August-December Mini Blog Hop

 We have another catalogue--already!  This one is chocked full of fall and winter images, paper and embellishments.  I'm not quite ready to dive wholly into Christmas for real, but fall is my favourite time of the year, so I decided to focus on the beautiful new Plaid Tidings DSP and the Stitched Leaves Dies (because who doesn't love EVERYTHING stitched?!).

I used a resist embossing technique on my background along with a stencil of winter trees from the Basic Pattern Decorative Masks pack.  These stencils can be used with embossing paste, sponge daubers, or ink pads, but I decided to rub a Versamark pad over the stencil and heat emboss the trees in white on some watercolour paper.  I then watercoloured a mix of inks over top to make my fall background....a combination of Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Crumb Cake.  The heat embossing resists the water/ink, so that the trees seem to pop right off the page.

I absolutely love stitching on dies, it is a simple way to add a bit of texture and detail.  These dies are pretty unique though, as the stitching is a separate die....so you can choose to add the detailing or not.  Also, the outline dies leave stitching on the negative piece, so you end up with a cut away leaf opening and stitches around it. 

There are so many great plaid designs in this paper pack and I can't wait to use them all.  One side of the paper is more Christmasy colours, and the other side is plaid suitable for fall or other times of the year (there is a great magenta piece!).  I layered a piece of neutral plaid behind my watercoloured piece, and then die cut two leaves out of other matching prints for my focal point.  

I added a stitched circle sentiment and lots of gemstones, as well as a tied linen thread bow as embellishments.

I kept the inside of my card blank for now but added a strip of the matching background DSP across the bottom.  I'll add an appropriate message inside before sending the card to a recipient in the future.

That's it for me folks, thanks for stopping by!  Please leave me a comment below before hopping on to the rest of the pages:

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

SimpLeigh Stamping (Leigh)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

Father's Day Blog Hop

Hello Everyone, I hope you are safe and well and riding out this physical distancing as best as you can.  It is certainly wearing thin these days and I know we are all anxious for life to get back to normal.

Our blog hop theme this month is Father's Day and I have two different designs:  one is super simple and the other super complicated!  I like them both for different reasons, and I couldn't decide which one to feature, so I thought I might as well share both!

Let's start with the easy one.  I created this design for some encouragement cards we donated to our local hospital and liked it so much I added some elements for Father's Day.  I think the simplicity of the Ombre design works well for a masculine card and it could be personalized with any colour combination to match the recipient's favourite colour.

I used the wavy border die from the Seasonal Layers die set (retiring next month!) and cut a scalloped edge from three shades of blue cardstock (Night of Navy, Blueberry Bushel, and Balmy Blue).  I gently curled the edge with my bone folder and attached the pieces to each other with approximately 1.25" of each colour showing.  The secret to this design is to only apply minimal adhesive across the TOP of the piece, so that the scallop has a chance to lift up for dimension.

To step it up a notch I also die cut "happy" from the Well Written dies 5 times:  once in each shade of blue and four times in thick whisper white.  This created an eclipse-look while on the surface, but the white underlay helps the letters stand out better.

I also stamped the sentiment "Father's Day" in an Ombre effect, by stamping originally in Balmy Blue, and then sponging the other two colours on top of my stamp before putting to paper.  (This stamp set is from a Paper Pumpkin kit several years ago....I love Paper Pumpkin for this reason!  It really helps build up your supply of great sentiments fast).

I wrapped some linen thread around the top quarter of my Ombre cardstock before gluing it onto my thick whisper white card base.

And now onto the complicated card!  This one was tough from a measuring standpoint, but I had a TON of fun decorating it.  This is an "impossible card" fancy fold--how have I not heard about this until now?!?

Believe it or not the base of this card is created from one 4.25" x 5.5", without glue!  It's just scoring, folding and cutting, and the folding helps create a natural pop-up of the centre piece.

Please check out Dawn Griffith's tutorial for all the measurements---the base is actual quite simple, but I have to say I struggled with the decorative layers!  I'm blaming my ruler....it can't be straight. :)

The key paper is from the Bird Ballad DSP and I thought it paired perfectly with the car imagery from the Geared Up Garage stamp set.  I stamped the car image from the set in the bottom right corner of my centre panel and stamped the sentiments in Old Olive on both Grey Granite and white cardstock and cut them out with the coordinating dies.

I also cut a BUNCH of gears from the die set and heat embossed them with gold, silver and copper embossing powder.  It think it really amps up the realism factor and adds some shine, which I always find hard on masculine cards.  Why don't the men in my life like glitter as much as I do?

Everything is layered and I added some dimensionals in a few places for added dimension.

My dad is always trying to figure out how stuff works and I can't wait to see him try to figure out how this card was made!  He'll likely have it solved within two minutes.

Please hop along to see the creations of my talented teammates:

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

SimpLeigh Stamping (Leigh)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

Christmas Gift Card Holder (Blog Hop)

As we head quickly towards to the single-digit countdown to Christmas I have LOTS of gift cards on my holiday list!  When you have teenagers and young adults in your life they are an essential, but they can leave the giver and recipient wishing they were a little...more.  That feeling of "not having something to open on Christmas morning" lingers, even when you know it's what they really want.  Today on our blog hop we have the solution--beautiful gift card holders!

My gift card holder is a "Corner Pop Up" style I first saw on Lisa's Stamp Studio  and just knew I had to make this year.  It's so easy to do but a real wow!  Lisa has a great video with easy to follow directions on her blog as well as still pictures and all of the measurements, so be sure to check out her page as well.

This holder is beautiful inside and out with lots of pretty paper, and can stand up for display.

I started with an 8" square of Very Vanilla and scored it vertically and horizontally at 4".  Then I scored a diagonal from corner to corner as well.  I burnished all the folds with my bone folder, being sure to fold the diagonal score mark "up."  Once you do this the card easily starts to fold onto itself with very little effort.

Each of the quadrants is 4" square, so that makes it super easy to decorate.  I used four different patterns from the Toile DSP and the Tidings All Around Bundle (stamp set and dies) to make my holder, but this style would work well with any paper and embellishment.

I layered two of the detailed wreath dies, one in Garden Green and one in Mossy Meadow, together, and then added some gold glitter embellishments.  I was inspired by a card I received at our team swap several weeks ago, loving the gold accents and filling the centre of the wreath with a sentiment for the season.

I stamped some foliage on a vanilla circle and layered it on a Real Red scalloped circle with a bright and cheery sentiment.

Tucked inside on a pull out card is the gift card (shh, this is a secret for my niece!) and a little more stamping.

I thought the hardest part of this holder would be creating an envelope to match the 4" square, but then inspiration struck!  I used one of Stampin' Up!'s gold foil striped envelopes and I will never stress about unusual card sizes again!  These particular bags are no longer available, but there are some great copper ones you can use instead. ;)

I decorated a vanilla panel on my envelope with  the new 3D Brick & Mortar embossing folder and some Real Red accents, and then layered another two wreaths (in Garden Green and Mossy Meadow), popped up with dimensionals, and gold accents.

I tied a tag to the bag with some gold and vanilla twine and voila--a beautiful and unique gift to open on Christmas Day!

Here's one last look at the holder front before you hop on by to see what everyone else has for you today:

Thanks for stopping by, and Merry Christmas!

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

JustBStamping (Barb--you're here!)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

So Many Stars Blog Hop

So I've decided--this is my favourite card from my recent Holiday Card Buffet!!  I love the super traditional stars paired with the non-traditional colours.  And that hammered metal embossing folder?? Swoon.

This simple card packs a lot of punch, but can be replicated quickly and easily to mass produce for all your friends and family this year.

I used a combination of Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay inks for my star collage and paired that with a Basic Grey sentiment wishing "peace" this holiday season.

I layered the stamped panel with dimensionals onto the embossed panel, which I had adhered to my thick whisper white card base.  The thick cardstock really makes this card feel substantial.  I also used some retired matching ribbon, which is the best part of Stampin' Up!--complete coordination!

Have you started on your holiday to-do list yet?  It's coming up quick!  I still have several events and classes-to-go available if you need some inspiration. :)

Thanks for stopping by.  Keep hopping to see what everyone made this month too!

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

JustBStamping (Barb--you're here!)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

Simple Perfectly Plaid Card

One of the things I love best about making my own cards is that I can tailor the final product to the person it's intended for, or to suit my mood.  Usually I enjoy making more elaborate cards, with multiple colours, stamp sets, dies, punches, fancy folds--you name it!  But I've been challenging myself to design simpler cards this fall, creating my Classes-To-Go (which use just one ink colour and stamp set), and some Stamp-A-Stack classes as well.

This is one of three cards designs in my Stamp-A-Stack 2 class, created specifically to help create 12 cards in just 2 hours!

I love the simplicity of this card, and the oh-so-traditional look of the green plaid with just a touch of metallic gold.

I stamped my tree in black memento ink and then added Pear Pizzazz leaves and Real Red "lights", and popped him up on a square of Wrapped in Plaid DSP, which was mounted on a slightly larger square of Pear Pizzazz cardstock.  

The "Happy Holidays" sentiment is one of 18--that's right, 18!!--phrases included in the Itty Bitty Christmas stamp set.

The inside message is one of the sentiments included in the Perfectly Plaid stamp set and sends just the right message to your loved one at Christmas.

I hope you will attend one of my holiday events this Fall!  Check out all the details on my "Holiday Events" page (tabbed across the bar at the top).

Follow along on our hop to see what the other members of the Stamping Symphony team created for you this month:

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

JustBStamping (Barb--you're here!)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

Snowman Season (Holiday Blog Hop)

Hi Everyone, welcome to another Stamping Symphony Blog Hop!  I'm so glad you came by.  :)

Our theme this month was anything from the new Holiday Catalogue--talk about a tough decision!  This catalogue is 63 pages of awesome!!!  I have been playing with tons of new products designing my holiday classes and card buffets; it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. :)  :)  I finally decided to share this card featuring the Snowman Season stamp set and First Frost DSP with you today:

Isn't he the cutest?  And he can be elegant, like in this card, or totally fun with bright colours too--gotta love the versatility!

I started with a thick white cardstock base and added a 2" strip of the First Frost DSP to the left side.  This paper is so beautiful you don't even need to add anything but a sentiment to it to have a blow-your-mind-pretty-card.  I selected a snowy branch scene but there are oodles of great choices in many colours to choose from.

I stamped my joyful snowman in Memento Black ink and coloured very lightly with my Pool Party and Highland Heather blends.  I love the look of not colouring him in completely, but just giving a touch of colour, which adds to the more sophisticated look.  Colouring is not just for kids!

No raindrops falling on this snowman's head!  Instead I stamped a few snowflakes in Highland Heather.  The "Happy Holidays" sentiment is from the new Itty Bitty Christmas set, which is chockful of all kinds of greetings and sentiments for the season.

I cut my snowman out with a stitched square and matted him on a scalloped circle of Seaside Spray, which perfectly matches the DSP (thank you Stampin' Up! for making that so easy!), and keeps my colour palette frosty.  I popped that whole piece up on dimensionals.

Like always, I had to stamp the inside of my card too!  The "Thinking of You" sentiment is also from the Itty Bitty Christmas set; I stamped it with black ink and then added some more purple snowflakes for that festive feel.

Are you a traditional red & green Christmas fan, or do you like to mix it up with some non-traditional colours too?

Thanks for stopping by today, keep hopping to the sites below to see more of our holiday favourites:

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

JustBStamping (Barb--you're here!)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

Hofkissed (Stephanie)

Check You Out: Back to School Card (Blog Hop)

Summer is almost over and I have a split reviews about school starting again at my house:  two kids who are putting on the brakes, and one who can't wait to get started!  Of course, she is extra excited this year to be starting a new (middle) school, without any siblings in attendance, so that may be helping fuel the excitement.  ;)

Our blog theme this month was "fall", and for me the first sign of fall is back to school stuff!  I am a bit of an office-supply aficionado (if I do say so myself), and we all enjoy getting fresh supplies to start the year off right.

As always, the products I use are available for purchase in my online store here.

As I mentioned, my daughter is off to a new school this year, so I decided to design a card for her first day.

This super cute little set includes a lot of fun images for the book/school lover in your life, and comes with some great sentiments too.  How perfect is 'starting a new chapter' for this card?!  But it could so easily be used for someone retiring or having a baby or switching jobs or getting married...I love sets that do that!  Ohhh....just had a thought:  how about mirror-imaging two owls so they face each other and making a wedding card?!?!?  That might be next on my craft table...

But back to this card!  Even though my daughter is well past the primary school stage I felt strong, bright colours were the best to evoke a back-to-school feeling, so I chose Blueberry Bushel, Real Red, Granny Apple Green and Pineapple Punch for my colour scheme.

I stamped and fussy cut the owl in Crumb Cake and the library pocket in Soft Suede, and stamped my sentiment in Early Espresso.

This is the first time I have used the Brick & Mortar 3D Embossing Folder, and it was perfect to provide texture for my front mat....while looking A LOT like a brick school!  I will definitely be using this folder lots for Christmas cards too; wouldn't Santa and some presents look great with that brick?

I layered everything together for my focal  point and then added some (retired) gold thread behind it all.  Silver and Rose thread is still available on my website, and I LOVE this stuff!

On the inside of my card I stamped another Crumb Cake owl and paired it with the "woo-hoo" sentiment from the Time for Tags stamp set--how perfect is that combination?!  I love that Stampin' Up!'s product line often cross-over, allowing for more versatility and fun.

I'd love for you to comment below, so please consider dropping me a note before you hop along to see what my fellow crafters created this month!  Want what you see?  Everything is available in my webstore, just click on the shopping bags image to see all this and more!

And here are the links to hop over:

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

JustBStamping (Barb--you're here!)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

Hofkissed (Stephanie)

Above the Clouds (Stamping Symphony Blog Hop)

It's time for another Stamping Symphony Blog Hop!  Thanks for hopping along with us. :)

This month we are featuring our favourite item from the new catalogue and I have to say...it was an incredibly tough choice!  I'm still not sure this is my very favourite yet, as I love a lot of the new items, but this one is definitely high on the list (no pun intended).

This is one of the images from the Above the Clouds stamp set, which I stamped in Memento ink and then punched with the coordinating Hot Air Balloon Punch. I coloured my rainbow balloon with the Blends markers and I love how I was able to get the shading so easily with these markers.  They make me feel like an artist every time!

I die cut a stitched rectangle out of Whisper White paper and sponged the edges in Pool Party to give a soft sky look to my background.  I really wanted the coloured balloon to pop so I kept everything else very minimal on my card front.

I added some Smoky Slate clouds to the background piece and then mounted it onto a Thick Whisper White card base.  I added the balloon, basket, and trail of flags (also coloured in rainbow order) using Dimensionals, and they really look like they are going to float right off the page.

I finished the card by stamping "Let your dreams soar" in the bottom left corner in Basic Gray.  Inside I added another line of coloured flags and a sentiment.

This would be a great graduation card, or even a farewell card for someone heading off on their next adventure.

Please leave me a comment below before you hop on to see what everyone else created for you this month.  I truly appreciate your time!

A La Cards (Leena)

LollyandSand (Sandy)

JustBStamping (Barb--you're here!)

Stampingjen.BlogSpot.com (Jennifer)

Hofkissed (Stephanie)

Thanks for hopping by!

Barb