Flowers in the Snow

Thank you for checking back with me.  It's Wednesday, so it's a Challenge day!  The wonderfully creative ladies over @ Stampin' Queens Sketch Challenge have a pretty neat sketch for us to use.

 

When I first saw this sketch, I instantly thought of a snowman, or some snow flakes.  But, I thought that, 'that was too obvious'.  So, I decided to work with the shapes already there - flowers.  I also wanted to make a card that wasn't Christmas/Winter themed.  I imagine that we all can pretty much look outside to see those images.  I also wanted to work with a stamp set that hasn't felt ink in awhile.  We all have those stamp sets.  When you first see them, you just gotta have 'em.  Then after a few months, they get pushed back in the back, behind other 'forgotten' treasures.  

Now, for a color scheme.  Outside, its green, brown, and white.  Not very pretty for flowers.  So, I grabbed an old time favorite flower color scheme. Can you guess what that would be?  I selected - Calypso Coral & Pretty in Pink.  (if that was what you guessed, bravo!)  

Maybe I'm right eyed, or something, but I didn't like the way my card looked with the matted/scallop piece looked on the right, so I flipped it.  I know you aren't surprised that I used First Edition DSP, right?  I'm also not a big fan of text paper with the wrong orientation.  But this time, I kinda liked the look.  So, my text paper runs along the side and not up and down.  (sorry, if that bothers you.)  To create the background 'paper' I first stamped the french script using the 'finger tap' method, so the whole script wouldn't stamp.  I then stamped the french floral image in pink, using the same technique.  I stamped the flowers onto very vanilla cardstock and then hand-cut each one out.  And then gave each petal a little fold, to create a realistic petal.  I stacked the flowers together, and gave each blossom a half faux-pearl center.  The leaves were a second generation stamp in Old Olive classic ink.  The 'No. 5' is a second generation stamp in Soft Suede classic ink.  To give the eyelet border trim a little pizzazz, I scored the paper every 1/4" and then punched the edge.  

The little banner I made myself.  (It's pretty cute how I did that.) I used a scrap piece of very vanilla cardstock.  I stamped the word first.  Then used the word window punch to create the top and bottom edges of the banner.  I then took the photo corner punch and created the snipped part.  Adhered that piece to a scrap piece of crumb cake cardstock and using the very vanilla piece as my guide, I hand-cut the trim.   I thought it was pretty clever.   All the edges of every piece is sponged in Sahara Sand classic ink.  I wanted to add a little sparkle to my card, so I used the Silver Glitter paper to make the three butterflies.  I also punched out 2 tiny circles to add some pizzazz to the two little lonely flowers.

Lets see what beautifully-creative paper craft pieces you create for this challenge!

Stampede Card Club meets Mojo #166

I have two card clubs that meet every month. Stampede meets the fourth Sunday of the month. In this card club, I teach a kind of 'advanced' card club. We learn either techniques that require multiple steps or 'tricky' card folds. My only requirement for these students is that you have to have stamped before, and know the basics. So, back to this card. There are two different techniques on this card. Can you name them?

The technique in the foreground is collage stamping. The technique on the card base is faux tearing. And the bow is a bit more than a simple knot or a traditional bow. So, that is why this is called my 'advanced' card club. We do multiple techniques or learn a few new tricks.

I used the Winter Post stamp set. The background stamp French Filigree and the music wheel. My only embellishments are the Always Artichoke seam binding and a half pearl. Not a lot of 'stuff' but still isn't it simply beautiful?

Thank you for looking, and I hope you were able to name the techniques.

Stampalicious Card Club - choices

I have an infinity towards pink and vintage. Here is ONE of the cards we will be making in our card club this Saturday, November 20th, 2010. The ladies wanted to make a 'shadow box' card, and its the holidays, so....here is what I came up with.

If you are one of my club members, you need to let me know if you would like to make this pink (Blushing Bride) card, or if you would rather use a green (Always Artichoke), or a blue (Baja Breeze). I know some of the ladies don't give away the card they make in class, but rather keep them in a book, so they have a 'sample'. So, I want them to have a card they love.

The cool thing about a shadow box card, is that is lays flat to mail. Pretty neat, huh? So if anyone from my Stampalicious Card Club would rather make their card using a different color, please let me know. Otherwise, you get to make the pink card.

Thanks for looking!

Emboss Resist with a Stencil

I wanted to try my hand at Emboss Resist Technique, and this is what I came up with. Remind you, that this is not my original card. (Its a process of elimination.) The flower is from a stencil (Elegant Trio Stencil Set), that I sponged with whisper white craft ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Then, you can stamp anywhere. If ink gets on the embossed area, just use a paper towel and rub the embossed area, and the ink (from words, or images) will be removed. Pretty neat, huh? I purchased the vintage trinkets and aren't the brads just adorable? They look like tiny metal buttons. I used a plain brown brad to hold the flower together and top it off with a half pearl. I used the Elegant Lines embossing folder for the soft suede piece.

I like it. I have a few customers who aren't fans of pink, so I made a few blue (Marina Mist) ones. But now, I kinda like the blue better. These will be sent out with orders that I received over the weekend. I include a hand-stamped card with every order, its my way of saying 'thank you, for your business'. Then, my customers have a card on hand incase they need one in a jiffy, or use as inspiration!

Which do you like better, Pink or Blue? Post a comment.

punch class - card #1

Have you ever wanted to make a card, but had a difficult time starting. You knew what stamp set you were going to use, what punch, but still struggled? That was me tonight. I figure I should at least get some of these 'Punch Class' cards done, so there are samples, but more importantly, I know what we are doing.

My classes only feature Stampin' Up! supplies. I had my eye on this color combination: close to cocoa, taken with teal, cameo coral, and very vanilla, and I was anxious to put it together.

I used the ornament punch to create the vase. I punched the card stock first, and then put the piece in an embossing folder, so I could line up the swirls. I stamped the floral stem in basic brown classic ink. I used a blender pen to put the color in the blooms. The flowers bend to one side, so with the vase, I couldn't 'center' the stem. This left me with a blank space that needed to be filled. If you know me, you know that I grabbed for ribbon and a button to balance that empty space. But, I couldn't find anything that looked like it belonged. So, I made a quick little tag from the match box big die. So, I looked through my current stamps to find a greeting that would both fit and look appropriate there. The tag looked good, but not 'balanced'. So I grabbed a scrap piece of cameo coral and punched some flowers. I thought the background piece (close to cocoa) looked too plain, too bare. So, I grabbed a background stamp and inked it with close to cocoa classic ink. I wanted to give everything a 'old' look, so I used a sponge and close to cocoa classic ink, and sponged the edges of everything! except the vase. I sponged the vase with taken with teal classic ink and the paper sanding block over the 'face' of the vase. My last contributions were the sparkles. So, I used a tiny blue rhinestone brad for the center of the flower. And lightly squeezed some crystal effects onto the blooms.

I know that I used a lot of different products to create this one card, but isn't it pretty? If you purchase a kit or attend this class, don't fret, all the pieces will be cut and scored. So all you basically have to do is stamp and assemble.

Color Throw Down #87

I saw the color challenge on a wonderfully talented paper crafter, VA Sunshine, and I just love her work.

I stamped the flowers in pretty in pink, and the flourish in certainly celery. I stamped the french filigree in whisper white craft ink and used clear embossing powder. I thought the just stamped images needed something. I stamped my bird in basic grey classic ink. Re-stamped the bird on a scrap piece of card stock, cut him out and used dimensional to give him some lift off the card. All supplies used are Stampin' Up!

SU! Birds Card Class #4

[Ok, for those who visited my blog earlier, you know that I removed an image. I had posted a different card as #4. Then, when I finished posting the last card and 'thank you' gift, I noticed that #4 seemed out of place. So, I re-made the #4 card.]

Happy Saturday! This is the fourth card for the SU! Birds Card Class that is being held at my house on two different days; tomorrow or next Saturday. I thought maybe some of you would like to see them all, so I am getting my act together and getting them downloaded to my blog. Life has been crazy busy these last few months. Don't know why. But, I don't seem to have as much time as I use to have. Or maybe, I'm slowing down. I don't know, but I don't like it. If you purchase a kit, you also get a bird house 'thank you' box.

I like this bird from Best Wishes & More stamp set, because it is really versatile. You can put it on a branch, or leave him walking on your card. He is a nice size too, so he won't get lost, and he's not too overwhelming.

I had to use my favorite color - Close to Cocoa. I used Bermuda Bay to help anchor the card. I spritz some card stock with water, and crumbled it, and then flattened the card stock, put it into my three flower punch and that is how I made my flowers. I dipped the end of my stylus into the champagne shimmer paint to create the center of the flowers. I used glue dots to attach the flowers to the card.

3-D Cards: Shadow Box Card

I am holding a 3-D card technique class at my home on Sunday @ 1:30p. We will be making a shadow box card, a diorama card, and a pop-up card. This is the Shadow Box card we will be making. (all cards are mailable.) I wanted to make a card from colors that aren't 'seen' too often. All supplies are from Stampin' Up!

I used dusty durango and basic gray cardstock. I used the background stamp French Filigree to give the front of this card some interest. On the gray cardstock, I stamped the definition of 'unique' from the stamp set Define Your Life. I heat embossed the definition in black. The flowers are from the Friends 24-7 stamp set, and stamped in whisper white craft ink. I added a greeting to the upper left corner of the card. I stamped the greeting from a stamp in the One of a Kind stamp set. I added two ribbon knots to the lower right corner of the card, to help balance the card.

Thank you for looking. Stay posted to see the other two cards we will be making on sunday.