Vintage Doilies

Normally I wouldn't consider myself a 'doily person', but I do love the Delicate Doilies set in the catalog.  I've had have fun playing with the set, and this is a vintage-ish card I came up with a while ago:  

This card uses the emboss-resist technique.  I stamped the doily image with Versamark ink onto Very Vanilla card stock.  Next I heat embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder and then sponged over the top with Soft Suede ink.  I sponged more in the middle (darker) and then faded out to the edges.  The embossed part 'resists' the ink and stays Very Vanilla in color.  A simple 'wow' technique!  

The middle of the doily has one of the Antique Brads.  On the larger Very Vanilla panel, I used my Color Spritzer Tool to add a little texture and then sponged and distressed the edges.  The ribbon is the Victoria Crochet Trim.  

For the tag, I used the Tiny Tags stamp set, Soft Suede ink and the Jewelry Tag punch.  I attached it to the ribbon using a bit of Linen Thread and one of the safety pins from the Vintage Trinkets embellishment set.  A close up of that:  

Thanks for stopping by!  

Stamps:  Delicate Doilies, Tiny Tags

Ink:  Soft Suede, Versamark

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Soft Suede

Accessories:  Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, Jewelry Tag Punch, Vintage Trinkets, Victoria Crochet Trim, Antique Brads, Linen Thread, Cutter Kit, Color Spritzer Tool (and Soft Suede marker) sponge, dimensionals
 

Lots of Love Letters

Have you tried the Letterpres Plates yet?  They made their debut in the Holiday Mini last year, and a few more were introduced in the Occasions Mini Catalog--including the Lots of Love letterpress plate which I used here.  

I ran watercolor paper through the Big Shot with the Lots of Love plate.  For this card I didn't ink the plate before we ran it through--although you can do that.  For an example of what that looks like see THIS post. Unfortunately it's hard to have a photo pick up the texture and detail of the card, but you should be able to click on the picture to get a closer look. 

I gathered the 1 1/4" Real Red Striped Grosgrain ribbon and wrapped the prongs of the Antique Brad around to keep it in place.  The tag was made using the stamp set Tiny Tags.  For this card and sentiment I had a wedding card in mind, but I thought the design could also lend itself to an anniversary, wedding shower, or valentine's card.  I punched out the sentiment using the Medium Jewelry Tag punch and layered that on a heart from the Heart to Heart punch. 

A couple of hints when using the letterpress plates:  Although I didn't use any ink on this card with the letterpress plate, if you do want to add color craft inks do work better than the classic inks.  I needed to use a shim with my Big Shot (you may not need to with yours).  Also, a thicker paper gives you a crisper image and a deeper impression--Whisper White works ok, but water color paper or textured paper works better.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Check back tomorrow to see the new Stampin' Celebration challenge!  

Stamps:  Tiny Tags

Ink:  Real Red

Paper:  Watercolor Paper (p 170), Real Red, and Naturals White

Accessories:  1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Antique Brads, Heart to Heart Punch, Medium Jewelry Tag Punch, Lots of Love Letterpress plate, Big Shot, Linen Thread, dimensionals

Lots of Circles

Today I have two cards to share that both use the stamp set Circle Circus. Not only is this a set I love, it is also a set that happens to be a part of the May Stampin' Up promotion! When you purchase this set during May, you can choose a package of Designer Brads for FREE! See the flyer with all of the details HERE.

I found the inspiration for this card HERE. I loved Ruth's card, and so I didn't make too many changes. I like the way that the front layer of the card is shorter than the back, so that the circles hang off the edge. I used the colors Mellow Moss, Really Rust (both retiring) and Chocolate Chip.

One detail that I added was the Circle Designer Brad to the center of one of the circles. I carefully dipped the brad in my Chocolate Chip Craft pad, then dipped it in Clear Embossing Powder, and then embossed. Hint: The brad gets VERY hot while embossing. I used tweezers to hold the brad so that I didn't burn myself.

To see a slightly different version of how to color your Designer Brads, see THIS tutorial (scroll to the bottom). You'll learn how to get the color into only the depressed part of the brad.

The second card I have to share was inspired by Lauri's card that you can see HERE. My version is a 3x3 card. I used Crystal Effects in the center of the stamped image to add a little dimension and shine. The Kraft layer (square) is up on dimensionals.

Stamps: Circle Circus, Thank You Kindly, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Mellow Moss, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Kraft (Crumb Cake), Whisper White
Accessories: Circle Designer Brad, various circle punches, Scallop Circle Punch, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, Cutter Kit, dimensionals

Fancy Flower Punch

When I first looked through the Occasions Mini Catalog, the Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch was one of those items that immediately caught my eye. And I must say, I haven't been disappointed. I LOVE this punch! :-) Both of these projects also use the stamp set With All My Heart--another fun item from the Mini.

For the first card I started by punching out the flower and crumpling it up into a little ball--yes you read that right. :-) Then I opened it up and placed it on top of the coordinating (Rose Red) ink pad. I walked my fingers over the flower so that the raised edges of the flower picked up the ink. It gives you a cool effect that you'll have to try for yourself.


Stamps: With All My Heart
Ink: Versamark, Close to Cocoa marker
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Rose Red, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Fresh Favorites I colored buttons, Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Linen Thread, dimensionals


This next project is a 3x3 card. I started by sponging Platinum Shimmer Paint onto the stamp and then stamping on Night of Navy card stock. It gives you a nice subtle shimmer. (Note: although you won't see Shimmer Paint listed in any catalog, it is still available for order.)

After I punched out the image with my Fancy Flower punch, I added the Filigree Designer Brad and the Ice Rhinestone Brad. I finished with the sentiment and by adding dimensionals under each of the Night of Navy layers.

Stamps: With All My Heart
Ink: Platinum Shimmer Paint, Night of Navy marker
Paper: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy
Accessories: Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch, Filigree Designer Brad, Circle Ice Rhinestone Brad, dimensionals

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Take time today to remember all those people in your life you love. :-)

Here's another Valentine's projects we made at my Valentine's Bundle class. I'm not sure who first came up with the idea for these CUTE scallop note boxes, but they are fun and resonably simple to make. You start by using the Big Shot with the Scallop Envelope Die to cut out 4 scallop envelopes which you then make into a box. I added a picture tutorial here. . . . if you have questions about any of the steps, please don't hesitate to ask! 

Trim one of the side tabs off of each envelope, add 2" by 3" pieces of Designer Paper and then use a strong adhesive (Sticky Strip or Tombow) to adhere the box together.

I used a 3" by 3" square of light cardboard (the kind that comes in the packs of 12x12 paper) to give stability to the bottom of the box.

Thread and tie the ribbon and add a bag of goodies! I used the Stampin' Up! large cello bags.

Here's a close up of the tag. The white is embossed, and the heart is then cut out. I used a loop of ribbon attached to the back of the tag so that it could slide off and on the bag--without needing to re-tie a bow. :-)

Stamps: Love You Much
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Candy Lane DP
Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop Envelope Die, White Stampin Emboss powder, heat tool, 1/8" Circle Punch, 1/4" Whisper White grosgrain ribbon, 5/8" Pink Pirouette striped grosgrain ribbon, Filigree Designer Brad, pink circle rhinestone brad, large cello bag

Scalloped Congrats

It's not really the time of year for graduations, but I've had the idea for this card in my head since convention, and I finally got it on paper--so to speak. :-) I saw this cute way to fold a gift card holder a little while ago. I'm not sure who the origional creator is, but what a fun idea! I'll be working up a tutorial for this card to show not only the unique fold, but also how I added the yellow to the Designer Brad (something I learned at convention). So, check back later!

Stamps: Say it with Scallops

Ink: Basic Black, YoYo Yellow Craft

Paper: Basic Black, YoYo Yellow, Brushed Silver, Whisper White

Accessories: Large Star Punch, Star Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Designer Brads-Star Assortment, 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch, Word Window Punch, Round Tab Punch