Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Truly Tailored, Masculine Card, 2018 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog


It's time to make some masculine cards.  I bought the "Truly Tailored" set because there never seems to be enough masculine set.  

I found this card on Pinterest.  I changed the size of the Decorative Series Paper (DSP) and the button. I didn't have any of the new wooden buttons, so I dug out some retired buttons and used what I had. 

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Tranquil Tide card stock.  On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Very Vanilla.  On the upper part of the Very Vanilla piece is a 2-1/2" x 3-3/4" piece of the new "True Gentleman" DSP.  I taped it in place and then I cut a 3-3/4" piece of the new Corduroy ribbon and I just taped it in place.

The words are from the "Truly Tailored" set and I stamped them using Tranquil Tide ink.

The bow was fun and easy to make. I used another piece of DSP from the "True Gentleman" pack and punched it out using the "Tailored Tag" punch. I cut it in half and then turned the ends to the center. I took a 1-1/4" piece of the Denim ribbon and ran tape along the back side. I set the bow tie pieces on the center of the ribbon and then folded the ends over. I set the bow on the card using Dimensionals.  And then I added the button using a glue dot and the card was complete.

This is a very quick and cute masculine card.  I think it would make a great Father's Day card too, using the "Guy Greetings" set.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Friendship's Sweetest Thoughts, 2018 Occasions Catalog

Today was a "let's color" day. I was in the mood to stamp something that I could just sit down and color.  The "Friendship's Sweetest Thoughts" set was perfect for that, plus I hadn't played with it yet.  I'm not sure why I bought this set.  I must have seen a finished card and it moved me to get the set.  So this is what I came up with.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Flirty Flamingo. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Whisper White card stock.  On top of that is a 3-1/8" x 3-7/8" piece of Flirty Flamingo. On top of that is a 2-7/8" x 3-5/8" piece of Basic Black card stock. And the focal piece is cut 2-3/4" x 3-1/2".

I colored in the image using markers and Blends.  I had a lot of fun with the coloring, it was just the right amount of coloring I needed!!  I taped the focal layer, the Basic Black layer and the Flirty Flamingo layers all together.  I added Dimensionals to the back.

I set the focal layers on top of the card front to see where the words needed to go. I stamped the words from the "Friendship's Sweetest Thoughts" set using black Memento ink.  I set the focal piece in place and added a Whisper White piece on the inside to write on and that was it.  The coloring went quickly, so all in all it was not a huge time consumer to make.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Monday, February 26, 2018

Whole Lot of Lovely, Rose Wonder, Birthday Card

A quick break from the Sale-a-Bration and 2018 Occasions Catalog.  I ran across this card and I had most of the stuff to copy it. I LOVED that Decorative Series Paper from the "Whole Lot of Lovely" pack.  You can see the original card here.  The only difference is the words. I didn't have the set that was used so I used the words from the "Rose Wonder" set.  They were a bit smaller. I suppose I could have die cut them larger but I hadn't thought that through!  But I still think the card looks pretty.  

To make this card I used a folded half-sheet of Basic Black card stock.  On top of that I added a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of the gold foil paper.  Before I taped that foil paper in place, I die cut the scalloped oval from the middle.  No one will know it's missing.  Next I cut the DSP 3-3/4" x 5" and taped it on top of the foil paper.  As I was trying to line it up, I touched the DSP to the foil and some of the tape stuck and it showed. I tried to use the eraser to get it off.  But what I found took it off nicely was my hand sanitizer.  I put a little on a piece of paper towel and it took it off almost immediately and it didn't scratch the foil at all.  

I cut a 3/4" x 5" strip of the foil paper and I cut a 1/2" x 5" strip of Basic Black. I taped the black strip to the foil strip.  Then I added the tiny gold sequin ribbon to the top of the black strip.  I used tacky glue to hold it in place.  I didn't think tape would be strong enough and in time it may shift too.  I glued one end and set a clear block on top to weight it down.  In the meantime I worked on the words.  I stamped them on Basic Black card stock and I used Versa Mark to "ink" them up. The words are from the "Rose Wonder" set.  I heat embossed them.  I checked my glued end and it was set enough, so I glued the other end and went back to the words.  I took the scalloped foil one and taped the words one to it.  I added Dimensionals to the top and bottom areas of the oval. I avoided the sided because of the sequins.  By now the glue was set up enough and I added tape to the back of that strip. I set the strip in place and then the words on top.  It's a pretty easy card to make, just lot of layers.  Though I am a very big fan of cards with lots of layers!!!

This was a very fun card to make and if I had more of that DSP and more sequin ribbon, I would make more cards!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Heartfelt Blooms, Thinking of You Card, 2018 Sale-a-Bration

If you are looking for a card to quickly make, look no further.  This card went together in under 10 minutes. Including cleanup time!  I know, I actually cleaned up!!! LOL

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock.  I also cut a 5-1/5" x 2-3/4" piece of Whisper White to stamp the image on.  

I cut a piece of Berry Burst card stock 5-1/2" x 3" for the layer.

I stamped the "Heartfelt Blooms" flower using Berry Burst ink. I stamped the words from the same set using black Memento ink.  I taped the layers together and the card was done.  See, I told you it was a very quick card to make!!

Click here to be directed to a link on my blog where you can see more quick cards.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Magical Day, Children's Birthday Card, Brusho, 2018 Occasions Catalog

For my card today I thought I would play with the Brusho and see what fun effects I can get with it. I did love how I created a fun background the other day using the Mermaid from the "Magical Day" set. I used colors to create an underwater look.  Today I just wanted to create a more sparkly magical look.  I used the same "Falling Snow" embossing folder and before I added the Brusho, I added some drops of "Wink of Stella" to the folder.  Then I sprinkled on the Prussian Blue, Moss Green and a little of the Yellow Brusho.  I sprayed it with a light mist of distilled water. Tap water works fine too, just remember to empty your bottle. Tap water contains "stuff" that if it sits for a few days it starts to stink.  I only use distilled water in my crafting.  Once I sprayed it I set my paper on and closed the folder. I used the thicker Whisper White card stock. I like the way it absorbs better. I think I might have gotten a richer color if I would have sprayed the card stock before I started inking up the folder!  But this is what I got and I do like how it turned out.  You can't see it here but the "Wink of Stella" sparkles all over the card. Some spots are light and others are heavy.  When I added my "Wink of Stella", I flicked the color on.  I squeezed my pen just a bit and when I saw a drop at the end of the brush, I tapped the pen on my finger over the folder and the "Wink of Stella" splattered on the folder.  That was fun too!!  Such a fun mess.  I don't have a mat to work on so I took a blank 12" x 12" photo album sleeve, I inserted a piece of white card stock and that was (is) my work surface.  It wipes clean easily and reusable!!  I also sprayed the piece with some Old Olive inker in a bottle with rubbing alcohol.  I didn't like how bright the white was showing through. Once I was done with my background piece I set it aside to dry.

Next I stamped the dragon and the fire.  I die cut both out.  I LOVE matching die cuts with stamp sets!  It makes card making SO much quicker. And it cuts them so much nicer than I can do.  I colored the dragon using the Blends markers.  I had colored the arms green but was able to lift the color with the color lifter Blender pen that I had from a few years ago.  Then I colored them in using the color I had on the body.  I cut the background piece 2-7/8" x 3-7/8" and the Basic Black layer 3" x 4".  The words are from the "Magical Day" set and I cut the Whisper White piece 3-1/2" x 1-3/4" and the Basic Black layer 3-5/8" x 1-7/8".  The base of the card is a folded half-sheet of Pacific Point.  I thought that color went well with the background. I was leaning towards the Dapper Denim color but with the dragon being so pink, I wanted something brighter and cheerier.  Before I taped the background piece down I sprayed it with hair spray to hold the color.  I had noticed that by handling it, there was color on my thumb.  

Next I lined up the words and taped them in place.  I added Dimensionals to the dragon and the fire and set them in place.  I added some rhinestones to the background.  Chick on the photo and you can see them better.  The light had to catch them before you see them.  More magic!!  And that was it.  It really wasn't that hard to make.  The background took the longest, mostly because I was experimenting and having fun playing around with the Brusho. What a fun art medium.  I want to try something with it, maybe tomorrow.  I have an idea and I'm hoping that what is in my head comes out well on paper.  And if it doesn't, lucky you, I will share it with you anyway!!! LOL

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Friday, February 23, 2018

We Must Celebrate, Birthday Card, Stampin' Up! 2018 Occasions Catalog

A few days ago I made a fun card with these little critters.  You can see that card here.  While I was making them, I had stamped the 4 critter image on a piece of Whisper White card stock and used it as my coloring guide.  As it turned out, I liked how well they colored in and I kept this piece. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it until today when I ran across it on my worktable. I just made a super simple and quick card with it.

I used a folded half-sheet of Early Espresso card stock for the base of my card.  I trimmed a scrap piece of the 6" x 6"  "Wood Texture" Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack.  My piece measures 4-1/2" x 2-3/4". The Basic Black layer behind it measures 4-5/8" x 2-7/8".  The critters were trimmed down to 2-1/8" x 4" and the Basic Black layer was cut 2-1/4" x 4-1/8".

I stamped the words and then trimmed them to 2-1/2" x 5/8" and the Basic Black layer was cut 2-5/8" x 3/4".

The critters and the words were set in place using Dimensionals.

This wasn't how the card was going to originally look.  The plan was to have the card turned and opening from the bottom.  The wood piece was going to be on the left with the critters on the right, lining up the wood with the top left corner and the critters with the bottom left corner and the words in there somewhere.  I set it aside because I was a bit frustrated on how it was looking.  As I set it aside, the wood piece turned and the critters were on top, almost like they are now and I just ran with it.  And that is how this layout came into being!

Thank you SO much for visiting,
Wanda

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Magical Day, Mermaid Birthday Card, Brusho, 2018 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog

Today I thought I would play with the new "Brusho" powdered paints. I thought I would get a little creative with them since my hands were so full of ink from playing with just the "Brusho" and water alone. There's several fun elements in this card.

First I took the "Falling Snow" embossing folder and I added some Moss Green and Yellow Brusho to the inside of the folder. I sprinkled it on the side that felt the smoothest.  You can see some pretty solid yellow.  I had added it in the empty spaces. It gives the background some dimension.  Once I added my Brusho, I misted it with distilled water. I only use distilled water in my containers. Tap water has other minerals and "stuff" in it that will cause the water to get stinky if you leave it sit too long.  Distilled water doesn't. It will remain unstinky in the bottles!!  Unstinky!! New word! LOL    When I started misting I held the spray bottle well over a foot away, I didn't want a burst of spray to move my powdered paint.  I sprayed about 4 sprays and then moved in closer.  

Once the folder was sprayed I set my card stock inside. Here I used the thick card stock. I thought it would absorb the colors better than the ultra smooth card stock. I did mist my paper first. I did that just before I misted the Brusho.  Once I got my paper inside I did sandwich it in the folder. I pressed with my hands to get the ink to absorb.  I didn't want a texture on my card stock, I just wanted the impression.  You can see a lot of it on the right side of the card. This folder has a lot of dots on one end and just falling dots going up.  That's why it's called "Falling Snow"!!!  I set that aside to dry while I worked on the rest of my card.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Old Olive.  I stamped the mermaid from the "Magical Day" set. I colored her using the new "Blends" markers.  I LOVE playing with those markers, they are super easy to work with and you don't see a lot of demarcation in your coloring when you go over a part you already did.  Much like you see using regular markers.  After I colored her in, I die cut her using the circle dies.  She was cut out using the 1-5/8" circle.  I also cut two rings using the 1-5/8" circle and the 2-1/8" circle together.  I cut one of Old Olive and one of the Dazzling Diamonds glitter paper.  I sprayed the glitter paper ring with a mixture of 8 drops of Old Olive inker and I filled up the bottle with rubbing alcohol.  These are the Stampin' Spritzer bottles.  I used my heat tool to help it dry quicker. It does dry pretty fast but I was anxious to finish my card.  I taped the Old Olive ring to the stamped mermaid circle using Scotch tape.  Then I taped those two pieces to the Brusho colored paper. I had cut that Brusho colored paper to 3-1/4" x 3-3/4".  I set the Dazzling Diamond ring in place using Dimensionals.  

I stamped a little seahorse and punched it out using the 3/4" circle punch.  I colored it in and then set it in place using a Dimensional.

I stamped the words on a piece of Whisper White that measured 3-3/4" x 1-3/4".  I sponged the edges using Old Olive ink.  I stamped the words using black Memento ink. I taped the words down on top of the Old Olive piece and then I wrapped a piece of white ribbon around the front and taped it to the back using Scotch tape.  I then taped those layers to the card base.  I added some "Glitter Enamel Dots" to the Brusho piece and that was it.

I thought this was a very fun card to make. I really do like playing with the Brusho!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Party Pandas, Children's Birthday Card, 2018 Sale-a-Bration, Polaroid Technique,

Today I took that second piece of bubble wrap stamped background piece and combined that technique with the "Polaroid" technique.  You can see the "Polaroid" technique here.  You can find the measurements for this technique at the link provided.

I used a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Real Red card stock.  And on top of that I trimmed the bubble wrap inked piece to 3-3/4" x 5".  

I took the center of the Polaroid cut piece and used Red, Orange and Yellow "Brusho" on it using an aqua painter.  

I stamped and fussy cut the bear, plus I stamped the balloon and fussy cut it out as well.

I colored the bear's hat using markers and I colored the balloon with the orange "Brusho".  I set the bear in place using Dimensionals. The balloon was just taped to the top edge of the frame. And the frame was set in place using Dimensionals.  To get the frame and the center die cut piece to line up I set them both on my card front.  Then I held the frame piece in place while I taped the back of the center die cut piece. I set the center piece in place and then removed the frame so I could add Dimensionals to it.  It's a pretty easy thing to do.

I thought it turned out pretty darn cute and very bright and colorful for a child.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Birthday Delivery, Birthday Memories, Birthday Card

I LOVE using this Birthday Memories" Decorative Series Paper (DSP).  It's got some fun papers in the pack.  I was not so fond of that yellow paper but once it was put with the red and the focal panel, well.... I think I now like it!! LOL  There's usually a design or two in a pack of DSP that I don't like but as I work with it I end up liking it.  Ever have that happen to you?

This was a fun card to make.  The cake was die cut from the "Birthday Memories" DSP.  I set it in place using Dimensionals.  The words are from the "Birthday Delivery" set, the two were a bundle you could purchase together at a discount.  I stamped them using black Memento ink.

Now for the measurements.  

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Basic Black card stock.  On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of the red and white cake DSP.  On top of that is a 2-1/2" x 4" piece of the yellow DSP. And it's layered on a 2-5/8" x 4-1/8" piece of Basic Black card stock. 

A black card stock ribbon was next. It's cut 3/4" wide by 6" long.  I punched the end of the ribbon using the Triple Ribbon punch. I set it on top of the card, marked it and then trimmed the left end.

Next came the focal panel.  It's a piece of Whisper White card stock cut 3" x 2-1/4".  And the Basic Black layer behind it is cut 3-1/8" x 2-3/8".  I stamped the words before I taped those two layers together. The focal layers were just taped down, no Dimensionals.  Then I added Dimensionals to the cake and set it in place on the focal panel.  And that was it.  This is my card for the swap tonight!!  I had 2 months to work on it and the week before I need it I finally finished it.  I did start it last month, I had good intentions!!!  Don't we all?  LOL

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Monday, February 19, 2018

Panda Party, Children's Birthday Card, Bubble Wrap Brusho Technique

So I found this fun card on Pinterest and it said something about "Brusho" background but it didn't tell how it was done.  It reminded me of the bubble wrap technique we did way back in 2012.  I have not done that technique since then either.  It's not difficult to do.  It required some bubble wrap and brayering ink on it.  But you really can't do that wish "Brusho".  SO I got out a piece of plastic that was from some 12" x 12" decorative paper and I sprinkled some red, then orange and then yellow "Brusho" on it and misted it with some distilled water. I always keep distilled water in my sprayer because tap water has some nasty stuff in it that can cause the water to stink after sitting for a while. 

I had my three colors about 2 inches apart and I used WAY more "Brusho" than I needed but it's okay, there's LOTS in those little pot containers. Instead of using my brayer, I just set the bubble wrap on top of the wetness and pressed it down so the colors would transfer to it.  Then I laid a piece of the thick Whisper White card stock on top.  It has a rougher feel and I thought it would absorb the color better than the ultra smooth card stock would.  I LOVE how bright and festive the colors turned out.  There was enough wet "Brusho" on the plastic to set the bubble wrap on it again and make another impression.  Then I took a piece of the thick card stock and set it right on the plastic to absorb the rest of the color.  I got 3 fun pieces of paper to play with now!!! 

I die cut the largest stitched oval and took some "Brusho" and an aqua painter and added some red, then some orange and then some yellow.  Normally you would start with the lighter color but I decided to do it this way and clean my brush after each color.  either way works.

I stamped my panda and colored the hat. I fussy cut him out and set him on the oval to see where to stamp the wording. I stamped the words from the "Panda Party" set and then I added the panda.  I taped down a piece of yellow ribbon and a strip of tiny gold sequins ribbon.  Then I added the oval using Dimensionals.  I trimmed my ribbon and sequins. I took the trimmed ends of the sequins and removed them from the threads that held them together.  I glued them in place on the oval to give it a more sparkly festive look.

Such a fun card to make and I love that background technique.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda




Sunday, February 18, 2018

Heartfelt Blooms, Black Ice Technique, 2018 Sale-a-Brations

Today I'm going to share with you a fun technique I found. It's called "Black Ice".  It's very easy to do too!

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Basic Black card stock. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Basic Gray card stock. On top of that is a 4-3/8" x 3-1/8" piece of Basic Black. Then a 4-1/4" x 3" piece of Whisper White was added to the top of that.  And the silver metal foil sheet was cut 2-13/16" x 3-7/16".  You can cut yours  2-1/4" x 3-1/2" if you don't want to mess with the 1/16" thing but your white won't be showing as much.

First I took my Basic Gray piece and I ran my Basic Black Archival ink pad over it from the top to the bottom, half a side at a time. Then I turned it around 180 degrees and repeated that.

For the foil sheet, I took the same ink pad and did the same thing on it as I did the gray card stock.  Next I stamped the flower from the "Heartfelt Blooms" using the same ink.  You do need to heat set the ink.

Once it's dry, take your VersaMark pad and gently drag it across the whole piece, like you did with the black ink pad.  But you really just want gravity to be the pressure on the ink pad. You don't want it totally covered with VersaMark.  Though it's not a bad thing if it is and I'll explain what you can do  a little further down. Turn it like you did for the black ink.  Then sprinkle clear embossing powder on the entire piece and heat set it. If you happen to cover the entire thing with VersaMark, just don't let it melt into a solid clear, let it melt but let it be blotchy.  It gives the illusion of slush on the "ice".  Anyway, that is what happened to mine. I had also cut my foil paper larger and when I dragged the color from top to bottom and bottom to top I had a nice black edge, like you see on the Basic Gray card stock.  But when I trimmed the card, I lost it and I forgot to add it back on before I worked with the VersaMark.  And of course I didn't have anymore foil paper left!!! Isn't that how it goes?
After taping my image to the Whisper White piece, I added some black glitter ribbon around the bottom part of the white piece and I taped the ends on the back using Scotch tape.

Everything is taped flat, no Dimensionals.

It's a fun technique and I can't wait to play with it again.  After I get some foil paper!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Saturday, February 17, 2018

We Must Celebrate, Children's Birthday Card, 2018 Occasions Catalog

When I saw these guys stacked up on a card in Pinterest, I knew I just had to copy it.  But while I was making it I realized that the card on the original was larger than what I wanted to make, so I ended up omitting several layers.  So if you do NOT look and compare the cards, you will never know. But if you do look, you will see how pretty those decorative papers are.  I had cut my animals and stacked them like in the original card but the size was not right. There was no way to shorten it any further without making it looked cramped.  I was thinking that maybe the original card is larger than a folded half-sheet of card stock.  You can see the original card here.  

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Always Artichoke. On top of that is a 3-1/2" x 5-1/8" piece of Crushed Curry.  And the focal piece is Whisper White and measures 3-3/8" x 5".

I stamped and cut out all the creatures. Two bears, two rabbits, one raccoon and one squirrel.  I used the watercolor colored pencils and a blender pen to color them in. I added Dimensionals to the back of each critter. I didn't expose the sticky part yet. I just set them in place to see where I needed to stamp the acorns, branches and that snail at the top and side.  That was the trickiest part of this card.  Once I stamped those images in and colored them I colored the floor with a blender pen and the Chocolate Chip marker.  I colored the snails and the acorns and then I added the critters. First the two bears and then the rabbits. The raccoon between the bears and the squirrel on top.  It's cute but not as adorable as the original card.  But if you don't compare you would never know!! LOL

I may add some words at the bottom, but I'm not sure yet. I kine of like it the way it is.  But it's ready for words should I need to add some!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Friday, February 16, 2018

Flower Shop, Friendship's Sweetest Thoughts, Black Magic Faux Chalk Stamping Technique

I had been playing with the "Black Magic" technique.  That is where you stamp your image using white ink.  Allow it to dry, then color over it with colored pencils.  All I did here was instead of colored pencils I used markers and I got a faux chalk look.  It's a very soft look.  And it's easy to do. I didn't stay on the lines, I just colored over the white but I did follow the lines.  I just didn't take care to stay perfectly on the line only.  Because of the black card stock you can't see the marker that went over the lines.  I thought it was a fun discovery!!!  So here's the 2 simple steps! You can heat set the white ink if you want to work on it quicker.

1. Stamp your image using white craft ink on black card stock and allow it to dry.
2. Color over the images with the Stampin' Write markers. 

Use as a background or as a focal point.

I used the "Flower Shop" set here for my background. I colored with Pacific Point, Real Red, Daffodil Delight (in the flower centers), Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie and Wisteria Wonder. The words are from the "Friendship's Sweetest Thoughts" set in the new 2018 Occasions catalog. I thought it was super fun and very easy.  Give it a try and tell me what you think of this easy peasy technique!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Heartfelt Blooms, Thinking of You Card, Glitter Panel Stamping Technique, 2018 Sale-a-Bration

Honestly, I did put this stamp set away!  I actually walked over to the shelf and took it off to make this card!!! I really do love playing with this stamp though!!

I found a fun technique that used this stamp. It's called "Glitter Panels" and they are easy to do.  A bit messy, but easy.  

I took a 3-3/8" x 3-3/4" piece of Whisper White card stock and stamped my image.  Here I used Calypso Coral ink.  The orientation of my card stock was so the 3-3/8" edge was on the top.  Then I covered the piece with VersaMark and then using a mixture of clear embossing powder and Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  Mix them in equal parts.  I used about a half a teaspoon of each and I did have some left.  You can adjust accordingly.

Once the piece was heat set you can add more where you see it needs it.  My problem areas were near the edges.  I also stamped the words and glittered them up too.  I die cut those using the oval die and the oval scallop. I die cut the oval scallop from the Calypso Coral piece that was used as a layer on the card front.

Next I cut the stamped and glittered flower in 1-1/8" strips.  I taped those strips to the upper part of a 3-3/4" x 5" piece of Basic Black card stock.  Under that piece is the Calypso Coral piece.  And before those layers were taped the the Whisper White piece, I tied a ribbon around it and made a bow. I used Dimensionals to attach the oval words.

The base of the card is a folded sheet of Whisper White card stock that was cut 4-1/4" x 11".  This card opens at the bottom.

See, I told you it was a very easy technique to do but messy!!!  Especially if you need to add more of the mixture.  The VersaMark pad gets REALLY messy. I had to use packing tape to remove the sparkle from my pad.  And then I proceeded to do the wording and add more glitter to my pad!! UGH!!!  But I use the tape again and got it all off my pad.  

Isn't it pretty?  All sparkly!!  There are well over 100 techniques on my blog. Be sure to check some of them out.  You may find one you love.  Click here to be taken directly to the technique. 

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Heartfelt Blooms, Thinking of You Card, 2018 Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Brations

This is NOT what was in my head when I thought about making this card.  It looked SO much better there!!! LOL  But this is what I ended up with and lucky you, you get to see it!!!  

I thought I would play with the "Heartfelt Blooms" set since it's retiring in about 6 weeks.  I think it's my favorite because it's the easiest stamp set to work with and it creates such pretty cards.  Not so much here but there's LOTS of other samples on my blog and on the internet.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Calypso Coral.  On the front I stamped the flower image using Calypso Coral ink. I stamped it about 5 times, making sure I got the edges. Then I taped down a 5-1/4" x 2-1/4" piece of Whisper White.  I had tied a piece of the Calypso Coral Glitter Ribbon around it first.  I should have stamped the words first but I forgot. So, save yourself some time and effort and stamp the words, tie the ribbon and then tape the panel in place.  Makes so much more sense to me now!!! LOL  

I stamped the image using a piece of Whisper White card stock and Calypso Coral ink.  I die cut it with the Stitched Circle die.  Then I used the largest scalloped circle die and cut one of Calypso Coral card stock.  I taped those two pieces together.  I added a doily and then I taped the flower layer on top. It's pretty simple but not as pretty as I was hoping it would be.  But like I said, this is what I got and I had to share it with you!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Amazing Congratulations, Graduation Card, 2018 Occasions Catalog

Here's a quick and fun graduation card to make. Or a congratulations for any other event.  I needed it for a graduation, so I'm calling it a graduation card!!!

I used a folded half-sheet of Dapper Denim card stock for the base.  On top of that is a 2-5/8" x 5-1/2" piece of Pool Party. On top of that is a 2-3/8" x 5-1/2" piece of Marina Mist card stock and the focal piece measures 5-1/2" x 2-1/8".

I used the "Amazing Congratulations" set.  This was very fun to use. First I stamped the outline of the words using black Memento ink.  Then I stamped the strip that stated with a "c" using Marina Mist ink.  And then I stamped the strip that started with an "o" using Pool Party ink. It's hard to explain the stamps, they are not whole words as you can tell by the colors inside the wording.  But once you use both, the inside of the word is colored in.  Pretty cool, huh?

I added some "Glittered Enamel Dots" to the front of the image panel.  I also stamped some Dapper Denim dots and stars on the card base before I taped the strip in place.  I used both the dots and asterisk (not a star) at the same time on my stamping block. I just alternated their orientation as I stamped so it didn't look patterned.  I only stamped one row across the top and one across the bottom because the panel hid the rest of the card front.  Super easy!!  I thought it was a quick and fun card to make.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Monday, February 12, 2018

Waterfront, Guy Greetings, Father's Day Card, 2018 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog

I keep gravitating back to this "Waterfront" stamp set that is in the new 2018 Occasions catalog. I remember last year there was a really fun set that was in the Occasions catalog and because it was SO popular I thought it would end up in the yearly catalog, but no it was not in there. So I have that same feeling about this set. I am going to be making several more cards using this fun set.  I think it's my favorite.  Though I say that about a lot of the sets I use!!! LOL  I am going to play with the Sale-a-Brations sets a bit more because those do retire at the end of March and will never be in the catalog.

So for my card today, I found it on Pinterest.  I changed it slightly. I added words at the bottom and I didn't have the stitched ovals as large as the ones that were used there. Both ovals were stitched ovals.  The one I used was the largest stitched oval and it still wasn't as large as in the original card.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper Whit card stock.  I scored it from the fold at 1/2" intervals for a total of 4 scores.  But only 3 show so if I ever do it again I will only make 2 scores.

I cut a 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" piece of Marina Mist card stock and stamped Marina Mist ink on it using the trees image.  I taped that to the front of the card.

Next I took a piece of Whisper White card stock and stamped the mountain using Smoky Slate. Under the mountain I stamped the long strip stamp using Pear Pizzazz.  Then I added the water image using Soft Sky.  The trees were added, but I did tape off the trunks.  I also used the Early Espresso marker after I stamped the trees in Garden Green ink.  Then I stamped the sun using So Saffron ink.

The words are from the "Guy Greetings" set and I used Night of Navy to stamp them. 

I used the largest stitched oval die and cut out the images.  Then I used the largest regular oval die and cut one using Soft Sky card stock. I taped those two layers together as you see in the photo.  Then I set those ovals in place using Dimensionals.  I did stamp the words after I added the ovals.  Something I don't usually do but the words were an afterthought.  I do like how the card turned out.

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Sure Do Love You, Valentine's Day Card, January 2018 Paper Pumpkin Alternative Card

I thought I should make a Valentine's Day card since Valentine's Day is coming up.  This was a fun and quick card to make.  I used the new "Sure Do Love You" set to make this card.  

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock.  On top of that is a piece of the "Color Theory" Designer Series Paper (DSP) stack.  I like these stacks because there's so many fun 6" x 6" papers in them.  And just like the 12" x 12" paper pack, I never seem to use them all up!  I cut that piece 4" x 5-1/4" and I taped it to the front of my card.

Next I took a 3-1/4" x 2-1/8" piece of Whisper White and I stamped the heart from the "Sure Do Love You" set using Melon Mambo ink.  

The words are from the same set and I stamped them using black Memento ink.

I cut a 3-1/2" x 2-3/8" piece of Melon Mambo card stock for the layer.  

The black piece with the metallic pink hearts is from the January "Paper Pumpkin" kit.  It was a pocket but I cut it to 3-1/2" x 2-3/8".  I taped it to the bottom left corner.  I set the layered word piece down using Dimenisonals.  And that was it.  A very quick and easy Valentine's Day card.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Perennial Birthday, 2018 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog, Birthday Card

Another super easy card to make.  It's all in the papers!!! 

 The base of this card is a folded half-sheet of Calypso Coral.  On top of that is a piece of Decorative Series Paper (DSP) from the "Delightful Daisy" 12" x 12" pack. I cut that piece 4" x 5-1/4".  The next layer is from the "Whole Lot of Lovely" DSP. I cut that piece 1-1/2" x 4".  The layer behind it is a 1-3/4" x 4-1/4" piece of Calypso Coral.  The words are from the "Perennial Birthday" set. I stamped them on a 1-7/8" x 3" piece of Whisper White card stock.  The layer behind it is cut 2-1/8" x 3-1/4".  I stamped the words using black Memento ink and the center flower thing was stamped using Calypso Coral ink.

The center word panel was set in place using Dimensionals.

It's a very quick and easy card to make. I really like how the background looks on this card.  That Olive Green has such a rich look.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Friday, February 09, 2018

Happy Wishes, Birthday Card, 2018 Sale-a-Bration, Petal Gardens

I love word stamps that take up a lot of space, it makes making a card SO much easier and quicker.  Except this one I did have to color in the flowers.  Well, I didn't "have"  to color them in but they were too blah looking if I hadn't.  I only used three markers to color them, so it wasn't too bad at all.

The base of this card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock.  On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of paper from the "Petal Garden" Decorative Series Paper (DSP) pack.

The image from the "Happy Wishes" set was stamped on a 3-7/8" x 2-3/8" piece of Whisper White card stock using black Memento ink.  The "birthday" is also from the "Happy Wishes" set. I stamped it below the "happy".  

Next I colored in the flowers and leaves using Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, and Pink Pirouette markers.  I was going to use Calypso Coral but I thought it was a bit too dark for the small flowers.

I layered the word piece using a 4-1/8" x 2-5/8" piece of Calypso Coral card stock.  I wrapped a piece of ribbon around the corner and taped it on the back. Then I tied a bow with that same ribbon and set it in place using a glue dot.

I set the word panel in place using Dimensionals and the card was done!

Not only do large words stamps aid in making a quick card but also busy backgrounds.  See how this large word panel toned down the DSP?  

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda


Thursday, February 08, 2018

Perennial Birthday, Birthday Card, 2018 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog, Andy Warhol Technique

I have not done this Andy Warhol technique in a long time.  It's fun and easy to do. It kind of reminds me of the silk screening I did in high school.  This is an easy technique to do, it's repetitive.  Not a whole lot to it.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock.  

The Basic Black layer is cut 5-1/4" x 3-1/2".  The squares were die cut using the "Stitched" framelits.  It's the second smallest square if you have these. If you do not have these, cut your squares 1-5/8" x 1-5/8".  I stamped the flower image from the "Perennial Birthday" set from the new 2018 Occasions Catalog.  I used black Memento ink to stamp them.

The trick to this is to get each of the images in the exact same place.  There's several things you can do to accomplish this. One is to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig.  Two is to stamp the image and then use a paper punch to punch it out. And a third option is a MISTI (Most Incredible Stamping Tool Invented) or the new one that Stampin' Up! is coming out with soon, the "Stamperatus".  I'm not sure I spelled that correctly.  

The colors I used are Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Old Olive, Peekaboo Peach, Wisteria Wonder.  After stamping them I set them in place on the Basic Black piece.  I taped the Basic Black piece in place on top of the card base. 

The words are from the "Perennial Birthday" as well. I stamped them using black Memento ink.  And that was it.  It's really not that hard to get the images all the same.  That's the whole key to this technique!  Simple enough, huh?

If you are going to teach this in a technique class, you may want to die cut the colors ahead of time, depending on how many are in your class.  The lines at the Big Shot can tend to be long.  The students can then stamp their images using the Stamperatus (when it becomes available).  Or they can stamp and then die cut.  Either way you do this, there will be lines for either the Stamperatus or the Big Shot.  If you have access to more than one of the stitched frame squares and a Big Shot you can get more people die cutting at the same time.  Once the stamping and cutting commotion is done the rest is a matter of sitting in their space and taping.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Wednesday, February 07, 2018

Epic Celebrations, Party Panda's Teen Birthday Card, 2018 Sale-a-Brations

What a fun teen birthday card.  To me it looks like a masculine teen card.  Something that I rarely see in handmade cards.  

I found this card on Pinterest.  I believe the original card was done in German but you can use whatever wording  you want.  I was mostly attracted to the colors used.  You can see that original card here.  I tried to go directly to the source but I wasn't able to.

I made this card by using a folded half-sheet of Pacific Point card stock.  On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Whisper White.  I had stamped the shoes and colored them using Pear Pizzazz ink and Pacific Point using a blender pen.  I added a little bit of Smoky Slate to the right side and between the shoes to give it some depth.  Another way to give it some depth is to fussy cut the shoes out.  Doesn't sound fun to me!!! LOL  After I stamped the shoes I punched them out using the new "Starburst" punch.  Remember when we use to use a different punch (many years ago) and we'd turn the punched piece and punch it again to get a starburst look?  Now we can achieve it with just one punch!  I punched a 2-1/2" circle using Pacific Point card stock.  I taped the two pieces together and set them aside.  

On the Whisper White piece, I stamped the dots that came with the "Epic Celebrations" set. I stamped the Pear Pizzazz dots first and then the Pacific Point ones. But I did stamp off using the Pacific Point ink.  Once those were stamped I set the circles on top of the card to see where to stamp the words.  The words are from the "Party Panda" set. I used black Memento ink to stamp them.  Then I set the circle layers in place using Dimensionals and the card was done.  I think the longest part of this card was the coloring and that really didn't take that long.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Tuesday, February 06, 2018

Party Panda, Children's Birthday Card, 2018 Sale-a-Bration

I found a fun card using the "Party Panda" set and I thought I would see what papers I could gather to make a fun festive children's birthday card.  You can see the original here. This is what I came up with. 

I didn't have the same background paper or the same Washi tape.  My background paper is from the 12" x 12" "Birthday Memories" Decorative Series Paper (DSP) pack.

This is a very fun and simple card to make.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White. Then I added a 4" x 5-184" piece of Pumpkin Pie card stock on top of that.  Then the DSP was cut 3-7/8" x 5-1/8" and was taped on top of the Pumpkin Pie card stock.

The focal strip was cut 2-1/2" x 5-1/8".  I stamped the bear and left room for some Washi tape. Then I stamped the words from the "Party Panda" set using Pacific Point ink.  I set this panel in place using Dimensionals.

The balloon was from the "Birthday Memories" DSP. I just fussy cut one out and set it in place using Dimensionals.

And that was it. I told you it was fun and simple!! Oh and pretty quick too!

Thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Monday, February 05, 2018

Heartfelt Blossoms, Thinking Of You Card, 2018 Sale-a-Brations, One Sheet Wonder Technique

I have not made a "One Sheet Wonder" (OSW) card in a long time.  When you use a full sheet of card stock you are not only making one card but you are making four!! I stamped my images and then cut my card stock in to four pieces.  I found the technique using the "Heartfelt Blooms" image here.  

I started out stamping the image in the center of the card stock using Powder Pink ink.  Then I stamped the Calypso Coral ink.  Looking at the card stock and having the Powder Pink image being the center, view the card stock as a clock when placing the following colors.  The Calypso Coral was stamped at the 5, 9, and 1 o'clock position.  And the Melon Mambo was stamped at the 11,2, and 7 o'clock position.  Then fill in the open areas with a color that is not the same as the one you are stamping next to.  It's easy and you really can't make any mistakes.  I put the "wrong" color in one spot and it looked just fine.  Fill in and you are done!  Cut the card stock into pieces and make some fun cards.  Here I cut mine at 3-3/4" x 5".  I cut the Calypso Coral card stock layer at 4" x 5-1/4" and I used a folded half sheet of Whisper White for the card base.

After I taped the OSW piece to the Calypso Coral piece, I added a 1-1/4" x 5-1/4" strip of Melon Mambo card stock at an angle.  I let the ends hang over and cut them off by hand once I taped them in place.  Then I tied some of the new pink "Love" mini tinsel trim to that strip and around the card.  

The words are from the "Heartfelt Blossoms" set and were stamped using Melon Mambo ink.  I punched them out using the "Tailored Tag" punch. I also punched out a Powder Pink piece and cut it in half the long way. I taped each half to the back of the word piece. I set that piece in place using Dimensionals and that was it.  I had 4 quick cards!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Sunday, February 04, 2018

Waterfront, Friendship Card, Raised Frame Technique, Stampin' Up! 2018 Occasions Catalog

I found this fun technique on Pinterest.  I thought I would give it a try.

First you stamp your image, be it scenery or flowers, etc.  I used the "Waterfront" set to pretty much copy the image that I found on Pinterest.  Then I took two oval Framelits and die cut them both at the same time.  I should have used the next smaller one to make a wider frame but it's still pretty this way too.

To attach the card front to my Night of Navy card base, I taped the large background piece.  Then I set the oval ring down and then I taped the oval circle.  I did NOT tape the oval ring. Once I had the other two pieces perfectly placed, I removed the ring and added Dimensionals to the back of it and set the ring in place.  Yup, as simple as that. I want to try this with the square Framelits next!!

Give it a try, it's a great way to give some dimension to a card.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Saturday, February 03, 2018

Heartfelt Blooms, Get Well Card, 2018 Sale-a-Brations

I just had to take out the "Heartfelt Blooms" set.  I was in need of a get well card.  I'm sure there are many in my stash, but I have this odd quirk that I need to make a fresh card.  Like cards spoil, right?  LOL  Perhaps it just gives me yet another reason to play in my workroom!!!!?

This is a very simple and easy card to make. It even has layers!!

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock.  On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Melon Mambo.  The focal piece is Whisper White cut 2-3/4" x 4" and the Basic Gray layer is cut 2-7/8" x 4-1/8".  

First I stamped the flower image on the Melon Mambo piece of card stock.  I stamped it several times using Melon Mambo ink.  I taped it to the card base. Then I stamped the flower image on the Whisper White piece, catching about half of the entire image.  The words are from the retired set "Sincere Salutations".  It's one of my favorite go to sets.  It's got something for every occasion, that is why I hung onto the set.  I needed a get well card and I couldn't find any images I liked in the current sets.  Though I think I'm kind of bias so I gravitate to this set a lot.  I stamped those words using Basic Gray ink.  I taped the piece to the Basic Gray piece.  I added the three "Glitter Enamel Dots" to the card and then added Dimensionals to the back.  I set the panel on at an angle and the card was done!  Super simple, quick and pretty too!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Friday, February 02, 2018

Waterfront, Guy Greetings, Birthday Card for Dad, 2018 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog

I REALLY love playing with this new "Waterfront" stamp set that is in the 2018 Occasions catalog.  There's SO much you can do with this set. Today I decided to make a dad birthday card.

The base of my card is a folded half-sheet of Early Espresso card stock. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of the "True Gentleman" Designer Series Paper (DSP) and on top of that is the Whisper White focal piece that was cut 3-3/4" x 5". 

I stamped the mountains first. I used Crumb Cake and stamped off once.  Then I added the trees. I wanted to make sure they were showing a bit above the mountain. I used Garden Green ink to stamp them. I wish I would have used  a marker and colored over the trunks so they weren't green, but this is what I did!

Next I used Pool Party ink and stamped in the water. And then I took Old Olive ink and the long strip image and stamped on the ground.  

I made a mask for the mountains and stamped the sun using Daffodil Delight.

The words are from the "Guy Greetings" set and I used Early Espresso to stamp them.

It's a pretty simple card to make. I think I'd like to try another one sometime soon.  Keep an eye out for it, it will be the same image layout but a different look!!  Now are you curious?  LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Thursday, February 01, 2018

Heartfelt Blooms, Dragonfly Dreams Framelits, 2018 Sale-a-Bration, Birthday Card

I just can't seem to put this "Heartfelt Blooms" set down. There's SO many fun samples out there to copy or get inspiration.  I found one on Pinterest that used the Emerald Envy colors.You can see that card here.  I didn't use the ribbon, mostly because I didn't have any. So I changed the words and how they were displayed. I used the oval and scalloped oval dies for them. 

The base of my card is s folded half-sheet of Whisper White card stock. On top of that is a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Emerald Envy. I did die cut the dragonfly from it before I taped it in place.  The Whisper White piece was cut 3-3/4" x 5".  I stamped the flowers image using Emerald Envy ink.  I stamped in all four corners and I turned the image before I stamped it on the card stock.

I set the dragonfly and the words in place using Dimensionals.  I added some Wink of Stella to the dragonfly, I thought it could use some sparkle. And that was it.  This image makes super quick cards.  

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda