Hello and Happy Spring! I am fortunate to have some flowers starting to bloom in my garden outside! Springtime Joy is a stamp set with super cute animals to help welcome spring and Easter. Today’s card is a step up from Simple Stamping, and is simple nonetheless.
Measurements
Measurements: Basic White Card Stock (CS) card base: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches with a score line at 4 1/4 inches; Gorgeous Grape CS: 4 x 5 1/4 inches; and Basic White CS: 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches.
Stamping
Start off stamping the sentiment “Welcome Spring” in Memento Black ink onto the 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inch Basic White CS. Add the little butterfly.
The next step is to stamp the cute little bunny onto both the 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inch Basic White CS and a piece of full sticky sheet.
Carefully fussy cut the bunny on the full sticky note. This will be used as a mask.
Sponging Around the Mask
Using a Stamping Sponge that has been cut into a small wedge, dab the sponge first on the Balmy Blue ink. Then rub in small circles on a scrap sheet of paper. Next Sponge some onto the card around the little bunny. Do the same with the Granny Apple Green ink. (For more information on Sponging check out this blog post: Sponging.)
Tip: I find it to be very easy to remove the mask by using the Take Your Pick tool.
Finishing the Card
The sponging helps to accentuate the bunny. Again using the Memento Black ink, stamp some of the flowers and tulips around the bunny.
Use whatever you like to color the card. I really enjoy using the Stampin’ Blends Alcohol Markers. The colors I used were: Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Magenta Madness, Highland Heather and Balmy Blue.
First adhere the stamped Basic White CS card piece to the 4 x 5 1/4 inch Gorgeous Grape CS. Use the Bone Folder to make a crisp fold at the 4 1/4 inch score line on the Basic White CS card base. Adhere the Gorgeous Grape CS card piece to the front of the Basic White CS card base.
Viola! You have a super cute bunny to help welcome in the Spring!
Thanks for coming by today. I am still recovering from receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. Although I am grateful for the vaccine, I have been feeling very tired since receiving it. Each day I feel better. I am going to resume the Wacky Wednesday Technique blog next week. I am planning on having something for Fun Fold Friday. See you then!
Stampin’ Up!® Gilded Leafing Embellishment is so fun to use! I introduced the Gilded Leafing last Wednesday and showed a couple of ways to use it. Today I want to expand upon that blog by showing you a few more techniques for using the Gilded Leafing Embellishment.
This card is made using the Meant To Be and Heart to Heart stamp sets which are in the 2020-2021 Stampin’ Up!® Annual Catalog. The Heart Punch Pack is also in the Annual Catalog.
Measurements
Measurements: Merry Merlot Card Stock (CS) card base: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches with a score line at 4 1/4 inches; Very Vanilla CS: 4 x 5 1/4 inches; Merry Merlot CS: 4 x 5 1/4 inches; and Gold Foil Sheets: 1 x 5 inches.
You will also need 3 of the scalloped hearts from the Heart Punch Pack in Merry Merlot.
Additional products and supplies needed include: Versamark ink, a microfiber cloth, a quarter of a Stamping Sponge, a stiff paint brush, a spoon, and the Heat & Stick Powder .
And of course you will need the star of the show- the Gilded Leafing. I have gathered some tips from other demonstrators. One tip is to open the jar and put the Gilded Leafing in a larger container. I just used a container from the dollar store that is about 1/2 of a shoe box in size.
Gilded Leafing with Stamping
The first technique is going to be to use a stamp and the Heat & Stick powder to apply the Gilded Leafing. Stamp the sentiment “Happy Valentine’s Day” in Versamark. Use a spoon to sprinkle some of the Heat & Stick Powder over the sentiment. Shake off the excess. Tip: The size of the font on the sentiment cannot be too thin or much smaller than what I have used.
The next step is to use the Heat Tool to make the Heat & Stick Powder melt. When the white powder melts it turns dark.
Now you can put the heart face down into the Gilded Leafing. Press down slightly. When you pull it out it will have a lot of Gilded Leafing stuck to it.
I brushed of the large pieces with my fingers. (Now my finger tips are gold!) I followed that up with gentle strokes over the sentiment using the Stamping Sponge. Finally I used the microfiber cloth to remove all of the excess Gilded Leafing.
One more piece that requires stamping to apply the Gilded Leafing is the background. The small heart is from the Heart to Heart stamp set. Stamp the heart in Versamark onto the 4 x 5 1/4 inch Merry Merlot CS. Now apply the Heat & Stick power and use the Heat Tool.
Again place the CS with the sticky side face down into the Gilded Leafing and press slightly. Next remove the excess with your fingers, then a Stamping Sponge and finally the microfiber cloth.
Sponging and Gilded Leafing
This is a fun technique which will apply the Gilded Leafing to the edge of the heart. The first step is to apply the Versamark by Sponging it onto the edge. Gently flick the sponge over the edge of the heart. Tip: I cut up the Stamping Sponges until I get a wedge that is an eighth of the sponge. I label the sponge with a square of CS stapled to the top of the sponge wedge.
In order to apply the Gilded Leafing, you will be repeating the procedure described above for the stamping. First you apply the Heat & Stick Powder and use the Heat Tool to melt it. Then you place the heart face down in the Gilded Leafing. Lastly, remove the excess Gilded Leafing with the Stamping Sponge then the microfiber cloth. Now you have a really pretty border around the CS heart.
Gilded Leafing with the Versamark Pad
This time I used the pad of the Versamark to apply a layer of Versamark evenly over the whole heart.
I repeated the procedure above, namely, apply the Heat & Stick Powder, melt it with the Heat Tool, place face down in the container of Gilded Leafing, and remove the excess. Here is the final result! Now I have even more Gilded Leafing on my fingers and everywhere else! Not quite as bad as glitter though.
In summary, now you have a heart with the Gilded Leafing applied with a stamp, one with sponging and one using the whole pad of Versamark.
Putting It All Together
The first step in putting the card together is to adhere the Very Vanilla CS to the inside of the Merry Merlot CS card base. Next adhere the 4 x 5 1/4 inch Merry Merlot CS to the front of the Merry Merlot CS card base. Use your Paper Snips to cut the banner end on the 1 x 5 inch strip of Gold Foil. Now apply Stampin’ Dimensionals to the back of the Gold Foil card piece and adhere it to the card front. The final step is to arrange the hearts as you like and adhere them to the Gold Foil. This is one version I came up with.
Here is the second version that has the Gold Foil strip on a diagonal and the hearts arranged in a cluster.
Viola! You have learned 3 more techniques to use with the Gilded Leafing and have versions of the card to try!
Thanks for coming by today. I hope you are able to experiment with the Gilded Leafing Embellishment soon. If you figure out any new ways to use the Gilded Leafing, please let me know in the comments.
Welcome to Wacky Wednesday! Today’s card is made using the Simply Succulents stamp set and Potted Succulents Dies by Stampin’ Up!. These products are found in the 2021 January-June Stampin’ Up!® Mini Catalog. I will be showing how to use one of the die-cuts as a stencil. We will be using the Sponging Technique also.
I just love how this lovely card turned out and it is fairly easy to do. The colors are some of the 2021-2023 In-Colors: Bumblebee, Magenta Madness and Just Jade.
Measurements
Measurements: Just Jade Card Stock (CS) card base: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches with a score line at 4 1/4 inches; Basic White CS: two at 4 x 5 1/4 inches and 3 x 4 inches. You will need a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch piece of Thick Basic White CS to make the stencil with the die (not pictured).
Creating the Stencil
Here are all the lovely dies that come in the Potted Succulents Dies. The largest die is the one we will use to make our stencil.
First place the die on top of the 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch Thick Basic White CS and center it. Use your Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine to cut out the stencil. Note: If you do not yet have an awesome Cut & Emboss Machine, there are 2 available. You will need the full-sized Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine to be able to use this die. You can buy one HERE.
Preparing the Sponges
The Stamping Sponges come in a large circle. Use a big pair of scissors to first cut the sponge in half. Then cut the half in half to make a quarter. Finally cut the quarter in half to make an eighth. The next step is to put a square of the color of cardstock that matches the ink you will use that sponge for. You will not need to rinse the sponge out if you are only using it for one color.
I store my sponges in a compartmentalized craft box.
Stamping
In order to make the sentiment label, you will first stamp the sentiment “you’ve been on my mind” in Smoky Slate ink onto the upper portion of the 3 x 4 inch Basic White CS. Next use the two different label dies in the Potted Succulents Dies set to cut out the labels as shown. I love the stitching around the edges of the labels. It adds a nice touch.
Sponging
The first step here is to secure the stencil to a scrap piece of paper with the 4 x 5 1/2 inch Basic White CS card piece also secured to the stencil. The stencil is a little bit longer than the 5 1/4 inch length of the stencil, so I used some sticky note tape to create the bottom border on the card piece.
Remember that the stencil is paper and will rip if rubbed too harshly. Sponging requires a gentle touch. First daub the sponge on the Bumblebee ink pad. Then use a gentle small circular motion to put ink on the card piece. You will have a very light layer of ink to start and will gradually add to that until you like the results.
To continue sponging the stencil, switch to the Magenta Madness ink and then the Just Jade ink. I wanted a border of the Just Jade so I went around the edges of the entire stencil.
Carefully remove the sticky note tape and Viola! You have a stunning and beautiful card front! Now we will use the die cut again as a stencil for the inside of the card.
To stencil the inside of the card, secure the stencil with the sticky tape so that you will sponge on the right-hand border. Again start with the lightest color-the Bumblebee ink. Then add the Magenta Madness ink and finally the Just Jade ink.
Viola! Another stunning and beautiful card piece!
Putting It All Together
Begin to put the card together by adhering the inside card piece to the inside of the Just Jade CS card base. Now adhere the front card piece to the front of the Just Jade CS card base.
To complete the card, adhere the larger label to the card front. Use Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the stamped sentiment “you’ve been on my mind” over the first larger label.
Viola! You have completed an awesome card! I usually like to add some Bling! to my cards, but I felt this one was fine without the Bling!
Thank you for stopping by today to learn this fun technique. I hope you give it a try. Don’t worry if you need to do this a few times before you like the result. The experimentation is part of the fun!
Today I am returning to some simple stamping for my beginner stampers. The Merry Moose stamp set by Stampin’ Up! will not be available for much longer. It retires at the end of December. So if you would like this beauty, order early. Today is the start of the Giant Year End Close Out Sale. Check out all the sales and discounts at the end of my blog.
The Merry Moose stamp set is really fun and perfect for the outdoors person. I will show you a little technique with sponging & masking today to get the snowdrift.
Measurements: Shaded Spruce Card Stock (CS) card base: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches with a score line at 4 1/4 inches; Whisper White CS: two at 4 x 5 1/4 inches; white copy paper: 4 x 6 inches.
Cut the 4 x 6 inch piece of copy paper as shown. This will be the mask to make the snowdrift.
Place the copy paper over one of the 4 x 5 1/4 inch Whisper White CS card pieces. Use a removable tape runner if needed to hold it in place. Using a sponge and the Balmy Blue ink dab the sponge on the ink. Sponge the ink onto the Whisper White CS in a gentle circular motion along the edge of the mask. Then sponge lightly above that to color the “sky”.
Leaving the mask in place, use the Shaded Spruce ink and the pine tree stamp to stamp two trees. Leave a space between the trees to stamp a third tree. Note: These are Photopolymer stamps and need a little padding from a Stampin’ Pierce Mat or catalog to look best.
Remove the copy paper mask. Stamp the third tree between the other two trees. Leave space under the third tree to put your sentiment.
Stamp the moose in Soft Suede ink. The moose is a Two Step Stamp. Here I stamped the detailed stamp after the plain stamp. However, I stamped the detailed stamp first followed by the plain stamp and felt it was easier for me to see to line everything up. Try it both ways to determine which works well for you. I did Stamp Off the plain moose stamp so that I could see the details on the moose more easily.
Stamp the sentiment “Merry Christmoose” in the Shaded Spruce ink.
Use the Shaded Spruce ink and stamp some pine trees on the other 4 x 5 1/2 inch Whisper White CS. I stamped once at full strength. The other two trees are Stamped Off first. Add the sentiment “enjoy the stillness of the season” over the trees. Adhere the panel to the inside of the Shaded Spruce CS card base.
Use your Bone Folder to fold the card base at the 4 1/4 inch score line. Adhere the front panel to the front of the card base.
Viola! That is all there is to it! This is a great card for the outdoors person and is so fun to make! Plus a little humor is good for the soul!
For those of you who love Bling! as much as I do, here is another version of the Merry Moose card with Rhinestone Basic Jewels added like stars in the sky.
Thanks for visiting today! Please leave me a comment and let me know which card has been your favorite during the first 7 days of my 15-Day Christmas Card Making Challenge.
To download the pdf of the retiring product in the 2020 August-December Stampin’ Up! Mini Catalog select the download button below.
Hello fellow crafters! To continue on with my 15-Day Challenge of making a Christmas card each day, I decided to create a peaceful forest with the Evergreen Forest 3D embossing folder. The “Season’s Greetings” sentiment is from the In The Pines stamp set.
To create the coloring I used the Sponge Brayer and Sponge Dauber so I will try to give you some tips on using those.
Measurements: Shaded Spruce Card Stock (CS) card base: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches with a score line at 4 1/4 inches; Thick Whisper White CS: 4 1/8 x 5 3/8 inches; Whisper White CS: 4 x 5 1/4 inches and 1/2 x 4 inches; Shaded Spruce CS: 3/4 x 4 inches.
The Evergreen Forest 3D Embossing Folder is available in the 2020 August-December Stampin’ Up!® Mini Catalog. Note: The reason mine has a “One Navy Blue Plate” sign on it is because that is what I would use with my Big Shot. I now use the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine which uses a gray plate and is much smoother.
The first step is to roll some Night of Navy ink onto the inside of the embossing folder. Apply the ink to the side that has the “Stampin’ Up!” logo on it. Tip: To get the ink on the Sponge Brayer evenly, push fairly firmly and roll the sponge from near to far, lift, and roll from near to far again. Repeat until there is a nice layer of ink on the sponge. Roll the ink onto the embossing folder with the same motion- near to far, lift, near to far. If needed apply more ink to the Sponge Brayer. Roll ink onto the embossing folder until there is a nice even layer.
Tip: Spritz a little water onto the Thick Whisper White CS to help the paper be easier to emboss and turn out more 3D. Also spritz a wee bit of water onto the ink on the embossing folder. Place the paper on the Evergreen Forest 3D Embossing Folder and close. Run through the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine slowly to allow time for the ink to be absorbed by the paper.
Viola! This is the beautiful scene you have!
Now use the Sponge Dauber to apply Shaded Spruce ink to the trees. Tip: Dab the dauber onto the ink pad, then gently rub onto the embossed trees in a small circular motion applying a light layer of ink. Start light and add more to get a darker shade. Note: I have a different dauber for each color that I keep in a partitioned craft box.
Apply a nice even layer of the Shaded Spruce ink, then add a deeper color to the trees that “stick out” a little more than the others. Tip: Shade the edges of the card piece a little darker for a vignette look.
Continue to add more ink in a small circular motion until the color is deep enough and you are satisfied with the look.
Use the Shaded Spruce ink to stamp the sentiment “Season’s Greetings” onto the 1/2 x 4 inch Whisper White CS. Adhere the sentiment to the 3/4 x 4 inch Shaded Spruce CS.
Use the Timeless Label Punch to make a curved edge.
Use the largest tree in the In The Pines stamp set to stamp onto the 4 x 5 1/4 inch Whisper White CS. Some trees are stamped full strength and others are Stamped Off. This is the inside of the card.
Use your Bone Folder to make a crisp fold at the 4 1/4 score line on the 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch Shaded Spruce CS card base. Adhere the inside panel to the inside of the card base.
Adhere the embossed and sponged front panel to the front of the Shaded Spruce CS card base. Use Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the sentiment.
Viola! This really turned out to be a fun and soothing Holiday card!
I really appreciate you coming by today. Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think.
Many of the products in the 2020 August-December Stampin’ Up!® Mini Catalog are retiring. If there is anything you wanted, get it now or take you chances starting December 8, 2020 when some products will be discounted. Once the supply of the product is gone, there will be no more! Click here to shop early!
Select any photo below to go my Online Store and add that particular product to your cart.
Yesterday I started a 15 day Christmas Card Making Challenge with my accountability partner, Christy. The challenge is to blog one Christmas card each day for 15 days. I am planning a variety of cards at different levels, some using dies, some with techniques and also some that will be simple stamping. So join me in my challenge!
For today’s card, I will focus on showing you how to create the Aurora Borealis background. I am using the Quite Curvy Variety Bundle (#158396) which includes the Quite Curvy and Curvy Christmas stamp sets, as well as the Curvy Dies and some Classic Christmas Designer Series Paper.
Measurements: Whisper White Card Stock (CS) card base: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches with a score line at 4 1/4 inches; Whisper White CS: 2 x 3 inches, and two 5 1/2 inch long curvy “snowdrifts”. The snowdrifts are made using the Curvy dies.
The Aurora Borealis Technique
The first step is to prepare some sponges. I cut the Stamping Sponges in half, then cut the half to make a quarter. Some folks like the 1/4 sponge but I have found I can cut the quarter in half again and get 8 pieces from one Stamping Sponge. I cut out a square of card stock in the same color as the ink I plan to use and staple it to the top of the sponge.
I do not rinse the sponges out, but rather I store them in a compartmentalized craft box.
To prevent the ink from getting on the back of the card, I used sticky note tape at the 4 1/4 inch score line. Dab the sponge in the Daffodil Delight ink and then make horizontal streaks in a random pattern to cover the top 1/3 of the card front.
Dab a sponge in the Granny Apple Green ink and make some more streaks. Follow the same procedure for the Magenta Madness ink and the Pacific Point ink. I know it looks pretty weird right now.
I sponged the Night of Navy ink more heavily around the edges. Using the Pacific Point ink I then sponged over the other colors.
Next I sponged some more Daffodil Delight ink and Magenta Madness ink to make the colors more vibrant. You can keep adding colors and the Pacific Point or Night of Navy over the colors until you are satisfied with the look. Don’t worry, it will look much better once we add the snowdrifts.
Carefully peel off the sticky tape and let the ink dry before trying to fold the card.
Putting it all together
Tip: When using a curvy sentiment, put the stamp on the card stock and position it how you want it, then put the clear block over it. Stamp the sentiment “Thinking of you at Christmas” on the larger snowdrift in Misty Moonlight ink. The sentiment is in the Curvy Christmas stamp set.
I stamped the birds from the Quite Curvy stamp set in Memento Black ink and then colored with the Stampin’ Blends Alcohol Markers in Light and Dark: Balmy blue, Misty Moonlight and Night of Navy. I always have the Color Lifter handy so I can lighten the colors as well as cover any marks out of the lines. Fussy cut the birds.
I used the Light and Dark Balmy Blue to color the edges of the snowdrift and add some dimension. Glue the two snowdrifts together.
Adhere the snowdrifts to the card front. Position the birds and use the Light Balmy Blue to make small shadows before you adhere the birds.
Adhere the birds to the card front. Tip: I find it easier to position smaller images by using some tweezers.
Add some Rhinestone Basic Jewels to the sky for extra sparkle and Viola! you have a unique and extraordinary handmade Christmas Card!
Thanks so much for visiting. I am excited about my 15 Day Christmas Card Challenge and hope to see you back tomorrow!
