Easter Mini Box Tree

Mary Fish inspired this little creation.  I found this darling little tree at Michael's and knew immediately that it was perfect for these little boxes!  The only thing I've changed from Mary's boxes is my background paper isn't black, it's left over scraps of Certainly Celery.  I also used my 1/16" punch on the top flaps and threaded embroidery floss through the flaps to create the hangers.  These little babies are filled with holiday jelly beans!  These were great for using up scraps!  I've never been much of a Barely Banana user, so I used that and Pretty in Pink for the boxes.  The chicks are Summer Sun and their beaks are Tangerine Tango.  Thanks Mary Fish!  You always inspire me!  Her wonderful tutorial for these little darlings can be found here: 
http://www.stampinpretty.com/petal-card-box-video.html

I'll be working on my daughter's birthday cards and Easter cards this weekend, so come back for my weekend posts.  Keep on creating!

Pedaling Past to Thank You

Pedaling Past is a stamp set that was in last year's Summer Mini.  I thought I'd pull it out at least one more time before the new Catalog items were available to customers!  I combined the use of the corner punch scallops, hodgepodge hardware, the dotted embossing folder combined with the latest in colors of Concord Crush and Pear Pizazz.  The paper is designer series paper, along with coordinating twill tape ribbon.  I also just love our new pearls!  I keep having to get more of them because I use them on everything these days!  This is an easy sketch to re-create using 3 printed papers, 2 colors, and 1 solid paper.  Easy!  Have fun!

Double Embossing Technique

I LOVE the double embossing technique!  What fun!  I've combined the Be My Valentine Stamp with the Love Letter DP and the Square Lattice embossing folder to create this double embossed card.  the lock and key are diecuts that were glued with snail to a square of Very Vanilla and then dry embossed.  The edges were inked and I used the slot punch to fee the ribbon through the upper layers of the card.  Here's the inside:

The stamped images came from the You're a Gem set in the Occasions Mini, Three Little Words, and the key is from Artistic Etchings.  Colors used are black, riding hood red, cherry cobbler, Basic Gray and Very Vanilla.  Happy Valentine's Day~

Gratitude and a new web design?

Here's a quick a simple card that would be great to demonstrate heat embossing.  All you need is cardstock, Valentines Defined stampset from the Occasions Mini, Whisper White craft ink, white embossing powder and a heat gun.  So quick with a sweet result!


Thanks so much to all my followers and posters! I've added all of you as well. The holidays had me in a whirling dervish, and I didn't post as much, but I'm back at it! I'm also considering revamping the look of my blog. Any of you have web designers or ideas? I have My Digital Studio so I'll be starting there but would love your input!


Happy creating,

Linda

Punch Art Birthday Cards

Mary Brown (aka stampercamper) posted a similar layout.  I changed it with printed dsp, buttons, and the cheery colors from the Ice Cream Parlor pack in the Sale-a-bration catalog!  Enjoy!

Punches used are:  large, medium and small oval, small/wide oval, 3/4 circle, 1/2 circle.
Colors are:  Pacific Poimt, Peach Parfait, Blushing Bride, Rose Red.  The mini pearls and cordouroy buttons were my embellishment choices along with some pacific point and peach parfait ribbon. 
I also used the Color Spritzer tool to splash a little Early Espresso on the lower half of each card.  I love that little gadget!  Click the picture for a closer view of each card!

Valentine Gift Card Holder

I had these little bags forever and was inspired to use them when I visited http://www.darlenesdesigns/ and saw her layout.  The hearts were punched as well us cut on my Cricut.  I simply stamped some, and others I heat embossed with versamark and clear embossing powder so the Very Vanilla cardstock would show through after I sponged them with either Soft Suede, Concord Grape, Blushing Bride or Cherry Cobbler.

I used the seam binding from stampin' up for the bow and a miscellaneous brad I had laying around.  The edges were inked with Crumb Cake craft ink.  The four center hearts are attached to the pullout card in the little bag.  It's punch with the Slot Punch to hold a gift card.  Fun stuff! 

Getting a start on Valentine's Cards

I just love the new Valentine's Defined stamp set in the Occasions Mini!
I started fairly simple with the 'heart' flowers and heart banner, and can't wait to create something fun and new with the flamingo and tree images: 

These cards were quick and easy!  I used a fiskars product that allows you to punch in the center of a card - very cool!  Look for more Valentine posts in the new future.  Enjoy!

Fun Boy Card!

Kudos to Angela Helynck's wonderful layout here:
http://www.stampinconnection.com/photo/1006793-1?context=user

I knew I wanted to incorporate several stamp sets with some brayering to make a 'space/planets' card.

I went hunting and found Angela's card which I adapted to include the robot and brayering.

It's hard to see, but the ring around 'saturn' has peach parfait glitter on it. The moon is two layers - one of Going Grey brayered with Basic Grey, and the other is Brushed Silver. The moon craters were created with the 1/2" circle punch, and an eyelet paper punch set.

The stamps used are:  Background Basics, Best Bot Forever, Starring You, Valentine Defined, Pun Fun

The colors used are:  Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Tangering Tango,
Poppy Parade, Going Grey, Basic Grey

The stars were embossed with Whisper White craft ink and White embossing powder. I also through in some dazzling diamonds to give the stars a little shimmer. The stars in the bottom left corner have some dazzling diamonds on them, too!

This took some time, but I had a "blast" making it!

Halloween Luminarias

These were VERY fun to make!  I used the tutorial on SCS , and heat embossed stamped images instead of adding diecuts as per the tutorial.  I went to the dollar store for some 2 for $1 electric tealights - they're awesome!  Here's a picture using a flash on my camera:

The paper is last year's Cast A Spell, and the dotted DSP is from this years Wicked Fun.  The stamps are from House of Haunts and From the Crypt.  I used SU Vellum and heat embossed the images with versamark, black ink and black embossing powder.  Vellum creates incredible embossed images! I'm going to line my walkway with these on Halloween night.  For now, they will sit in my window sill at night so they can be seen from the street.   I hope they inspire you to have a BOO-tiful Halloween!

Still Grateful.........

Hi Everyone!  I've really missed posting on my blog!  The good news is that yes, my insurance will pay for a new camera!  Bad news is I haven't replaced it yet and I won't get a check from the insurance company for another few weeks.  I wanted to post something, and I did find this picture of a card I made a few weeks ago but never posted.  The dsp is from the new Autumn Spice collection on page 13 of the Holiday Mini.  I love this paper and the coordinating stamp, Day of Gratitude!  I've used Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler and some Peach Parfait for cardstock and ink here.  I used the extra large round tab punch for the label.  The sentiment was stamped on a 1 inch strip of paper, then punch with the same punch and overlayed onto my mat label.  I used my Blossom Party die to cut the flowers that are overlayed on the large stamp from Days of Gratitude.  I used the color spritzre tool and my Early Espresso marker to spritz some color to my cardface.  This was a fairly quick card and I'm looking forward to making some more!  Thanks for looking!

Until I get a new camera....

Hi Crafty Friends,

I'm sad to report that my wonderful camera of which i used to take pictures of my crafts and cards was stolen on Wednesday.  I know, what a bummer, right?!  I'm still being crafty, however, there will be a lull in my postings of original creations until I can replace my camera.  Hopefully, my insurance will cover it and I can purchase another next week!

Here's hoping for awesome insurance coverage!

Kind crafty thoughts,

Linda

All in a pretty Box!

The brayered cards I've been posting are to be given away in a silent auction to raise money for a non-profit organization called Bikes for Kids Utah.  I got the boxes from Zurchers and had a ball dressin' 'em up!

These cards go with this box:

Sincere Salutations and Fast and Fabulous were used, and each set uses 3 colors from each color family  I saw this card made by Jennifer Weide on SC and thought it was perfect for a set of cards.

The 'season' brayered set based on the Season of Friendship set go inside this box:

This box was first sprayed with light blue glitter spray while it was still flat and unfolded.  I covered the blue section, and then sprayed green glitter spray to make the ground or grass.  I heat embossed the tree trunk with Creamy Caramel, then proceeded to heat emboss the leaves in Garden Green, Barely Banana, Cajun Craze, Old Olive and Really Rust.  This was simple and fun but a bit time consuming!  The cards that go inside of it are from my last post!  Thanks for looking!

Seasons of .... brayering!

Here's some more brayering, once again inspired by Michelle Zindorf.  Michelle posted the "Fall" card, and I ran with it, creating a similar card for each season.  I made 5 of each, 1 for me to keep, and two sets of two cards each to be given away as gifts.  These are blank cards, but they are layered and finished on the inside as well.  Season of Friendship and Style Beautiful are the stamp sets used.

Michelle's tutorial for the Fall card is here:  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2010/09/02/fall-color-tutorial-360/  You'll see that I don't stray from "The Master."  lol

The important technique here is emboss resist, which is what is done first, with the except of the Winter card.  Michelle describes how to use Versamark and ink stamped together, then heated as your first step, then brayer the sky, then sponge your grass, then stamp the tree, sponge the 'ground' and add white gel pen highlights.

The winter card is done differently.  First, tear through the sticky part of a post it note to make your hilly horizon.  Then brayer your sky, then sponge low grey clouds, then sponge your horizon.  remove the post it note.  Lightly sponge Going Grey at the bottom tip, then a little Basic Grey.  Stamp your tree.  Using Whisper White Craft Ink, stamp your snowflakes, then heat emboss with Iridescent Ice.  Add your white gel highlights, making snow in the branch crevices.  Dust a bit more Going Grey around the tree for your shadow and mount to your mats.

Colors are as follows:

Fall:  Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist and Not Quite Navy.

Winter:  Not Quite Navy, Taken with Teal, Going Grey, Basic Grey, Whisper White (craft)

Spring:  Blushing Bride, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue and Marina Mist

Summer:  Wild Wasabi, Poppy Parade, Garden Green, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point and Certainly Celery

These are 5 x 5 cards finished.  The mat stamped with Style Beautiful is 4 1/2 square.  The Square image on Whisper White is 3 1/4 square, with mats measuring 3 3/8 square and 3 1/2 square.

These were really fun to make!  I'm off to make a brayered gift box for them............have fun!

Brayered Thank You Set

Many Thanks to Michelle Zindorf for her beautiful layout for the cattail card that is part of this set.  Kudos to jadoherty on Splitcoast too!  I made this set for my friend, Annie.  I love brayering because the results are so pretty and it really doesn't take all that long!

This last one was run through the lattice embossing folder after it was brayered and stamped.  I saw this same card on SC and SCS and had to try it!  Lots of different stamp sets used for these three cards:  Just Believe, Inspired By Nature and Watercolor Trio.  Several punches were used too:  Photo Corner, oval, scallop, and the slot punch (cattails).  The cattail card was brayered on to Daffodil Delight, and the photo corners were run through an embossing folder.  Next I'm going to make a brayered gift box to put them in!  If you want to learn more about brayering, I highly recommend Michelle Zindorf's website, tutorials and classes.  Google her and find over 300 tutorials for her beautiful work!  Thanks for looking and I wish you a fun and stampy weekend!

Happiness is... Paisley Prints

The holiday mini has lots of fun surprises, and this set is great because it covers several holidays.  I hadn't played with the hearts in the set, but as soon as I saw it I thought of the Raspberry Tart dp with it's paisley background. 

I used the 'rock and roll' technique by first loading the heart stamps with Cameo Coral, then lightly tapping and rocking the edges of the stamp in Rose Red.  It creates a pretty variegated fad and I like the result!  I don't have the large heart punch so I cut those by hand, and I used the bitty punch set for the small hearts and inked the edges with Rose Red  The extra large punch (pg. 25 of the holiday mini) is my new favorite tag punch!  To make the mat behind it, simply punch your tag, then cut an X corner to corned and adhere them to your solid tag.  Cool, eh?  Two fun tips today - matting a punch and rock and roll!

The small corner detail stamp is from Style Beautiful and the sentiment is from Whimsical Words.  This is a quick card that looks great with some dimensionals to make the cut outs pop, and some doodling with a white gel pen for a bit more framing and focus.  There's more to come - I've been busy!  :)  Thanks so much for looking and feel free to add a comment, suggestion or follow me and let me know your blog address so I can follow YOUR creations.