Paper Pleasing Ideas

A Ruby Tiara

I think this stamp set (Little Tees - GinaK) is a fun way to change your shirt every card you make.  Today, I wanted to be *princess*.  To me princess' are all glam and shimmer, so I decided to dress up my Basic Grey Gypsy DP.  All That Scraps got some new product in called Shimmerz, and I used Angel Wings on this card.  All the bigger flowers got some painted on, and then I let it dry (took about 2 minutes).

  Here is a close up shot, so you can really see how shimmery it is.  Now you can make your own glittery DP out out whatever you happen to have on hand!  How cool is that ?!?

I stamped the shirt on another piece of CS in the pack, added the sentiment and cut it out.  I colored the collar and sleeves with my ruby red marker, and added the gem to the crown.  The base is black and I used 1/4 black CS circles for under my brads.  I really find that black makes colors really POP.  So, I tied on the black grosgrain and attached the t-shirt with dimensionals.  I didn't embellish to much, cause I didn't want to cover it up.  I wish you could see how shimmery this card is, it is so purty.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

In My Prayers

I love the soft feel of this card.  I used the Flowers For Daisy set from GinaK.  This is such a beautiful set AND Gina K is donating profits from this set to the American Cancer Society.

I stamped the daisies on white CS, masked them off and then stamped the greenery.  I colored the center of the flowers and the greenery.  I outlined the flowers with my SU bashful blue marker and then sponged the edge in the same color.  It was matted on barely banana, and then I added stardust stickles to the center of the flowers.

The base is banana, and then bashful sponged with the same ink.  I added the white layer, and punched out the bashful CS with the 1/4 circle.  I added the banana brads, putting the circles underneath for a bit more color.  Finally, I added the image panel with dimensionals.  Isn't it purty ?!?  Remember that this set is for the American Cancer Society, so don't be afraid to buy it.  Have fun and happy stamping!! 

 

The Rainbow's Around The Corner

I finally got my Gina K stamps.  This was one idea I had for the sneak peeks, and here it is, all done, using Whatever Floats Your Boat.

To me, that giraffe looked like he was looking out of the window in the ark, so I decided to make him one.  Here is a template for you, click on it for a larger view.

  I stamped the giraffe image in the center of the "upper deck", and then again on my Eclipse Tape from All That Scraps.  I cut it out, and placed it over the image on the card, so I could do the faux wood technique.  I drew the lines to make it look like wood and then removed the mask.  I stamped the image again on a piece of white CS, and colored it in with my SU markers.  I then cut out the giraffe and the panes of glass, gluing them to the card.

I took some water-looking DP, and drew some waves on the back.  I cut them out, sanded the edges and pasted them on, in layers, so it would look more like a sea.  The sentiment was stamped, and then I added the silver eyelet with my crop-a-dile, pulling the ribbon through.

Since the sentiment on the outside says "Hang In There", I wrote on the inside, "The Rainbow Is Just Around The Corner", to go with the ark theme.  I think it turned out pretty good, and I hope you enjoy making your own version.  I you try it, link it back here, so I can see it, too.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Summer ... Miss You

Do you realize that July is almost gone!  Summer is almost done for the year, kids are getting ready to go back to school.  Gina K's Free With Three set from the last release is for sale now, and you can pick it up.  It's called You Are My Sunshine, and it is an awesome stamp for summer memories.

 Here is my card that I made with the set.  I stamped the image on watercolor paper and used my No Copics No Problem Tutorial (or Video) to color it in.  OOO - I have learned a few new tricks with that technique that I am going to show soon. 

 

This is a close- up shot of the water.  I used Liquid Applique (from All That Scraps) to make the waves look foamy.  This was then matted onto night of navy CS.

The base of the card is white, with night of navy ink scraped onto the edge from the pad.  I then added some Basic Grey 6 X 6 DP from Gypsy.  My vertical panel is 2 inches wide and I added the 3 brads and ribbon.  I used my cutter kit *love that little tool* on the navy before adhering it to the card.  The image panel was added with dimensionals, and the sentiment stamped above in navy ink.

Man, I am so excited about this new release, and I think you are going to be too!  This is What's New from Gina K today.  Scroll down that page, there is WAY MORE than just stamps.  And don't forget, there is another Free With 3 this month, as well.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

 

P.S. - thanks for all your comments, I'll be on cloud 9 all weekend!!

Classic Orchid

I absolutely LOVE this card !!  So simple, but since the orchid is a flower with understated elegance, I had to leave it clean.

I bought a pack of The Langton watercolor paper, since Fabriano's seem a bit expensive for me.  I cut a piece off that measured 4.25 X 10, and scored it at 5.  I then tore just a bit off the bottom, for the Fabriano touch.

I stamped the orchid from Botanical Dreams from Gina K (designed by Asela Hopkins) in black stazon, and used my Stampin' Up! markers to color it in, using my No Copics, No Problem Tutorial (Or Video).  I then stamped the sentiment, and added the ribbon across the top.

I wanted to make the image look 3D, so I used my C1 Copic marker (I got mine from All That Scraps) and drew in a shadow.  I tried to mimic the way a real shadow would look, so did I pull it off?  I think it worked, but I'll really know if you tell me.  I know, kinda pimping for comments, but HEY, I love to read from you and get your thoughts too...hehehe.  Oh, to color my orchids, I searched Google Images so that I could make it look more realistic.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Flowery Gifts

I have seen people make things with PolyShrink (I got mine at All That Scraps), but had never tried it.  Here is my shot at something a little cool. 

 I made a pendant for a necklace using the FREE WITH 3 stamp set from Gina K.  I really love the images, and the sentiments in this set. 

So, to make the pendant, I stamped the jug bouquet on the polyshrink with Palette Noir (a gift from my friend Peggy at PaperWorks Co.).  I cut it out, and then punched a hole for my jump ring using the 1/8 punch.  I took my heat tool, and WOW, that was the coolest thing ever.  TO see it shrink was amazing.  The pendant was originally the same size as the image on the card, and it shrunk to less than half!

After it was cooled down (about 5 mins), I colored it all in with my sharpies (gotta love the Costco 24 pack), added the jump ring and attached it to my chain.

I used a wooden box, covered with DP and CS to house my gift, and made a matching card.  I really like how it turned out.  Here are some separate pictures of them both.

Hope you have a great evening.  I am going to be posting the winner of my last JCC and also putting up a new one in the morning, so stay tuned.  Have fun and happy stamping!!

Bonus Tip : Don't through away the scrap when you cut out something with the nesties.  The scallop frame on the card was my scrap when I cut out the top for the box.  It happened to be the perfect size for my image, and it was ready for me to use!

Masking and Piecing Tutorial

Sorry this has taken so long to get posted today.  I woke up this morning with the most painful ear, and it was the ear I can hear with.  To me that is a huge deal, so I went to the doctor.  I figured it was an infection, and I was right, but I haven't had one that needed meds since I was a kid!  Well, I should be good to go in about 3 days pain-wise, so I guess that means more stamping time...hehehe.

I totally did not know that Gina was going to post a tutorial on piecing, and so I did one.  Now that it is all done, it seems a waste to delete everything, so here it is.  I also did include masking with it, so it's all good!

So, first off, you need to stamp your image on the CS that will be on your card.  I also stamped it on 3 different pieces of DP, since that is h many images I wanted to piece.

Now, I have made a mask for my first dress and stamped over top, to make it look like the other 2 dresses are on the background.  I use the Eclipse Tape Roll from All That Scraps for my masking.  It is perfect, since it has a stronger tack that post-it notes, but it comes off just the same.  You can re-use it over and over, so I never throw the mask away until it stops sticking.  When I am cutting my mask, I always cut JUST INSIDE the lines, so that there is no blank areas when you stamp over the paper.

 Remove your mask, and cut out the dresses on the DP.  Glue them onto the stamped image that you want to cover.  It is literally that easy, but it gives and awesome look to the card!  Here is what the images looked like before I covered them, click on it for a larger view.

Now on to the final result.  As soon as I saw the set, I thought of a store front, and so I wanted to recreate that on the card.  I think it worked out pretty good!

I stamped the sentiment from the set Retro Boutique across the bottom in black.  I then matted the image panel on to the black CS and added 2 strips of CS to be the window panes.  I took another piece of CS and scalloped the bottom with my corner rounder punch - I can hardly wait for my new scallop punch from Stampin' Up! to get here!!!  I added the sentiment with ruby brads, and then glued it to the back.  I folded it down, and added some dimensionals to the underside to keep it popped out like an awning.

I used pretty in pink CS for the base that had ink added to the edges with a stipple brush.  I wanted to go for a Basic Grey distressed feel, to go with the DP I used. Then everything was matted on the 5 X 5 black card base.

I think it totally looks like you are looking into a store window!  Hope this helps you out, have fun and happy stamping!!

GinaK Treasures

  I always have little containers floating around my craft room.  They come from emptying the embellishments out of them...hehehe.  They are the containers you get with your SU product, and I never throw them away.  But, I also didn't know what to do with them till now.

One of GinaK's newest stamps is called Exploring Nature.  This is my boys to the tee.  They are close in age (14 months), and do everything together.  They are also always outside looking at the newest things on the ground.  They also, most often, bring them into the house.

For while we are at the lake this weekend, I figured I'd make them each a treasure chest.  All the new things they want to show me, they put in here.  At the end of the day, we'll go through it, and put them back outside, so they can get new stuff the next day.  They were enjoying them before we even left the house!

Baseball Tag

 My nephew was just in the baseball championship game wth his team, so I made him a tag for his gear bag.

I just stamped the Team Players image from GinaK onto white CS, and colored it in with my markers.  I used a $1 alpha set to stamp his name, and then glued it onto the address sheet that came with the laminated tag.

I then put it into the tag, removing the backing.  He now has a tag that will last as long as he does.  Maybe this was good luck for him, since his team took home the gold!!

Polar Wishes

I love these one layer cards, and they are in an Amuse kind of style.  These are from the Jumping for Joy set over at GinaK Designs.  For the green grass, I masked the bear, and brayered on the bottom.  For the blue one, I sponged the bottom.  I wanted it to appear more "see-through" like water would be.  I used the C1 copic marker (the ONLY one I own) to draw aroud the bear, since it makes him looks whiter.  Have a great day, and happy stamping!!