Stampin' Up!'s Heaven Blessed Stamp Set

Today's card was made by Lisa Hensley as part of the WOW swap. She did a wonderful job coloring the little boy. That is something I want to get better at - watercoloring.




What you will need for this card:
Stamps: Heaven Blessed
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Whisper White and Attic Boutique DSP.
Ink: Basic Black, Calypso Coral, Baja Breeze, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral and Blush Blossom
Metallic brads
Calypso Coral Ruffled ribbon
Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta ribbon
Framed Tulip embossing folder


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Technique Tuesday - Gradation Technique....

Do you ever have trouble blending colors or trying to make your images appear more realistic with their color?  If so - like I do - here's a great technique for you.  This technique works on solid image stamps.

 Here's what you need for this technique:

• Solid image stamp - I used the flower in the bottom right of Stampin' Up!'s Field Flowers stamp set.
• Two coordinating colors of markers - I used Blushing Bride and Poppy Parade.
• Sponge Dauber
• Cardstock

 First, color your entire image with the lighter of the two colors.

 Then color the areas that you want to be darker.

 I colored around the entire outside edge of the stamp as you can see in this picture.

 Take the sponge dauber and gently press along the area where the two colors meet.  Since my stamp was fairly small, I used the edge of the dauber as opposed to the center of the sponge.

 Huff on the ink and stamp your image.  Doesn't that look pretty?

 I then stamped the stem and finished it by doing the same technique on the small flower.

Here's the card that I made with the technique.  I think it is a great way of transitioning between two colors in your stamping.  Enjoy!

Stampin' Up!'s Sweet Cake Stamp Set

This card was made by Linda Henry as part of the WOW swap. It is such a cheerful card. Perfect for a young person's birthday. The cupcake is embossed with the vanilla scented embossing powder and it really does smell like vanilla!



Here's what you will need to make the card:

Stamps: Sweet Cake
Paper: Pool Party, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Red Riding Hood, Red Glimmer and Sweet Shop Specialty DSP.
Ink: Pool Party and Soft Suede (marker)
Red Riding Hood PleTed Ribbon
Small Heart and circle punches
Vanilla Scented embossing powder

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Stampin' Up!'s You're My Type Stamp Set

Today's card was made by Lisa Kay Musil. This was the stamp set she chose for the WOW swap. It is a cute pocket card. I love the color combination.



Here's what you will need to make this card:
Stamps: You're My Type
Ink: Versamark, Wild Wasabi, Wisteria Wonder
Paper: Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White and Sweet Shop DSP.
Wild Wasabi embossing powder
Ruffled Ribbon in Pool Party and Wisteria Wonder
Pearls
Vanilla Smooch Spritz
Fashionable Hearts embosslit
Pinking Hearts Border punch
Stapler

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Stampin' Up!'s Bordering on Romance Stamp Set...

Here is another WOW swap card made by Jeanne Harris. I saw this card at Leadership and took a picture of it. When I got home and received my swap cards, I couldn't believe my luck! This is one of my favorite cards at Leadership and my favorite set from the Occasions mini.




Jeanne did the cracked glass technique on this card. So pretty!




One of the requirements of this swap is that the inside needs to be "finished" as well as the outside. I love the way she finished off the inside as well.

Here's what you will need to make this card:
Stamps: Bordering on Romance
Paper: Baja Breeze, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, Everyday Enchantment DSP
Ink: Baja Breeze, Lucky Limeade, Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Black Stazon
Adorning Accents Edgelits and Textured Embossing Folder
Ovals die
Clear embossing powder
Everyday Enchantment ribbon
Pearls

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Stampin' Up!'s Baby Prints Stamp Set

Today's card was made by Doris Mikolajczyk as her contribution to the WOW swap I participated in. These ladies did such a beautiful job on their cards that I thought you might like to see some of them. Doris used the faux silk technique which is hard to see in a photograph but is quite beautiful.



I wanted to also show you the inside of the card because it is just about as cute as the outside!



Here's what you will need for this card:
Stamps: Baby Prints
Ink: Blushing Bride
Paper: Blushing Bride and Whisper White
Blushing Bride Pleated ribbon
Twitterpatted buttons
Smooch Spritz
Scallop Trim Border Punch
White tissue paper

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Technique Tuesday - 3 Tier Pull Card....

In today's technique, I am going to show you how to make a 3 tier pull card.  It is not a difficult card to make as long as you score and cut it properly.  Let's get started.....

 Here's what you will need to make the card:

• 3 Coordinating and 1 Whisper White/Very Vanilla Cardstock (I used So Saffron, Regal Rose & Baja Breeze)
• Simply Scored
• Paper Cutter
• Round Tab Punch
• Paper Piercer & Mat (not shown)
• Sticky Strip
• Antique Brads

 Cut your three pieces of coordinating cardstock as follows:

• Level 1 - 8.5" x 5" (Baja Breeze)
• Level 2 - 8" x 3 7/8" (Regal Rose)
• Level 3 - 8" x 3" (So Saffron)

 Place your Level 1 piece in the Simply Scored in the "landscape" position - meaning the 8.5" side is horizontal.  Score at 4" and 8".

 Turn the paper to the "portrait" position and score at 1/2" and 4 1/2".

 Take your Level 2 paper and place it in the landscape position and score at 7/8", 4" and 7 1/8" (This step is not shown).  Turn the paper into the portrait position and score at 3/8" and 3 1/2".

 Take your Level 3 paper and place it in the landscape position and score at 1 3/4", 4" and 6 1/4".  (Again, this step is not shown.)  Turn the paper to the portrait position and score at 3/8" and 2 5/8".

Cut along center (4") score line on each piece as follows:

• Level 1 - Slice from 7/8" in on the left to 4 1/8".  (This should leave 7/8" on each side uncut.)
• Level 2 - Slice from 3/4" in on the left to 3 1/8".  (This should leave 3/4" on each side uncut.)
• Level 3 - Slice from 1" in on the left to 2".  (This should leave 1" on each side uncut.)

 Trim the pieces as shown in the picture above.

• Level 1 - Make sure you trim off the corners on the side with the 1/2" score line.  Also, trim along the score lines of the sides of the bottom half up to the 4" score line.
• Level 2 - Trim off the top sides along the score line between the 3/8" score line and the 4" score line.
• Level 3 - Trim off the sides along the score line between the 1 3/4" and 6 1/4" score lines.

 Place sticky strip on the pieces as shown in the picture:

• Level 1 - Outside of card facing up - Sticky strip along the 3 tabbed sides.
• Level 2 - Inside of card facing up - Fold in the long pieces at the bottom and place sticky strip on the outside part of tab.  Place sticky strip on the small tabs at the bottom.
• Level 3 - Inside of card facing up - Place sticky strip along bottom.
• Round Tab Punch piece (Just punch this from left over cardstock) - Place a small piece of sticky strip at each end on one side.

 Using the paper piercer, make a hole near the center line of the tab.

 Place brad in hole in tab.  Place small piece of sticky strip inside, remove backing and fold to stick together.

 Carefully slide the tab and brad into the Level 3 piece of cardstock and pull up into position.

 Remove sticky strip from round tab and at bottom of Level 3 piece.  Fold over Level 3 along center, carefully lining it up.  Stamp a 2" x 3" piece of Very Vanilla cardstock with your image and attach to Level 3.  (Not shown in this picture - please see below.)

 Carefully slide the Level 3 piece face down into the slot cut in Level 2.  Leave most of Level 1 down near the bottom as shown.  Fold tabs in at the sides, remove sticky strip backing and fold in half, carefully lining it up.

 This is what you will see.  Here you can see the image I stamped from the Bordering on Romance stamp set.  I stamped it with Early Espresso ink and used Regal Rose, So Saffron, Baja Breeze and Pear Pizzazz markers to color the image.

 Take a 2 3/4" x 3 1/2" piece of Very Vanilla cardstock and stamp your second image on it.  Make sure not to stamp too low on the piece so it will show.  My sentiment comes from the Friendly Phrases stamp set.

 Place Level 2 face down into the Level 1 piece. as shown.  Fold in the sides and bottom.  Remove sticky strip and fold top portion over carefully aligning the sides and bottom.

 Finish the card with a matted image (mat is 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" and the Very Vanilla is 3 1/2" x 3 1/2".)

Finally, here is the card when it is all pushed down.  Isn't that adorable!!!!

Stampin' Up!'s P.S. I Love You Stamp Set

Today's card was made by Tina Taves and was part of the WOW swap I participated in. It was a perfect card to give a few days ago on Valentine's Day. Guess I will need to hang onto it until next year!

Here's what you will need to make this card:
Stamps: P.S. I Love You
Inks: Cherry Cobbler and Blushing Bride
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Island Indigo, Blushing Bride and Twitterpatted Designer Series Paper
Punches: Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle and Full Heart
Scallop Heart of Hearts Embosslit Die
Red Riding Hood Pleated Ribbon
Twitterpatted designer buttons
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Stampin' Up!'s Mixed Bunch Stamp Set...

I recently participated in an Occasions mini/Sale-a-Bration WOW swap hosted by Deb Townsend. Here's the card that was submitted by Andrea Hurlbert focusing on the Mixed Bunch stamp set. I love the color combination!



You will need the following to make this card:
Stamps: Mixed Bunch and Loving Thoughts
Ink: Basic Gray, Island Indigo and Versamark
Blossom, Modern Label and Boho Blossoms Punches
Framed Tulip and Square Lattice Embossing Folders
Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon
Fun Flowers Bigz L Die
Pearls and 8 mm large pearls

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Stampin' Up!'s The Open Sea Stamp Set

This is a card from a workshop last weekend which uses the Herringbone technique which I showed you last week.  It uses the Nautical DSP which is now retired but I just love it and it works so well with the stamp set, The Open Sea which is still available.

Here's what you will need to make this card:

• The Open Sea Stamp Set
• Cardstock:  Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
• Classic Inks:  Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler & Soft Suede for aging
• Houndstooth Embossing Folder, Sanding Block, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine & Gold Brads

 Here's the inside of the card.  Most of the images were stamped after stamping off once - except for the compass rose.  The sentiment comes from the Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp set.  I love this stamp for masculine cards!  I am going to really miss it when it retires at the end of May.  If you want to get this stamp set, contact me about scheduling a workshop since it is a hostess set and cannot be purchased.

Stampin' Up!'s Mixed Bunch Stamp Set....

Today's card has an interesting (or maybe not) story to it.  Every month when I prepare for workshops, I always make one or two extra sets just in case someone needs a new piece while making the cards.  When I get home, I set them in a basket for making them up over the next couple of days.  Or at least that is the plan!  I now have a basket with about 20-25 cards in it - all cut and ready to assemble.  The problem is that sometimes I don't remember what they originally looked like!  This card is one of those.

I made this card using the Mixed Bunch stamp set from the Occasions mini catalog and the Blossom punch.  The sentiment is from the Party This Way set and punched with the Modern Label punch.  The card is called a diorama or tunnel card.  After making the card up, I found my blog entry of the original card which you can see by clicking here.  

Technique Tuesday - Half Fold Window Card....

Happy Valentine's Day to you!  Today, I am sending you a Valentine via Technique Tuesday which shows you how to create a window card using Stampin' Up!'s Movers & Shapers die.  I hope you enjoy it!

 Here's what you will need for this technique:

• The Big Shot
• Movers & Shapers Die (Heart from Punch Windows Add-On)
• One Regular Cutting Plate & One Extended Cutting Plate
• Cardstock - Cut to 11" x 4 1/4"

 Score Cardstock at 2 3/4" and 5 1/2".

 Fold in half at the 5 1/2" score and fold the 2 3/4" score line back to the left.

 Place extended plate on Big Shot and then the Movers & Shapers Die with the Heart window die.

 Place your cardstock on the die - lining it up on the left side just inside all of the cutting lines.

 Fold the right side of the cardstock back along the score line and line up the Heart die so the half way point of it matches with the fold line.  In other words, the bottom point and the "V" of the top of the heart are lined up with your fold line.

 Lay the cardstock back down flat.

 Place the regukar cutting plate on top with the edge lined up along the fold line.

 Run it through the Big Shot.  You will end up with your cardstock looking like this.  Isn't that cool?  Only half of the heart is cut out.

 If you want to mat your card, place a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" piece of cardstock down in the side of the die that has the Heart.  You do not want to move the Heart between cutting the card and cutting the mat so they will line up.  Run it through the Bit Shot and check how it lines up with your card.  Then trim each side down to the proper matting side.

 Here's my card from the outside.....

 And from the inside!  I used the Full Heart punch and the Brights Pattern Pack in Real Red for the center of my heart and the Delightful Dozen stamp set for the sentiment and small heart which was punched out with the small heart punch.

I sn't this a great technique for a cool card?  You can use any of the magnetic dies made for the Movers & Shapers die but it works best with those that have a punch to coordinate so you have the inside punched piece to show the full shape.