Apr 21, 2019 | Special Occasions, Step-It-Up Sunday |
Blessed Easter to each one of you. How are you celebrating today? I made little Easter boxes for the child and the big child (!) in the house. The Easter egg hunt will be later this evening because Adrian’s out accompanying a choir and he likes to be part of the action.
Being Easter Sunday, I couldn’t go past the God’s Grace stamp set for Step-it-Up Sunday. It has lovely floral images and really meaningful Easter sentiments. I have chosen the single flower in this set as my focal image.
The card base is Gray Granite Cardstock which is 21 x 14.8cm scored in half to form a card base of 14.8 x 10.5cm
Beginner
Shimmer White panel 6.8 x 9.9cm
Clear Block Stamping Technique
This is a very quick way to add colour to a piece of cardstock. I used the Clear Block stamping method to add colour to the Shimmery White cardstock. Do this by spritzing the cardstock with water. Then use Clear Block E and directly ink it up with the Pear Pizzazz stamp pad. I stamped off on a scrap piece of paper once so the colour wasn’t so strong. Then stamp this onto the wet cardstock. Spritz extra water if necessary to make the colour move and add extra colour as required.
I used the Stamparatus to stamp the flower and the sentiment at the same time using Stazon ink. I chose to use Stazon ink as i wanted the image to really stand out against the Pear Pizzazz background. The advantage of using the Stamparatus is that it gave me the opportunity to restamp the image to get it as dark as I wanted – I did this 3 times. Without it, this would be impossible to line up.
Adhere this to the card base and you have a very simple yet pretty card all done in minutes. #simplestamping
Casual
I added a sheet of Designer Paper from the Floral Romance pack which already had a pale woodgrain effect. Then I stamped this with one of my favourite stamp sets, Hardwood, in Pear Pizzazz.
The flower was stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and coloured with Stampin’ Blends. I added the Lovely Lipstick on the flower and I like how it adds that pop of colour. The flower was fussy cut and mounted with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Then I mounted the entire panel using Dimensionals.
Avid
I stepped this card up by using the Emboss Resist Technique on the Shimmer cardstock. The leaves were stamped and embossed with White embossing powder. I then covered part of the cardstock diagonally with a scrap piece of cardstock. I spritzed this section with water and sprinkled Moss Green Brusho Crystal to it. After letting it dry a little, I covered that section and spritzed the other half and sprinkled Yellow Brusho Crystal on it. I did want the colours to merge at the centre, I lifted my scrap paper so the yellow ran through and added a bit more green to it as well. Once this dries, you will notice that the leaves that have been embossed can still be seen.
Lots of layers add extra dimension and interest to this card. The lacy look at the back was achieved by using the laser cut specialty paper which I embossed with Black embossing powder. I really love the glossy, elegant look of this. The possibilities with laser cut paper!
Hope your Easter is wonderful. We’ll be having a special dinner tonight and watching Hop this evening.
Product List
Apr 14, 2019 | Cards - Friendship, Step-It-Up Sunday |
Hi Friends,
How are you all? Hope this Sunday finds you well. I am looking forward to a better week. Last week was a little bit stressful and I felt like I was caught in a whirlwind. Fresh week of holidays and a new Stampin’ Up! catalogue to browse through on Tuesday. I’m all set!
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators all over the world have been attending the On Stage conference in different countries over the last few days. Others of us who didn’t attend, have been living virtually through photos of new catalogue items. There are beautiful products, suites and embellishments which you are going to LOVE! If you live in Australia and would like a copy of the new Annual catalogue, please email me at rochelle@stampingflair.com and I’ll send one out to you.
If you can’t wait to get your hands on these new products then Join my team and you will be able to pre-order products from 2nd May. These could be included in your Starter Kit. This is one of the benefits of being a demonstrator. All future orders get you 20% off with potential to increase it to 25%. So a fabulous deal all up.
For my Step-it-Up Sunday blog posts each week, I try to feature a different stamp set each time and create with different occasions and interests in mind. Today my chosen stamp set is Nine Lives. Together with the matching punch, these stamps make it easy to add dimension to any cute kitty. I love the added extras in this set like the food bowl, ball of wool, fish and mouse with which you can create a cute picture.
When I struggle for colour combinations, I tend to go for my Designer Series Paper and work off them. I chose the Garden Impressions Designer Paper and the colours of Blueberry Bushel, So Saffron and Mango Melody. Two yellow shades? Not the usual but then I added my cat in Crumb Cake to break it up.
Basic
I first adhered the strip of Garden Impressions Paper. The sentiment and ball of wool has been stamped in Blueberry Bushel. I stamped the cat in In Soft Suede ink on Crumb Cake cardstock, punched it out and attached with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Then this entire panel was attached onto the card base with Dimensionals.
Casual
An addition of Mango Melody behind the Garden Impression panel and embossing on the So Saffron square steps this card up for the Casual crafter. I also created a mock ball of wool with the Night of Navy baker’s twine.
Avid
For this card I took my inspiration from our fluffy – Toulouse. She is a rescue cat we got at 7 months old and now she’s been with us nearly 2 years. How did she get her name? My daughter, Cassidy loves Disney. The movie Aristocats has a cat named Toulouse who is a ginger. AlthoughToulouse is female the name suits her. Here she is with Cassidy who loves her to bits.
I wanted to get my colours similar to Toulouse’ colours. I stamped the cat outline in Soft Suede and stamped the inner markings with Soft Suede stamped off once. This allowed me to colour over it with the Stampin’ Blends.
The Stiched Label Frame was die cut from Shimmery White cardstock then I sprinkled Yellow Brusho Powder on it. I spritzed it with water and left it to dry. Then I used an Aqua Painter to apply Mango Melody reinker over this in sections to add a deeper colour. Immediately I stamped the hearts in Mango Melody over the entire label. This gave the hearts a water colour look with no real definition and I liked it because you get a subtle background.
The Frame Elements is part of the Animal Expedition suite. I like the various wood elements in this set which can be used on different projects. For this card I have embossed it in Black Embossing Powder.
I’ve listed all the products used in these projects at the bottom of my post. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
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May your week be blessed.
Products used to Create these Cards
Apr 7, 2019 | Cards - Men, Step-It-Up Sunday |
Many times it’s been said that cards for men are so hard to make and ideas are hard to come by. In the current Occasions Catalogue we have 2 bundles, apart from stamp sets, that really make it easy to create those hard to make men’s cards. The Geared Up Garage bundle is great for the car enthusiast or mechanic in your family. I’m using the Best Catch bundle today. This is great for the outdoor person who loves fishing.
Beginner
This card for the beginner stamper creates a scene with stamping in dfferent colours. I incorporated the water in Balmy Blue and the grass in Mossy Meadow from the Fabulous Flamingo stamp set. The sentiment is stamped on Balmy Blue cardstock. I I was unsure about what colour card base to use and in the end went with Cajun Craze. I like the earthy look it brings to this card.
Casual
Lots of die cut grass was added from the Catch of the Day framelits as well as Lakeside Framelits. I also die cut the fisherman and attached him with Stampin’ Dimensionals. When trying to align the stamp and the die I ran into a bit of trouble. Every time I stamped the fisherman, one part of it didn’t align with the die. So I went back to a method I have used in the past when I have this problem.
Aligning Tricky Stamps
First die cut the shape from a piece of cardstock. Then place your stamp inside the die cut space. It’s a bit like a puzzle piece. This ensures that the stamped image is not slightly askew and then it will align with your die. Keep your template for future use.
Avid
This card has been stepped up for the Avid crafter with a die cut oval in the centre and an embossed fish added to create more technique to this card.
To create the die cut oval temporarily attach the Very Vanilla panel on top of the card base. I added a bit of tombow glue to the back of the Very Vanilla cardstock and let it dry for a couple of minutes. This makes it tacky and allows you to attach it together for die cutting.
Once the oval was die cut, I separated the Very Vanilla panel and ran it through the Big Shot with the larger Stitched Oval. This creates the frame so that the Cajun Craze cardstock shows through.
Using the Stitched Oval die that was used to cut the Very Vanilla panel, I embossed the Cajun Craze cardstock oval with Embossing Mats to show the stitched effect.
On the inside of the card I added a piece of cardstock which was die cut with the In the Wood framelits die and sponged with Lemon Lime Twist and Old Olive ink. The bag has been stamped in Soft Suede on Crumb Cake cardstock with sections coloured with a Crumb Cake Stampin’ Blend.
I think my favourite image in this set is the fish because it’s a larger image and you can colour it so many ways. Several Stampin’ Blends combined to create this look.
Next I wanted to get a metallic look on the fish like scales. Wink of Stella was applied in sections then I poured Gold Embossing Powder and heat embossed it. I did this a few times until a got the look I wanted. The Wink of Stella takes the place of Versamark in this instance.
This would be a fun card to give anyone who loves fishing. This fish is definitely the b-i-i-i-i-g catch fisherman talk about.
Have a wonderful week.
Product List
Mar 31, 2019 | Step-It-Up Sunday |
Hi friends,
What a wonderful 3 months we have had with Sale-A-Bration and all the excitement it brings with it. With today being the last day of Sale-A-Bration I have chosen one of my favourite Sale-A-Bration stamp sets to work with. I just love the Home to Roost stamp set and for this card I”m working with a very simple colour palette of Night of Navy and Very Vanilla.
Beginner
This is a definite #simplestamping project for the beginner crafter. All the images have been stamped in Night of Navy for this card. I punched out the rooster with the 2″ circle punch and then added a 2¼’ circle in Night of Navy. This was mounted onto the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Layer this onto a Night of Navy card base and you have a quick and easy card ready to go.
Casual
To add more detail on this card, I embossed a panel of Very Vanilla cardstock with the Hexagon embossing folder. As this is a Dynamic Textured Impression Embossing Folder (a really detailed and thick one) it’s best to give your cardstock a light mist of water with your Spritzer so the cardstock doesn’t crease, before running through the Big Shot.
The rooster has been coloured in with a combination of Stampin’ Blends. I added the gingham ribbon at the join using double sided tape (tear & tape). I used the Classic Label punch for the sentiment and shortened the edge by reinserting one end back into the punch.
Avid
To step up this card I have added some heat embossing and also used the Faux Suede technique to create the Night of Navy panel on the bottom of the card.
Faux Suede Technique
- Take your piece of cardstock and scrunch it well in the palm of your hand. Open it out and scrunch it in every direction so it’s completely crushed. Then use your bone folder and stretch the cardstock towards you. The idea is to breakdown the fibres of the cardstock.
- After doing this for a while the cardstock will naturally begin to separate. At this point, carefully peel the cardstock apart.
I then stamped and heat embossed the grass in gold on the inner side of the faux suede piece of cardstock.
Once I embossed the Very Vanilla cardstock with the Hexagon embossing folder, I lightly tapped the Versamark inkpad in sections over the cardstock. Then I added Gold Embossing Powder. This will show up the square edges of the Versamark stamp pad so just go over these edge with a dry paint brush to soften the harsh edges and make it look more natural when the embossing powder melts. Then I heat embossed the panel. I repeated this with the Copper Embossing Powder.
The rooster was heat embossed and coloured with Stampin’ Blends. I love the look of layered cardstock and I also do the same with my ribbons. In this case I have layered the gold ribbon onto the gingham to tie in with the rest of the card.
Last few hours to get free items
Don’t miss out on any of your favourite Sale-A-Bration and Sale-A-Bration Coordination products.
Product List
Mar 24, 2019 | Cards - Friendship, Step-It-Up Sunday |
Hello crafty friends,
So happy to have you in my life … this is more than just a sentiment on a card. Each of us has special people who we are grateful to have around us and who support and encourage us. I am grateful to each of you who show your support for me by vising my page, subscribing, attending classes and supporting me with your encouragement.
This is a nice large sentiment from the Amazing Life stamp set so really no extra work needs to be done but because it’s Step-it-Up Sunday, I have done just that and made extra work!
This stamp set is bundled up with the Rectangle Stitched Framelits dies and if you purchase it as a bundle you save 10%. Those Rectangle Framelits have never made it into my storage box which I keep for my die sets. These have just been sitting on my desk for weeks. That is how often I am using them so I don’t bother putting them back.
As for my colour choice – I wanted to use our retiring In-Colours so I chose Lemon Lime Twist, Tranquil Tide, Berry Burst, Powder Pink and Fresh Fig. Lemon Lime Twist was a colour that I didn’t particularly like at the start but I really love it now and am going to miss it.
Just a reminder to get your In-Colour refills soon as you can as they generally don’t last long once the retirement list is announced.
Beginner
I used the Painted Seasons Sale-A-Bration stamp set to create the leaf border around the card base.
Then I stamped the sentiment in Tuxedo Black ink. I didn’t use a Stamparatus however this would definitely make it easier for a beginner stamper. The little tip I have for you when I don’t use my Stamparatus (other than to use it) is, use the coordinating colour in the Stampin’ Write marker to fill in any missing spots. No one will ever know …and yes I’ve done it many times.
I’ve embellished the card using the cute In-Colour flower buttons and the leaves from the Butterfly Elements Sale-A-Bration offering.
Casual
This card has just a few extras added to step it up. I layered the stamped Whisper White panel onto a Basic Black card base. The sentiment was restamped onto Berry Burst cardstock and then cut out and added with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Then I coloured the ‘Happy’ with the Powder Pink marker. A couple of simple steps and this card gets some extra colour added to it.
Avid
I used the embossing mats to create the Stitched Rectangle section for my stamped image. Embossing this way gives a lovely framed look.
Embossing Sandwich
This is my preferred method of embossing with dies. This sandwich allows you to see the placement of your die which is important with this technique, especially when creating a card like this where you need the die centred.
This list is from the bottom up. So number 1 is what goes down first at the bottom of your sandwich.
- Big Shot platform
- Impressions Pad (white)
- Silicon Mat (blue)
- Cardstock
- Die -face down
- Big Shot cutting mat
Then I stamped my leaves around the embossed section. I stamped 3 flowers and die cut them. Feeling a bit bad that at this stage I had used all of the In-Colours except Fresh Fig, I incorporated it in my sponging around the edges of my flower to add extra dimension to this flower. I used Brushos Moss Green for the leaves.
There’s less than a week of Sale-A-Bration left!
Don’t miss out on this chance of getting those fabulous stamp sets and accessories with every $90 spend. Sale-A-Bration coordination products are also available until 31st March or until they run out. Click here to shop the Sale-A-Bration coordination items.
Contact me on rochelle@stampingflair.com with any queries or to place an order. You can also Shop Online by clicking the link below to place your order. Current Host Code FBNFPZ9D
Products you need to make these cards:
