Carrie Stamps

Let's Toast Letter Board Banner

Today I want to share a fun project made with my Stamp Set of the Month, Let's Toast. I picked this stamp set by Lawn Fawn as my stamp set of the month because it is so cute and versatile. So, each Monday night on my Facebook page I will be sharing a live demonstration with this set during the month of January.  I also have a tutorial available with this stamp set, showing you how to make 4 WOW cards and it's available at the bottom of this post. 

This past Monday night I shared this cute banner for my letter board. 

Doesn't that just make you smile, To a Butter Year!!! 

Let's take a look at each of the banner pieces up close. 

I love that the coordinating die set has two different dies that cut slits in the toaster. There's a die to cut one slit and a die to cut 2 slits. This die does not remove any paper, it just creates an opening in the toaster, so cool! 

For the Pop Tart Toasters on this banner I used the die to make two slits, and on this toaster I used the die to make one slit.

All the images were colored in using colored pencils, as per popular vote.  My facebook followers voted on what I should use to color these images in and colored pencils won. And I am so glad they did, because I tend to reach for markers for these images, but I love the look of the toaster with the colored pencils.  And the other images have a great look as well. 

I love the chocolate pop tart, and how cute they look popping up out of the toaster. The patterned paper is a great match for this project with the two shades of yellow, it is from the Playful Prints pack by FSJ. 

If you watched the live video on facebook when I made this banner you might notice some changes, in this banner. I added a few things and changes a few things. If you did not catch me live I have included the video for you to watch below. 

 

Be sure to tune in for my live video on Monday night so you can see what I make for the bottom of the letter board. 

Want more ideas with the Let's Toast stamp and die sets? 

Consider my Let's Toast Tutorial. Inside the PDF you will find 4 WOW cards with color pictures and step by step directions to make all 4 cards. You will also get a link to an exclusive video tutorial. 

Get your Let's Toast Tutorial here for just $5

Thank you so much for stopping by. If you have any questions about todays project, the tutorial or the supplies I used please ask. Scroll to the bottom for links of all the products used in todays project. 

Galentines Gable Favor Boxes

Welcome back to another FSJ Creative Team Blog Hop! 

Today I am going to share with you a few projects made using the Gable Favor Box and some of the newly released stamp sets from the Follow Your Heart collection from FSJ. 

These projects are all very different but have a few things in common, they are all made using the Gable Favor die and they all have a background made with Distress Oxide inks. 

All these boxes can be used for Valentines treats/gifts or Galentines!  Especially this first box, made with the Hey Girl stamp set. 

This is the perfect gift box for a friend on Valentines Day! These boxes are very easy to put together.  I love that they have a good size front panel to add something cute. And are big enough to hold a decent sized treat or gift. 

I LOVE the background on this box, a technique that I learned by watching a video of Ashely Tucker's. Aren't the clouds so cute! If you keep reading to the bottom of this post I have a video of the making of all three of the boxes in today's post, as well as a list of all the supplies I used. 

I colored this image in using my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers on Bristol Smooth card stock.  

The second box is for a dog lover, I designed it to have the feel of a dog house. 

For this box I used the Valentine Pals stamp set by FSJ, also one of their new releases in the Follow Your Heart Collection. And I think it's my favorite!  Look how cute that little doggie is!  The background on this box was made by layering an ink blended background with a  stamped layer over the top, but with a Distress Oxide twist. 

I love that this box has a little interactive element to it. The door opens to reveal the sentiment. 

 The last box in this series is very unique, in that is combines a galaxy background the Real Gem stamp set. It was inspired by my daughter's love of the tv series Steven Universe. The characters in this show all have a gem attached to them and some of the characters are from other planets. So, this box is one I could gift to my girls and they would LOVE it. But I also feel like it works for any one who loves glam! 

Isn't it pretty!  This background was one of my favorites to make! 

Speaking of back grounds, all the background panels for the front of the Gable Favor Boxes measure 3-1/8" x 3-1/4", so when mounted to the front of this box you have a nice border all the way around. This box is the only one I made where the background was mounted to another panel of card stock. That layer measures 3-1/4" x 3-3/8", just 1/8" bigger on both sides. I like to write these measurements down on the packaging I keep the die in, so that each time I pull that die out to use it, I have it and do not have to figure out that size again. 

This background incorporates 4 colors of Distress Oxide inks, water,  Whip Cream acrylic paint, and 5 colors of Silk.  You will want to watch the video to see it being made. 

I love the addition of the Trendy Gems with this design, it really makes the whole thing just come together. 

Below you can watch each of the boxes come together and see how I made them, step by step. 

 

 

 

In the video I show how to cut out this box using one piece of 8-1/2" x 11" piece of card stock on a large die cutting machine, if you have a standard machine you can also cut this box out with one piece of card stock. Just cut the card stock in half and cut it like described in the video, with the flap hanging off one side about 1/8" of an inch.

Now you will want to continue on with the blog hop. Next up is Christine Chan at Love of Sparkles, she is an amazing paper artist!  

Here is the entire list of blogs on the hop: 

*Carrie Rhoades  - you are here*

 

Christine Chan

 

Jill Hilliard

 

Marty McGee

 

Alissa Hall

 

Kazan Clark

 

Lezlye Lauterbach

 

If you get lost along this hop or a link does not work for you, you can also find this blog hop on the FSJ blog HERE. 

Thank you so  much for stopping by, please leave a comment and let me know how you like the blog hop and the projects. Of course I am here to help if you have any questions.  Below you will find links to all the products I used to make today's Gable Favor Boxes. 

 

 

Little Monster Valentine

All the fun Valentine gifts and decor are on full display every where you go. Recently I was walking through Walmart and saw some cute little stuffies for Valentines Day, they were little monsters. And so cute.  So that is what inspired todays card. I pulled out my Eyes On You stamp set from Halloween and decided to use it to make a Valentine card. 

Below you can see the little monsters that sparked my creativity.

I loved the pink and purple together and so that is the color scheme I used for this Paper Bag Envelope Card. 

For this card I started with a die set from Spellbinders called the Paper Bag Envelope. It is currently on clearance for $8.09!  Which is a reason to love it, right! 

The top layer of my paper bag, the background, was die cut using one of the dies from this set. Then I used my True Color Fusion inks by FSJ to blend a background. Then I stamped the heart from the Eyes on You stamp set over the top of the blended background in the same colors as the ink I used. The ink colors are: Grape Fusion, Watermelon Fusion, and Bubble Gum.  

The insert for this Paper Bag Envelope is 3-1/8" x 4-7/8", I personally write this on the packaging for the die, so that each time I go to use this die I do not have to figure out what size to cut my insert. 

To color in my monsters I used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. These are a water based marker, that blend with each other. I used #084 - Deep Violet, #080 - Violet, #083 - Lilac, and #999 - Blender for the large monster on the front. I accented the monster in the card insert with #026 - Light Pink. One important think you want to take note of here, these markers work the best on Bristol Smooth card stock by Strathmore.  If you have tried these markers and have not loved the result give them a second try on Bristol Smooth card stock and you will change you mind.  I have also used these markers on image that have been stamped and embossed with black powder on watercolor paper and have loved the result as well. 

Below you can watch the making of this project from last nights Facebook Friday live demonstration. 

 

Scroll to the bottom of this post to find all  products I used to make the projects link for you. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, I love sharing my creations with you and hopefully inspiring you to create as well. 

Affiliate Links have been used at no cost to you, thank you for shopping with me and allowing me to share what I love with you. 

 

Paper Rosette Snowman

Christmas is over and all the fun decorations have been put away. But I wanted to have something cute to hang up during this cold wintery time before the flowers come back. So, I decided to make a snowman to hand up to remind me that snow can be fun and not just a pain to drive in. 

This is Rosie, as she is made of paper rosettes. I think she is adorable with her pink cheeks and soft hat and matching scarf! I have a complete tutorial for you below as well as a video, to help you create your own rosette snowman. If you make one of these you have to PROMISE me that you will show it to me!  I'd love to see your creations! 

I used the Paper Fan Die by FSJ to make all the rosettes to create Rosie. 

Here are the paper measurements to create her head. 

Cut 3 pieces of paper to 2-1/2" x 8-1/2"

Die cut each of these pieces with the Paper Fan Die, taking care to line up the scalloped edge of the die with the edge of the paper each time to ensure that your die cut pieces are all the same. 

When folding these pieces on the score lines that the die makes you are going to fold it like a paper fan, back and forth, creating peaks and valleys. It is important that you start each piece the same. So, if you start by folding the first one down, then start each piece by folding down. This will ensure that the ends will glue together . 

Once all three pieces are folded, glue the ends together to make one long piece. Then bring the front and end together and glue them, creating a ring. With the scallops down on your work surface, gather it together and press down, pushing the scallop end out.  To secure this put some hot glue on to a 2" circle cut from card stock. Repeat this gathering and pushing, this time pushing it down onto the hot glue.  This is the same process you will repeat with the middle and bottom sections of the snowman. You will just start with different size paper, which I have listed for you below each picture. 

The eyes and the cheeks are die cut circles that are about 3/4".  To make one eye I die cut two circles and glued them together to make for a stonier piece. Then I added the white accent with a Geli Roll pen.  I did the same for the cheeks but used a pink marker to make the accents. 

The mouth was created using two nesting circle dies run through a die cutting machine at the same time, cutting a ring.  Fold this over on it self and glue it together, this will make a stronger piece. I cut about 1-1/2" off to make for a smaller smile.

The carrot nose is simple, just hand draw a carrot shape on to orange card stock and cut it out. But seriously, I know this is not easy for everyone, but give it a try, it does not have to be perfect. 

All the elements were added to the rosette with hot glue. 

To create the middle of the snowman you need: 

3 pieces of paper cut to 3" x 8-1/2"

Die cut each of these using the Paper Fan die and repeat the steps to create a rosette as described above for the head. 

The buttons are 3/4" circles, each is two layers thick. The holes were punched using the smallest attachment for the Press Punch.

To make the buttons shine, I covered them with Journey Glaze. This should be the very last step of this project, as you need to lay it flat so it can dry. 

For the bottom section of the snowman you need: 

3 pieces of paper cut to 4" x 8-1/2", die cut these pieces with the Paper Fan Die. 

The snowflake accents were die cut using the Snow Blooms die set.  As with all the elements on the snowman, the snowflakes are two layers thick and hot glued on. 

The sentiment banner is a die cut as well, using the the Journey Rectangle Long die set.  The sentiments are from the Winter Scripty Sentiments by Lawn Fawn. I heat embossed them with black powder to give them a shiny look that helps them stand out. And it brings out the black in the hat and scarf. 

The hat and the scarf are fleece (despite what I say in the video). The hat started as a 10" square. Fold this in thirds and hot glue the seam. Fold up the bottom two times to make the brim or cuff of the hat.  Then take a rubber band and wrap it around the top of the hat, about half way down. Snip the ends up to the rubber band to make the cute fringe. Adhere this to the snowman's head before gluing the snowman down to the hanger. 

The scarf is 5" x 22", but you can really play with this size and make the scarf you want. Fold the scarf in half and snip the ends to fringe both ends at once.  Add this to the snowman once the snowman is already glued to the hanger. 

The hanger is a made of chip board. I save up chipboard pieces from packaging, you could use cardboard as well. Cut two pieces to 1-1/2" x 11". Overlap these at 5" and glue to getter to make a longer piece. You can double up these pieces too if your chipboard is a little flimsy.  Then you want to hot glue the ribbon (about 12" ) to the top in a loop for the hanger. Then attached the head with the hat on, then the middle and then bottom. Last steps are to add the scarf and then the glaze to the buttons. 

Now Rosie is ready to hang up!  

She is going right here on the door to my craft room. 

Below is the video demonstration of this project. Please let me know if you have any questions and be sure to share your creation with me if you make one of these snowmen!  If you are interested in the supplies I used to make Rosie, scroll to the bottom, I have linked them all for you (except the flannel, which I bought 1/4 of a yard of at Walmart, but I did find something similar on Amazon and linked that). 

If you would like to see pictures of the Fall Door Hanger, you can find that blog post HERE. 

Thank you so much for stopping by! I'd love to hear from you, your comments make my day and questions are always welcome!  

 

Snowmen Days Thank You cards

Christmas was very enjoyable here for the Rhoades family. We spent some quality time with family and took time to relax. Which is big for me since I usually am running all over cooking, cleaning, etc. I kept things simple and I LOVED it!  And now that the decorations are being packed up I find I now need to send some thank you cards. I wanted them to have a wintery feel but not a Christmas feel. So I pulled out my Snowmen Days stamp set by FSJ to make some quick and easy cards. 

I kept the coloring simple so I could make a four cards in a short time. 

The backgrounds were sponged on with Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide ink. These inks have a very soft finish and add to a fresh snow falling feel with paired with the Winter Wonderland stencil. 

The vellum pieces for each card were die cut using the Frame it die set, I liked this rectangle because it has a double stitched border. But I needed a smaller, more square piece for this little snowman. So I ran my already die cut rectangle back through my machine a second time with the same die, but positioned so it would cut my rectangle into a smaller square. You can see how in my video below. 

All the coloring was done with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers on Bristol Smooth card stock. 

I used 5 makers for all of the cards. Here are the numbers and colors I used; #302 - Haze Blue, #303 - Shadow Mauve, #032 - Persian Blue, #026 - Light Pink, #029 - Geranium Red. 

For this card I wanted to show that you could make the card even more simple by omitting the stencil and just sponging on some of the Tumbled Glass ink for a nice glow behind the snowman. 

I did not have a stamp that said Thank You Snow Much and I really wanted that sentiment, so I created it myself. The stamp is from the Simply Sentiments by Lawn Fawn. After stamping it I used my black Gelly Roll pen to cross out the so and hand write in SNOW. I think it adds to the whimsy of the card and is a fun element. 

The final touch to each of these cards was some drops of Journey Glaze to add to the snowy, icy feel of the card. 

You can see the making of these cards in the video below. 

Be sure to visit my Carrie Stamps Facebook page and click to follow so you can watch when I go live on Mondays and Fridays. Scroll to the bottom for links to all the products I used. 

Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me share these cards with you I hope you have an enjoyable New Years Even and a very Happy New Year!  

 

Stay Cozy Balsa Wood Ornament

I have been having so much fun playing with the December Stamp Set of the month, Stay Cozy by FSJ. My favorite thing about this stamp set is that it takes very little effort to make it look great.  Very little coloring to add life to the stamped images. 

Today's project is made of wood and not paper!  Balsa wood to be exact. It is a very light weight wood that is used a lot to make models, it has the weight of fun foam and is about as thick, depending on what you buy. 

AND, it can be die cut!  So, die cut an ornament for todays project. 

I was able to use my thin wafer die set, Globe and Ornament Shaker Tag by Honey Bee to die cut this ornament. 

I stamped my cabin image with Black Licorice ink then heat set it and stamped it once again using my stamp positioning tool, heating it a second time to make sure the ink was set before coloring it. 

Then I repeated this process with the sentiment. The reason behind heating it and then stamping it again is so that there is not an over saturation of ink. If there is then it can bleed on this wood. 

I added color to my image using Journey Color Burst pencils (#21,27,39,48). Just hints of color here and there, that is what I love about this stamp set, you really only need a little bit of color to bring the images to life. 

I wanted to make sure the colored pencil would not fade over time, hopefully this will hang on someone's tree for a few years, so I embossed the front of the ornament. To do this I pressed the entire ornament into clear embossing powder, covering the entire surface with clear ink. Then I sprinkled Clear Embossing Powder over it and used my Heat Gun to melt the powder. This intensified the ink and gave it a nice shiny surface.  To make my ornament more sturdy I die cut a second ornament from Balsa wood and glued it to the back of the stamped one. You could stamp this other one too, so that both sides have something cute, or sign your name and date it. 

The topper for this ornament is made out of card stock. I did not use the wood because I found that when die cutting out the topper the very thin part of die cut topper kept breaking. This is wood and it does have wood grain and so the thin area could not hold up. So I die cut two of the toppers from white card stock. I dipped one in Clear Pigment ink and embossed the entire piece with Silver Embossing Powder. I really wanted it to look like a metal piece, so I repeated this step two more times, each time melting the powder with my heat gun before dipping it in ink and powder. Make sure to let this cool before touching it.  The three layers of silver embossing powder really give it the look of metal and make the card stock more sturdy. But to ensure that this little piece was going to stand up to being hung on a tree I glued the second topper piece that I die cut from card stock to the back of the embossed one. I set this under an acrylic block to dry. 

Now it is on to the finishing touches. You can see here that I added two pinecones to the top of the ornament. They are die cut with a die set from Spellbinders called, pinecones. They are very easy to make, just die cut the large and small pinecone piece that cuts out a spiral with a zig zag like edge. You then roll these up, I used a small wooden dowel. When you get to the end just add one dot of glue to secure the end to the pinecone. Repeat this with the small piece and you have two different sized pinecones, ones that are small and look like you saved them from the dense forest floor. I sponged a little Whip Cream ink on the edge of mine to give them a snowy look. 

My FAVORITE part of this ornament is the edge. I wanted to cover up the sides, as you could plainly see that I had glued two together.  So I added some Journey Glaze to the edge and dipped it in Silver Shavings!  They are magically delicious!  Not Really, DO NOT EAT THESE! They are actual silver shavings, not a cute name for glitter. I love the vintage look it gave the ornament and really took it up a notch to special. To make it really thick and chunky I added a second layer of the silver shavings. I set this on an Acrylic Block that is smaller than the ornament to dry and then using Journey Glaze I glued on the silver topper. Give this ample time to dry, about 1 hour. Then string the pinecone through a piece of twine, I chose Candy Apple Twine, and string this through the ornament topper and tie it off.  And what an adorable ornament!  

You can have so much fun with Balsa wood making ornaments. I encourage you to give it a try, play with the dies you have and your Christmas stamps, I bet you can make some fun creations! 

Below are some helpful resources for you, the LIVE video demonstration of this ornament as well as links to all the things I used to make this ornament. 

 

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my love of creating with you! 

2 Stencil Techniques with Distress Oxide inks

I've been playing in my stamp studio again with my new ink pads, Distress Oxide by Tim Holtz. Today's card feature two techniques using stencils with these hybrid inks. 

This card started by blending 3 colors, Peacock Feathers, Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean on a piece of white card stock.  Because these inks have not only die ink but also pigment ink, they blend like butter. The rich color coats the top of the paper beautifully. 

Next step is to adhere this panel to a stencil, I used the Winter Wonderland stencil by FSJ. With the inked side of the paper up and the stencil on top, I misted the paper with water. Leave this on for a minute and then remove the stencil to see the oxidation that occurred. I will leave a beautiful background. 

I stamped images from the Most Wonderful stamp set over the top with Lucky Clover Distress Oxide ink. 

Technique number 2, uses the Buffalo Check stencil by FSJ.

I started with a piece of white card stock and coated it with Black Soot distress oxide ink, by rubbing the pad direct to paper.  Then I took the Buffalo Check stencil and misted it several times with water, laid the wet side down onto my ink coated paper. Let this sit for a minute or so and use a paper towel to press on the stencil so that it comes in contact with the entire surface of the card stock. 

You can watch the making of these cards in the video below. If you have not already LIKED my facebook page make sure you do so that you can catch me when I go live each Monday and Friday night. 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you are inspired to try something new with your paper crafting today.  Below you will find links to the products I used to create these cards. 

 

 

 

Stay Cozy Ornament Card

Happy December!  Last night on my Stamp Set of the Month Live demonstration on Facebook I introduced the December stamp set of the month, Stay Cozy by FSJ.  Stamp set of the month is a set that I choose as one I LOVE and want to share with you. I love a stamp set that is versatile with images and sentiments. Usually the set I pick will have a matching die set, but not this month. 

And in last nights demonstration I showcase not only this stamp set but a fun technique with Distress Oxide inks and show a unique card that has a removable ornament. 

I have been OBSESSED with making shaker ornaments with the DIY hoops from Spellbinders/FSJ. You can see the cute little critter ones I made, HERE. 

On this ornament I showed how to use a MISTI to stamp on a window sheet with FSJ's True Color Fusion ink. It really takes the stress out of stamping on this slippery surface and you can get good ink coverage by stamping the image lightly and repeatedly. 

I did say that the ornament was removable. But I did not the card to be a total waste once you remove the ornament. So I added a cute stamped element behind the ornament. 

To secure the ornament to the card I threaded the string through the card front in a small hole. I used the large holly at the bottom of the card as well as the gems on the right to help hold the ornament in place.  The recipient just pulls the string out of the card to remove it. 

Now let's talk about the background. It started with Distress Oxide ink, my new favorite thing to play with!  I covered a piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb. card stock with Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide ink. This ink is a fusion of dye and pigment ink. Because of the pigment in this ink, the ink sits on top of the paper and is thick, creamy and almost suede like. 

Next I inked up the Solid Holly background stamp from Impression Obsession with Twisted Citron Distress Oxide ink. Since this ink reacts amazingly well with water I sprayed the inked stamp with water and then stamped it on my Mowed Lawn panel. After letting it sit for a couple minutes I got this amazing two toned background that looks almost like a pice of fabric. You want to use a heat gun to help dry the paper and watch the image intensify as it dries. 

You can watch the making of this card in the video below. 

 

If you managed watch this entire video, sorry so long, you heard that I was going to share a matching tag to this card. So here is a cute matching shaker tag. 

I use the largest tag and rectangle in the Special Day Tag die set to make the frame for this tag. For the scene, I die cut part of the tag and then cut around the top part of the image. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, as always I am here to help you, please reach out if you have any questions. I'd love to hear from you. 

I have linked all the products I used to make these projects for you below. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you, thank you for your support.

 

 

 

Snowflowers in 3 sizes!

Last year I shared some paper ornaments that I a made with my daughters art class. I called them snowflowers. This year I wanted to make some more and thought it would be fun to make then in different sizes. I started with the original and then made one smaller and one bigger. 

Let me start by showing you the regular size. 

Aren't they so pretty! And easy to make. Here's what you need: 

7 strips of printed paper that measure 1/2" x 12", scored at 3" and 7". 

BUT, I like to score a piece of 12" x12" paper at 3" and 7" and then cut it into 1/2" strips, much easier than scoring seven 1/2" strips.  Then I have enough strips to make 3 snowflowers.  Each strip gets bent into a petal. The finished flower is about 4-1/2" in diameter. It is hard to explain how you bend and glue them, so I have a video for you on how to make them below. 

Next up is the smaller version. 

For the small snowflower you will also need seven strips. These strips are 1/2" x 9" and are scored at 2" and 5".  The finished flower is about 3-1/2" in diameter. 

Again, I started with a piece of printed paper that was 9" x 12" and on the 9" side I scored the entire piece of paper at 2" and 5" and then cut them into half inch strips. You will see how much faster this is in the video. 

Lastly I have the largest snowflower, where I added a fourth loop to the outside of each petal. 

This beauty measure just over 5" in diameter.  To make it larger you make the 7 petals for the original size and then add another loop to the outside of each that is 1/2" x 6". 

I added some fun elements to the center of each snowflower. This one has a poinsettia that I made HERE. 

I also thought I'd help make the ornaments a little more sturdy by adding a small element to the back side. 

Here I used a small punched circle from coordinating paper. 

On the others I used a button or rhinestone that matched. 

Now let's take a look at how to make these ornaments. 

Thanks for watching and visiting my blog. If you have any questions I'd love to hear from you! 

Below I have linked all the things I used to make these Snowflowers. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. 

 

 

Snowglobe and Ornament Shaker Cards

Today I am sharing a cool die set from Honey Bee, Snowglobe and Ornament Shaker Tag die set. 

When I saw this die set I knew I had to have it and that I would make some shaker cards with it. 

You can see this die set makes a snow globe or an ornament.  I love when a die set is versatile like that. 

This deer card uses the dies to make a snow globe. 

The deer is from the It's Cold Outside stamp set by FSJ.  This snowglobe sits on top of the card. I made the snow globe shaker and then glued it to my card. But you can also create an "inlaid" shaker. Here's a look at an Inlaid Snowglobe Shaker card. 

For this card I die cut the snowglobe/ornament shape out of the card front. 

I love this sweet little squirrel! 

Now let's look at this die set used as an ornament. 

So much cute!!!  I used my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers for all of the coloring on these cards. And I love how the shaker elements have a bit of transparency, so you can see through them like actual ice. 

This ornament sits on top of the card, but I also made a card with the ornament inlaid! 

Isn't he so cute in his little ornament! All the cards in today's post are 4" x 4". So I made custom envelopes for them using the Score Board by FSJ. It comes with an attachment for making envelops and boxes. 

If you'd like to see how I made these ornaments you will find my facebook live demonstration below. 

 

Yes, I was a little crazy in the stamp studio during the making of that video!  But still made some crazy cute cards! 

 Below you will find all the things I used to make these cards. Affiliate links are used at no cost to you, thank you for your support! 

 

 

   

 

 

 

If you have any questions about todays cards or the products used please let me know. And remember if you purchase the It's Cold Outside stamp set in November you can get a FREE card kit from me to make your first card with your new set on me! Just email me your order number and address once you make your purchase. Kits are mailed out at the end of the month. 

Glimmer Hot Foil for the Holidays

I have been having lots of fun playing with my new Glimmer Hot Foil System by Spellbinders. Don't we all just love new things to add to our crafting line up!  Well, the Hot Foil system is that new thing for me. It uses heat and pressure to apply a foiled image to paper (or other medias). 

In today's share I am showing you the basic method of Hot Foiling. But there are several other things you can do and ways to use this machine. 

For this card I used the Happy Holidays hot foil plate and red foil. 

The plates for the Hot Foil System look like dies, but they do not cut the paper they press into it. And you can see the crisp shinny image of the "Happy Holidays" looks amazing on this white card front. 

I found the directions that come with the machine very helpful and when I bought the machine it came with everything I needed to make my first hot foil impression. It comes with a shim, plate, cooling mat, tweezers, two rolls of foil (silver and rose gold), and a set of hot plates. 

When I purchased my machine I also got a roll of red foil and this Happy Holidays plate. Here you can see the same hot plate used with red foil on pink card stock. 

I know you'd like to see this machine in action so I am attaching a video of how I made the squirrel card here for you.  

In the video I share with you my fun new markers the Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers. 

 

They are really great!  I love how easily they blend. I do recommend watercolor paper for these markers or Bristol Smooth cardstock, for best results. As several of you have asked, here's a link to where I got my set of markers. Note: you can purchase smaller sets than the set of 80 I got. There is a set of 48 markers, HERE.  A set of 36 markers, HERE.  And a set of 24 Zig markers, HERE.  They even have a set of 12 which has a lot of good color and because you can blend these markers you could make a lot of custom colors with this set, see it HERE. 

FREE CARD KIT! Just a reminder that the It's Cold Outside stamp set used on today's cards is the November Stamp Set of the month. When you purchase this set from the link above I will send you an exclusive card kit, using this stamp set. So that you can make your first card on me!  Just email me your order number and I will send you your card kit! (email: carrie@carriestamps.com)

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit my blog. If you have any questions about the hot foil system I am here to help! Or any other questions, just reach out. 

Below are all the things I used to make these cards. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you. 

 

Lawn Fawn Gift Box

Did you see the shaker ornaments I shared yesterday?  Today's projects is a gift box to hold them. 

I knew the four little ornaments would make a great set and would need cute packaging to match. So, I pulled out my Lawn Fawn Gift Box die set. This finished box is intended to gift note cards (3-1/2" x 5"). Which is a GREAT idea!  I altered the box slightly to have a hinged lid. And it holds all four of my ornaments perfectly! 

Here's a look at the top of the closed box. The "just for you" and the bow are from the die set, they really thought of everything in this set. 

Here is a picture of the box open. You can see that the lid does not remove from the box but it hinged. I also lined the inside of the box with a piece of printed paper. 

I love the decorative corners in this die set because not only are they cute but they also serve a purpose. They are the essential piece that creates the lid for this box out of the die that also makes the base of this box. 

That might sound confusing, so check out this video where I show you how to make this box. 

If you are interested in any of the products I used to make this box you can find them linked below for your convenience. Affiliate links have been used at not cost to you.  

 

 

Thank you for taking time to stop and visit my blog! If you have any questions please let me know. 

DIY Hoop Shaker Ornaments

When I first saw the DIY Hoops from FSJ I knew I was going to have a lot of fun making ornaments. And since I LOVE to make shaker cards I knew I wanted to try to make a shaker ornament with these hoops. 

To make these shakers you will need two hoops. The ornaments I am making today are with the medium hoops in a package, They measure about 3-1/4" in diameter. 

I pared the Cozy Prints paper pack with the It's Cold Outside stamp set. All the coloring was done with Color Burst pencils. 

I added the sentiment to the back of these ornaments so that if they get turned around on the tree there is something else to see. 

Making these ornaments are easier to make than you might think, but there are a few key steps, so I have a video for you to watch to see how to make them. 

 

You can find all the fun things I used to make these ornaments below. 

 

Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you

The It's Cold Outside is my November stamp set of the month. If you purchase this set through the link above, email me your order number and I will send you an exclusive card kit to make your first card with your new stamp set on me! 

Thank you for stopping by! Tune in tomorrow to see the gift box I made to put these ornaments in and the matching gift tag. 

 

Cinch and Go Poinsettias

Today I am sharing a fun new die set by Spellbinders, the Cinch and Go Poinsettia die set, designed by Becca Feeken. I love poinsettias for the holidays and have wanted a good poinsettia die set for a while now. And this die set definitely delivers! 

It not only die cuts but embosses texture into the petals of each flower! 

The largest flower was done by die  cutting one of each flower from the die set and layering them up. The leaves are just the largest flower die cut from Olive Green card stock. It is helpful to have a tool to shape the petals. The center flower here was shaped by using a crease tool.  The smaller flowers were made die cutting two of the smallest flower from the set and layering them up. But the petals were shaped using a large stylus tool. I demonstrate how in the video below. 

The wreath I attached the poinsettias to is from FSJ, Spruced Up 3D Wreaths. They are about 3-1/2" in diameter. The come green, but I frosted mine with the addition of some white acrylic paint. 

This mini wreath would be a great topper for a gift that could then be used as an ornament or decor piece. 

This second project features poinsettias in non-traditional colors. 

I attached these to the top of a store bought gift box, found at Walmart. To adhere my flowers to the box I first tied on my Oatmeal Cookie Satin ribbon. Then adhered a large die cut circle to the ribbon. 

I then adhered my flowers to the circle instead of to the box. Now the entire ribbon/flower piece can be removed and the box in tact. 

To add interest to these flowers I sponged some Oatmeal Cookie ink to each of the petals, giving them a more vintage feel.  I finished off the box with a simple tag stamped with 'tis the season, from the Snowmen Days stamp set by FSJ. 

Below I have a video on the making of the poinsettia flowers, included a few not shown here! 

 

Below I have linked all the products I used to create the poinsettias as well as the projects in this blog post. affiliate links are used, at no cost to you. 

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! Please let me know if you have any questions. 

It's Cold Outside Christmas Card

Time to share the Christmas card I made on Monday night with the It's Cold Outside Stamp Set of the Month. 

It is very similar to yesterday's Fall themed card. I also made this background on my Gel Press with the Buffalo Check Stencil. I love the matte look of the acrylic paint on my card stock and it has a bit of texture that you can not get with ink. 

 

I added some snowflake elements to this card by stamping a snowflake background on the green circle using the Cold Snap stamp by Spellbinders. 

The black snowflake element is 3 die cut snowflakes from the Snow Flowers die set by FSJ. I just glued the three snowflake together to make it a thicker element. Once in place on the card I covered it with Journey Glaze. 

On the LIVE demonstration (see video below) I said that this month I would be making a card and matching tag each week with this Stamp Set of the Month. So, here is the matching tag for this card. 

It's very similar to the card. Take a close look at the sentiment. I added a shadow to the stamped image with a light gray colored pencil. Giving it a shadow and a bit of a vintage feel. 

This tag was die cut from the Special Day Tag Die set. After die cutting the tag, I added a hole in the top of the tag for my twine and a hole in each of the scallops at the bottom. 

What a cute set, I so enjoyed making a tag to match my card. Below you will find all the things I used to make these projects as well as the video to the Live demonstration of this card and the fall card.  You will want to see how I made the background for these on a Gel Press.

See the making of my first two card using the November Stamp Set of the Month, It's Cold Outside, here: 

NOTE: When you purchase the Stamp Set of the Month at my On-Line store then I will send you an exclusive card kit to make your first card with your new set on me!  Just email me your order number and the address that you want me to send the kit and tutorial to. (email: carrie@carriestamps.com)

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit my blog. I am here to chat if you have any questions and of course I'd love to hear your comments too. 

It's Cold Outside

Introducing the November stamp set of the month, It's Cold Outside!  It's is a set of 7 images with a coordinating set of 7 dies!  That's right every stamp has a die!  I love that! 

For this share of the Stamp Set of the month I made two cards during my Facebook Live video, one fall themed and one Christmas themed. Both with a Buffalo Check background that started out on the Gel Press. Today I am going to share the fall card. Be sure to stop by again tomorrow to see the Christmas card and I will be sharing a coordinating tag with that card. 

To create this background I used the Buffalo Check stencil by FSJ with Black Licorice paint on the Gel Press. I love the look of the matte finish acrylic paint with this stencil. It's not perfect and it gives the paper some texture. I finished off the check with some pin stripping. To create this look I used colored pencils and a ruler, simple and quick!  

My little fox, isn't he so sweet!!! I color him with colored pencils as well. Then sentiment I chose for this card is from the Hello Fall stamp set. I also used a background stamp, Color Me Fall to stamp the circle the fox is sitting on. 

To dress up this card I used some gold thread, which comes as an off white thread and gold twisted together. I unraveled it and used just the gold behind the circle. I added a wooden leaf element and some candy drops. 

You can watch the making of this card below, and the Christmas card as well!  

As with every Stamp Set of the Month, I will be back next Monday with another project with this set. This month I am focusing on cards and gift tags, join me next Monday night at 8pm MST on my Facebook page. 

I have linked all the products I have used to make both cards below for your convenience.

Thank you for stopping by and letting me share my creations with you. Remember if you purchase the Stamp Set of the Month, It's Cold Outside then you will get a card kit in the mail from me. All you need to do is send me an email with your order # and your shipping address. (email: carrie@carriestamps.com)Kit go out at the end of the month. 

 

Christmas Candy Canes in Rose Gold

I love a good challenge! When my friend Lael said she'd like to see a Christmas card with rose gold, I took that challenge! 

I thought my new Christmas Candy Cane stamp and die set from Spellbinders would look great in rose gold. So I stamp both of the candy cane images in Clear Pigment ink and embossed them with Rose Gold Embossing powder. 

I used a surprising product to color in the lines of the candy canes to add more rose gold to them and to splatter the background. It's Peaches and Cream Silk. 

Isn't it the perfect match to the Rose Gold embossing powder. You can see how I made this on the video below. 

 

Here are all the fun things I used to make this card:  

Thank you for taking the time to stop and visit my blog, I hope that you're leaving inspired and that you will come back again soon.  And join me tomorrow night at 8pm MST on my facebook page for a LIVE video demonstration of my November stamp set of the month. 

Charming Cottage Candy Cane Box

I am excited to announce that Spellbinder and FSJ have joined forces! Now when you shop for FSJ products you will also be able to shop for Spellbinder products!  This is a great new partnership and I am happy to be a part of it and now share with you even more cool products that I love. 

 

And I am starting with my favorite Spellbinders die set, Charming Cottage. This is a set of 15 dies that includes the die to cut this gable style box that is very easy to put together.  You can see all the dies and a more traditional use for the box. 

For my box I used Cozy Prints paper from FSJ. Their printed paper is very sturdy and will hold up to die cutting, even with dies that make a crease. And this box is fairly sturdy. 

I love that several of the dies in this set also emboss details into the pieces!  My favorite die in this set has to be the little bow.  There are so many things you can put this bow on. 

You can watch the making of this box on the video below. 

I filled my box with old fashion looking Peppermint Twists by See's Candy, you can find them HERE. 

  

Thank you so much for stopping by, I love crafting and sharing my creations with you brings me joy!

Happy Harvest Shaker Card

Today is my last share with the October Stamp Set of the Month. Happy Harvest is my pick for October, as one of my faves because it is so versatile and CUTE!  Remember when you order this stamp set through my online store during October then I will send you an exclusive card kit in the mail!  It's my way of saying THANK YOU and then you get to make your first card with your new stamp set on me! 

I knew before the month was over I had to make a shaker card with this set. 

I love the look of falling leaves that the stamped and cut out leaves give inside this shaker card. 

The background on this card was stamped using the Color Me Fall background stamp by FSJ. It is the perfect background stamp to pair with the Happy Harvest Stamp set. 

I colored in my Scarecrow using colored pencils. I like the Journey Color Burst Pencils. I used Pencils; 13,16, 25, 38, 41, and 48. You don't have to be a professional colorist to get a good look with colored pencils.  Here is my tip to coloring with colored pencils that anyone can do; first outline the edge with a heavy line, then color in towards the center with a lighter hand.  It's as easy as that. 

You can watch the making of this card in the video below. 

 

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, so you can catch all my video's LIVE. 

You can find the Happy Harvest and Color me Fall stamp sets linked below, click on an image to shop for it. 

Thank you for stopping by and letting me share another Happy Harvest creation with you. If you missed the other projects I have created with this set I am linked them below for you. 

Happy Harvest Door Knob Hanger

Halloween Scarecrow Card

Gel Press Scarecrow Card

Happy Harvest Thanksgiving Decor

Happy Harvest Door Hanger

Happy Harvest Sunset Card

Please let me know if you have any questions about todays project or any of the others linked above. 

Pumpkin Pie Box

It is PUMPKIN SPICE season. I love it, how long can we stretch this out??? Here is my contribution to the PS season, a Pumpkin Pie Box. 

It's pretty cute!  And it holds quite a bit of Pumpkin Spice M&Ms!  And isn't that sentiment  perfect for this box!  

I used a die from FSJ to create this box, the Triangle Treat Box. 

You just lift the box open with the Whip Cream Flower. 

You can see how I created this box in the video below. 

  

I hope you enjoyed this project and are inspired to create some thing for Pumpkin Spice season. Please let me know if you have any questions.