A Bloomin' Love Birthday and Valentine's Day Cards

Today I'm going to share with you 3 cards that I made at Terri's Stamp a Stack last night.  I had a great time with a couple of friends!  It's fun to stamp but more fun when friends are involved.

This was a fun and quick card to make.  We use the "Bloomin' Love" set for the words.  Rose Red and Blushing Bride cardstock was used. I don't use my Blushing Bride cardstock very often and I don't know why, it is very pretty!  

The strips of decorative paper are from the "Love Blooms" pack.  I am not sure if I have that paper or not.  I hope so, I think it would make some pretty Mother's Day cards!  

We used the Scallop Tag topper punch and the Itty Bitty Accent punch.  I LOVE that little flower punch.  And look in the center of the flower, there's a teeny tiny pearl.  It's so cute!!!  The Washi Label punch was used to make the bottom glittered Blushing Bride Glimmer paper strip. 

And then it was just all taped together to create these adorable cards!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

What I Love Birthday Card

Today's card was made using the free Sale a Brations set "What I Love."  It's such a pretty stamp set.  I wished it had a stem image but I can work with it without one.

I also used the new Botanical vellum paper.  As you can see by my tape marks, I need to find another way to secure it!

For this card I used Rose Red for the base, the decorative paper and the ink.  I also used Mossy Meadow for the layers and the leaves.

It's a fun card to make and a fun set to play with.  I love the triple stamping.  Once light color for the base of the flower, a darker one for the highlights and an even darker one for the petal details.  It's easy to make it look beautiful!!  I set the flower image in place using Dimensionals.  The other layers were just taped in place.  And I think that's about it!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Guy Greeting Masculine Card and Finger Pressed Technique

Today I thought I would try out the "Finger Pressed" Technique.  I have not used the brick wall embossing folder much, so I thought I would get it out and give it a try on that one.  Plus it has lots of flat and wider spaces to press!

I used Tip Top Taupe for my ink and the background cardstock layer.  I stamped the car from the "Guy Greetings" set using Soft Suede.  The layers are also Soft Suede.  And the base of the card is a folded half sheet of Whisper White cardstock. I set the car in place using Dimensionals.  For a finishing touch, I tied a little linen thread to the top of the card.  Something I don't normally do but today I thought I would!!

This is a fun technique and SO easy too.  All you do is take your brayer and ink up the smooth side of the embossing folder. Then you mist it 2 or 3 times. Add your cardstock and close the embossing folder.  Use your fingers to press the ink onto the paper.  You don't want the texture, just the ink.  See, I told you it was easy!

Have fun with it!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Crazy about You Peek-a-boo Technique Card

Today I played with the "Peek-a-boo Technique.  This is one of the techniques that Terri taught last month.  It's a super easy and quick technique. All you do is cut your decorative paper as a layer (4" x 5-1/4").  We gently folded one of the long sides and gave it a little pinch to find center.  Then you take your paper snips and cut a slit the length of the scissors blade.  For mine, I took my ruler and stylus and scored a line from the bottom corner to the end of the slit.  I repeated it for the other side and then I was able to fold the score lines and get a nice crisp line.  I glued the points down.  If you are using this type of decorative paper, make sure the words are not upside down on the inside.  

Once the glue set (10 seconds later) I decorated the front.  I used the flower from "Crazy about You".  I stamped it in Melon Mambo and I rolled the edges in Cherry Cobbler.  I set it in place using Dimensionals.  Then I punched out some leaves from the build a bird punch.  I took a yellow Sharpie and colored on a pearl and added it to the center of the flower.  

The words are from the "Wetlands" set.  They fit in that opening nicely.  You can create larger openings by making that cut longer.  I have not tried that yet but I have been thinking about it!

This is quick and easy to do! Oh and not to mention a pretty effect!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A By the Tide Masculine Birthday Card and Bubble Technique

Here's a quick and fun little technique.  You just run your acetate through the Big Shot using an embossing folder.  I used the "Decorative Dots" folder to give the illusion of water bubbles.  It's a little hard to see in the photo but they're there.  Click on the photo for a closer look.

I just cut the circle the same size as the Whisper White piece that was stamped with the ferny looking image.  I stamped the fish and fussy cut it out.  I taped it in place.  Then I glued on the acetate.  It was easier to glue it than it was to try to tape it.  Then I cut the ring by using two sizes of the circle dies.  I ran then through the Big Shot at the same time.  I did have the magnetic platform but I also used a post it note to hold them in place.  

I colored some pearls with a black Sharpie marker.

The words are from the "Guy Greetings" set.  I used Soft Sky, Crumb Cake and Wild Wasabi for my ink and paper colors.  

It was a fun card to make. It reminded me of the gel card technique without the mess!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Happy Happenings Butterfly Die Weaving Technique Card

Today I thought I would try something that would cause me to use some scrap paper.  I have seen the weaving technique and thought it would be a perfect thing to use up some scraps.  The only bad thing about it is, it doesn't use up much.  Well, not unless you are making a bunch of cards for a swap or to sell!  

I like the technique.  It's easy enough to do and it's actually pretty quick to do too.  

For my card I used a scrap piece from the "Pretty Petals" paper stack.  I love those stacks but I can never seem to use them up.  I don't mind having scraps left but it never ends up like that.  I usually end up with 3/4 of the pack left.  I have so much paper that I tend to forget the stacks or I most often find ones I like and stick with them!  I''m not one for moving on, am I?  LOL 

Anyway, today I was looking at that stack and some scraps fell out.  So that is how I ended up doing the weaving.

For my card I cut my strips 3/8" x 3".  The scraps were 6" long so all I had to do was cut the strips and then cut them in half all at once.  It was pretty quick to make them.  Then I just started at the center and added and wove a strip as I went.  I offset the edges so I didn't have to concern myself with lining up them up perfectly!  I did tape all over the back, both up and down and sideways.  I think gluing would have been quicker and a bit easier.  When I got to the ends the tape pulled out the weave a little and I had to try to get it back in.  Just a tip if you don't want to struggle with lining things back up.  Once I set it in place, I stamped the words from the "A Happy Happenings" set and then I added the butterfly using Dimensionals.  I stuck on a few pearls down the center of the butterfly and it was done!

Very easy to do and it didn't take a lot of time either!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Sheltering Tree Magic Card Technique

Today I wanted to try a larger Magic card.  I still need a little practice on how to get all of the details within the window and also all of it showing at the bottom once it's pulled out.  

I love using the "Sheltering Tree" set and it was fun to play with the Pirouette Pink ink, giving it that spring look!  As I look out the window at our snow cover!  No grass showing anymore!  Winter is here and the cold weather is on it's way!  I'm hunkering down and hopefully will be able to be in my workroom to play with stamps!!!  That's the plan anyway!

There's lots of different ways to make Magic cards.  I made one a couple of days ago.  You can check it out here.  

They are pretty easy to make.  A little tricky when it comes to making sure the image is lined up with the image on the acetate.  If they are not lined up then the "Magic" is ruined!  So what I did on this one was, I lined them up perfectly.  Then I used Scotch tape and taped the pieces together in the middle (on the top)  The punched circle hid the tape.  DUH, why didn't I think of that when I made the one the other day?  As long as you can hide the tape, it doesn't matter.  Plus it holds the pieces together better.  I did trim a little of the acetate on the top and one side. You can't tell. Like I said, I just need practice getting the images moved up or down more so they are more visible!  But not today.  

I don't mind making these, but they do take a little while to do.  I don't like using the Stamp a ma jig.  I don't know why, it's a very helpful and useful tool, but I just don't like using it.

This card could use a little more finesse on the front. Some words or flowers punched out perhaps.  It does need something!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Wetlands and Flower Shop Box Pleat Technique Birthday Card

I saw this "Box Pleat" technique a few years ago and I think I may have made a card using it or something like it.  I thought I would give it a try today and see what I could come up with.  I'm not thrilled with the way the card turned out.  I think it's mostly the colors.  I would have liked to layer the Melon Mambo on top of a Whisper White card base but then the pleats wouldn't have worked out.  But at least I got to play with the technique and that was the whole point of making this card.  I found the instructions at "Seeing Ink Spots".  It's easy to do but make sure you follow the folding instructions or you will have a mess!!  And no, I didn't have a mess, I just repeated the first two folds and got a different kind of pleat!  But it was easy enough to fix.  

When I attached my pleat to the card, I taped the back with some Scotch tape.  I didn't want to have to hold the piece down and wait for the glue to dry.  I had visions of it popping up and then I'd press down on that part and another part would pop up. See where I'm going here with that?  LOL  So to avoid any nightmares, I just taped it. No one will see it anyway!

I used the "Flower Shop" set for the flower.  The center of the flower was done stamping the same flower using Daffodil Delight and punching the center with a 3/4" circle punch.  I set it in place using a Dimensional. 

This was a fun card to make and I can see my self trying this technique again but giving it a whole different look!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda  

A Papillon Potpourri Magic Card Technique

I have not made a magic card in over 10 years.  I actually forgot how to get it assembled. Fortunately for You Tube I was able to find a tutorial that was easy enough to follow (easy enough for me to follow!!!).  You can see that tutorial here.

I didn't put a lot of effort into this technique, I was just testing it out.  I saw some new and fun stamps coming up in the 2016 Occasions catalog and I think I would like to give it a try using one of them.  This was more for practice!

It was fun.  It took a little bit of time to do, but it worked!!  I think that I could have gone a step further and added some words in the empty circle in the bottom photo.  Something like "I wish you a" or something like that.  It looks like it needs something.  But the funny thing is, when I finished the card and pulled the ribbon and saw the butterfly in color, it was magic!  And I did not notice that open spot until I saw it here on the post!!!  LOL  Maybe the magic of it keeps your eyes away from it!!  But upon thinking of that notion more, if I were to stamp something there it would show up behind the flower and there would be no magic!!  It needs to be open and empty!

Anyway, it was fun and I look forward to trying it out with a different image.  Something with flowers would be pretty!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Flower Patch Birthday

Today I got out my "Flower Patch" stamp set and the matching dies.  I thought I should play with it because it's another set I believe may be retiring.  I saw the new flower and die set in the 2016 Occasions catalog and I think it's going to replace this set. The new set creates much nicer 3-D flowers!  I can't wait to play with that set!  But for the time being, I played with what I had.

I used Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Old Olive and Mossy Meadow inks.

The base of the card is Whisper White.  Then I added a layer of Tangerine Tango card stock (cut 4" x 5-1/4") and then a piece of the new "Perfectly Artistic" decorative paper (cut 3-3/4" x 5").  

I used the "Flower Patch" set, including the words, which is something I don't often do!!!

I taped one of the leaves to the back of the large flower and then I taped the large flower in place.  I added the second flower using a Dimensional.  I needed some space there so I could slip the word panel between the two flowers.  Then I added the top flower and a half pearl to the center.  Before I taped the word panel in place I added the two leaves.  And that was it.  Pretty simple.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Papillon Potpourri and Wetlands Birthday Card

Today I thought I would play with the "Papillon Potpourri" set.  I have a feeling it is going to be retiring.  I love these butterflies and I do hope it doesn't retire.  I have a lot of sets that are not so new but still current.  I look at them and what is newer and the newestset stuff that is in the current Occasions catalog and I'm thinking that I'd better play with these while they are still current. Then it won't be so sad to say goodbye to them when they retire.

I wasn't sure what I was going to make.  I stamped the butterfly and then I started to not feel so well, so I thought I would just make a super quick card so I could go lay down.  

The words are from the "Wetlands" set.  I love using that one.  It fits perfectly with the oval punch and oval scallop.  

The dotted layer, the words and the butterfly square along with the butterfly are all set in place using Dimensionals.

This is a super easy card to make.  It's not so pretty but in a pinch it will do.  I'm going to go lay down now.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A Summer Silhouettes and Wetlands Birthday Card

I was not feeling very creative today.  I went out to lunch with my sister for my birthday.  The place ate at didn't have caffeine free diet pop, so I end up with just diet pop and then I'm hyper the rest of the night. Oh and awake too.  You'd think I would be more productive being a bit hyper but it's not that busy kind of hyper.  

I struggled with what to make today so I pulled a stamp set from the shelf and it happened to be the "Summer Silhouettes" set.  And after looking at it for a few minutes, nothing came to mind! SO, I Googled the set and clicked on images and looked around.  I found this card.  I pretty much copied it the way that Julie at Paper into Love did it.  She has a video on how to make this card.  It's about 5 minutes and is nicely detailed. You can view that video here. It is an older post and the blue on the right was suppose to be Coastal Cabana but it's retired, so I used Tempting Turquoise.  Soft Sky may have been a better choice, but I will never know!!!  It is what it is!

I don't think I've ever done white layering on white cardstock before.  I always think I need a base color and then I can use that color for the back part of the layers.  But white on white worked well. It has an elegant and soft look to it.  I am happy with the way this card turned out. 

This was a very easy and fun card to make!! I can see myself making another one using this layout!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda  

December Paper Pumpkin Kit

I had received my December Paper Pumpkin kit on the 23rd.  I wanted SO bad to play with it but there were still Christmasy things that needed attending to.  Now that it's all over and I'm trying to settle back into the "normal" part of my life, I went to my workroom to play with this kit!!  This kit took longer than I thought it would, which was okay, it was like getting a new toy that kept me busy for a while!!  You can't complain when you're doing something you love!!

This is by far the prettiest 2016 calendar I've seen!  Each month is different.  It's very colorful and full of dimension.

I especially love the stand that comes with it.  I finished my calendar pages and set them in order on the stand.  They are on the ledge of my workroom, on display for all to see.  Each month I get to reveal a new work of art!!  And now I'm even more excited for this month's kit!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

A You've Got This Birthday Card

As I was surfing the net looking for nothing in particular.  I like to look around there while I have lunch. Perhaps there is something on there I have not seen yet!  I spend so much time on there that I think I've seen everything!!! LOL  While looking I ran across this pretty card and I had to give it a try.  The original card was made by Jan and can be found here at "Stamp Paper Scissors."  by

My card is a little different.  I didn't use the Blackberry Bliss, I used Rich Razzleberry.  I didn't want to color my flower that dark.  I know how I color and I knew I wouldn't be happy with how dark it would turn out, so I went with a little bit lighter color. 

I also changed the words, the ribbon and the black piece is not trimmed on the bottom edge.  Oh and one thing I wish I would have noticed.  Jan used Dimensionals on her flower.  I wished I would have caught that, I think it would have been a nice touch.  But it is what it is and I do like the way it turned out, I can't complain.  And if you don't compare them you wouldn't see the differences!!

You can go to the link above and see Jan's card and some instructions.  She lists all the materials she used on her card.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda