Addicted to Stamping

You Mean the World to Me

I joined an ATC (artist trading card) swap so I've been working on my samples. The ATC's look so lost without a card to go with them so I made a sample for myself and used it on a full size card. Here's my first one. It is for the embossing category. I did some dry embossing around the edge of the white layer with my diagonal score plate. I embossed the background with an embossing folder and I embossed my words with clear embossing powder then sponged colour on top.

Easter Cards

I thought I'd try making a shaped card for this little bunny. He's one of the critters from my Cute Critters Punch Art Class. I used the largest heart framelit to make the card base and the second largest heart to cut my DSP. Once I put the bow on I found I also liked the card on its own so I've posted both versions

Birdhouse Card

This would be a great card for a Fun Folds class. It's made using the Diagonal Score Plate and some punches. The card base is 11" x 3-3/4" and the fold is scored at 1-7/8". The roof is a 3" square cut in half on the diagonal. If you'd like more details scroll down for the video tutorial

How to Make Stamping Guides

I was inspired by a cool new stamping tool that just came on the market called Stamping Gear. It's a guide that allows you to stamp shapes around an evenly spaced circle. While I don't have a lot of use for large stamped wreaths, I thought the concept was really neat. I used some of my Big Shot dies to make some of my own guides from fun foam. The first photo shows guides for stamping in a straight line. I stuck 5 layers of foam together with Big Shot adhesive then cut it out with the Tasteful Trim die. Each one of the trim pieces gives a different spacing.

I used the Flower Folds die to make a guide for stamping in a circular shape (shown in the photo below). If you want your stamped images closer try using one of the scalloped circles to make a guide.

Well I'm off to play. I'll make some samples to post.  See the video below if you need more details.  

Petal Cone Bouquet

I had about 50 petal cones left over from the icecream cone swaps I made for convention so I used the new blossom punch to add some flowers and make them into bouquets. The stamp set is Mixed Bunch. I stamped and punched out 3 flowers and attached them to the top of a Whisper White triangle insert I cut to fit inside the cone. The leaves are punched out with the Build a Blossom punch and sponged around the outside. The insert is showing a little in this photo but when its slid into place the bottom of the flowers hang over the edge of the cone.

I used the 1/2" circle punch to punch out Daffodil card stock for the flower centres and sponged the edges with Artichoke Ink.

Big Shot Garden Stakes

All of the presentations were great at the San Antonio Regionals but this was the project I couldn't wait to come home and try. These garden stakes were popular last spring but I didn't realize how quick and easy they were until I saw them demoed.  Linda Barnes was the demonstrator and she did a great job presenting and had lots of nice samples.

My hubby is away for the weekend so I might make a trip to the hardware store and give these a try (it frightens him when I shop there).

The supplies Linda used were Aluminum Flashing and 12 gauge hanging wire if you want to make your own stakes. You might also want to purchase some metal spray paint.

Some additionals supplies you'll need: Big Shot, Embossing folders, crop-o-dile, dies and brads. For tools you'll need some large pliers to form the curl on your plant stakes or you can purchase premade stakes. You'll also need something to cut the flashing into workable pieces. She used a utility knife and metal ruler, scored the metal and bent it back and forth until it broke on the score line. I've also heard that the Stampin' Up craft and rubber scissors work. I'm going to use hubby's tin snips. As long as I don't leave any glitter behind he'll never know I was in his tool box.  

To get started cut out a shape from the flashing with one of your Big Shot dies then emboss it with one of the empressions folders. Punch a hole with the crop-o-dile to hang it on the stake.

On some of the samples she used the chalk board elements to make a label. The letters were cut from white vinyl decor elements sheets.

The colored magnets were spray painted with metal paint

The stakes that have more than one layer like the butterfly on the scallop circle, she attached the element with a brad.  

Waffle Paper Ruffle

Well it's time to unroll my white waffle paper. It's been sitting in the box for far too long. I cut the curved edge with the edgelit die. The sentiment is from the Loved Ones stamp set.

Bordering on Edgelits

I'm having fun playing with the new framelit and edgelit dies. There are so many cool things you can do with them. Lots of ideas...so little time. Since the edgelits can cut through two layers of card stock at once, it's easy to make a matted strip like the one on this card. I wanted my mat to show 1/8" on both sides of my white strip so I cut the mat 1/4" wider, lined up one side, cut it with the edgelit, lined up the other side and cut it with the edgelit  (shown in the photos below)

Twitterpated Birthday

I know it's January but the weather outside is mild and the sun is shinning so I feel like making some spring cards. Here's one using the Bordering on Romance stamp set, the products from the Twitterpated suite and a couple of the framelits from the 2012 Stampin' Up Occasions mini.

I stamped the image on the insert and on a scrap of white. I cut out two of the flowers to attach to the front of the card to give it some depth.

The framelits make it so easy to make matted windows in the front of your card. Once you cut the larger frame in the DSP and attach it to the card front you can centre the smaller frame to cut out the smaller window from the card stock.

 * If you're a Stampin' Up demonstrator and earned Bundle #1, this card uses all 4 products that came in your bundle.

Tea Time

I haven't had much of a chance to play with my new products from the Occasions mini yet so this afternoon I took some time out to stamp. I think I might use this card for one of my swaps for leadership. I need to play with the flowers a little more. I'm not happy with them yet but I like how the cup looks when covered in crystal effects. The stamp set is Tea Shoppe from the 2012 Stampin' Up Occasions mini.