Thursday, November 30, 2017

Cookie Cutter Christmas Card, Pivot Twist Pop-up Technique

Today I'm going to take a little step backwards in time.  I think it's great to look back now and then and see what has worked and what hasn't. I am thinking of taking a trip down memory lane once a month.  I don't want to go too far back though because most of those sets are retired, the colors and tastes are different and I'm hopefully a better stamper than I was 10 years ago!!! 

I find this to be a very fun card and it's REALLY not that difficult to make either.  I had made this card last December and had such a fun time with it. I LOVE this "Pivot Twist Pop-up" technique.  I plan to make one of these this year.  I was thinking of using the new Santa set, the one with his clothes that you can die cut.  


But for today I'm just going to repost this fun card and a link to the instructions.You can find the link to this post here and the instructions are also located on there as well.

Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping by,
Wanda

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Hometown Greetings, Winter Scene, Christmas Card

This card came about because of the stitched circle ring that was sitting on my worktable.  I had die cut the ring that I had made a couple of days ago. The ring was too small but I didn't want to put it in recycling. SO I just add it to the pile of stuff on my table!!!  Sound familiar or am I the only one???? You can see that card here, it needed a larger ring.                 

As I was looking at the "stuff" on my worktable I saw the ring and wondered what I could do with it and after a few minutes, this is the idea I had in my head. And it actually looked like that in my head!!!  Your glimpse into my spooky brain!!! LOL

I used the "Hometown" dies that goes with the "Hearts Come Home" bundle set.  

I die cut the image that had the snowman and tree. I made sure I had some distance at the bottom because I wasn't sure how much was going to show.

I used mini Dimensionals on the back of the Dazzling Diamonds snowman and trees.  I trimmed the back so it wouldn't show under the front ring.  I die cut the falling snow image paper from the "Christmas Around the World"  12" x 12" Decorative Series Paper (DSP).  I die cut a scrap piece of card stock, any color, it doesn't matter.  I taped the falling snow DSP to the top of it then attached the snowman and trees piece.  I took some pieces of Dimensionals and went around the upper part of the ring with them. I set them in place on top of the snowman and trees piece.  

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock.  The next layer is a 4-5/8" x 3-1/2" piece of Tranquil Tide card stock.  On top of that is a piece of Whisper White that was cut 3" x 4-1/8" and the 2-7/8" x 4" piece of DSP from the "Painted Autumn" pack is taped to it.  

Before attaching the Whisper White and the "Painted Autumn" piece to the Tranquil Tide piece I tied a silver tinsel ribbon knot around the piece. Then I added the Dimensionals and set it in place.  The Tranquil Tied piece was taped in place and that was it.

It's a very simple card to make.  I really like the looks of this card.

Thank you SO very much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Beautiful Bouquet, Winter Wedding Card

I had gotten this fun "Year of Cheer" Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) as a thank you gift.  There were 2 pieces of each design in the pack.  They were cut 5-1/2" x 4".  I trimmed this one down to 5-1/4" x 4".  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the checkered DSP, I thought it would be difficult to work with.  But I ran across this "Happy Weding Day" words already on the gold foil background so I thought I would use it and make a winter wedding card.  The snowflake DSP was part of that wonderfully fun pack.  The ribbon was tied around the plastic card stock holder, so I untied it and used it on my card.

The words are from the "Beautiful Bouquet" set.  I think I now what that set!!!  

This was a very fun and simple card to make.  I think it made a very sweet winter wedding card.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Monday, November 27, 2017

Hearts Come Home, Hometown Greetings, Christmas Card

Isn't this card just adorable?  And it's very simple to make too.  I found it on Pinterest.  You can see the original here.  I didn't have the ribbon that was used in the original but I did have the tinsel ribbon that I thought I should play with, after all, that's why I bought it!

The card base is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of  Cherry Cobbler.  On top of that is another piece of Whisper White that was cut 3-7/8" x 5-1/8".

First you stamp the words.  The words here are from the "Hearts Come Home" set.  Then I textured the card stock using the "Falling Snow" embossing folder.  I taped that to the Cherry Cobbler piece.  I set it aside and worked on the circles and house.

I used the Stitched Circles die for the Whisper White ring. I used a second die in the middle. I taped them down with a Post it note so it wouldn't move while I ran it through the Big Shot.  I die cut the house and tree using Whisper White.  Those are from the "Hearts Come Home" bundle, they are from the "Hometown Greetings" dies.  I set the house in the circle and cut away the excess.  Then I taped the house to the circle.  Next die cut a Cherry Cobbler circle for the background and taped it in place on the stitched circle.  I used Dimensionals to set it in place on the card.  I added the Tinsel ribbon and then used Dimensionals on the Cherry Cobbler layer and set it in place on the card base.   The little tiny Cherry Cobbler heart was cut from a tag die in the "Hometown Greetings" dies.  Isn't it adorable?  

This was a fun card to make!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Snowflake Sentiments, Hearts Come Home Hometown Greetings Bundle, Salted Background Technique, Christmas Card

I have not done a "Salted Background" technique card in a very long time. It's such an easy technique to do, other than the fact that you need to wait for the card stock to dry.  But heating it from the backside quickens that process.  

To do this technique you take a piece of Whisper White or Very Vanilla card stock and sponge or brayer the ink on.  Then you mist the card stock 3 to 4 times from about a 6" distance.  You want a mist on it, not a shower.  Then you sprinkle the salt. I use the packets that we get in our bags from fast food places.  I save them. I save EVERYTHING!!!!  I opened the salt before I began the project. You want to add it while the card stock is still damp.  Once it's on the card then you will mist it again 2-4 times from 6" away.  Set it aside to dry. Once it's dry, brush off the salt and use the card as you wish.  

Here I used Pacific Point ink on my Whisper White piece of card stock.  When it was all cleaned off I die cut the scene using Dazzling Diamonds glitter paper and I set it on top of the salted background paper and die cut them together using the Stitched Oval die.  I set that oval in place using Dimensionals.

I used some white "Classic Weave" ribbon around the card. I colored the ribbon with the Wink of Stella pen to give it a little shimmer too.

The words are from the "Snowflake Sentiments" set. I masked off the "from our house to yours" and just stamped the "Merry Christmas."  I stamped some words on the inside and the card was done. 

Like I said, other than the waiting for the paper to dry, it's a quick card.  Though I did do my card stock a couple of days ago. I had other things planned so I just set it aside to dry until I was ready for it.  I was very pleased at how it turned out. It looks like it's snowing out!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Swirly Snowflakes, Snowflakes Sentiments, Christmas Card

Here is a very fun card I found on Pinterest. You can see the original card here.  I had all the stuff except the wording and die to make the card.  I used the "Snowflake Sentiments" for the wording. I masked off the "from our family to yours".  I just wanted it to say "Merry Christmas".  

The gold foil snowflakes and swirls are from the "Swirly Snowflakes" die cuts.  

The base of the card is a folded half-sheet of Basic Black card stock.

I used a 2" piece of "Year of Cheer" Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP).  I did have to move the gold foil snowflake die cut image over because my DSP is only 2" wide.  It looks like it would be 2-1/4". But I still like how it looks.

I stamped the words using Basic Black ink and then die cut them using the Stitched Oval die.  I taped the words in place and I glued the swirls down. 

When I taped the DSP down, I had ran snail across the edges and lined up the snowflakes image.  I held that image over a piece of scrap copier paper and I sprayed it with the "Fine Tip Glue Pen" glue that I put in a mister bottle.  Just remember to rinse out the nozzle when you are done.  You don't want the glue to dry in there and ruin the mister.  And because this glue doesn't immediately set up, I set it under my stamping mat to press it down while I was cleaning out my mister bottle nozzle.  I had it under the mat for about 5 minutes.  When I took it out the pieces were stuck to the card stock and DSP.  I like spraying the glue because it covers a lot of space quickly.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Friday, November 24, 2017

Colorful Season, Seasonal Layers, Snowflakes Sentiments, Christmas Card

I found this fun Christmas card on Pinterest.  The original one can be seen here.  The only difference is the wording. I thought the card was SO pretty, plus I liked the use of that cracked paint looking Decorative Series Paper (DSP) from the "Color Theory" pack.

The base of the card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock. On top of that is a 3-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of Dapper Denim card stock. On top of that is a 3" x 5-1/2" piece of the DSP. 

I stamped the words from the "Snowflake Sentiments" set using Dapper Denim ink.  I die cut them with the stitched oval die. 

I die cut the snowflakes from the "Colorful Season" set using Dapper Denim and Soft Sky card stock.  I set the words in place using Dimensionals and the snowflakes were set in place using the "Fine Tip Glue Pen".  I added some rhinestones to the center of the snowflakes and a couple off to the side of the words and the card was done.  Super quick and easy too!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Colorful Season, Snowflakes Sentiments, Christmas Card

I had seen a fun card on Pinterest using snowflakes.  I LOVE snowflakes so I thought I would find a snowflake in one of my sets and run with it.  I knew I didn't have the snowflake in the original card and there are times you just need to make do with what you have!!  Kind of my motto this year.  You can see the original card here.

For my card I used a half-sheet of Whisper White for the base. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" of Real Red card stock.  Before you attach this piece, die cut the scalloped oval.  No one is going to know there's a hole in the Real Red card stock.  Try to do it near where the words are going to go! And the focal piece is Whisper White cut 3-7/8" x 5-1/8".

The snowflakes are from the "Colorful Season" set.  I stamped them using Real Red, Garden Green and Sahara Sand ink. 

The words are from the "Snowflakes Sentiments" set.  I stamped them using Basic Black ink.  I die cut them using the stitched oval die.  Affix the words to the red scalloped oval.  Add a few Dimensionals and set it in place on the card. 

It's a quick and simple Christmas card to make!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda
 

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Hometown Greetings, Christmas Card, Crayon Rubbed Embossing Technique

I found a fun technique on Split Coast Stampers. It's called "Crayon Rubbed Embossing" and it's very easy to do. 

You take a piece of Whisper White card stock or Very Vanilla and set it on top of the textured part of the embossing folder.  You take a white crayon and rub firmly but not so hard you make dents in your paper.  Once you are done you can take either a brayer or a sponge and color the background. I had used a brayer and then came back with a sponge to remove the ink on top of the wax.

I die cut the image from the "Hometown Greetings" die.  I used the 3/4" circle punch for the moon.  I set the moon in place using a Dimensional.  I had used the Dazzling Diamonds glitter paper for the scene and moon.

I brayered my background using Marina Mist ink. I cut that focal piece 5-1/8" x 3-7/8". I cut a piece of Pacific Point 4" x 5-1/4". I taped those two layers together and taped them on to a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock.  This card opens from the bottom.

It's a very fun and easy technique to play with.  Give it a try!  You can see more instructions on how to do this at Split Coast Stampers.  Click here for the direct link to the technique.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Painted Harvest Thank You Card

I'm still trying not to post too many Christmas cards until after Thanksgiving, so here is what I found that I just had to make.  I don't use the wood background paper as much as I would like to. It's great paper for masculine cards.  I found this one on Pinterest.  You can see the original here.  I pretty much copied it as I saw it.  The center of my flower is a bit lighter but this is how it came out when I stamped it.  For the most part it's pretty similar to the one I found. 

The base of this card is a folded half-sheet of Early Espresso.  I cut it on the short side so this card opens from the bottom.  On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of the decorative wood paper. I used snail to set it in place. 

I added a half a paper doily, it's centered from top to bottom on the left side.  Next I stamped the leaves using Pear Pizzazz ink.  Then I stamped the flower using Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie.  The center of the flower is Chocolate Chip.  I stamped the flower on Very Vanilla card stock. 

I wrapped a Crushed Curry ribbon around to the back side and taped the edges down using Scotch tape.  I made a bow and set it aside.

I took a 1" strip of Very Vanilla and punched the end to give it that ribbon look.  I stamped the words using Chocolate Chip ink.  I taped it in place along the top of the ribbon edge.  

Next I set the flower in place using Dimensionals.  I taped the leaves in place and then the ribbon and that was it.  It's a pretty simple card to make and the fussy cutting of the flower (not one of my favorite things to do) didn't take all that long.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

   

Monday, November 20, 2017

Pop-up Surprise Technique, Snowflake Embossing Folder, Christmas Card

 I kind of gave in and am posting a Christmas card.  I gave in for a couple of reasons. One, this is also a technique and two, our furnace went out and it's SO cold in my workroom that I needed to post something that was quick to do so I could go back upstairs where the space heater is keeping us warm.

This is a very simple technique.  You can find the directions on how to make this by clicking here.   These are fun and easy to make too.  Sorry this isn't a long post.  I'm freezing.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda


Sunday, November 19, 2017

Sheltering Tree, Colorful Season, Butterfly Thinlits, Thinking of You Card

I found a fun card on Pinterest and thought I would work with what I had to try to create what I really wanted to make!  The original card can be found here.  I did have the "Timeless Textures" set and the "Sheltering Tree" set and I just winged it with the rest of the card.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White.  I added a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Crushed Curry card stock.  On top of that is a piece of Whisper White cut 3-7/8" x 5-1/8".  

I began with the butterfly.  I used the Butterfly Thinlits die and cut it out of Whisper White card stock.  I set it on top of the card stock to see where I should start stamping the "Thinking of you" from the "Sheltering Tree" set.  I used Crushed Curry ink.  I stamped several rows of words, ending with the "thinking of you" completely visible, like it is on the top.

I set the butterfly back on top to see where to stamp the flourish images.  I used Sahara Sand for those.  I added the coffee ring images using Smoky Slate.  And I added some dots using Sahara Sand ink but I stamped off once before stamping on the card stock.  

I stamped the flowers from the "Colorful Season" set.  I stamped them using Crushed Curry ink.  I sponged the edges because I didn't like the white showing.  I should have just die cut them from Crushed Curry card stock and it would have been a lot quicker and easier!!! My "duh" moment!  

I wrapped some gold thread around the top of the card and taped the ends on the back.  Then I taped the Whisper White piece to the Crushed Curry piece.  I set those two layers on top of the card base using Dimensionals.  Then I added the butterfly using a Dimensional.  I set the flower in place using a glue dot.  I added a pearl to the center and the card was done.  It looks somewhat like the original card I had found but there are some differences, including the orientation.  I do like how it turned out though.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Secret Pocket Technique, Birthday Card, Happy Birthday Thinlits

I received this card from my sweet friend Colleen.  It's was made using last months stamping technique "Secret Pocket".  You open the card and on the left is a little secret pocket to slip in a gift card.  What a wonderful idea.  A gift card holder and greeting card all in one!!

This card was made using Daffodil Delight for the base. I do not know what pack the Decorative Series Paper is from.  

The words are die cut from the "Happy Birthday" Thinlits die.  I found that if you add some of the "Fine Tip Glue Pen" glue to a mister bottle, you can spray on the glue and set your piece in place.  Very quick and simple, neat, clean and super easy!!!

You can see how to do this "Secret Pocket" Technique by clicking here.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda


Friday, November 17, 2017

October 2017 Paper Pumpkin, Christmas Cards


 Today I'm going to share with you my October 2017 Paper Pumpkin cards.  I hadn't played with them much because I was waiting until after my outpatient surgery so I would have something to do that didn't require a lot of movement.  Not that I couldn't move around but I just didn't feel much like moving around the first day.  I did sleep a lot.  

Apparently the November Paper Pumpkin is tied in with the October one.  I don't know what that means at all, but it's on it's way and I'll fill you in on that mystery at a later date!!!

These were very fun to make.  I'm not a big fan of making shaker cards but the kit had the foam circles to make it easier.  I did my card a little backwards.  I put the foam circle on the background piece and set the front of the card over it.  I found it easier to get the card centered and I wasn't working blindly.  

I love the look of these cards. I did an alternative card that I thought was stunning and I'm hoping to give it a try on Sunday. 

The card with the trees has a big space at the bottom so I added a die cut snowflake and I also added a light blue sequin from the kit to the center of it.  It gave it a nice finishing touch.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda


Thursday, November 16, 2017

Thoughts and Prayers, Thinking of You Card

Here's a stamp set that I don't use too often but am SO glad it's not retired.  This is one of the nicest sympathy sets.  "Thoughts & Prayers" is a super easy to use set with great wording.  I found the card on Pinterest and felt the need to make it. You can see the card here.  I didn't need a sympathy card but my stash was low in that category.

To make this card I used a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock.  On top of that is piece of Wisteria Wonder cut 4" x 5-1/4". On top of that is the focal piece of Whisper White cut 3-7/8" x 5-1/8".  

I stamped the flower part using Whisper White. I lined it up at the top edge of the card and tried to balance the sides and then I stamped it. I turned it around and did the same to the bottom. 

The stitched oval was die cut from the Wisteria Wonder piece before I attached it to the Whisper White piece.  I used a scrap piece of Whisper White for the wording.  I taped those two pieces together.

The Wisteria Wonder and Whisper White focal piece were taped together and then set in place on the card base using Dimensionals.   And that was it.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Stylized Birthday, Birthday Card

I need to start a 5 minute card category, that is about how long it took to make this card.  I was amazed at how quickly it went together.  I love those larger stamps that take up a lot of real estate on a card.

To make this fun and super quick card I used a folded half sheet of Whisper White card stock.  I cut it on the long side.  This card opens at the the bottom and folds at the top.

First I stamped the words using Soft Suede ink. The words are from the  "Stylized Birthday" set. 

Next I cut a 2-3/4" x 4-1/4" piece of the daisy design from the "Painted Autumn" Designer Series Paper (DSP). I taped it in place at the bottom and then tied a piece of Crushed Curry Mini Chevron ribbon around the front and tied a knot.  I trimmed the knot and that was it.  I told you it was super quick.  This is a fun layout.  I can see making LOTS of cards using this layout and those larger "Happy Birthday" words!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Swirly Bird, Seasonal Chums, Oh What Fun, Christmas Card

I was going to try to not make Christmas cards until after Thanksgiving but this one was in my head and I had to get it out on paper.  I didn't have enough time to make another one (non-Christmas) to post today so it's going to have to be a Christmas card.

This was a VERY fun card to make. 

I knew I wanted Crumb Cake for the base. And I new I needed a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Whisper White for the top.  I wanted some fun Christmas Decorative Series Paper (DSP) and I found the paper used here in the "Christmas Around the World" 12" x 12" pack.  I used a 2" x 4" piece.  I taped it to the bottom of the Whisper White piece.  But before I did that I had taken a mister bottle and added 6 drops of Pool Party inker in it and filled it with rubbing alcohol, 91%.  I sprayed the paper and it now has a soft pool party look to it.  When it dried (which didn't take very long) I taped the DSP to the bottom.  

Then I took the "Swirly Bird" bundle and die cut the top circle "thing" using Whisper White card stock.  Because it's white I really wanted the background to have some color, that is why I misted the paper.  I set the swirl in place to see where the words would go.  I stamped the words from the "Oh What Fun" set using Dapper Denim ink. I cut my Dimensional in thin pieces and attached it to the swirl and set it in place on the top part of the card.  

I die both sizes of snowflakes from the "Seasonal Chums" bundle using the Dazzling Diamonds glitter paper.  I used glues dot to set the snowflakes in place.  I also glued to the center of the larger snowflake a sequin from the October Paper Pumpkin kit. 

I took a piece of white "Classic Weave" ribbon and wrapped it around the front of the card and taped it in the back.  I taped the panel to the card base and the card was done. 

Super easy and sweet looking.

Thank you SO much for visiting today, 
Wanda

Monday, November 13, 2017

Flourishing Phrases, Thank You Card

I can not even begin to tell you how difficult it is for me to try to stay away from making and posting Christmas cards.  One slips through now and then but I'm trying to wait until after Thanksgiving.  Just a little over a week and then the greens and reds can come pouring out!!

So in trying to stay away from Christmas cards, I thought I would make a fall thank you card. I used the "Flourishing Phrases" set for the image and the words.

I stamped the image using Memento ink on a 3-3/4" x 5" piece of Whisper White card stock.  Under that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Old Olive card stock and the base of the card is a folded half-sheet of Pumpkin Pie card stock.  

I colored the flowers in using the Pumpkin Pie alcohol pen, the leaves with the Old Olive alcohol pen and a little Daffodil Delight on that weird part of the image that I really think is a leaf and not a flower. But I've seen it colored in as a flower so I went with it, plus the card needed a little more color to it.  

The words were stamped using Soft Suede ink.  And that was it.  Easy peasy!!!  I LOVE the alcohol markers.  You can color over the area a couple of times and not get demarcation.  It's quick and vibrant.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda
 

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Hometown Greetings, Merry Patterns, Christmas Card

I found a card on Pinterest that piques my interest.  I liked the look of the card but didn't have the materials.  You can see the card I am referring to here. I was so enthralled with the card that I wanted to make one.  So I looked through my stamp sets to see what would work. I found the "Hometown Greetings" Edgelits dies would be something I could work with. And this is what I ended up with.

I took some of the Dazzling Diamonds glitter paper and I die cut the three long strips of houses and the church strip as well.  The star one also fit on the piece of glitter paper I was using.  After I got them cut I did die cut 4 circles using some scrap copier paper.  I needed to cut my pieces out of something that didn't matter before I cut the glitter paper.  After finding the shapes of the snow I was looking for I traced them on the back of the glitter paper and cut them out. Then I glued the images to the shape.  I did that for a total of three shapes.  Each shape got taller than the last to it would give the circle a bit more dimension.  I used double Dimensionals.  Just one wasn't thick enough to give it the depth that I was looking for.  I used strong tape to tape the circle image to the card.  But before I did that I embossed the words using white embossing enamel.  The words are from the "Merry Patterns" set.  The words are not cut off on the top, they are fully legible, it's just the way the photo was taken being the circle is actually 6 Dimensionals thick, plus the glitter paper!  

I punched a 1" circle and used just a single layer of Dimensionals to set it in place.  I glued the stars in the sky and it was done!  

It was fun. It's not like the original card but I do like it.  And now I'm off to clean up all the glitter on my worktable!!

Thank you ever SO much for stopping by,
Wanda

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Year of Cheer, Winter Wonder, Christmas Card

Today I am going to share with you a card I received from my friend Mary.  This was from a swap she attended and she gave me one of her extra cards. Such a sweetie!  Thank you Mary!

The base of the card is a folded half-sheet of Crumb Cake.  On top of that is a 5" x 3-3/4" piece of "Year of Cheer" Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP), the special is that there is foil on the images.  There's some fun "Year of Cheer" Washi tape on the 4-1/2" x 3-1/2" Whisper White piece that was embossed using the "Winter Wonder" texture embossing folder.  I did get this folder but I don't know where it is right now.  If you saw my worktable you would understand.  There's a HUGE mess and I'm guessing it's at the bottom of it. I need to get it cleaned up this weekend, I have stampers coming over next week.  I just don't understand why I can't keep my tables neat and tidy!  Oh well, it is what it is (right now!)

Oh and Mary added a gold faceted  gem to the center of the snowflake.  Such a simple and sweet card.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Friday, November 10, 2017

Oh What Fun, Secret Pocket Technique Christmas Card

Well, I couldn't wait to try out the technique I shared with you yesterday using a Christmas theme.  What do you think?  Pretty cute huh?  It looks like a regular card when it's closed and when you open it, it is a regular card with a pocket on the left to slip in a gift card.  Look at yesterday's post for the instructions and measurements on how to do this "Secret Pocket" technique.  I know a few people that I give gift cards to for Christmas and now I won't need to go shopping for a gift holder card.  Yay me!!!  When I made this one, I made 3 more so I have a total of 4 duplicate cards for this Christmas.  Now I just need to get the gift cards!  These are fun and quick to make and you don't need a lot of the Decorative Series Paper (DSP) to finish off the front.  I didn't add a ribbon on this one, the DSP was busy enough to not need anything more.  Plus it won't cost extra to mail this without a bow!  The stamp set I used here is "Oh What Fun".  It's from last year and it was carried over into the 2017-2018 catalog.  I bought it because it had a lot of fun wording. I really wanted just a plain "Merry Christmas" but the only one I had included the words "from our house to yours".  I could have masked it off but then the wording would have been kind of small for the space I had to fill.  This worked out fine.  Give this technique a try.  It's pretty quick to do too!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Thursday, November 09, 2017

Stylized Birthday Card, Special Celebrations, Secret Pocket Gift Card Holder

Here is a fun card but it's not just a card, it's a gift card holder too!! Such a deal!

This was from Terri's Technique Tuesday night last month.  I needed to make birthday cards for my twin sister-in-laws and this card had an extra bonus for me.  Because I had to make two, I was able to show you the front and inside in one picture.

For my card I used a half-sheet of Wisteria Wonder.  My card stock was cut 4-1/4" x 11".  Score it at 5-1/2" (as usual) and at 8-3/4".  Next take a 1-1/4" circle punch and punch a half circle on the end with the 8-3/4" score, not the larger 5-1/2" side.  Fold the small panel inward and fold your card in half like you normally would.  Use some really strong tape to tape the sides of the pocket down.  You can glue them too, it just takes longer to dry.  Add a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Whisper White to the inside of the card for writing your sentiment on.

On the front I used a 4" x 3" piece of the "Delightful Daisy" Decorative Series Paper (DSP).

The Happy Birthday is from the "Stylized Birthday" stamp.  The 2-5/8" Stitched Square Framelit was used to cut out the words.  Layered behind that is the largest scalloped square in the Squares package.  The word layers were set in place using Dimensionals.  Be careful not to add Dimensionals all over the back.  Only add them to the part of the card that is going to be on top of the DSP.  

Write your sentiment on the inside, add your gift card, pop it in an envelop and you are ready to give it!  Yup, as simple as that.  You can also add some DSP to the inside left where the gift card is but I thought it was too much work to get the half circle punched just right, especially after it's been assembled.  You could cut the piece of DSP and line it up on the end and punch the two out together, then they would look perfect!  But I left it plain. 

These are fun to make.  I want to make a few for Christmas.  I may do that tomorrow. I was trying not to do too many Christmas items before Thanksgiving, but this will give you time to order what you need (if you need anything) and you can get started on them before the holidays get away from you.

Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping by,
Wanda

Wednesday, November 08, 2017

Painted Harvest, Better Together, Sympathy Card, Recessed Panel Stamping Technique

Now this is what happens when I don't put things away on my worktable. Other than making a mess, it doesn't allow me to venture out beyond what is in front of me.  I really needed to make 2 birthday cards for my twin sister-in-law's birthdays tomorrow.  I will have to work on them in the morning, maybe!

This was an easy card to make and I really like the "Recessed Panel" stamping technique.  It's pretty and fun.  Plus it's a great way to use those strips of Decorative Series Paper (DSP) you have left.  When I first made it I think I used a much larger piece, almost the same size as the card front.  Such a waste.  If you cut a piece of card stock 4" x 5-1/4" and use that to add your layers to then you don't need a full sheet of the DSP!

I used the "Painted Harvest" set for the flower.  I did fussy cut it out.  I stamped it using Peekaboo Peach and Pumpkin Pie ink.  I do prefer a much darker contrast but this is still pretty.  The leaves are punched from Pear Pizzazz card stock and added before the flower we set in place.  

The DSP is from the "Painted Autumn" pack.  My piece was a little less than 3" wide and 4" long.  Perfect for this technique.  The words are from the "Better Together" set and I used Chocolate Chip ink to stamp them.  It's such a fun and different technique. You can find the instructions for this technique here.  

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Tuesday, November 07, 2017

Painted Harvest, Layered Leaves Folder, Better Together, Sympathy Card

I had taken a photo of this card at a stamping event.  I really liked the card and wanted to make one.  Well, today is the day I finally got around to making it.  I've had it on my list to make for a couple of months now. 

It's a pretty simple card to make.  First I took a folded half sheet of Crumb Cake card stock for the base.  Then I took a 1/4 sheet of Crumb Cake card stock and textured it with the "Layered Leaves Dynamic Textures" folder.  This folder leaves deep and light impressions at the same time.  How cool is that?  After I textured it I cut 1/8" inch off all sides so it now measures 4" x 5-1/4". I set it aside while I worked on the focal piece.

I took a piece of Whisper White card stock 2-5/8" x 3-7/8".  I stamped the larger flower image using Tempting Turquoise. I stamped the detailed image using Marina Mist.  The center of the flower is Crumb Cake ink but inked up and stamped twice.  The leaves are Pear Pizzazz and stamped off once before I stamped them on the card stock. I also stamped it again for a "Third Generation" image.  I don't think a 4th one would show up, by then all the ink is pretty much gone.  

The words are from the "Better Together" set and I used Crumb Cake ink to stamp them.  I taped all the layers together and added a knotted piece of the burlap ribbon and I set that in place using a glue dot.  And that was it.  It actually was a pretty quick card to make.  And I do like how it turned out.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Monday, November 06, 2017

Daisy Delight, Thank You Card, 2017 Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog

I have had a lot of fun with this "Daisy Delight" stamp set.  Though daisies are mostly a summer flower, it's got to be summer somewhere, right? I live in Minnesota. Our flowers are all gone until spring.  So for me it's odd to make cards with flowers on them this time of the year.  Though I have given it a lot of thought and I decided that I don't care what time of the year it is, people give flowers all year long so why not make cards with flowers anytime I wish!  

SO, here is a flower card.  I'm not too thrilled with it.  Maybe it's that stigma of not making flowers this time of year that had a hand in this card.  It's not one of my favorites is what I'm really saying!!! LOL  The more I tried with it the worse it got!!  I stamped the flowers using Calypso Coral ink and then I also sponged them with that ink.  They were too white for the background.  I used the "Delightful Daisy" Designer Series Paper (DSP).  I thought it would be fun to put the DSP on the sides instead of just one side, or just the top or bottom.  Mix it up a bit.  Now that I look at it closer I think the flowers should have been a different color and maybe the card may have looked better.  But it is what it is and today I share it with you!!  Sorry!  LOL

It was still fun to play with the stamp set and just to stamp. I LOVE stamping and there are times that the card in my head does not look like the finished card.  This is one of those times!  

I did fussy cut the Pear Pizzaz leaves.  There were only three so it wasn't too bad.

Thank you so much for looking. I promise tomorrow's card will be SO much better.

Have a wonderful day and than you for stopping by,
Wanda

Sunday, November 05, 2017

Painted Harvest, Sincere Salutations, Get Well Card

I found this fun card while surfing the net. You can see original card here.  I did change a few things on it.  I needed to make a get well card and I couldn't find any "get well" words in the stamp sets that were current so I dug out my most favorite word set "Sincere Salutations" and used the "get well" from there.  If you find some get well wording in the current sets, please let me know.  

So, onto this card.  The base is a folded half-sheet of Tangerine Tango card stock. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Pear Pizzazz.  And on top of that is a 3-3/4" x 5" piece of Whisper White.  

First I stamped the ferny leaf using Pear Pizzazz ink.  You can't see much of it but if you click on the photo you can see a lot of it between the leaves.  It kind of fills in the white spots.  Next I taped a 3/4" piece of the "Wood Texture" Decorative Series Paper (DSP) in the 6" x 6" pack.  I used the Ribbon punch to do the ends but you can clip them yourself.  I wished I would have made that strip a bit longer.  I set this aside while I worked on the flower and leaves.  I stamped the leaves using Pear Pizzazz ink for both the solid part and the leaf veins.  Then I used the punch and punched them out.  I didn't like how there was white card stock showing around the edges, so I took a sponge and sponged them until I thought it blended in.  

I stamped the flower using Pumpkin Pie ink on the larger image first.  Then I stamped Tangerine Tango on the smaller image. I did stamp the images twice so they were darker.  I am not fond of these two colors together, there isn't a lot of contrast like you get with some other colors.  Perhaps Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie would give more contrast.  Anyway, this is what I did.  The center of the flower is stamped using Soft Suede ink.  Once that was stamped I used the "Stitched Circles" framelits to cut it out.  I added Dimensionals to the back. I added an extra one where the leaves would be attached underneath.  Before I set the flower and leaves in place, I taped on two strips of the burlap ribbon.  After the flower was set in place I stamped the five little dots in 3 places.  Then I stamped the words using Soft Suede ink.  I added 3 of the "Gold Faceted Gems" and the card was done.

I thought it was a very fun card to make.  It's a great guy card too because of the burlap ribbon.

Thank you SO very much for visiting today,
Wanda

Saturday, November 04, 2017

Wild About Flowers, Sheltering Tree, Thank You Card

I have not played with the "Wild about Flowers" set in a long time.  I know it's because I have so many other new stamp sets to play with. This one is easy to work with and quick, if you don't do any fussy cutting like I did. But the fussy cutting added a lot to the card, so I just HAD to!!!

The base of my card is a folded half sheet of Berry Burst.  A color I don't use very often either. On top of that is a 4-1/8" x 5-3/8" piece of Always Artichoke. And on top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Whisper White card stock. I taped those layers together and set them aside.

Next I cut a 2" x 3-1/8" piece of the new Berry Burst Decorative Series Paper (DSP).  I layered it with a 2-1/8" x 3-1/4" piece of Always Artichoke.  I taped those layers together and then taped them on the card front.

Then I stamped the flowers on a piece of Whisper White card stock using Berry Burst ink.  I set them aside to dry. In the meantime I stamped the leaves and stem piece on Whisper White card stock and die cut them out using the circle framelits. I die cut an Always Artichoke scalloped circle for the layer.  Then I stamped the flowers directly onto that piece using Berry Burst ink.

I set the circle on top of the card to see where the wording should go.  The words are from the "Sheltering Tree" set and I used Always Artichoke ink.  Once that was stamped, I cut out three of the flowers and set them in place using Dimensionals.  I was going to add tiny pearls to the center before I took the photo but I forgot.  So, imagine the tiny pearls in the center of each flower!!  Thank you!!!
And that was it.  It really was a very easy card to make, and even with the fussy cutting.  

Stamping Tip:  Here's very helpful tip for you when you are fussy cutting.  You don't have to get exactly on the line when you are cutting.  Sometimes I have a bit of white showing.  What I will often do is take a sponge and sponge the edges with the main color and it looks like I cut the piece out perfectly!!!  Seriously, it looks perfectly cut!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Friday, November 03, 2017

Painted Harvest, Daisy Delight, 2017 Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog, Polaroid Technique

I've always wanted to try the Polaroid Technique. It's pretty easy to do once you know the dimensions of the Polaroid piece, and I will share that info with you so you can have some fun with this technique.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Tangerine Tango.  I stamped the leaf images on it using VersaMark. I set it aside to dry.

Next I cut a piece of Whisper White card stock 3" x 3-3/4".  I  used the 2-1/2" square die to cut out the upper part.  Make sure your edges, top and sides are even.

Then I stamped the image. Mine is from the "Painted Harvest "set. I used Cajun Craze and Pumpkin Pie for the sunflower colors. I used Chocolate Chip ink for the flower center.

The words are from the "Daisy Delight" set and I stamped them using Chocolate Chip ink.

I stamped the leaf using Pear Pizzazz ink for both the solid part and the veins.  I punched the leaves out and I set them aside.

To assemble the card, you put the frame and square on the card front and see how you like it to line up.  Make sure the top part of the Polaroid part will not hang over the edge of the card base.  Once you find where you'd like the stamped square to be, tape it down.  Then add Dimensionals to the back of the framed Polaroid piece and set that in place lining it up with the square. 

Next I taped the leaf in place and I called the card done. I thought I was going to add at least 3 leaf sets but one was just enough!

This is a very fun technique and I can see myself attempting it again.  Once you have the measurements for the Polaroid piece you can just have a great time making them!!!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Thursday, November 02, 2017

Flower Shop, Thank You Card, Emerging Color Technique

I have tried this "Emerging Color Technique before.  You can see how to do it here.  

For my card I used a folded half sheet of Whisper White card stock.  I added a 1-1/4" x 5-1/2" strip of "Whole Lot of Lovely" Decorative Series Paper (DSP).  I layered a 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" piece of Pear Pizzazz behind the DSP. I taped it in place on the card base.  You don't need to make sure it's centered, it's a forgiving card.  And a little off center looks better anyway.  The important part is to get the strip straight!

I used a piece of the flowered paper from the ""Whole Lot of Lovely" DSP.  I stamped the flower from the "Flower Shop" set using VersaMark.  I embossed clear embossing powder on top.  Then I used Dapper Denim ink and sponged on the ink over the image.  I used the Stitched Circle die to cut out the circle.  I added a Pool Party Scalloped circle to layer it.  I set the circles in place using Dimensionals and I added a "Clear Faceted Gem" to the center of the flower.

The words are from the "Background Bits" set and they were stamped using Dapper Denim ink.  And that was it.  It's a fun and simple card to make.  And the technique is very fun to play with too.  It works SO much better with a solid image.  

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

Autumn Harvest, Painted Autumn, Thank You Card, Stampin' Up! 2017 Holiday Catalog

I found this fun card on Split Coast Stampers.  I loved the colors used here.  My image panel is much larger than the original card, which is kind of sad because you can't see as much of the VersaMark background on the Cajun Craze card stock. But it's still a pretty card.  Had I moved the acorns a bit more under the sunflower, more around the 5:30 position I think it would have narrowed the panel a bit.  But like I said, I still think it's pretty.

It's easy enough to make.  The base of the card is a folded half-sheet of Very Vanilla card stock.  I added a 5-1/4" x 4" piece of Cajun Craze card stock that was stamped using the leaf veins images and VersaMark.  You can cut your Cajun Craze piece narrower, I just used this size because it was what was sitting around.  If I trimmed it, it would just be a waste of time and the strip of paper would go in recycling, so I just left it as it was and I had covered it with a piece of the "Painted Autumn" Decorative Series Paper (DSP).  I had a strip that was 1-1/2" wide and 6" long, so I trimmed it to be 5-1/4" long.  I taped the DSP in place over the card stock.  Then I added a 1/4" strip of Soft Sky to cover the seams.  My Very Vanilla image panel was cut 3-1/4" x 4" and the Early Espresso layer cut 3-1/2" x 4-1/4".  I should maybe have cut the Very Vanilla the size I thought it should be and tried to work in the images.  It's bugging me that it's not narrower, can you tell?  LOL

I stamped the more solid part of the flower Daffodil Delight and the detail part of the flower Peekaboo Peach.  The center of the flower is Early Espresso and it was stamped twice to make it darker.  

I never thought I would be using the acorn images in this set, I just didn't see where they would fit in.  Maybe that is what drew me to this card more than any of the others I had been looking at.  The acorns were stamped using Cajun Craze ink and the acorn caps were stamped using Soft Suede.  I did mask the acorns before I stamped the leaves. Plus I put down a piece of Post it Note to where the stems of the leaves are so it didn't cross over on top of the flower.  I used Pear Pizzazz to do the leaves and veins in the leaves.  I stamped the words using Early Espresso and I tied a double bow of Linen and used a small glue dot to affix it to the card front.  The image panel was set in place using Dimensionals.  And that was it.  I still like the looks of it in spite of it not being narrower!!!

Thank you ever SO much for visiting today,
Wanda