Stampin' Up!'s Punches...

Here is another card from my recent Punches class.  This is one of the wonderful reasons for attending Stampin' Up!'s Convention every year - swaps!  This year's punch swap gave me such great ideas.  The creative artist for this punched beauty is Laura Haffke.  Thank you Laura!

Instead of making it a normal size card, I cut off the bottom of the front and made it a flap card.  My one "tip" on this card if you want to recreate it is to take that leftover piece and place it along the bottom edge of the flap and run them through together using the Honeycomb embossing folder.  This way, you can hid the backing of the scalloped border and your honeycombs will line up on the back side.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Chalk Talk
Inks:          Early Espresso
Paper:      Crumb Cake, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Epic Day DSP
Other:        Linen Thread, Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Vintage Faceted Buttons, Signo Gel Pen,
                   Ovals Framelits
Punches:   2 1/2" Circle, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle, Small Heart, Owl Builder, Extra Large Oval, Scallop Border

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Rocky Raccoon....

Here is a card that we made last month at my punches class.  I have to give full credit to the creative artists who figure out that they can make something like this adorable raccoon from punches!  In this case, Trudy Freas swapped a card using the raccoon at a Punches Swap at Convention.

My twist?  I added a tree made from the scalloped circle from the Circles Collection framelits.  The trunk of the tree was made by cutting off the sides using the Ovals Collection framelits.  I then embossed it using the woodgrain embossing folder.  The paper was the Early Espresso Core'dinations paper so we were able to get the two tone look on the trunk.

 

Since this was a Punches class and just constructing these little beauties took a long time, the cards were not "finished" on the inside.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Banner Greetings
Inks:          Garden Green
Paper:      Early Espresso Core'dinations, Garden Green, Soft Sky, Basic Black, Whisper White, Basic Gray
Other:        Fancy Fan, Cloudy Day (retired)  & Woodgrain embossing folders, Linen Thread, Black Pen
Punches:   Elegant Butterfly, Bitty Butterfly, Full Heart, Bird Builder, Modern Label, Extra Large Oval,
                   Large Oval, 1 3/4" Circle

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Technique Tuesday - Washi Tape...

Have you joined the Washi craze?  I hadn't until I got a bunch of it at convention.  Now I am finding all kinds of fun things to do with it.  Here's one - create a new background with it.

 Here's what you need to create this background:

• Washi Tape - 3-4 coordinating patterns
• Piece of Cardstock - your color is only dependent on if you have any Washi that is transparent.
• Embossing Folder - I used the Argyle
• Sponge and Ink (not shown)
• Sanding Block (not shown)

 Begin in one corner of your cardstock and put a piece of your first of Washi at an angle.

 Continue lining up each strip of Washi with the next.  I leave a bit hanging over which helps hold your cardstock in place.

 Here's what it should look like when you are done placing your Washi.

 Here are the two ways you can handle the Washi tape ends.  You can trim them off with scissors or,

 Just fold them over to the back!

 Next take your Washi background and run it through the Big Shot with your embossing folder.

 Lightly sand the top of the embossed pattern.

Sponge the top with a coordinating ink color (I used Basic Gray).

 Here is the card that I made with the background.  The little bat is made using the Owl Builder punch.  His wings are made using the owl vest.

Finally here is the inside of the card where I used the Washi tape horizontally.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Seasonal Sayings, Tags 4 You
Inks:          Basic Black, Basic Gray, Only Orange (marker), White Craft
Paper:       Only Orange, Whisper White, Basic Black
Other:        Witches' Brew Washi Tape, 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (Black), Owl Builder Punch, Label
                    Bracket Punch, Argyle Embossing Folder, Sponge, Signo Gel Pen, Black & Orange Glitter

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Technique Tuesday - Quick Tip.....

Here's a quick tip today.  You have probably seen several cute things that you can do with those left over embellishment containers.  I know I have seen lots of great ideas.  Here's a quick tip on how to get the labels off of them easily and below are some ideas on what to do with them.

 Take your Heat Gun and heat the label up.  This works best with the newer labels which have a plastic coating on the top.  You can tell this by the glossiness of the label.

The warmth of  the heat gun heats the adhesive enough that you can just pull the label up without leaving any residue!  No Goo Gone or anything...

So now, what do you do with these?  Here's some ideas:

• In a recent Technique Tuesday, I showed you how to use them to dye your crepe filter paper flowers.
• Dye ribbon using the same technique as the flowers using reinkers and rubbing alcohol
• I use them for all of the little pieces at my classes.  Each attendee has their own little container at their seat which holds ribbons, pearls, brads, small punched items, etc.
• Take an empty ribbon spool, cut it down to fit inside the container and spool your Baker's Twine on it.  Then punch a hole in the side using a Crop-A-Dile.  Set an eyelet in it and run the twine through for accessing.
• Fill them with candy and make them the center of a flower using the Floral Frames Collection framelits.  Place them on a wooden stick for a stem and put them in a pot full of candy to hold them up.       

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Happy B-Day!!!

My hostess just loves Stampin' Up!'s  Honeycomb Embossing Folder and asked if I could make card using that.  Sure!  So I got out to my favorite site for inspiration - Splitcoaststampers.com.  I found the perfect card and did a little bit of twist to it.  Here's the result.

 I just love the Core'dinations papers and am thrilled that Stampin' Up! offers them in every color family now.  Here I used the new Baked Brown Sugar Core'dinations paper for the Honeycomb embossing folder and then sanded it.

I had to dig out my Nature's Pace stamp set out of my retired to get a bee for the card because the bee from Backyard Basics was just too big for this card.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Happy Day, Occasions Alphabet, Nature's Pace (retired)
Inks:           Crushed Curry, Early Espresso, Baked Brown Sugar
Paper:      Baked Brown Sugar Core'dinations, Crushed Curry, So Saffron
Other:        Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Petite Curly Label Punch, Pearls

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

My Friend .... From Stampin' Up!

Here is a card we made recently using the Elements of Style (retired) and My Friend stamp sets.  If you don't have the Elements of Style stamp set, you can always use Flowering Flourishes stamp set.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       My Friend, Elements of Style
Inks:         Calypso Coral, Soft Suede
Paper:      Soft Suede, Calypso Coral and Very Vanilla
Other:        Scallop Border punch, Crumb Cake seam binding, Floral Fusion Sizzlits, Pearl

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Sandpipers from Stampin' Up!'s Wetlands Set

Here is our final card from the Wetlands stamp set class.  This class was really a hit.  Everyone enjoyed seeing all the different looks from just one $16.95 (US-clear) set.

 First we stamped the birds twice across a piece of Whisper White cardstock using VersaMark and embossed them using clear embossing powder.  We then broke out our brayers and colored the entire piece using Island Indigo ink.  We then took Midnight Muse ink and worked down from the top very slowly so most of the ink ended up at the very top.  We stopped at the waterline.  I came back along the bottom with the Island Indigo so the color would be a bit deeper there as well.   The sentiment was stamped and then cut out using the Apothecary Accents framelit.  I then cut two more out of Midnight Muse. and layered these behind so they appeared to be matted.  You can barely see at the top where they overlap.  A bit of trimming needed to be done as well.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Wetlands
Inks:          VersaMark, Island Indigo, Midnight Muse
Paper:      Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Island Indigo
Other:        Clear Embossing Powder, 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (Whisper White), Apothecary Accents Framelits,
                  Beautifully Baroque embossing folder, Candy Dots

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Canada Goose from Wetlands...

Here is another card that we made using the Canada goose and the grains from the Wetlands stamp set. 

 I like that this card shows you that you can use a non-traditional color for a stamp and it still looks great.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Wetlands
Inks:         Island Indigo
Paper:      Island Indigo, Whisper White, Quatrefancy Specialty
Other:        Baker's Twine, Button

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Technique Tuesday - Tie the Perfect Bow!

Do your bows ever turn out all wonky?  You know, the bow with the loops up and down instead of side by side or one tail going up and the other down?  Want to make a perfect bow every time?  Here you go!!!!

 I am using a piece of ribbon that was wrapped around my prize patrol prize at convention but you can use any size of ribbon.

 Here is the most important part of making a bow - you need to choose a WORKER end and a LAZY end and you always work down (or towards you) not up and away from you.  Whichever side (right or left) that you choose for your WORKER, just keep that one working!  In my instructions, I have chosen the ribbon end on the left as my WORKER.  Here, I take the WORKER and cross it over my LAZY end.

 Next, my WORKER went to the back and up through the hole so he is now on the right side.

 Here, I am holding the LAZY one and the WORKER is now on the right.

 Okay, now we need to at least get that LAZY end to do something!  Just make a loop with the LAZY end pointing to the right.

 Now take your WORKER and come over the top of your LAZY loop, around the back and through the hole you created.

 Now pull your WORKER out on the left side and grab ahold of both loops to tighten.

Here's your finished bow.  Let's check it - Loops side by side?  Yep!  Tails both pointing down?  Yep!  PERFECT!!!!
      

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Great Grains from Wetlands Stamp Set...

Here is another card that we made using the Wetlands stamp set.

 The multi-colored grains were created using the felt pad technique.  If you don't remember it or don't have time to check it out on my Techniques page, you put a bit of several colors of reinkers onto a felt piece (make sure you have wax paper underneath) and use it as a stamp pad.  With this particular use, make use your ink areas are touching each other so you get a good stamping.  We also double stamped so we got some grains lighter than others.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Wetlands
Inks:          Early Espresso, Crumb Cake (reinker), Pumpkin Pie  (reinker), Sahara Sand  (reinker)
Paper:       Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Other:        Antique Brads, 3/8" Soft Suede Taffeta ribbon

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Stampin' Up!'s Wetlands Stamp Set...

Back in July, I contacted my customers to get a vote on which set they would like to have a class built around.  There were some great sets in the running but Wetlands won out.  Here is the first of four cards we made with this set. 

 We used a piece of paper and sponging to create the framing for the Canada goose.  Am I the only one who didn't know until recently that they are not Canadian geese, but Canada geese?

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Wetlands
Inks:          Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
Paper:      Very Vanilla, Garden Green, Early Espresso
Other:        7/16" Trim, Paper Piercer, Naturals Button, Linen Thread

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

For the Sports Fan....

Here is a card that is perfect for a young boy or the sports fan in your family.

 We stamped the winged pattern on Window Sheets using Black StazOn ink and then cut it out. 

Here is the inside of the card.  The baseballs were punched out which made it so easy.  The Great Sport stamp set has a baseball, a basketball, a soccer ball and a football - perfect to cater to just about any sports fan!

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Great Sport, Perfectly Penned
Inks:         Black StazOn, Summer Starfruit
Paper:      Whisper White, Summer Starfruit, Basic Black, Gumball Green, Patterns DSP, Window Sheets
Other:        Chevron embossing folder

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Pet Sympathy Card....

One of my hostesses recently asked for a pet sympathy card.  So the challenge came to create a card while Stampin' Up! doesn't have a dog or cat stamp that isn't frolicking (Storybook Friends).  I came across a video by Mary Fish showing how to make a cute paw print and I thought that would be perfect!  Here's my interpretation...

 The paw is made by punching the second from the smallest framelit from the Hearts Collection and then the Small Oval Punch.  The size of your cardstock cannot be any wider than 3 1/8" or your toe pads won't fit correctly.  TIP:  Use some scrap DSP and temporary adhesive to place your toe pads where you want them while punching them out.

The inside of my card was stamped using the dog from the Every Little Bit (retired) stamp set and a puppy paws stamp I had laying around.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Thoughts & Prayers, Every Little Bit (retired)
Inks:           Midnight Muse, Soft Suede
Paper:      Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse
Other:        Linen Thread, Antique Brad, Hearts Collection framelits, Small Oval punch, Modern Mosaic embossing
                   folder, Lattice embossing folder

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams

Technique Tuesday - Making Crepe Paper Flowers...

Well, you have been waiting a few weeks for this and here it is.  Here's how to make those pretty flowers that I used at the top of the 3 Tier Pull Card that I made for a convention swap.  I will also teach you how to die them quickly and easily.

Here's what you will need:

• Creped Filter Paper
• Floral Frames Collection framelits
• Reinker (I used Crisp Cantaloupe)
• 70% Rubbing Alcohol
• Brads - will not be seen so it is a great way to use those retired brads!
• Empty embellishment container.
• Paper Piercer
• Paper Towel
• Tweezers to hold - alligator tweezers work best (not shown)

You will be using the smallest framelit so cut two strips of the Crepe Filter Paper at 1 1/2".

 Fold each strip in half.

 Fold it in half again.

 Stack the two folded pieces and cut out using the smallest flower framelit.  This project is made much easier if you have the Big Shot Magnetic Platform because the framelit will hold the stack of filter paper in place.

 Pour enough rubbing alcohol in the empty embellishment container so it covers the entire bottom of the container plus a little bit more.  The amount needed will depend upon how many flowers you are dying.  Next add about 10 drops of reinker.  Again, the amount will depend the intensity you want for your flowers.  If you think your flowers are too light, you can always add more reinker and re-dye them until you get the intensity you are looking for.

 Place the entire stack of flowers in the mixtures together.  Let them sit for just a few seconds - making sure that they are fully covered.

 Remove the flowers and place them on the paper towel.

 You can blot them gently if you want a stiffer look or can wad them up in the paper towel and squeeze them for a more crinkled look.

 Next place them on your paper piercer in the middle.

 This step is only needed if your flower is not dry enough.  Since it is alcohol and not water, they do dry very quickly.  But if you are in a hurry, just use your heat gun on the warm setting to dry them.

 Put your brad through the hole in the flowers.  You can separate them before or after you put them on the brad - your choice!  You should have 8 layers which can be a challenge to get apart so be patient.  I used my alligator tweezers to hold the bottom of the brad which I have not closed yet.

 Take the top layer and lift and pinch it together to make it stand up in the center around the brad top.  (Sorry, these pictures turned out so fuzzy!) .

 Continue with each layer until they are all scrunched upward as shown.

Finally, spread the brad ends to close the brad and start to gently open the layers until it looks like a flower!

 Here is the card that I made using the flowers in this tutorial.  The larger flower was made using 6 layers of the next smallest flower from the Floral Frames Collection framelits.  The leaves were made out of the crepe filter paper and cut using one side of the scalloped heart from the Hearts A Flutter framelits.  I dyed them by placing them directly onto the Pistachio Pudding ink pad and pressing down with my tweezers (I don't have the reinker yet).  This method makes them much more intense and takes a lot longer to dry.

Here's how I decorated the inside of the card.  This isn't a card for mailing because your flowers will be all squished but would be a beautiful card on top of a gift.

Here's what you will need to duplicate this card:
Stamps:       Papaya Collage; Papillion Potpouri
Inks:          Early Espresso, Pistachio Pudding
Paper:       Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla
Other:       Bitty Butterfly punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Ruffle Stretch Ribbon, Crochet Trim
                  Stylish Stripes embossing folder

Forever Stampin',

    Cathy Williams