Paper Pleasing Ideas

Plum Roses

I decided it was time to get back into the stamping mode of things!! Our church had a crafting day, so I pack up a ton of stuff, and went to play. I got 2 projects and 3 cards completed which you will get to see in the next while - WOOHOO!

First up is a card I was playing around with.

I made the rose out of elegant eggplant (center) and perfect plum CS that I ran through the crimper and separated. I just squashed them together and glued to make the rose. I added the leaves and wings from the bird punch and then hand drew the border around, after I stamped on the sentiment. Simple and elegant, hope you enjoy!

Have fun and happy stamping !!

Are You Sick ?

Today, Lindsey and I decided to do a Get Well card for the challenge. I don't have to make them very often, and prefer more of an encouragement type card, but I really wanted to make one for my mom. Her surgery is today over in Germany, and I am a basket of nerves. Trying to keep busy, and having 2 sets of nails helps, but I will be praying constantly! (More information HERE if you want to know.)

So, here is my card, I wanted clean and simple for this one.

My colors are midnight muse with white. I punched the bottom for a fancier feel, and then glued the midnight CS behind. I added the ribbon for both an accent to the front, and to cover the CS line on the inside of the card. That sentiment had never been inked before - it was shiny new !! I used my markers in midnight and marina mist to ink it up, and I think it looks great. Simple, but does get the point across. But, hey, you could place any sentiment or color with it for EVERY type of occasion!

Why not head over to see what beautiful card Lindsey created today? If you feel like playing along, please leave a link at one of our blogs, or use the keyword SFR33 over at Splitcoast. We would love to have you join us. Have fun and happy stamping !!

Gallery for SFR32

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A Little Color Challenged!

So, Lindsey and I decided for the challenge this week, we would go with the color scheme in the picture. The good news ... you don't have to use ALL the colors. Just pick a few that work and go with it. I chose soft suede, river rock, and burgundy. My DSP also had a bit of yellow (and green ... oops), and I had a blast making this card!

No matter how I took the picture, and no matter which backgrounf I used, the river rock jsut did not show up properly. But, I still love the card, and think it is pretty "fabulous". LOL 

I made the flower by punching 5 sets of petals and sponging them before shaping them and using the vintage brad to hold it all together. There is a lot of tecture in the card, with the card base, the crimping and the piercing, but I think it all works together. I used that sentiment on the front, so I can put anything on the inside I want (birthday, engagement, wedding, retirement ... you get it). Head over to Lindsey's blog and see which colors she chose. Why not try your hand at it and play along ?!? Leave a link at one of our blogs or upload on Splitcoast with the keyword SFR27. Have fun and happy stamping!!

Gallery for SFR26 

 

 

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Embossed Thanks

Well, a little late today, but better that than not at all !! So, I'm glad I embossed one of the teacher cards, and am even happier that I never showed it to you, because I needed it this week. I am so busy with nails, since I have a wedding party that I am doing, plus all the other ones, so stamping was on the back burner. Also, we bought the boys a pool for their birthdays, and the evenings have us busy prepping the ground for that!

Lindsey and I decided to do some embossing (as noted above ... lol) for this challenge. Something that I don't do much of, but my sister-in-law appreciates it when I do ... she LOVES it !

So this card can be made using THIS TUTORIAL, but I used crumb cake as my base, with very vanilla on the inside. So, I embossed the sentiment to make it stand out a bit more. I will try and emboss another card, but I have so much on my plate this week, that I can't promise anything!!

Why not head over to Lindsey's blog, and see what she had her heat tool doing. If you want to play along, you can leave a link at one of our blogs, OR use the keyword SFR25 on Splitcoast when you upload it. Have fun and happy stamping!!

Gallery for SFR24

A Card For Canada Day !!

Today is the day us Canadians show our pride in our country, and here is Grande Prairie, it is the city's centennial. BIG FIREWORKS extravaganza last night, it was awesome!! So for this weeks sketch, since Independence Day is also around the corner, Lindsey and I went with a patriotic theme. Here is my card ...

Simple, with a twist on the flag idea. This would be a great thank you card for those in our troops that go out and devote their time and lives for our continued freedom. I am grateful to live in a country that is so blessed, and I thank God for the priviledge and hope I never take it for granted !! Check out what Lindsey has for an idea today. Play along, if you wish and post a link at one of our blogs, or upload using the keyword SFR24 on Splitcoast. Have fun and happy stamping!!

Gallery for SFR23

Gift Card With Thanks ... And A TUTORIAL !!

So, for this weeks Stamping Friends Reunion challenge, Lindsey and I decided to dive into our year end thanks for teachers. Course, you can make any thank you card you want, but we both need the teacher ones ... lol. I was looking at some cards in an old magazine and while the layout of the card caught my eye, I KNEW there was someting I could do to kick it up a knotch.

So this was the set of gift cards I made (and was afterwards informed I need one more), and I LOVE them. They are simple and beautiful, but there is something more special about them ...

YES, it holds a gift card on the inside !!  So, let's make it.

You need a base for your card, and in the above mentioned size, 5.5 X 8.25. Notice this is just 1/4 inch shorter than the normal 8.5. Fold your card, and then along the shorter edge, you are going to punch your fancy border. I chose the type with holes, so you would see more color through, and also since the card is more stark, it gives it another element.

Now, take your contrasting color (4.25 X 5.5) and put it into the word window punch as far as it can go on the long side, with about 1 inch remaining to the right side, punch out your first window, then move it over to the left side and punch again to make the opening longer, as one punch will not fit a gift card.

Put your glue for the inside ONLY AROUND THE EDGE, otherwise you will not get that card in there. There will also be a little over hang of color on the back, and you can trim that off if you like, I did. Now here is the finished card.

There is still room for writing on the insde. This template would also be perfect for birthday, grad, retirement, pretty much everything where you give a gift card. Now head over to see Lindsey's stunning creation, and play along with us. You can link you cards back to our blogs, OR upload using the keyword SFR23 over on Splitcoast, especially if you use my tutorial, so we can check out what you have done!! Have fun and happy stamping.

Gallery SFR22 on Splitcoast

For An Amazing Father

This week for the Stamping Friends Reunion, Lindsey and got out our stamps for the men. It is Father's Day on Sunday and we are here to give you a couple ideas. Here is mine ...

I used the stamp set Amazing Family, and I embossed it on the night of navy CS, after I rubbed it with chalk. I wanted a chalkboard type finish on the sentiment panel. The base is night of navy with some polka dot vellum over top. The silver CS was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and also punched the stars. The white on the sentiment panel was punched with an older punch as well, and the navy slid right in. I added the brads and the denim jean ribbon.

Now, head over to see what Lindsey has gotten down on paper, and if you chose to play along, link your card to one of our blogs, or upload with the keyword SFR21 over on Splitcoast. Have fun and happy stamping !!

Click here last weeks SFR20 Gallery

Father's Day

Well, the boys wanted to make John a Father's Day card, so I headed to Pinterest and found this one. They got to pick the colors they wanted and we got to work. Here they are with the finished card ( the front says "It takes a big heart to hold a little hand"). I just thought that saying was true in our case, because John needed a big heart to bring a whole family into his life, not just a wife. They boys are excited for next Sunday ! Have fun and happy stamping !!

CASEing Jacksonbelle !!

This weeks challenge was a hard one for me. For our Stamping Friends Reunion, we decided to CASE a card from each others blog ... how do you do that with so many good choices? I had 3 picked out and then asked John to come downstairs and make the final decision. He chose this one !

So, I went to work ...

I punched out the flowers instead of stamping them, I used a plastic sheet that had polka dots on it, and made it birthday instead of thank you. I kept the black base with white and then patterned paper, and stayed with the sketch of the card. I think it turned out awesome, but how could it not, with such a great example to follow ?!? Head on over to see what Lindsey CASEd from my archives. If you want to CASE one of our cards, and play along, leave a comment here to check it out, or upload it with the keyword SFR20 on Splitcoast. Have fun and happy stamping !!

SFR19 Gallery on Splitcoast

For Another Mother

Well, I have three Mother's Day cards to make, and here is another one I finished. I have also had quite a few comments on my butterflies, and how they are done, so I put together a tutorial for you!!

I really like how this card turned out, with the sentiment on the card base, and the panel popped up. I used to do that a lot, and wanted to try again. Also, the embossing is indented instead of raised, just for a different perspective. I did add the darker blue with the marker, and after it was done, realized that I should have just left it. Other than that, I also like the pearls for the centers of the flowers, too.

NOW ...

Some of you have been asking, is it a die, punch, what kind of butterfly, or how did you do that? Well, let's get started !

So, first off you need to gather your supplies. I have the elegant butterfly punch, CARDSTOCK WEIGHT vellum (this is very important), dry embossing tool, and a foam mat. The reason we need the heavier weight vellum, is because often when you dry emboss on the lighter stuff, it tends to tear quite quickly. So punch out your butterfly and start drawing your design on the wings. It can be however you like it, but I tend to want to follow the design of the punch you are using.

You can see my finished design in my hand, and as you emboss, you will notice that the vellum is going to bend in towards you . The more times you go over a line, the whiter it will become, but go slowly as not to tear through. Then when you are done, flip it over on the foam. It should be raised off the foam, and this is the perfect way to get the "in flight" shape.

Now, all you have to do is run your embossing tool down the center of the butterfly. This will not only create a body look, but the wings will automatically start folding upwards. The vellum will again turn white, which hides glue perfectly, but I still like having the pearls or rhinestones down the center. So, go have fun and make some beautiful creations! Make sure to post a link here if you try it, so I can go check them out, and leave a comment. Have fun and happy stamping !!

 

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