Carrie Stamps

Fringe Frenzy - Episode 3

Hey there stamping friends, I am back with another Fringe Frenzy episode!

In Episode 3 I am using the Pinata Party stamp and die set again, to create a unicorn. I am also showing you how to make scalloped fringe with the Fringe Frenzy Kit. And, if you are in a rush and want a fringed look you can stamp faux fringe with the Pinata Party stamp set.

Each week in this series I am making a card and something cute to go with it. This time the something cute came first and the card was inspired by the gift box.

The gift box is the Gable Favor die from Spellbinders/FSJ. You can create this box with just one piece of 8-1/2" x 11"piece of paper!

I made the scalloped rainbow fringe for the background using the Fringe Frenzy die cut. To make scalloped fringe you will use two dies from the Fringe Frenzy die set. First, die cut the fringe piece from the lightweight paper that comes in the kit. Then, lay the scallop die on the fringed edge of this strip and die cut it again, giving your fringe a scalloped edge. I love it! 

The clouds are a great example of how you can use the dies you already have to create fringed elements.

The unicorn is die cut from glittered card stock, but you can make a fringed unicorn too! All the elements to finish this unicorn off are die cut with dies from the Pinata Party stamp set. I love that you can make a pinata or unicorn with this die set!

Now let's take a look at the coordinating gift card with hand made envelope.

I knew I wanted to make a mini shaker card, which would mean I would have very little of my fringe showing up on the frame if that is they way I went with the card. So, instead I used the fringe stamp from the Pinata Party stamp set for the background of my card.  This gave me the look I wanted and was quick and easy. I use that same stamp on my envelope. Playing with the Fringe Frenzy kit so much I realized that the lightweight paper was perfect for creating envelopes. And at 6" x 6" the perfect size for a 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" card.

I filled my shaker card with Diamond Dust, it is clear glass product similar to chunky glitter, but it actual cut glass so it has some weight to it. I love how it moves around in a shaker card.  The stamped and die cut sentiment are from the Fringe Frenzy Kit, it's so nice that this set has a banner die to cut out the long sentiments and I don't have to hunt for another die set to do this!  The ink colors I used for my faux fringe are all form Altenew, I linked all the colors for you below.

Now let's take a look at the video, the making of these projects. Be sure to click over to my YouTube channel, like a comment on this video there for a chance to win this card!

BTW - The winner of last week's give away is Cathy Arenzana!  Cathy, I will be in touch to get your address so I can get your Mystery Pack of Cards out in the mail to you!

Thank you so much for watching. If you have not done so already, I'd love for you to subscribe to my channel I come out with 2-3 video's a week!

I had so much fun making these unicorn projects and love that I get to share them with you.

Below I have listed and linked all the supplies I used to make today's projects. When you click and shop these links you are helping to support my blog and YouTube channel at no cost to you. THANK YOU!

 

 

M-n-M Envelope Purse and Lip Balm Tag

So, I bet you wont be surprised that I am bringing you another lip balm creation. Not sure what it is about lip balm in fun flavors that makes me so happy. But m-n-m flavored lip balm, I just couldn't help myself! I knew I wanted to pair the lip balm with the actual treat, in a package of some kind. And that's when the idea of an envelope purse came to me.

I am tickled with how they turned out!  Now let's take a closer look at how these are made.

Let's start with the M-n-M Envelope Purse.

You will need an envelope punch board or Score board with an Envelope maker attachment, like this one.

Start with a piece of 7-1/2" x 7-1/2" piece of card stock.

On an envelope score board;

Score one side at 2-3/4" & 2-1/2"

Rotate to the next side of the paper, score this side at: 4-3/4" & 4-1/2"

Rotate to the next side of the paper and repeat, scoring this side at 2-3/4" & 2-1/2", rotate and scoring the last side at 4-3/4" and 4-1/2".

Notch out the overlapping corners with a punch or scissors.  Corner round all 4 points of the envelope.

Die cut a window in the front of the envelope before putting the envelope together. You will need a large die cut machine to do this, like the Platinum machine by Spellbinders, which can die cut an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of paper. I used a die from the Special Day Tag die set by Spellbinders/FSJ.

You will want to cut slits in the space between the two scored lines at the top of the envelope to insert the ribbon handle. Secure these down with double stick tape. I used velcro to keep my envelope closed.

The tag base is a modified version of a tag from the Special Day Tag die set.  In the video I show you how to alter this tag and put it together using the Lip Balm Shaker Pouch, Lip Balm Window dies and the Essential Sentiment Rip Strip Die set, all by My Favorite Things. It makes me giddy that MFT stamps has all these products for Lip Balm creations. Included a stamp set, Sending Smooches, that I used on these envelope purses.

Take a look at the video to see how I made these envelope purses and lip balm tags.

Which envelope purse is your favorite? Do you have a favorite M-n-M flavor?  Leave a comment below and let me know, I love to connect with new crafty friends!

Thank you for taking time to stop by and visit me!  I hope you are inspired to make cute things and when you do I'd love for you to share them with me!

Below I have listed and linked the products I used to make these cute projects. Affiliate links were used, which means you get to support the people who inspire you by clicking and shopping links on the blog and videos you love. And at no cost to you the creator that inspired you gets a small percentage of the sale, to keep bringing you new ideas and creations. It means a lot when you are able to use our links to show your support!

 

 

Fringe Frenzy - Episode 2

Hey there stamping friends. I know I am a day late in getting this out to you but, the old computer had other plans, so here we are on Wednesday with Episode 2 of Fringe Frenzy!

Today I am bringing you two more ideas with the Concord & 9th kit, Fringe Frenzy. This kit has a stamp set, a die set and specialty paper for die cutting fringe.  Today I am also bring1ing in the Pinata Party stamp and die set. A coordinating bundle that is great fringed! 

See, how perfect is a fringed pinata!!! And the sentiment, it's what's on the inside that counts!!! I adore this!

I use the Warm and Cozy Altenew ink set to color my fringe for this ombre look on the pinata as well as the background of streamers.

Here are a few fringe tips I have for using this kit.

1. When fringing a piece that you want to then die cut there are a few key things you must do. First, the paper that you die cut the fringe from should be light weight, like the paper that comes in the Fringe Frenzy Kit. Second, when putting double stick tape on the back of your fringed pieces, the tape should be half way on the fringe and half way off the fringe. This will help your fringe to stay in place when you die cut your shape.  IF your fringe still falls all you can do card surgery to glue them back into place. You can see me do this in today's video. Third, the paper that you are adhering your fringe too should also be light weight. Your die will be cutting through two layers of paper and the double stick tape you used. I will sometimes use a light weight card stock for my second layer. You can always back your die cut fringed piece with another die cut from heavy card stock to make it more sturdy if you want. 
2. When custom coloring your fringe a make up style brush works great on the light weight paper. You can color the paper before or after it has been fringed. So when you have scraps of white fringe ink them up with the color of your choice.
3. Fringe makes great little accents too. In last week's video I used a scrap of fringe to go inside a gift bag. This week I used a scrap to make a tassel. Watch the video to see how easy this is.

I used a couple of the other images from the Pinata Party stamp set for the inside of the card.  And before I put it in the envelope I added a surprise.

This is the Slice Fetti from FSJ. I wanted all this to fall out as the card is opened, just like goodies spill out of a pinata.

For each episode using Fringe Frenzy I am making something to go with the card. This week it is a shaker gift tag.

The journey of this tag!  It had some issues, like surgery, markers to the rescue and brightening with silk.  You'll have to watch the video below to see all these turns that this tag took before it got here. I toyed with leaving the fringe flat like this, but decided to ruffle it up in the end.

Ruffling up the fringe give it more of a true pinata look. And check out those cute tassels accenting the top of the tag. They are so easy to make from the die cut fringe!  You really just roll them up, I will show you how in the video below.

The tag itself is from the Special Day Tag die set by FSJ. It's a die set I use repeatedly.

Now you should check out this video and see how I made this card and tag. Be sure to click over to YouTube and leave a comment on this video there. I am raffling off a Mystery Bundle of cards, all you have do to enter is leave a comment. The winner will be announced next week on Episode 3!  And if you like the video will you let me know by giving it a thumbs up.

If you have not done so already be sure to subscribe to my channel. I release about 2, sometimes 3, videos a week. If you want YouTube to tell you when my new videos are out click the bell next to the subscribe button.

If you want to see the Sew Pretty Bundle in action that I mentioned in the video you can check that out HERE.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. Getting to share my creations with you and leave you with some good tips is one of my favorite things. If you are interested in the products I used I have listed and linked them for you below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trick Or Treat Die Cut Bags

Hello my stamping friends, welcome back to my blog and a BLOG HOP with Inky Stamper. Today I am using the Mini Double Bow by Inky Stamper and participating in a Blog Hop. All the projects in the hop feature product from the Inky Stamper line. AND, who's doesn't love a BLOG HOP with a give away!  All you need to do is leave a comment right here on this blog post. On Sunday 9/8/16 I will draw out two names and you will each win the Inky Greetings stamp set!

Now let's take a look at the die cut Trick or Treat bags I made.

This bag is such a great size. It is called the Card Carrier die because it can fit A2 sized cards.

The spider web die cuts a window into the gift bag. So you can see the fun treat on the inside!

On a sad note, I did not realize that this die set has been retired. So, below I have linked a similar die that could be used as I have used this one here.

The bow at the top of the gift bag is the Mini Double Bow from Inky Stamper. I LOVE that this die is a one piece die and I do not have a lot of small dies that I could easily loose. And I knew this little bow would look great on my favorite die cut bag.

I used the bow to die on the twine that hold the spider and tag.

The die cut pumpkins are from the Spooksville die set. I have used this die set so much and below you can see it on the other two Trick or Treat bags I made .

Isn't that Mini Double bow so cute in this Electric Lime!  The bats are also from the Spooksville die set.

That house! What a fun die, yes, also from the same die set.

You can watch how I made these bags in the video below.

And now you will want to follow along on the blog hop to see all the other cute things made with products by Inky Stamper. But before you go be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win one of two Inky Greetings stamp sets that I get to give away!

Chelsea Comer

Kim Hutchinson

Jenn Gross

Erica Thompson

 

Stephanie Rogers

Carrie Rhoades --- you are here

Jen Carter

 

Below you will find all the products used in today's projects:

Mini Double Bow Die by Inky Stamper

 

Spider Web Die (similar to the one used in these projects)

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

2 Glimmer Hot Foil Plate 2 Foils 1 Card

I am back with another Christmas card using a background from my BEST GLIMMER HOT FOIL PLATE video.

I paired up a Gel Press Print and the Scattered Dot Glimmer Hot Foil plate with Aura foil to create this background. My goal was to use another Glimmer Hot Foil plate for this card, the Merry Christmas Tree Glimmer Plate. This plate set was designed by Sharyn Sowell. I once saw a video of how she creates/designs her dies. It was amazing. She cuts them from paper with scissors. Like a very intricate snowflake. I was in awe and knew, based on that video that I wanted to own some of her dies or Glimmer Plates. They are works of art truly. You can watch the video that hooked me right HERE.

Now let's take a look at the card for today.

You wouldn't know it to look at this card, but it too a lot to get it done. It was one of those cards where everything I tried did not work.

Watch the video to see what I mean and let me know if this has ever happened to you.

I am glad a stuck with it and ended up with a card that I like.

I love when you turn this card in the light you get the waves of rainbow over the background and the tree goes from blue to silver. I really do have a lot of fun with that Glimmer machine!

Did you catch the last video I did with another background from the BEST GLIMMER HOT FOIL PLATE video?  You can watch that one HERE and tune in next week for a Halloween card with the background that I double foiled over a Gel Press Print.

Making Christmas cards this early in the year gives me mixed emotions. I am sad to let summer go but I am looking foward to fall. I love fall, it just seems to go so fast and then it's winter and then Christmas and I am never as ready as I want to be. So now I am happy that I am one Christmas card closer to being ready. See, I am all over the place!  How about you, do you like making Christmas cards in summer?

Below I have listed and linked all the things I used to make today's card. Thank you for your support, when you shop these links you are helping to support this blog and my YouTube channel at no cost to you.

 

Thank you so much for taking time out of you day to visit my blog. It means so much to me to get to share my creations with you. If you have any questions I am here to help!

 

Fringe Frenzy - Episode 1

Hey there stamping friends. I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend!  Mine was mostly good. Time with friends was great, but a sick kiddo, not so much.

I am happy to be welcoming September right now. I think I am looking forward to fall. I love this season. But it always seems so short and then my least fave, winter. Good thing I have something I love to do inside, right! 

Also, being the start of a new month means I am introducing my new stamp set of the month. This month my stamp set of the month is a bundle of stamps, dies and paper. It's the Fringe Frenzy kit by Concord & 9th. It has all the things, fun images, sentiments, coordinating dies, colorful papers. The awesome part is that there is a die that cuts the light weight colorful paper into fringe!  I have so many fun ideas to share with you this month. So tune in ever Tuesday this month for an new post, new video and new ideas!

This month I will be making a card and a little something to go with it. ALL WITH FRINGE, yay!

This is a birthday ensemble. A card and a frame piece that would be great gift. I also think this framed piece would be great to set out when it's one of your family members birthday's. Like at the breakfast table or in their room to wake up to. Just a little something to make the day a bit more special.This frame is double sided. You can see the backside below.

I used fringe in three ways in these projects.

First I did a peek through window with the fringe behind to create the cake on the card.

Did you notice the background?  I used the Sprinkles turnabout stamp to create this background, only using two colors of ink, white and Velvet by Altenew.

I also did some simple coloring with Copic Markers.

Candles: R35, RV14, Y00

Cake Stand: B00, B02

Second I fringed a piece of paper and then die cut it with the YAY die.

I stamped another Sprinkle background to go inside this Ikea Tolsby frame.  The stamped cake and sentiments are on outside of the frame, adhered to a window sheet that comes with the frame.  The cake is colored in with the same Copic markers I used on the card (listed above). I love that I can fringe a cake or stamp and color one too!

Third I used a piece of fringe for the tissue paper in the gift bag, on the back side of the frame.

You use the same stamp for the cake and the gift bag. Then you stamp the other images in the set to turn it either into a bag or a cake. I also used the streamer stamp to decorate my gift bag. I colored them in with my copics and then outlined it with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen.

The CUTE tag and bow were die cut with the Fringe Frenzy Die set. And the heart stamped on the tag is from the Fringe Frenzy stamp set. I really is a versatile stamp set. I used the largest sentiment on this side of the frame and inked it with Velvet ink on the top and Coral Berry on the bottom to get an ombre look.

And those super cute hearts area Red Hots from Honey Bee Stamps.I am in LOVE with them.

You can see the making of these projects in this video here:

REMEMBER: You can win the card in today's video, just click over to my YouTube channel and leave a comment, you will then be entered to win! 

The winner of last weeks card is announced in this video, be sure to check that out too!

Tune back in next Tuesday for more ideas with this kit.

Below I have listed and linked all the things I used to make this card. Did you know that clicking an shopping links in blog posts and video's that inspire you helps to support that crafter at no cost to you. So when you feel inspired by a project, support that person by clicking and shopping their links. If I am one of those people I thank you so very much for your support, it means so much to me!

 

If you don't live by an Ikea, like me, you can find the Tolsby Frames on amazon, HERE. Thank you so much for spending some time with me today.

THE BEST Glimmer Hot Foil Plate and a card!

Hey there stamping friends. Have you jumped on the Glimmer Hot Foil wagaon?  I did and I'm not sorry!  I'm having so much fun with it I thought I would share with you the BEST Glimmer Hot Foil plate out there. Okay, in my opinion. If you follow me or know you then you already know that I love backgrounds. I love background stamps and making my own backgrounds from all kinds of media. So, it will then come as no surprise to you that the BEST Glimmer Hot Foil plate, I my FAVORITE Glimmer Hot Foil plate is a background plate. Scattered Dots is the BEST Hot Foil plate.

In this video I am going to show you 5 ways to use it. Then I am going to share a card made with one of these background and a video of the making of that card. So much fun on the blog today!

Tell me, is this not the best Glimmer Hot Foil plate??? 

For my first card using one of the backgrounds from this video I am going with the green dots on green paper. Perfect for a Christmas card!

I used the new Spellbinders die set, Santa's Workshop for this card. What a fun stamp set!  I love the dome, it's a fresh new way to make a scene. This card here resembles a snowglobe. I added glaze and sparkle cuts glitter to give it a snowglobe feel. 

I love how the light hits the scattered dots in the background as well as the sparkle cuts glitter on my glass dome.

You can watch the making of this card in this video here:

Stay tuned, I will be back very soon with card 2 with another Scattered Dots background.

Below I have listed and linked all the supplies I have used to make this card.  When you click and shop these links you are helping to support my blog and YouTube channel at no cost to you, thank you for your support!  It means so much to me!

 

 

EASY Gel Press Prints for Card Making

I am excited for today's video, it combines one of my favorite techniques with my August Stamp Set of the Month.  My August Stamp set of the Month is Sunflower Daisy by Altenew.  I love making my own backgrounds and for todays backgroud and the techinques I am going to be showing you is Gel Press Printing!

You will want to check out the video first to see how I use the Gel Press to make some distress and layered backgrounds. And then I will make a card with a Gel Press background.

Thank you so much for watching, don't forget to click over to the video on YouTube and comment on the video for a chance to win this card.  Now let's take a look at the card closer.

What I love about the Gel Press backgrounds is that it has so much depth and texture and interest. No two prints are alike, so even if you repeat what you did before you will always get variations making for a one of a kind background. 

The background helps to support the amazing blooms stamped from the Sunflower Daisy stamp set. Look closely and you can see all the detail in these flowers.  That is because this stamp set is a layering set. You stamp 4 images over the top of each other to create the large flower. Isn't it amazing?  I love how these flowers look.

These flowers were stamped with Altenew inks. Their ink pads are sold in sets of 4, so I know when I grab the Warm and Cozy set of Orange inks they are going to layer together perfectly. That makes me so happy. I did how ever add a brown layer (Milk Chocolate ink) to each of the flowers to give them more of a fall feel.

The large Grateful sentiment is from HoneyBee Stamps, the set is also called "Grateful".  I love it combined with the smaller sentiment on this card.

Each week I have taken on the challenge of adding something to the inside of the card. This week was no exception.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Be sure to come back next week for my September Stamp Set of the Month reveal. And another set of videos with lots of fun ideas.

Below I have listed and linked all the products I used to make this card. When you click on my links you are helping to support this blog and you YouTube channel at no cost to you. THANK YOU, I appreciate you!

 

 

Using the Sunflower Daisy Stencil to make 4 cards

Hello there, I am back today with part 3 of my Sunflower Daisy series!  If you missed Part 1 or Part 2 I have linked them here for you. Every Monday in the month of August I am sharing creations using my pick for Stamp Set of the Month, Altenew's Sunflower Daisy. I was blown away at the realistic look of the flowers and leaves in this set and just had to play with it.

For today's cards I am playing with the coordinating stencil. You can get the stamp set, die set and stencil set in a bundle, which is what I purchased. Mostly because the stencil set comes with masks!  Check out the masks in action in last week's video if you missed it.

I used the stencil with the Altenew inks, Rose Petal. This is a set of four pink colors that Altenew has grouped together, so I know they are going to layer together and be beautiful.  I made a stenciled background with three of the colors from this set; Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart and Purple Wine. I stenciled the smaller flower with one color and filled an entire piece of card stock that measured 4" x 5-1/2". Then I took the second more detailed coordinating stamp and stamped that over the top of the stenciled flowers in the same ink color. I repeated this with the other two colors, creating 3 backgrounds.

Then I took my three backgrounds and cut them into strips, measuring 1-3/4" x 4".  I was then able to create 4 cards using the three backgrounds that I made.

I used the Elegant Occasions Glimmer Hot Foil plate set and Aurora foil to add the Thank You Sentiment. I did have some over foiling with this set and I am not sure why, that happens sometimes and you can use a sanding eraser to remove some of that but I had a hard time getting it off of the stamped backgrounds. So I just went with this I felt it added to the botanical feel of this card.

I love the iridescent shine of a Hot Foiled image!  I also added a stamped sentiment using one of the greetings from the Sunflower Daisy stamp set.

Speaking of the Sunflower Daisy stamp set, the star of this card has to be the large stamped flower. The layering of the four images in four coordinating ink colors is amazing!

For the center of the flower I used the three lightest colors from the Delectable Delights ink collection, also from Altenew. The leaves were stamped with the three lightest inks from the Tropical Forest ink collection. I LOVE these greens, so bright and vibrant but still earthy.

Now let's take a look at the other three cards I made using the remaining background strips.

For this card I reversed the order of the strips, putting the lightest at the top and moving the flower to the top of the card. The look that you get when ink blending the base of the flower in the backgrounds and then stamping the top layer with the same color of ink is much different than stamping the base image with a light color of ink and then stamping the second detailed image over that with a darker ink. Which makes excellent backgrounds.  If you like the idea of using your focal images to create backgrounds you will want to check out last week's creation in this video.

For my next card I foiled the sentiment on the lightest strip with pink foil.

I love the placement of the flower on this card as well. There where so many options when creating these 4 cards with very similar layouts. I highly recommend creatins more than one card with the same supplies. It gets the creative juices flowing and you already have all the supplies out so it makes it easy to create.

This last card is so different because I only had 1/4" strips left. So I used one here as an accent above my embossed panel. And used pink foil for my sentiment.

I LOVE this flower images, just look at how beautiful it stamps. If you have yet to try one of Altenew's stamp layering sets, I suggest this one. It is more forgiving than some other layering stamps if you do not get it lined up exactly, ask me how I know. Just look closely at this image and you can see one side I did not get lined up. And if you can not find it, then I proved my point I guess. hehe.

You can watch the making of these cards in the video below. AND, if you go over to my YouTube channel and you LIKE and COMMENT on this video, you will be entered to WIN one of these cards!!! The winner of last week's card is Doreen Nelson! Congrats Doreen, I will be in touch and get your card out to you right away!

 

All the products I used to make today's cards have been listed and linked for you below. Shopping my links helps to support this blog and YouTube channel at no cost to you, I thank you!

 

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to stop and visit my blog!

Glimmering Sentiments 5 ways

Today I am sharing 5 ways to use the Glimmering Sentiments Hot Foil plate set by Spellbinders.  This is the July Glimmer Hot Foil set of the month. This set features 5 sentiments that you can hot foil and matching dies to die cut each out. But I wanted to show you a few other ways to use this set. A lot of these ideas will translate over to other hot foils plates as well.  To really see how to do these techniques, make sure you check out the video posted after the photos of each card.

1 - Foil and Cut

So first I have to show you how to use the Glimmering Sentiments as intended.  Hot Foil the sentiment onto card stock and cut it out. For 4 of the projects I used the foil that came with the Glimmering Sentiments, it's a silver pewter color.

The background on this card is a gel press print that I made a while back using acrylic paint on the Gel Press and then pressing a texture plate into the paint before laying a piece of card stock on it to pick up the print. Can you see the seashell?  I love to pair my Glimmer Hot Foil plates with Gel Press prints. It is a match made in heaven!  My sentiment was foiled with Pewter foil and die cut with the coordinating die. Why that is so darn cool and deserves a spot on 5 ways to use this set is because having dies to cut out your hot foiled images is somewhat new. Not all Glimmer Hot Foil plates come with dies. So, if you have been hot foiling for a while you get excited about coordinating dies.

2 - Direct to Card Front

But you can use the Glimmering sentiments with out the dies, but the problem is how to line them up. In the video I show you how to make a template using the dies so that you can easily line up the sentiment and get it straight.

Again this background was created on my Gel Press using die ink. After braying out the ink I stamped into with the Post Me stamp by Fun Stampers Journey. I also removed a bit of the ink by pressing the Hearts a Flutter Gel Plate on to the inked Gel Press. Then I picked up the print with a piece of card stock. This print is a stand alone kind of print, it does not need much with it because it is so interesting to look at. So, I made a very simple card by just adding a glimmering sentiment. The foil I used is the Pewter, but the pink of the card reflects off it in certain lights. That's what I love about the Hot Foil, the light hits it as you turn the card and you can see lots of different colors.

3 - Direct to Card with a Frame

You do not have to use the coordinating dies to die cut, you can use them to make a frame around the sentiment for added interest. This made possible by using the tan embossing mat by Spellbinders. You can embossing any die into your paper by using this mat instead of a plate.

If you look closely at this card you can see there is an embossed frame around the sentiment, this makes it stand up a bit. Gives the sentiment a bit more interest.

Isn't this Gel Press print so fun?  I love the distressed look you can get on a print made on a Gel Press.

4 - Make a Window

Use the die for your sentiment to die cut a window. This a fun design to make with any stamp and die set so I knew it would be fun to do with the Glimmering Sentiments.

This time I used Teal Foil, since I was die cutting away a piece of the front panel that had blue in it I wanted the sentiment fill in the missing blue. You could easily make this into a shaker card, but if you want the card to be a bit more simple and quick raised up window is fun!

This background is not a Gel Press print but was made with shaving cream. You can see how I made this background in this video.

I always think that shaving cream backgrounds look like a sweet treat so I used the Cool Treat die set by Concord & 9th to die cut my Snowcone to accent this card.  It is so darn cute!

5 - Glimmer Resist

Did you know that Glimmer Hot Foiled images resist ink?  Hot Foil an image onto card stock and do you favorite ink blending over the top. The ink does not stick to the foil.

For my ink blending I use Distress ink; Seedless Preserves and Peacock Feathers. Where they over lap I was able to get a bit of purple. And these colors went perfectly with the Confetti Sparkle elements and so I had to turn this background into a shaker card!

I hope you have learned a little bit about hot foiling and have some new ideas to try. Below is the video where I show you each of these techniques and show you the making of each card. The backgrounds were not made in this video, but if you want to see videos on Gel Press print making check out my Gel Press videos here; Toucan Paradise on the Gel Press, Rainbow Glimmer Unicorn Card (also features the Glimmer Hot Foil system), Gel Press Surprise Prints.

Below I have listed and linked all the things I used to make today's cards.  When you click and shop these links you are helping to support this blog and YouTube channel at not cost to you, THANK YOU!

 

Thank you so much for taking time to stop by and let me share my creations with you, it means so much to me!

 

 

 

 

3 things to hand make for better bday parties

So my youngest daughter, Hannah, just turned 11. If you look back at my blog you will see all the fun birthday parties we have had over the years. Some years I am able to go all out, making all the things. And other years life is busy and that just does not happen. But there I always try to do 2-3 things that are hand made to make the party really special. This year, for the camping themed party, I was able to make 3 things. One is a banner, which I make every year, except the year be moved into our house on my daughters bday. I bought a banner that year, but I am choosing not to have mom guilt over that. The other thing I made were tags for the party favors. Last is water bottle wraps, I wanted them to be canteen themed. Over all these three things were the special touches that the party needed. The things that make a party at home a special event.

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my short videos, the making of these projects. If not, no worries, I have compiled them into one video so you can watch in one place. This video is different than the ones I usually make in that it is a sped up step by step video and not a demonstration. It is set to music. I'd love to know if you like this style of video. Not to replace my usual videos but something fun to watch on occasion. If you like it give the video a thumbs up so I know. I also have all the pictures of the projects on this post as well as the birthday card I made for my daughter and a few other cool things from the party. So, scroll down and check that out as well.

 

Now let's take a closer look at each of these projects. 

First up is the water bottle wraps. And easy project to make for any birthday party.  I also like it because I like the kids to have a drink but not add to the sugar overload of cake and icecream.  Keep reading to see the cake I made, it's not quite a pinterest fail, let's just say my creative talents do not translate into frosting.

I always get the shorty water bottles because they actually drink them and I don't end up having to water the plants and lawn with them. Making wraps for water bottles is a cinch. Remove the label on the bottle, measure it and cut your own decorative paper that matches your theme. I use double stick tape to secure it to the bottle. Then add a cute element. For mine I used the bear from the Lawn Fawn stamp set Love You S'more. I colored it in using 3 copic markers. Then die cut it. I made 12 waterbottle wraps in all so coloring 12 bears went pretty fast. The splash of water is also from a Lawn Fawn set,  RAWR.  It is meant to be a splash of lava for the coordinating volcano stamp, but it works great as water too. Now about the canteen. I created this image in my Silhouette design studio myself and then cut it electronically.  This was the element that took me to longest. But now I have this shape I can use again in the future. And I was able to cut all 12 at once. I used a black gel pen to add the details to the lid. The kids LOVED these and most of them saved them and took them home. That made my day!

Next up we have the party favor tags. NOW, I knew these would be  ripped off and discarded. So, I made them fairly simple so I would not be too heartbroken over it.

All the pattern paper I used is from Echo Park, this campfire and s'mores print was perfect for this party. I die cut a Bread Tag die and dressed it up with images from the Love You S'more stamp set, easy as that.

In the party favor bag are Golden Grahams S'mores Bars! You can make them too with this recipe, so easy to make!

We also tied a small flashlight to the party favor bag. And they were a hit!  But make extra, because the parents picking up wanted one too!

Last but not least..... The banner!

Before you ask, my daughter wanted the banner to say Happy Bday. So, that's what she got. You have to check out the video to see close ups of each pennant, it is so adorable! Banners are a must in my house for birthday parties. My plan is to hang up every banner I have made over the years when each of my girls turns 18, which is sneaking up on me. I still remember the Sesame Street banner I made when Hannah turned 2! Or was it three, either way, I am old!

No for the bonus!!! Here's the birthday card I made my sweet girl.

I am IN LOVE with this card!  The coloring was so much fun and I am delighted with how it turned out. I am getting the hang of this Copic Marker thang!  I mean check out that toasty marshmallow! And how the light of the fire shines on the critters! 

The background of this card was a left over background I had from a watercolor class I taught. It was perfect for this night time scene. Take note of the s'more here. I has chocolate dripping down, I hand drew that in, it is not part of the stamped image. Just a wavy line with a black liner pen.

I did not forget about the inside of the card.

The adorable party hat the bear is wearing is from the RAWR stamp set, I can not stand how cute he is!  And that candle on the smore. I drew it!  And I have to say I am slightly impressed with myself! I did not have a stamp the right size so after 6 attempts I had a candle I could live with! 

Now, do you want to see the camping themed cake that my daughter and I made?

SO MUCH FUN!  We made that hard candy on top and broke it into pieces to make the flames. It was fun party with Dream Catcher making, a scavenger hunt, presents and a sleepover (I mean camp out) too. I hope you have enjoyed this post they are always my favorites to share with you. If you'd like to see more of our birthday parties you can check out these posts:

Shopkins Birthday Party

Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

American Girl Party

All the supplies I used to make these projects are listed and linked for you below. When you click on these links and shop you are helping to support this blog and YouTube channel at no cost to you, THANK YOU! Thank you so much for stopping by. I'd love to hear from you. In the comments below let me know if you have ever made a banner for a party before.

Sunflower Daisy background

Welcome back to the blog. Today I am sharing part 2 of my August Stamp Set of the Month series. This month's pick for stamp set of the month is Sunflower Daisy by Altenew. It's a gorgeous layering stamp set. For today's card I am going to use the same stamps to create a background for my card and the focal images. To do this I will be using the Mask Stencil set that you can get in a bundle with the stamps and dies. The Mask Stencil set is just what the name says a Stencil that coordinates with the flower and leaf images in the stamp set, but they also give you the cut out shapes of the flowers and leaves to use as masks. It's fabulous.

So let's take a look at today's card.

The background on this card was inspired by cards that I saw Lydia make on her YouTube channel, Lydia's Crafty Corner. I loved it so much and knew I wanted to make my own for this card.

The trick to making the background with the same flowers is to eliminate the most solid stamp that you normally stamp first in the stamp layering process. That leaves more white showing through. Also, since my background was going to be under the same stamped flowers I stamped the background with mostly light ink. You can use darker inks and put just a sentiment over this background, it is so beautiful. 

I love these flowers, they are so gorgeous, detailed and dimensional just with layering stamps.

The ink that I used for this card should be mentioned. With layering stamps you want 2-4 colors of ink that go together. I used two ink pad sets from Altenew; Sweet Dreams for the Teal Blues and Tropical Forest for the green leaves. If you are not familiar with Altenew ink pads they come in sets of four. So when you do stamp layering you can easily pick a set of ink pads and stamp your flowers in that set of colors, knowing that all the colors in the set will work well and layer nicely together.

For the sentiment panel I used a Gel Press background that I had on hand. A Gel Press print is made by brayering paint or ink over a gel like plate and picking up that paint with a piece of paper.  This card needed something that would stand out between the background and the flowers and solid card stock was a little plain to me. So, I pulled out some prints I had previously made and this one was perfect, the green went really well with the stamped leaves. I also thing the grungy edge of this print is amazing and it adds something special to this card.

With all the cards in the August stamp set of the month series I will be dressing up the inside of the card. It's a goal of mine to add a little something to the inside, which just makes the card more special. If you caught last weeks card, the inside of this card is similar in lay out. I will try to be more creative on the inside of next week's card.

If you are new to my stamp set of the month series, you should know I give away the cards I make each week. It's easy to enter. First, watch the making of this card in the video below. Then, if you like the video give it a thumbs up and leave a comment on the video. Every one who does will be entered to win this card. I will announce the winner on next week's video. And here is the video:

If you have not done so, I'd love for you to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I have new video's every week and will be back with another video before the week is over. 

If you are interested in video of the Gel Press in action check out these:

Rainbow Glimmer Unicorn Card

Gel Press & Distress Oxide Inks

Gel Press Surprise Prints

Below I have listed and linked all the products I used to make this card. Affiliate links have been used, which means when you click on these links you are supporting this blog and my YouTube channel at no cost to you. Thank you! I appreciate you stopping by and letting me share my creations with you!

 

 

Layer Stamping with Altenew

It's the first Monday of the month and that means the kick off of a new stamp set of the month series!  The stamp set of the month for August is by Altenew, the Sunflower Daisy stamp and die set! It is a beautiful set, very pretty, realistic, and detailed. So, somewhat out of my style. But, I love the look of this stamp set so much I just had to play with it and make some cards in my style with it. Plus, I love to take on a challenge. So, let's take a look at my first card with this set.

I really do love how the large flower looks so realistic and has so much depth.

Here's a look at the entire stamp and die set.

If you look closely at this set you will see that the images are labeled, so you know that you are to stamp al the "A" images together to make one flower and all the "a" images together to make the center of the large A flower. And the same for the "B" and "b" images for the smaller flower. The "C" images create the large leaf image. There are also a few filler leaf images as well as some sentiments. And as you know I love a set that includes some sentiments.

I used Altenew inks for my stamped images. The reason why I decided to give Altenew ink pads a try is because they sell them in sets of 4. Four colors that work together, So you don't have to guess when you are doing stamp layering. In this case I used three inks from the Pocketful of Sunshine set and one from the Delectable Delights set. The Hazelnut ink was used as my darkest color on the flower, for the shadows. It really helped this image to pop.

The background of this card is a Gel Press print. I love making my own backgrounds on my Gel Press! I have SO many backgrounds that I have created and need to use them up and I thought it this card would be a good place to use one of my prints. Since the making of this background is not part of today's post I am linking other Gel Press video's for you here:

Rainbow Glimmer Unicorn Card

Gel Press & Distress Oxide Inks

Gel Press Surprise Prints

You can watch the making of today's card right here:

If you like today's video make sure you let me know by giving it a thumbs up.

As a part of the August Stamp Set of the Month series I am also challenging myself to decorate the inside of each card I make. Take a look at the inside of today's card.

When you create a card do you also work on the inside of your cards?  I'd love to know, leave me a comment below.

I have listed and linked all the products I used to make this card for you right here. Thank you so much for shopping my links, it allows me to continue to bring content like this to you, at no additional cost to you.

 

 

It's the first Monday of the month and that means the kick off of a new stamp set of the month series!  The stamp set of the month for August is by Altenew, the Sunflower Daisy stamp and die set! It is a beautiful set, very pretty, realistic, and detailed. So, somewhat out of my style. But, I love the look of this stamp set so much I just had to play with it and make some cards in my style with it. Plus, I love to take on a challenge. So, let's take a look at my first card with this set.

I really do love how the large flower looks so realistic and has so much depth.

Here's a look at the entire stamp and die set.

If you look closely at this set you will see that the images are labeled, so you know that you are to stamp al the "A" images together to make one flower and all the "a" images together to make the center of the large A flower. And the same for the "B" and "b" images for the smaller flower. The "C" images create the large leaf image. There are also a few filler leaf images as well as some sentiments. And as you know I love a set that includes some sentiments.

I used Altenew inks for my stamped images. The reason why I decided to give Altenew ink pads a try is because they sell them in sets of 4. Four colors that work together, So you don't have to guess when you are doing stamp layering. In this case I used three inks from the Pocketful of Sunshine set and one from the Delectable Delights set. The Hazelnut ink was used as my darkest color on the flower, for the shadows. It really helped this image to pop.

The background of this card is a Gel Press print. I love making my own backgrounds on my Gel Press! I have SO many backgrounds that I have created and need to use them up and I thought it this card would be a good place to use one of my prints. Since the making of this background is not part of today's post I am linking other Gel Press video's for you here:

Rainbow Glimmer Unicorn Card

Gel Press & Distress Oxide Inks

Gel Press Surprise Prints

You can watch the making of today's card right here:

If you like today's video make sure you let me know by giving it a thumbs up.

As a part of the August Stamp Set of the Month series I am also challenging myself to decorate the inside of each card I make. Take a look at the inside of today's card.

When you create a card do you also work on the inside of your cards?  I'd love to know, leave me a comment below.

I have listed and linked all the products I used to make this card for you right here. Thank you so much for shopping my links, it allows me to continue to bring content like this to you, at no additional cost to you.

 

 

Turnabout Stamping 3 ways with Tropical Vibes

Hello my stamping friends. It's time for my last guest design project for Concord & 9th!  I have so enjoyed showcasing some of my favorite products and working with C9 for the last four weeks! 

This week's projects feature the Tropical Vibes Turnabout stamp set and coordinating die set.

My favorite kind of stamp is a background stamp, so turnabout background stamps make me so giddy!  If you are not familiar with Turnabout stamping, it is a background stamp that you can ink up with 4 different colors and stamp a multi-colored background. All this is possible because of the stamp design, a stamp positioning tool and the turning of your paper.

Today I will show you three different ways to turnabout stamp.

First is to use 4 different colors, as I just mentioned. And this is probably my most favorite, I love picking color combinations and watching them come to life as I turn and stamp each new color.

Let's take a look a my first card with this look using the Tropical Vibes Turnabout stamp.

The four colors I used are from Altenew; Hazelnut, Maple Yellow, Rouge, Forest Glades. I love that the Hazelnut ink looks gold when paired with these colors.

The good vibes die cut sentiment and die cut flowers are both from the Tropical Vibes die set.  I did some ink blending on whip cream card stock to die cut the flowers from, using the same ink's from the background; Rouge and Maple Yellow. After die cutting them I used a darker color of ink on the edges. In this case I used Altenew's Velvet and Honey Drizzle inks.

For the second card, I stamped the turnabout with 3 colors of ink and then on the 4th stamping, I embossed the images with silver.

The three colors I used are Everglade, Blush and Citrus Burst by Altenew. And I turned this card into a shaker, cause they are my favorite!

The silver shavings are so cool. It's actual silver glass shavings!  The background of the shaker is ink blended with Citrus Burst ink. After ink blending I then stamped over it with flowers from the Toucan Paradise stamp set in the same color of ink. It's subtle, but I love the yellow glow behind the sentiment.  And don't you LOVE the die cut tropical leaves, also in the Tropical Vibes die set.

For card 3, I did a tonal background, using a gradient of colors; Altenew's Rock Collection: Limestone, Silver Stone, Industrial Diamond, and Pure Graphite.

And I brought in the Toucan from the Toucan Paradise stamp set.

I love this card with the subtle background and bright pops of color over it.

I did some more ink blending on this card for the word vibes. I wanted an ombre look for this die cut. I used Coral Berry ink only to get this look.

You can see the making of all of these cards in the video below. If you have yet to do so I'd love for you to click over to my YouTube channel and subscribe. I have new videos every Monday and Friday! And if you like the video let me now by giving it a thumbs up.

So, which card is your favorite? I'd love to hear from you, feel free to leave me a comment below. And I am here to answer any of your questions!

All the supplies I used to make these cards is listed and linked for you below.

 

 

Did you know that when you click on a bloggers links you are helping to support that blog, at no cost to you?  So, if you are inspired on a certain blog or YouTube channel it makes a difference to a hard working person when you shop their links. At least I know it does for me. So, let me say, thank you! 

Z-fold Cards with the Good Mix stamp set

I am back with Part 5 of my July stamp set of the month series featuring the Good Mix stamp and die set by Honey Bee Stamps. I have had a blast making cards with this stamp set and the other coordinating products in this release by Honey Bee.

Again, this month I made two cards for this post. The second slightly different that the first.

Let's take a look at card 1.

I finally took the leap and colored in the record player. For my coloring I used Copic Markers. For the record, buttons and other gray elements on this image I used Cool Gray markers (C0, C2, C4, C6, C8, C10). I love that this one set can work for the lightest of gray all the way to black. I also need to take a minute to say, I am by no means an expert at Copic coloring. I consider myself a beginner. As I am sure most of you are. I will continue to color with my Copic markers, practicing and learning more as I go. I know my  images are not perfect, they are hand colored after all, but I am happy with them.

The orange elements on this image are my favorite.  To color these I used YR04, YR07, and YR09. The record player base was colored using B02, B04, and B24. The last step in coloring this image was to add some accents with a white gel pen.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, today's cards are Z-fold cards. These are cards where the front panel is folded back at the half way mark. To recreate this size Z-fold card start wtih a 4-1/4" x 11" piece of card stock. Score this piece at 5-1/2" and 2-3/4". Fold the card in half on the score line. Then fold back on the second score line. The shape of the folded card should resemble a Z.

This is how the card opens up. To create the sentiment panel, I die cut the record player die from Tangerine Fusion Card stock. I stamped a sentiment from the For the Record sentiment stamp set at the top of this panel, leaving some room for a hand written message. I then lined this up with the record player on the front of the card, so that when closed you can not see the orange panel.

I love the microphone accent on this card, mostly because I colored it in with a Stardust Gel Pen to give it some shimmer. It looks platinum! I think the Tin Pail card stock I used to stamp and emboss the microphone image on add to the platinum look.

To finish off the front panel I add some music notes from the Rockstar Sentiments stamp set. The background stamping on the colored panels features stamps from the Good Mix stamp set. It makes me happy that there are solid and outline images of the star, heart and lightening bolt!  I used the solid images on the front panel and the outline images on the inside panel.

Now let's take a look at the second card.

The second card features the boom box and cassette tape image from the Good Mix stamp set. I colored these images with the same Copic markers as I used for card one.

Another thing I switched up is the front panel of this card is now the Beach Ball color and the inside panel is tangerine.

The sentiment is from the Rockstar sentiment stamp set and is stamped onto a die cut of the boom box. Again, I lined it up with the front boom box, so that it does not show when the card is closed. I want to also mention that the main images on both of these cards are only attached to the left front panel, so half of the image is not attached to the card at all. So, to make these images more sturdy, I backed them with a die cut from a light weight chip board before mounting them to the card.

I'd love for you to take a look at the making of these cards in this video. If you'd like a chance to win your favorite of these cards, please click over and watch it on my YouTube channel. When there,  like the video and leave a comment telling me which of these cards is your favorite. I will randomly select a winner from the comments and announce the winner on next weeks stamp set of the month video.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stamp and let me share my creations with you. You can find all the supplies I used to make today's cards listed and linked for you below. When you shop my links you are helping keep this blog and YouTube channel going at no cost to you. Thank you!

 

 

Joyful Tiles Bundle from Concord & 9th

It's another Feature Friday post for Concord & 9th! Today I get to create with the Joyful Tiles bundle. This bundle has a stamp set, die set and a set of turnabout stencils. The later being my favorite of the three! Turnabout stenciling is so easy, all you need is paper, ink and an ink applicator.

For my first card I used both stencils in the bundle, one creates the tile shape and the other is small octagons. You can use them together or you can use them on their own. I did both in my cards for you today.

For these backgrounds I like to start with a 6" x 6" piece of card stock. In all of my cards I used Whip Cream card stock by Fun Stampers Journey, as they sell it in 12" x 12" I can get 4 background pieces from it. Then I square up the stencil in the lower right hand corner of the card stock and tape it into place. Since this stencil is slightly smaller than 6" x 6" when I tape the top and left side of the stencil I am taping it right to the card stock. I then ink up the stencil with and ink blending brush.

As you can see, this stencil is different, in that there are only a few of the shapes cut from it. This enables you to turn the stencil on your paper 3 more times to get complete background. Then you can used the Octagon stencils over the top of that as I did on my Christmas card. To finish up the card I used the stamps and dies also in this bundle.  I really did love making backgrounds with these stencils. You can watch my video below to see turnabout stenciling in action.

For my second card I only used the octagon stencil. I turned this background into a 5" x 5" card. And as with all my cards I used the cut away pieces of my background to accent my envelopes. 

On this card I used the second scrap to create a pocket on the inside of the card to hold a gift card.

For this last card I used just the tile stencil. And I had the idea to make a shaker card, but really, when don't I have the idea to make a shaker card?

This background ended up being my favorite, but it did not start out that way. I started out by ink blending Ruby Red, Coral Berry and Frosty Pink inks by Altenew onto my Whip Cream card stock. Then I used the stencil to stencil the tile shape over the top of my ombrè background. This time instead of doing a new color with each turn of the stencil I used all three colors on each turn of the stencil. I used the darkest color across the top 1/3 of the stencil with each turn, the mid tone ink across the middle of the stencil on each turn, and the lightest ink across the bottom 1/3 of the stencil with each turn.  When I removed the stencil after the final turn I was not impressed with the background, but the ink seemed settle as it dried and I decided to keep going with my card and in the end I was very pleased with how it turned out.

You can watch the video below to see how I lined up my die cut joy with my stamped joy to make this shaker window. As well as the making of the other two cards.

I'd love for you to click over to my YouTube channel and give the video a thumbs up if you found it helpful and let's see which card everyone likes best! Leave a comment over on the video and tell me which is your favorite.

Below I have listed and linked all the products I used to make these cards. Remember, when you shop these links you are helping this blog and YouTube channel to bring you more content at no additional cost to you. And I thank you for that.

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by and spending some time with time with me. I'd love to hear from you, feel free to leave a comment below.

Inside Shaker Surprise with Honey Bee Stamps

Hey there! Today is Part 4 of the the July Stamp set of the month series (despite what my video says, I might have got a head of myself). The July stamp and die set of the month is by Honey Bee Stamps, it is the Good Mix stamp and die set. I love all the fun images in this set and that is has a great coordinating die set that cuts all the things out for me. If you missed any of the other posts with this set you can find them here:

Part 1 - Good Mix Tape cards and coloring with Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers

Part 2 - Rock Star Shaker Cards

Part 3 - Quick Good Mix Cards with PanPastels

For today's card I am creating a surprise on the inside of the card. If you have followed me for very long you already know that I LOVE shaker cards. So for this card I shook things up and put the shaker on the inside of the card for a fun surprise when you open it up!

First, let's take a look at the outside of the card.

I used Distress Oxide ink pads to ink blend a rainbow over a stamped and embossed background for the card cover. So, the images from the Good Mix stamp set do not have to be the focal image of the card.

The sentiment is from the Rockstar Sentiments stamp and die set.

To dress this card up I used one of my favorite things, Rainbow Drops!

Now let's check out what this card looks like when you open it.

It's a record player shaker, on the inside of the card. How fun! To make this record player I used the Record Player Card Base die set by Honey Bee Stamps.

The record die has got to be one of my favorite things!  I love that it presses the lines into the record as well as die cuts. And the set has all the other fun elements to make a complete record player. I could not have had more fun making this. And I LOVE that the base of this record player is clear and has RockStar confetti and Confetti Sparkle too. I'd love to get this card and have this fun surprise when I opened the card.

Since the spot where you normally write you message is taken up by this shaker, you can write on the upper inside flap, which is where I stamped "Hope your Birthday is a HIT" from the For The Record stamp set.

You can watch the making of this card from start to finish in this video. Be sure to click over to YouTube and leave a comment there. Everyone who comments will be entered to WIN this card. The winner will be announced on next Monday's video.

Be sure to tune in next Monday for Part 5 of my stamp set of the month series, the real Part 5. hehehe.

Below I have listed and linked all the products I have used. Clicking on these links helps to keep this blog and YouTube channel going at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

 

Thank you for spending some time with me.

Toucan Paradise ~ Concord & 9th

It's time for another C9 Feature Friday!  That's the day Concord & 9th share the creations by the guest designers of the month. I am thrilled to be one of them for the month of July!  This weeks share is with the Toucan Paradise Bundle. A super cute stamp set featuring an amazing toucan stamp, which I used on both of my cards today. I also pulled out my Gel Press to make unique one of a kind backgrounds for these cards with ink and the foliage stamps from the same stamp set.

You are going to want to watch the video for these cards to see all the different things I did to make these backgrounds. You'll find it near the end of this post. But I used ink pads from Altenew to smoosh ink on to the Gel Press. Then I used the foliage images from this set to stamp into that ink. The ink I picked up I stamped onto a card front. I was also able to use another card front to pick up the stamped on ink from the Gel Press for another background.  Which I ended up stamping on and using for the gift card holder on the inside of this card.

For card 2, I inked up the foliage images and stamped them directly onto the Gel Press and picked up the print with another white card front. There was still some residual ink left over from the last print giving the background a very light green tint.

I added to this background by stamping the centers or solid flower image inside the dark pink flower outlines I stamped onto the Gel Press with a light pink ink, Frosty Pink by Altenew. And then I wanted to add a bit of yellow so I used the cluster of triangles image to fill in some of the open spaces with Citrus Burst ink.

The last print I made on the Gel Press was to clean off the ink left on the brayer after spreading the ink for the first print. I then stamped into that ink with the small cluster of triangles image. This print was very subtle when pulled off the Gel Press. Perfect for stamping these leaves on and cutting out as an accent for the inside of this card.

Another way I used the Gel Press is to stamp a reverse image of the Toucan. You are going to have to watch the video to see how I made his beak!!!

If you'd like to see the making of these cards here is a link to the video:

If you have not done so already I'd love for you to subscribe to my channel, I have new videos every week. And I will be back next Friday for another C9 Feature Friday set of projects! And on Monday for part 4 of my Stamp set of the month series for July!

All the supplies I used are listed and linked for you below. When you use these links it helps keep this blog and YouTube channel going at no cost to you, thank you!

 

 

Thank you for stopping by, I am thrilled to be sharing fun things with the newly released Toucan Paradise bundle from Concord & 9th, be sure to tune back in next Friday for another post featuring another new release from Concord & 9th.
Want more videos on Gel Press backgrounds? Check these out: Rainbow Glimmer Unicorn card: https://youtu.be/SCH6DooHEZ4 Honey Bee Stamps Seashell Shaker card: https://youtu.be/d3L_fZFyuuE Gel Press Surprise Prints: https://youtu.be/82EwVtjAoaM

Quick Good Mix Cards

Welcome back to my blog! Today is Part 3 of the July Stamp Set of the Month series. July's featured stamp set is Good Mix by Honey Bee Stamps. Each Monday I will bring you a set of new projects made with this stamp set that I have picked because it is versatile, has images as well as sentiments and a coordinating die set. And of course it has to be a set that I love. And if you are wondering why this post and video is coming out on Tuesday instead of Monday, I have been out of town and could not get all of the editing done before we had to leave. So, thank you for showing and watching with me on a Tuesday!

For Part 3 I wanted to make some Quick and Easy cards. And to be honest, coloring the record player from this set intimidated me. So, I decided to go a different route and use this set to make some easy cards. To make sure they still had that WOW factor I pulled some favorite things to go with. And when you need to make a quick card have a cool feature, embossing is always a win! 

One thing I sometimes do when making a quick card is pick one color and one neutral and stick with those colors for all the things on my card. Obviously I chose pink and black for this card, inspired by a time when girls wore poodle skirts.

I used two of my favorite things to make the background of this card, the Graduated Dots background stamp by Fun Stampers Journey as well as their Pan Pastels.

I started with a piece of Whip Cream card stock, which I stamped with the Gradated Dots background stamp and Clear Pigment ink. Then I used the largest Sofft Tool that comes with the Confectionary Days PanPastels set to pick up some pink PanPastel and rub that over the stamped image. The pastel sticks to the inked image as well as lightly colors the card stock. But where the stamped image is the pastel is darker. This is my favorite way to use PanPastels.

I really wanted the record to stand out against the record player, so I brushed on some clear Wink of Stella and then covered the entire record with Journey Glaze. All the stamped images on this card are stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink and embossed with clear powder. The sentiment is from the For the Record stamp set, another stamp set by Honey Bee that works great with the Good Mix stamp and die set.

I also used the same pink PanPastel and another of the tools that come with the set to color in the bottom of the microphone. I just love the 50's feel of this card, it would be a great card to give to one of my girlfriends.  But, as with all the stamp set of the month post this month, I am making 2 cards. The second card is always a different version of the first. So let's take a look at card 2.

I thought a Harley Davidson version of this card would work great. It was not hard to do, just change up the colors.

For this version, I used two colors of PanPastels for the background; orange from the Party Pop set and the burnt orange from the Rich Sorbets set. That gave me to ombre effect for this background. And to add to the Harley feel of this card I splattered the background with Black Licorice silk.

Both cards have gems to accent them from the set called All The Things by FSJ. Which happens to be another of my favorite things that I use again and again.

If you'd like to see how these cards are made you can check out the video below. Make sure to leave a comment over on YouTube telling me which card is your favorite and you'll be entered to win that card! Winners will be announced in next Monday's video.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your time with me. Come back next Monday for more with the Good Mix stamp and die set.

Sew Pretty Cards

Hello my stamping friends. Today I am thrilled to be sharing my first post as a guest designer with Concord & 9th! I will be sharing creations with each of their July release products every Friday for the next four weeks, including today.

Today I get to share with you the Sew Pretty Bundle. This bundle includes a stamp set, a die set, a set of embroidery floss, a set of needles and some heavy weight card stock. I had so much fun creating with these products and stitching on my cards that I had a hard time stopping at just three cards!  I have pictures of the card for you, how I made them and a video so you can watch the making of all three cards as well.

I started this card with a simple Polkadot background. I used the Polkadot Wall stencil from Fun Stampers Journey, Peacock Feathers Distress ink and a blending brush to create this soft polkadotted background on a piece of heavy weight card stock (which is included in the Sew Pretty bundle). Then I used the diamond shape die from the Sew Pretty die set, ran that through my Platinum 6 die cutting machine to die cut the diamond shaped stitching pattern. I love that there is an opening in this die so you can put either of the flowers from this set in that space.  I stitched the diamond with the Teal Colored DMC floss from the kit. It was an easy stitch; after making one stitch by going up from the back and down on the front you go up from the back on the next open hole and then back down through the last whole that you already went down. Kinda like taking a back stitch. Repeat this all the way around. This is how I stitched all the cards I made today.

Next I used the small flower die to die cut the flower shaped stitching pattern. Then I stamped the flower and the leaves with Rouge and Frayed Leaf inks by Altenew. The images were very easy to line up with the stitched pattern. So, to clarify, the dies in this bundle do not cut out a shape, they die cut the small holes in a shape so that you can stitch that shape. After stitching my flower I fussy it cut it out to mount to my card.

I stamped "dear friend" in the center of the diamond with Evergreen ink by Altenew. I just love all variety of sentiments in the Sew Pretty stamp set. Then I mounted my flower to the card front and added some rhinestones to dress it up a bit more.The card front then got mounted to a card base of Neenah Solar White card stock that measures 5-1/2" x 11" piece of card stock, scored in the middle at 4-1/4".

You can also die cut a complete and full diamond shape, by using the small die that fits into the opening of the diamond. They designed this die with a wave on the end that matches a wave on the end of the diamond, so it kind of locks into place when you put them together. That means you don't have to stress about getting it lined up exactly, the matching waves ensure that. GENIUS! 

I first die cut the diamond stitching pattern and then used my MISTI to stamp the coordinating diamond shaped on both sides of the card front in Honey Drizzle ink by Altenew. Then to stitch my diamond I used both the yellow and red DMC floss from the kit. To do this I separated the floss so that I had 3 strands of each color, put them together and threaded my needle with both. Then I stitched my diamond as I described above.

After stamping and cutting out the flowers I used a piercing tool to poke two holes that are close together in the center of each flower. I then used the matching thread to make a French Knot in the centers. I used Crimson ink to stamp "Thank You" on to a strip of Whip Cream card stock. the sentiment and flowers are mounted to the card front with foam tape and squares. The base of this card is Summer Days card stock cut to 4-1/4" x 11" and scored at 5-1/2".

When you do stitching on your cards it become the star of the show and you don't have to do much more to the card for it to be a great card.

I could not show you this bundle with out stitching the "hello" on a card, which brings us to card 3.

I started this card by stamping a background with the diamond stamp and Silver Stone ink. I was pleasantly please that even though I got a little off center, my imperfect background ended up working for my card. The lesson learned here was to keep going and not to give up on too soon.  Once the background was stamped I die cut the stitching patter for Hello. And since I love gray and yellow together I chose the yellow DMC floss to stitch my hello with.

Here's a couple tips when stitching the hello. 1. Stitch in the order and as if you were writing this word, this helps you go in the right directions. 2. When in doubt look at the back of the packaging for this die set, it shows a stitched example that I found helpful when I was not sure where to go on the "o".

Let me tell you my thoughts on why it's so cool that this bundle comes with heavy weight card stock. As I stitched the hello on this card I was pulling my thread pretty tight. I did not want a "baggie" look on this sentiment. I realized that had I been doing this on lighter weight card stock I might not be able to pull my thread as tight, for risk of ripping the paper. I recommend using the heavy weight card stock every time you stitch a card. Which is why it is so cool that Concord & 9th not only includes it in the kit but has a refill pack you can purchase separately AND it's only $2.50!  You can also get an Essentials Refill pack of the DMC thread/floss, needles and heavy weight card stock (card front size).

To dress this card up I splattered the background with Silver Silk by FSJ.  My sentiment strip has "Happy Birthday" embossed in white. And I used the larger floral images from the stamp set to accent that. This image can also be stitched with the coordinating die. But that is for another card on another day. I had to stop somewhere and did not want the video to be too long. Speaking of the video, I have it here for you. Be sure to click over to my YouTube channel to check out all my other videos and subscribe if you have yet to do so. I post new video's every week.

Be sure to let me know if you have any questions or feel free to just leave me a comment below, I love to interact with and get to know you!  You should also check out the Concord & 9th blog today because there are two other guest designers this month that have creations with this bundle today too!

 

I have listed and linked all the products I have used to create these cards for you below. Affiliate links have been used at no cost to you. That means when you click and shop using these links I get a small commission that allows me to continue to blog, share and teach new projects. Thank you so much, I appreciate it!