Stampin' Up!'s Bordering on Romance set...

Here's a card that I  made for a recent Occasions & Sale-A-Bration Mini Catalogs stamp camp.  I used the Bordering on Romance (one of my favorites) stamp set and the Paper Doily from the Occasions Mini.  A lot of people have been having trouble with this die but I found that - at least with my Big Shot - I use 6 sheets of regular paper stacked up on my Big Shot platform.  It is a bit tough to roll through but it cuts through well.  I then use a paper piercer to push out all the pieces which come out easily.  Yes, it takes a few minutes to remove them but it is just so pretty!

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set

Here is the final card that I made using the Zoo Review stamp set.  I stamped the penguins on a piece of Whisper White cardstock and then cut them out.  Yes, I did cut out between each of their little flippers!  I trimmed off the bottom 1/2" of the front of the card and then used the Scallop Trim Border punch along the bottom.  The balloons are from the Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set and the sentiment is from the Elementary Elegance set from the Sale-A-Bration mini catalog.  Finally, I embossed the bottom of the inside of the card using the Snowburst embossing folder.  Some Pool Party twine and some rhinestones finished off this card.  I think it was the favorite of the class!

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set

This card was CASE'd from the Stamp Lady of SCS and used the Inspired by Nature stamp set for the grasses.  I added the sentiment below the lion which I think looks great there.  Like the inspiration card, I pulled out some old white mulberry paper and colored it with Soft Suede ink after tearing it to size.  The edges remind me of the lion's mane.

Technique Tuesday - Stampin' Up!'s Blossom Punch

Have you ordered the new Blossom Punch from the Occasions Mini Catalog yet?  If you haven't, you have until April 30 to do so.  It is so pretty and matches great with the Mixed Bunch stamp set.  Now Stampin' Up! hasn't announced it yet but they may carry it over but you never know!  They didn't with the Stitched Stockings punch so who knows.  Here's some cool that you can do using this punch AND the Modern Label Punch.

 Here's what you will need:

• Blossom and Modern Label Punches
• Mixed Bunch stamp set
• 3/4" Circle punch - not shown
• Coordinating cardstock and designer series paper
• Coordinating ink

 Stamp the flower circle on a small piece of cardstock.  I used Marina Mist ink on Whisper White cardstock.

 Punch out using 3/4" circle punch.

 Punch Blossom out of your cardstock.

 Punch out designer series paper using Modern Label Punch.  I used Beau Chateau DSP.

 Punch out 3 of these.

 Adhere one across the petals of Blossom as shown.  Isn't it cool how the Modern Label punched piece looks like the petals?

 Repeat with the other two as shown.

 Place stamped center using dimensional.

 Here's the card that I quickly made up using this flower.  How's that for a quick and easy technique today?  But wait!  I have more for you.... a bonus technique!  See the embossed hearts and the embossed scalloping along the white strip?  Now if you just tried this, you would run the hearts through using the Hearts folder and then when you came back with the scallop folder, your hearts would end up flattened.  Same thing would happen to you if you did the scallop first and then the hearts.  That doesn't work, does it?  Here's how to solve that!

 You will need:

• The Big Shot
• Adorning Accent Edgelit - scallop edge
• Adorning Accent Embossing Folders
• Cardstock
• Bone Folder

 Using the Scallop Edgelit, cut the bottom edge of your cardstock.

 Place your cardstock in the Scallop Edge embossing folder lining it up with the scallop edge as desired.  Run through the Big Shot.

 Remove cardstock and place it in the Hearts embossing folder lining it up as desired.  Run through the Big Shot.

 As you can see, the hearts are well embossed but the scallops are very faint from being pushed down during the run through the Big Shot.

 Place your cardstock back in the Scallop Edge embossing folder lining up the embossed scallops that you made before.

 Take your bone folder and rub along the scallops.  Take care not to press where the hearts are - just where the scallop embossed edge is.

As you can see, you now have both the hearts AND the scallop edge!

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set

Here is the second giraffe card I made for the Zoo Review stamp set.  Inspired by one made by Michelle Vernaus, I added an extra strip to the background and embossed the strips which I thought added dimension to this simple card.

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set

This card was CASE'd from UnderstandBlue of SCS except that she used a different designer series paper.  I just loved the cool colors - perfect for a Polar Bear card!

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set

Here is a card that I showed at my recent class as another card to make with the Zoo Review set.  It was inspired by Patti McDermott - thanks Patti!  I love the banner from the Take It To Heart stamp set which is in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  It is so versatile. 

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set .... The Zebra

I CASE'd this card for my Zoo Review class from LeeLa Smith.  I just thought it was so clever how she made the striped background out of cut strips of black cardstock.  A very simple card but so effective!

Technique Tuesday - Rolled Flowers....

Have you seen these?  They are all the rage these days.  I see lots of items made with them but I think they work better for 3D items than for cards since they are not easily mailed.

 Here's what you will need:

• 2 1'2" circle punch - if you want a smaller flower, use a smaller punch.
• Designer Series Paper - I used Beau Chateau
• Scissors
• Sticky Strip
• Pearls
• Tweezers or paint brush for rolling flower around

 Punch out your circle.

 Start cutting in a circle working toward the center.
 

 Your circle should look like this.

 To give your flower an aged look, crumple up your circle into a small ball.

 Carefully uncrumple your circle.

 Beginning at the outside point, begin rolling up your circle.

 Try and make sure that the bottom edge of the paper is always at the same place.

 Roll up close to the center.  Place some sticky strip on the center area.  Remove backing and wrap your flower right up to the circle and remove from your paint brush or tweezers.

 

  Press flower down against the sticky strip.  Try and make sure that all the edges stick.

 Using tweezers or your fingers, loosen the flower up a bit in the center .

 Your flower will look like this.

Here's another flower that I made.  It has a less detail because I made a wider cut when cutting my circle.  Finally, place a pearl in the center of your flower and you are done!

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set .... The Penguin

This card was inspired by one from the Stamp Lady on SCS but again I changed it up a bit.  First, I thought that torn waffle paper looks alot like a sheet of ice to I added that as well as embossing along the bottom edge of the card using the Snowburst embossing folder.  The embossing was done on both the front and back portions of the card so when you open the card, the embossing is at the bottom of the inside.  The penguins were then stamped next to each other and the hat comes from the Beary Best Friends stamp set.  An Island Indigo Baker's Twine bow finished off this card. 

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set .... The Polar Bear

Here is the Polar Bear from the Zoo Review class.  The card was inspired by Michelle Vernaus - thank you Michelle!  On this card, we did the faux flannel technique.  For this technique, we stamped the Polar Bear on Whisper White cardstock.  We then masked the bear by stamping on a post it and cutting out the bear.  We sponged the sky in Bashful Blue and the ice in Marina Mist.  We then took a piece of the Multipurpose Adhesive and covered the entire front of the cardstock.  We then separated a Kleenex tissue so we had only one ply and laid that smooth side down on top of the cardstock.  We then tored along the edges to remove the excess tissue.  Finally we glittered the ice area.  Final touches were the Houndstooth textured background, a black ribbon and some silver brads.

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set .... The Giraffe

This card was CASE'd from LeeLa Smith although I changed the color of the giraffe and the "spots" on the background.  I also added the "Wish Big" and the mini brads.  Aren't they so cute?  I really thought it was clever how the Curly Label punch looks like the spots on a giraffe, don't you?

Stampin' Up!'s Zoo Review Set ... The Lion

We made this card during my recent Zoo Review class.  Thank you Cristy Butzen for the inspiration for this card.  I often go to Stampin' Connection or Splitcoaststampers for card ideas but always try to add a little twist to a card that I see there.  In this case, I added the sentiment to the card.
The card uses the Mosaic technique.  If you have not seen this before, this is done by taking the left over rubber from a wood mount set and cutting it into little pieces and placing them onto a wood block in a mosaic pattern.
After stamping and coloring the lion, we stamped over it using the mosaic block and versamark ink.  We then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder.  Finally, we used a sponge and Soft Suede ink and went over the entire area.  The ink colored the areas that were not embossed.  A baby wipe was used to clean up the embossed areas.  Pretty cool!

Technique Tuesday - Punch Frames....

In today's technique, I am going to show you how to make frames using Stampin' Up!'s border punches.  They add a great accent to your cards.

Here's what you will need:

• Cardstock - Cut to 3" x 3"
• Border Punch - shown are all four available from Stampin' Up!

 First I will show you using the Scallop Border Punch.  Place your cardstock in the punch with the right side of the cardstock matching up with the point of the first scallop on the base and punch.

 Turn your card 90 degrees and line up the right side of the cardstock with the point of the same scallop on the base.  Punch it out and continue with all four sides.

 With the Scallop Trim Border Punch, you will line it up with the inside point of the base as shown.  Turn to each side and punch.

 With the Pinking Hearts Border Punch, you will line it up along the corner printed on the base of the punch.  You can't see the corner on this photo since the cardstock is covering it but you will just see the two "V"'s as shown.  Again, continue around the four sides.

If you want your image on top of your frame, you are done!  If you want your frame on top of your image, here is how to cut the center out.  Place your frame in your cutter lining up the cutting groove with the edge of the punched edges at the top and bottom.  Cut between the punched top and bottom on on the left.

 Continue around all four sides.  Use a pair of snips if your cut lines do not meet.

 Here's what you will end up with.

 Here's what the frames will look like with the various punches.

Finally, here is a card that I made using the Sprinkled Expressions stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  The card is made with Whisper White, Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral cardstock.  The ribbon and brads are from the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brads pack.