For All Things Flip Card

Oh my...it's been a while.  And I've been working on lots of cards, but just haven't had the time to take pictures of them!  This card is one of my favorite "almost fall" cards.  I love fall colors, but since I was making these for an event in September, I didn't want to go with the typical browns, oranges, reds, and yellows just yet.  But Elegant Eggplant is a great color to use in the fall, and it takes center stage on this card.

The coordinating Color Me Autumn Designer Washi Tape and the Crushed Curry embossing powder used on the sentiment tie the card together and add a pop of color.  The square-ish stamp in For All Things was used on the center circle, as well as the background of the card.  I stamped and then stamped again without reinking in order to add variation.  The inside circle is identical to the outside circle shown here, just without the washi tape and button.

Supplies
Stamps:  For All Things
Ink:  Elegant Eggplant, Sahara Sand, VersaMark
Paper:  Elegant Eggplant and Very Vanilla card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Circle Card Thinlits, Color Me Autumn Designer Washi Tape, Crushed Curry embossing powder, Heat Tool, Linen Thread, button, 2 1/2" Circle Punch

Seasonally Scattered

As I write this, it feels like fall is here.  So this is the perfect card to share today!  I debated long and hard as to whether or not I should get the set Seasonally Scattered.  I loved it, but hey, I have to stick to a budget.  I finally decided to go ahead and bite the bullet, and I just love this set.  It's great because the three stamps can be used for three different holidays, but for so much more.  The sentiments of thanks and love are useful all year!  Stay tuned, because I'll be posting some additional samples soon!

Tips & Tricks

• Who doesn't love heat embossing?  There's just something about watching that powder turn into a shiny smooth surface when the heat tool goes to work.  I embossed the thanks image using clear embossing powder.  It looks white, but that's because I stamped on Very Vanilla card stock.  So it's not white, but the vanilla peeking through!

• Gather your favorite fall colors, and randomly sponge them over the image.  The ink will stick to the card stock, but not the embossing, allowing the embossed image to reappear.

• Want an easy way to add texture to a card?  (You know I love texture!) Just crumple up a piece of card stock, then choose one of two options:  either smooth it out and adhere, as I did with the Cajun Craze piece here, or crumple until the card stock begins to separate, and pull apart the two layers.  Adhere one layer to your card, "fuzzy" side up.  This is called faux suede, and it's a beautiful (and easy) technique to use!

Supplies
Stamps:  Seasonally Scattered
Ink:  Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Versamark
Paper:  Soft Suede, Cajun Craze, and Very Vanilla card stock
Accessories:  Heat Tool, Clear embossing powder, Linen Thread, various buttons, sponge

Simple Flower Patch

This simple card uses my new favorite, Flower Patch.  I know it's practically all I use lately, but it's just a fun and pretty set.  And I've always been partial to two-step stamping.

To make this card, I ran a piece of 4" x 5 1/4" Crumb Cake through my Big Shot with the Decorative Dots embossing folder, then sponged the edge with Crumb Cake ink.  I tied a piece of Old Olive Baker's Twine around it, then adhered it to the front of my card.  I stamped the flower using Crisp Cantaloupe, then Calypso Coral, and finally Cajun Craze.  The leaves were stamped using Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive.  I cut everything out using the Flower Fair Framelits, then adhered then with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I made a little "thank you" banner using the Itty Bitty Banners stamp set and the Bitty Banners Framelits.

That's it!  So simple, but pretty darn cute!

Supplies
Stamps:  Flower Patch, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, Cajun Craze, Pear Pizzazz, and Old Olive
Paper:  Crumb Cake and Whisper White
Accessories:  Big Shot, Decorative Dot embossing folder, Flower Fair Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Old Olive Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

More Bloom with Hope

Wisteria Wonder, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi

Today I have two variations on the same card, both of which use the hostess set, Bloom with Hope.  I'm really having so much fun with this set.  It's so versatile, as it's great for water coloring, or coloring with markers or Blendabilities.  I think it would also be a great set to do a bleach technique. 

Both of these cards are essentially constructed the same way, but with a few differences, so I'll just point out some highlights.

• The Wisteria Wonder ribbon on the top card started out as white satin ribbon.  I added a few drops of Wisteria Wonder ink to a spritzer full of alcohol, then just sprayed it on the ribbon to dye it.  
• The flowers on the top card were colored using Classic Ink and Aqua Painters.
• The flowers below were colored with Calypso Coral Blendabilites.
• I did some paper piercing on the tag below.  I like how it adds interest to the tag.  I would have done it on the top card, but since I was quickly trying to demonstrate how to make this card, I left that step out.

Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Cantaloupe Crisp

Hardwood Bloom with Hope

Yippee!  It's Friday!  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend.  I have a quick and easy card to show today that uses the Blendabilities markers.  They are so much fun to use, and I'm so surprised at how much I love them.  I shouldn't be surprised, though, because I end up loving just about everything that Stampin' Up! offers.

Tips & Tricks

• I cut a strip of Daffodil Delight card stock, then cut it into a banner.  The easiest way to do that is to use your Paper Snips and cut about one inch up the center of the end.  Simply cut from each corner in to where the end of the first cut ends.  

• Next, I inked up the Hardwood background stamp, then placed the piece of Soft Suede card stock on top.  I covered that with a piece of scrap paper and then used my brayer over it to "stamp".  It's so much easier to do it this upside-down way!

• Finally, I colored the large poppy-type flower from Bloom with Hope.  I used my Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities for the petals, and Daffodil Delight for the center.  I did cut out the flower by hand...I don't do a lot of fussy cutting these days, but it was worth the effort for this flower.

Supplies

Stamps:  Bloom with Hope
Ink:  Soft Suede and Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight Blendabilites
Paper:  Naturals White, Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White card stock
Accessories:  Brayer, Paper Snips, Big Shot, Bitty Banners Framelits

Endless Birthday Wishes Gift Card Holder

Don't you just love a Tuesday that feels like a Monday?  Or maybe what I love is the prospect of Friday coming a lot sooner this week!  I can only hope. :)

Today I have a fun card that serves double duty as a gift card holder.  This card is super simple in its construction, and really wows the recipient when they open it.  Or maybe it's the gift card inside that offers the wow?  No, I think it's the fact that the gift card pops up, because I recently gave a similar card to a relative that never shows any kind of appreciation over my handmade cards, and this one elicited the tiniest hit of being impressed from said relative.

Tips & Tricks

• Cut two pieces of Designer Series Paper or card stock 4" x 6" each, and score at 1", 2", and 3" so there are 4 one inch sections.

• Apply Sticky Strip as shown in the picture below (I'll refer to the top piece as piece A and the bottom as piece B). 

• Attach the bottom section of piece A to the inside, along the top of the crease, then fold over so that the top section of piece A is attached to the inside just under the crease.

• Piece B has Sticky Strip on only one section.  Lay this section on the inside of the card, below the already attached DSP so that the edge with the sticky strip is up against the already attached piece.

• Fold over and attach this piece to the sticky strip that's on the first piece (A).

• Just slide your gift card down between the two pieces of DSP!

Supplies
Stamps:  Endless Birthday Wishes, Work of Art
Ink:  Blackberry Bliss and Hello Honey
Paper:  Whisper White,  Blackberry Bliss, and Hello Honey card stock, Moonlight DSP
Accessories:  Big Shot, Ovals Framelits, Whisper White Baker's Twine, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Sticky Strip