Stenciled Hearts Valentine Flip Card

It's not technically mid-January yet, but here I am with the first of many Valentine's cards to come!  I've been having fun this week playing with reds and pinks and hearts galore, so I wanted to share at least one of my creations.  Unfortunately, I'm having trouble getting as good quality pictures as I'd like, and parts of this card just aren't as visible in the picture on my screen as I wish they were.  If you look carefully, the left hand side of the card features a strip of tiny little embossed hearts. 

Tips & Tricks

• What's my favorite part of this card?  The fact that I didn't use a single Valentine's Day set on it at all!  I don't actually have any current ones, so it was time to get creative.  I used several different products and techniques to get the holiday look I was going for.  So don't distress if you don't have stamps for a specific occasion.  Odds are that with a little creativity, you can come up with whatever look you need!

• The hearts on the right hand side of the card were stenciled on, using a sponge dauber and Crumb Cake ink.  I punched out the shapes using the littlest die from the Hearts Collection Framelits and the small heart punch.  You can easily make a stencil using scrap card stock and any punch or Framelits you have.  

Supplies

Stamps:  Oh Hello, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink:  Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink and Whisper White Craft Ink
Paper:  Naturals White, Crumb Cake, and Cherry Cobbler card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Circle Card Thinlit Die, Hearts Collection Framelits, Adorning Accents Embossing Folders, Bitty Banners Framelits, Small Heart Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Sponge Dauber

Emboss Resist Fall Card

No one enjoys sending sympathy cards, but I've realized this past year just how important it is to send them.  It means so much to receive one, knowing that others care that you are grieving.

I pinned this card by Lisa Young a while ago, and decided to try a variation on it.  While I love French Foliage, I don't own that set, and thought that Gently Falling would be a great substitute.  I changed up the colors a bit, too

Tips & Tricks

• Emboss resist is such an easy technique.  I first embossed the leaves with clear embossing powder on Very Vanilla card stock.  Then I sponged various ink colors over the entire surface of the card stock.  After applying every color, I took my sponge and rubbed Crumb Cake ink over the entire thing.
• Need texture on your card?  Try the faux suede technique, as I did here with the Cajun Craze and Soft Suede strips.  Simply crumple up the card stock until it easily peals apart into two layers.  The inside part will be kind of fuzzy, and the outside part isn't.  Just choose which side you prefer!  Hint:  SNAIL doesn't adhere well to the fuzzy side, so you may need to use a different adhesive.  I used Sticky Strip.
• Did you know you can stamp on clay?  After dyeing this piece, I rolled it out (like cookie dough!) and stamped the little leaf on it.  Once it's dry, it's easy to trim, and it adds a unique element to this card.

Supplies

Stamps:  Gently Falling, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink:  Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, and Soft Suede Classic Ink, VersaMark
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, and Very Vanilla card stock
Accessories:  Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Linen Thread, Simply Pressed Clay, Sponge