner and adhere to the front of the card. Viola! You have a Father’s Day card ready to go! Now, if you can just put it away somewhere where you can find it!
Stampin’ Up! products used include: Stamp set: Geared Up Garage #148590; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730, Basic Black 121045 and Real Red #102482; Ink: Memento #132708; Blocks A #118487, B #117147, C #118486 and D #118485; Paper Snips #103579; Dimensionals #104430; Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755
Garage Grunge
Ever have trouble coming up with just the right card for a guy? There are plenty of flowers, butterflies, cakes and treats that lend themselves to more feminine cards. But what to do for a more masculine card?
The next series of 3 Blog posts with show several cards made with the Stampin’ Up! Geared Up Garage stamp set. I will also introduce the concept of a “grunge” style of card. So let’s rev up our engines and Go!
Measurements: Whisper White card base 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches folded in half. Poppy Parade 4 x 2 1/2 inches and Whisper White 3 3/4 x 2 1/4 inches.
First I would like to share a tip. I use a Bone Folder to rub the folded edge of my card base. This makes the fold a lot tighter and it looks more professional.
Tip: I mounted the car stamp onto a D block from corner to corner. This way you can get a slightly larger stamp on a smaller block. Using Memento ink, stamp the car image onto the Whisper White rectangular piece.
Mount the sentiment “You’re a Classic” on an H block and ink it in Memento ink. Be sure to push straight down and straight up with moderate pressure in order to get the ink evenly on the sentiment. I placed the car image on the Poppy Parade rectangle without adhesive for placement before stamping the sentiment on the card base.
Now adhere the car image to the Poppy Parade rectangle, then adhere them to the card base. Here is the first version of this card. You can stop right here, or pull ahead for a more “souped-up” version!
You can “soup it up” by adding red color to the car, or by adding “grunge” or both . First we will add color to the car.
Stampin’ Up! has the most amazing alcohol markers called Stampin’ Blends. The amazing part is that the markers come in a light and a dark version of many of the same colors used for the ink and cardstock.
There are many ways to use the Stampin’ Blends to get an interesting image. First, I used the light Poppy Parade on the whole car. Next, I added the dark Poppy Parade to the areas I wanted shaded. Lastly, I used the light Poppy Parade again to blend the edges.
Now let’s add some “grunge”!
I am going to use the “oil stain” and “lug nuts” to make the card more interesting. This is not for everyone, so if you don’t like it, just leave it as is.
First I put the Poppy Parade rectangle with the car image on the top of the card without adhesive for placement. Next, I added the oil stains, then the lug nuts. Tip: Often an odd number of a design element looks better than an even number. For example: 3 lug nut images is more interesting than 2. I did only 2 oil stains because of the size of this element but I rotated the stamp so it looks like 2 different images.
Now adhere the car image to the Poppy Parade rectangle, then to the card base.
Here is the completely “souped-up” version of the car card with “grunge”!
Join me for the next blog where I will show a Father’s Day card using the “grunge” style!
To purchase the supplies needed for these cards, select the “Click for my store” button at the top. It is currently the best time to buy Stampin’ Up! products because of Sale-a-bration, during which for every $50 you spend, you may select a free item from the Sale-a-bration brochure. Happy shopping!
Supplies used include: Stamp set: Geared Up Garage #148590; Cardstock: Whisper White #100730 and Poppy Parade #119793; Ink: Memento #132708; Stampin’ Blends: Poppy Parade combo pack #147275; Blocks: A #118487, D #118485 and H #118490; Bone Folder #102300 and Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755
