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