Just Sayin' Sweet Sorbet Card {Sale-a-Bration}

Can you tell I've been on a Sweet Sorbet kick lately?  This polka dot design is definitely my favorite.  My kids loved it too...there were gasps of delight when I pulled this piece out of the package.  They must get their great taste from their mom.  Ha!

I haven't played with the Just Sayin'/Word Bubbles bundle nearly enough, and I knew this paper was perfect to pair with those products!  I also wanted to use Summer Starfruit.  That's a color that seems to evoke strong feelings from people, one of those that you either love or hate.  I happen to really like it, and will be sad to see it retire in a few months.  But I will say that I don't think there are a lot of colors that look great with it.  That's one reason that the Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper is so great...they color matching has been done for you!  And I happen to think that Pool Party and Basic Black are two of the best colors to use with Summer Starfruit.  Thanks for doing the hard work for us, Stampin' Up!

Supplies

Stamps:  Just Sayin'
Ink:  Summer Starfruit and Pool Party Stampin' Write Markers
Paper:  Sweet Sorbet DSP, Summer Starfruit, Sahara Sand, and Whisper White card stock
Accessories:  Summer Starfruit Stitched Satin Ribbon, Big Shot, Word Bubbles Framelits, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder

For what it's worth, Summer Starfruit also looks great with Midnight Muse, which will also be retiring May 31.  Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, and Primrose Petals will retire with them.  It's sad, I know.  But don't sit around crying about it, though...let me know if you'd like to stock up before they're no longer available!

Sweet Sorbet Card in a Box {Sale-a-Bration}

As you can see, I've been busy making another card in a box.  These are such fun cards to make, and truly are a gift to the recipient.  I think that all my good friends will be getting similar cards this year!  This one is for my sister-in-law, and I really, really hope she likes it.  One of the things that makes this type of card so much fun is that you can just go crazy loading it up with all kinds of images and elements.  There is a LOT going on here, but it just makes it more fun! 

Tips & Tricks

• On the first card in a box I made, I used strips of card stock to mount the various images.  On this one, I used strips of a window sheet, and I like it much, much better.  It puts the focus on the images, as they are just kind of floating when the card is opened.

• While I love to use Stampin' Up!'s watercolor paper for watercoloring, the color wasn't quite right for this card.  Did you know that you can still watercolor on Whisper White?  That's exactly what I used here.  Just be sure to stamp the image with StazOn ink before getting out your Aquapainters!

Supplies

Stamps:  Sketched Birthday
Ink:  Calypso Coral, Pool Part, Summer Starfruit, Pistachio Pudding, Sahara Sand
Paper:  Sweet Sorbet DSP, Whisper White, Sahara Sand, and Calypso Coral card stock
Accessories:  Simply Scored Scoring Tool, Big Shot, Bitty Banners Framelits, Scallop Circle Punch, Paper Snips, Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack, Window Sheets

Praying For You Card {New Hardwood Background Stamp!}

I've made a new goal for myself, one that I've thought about so many times before.  I'd like to try to send a card to someone different each week.  I've put a reminder in my calendar so that each week I'll remember to do this.  At the same time, it gives me a chance to be a little more intentional about praying for that person.  This is one of those cards.

I've gone on and on about my love of woodgrain, so how could I possibly pass up the new Hardwood background stamp?  I LOVE it.  I wanted something muted and simple, and I love the interest this stamp lends to a card.  I thought the tree from Thoughts & Prayers tied in nicely, too.

Tips & Tricks

• Less is more...I used a tone on tone look here, first by stamping in Soft Suede ink on Soft Suede card stock, and next by mounting that piece to a Soft Suede card base.  I also stamped the tree and sentiment with Soft Suede.

• For a softer look, use a sponge on the edges of the card elements.  I sponged the edge of the Hardwood piece, as well as the edge of the Deco Labels shape. 

Supplies

Stamps:  Thoughts & Prayers, Hardwood
Ink:  Soft Suede
Paper:  Soft Suede and Naturals Ivory card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Deco Labels Framelits, Sponge, Crochet Lace, Linen Thread

Spiral Flower Burlap Wreath

I mentioned on Monday that I've been playing with the Spiral Flower Die, and as you can see, I've been busy!  This die makes creating felt roses a breeze.  They were so easy and they look beautiful!  I've also been playing around with making a burlap wreath, and I think I've decided I like this one.  I'm all about neutrals, and the larger flowers add just a bit of springtime pop.  Because this wreath is made of fabric, it could be hung on the outside of a door.  I may hang mine on the front of my house.

Tips & Tricks

• Cut a few pieces of felt at once!  I fold my sheet of felt in half and run it through the Big Shot, but you could add at least one more layer of felt.

• Jumbo Sticky Rounds are the key to easily making rolled fabric flowers.  I've seen some tutorials online that tell you to use glue, and that just seems so messy to me.  By tying a knot at the end of the strip of fabric, just roll around and around as your flower forms right on the Jumbo Sticky Round.  It is SO easy!

Supplies:

Spiral Flower Die, Big Shot, Jumbo Sticky Rounds, Beau Chateau Designer Fabric, burlap, 14" straw wreath, hot glue gun and glue

Spiral Flower Basket

When the Occasions Catalog first came out, I didn't see why anyone would want the Spiral Flower die.  A flower that big wouldn't really work on a card, would it?  I've since seen some beautiful cards made with this, but what finally convinced me that I should have this die was thinking of all the 3D projects I could make with it. 

This is a fun project that showcases the Spiral Flower die.  It's just a basket of roses, perfect as a gift or home decor.   Maybe if I had been thinking about it a little sooner, it would have been great for Valentine's Day.  Hey, there's always next year!  Here's a better shot of the tops of the roses:

Tips & Tricks

• To add some color to the white roses, I filled an Aquapainter with water and a few drops of Rose Red Ink Refill, then just brushed the edges with it.  It added the color I wanted, although in kind of a sloppy way.  I think that the next time I try this, I'll just sponge the edges, like I did with the leaves.

• To make the basket, I cut out two pieces of Smokey Slate using the Mini Milk Carton Die and my Big Shot.  I then ran it through again using the Fancy Fan embossing folder to give it some texture.  It's much more interesting than just leaving it plain, although the card stock becomes a little flimsy because of it.  The Midnight Muse bow adds a pop of color and interest, but also gives it some strength.

• Check out the video below to see how to use the Spiral Flower Die!

Supplies

Ink:  Rose Red, Pear Pizzazz
Paper:  Smokey Slate, Rose Red, Naturals White, and Pear Pizzazz
Accessories:  Big Shot, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Spiral Flower Die, Mini Milk Carton Die, Midnight Muse Stitched Satin Ribbon, Aquapainter, Blossom Petals Punch (retired), Sponge

I'm linking up over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I added an extra color, since the leaves were sort of important. :)  But the rest of them match!

Happy Valentine's Day Card in a Box

This is another project I've been wanting to make for a while.  It's a tad more complicated than the wreath I showed yesterday, but still very manageable.  I decided to use up the rest of the pack of Designer Series Paper I used for that project, since I had lots of little scraps along with the full sized sheets I used for the wreath.  I also used some retired paper (hello, Pretty in Pink!) and a retired stamp set.

Tips & Tricks

• Use sticky strip!  I've see so many references online about using glue, and I just don't get it.  Why make a mess when a few little pieces of sticky strip will accomplish the same thing and it won't make a mess.

• Stamps with coordinating punches or Framelits are perfect for this card, especially if you don't want to do a lot of fussy cutting.  The hearts were stamped and punched, and it made the making of this card much easier.  I've seen gorgeous samples of this type of card using the Background Basics stamp set and coordinating Framelits, and they were gorgeous!

I think this card has quite the wow factor, and I will definitely be making more in the future.  Next up will be a birthday version for my sister-in-law, who has a birthday coming up later this month. 

Stamps: Love You Much (retired)
Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla (retired), Real Red, and Old Olive
Paper: Real Red, Pretty in Pink (retired), Naturals Ivory
Accessories:  2 1/2" Circle Punch, Brights Buttons (retired), Whisper White Baker's Twine, Sticky Strip, Aquapainters, Heart to Heart punch (retired)

Valentine Curly Paper Wreath

It's Thursday,  and surprise...I have a bonus post today!  I have wanted to make one of these wreaths for months, and just never remembered to get the wreath form when I was at the craft store.  I finally made a point of getting one (even though I really wanted a heart-shaped one) and sat down to make this.

What have I been waiting for?  These are so easy to make and are such a great way to use up odds and ends of Designer Series Paper.  I had a few sheets left of some Valentine-y paper from a couple of years ago, and decided this was the perfect way to weed out my stash. 

While most of the wreaths I've seen online are 12" circles, I went with a 10" circle because I knew that I wouldn't have enough DSP for the larger one.  It was a good call, because I didn't even have enough as it was.  The giant bow is covering up the fact that I ran out of paper.   But I kind of like it, and the bonus part is that I used up that spool of giant pink ribbon. 

If you'd like to make one of these, just let me know.  I'd be happy to sit down and help you gather the supplies and walk you through it!

Banner Blast

I finally had a chance to play with some Sale-a-Bration goodies, and have had so much fun with Banner Blast and the coordinating Banner punch. 

This is a simple layout that you can alter and make a huge variety of cards using.  I've included two variations on this design below, and as you'll see, I've basically just changed the colors and one of the  stamps.  I've intentionally left the bottom two blank, because I'm not quite sure how I'll use them yet.  They are great for Valentine's Day, but also as a just because kind of card.  My daughter has fallen in love with the pink one, so I may just give that to her to tell her I love her.

Tips & Tricks

• Don't be afraid to play with color!  I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but it's fun to experiment with different color combinations.  When you find a layout you love, stick with it and mix up the colors!

• Pop those banners up off the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.  They are one of my favorite adhesives because they are quick and easy, give great dimension, and best of all, are very affordable!

Stamps:  Banner Blast, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink:  Card 1 ~ Crisp Cantaloupe,  Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding; Card 2 ~ Strawberry Slush, Blushing Bride; Card 3 ~ Coastal Cabana, Real Red
Paper:  Card 1 ~ Sahara Sand, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White; Card 2 ~ Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride, Strawberry Slush, Naturals White; Card 3 ~ Crumb Cake, Coastal Cabana, Real Red, Naturals White
Accessories:  Whisper White Baker's Twine, Banner Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips

Want this stamp set and punch so you can make fun cards like this?  Either of these items is FREE with a $50 purchase.  Let me know if you'd like to place an order so you can start having fun with this great set and punch!

Just Sayin'

I've waited a long time to order from the Occasions Catalog, and the Just Sayin'/Word Bubbles Framelits bundle was the first thing on my list.  So I think it's funny that the first card I made only used the words from one stamp, and didn't use the Framelits at all!  Don't worry, I'll be playing with those a lot more this week and will have plenty of cards to show in the next couple of weeks!

I decided to play with the current Fab Friday color challenge this week.  I wasn't in love with the color combination at first, but I figured it was a great way to stretch and try something new.  I'm so glad I did, because I really like these colors together!  In fact, check back on Wednesday for another card using these same colors!  I might be sort of addicted to this combination.

Tips & Tricks

• You might notice that I didn't use a single heart/Valentine stamp on this card.  That's because I don't have any current ones, and my old retired ones just weren't singing out to me.  That's when my Hearts Collection Framelits and Small Heart Punch come in handy!  I used three different stamps, then just punched or cut out the heart shapes.  It's a great way to add texture to cards.  The dots, chevron, and splatter prints all came from different stamp sets, but are really fun together.  And none of them were heart shaped stamps.

• Use a marker and color right on your stamps to either get a multi-colored image or just select a part of an image (like I did here.)  I didn't want the word bubble around the words this time, so I just used my Real Red marker to color the words and stamp on my card.

Supplies

Stamps:  Just Sayin', Oh Hello, Gorgeous Grunge, Banner Blast
Ink:  Real Red and Coastal Cabana
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Real Red, Coastal Cabana, and Whisper White card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Hearts Collection Framelits, Chevron Embossing Folder, Small Heart Punch, Whisper White Baker's Twine

A Different Kind of Stitching...

I know it's not a card, but hey, this blog is called Stamped and Stitched, and it's generally pretty heavy on the stamped, while the stitched is almost non-existent.  A couple of weeks ago I finished this crocheted blanket.  I've been working on it since the summer.  In fact, I spent most of my days at the pool making what seemed like millions of granny squares.  All the kids would ask what I was making, and when I told them a blanket, they just looked at me like I had two heads.  I know they were all thinking "Duh, lady, how can you make a blanket out of all those little circles?"

I had to take several breaks because of inflammation in my elbow (yes, it's a crochet injury...bet you didn't know that was possible, did you?), so it took a lot longer than I had planned.  But I'm so happy with how it turned out, and it matches my living room perfectly.

I had some squares left over (because this was the first time I made granny squares and really had no idea what I was doing...I made way too many), so I turned them into this little lap blanket.  It's actually not that little...it's just the right size for my nine year old.

In case anyone is wondering, I used this pattern.  You'll have to have a Ravelry account and sign in to see it, though.   For the yarn, I used this in Chocolate, Taupe Heather, and Oatmeal.  I probably should have made sure my curtains were in the pictures so you could see how perfectly this matches.  But if you'd like to see it in person, you'll just have to come over and stamp with me!

Cut-out Heart Valentine Card

Since Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to share another Valentine card.  This one is unique and was fun to make.  I used my Hearts Collection Framelits to cut a heart from the center of this square card.  Windows are always a fun addition to any card!

Here's a close-up of the heart that you see through the window.  I experimented to get this embossed look, and was happy with the way it turned out.

Tips & Tricks

• Did you know that you can mix embossing powders?  I combined Gold and Iridescent Ice to get a sparkly gold color.  You could mix Iridescent Ice with any color to give it a little bit of sparkle.  I store my mixed color embossing powders in empty embellishment containers.

• Have you ever tried the faux metal technique?  Cover the surface you're embossing with VersaMark ink, then sprinkle with embossing powder and heat with your heat tool.  Repeat this two more times.  As soon as you've embossed the third time, stamp your image or greeting into the still warm surface.  The stamp will sort of sink down into the soft, melted powder, giving the look of embossed metal.  It does use a fair amount of embossing powder, but it's a fun technique.

Supplies

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes, Pennant Parade
Ink:  VersaMark, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Naturals Ivory
Accessories:  Big Shot, Hearts Collection Framelits, Iridescent Ice and Gold Embossing Powders, Heat Tool, Pretty Print Embossing Folder, Bitty Banners Framelits, Crochet Lace, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Sponge

Apothecary Art Birthday

Happy February!  I have a few more birthday cards to show off this week.  This one is very different than most cards I make, but still lovely. 

Tips & Tricks

• Aquapainters are always my tool of choice when water coloring.  They just make it so easy.  Squeeze the lid of a closed ink pad, then dip the Aquapainter in the ink that transfers to the inside of the lid.  It makes painting so easy!

• Don't forget to distress!  I think that's what gives this card just the right finishing touch.  I used Crumb Cake ink to lightly sponge around the edges of the center element.  When ordering sponges, they come in a pack of three.  You should then cut each one into four quarters.  They will be much easier to manage and you'll actually end up with 12 sponges!

Supplies

Stamps:  Apothecary Art
Ink:  Calypso Coral, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, and Crumb Cake Classic Ink, StazOn Black Ink
Paper:  Calypso Coral and Naturals White card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Aquapainters, Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Sponge