A few weeks back we had no electricity for nearly 24 hours and I occupied some of my time by making cards under candlelight. My eyesight is not the greatest at the best of times so candlelight posed an extra challenge for me. I was working with the Classic Garage Suite preparing for blogging, classes and Class in the Mail.
The coordinating colours in the Designer Series Paper are BasicBlack, Basic Gray, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Tranquil Tide, Very Vanilla and Whisper. However, I wanted to create with a slight different colour palette. So I chose Balmy Blue to work in with Real Red Basic Gray and Whisper White. I stamped, coloured and die cut the pieces and partially assembled the card so I could complete it another day.
The car was coloured with Balmy Blue Stampin’ Blends. Love this colour. I die cut the gears and then used a sponge dauber to add Real Red to it. This gave it a distressed look. And how cute is that little metal key? Each pack of embellishments come with 8 keys and 8 spanners for $12.25. That’s 76 cents each. Cute embellishment to add at not much cost and it finishes the card off nicely.
When I went to add my sentiment I realized that I had stuffed up a bit. So have you spotted my boo boo yet? I mixed Whisper White and Very Vanilla cardstock on the card. The car is stamped on Whisper White and the stripes and sentiment on Very Vanilla. Not a regular combination. Now I did think of fixing it but overall I liked the look of it because I added a little punched piece of Designer Paper which tied in the Very Vanilla nicely. A mistake became something I actually liked.
Like to make some more cards with this suite? Take a look at March Class in the Mail where the featured suite is the Classic Garage suite. You make any order of $60 using the given Host Code and I’ll send you complete PDF instructions which include measurements and photos, card bases and envelopes to get you on your way to making 4 cards. No planning necessary as I plan the layouts for you. Here’s a preview of the cards featured in the PDF.
It’s great to have you here for Step-it-Up Sunday. We’ve had a very hot week in Melbourne this week with temperatures averaging in the mid 30°s. Summer maybe over but it’s still giving us a reminder that it’s not over yet. I’ve got bright flowers to remind us of the fun colours of summer before we really get into autumn.
Basic
The incredible like you stamp set is a two-step stamp set and is perfect for the beginner card maker. With just some simple stamping this colourful card was so easy to create.
I first stamped the lines several times by stamping off first on a scrap bit of paper so I got a lighter image. Then I stamped the flowers and leaves directly over it.
I found that stamping the outline image of the flower first, made it easier for me to line up the fill in image, which was stamped off first before stamping on card, using Lovely Lipstick. The leaves were stamped in Lemon Lime Twist and Call Me Clover. Then I stamped the sentiment in Tuxedo Black.
Intermediate
For this card I covered the card base with the Sale-A-Bration Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper. Love that these papers are coloured on one side and black and white on the other, giving you versatility for projects. On a panel of Whisper White cardstock, I recreated the image as I did for the Basic card. Then I embossed the sentiment in White Embossing Powder on Basic Black cardstock. This was then die cut and added to the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Advanced
To step this card up I stamped the flowers, fussy cut and attached with Dimensionals. I also added some leaves punched from the Sprig punch. A die cut border from the Delicate Lace Edgelits Dies added a lovely lacy look to the bottom of the Whisper White panel. These dies come with 3 different borders to create different looks.
The Call Me Clover panel was created using the Country Floral Embossing Folder which is a Sale-A-Bration item. I achieved this effect by patting my ink pad directly over the depressed (not raised side/the side which hasn’t got the logo on it) side of the Embossing Folder. Then I ran the cardstock through the Big Shot. This created a coloured background with white embossed areas.
Here’s a look at some of the other colours I created using this method. I really love this look especially with this pretty embossing folder. Isn’t it effective?
Sale-A-Bration products are available while stocks last and only until 31st March. Also don’t forget the Sale-A-Bration coordination products. There are dies, stamps and punches to coordinate with other Sale-A-Bration items.
Embossing – one word with so many methods. Heat embossing, Embossing Folders, Embossing Paste. Then there are all those embossing techniques Emboss Resist, Joseph’s Coat, Partial embossing etc. For my entry in this week’s Just Add Ink challenge I think I managed to give the Sale-A-Bration products a good workout without even realizing it. I think they just gravitated to my card!
When I first got the Painted Seasons bundle in the second release Sale-A-Bration offering, I had a picture in my mind of working the beautiful Designer Series Paper in with the Tea Time Framelits dies. There was something about that paper that reminded me of pretty tea sets. I’ve seen quite a lot of these type of sets in specialized tea shops with the ceramic tea pots which have gold edging. So I went about recreating this look.
I started off by stamping the image in Versamark direct onto the Painted Seasons Designer Paper and heat embossing in Gold Embossing powder. The paper has hand painted images for all seasons and is part of the Sale-A-Bration Painted Seasons Bundle (stamp and DSP). Then I die cut it. This in itself looked really pretty and it was such a simple process. Even this coffee drinker wouldn’t mind a cup of tea in that pretty cup.
Next I embossed the card front with the Country Floral embossing folder. This is a Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder therefore the image is very detailed and looks really pretty. This is also a Sale-A-Bration offering. I could have just added a sentiment and left the card like this and it would have looked great because it had so much texture. In this photo you can see the beautiful texture of this embossing folder.
The coordinating cardstock and sentiment was from the Tea Room Memories and More Card Pack. With a name like that, it would seem that all these products were just meant to be together. And what about that sentiment? I think it fitted in perfectly for this particular card with those Rectangle Stitched Framelits working overtime for me again. I seem to be using them on all my cards. The little butterfly is from the Memories and More card pack and I’ve mounted it with Dimensionals.
For more inspiration with various embossing techniques, take a look at the other entries on the Just Add ink site.
If you want a quick batch of cards, then look no further than the Precious Parcel Card Kit. I reckon this is one of the speediest card kits to put together. The lovely soft colours of the flowers, the embossing on the cards and the gold detail give it a bit of a romantic feel.
You get 8 cards in the pack – 4 of each design.all you need to do is fold the the card on pre-scored lines, thread twine through the punched holes and stick the self-adhesive sentiment on. The little note tag slips in and you add the postage stamp and paper clip to embellish.
Take a look at this demonstration see how simple it really is.
I CASEd my friend Tracy Penn by adding ribbon to the cards to vary them up. The addition of a coloured ribbon changes the look as does the change in placement of the embellishments.
You can get this kit for free with a $90 purchase during Sale-A-Bration. Click on the link below to browse the shop.
Isn’t it lovely to have a weekend where we can just have a bit of a pause from the busy working week? I’ve had such a busy week and feel like I’ve been in a bit of whirlwind. One day I got to work and my beautiful friend had blessed me by leaving a box of chocolates on my desk just to know she was thinking of me. It was a beautiful gesture and made me feel good for days. The power of an encouraging word.
I received the How Sweet It Is product suite in my last order. The patterned paper is filled with vibrant and bright colours. With images of lolly jars, lollies, gummy bears, lolly dispensers and candy stripes, it’s just a fun pack of paper.
The stamp and die bundle has lolly jars in different shapes and I’ve used one of them for today’s card.
Basic
I love the panel of Designer Paper with the stripes. It’s reminiscent of lolly shops and ice cream parlours – all things sweet. I stamped the jar and lollies in Basic Gray. This is nice when you prefer a softer look rather than black. The lollies were coloured in with Pineapple Punch, Melon Mambo and Highland Heather Stampin’ Write Markers.
Intermediate
I cut a border on the Designer Paper with the Seasonal Layers die. The lolly jar has been stamped and die cut. I added colour to the jar with Melon Mambo and Blushing Bride Stampin’ Write Markers.
I’ve added some added interest with some die cut lollies. These dies emboss the detail as well and have a nice detail to them. You get 2 of each so you can cut multiples at the same time.
Advanced
For this card I used the Thick Whisper White cardstock and embossed it with the lolly dies using the embossing Mats. The thicker cardstock doesn’t crease during the process of embossing. This creates an interesting background which looks like an embossing folder has been used.
I used the ink refills to create a light water wash under the area where the lolly jar was going to be placed. Then I added a Coastal Cabana water wash to the sentiment panel and also to the ‘glass’ of the lolly jar.
Using the same refills and making it really watery, I picked up the colour with the aqua painter and tapped it over my index finger on my left hand. This created the speckled effect.
Have a great Sunday and share your beautiful cards by giving someone a card for whatever occasion or ‘just because’ and let’s be encouragers this week.
The content in this blog is the sole responsibility of Rochelle Laird-Smith as an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. The use of and content of classes, services or products offered is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up!
