Stampin' Up!'s Snowflake Soiree...

Here is another Christmas card from a recent workshop.  I CASE'd this card from one received at Deb Townsend's WOW Holiday catalog swap.  I sure get some good ideas from her swaps!  As always, I mix it up a bit from the card I receive so here's my take on the card.

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

• Marina Mist, Midnight Muse and Whisper White cardstock
• Midnight Muse, Marina Mist and Baja Breeze classic ink
• VersaMark ink
• Snowflake Soiree stamp set
• Silver embossing powder
• Heat gun & embossing buddy
• Frosty Snowflake Die
• Delicate Designs embossing folder
• Pearls
• Frost White Shimmer Paint

Here's the inside of the card.  The small snowflakes and "Believe" were embossed with silver embossing powder.  Super pretty!

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Watercolor Winter from Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Catalog..

Here's another card from a recent workshop.  Everyone seems to be getting into the Christmas spirit and requesting Christmas cards.

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

• Soft Suede, Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler classic inks
• VersaMark ink
• Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green and Very Vanilla cardstock
• Champagne Glitter paper
• 2 1/2" Circle punch
• Cherry Cobbler embossing powder (for the flowers)
• Heat gun
• Embossing Buddy
• Watercolor Winter and Greetings of the Season stamp sets
• Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon
• Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine
• Rhinestones (colored with gold Sharpie)

Here's the inside of the card.  Make sure when using the colored embossing powder that you use your Embossing Buddy so you don't get flecks on your cardstock.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

By the Seashore....

Here's a card from a recent workshop.  Did you catch the Monet Technique that was a recent Technique Tuesday?  If so, you will recognize it here.  If not, click on Techniques above and learn this cool technique!

 Here's what you need for this card:

• Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Whisper White and Glossy White cardstock
• Night of Navy and Marina Mist classic inks
• Subtles Pattern Pack paper
• Marina Mist, Baja Breeze and Night of Navy Watercolor Crayons
• Postage punch
• By the Seashore (current) and Happiest Birthday Wishes (retired) stamps sets
• Crystal Effects

NOTE:  Glossy White paper was used with the technique on the piece that has the sentiment.  The technique was also used on a piece of Whisper White for the seashells.  After completing the technique, the seashells were stamped and cut out.  Finally they were covered with Crystal Effects.

Here's the inside of the card.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Just Believe and the Acrylic Sheet Technique....

Here's a card I made for a recent workshop using a technique where you color on an acrylic sheet using the markers. 

Here's how to do the acrylic sheet technique:

1. Take a piece of an acrylic sheet at least a couple of inches larger than your cardstock.
2. Color on the acrylic sheet at the bottom about 2" high with the Old Olive marker.
3. Then color above that using More Mustard but only about a 1/2" high area.
4. Then color above that using the Pool Party marker but again, just an 1/2" high area.
5. Finish coloring to the top using the Marina Mist marker.
6. Spritz with water several times until the colors just begin to meld together.
7. Lay your paper down on top of the acrylic sheet.
8. Take your piece of tissue paper and press down so it absorbs any of the water and ink that does not transfer to your cardstock.
9. Remove tissue and turn over your cardstock to see the result - gorgeous!

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

• Certainly Celery, Whisper White and Pool Party cardstock
• Black StazOn ink
• Old Olive, More Mustard, Pool Party and Marina Mist markers
• Just Believe, Thoughts & Prayers and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
• Acrylic Sheet
• Tissue Paper
• Water in misting bottle
• Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon
• Old Olive 1/8" ribbon
• Printed Brad
• Corner Ticket punch
• Lacy Brocade embossing folder

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Technique Tuesday ... Monet Technique

It is Tuesday and I am back with this week's technique.  It is a quick and easy technique but very pretty for a background piece.

 Here's what you will need:

• Stampin' Up! Watercolor Crayons
• Aqua Painter
• Glossy Cardstock
• Stamp Set - I used Everything Eleanor

 Choose three coordinating colors of Watercolor Crayons.  I used Pretty in Pink, Rose Red and Rich Razzleberry.  Draw squiggly lines in each color, spacing them apart so you can get all three colors in an area.

 Here's what your paper will look like.

 Take your Aqua Painter and give it a light squeeze so you get some water down into the brush.  Then begin to tap, tap, tap down on the paper.  Do not keep the bristles down on the cardstock as you move it.  You want to dab straight down and come back up.

 Repeat over your entire cardstock and let it dry.  Do not try to get rid of the air bubbles that you might have on the cardstock.  These help enhance the look.

 After the cardstock is dry, you can stamp your images onto it.

I finished this card off using the sentiment from Perfectly Penned set and a Rose Red seam binding ribbon.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Be of Good Cheer Paper Gift Card Holder...

Here is a cute card which also is a gift card holder - perfect for Christmas!  It is very easy to make with just a few score lines using the Simply Scored.

 Here's what you need to make this card:

• Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper
• Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler & Very Vanilla cardstock
• Cherry Cobbler classic ink and Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler Markers
• Jolly Bingo Bits and Petite Pairs stamp sets
• Simply Scored
• Diagonal Plate for Simply Scored
• Scallop Circle Punch
• Small Scallop Circle Punch
• 1 1/4" Circle Punch
• 1/4" Circle Punch
• Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon, Gumball Green Stitched Satin ribbon and Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine

Here's the backside of the card and the gift card holder.  I used the slot punch which is retired to attach the gift card although you could use a temporary tape on it to hold it to the cardstock.
Here's how to make this card:

1. Cut a piece of DSP down to 8" x 8".
2. Place it in your Simply Scored with the diagonal plate.
3. Score from the top left corner down to the bottom right corner.
4. Without moving the paper, score diagonally at 1 1/4"
5. Flip the paper over, keeping the corner score line in the same place.
6. Score again at 1 1/4".  You will now have three parallel score lines.
7. Now turn your paper 90 degrees so the bottom left and the top right corners have the score lines.
8. Score at 2 3/4".
9. Flip the paper 180 degrees so the other non-scored corner is in the top left.
10. Score at 2 3/4".
11. Fold along the three score lines so they make a mountain in the middle with valleys on both sides.
12. Open the paper back up and fold both of the 2 1/2" score lines to the inside.
13. Fold back up along the three score lines.
14. Hold the paper together at the top corners and punch a hole using the 1/4" circle punch.
15. Insert ribbons through hole and hold together with Baker's Twine.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Clockworks Stamp Set...

I fell in love with this stamp set when I saw it for the first time in the catalog but didn't end up getting it until August and then it sat!  I was assigned to make a masculine card for a recent workshop and thought this would be perfect.  You cannot tell by the picture but the face of the watch has shimmer paint on it which gives it a really cool look.

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

• Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla cardstock
• Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Early Espresso and VersaMark ink
• Clockworks and Itty Bitty Banners stamp sets
• 1 3/4" Circle punch
• Gold embossing powder
• Bitty Banners framelit
• Champagne Mist shimmer paint

Here's the inside of the card.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Ornament Keepsakes Stamp Set...

Here's the final card from my recent Christmas card class.  It uses several products that I haven't used much in the past so it was really fun.

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

• Crumb Cake and Whisper White cardstock
• White Vellum paper
• Brushed Gold cardstock
• Crumb Cake and Early Espresso classic ink
• Ornament Keepsakes, En Francais and More Merry Messages stamp sets
• Scallop Border punch
• Crumb Cake Seam Binding ribbon
• Lacy Brocade embossing folder
• Ornaments framelits
• Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
• Jumbo Pearl

Here's the inside of the card which was stamped with Crumb Cake ink for the ornament and Early Espresso for the sentiment.  On the front of the card, "Christmas Blessings" was stamped in Early Espresso as well.  Stamping on the brushed gold papre makes the ink a little lighter but has a really cool iridescent look to it.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Snowflake Soiree Stamp Set...

I am loving this stamp set!  I wasn't going to purchase it because the snowflake ones never seem to stick around but after borrowing my Mom's set (thanks Mom!), I just had to have it!  The card was CASE'd from an artist at Splitcoaststampers - thank you!

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

• Midnight Muse, Whisper White and Pool Party cardstock
• Midnight Muse and Pool Party classic ink
• Snowflake Soiree and Greetings of the Season stamp sets
• Essentials Paper Piercing Pack
• Dazzling Diamonds
• Rhinestones
• Blossom Punch (fits the snowflake perfectly!)

Here's the inside of the card.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Technique Tuesday - Emerging Color Technique

It's Tuesday and here's your technique for today - Emerging Color technique.

 Here's what you will need:

• Coordinating Stamps - I used Circle Circus and Betsy's Blossoms
• VersaMark Ink
• Classic Inks - I used Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Regal Rose and Perfect Plum
• Clear Embossing Powder (shown here in plastic tub)
• Heat Gun
• Brayer
• Whisper White Cardstock

 Stamp images on your Whisper White cardstock using your lightest colors.

 Using VersaMark, stamp a solid image stamp (large blossom from Betsy's Blossoms) over your stamped images.

 Cover with clear embossing powder and emboss using your heat gun.

 Ink up your brayer using your darkest color and roll over your entire paper until it is completely covered.

 Take a lightly moistened tissue or paper towel and remove ink from your embossed areas.  Your earlier stamping will emerge from behind the clear embossed areas.

 Finally, I used a stamp from the Flowering Flourishes set and Elegant Eggplant ink to add a bit more design to the paper.

Here's the final card which I accented by using the Thank You stamp from Curly Cute and the Frames from the Holiday catalog.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Watercolor Winter Stamp Set...

The third card from my Christmas class uses the Watercolor Winter stamp set from the Holiday catalog.  This card was also inspired by a swap card I received as part of Deb Townsend's WOW catalog swap.

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

• Old Olive, Real Red, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla cardstock (yes, the mattings are all Soft Suede although they look more like Always Artichoke in this picture!)
• Soft Suede, Old Olive and Real Red classic ink
• Stripes embossing folder
• Watercolor Winter and More Merry Messages stamp sets
• Pearls
• Dazzling Diamonds

Here's the finished inside of the card.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Christmas Blessings from Stampin' Up!

Here's the second card from my recent Christmas card class.  I received the inspiration for this card from a swap and thought it was just so pretty.

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

• Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla cardstock
• Be of Good Cheer Designer Series Paper
• Christmas Blessings Stamp Set
• Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon
• Petals A Plenty Embossing Folder
• Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details

Here's the inside of the card.  I think finishing off the cards on the inside just add such a great touch!

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Here Comes Christmas....

Doesn't it seem that Christmas is coming to the retail stores earlier and earlier every year?  I sure think so.  I saw Christmas items out before Halloween!  Of course, I can't really complain since I held my annual Christmas Card Class in October this year.  With being gone for a couple weeks in November, I had to plan ahead.
Were you there?  If not, why not?  We had a great time and everyone got an early start on their Christmas cards.  Here's the first of five cards that everyone made.  Everyone was able to choose how many of sets they wanted to make.  Most made 2 or 3 sets, leaving with 10 or 15 cards made but my cousin ordered 20 kits!  That's right - 100 cards!  Unfortunately she wasn't able to attend the class and has to make her cards over Thanksgiving.
I want to say "thank you" to a very talented artist on Splitcoaststampers for this card which I CASE'd.

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

• Midnight Muse, Whisper White & Baja Breeze cardstock
• Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit and Baja Breeze classic ink
• Ornament Keepsakes and More Merry Messages stamp sets
• Ornament Framelits
• Summer Starfruit Satin Ribbon
• 1" Circle punch
• Festive & Essentials Paper Piercing Packs
• Rhinestones

Here's the inside of the card.  If you want to make this card, the only recommendation I would make is that you do the piercing for the ornament in the center of the front of the card and stamp "Merry Christmas" before stamping the small ornaments.  This helps with making sure you locate them where they look best.

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

I Have Been Having Fun...

This year for my birthday, we headed to Bodega Bay for a couple of weeks of hanging out by the ocean - my favorite place to be!  Oh, and there is another reason for the trip.....

That's right - it is Dungeness crab season here in California!  You are looking at one limit of crab.  So far, we have had crab cocktails, crab salads, crab sandwiches and crab dipped in butter & lemon.  Yum!  Yes, I will need to diet when I get home but for the next two weeks, bring on the crab!

Technique Tuesday ... Spotlight Stamping

This week's technique highlights the Spotlight Stamping Technique.

 Here's what you will need for this technique:

• Stamp set - I used World Treasures
• Black Ink
• Whisper White & Basic Black Cardstock
• Colored Markers or Inks - I used Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point & Lucky Limeade Markers
• 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" Circle Punches (you can use other sizes as well)

 First stamp your image on your Whisper White cardstock using Black ink.

Color the stamp again using your colored inks or markers.  Here you will see that I didn't color the entire stamp because I was just using a portion of it.

 Stamp onto a scrap piece of Whisper White cardstock.

 Punch out the colored image using the 1 1/4" circle punch and stamp out a Basic Black circle using the 1 3/8" circle punch.  Layer these and attach to the Basic Black image.

Here's the finished card.  Doesn't this look cool?  The paper at the bottom is from the International Bazaar designer series paper and the sentiment is from the Made for You stamp set.

Technique Tuesday ... Ghosting Technique

Today's technique is the Ghosting Technique which has been around for a long time but is still one of my favorites for creating a background.

 Here's what you will need:

• Glossy Cardstock
• VersaMark Ink
• Classic Ink - I used Pool Party
• Sponge
• Stamp Set - I used By The Seashore

 

 Stamp images onto your glossy cardstock using the VersaMark ink.  Let it set for about 5 minutes to allow the VersaMark ink to dry a little bit.

 Take your sponge and ink and cover the entire cardstock with it.  As you pass over the stamped images, you will begin to see them show up in white.

 Here's my finished piece.  I used a very light ink but if you use a darker ink, the images will stand out even further.

Here's the card I made using this technique.  A very simple monochromatic card but very pretty!

Layers Technique Card...

Here's a card using the Layers Technique which is very popular right now.  Super simple to do but very cool outcome.

Here's the card that I made using the Everything Eleanor, Creative Elements, Perfect Punches and Papillon Potpourri stamp sets.  To re-create this technique, just cut three pieces of Whisper White cardstock in the following sizes:

• 4" x 5 1/4"
• 2 7/8" x 4 1/8"
• 1 3/4" x 3"

Cut three pieces of your contrasting color (I used Cherry Cobbler) in the following sizes:

• 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" (this is your card)
• 3" x 4 1/4"
• 1 7/8" x 3 1/8"

Take your Whisper White pieces and layer them using a small piece of temporary tape or Dotto.  Stamp your images on the Whisper White cardstock.  There will be small areas where the ink does not show next to the edges of the layers but do not worry about that.  They will be hidden.

After finishing your stamping, take these apart and attach using the contrasting layers as well.  The contrasting color layers hide the spots where the ink was missing.

I finished the card using the Thank You from Perfect Punches and stamped the butterfly using Crumb Cake cardstock.  A piece of Cherry Cobbler seam binding finishes off the card.