March 2020 Card Group Projects

I'm finally getting around to sharing the cards we made at our March card group meeting.  We didn't know it at the time but we do now know that was our last card group meeting for some time.  Obviously, this is very sad, disappointing news but it is essential that we follow the rules around the coronavirus pandemic.  We're all in this together and we will pull through and come out on the other side!

For the first card I followed a very basic card layout - a square and a rectangle placed on an A6 sized card base.  I used the SU! 'Beautiful Friendship' stamp set and the colour combo is Old Olive, Gorgeous Grape and Whisper White.

 

I wanted to show that you can step up the design of a card using the same layout.  I made a second version of the card where I cut the white layer into 4 squares, sponged the edges with ink and popped the squares up on a larger mat layer.  I also popped up the sentiment rectangle after sponging the edges with ink.  To step things up further I added clear Wink of Stella pen to the flower parts so there's a lovely shimmery sparkle.

 

Here's the two cards side by side.

 

Here's a closer look where you might just be able to see the shimmer!

 

Here's the inside and envelope. 

 

For the second card I've used an Altenew poppy stamp set that came free with a magazine.  I'm ashamed to say that I've had the magazine for a few months but hadn't read it let alone used the stamps!  I stamped the solid background image in Poppy Parade ink, the detailed portion in Real Red ink and then the outline and centre image in VersaFine Onyx Black ink which I also used to stamp the sentiment.  I used a die from the SU! 'Switched So Sweetly' die set to cut out a pretty scalloped rectangle and I popped that up over a black CS panel placed on the card front on the wonk.  To finish off the front I added three gold sequins.

 

Here's the inside and envelope.

 

For the final card I used some very striking patterned paper which is from the SU! 'See a Silhouette' DSP pack. This card measures 5 1/4" square.  I matted the patterned paper onto a layer of Night of Navy CS and then popped up the pretty sentiment label shape.  I punched a flower using the SU! 'Small Bloom' punch from Poppy Parade CS, shaped it, glued it to the label and added a rhinestone jewel to the centre.

 

Here's the inside and the envelope.

It was a lovely afternoon and I really do hope all the ladies stay safe and well and that it won't be too long before we can resume our card group meetings!

Supplies for hydrangea card:
Stamps: SU! 'Beautiful Friendship' & 'Perennial Birthday' set
CS: SU! Gorgeous Grape, Old Olive & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Gorgeous Grape & Old Olive
Tools: Sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: SU! clear Wink of Stella pen, Dimensionals

Supplies for poppy card:
Stamps: Altenew 'Layered Poppy' set, free with issue 194 of Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine, SU! 'Birthday Blooms' set
CS: SU! Poppy Parade, Basic Black & Whisper White
Patterned paper: SU! 'Petal Passion' DSP
Ink: SU! Poppy Parade, Real Red, VersaFine Onyx Black
Tools: SU! 'Stitched So Sweetly' die set
Embellishments & accessories: gold sequins, SU! Dimensionals

Supplies for square small bloom card:
Stamps: SU! 'Sending You Thoughts' & 'Lots of Happy' sets
CS: SU! Night of Navy, Poppy Parade & Whisper White thick
Patterned paper: SU! 'See a Silhouette' DSP
Ink: SU! Night of Navy
Tools: SU! 'Stitched So Sweetly' die set, 'Small Bloom' punch
Embellishments & accessories: SU! rhinestone jewels, Dimensionals
Ruth

Tropical Chic Circles Thank You Card

This is a card I made for a card challenge set by Dena Rekow at the Creativity Cave.  Dena asked us to make a card using the following elements:

• 1/2 sheet CS to form the card base
• 3 /4" x 5 1/2" CS
• 1 1/4" x 5 1/2" CS
• 3 x 1 1/4" squares or circles

 I adjusted the measurements to an appropriate size for UK sized cards and used patterned paper in place of the 1 1/4" x 5 1/2" CS piece.  My colour combo is Melon Mambo, Shaded Spruce, Granny Apple Green and Whisper White and I love the bright vivid colours!  I stamped and die cut the flowers, leaf and circles and then spent time playing around with the placement of the elements until I was happy.  The stitched shape circles are all popped up. After I'd stamped the sentiment on the Granny Apple Green piece I added a narrow strip of Shaded Spruce CS to add a little something extra.  To finish the front I added small rhinestone jewels to the flowers and a large jewel to the narrow Shaded Spruce strip.

 

Here's the inside of the card and the envelope.

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Tropical Chic' set
CS: SU! Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo, Shaded Spruce & Whisper White
Patterned paper: SU! 'Tropical Escape' 6" x 6" DSP pack
Ink: SU! Melon Mambo & Shaded Spruce
Tools: SU! 'Tropical' & 'Stitched Shape' die sets
Embellishments & accessories: SU! rhinestone jewels, Dimensionals
Ruth

Tropical Fruit Gift Bag & Tag

I totally forgot to meet up with a friend which left me feeling so mortified.  I thought a little apology gift was the least I could do!  I absolutely love the SU! 'Tropical Oasis' suite of products in the mini catalogue and I jumped at the chance to use some fruity patterned paper and the pineapple dies to package the gift of some pineapple shower gel.

I used a full 12" x 12" sheet of the patterned paper to make the gift bag using the WRMK Gift Bag Punch Board.  I did trim some off the height of the bag before I assembled it though.  I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch holes in the top of the bag so I could tie the bag closed with ribbon.  I die cut the pineapple pieces from Whisper White thick CS and added colour to the shapes using inks and oval make up brushes.  I die cut a pretty scalloped rectangle and popped up the pineapple.  I added a sentiment circle to complete the tag.

 

Here's a closer look at the gift tag.

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Tin of Tags' set
CS: SU! Whisper White thick
Patterned paper: SU! 'Tropical Oasis' DSP
Ink: SU! Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Old Olive & Soft Suede
Tools: SU! 'In the Tropics', 'Stitched So Sweetly' & 'Layering Circle' die sets, WRMK Gift Bag Punch Board, Crop-A-Dile, oval make up brushes, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Whisper White ribbon, Dimensionals
Ruth

February 2020 Card Group Projects

When preparing for the February card group meeting I was inspired by cards and layouts designed by Dena Rekow from the Creativity Cave.  Having a sketch layout in place really makes a card design come together quickly and easily and that is incredibly helpful when crafting time is limited.  This months designs are quick and simple with no fancy folds or techniques and so I decided we'd have time to include a fourth card.   

I absolutely loved the SU! 'Positive Thoughts' stamp set as soon as I saw it in the mini catalogue and I bought it straight away.  I was chuffed to bits when SU! later released matching dies for the stamp set!  Dena made this card design using Pacific Point but I wanted to try it in a different colour.  You need to stamp the butterfly three times without re-inking to get the different shades and to achieve a really successful result it's better to stamp using a deep, intense colour and I chose Lovely Lipstick.

 

Here's the inside and the envelope.  I stamped off the beautiful maidenhair fern image twice before stamping it on the inside panel and stamped it full strength on the envelope flap.

 

I CASEd another Dena design for this card.  The pretty punched flowers and the abundance of white space give a really fresh feel to the card.  The card base is Smoky Slate and the mat layer is Bermuda Bay.  I stamped the top flower in Bermuda Bay ink and the two other flowers in Pool Party ink.  After punching the blooms I shaped them, glued them to the card front and added a rhinestone jewel to each bloom centre.

 

Here's the inside and the envelope.

 

This next card features a layout perfect for patterned paper.  The 'Tropical Oasis' paper pack is gorgeous and I thought the palms and cars design was ideal to make a masculine card.  The patterned paper is a 3" x 3" square - perfect for maximising the use of a full 12" x 12" sheet if you batch make a bunch of cards!  The card base is Early Espresso and the mat layer is Pear Pizzazz CS that has been embossed using the Coastal Weave 3D embossing folder.

 

Here's the inside and the envelope.

One of Dena's January layouts really appealed to me, it's very simple but has loads of potential I think.  For this card I've stripped it down to the bare essentials but I can show this card that I made a  little while ago which steps the layout up a few notches.  I took my tablet along so I could show the ladies photos of different card samples of the design. I took some different patterned paper from the same pack that had toadstools and leaves on it so the ladies could choose which pattern they wanted.  The toadstool paper was the favourite!

I punched eight 1" circles from a floral patterned paper but flipped two circles over to show the patterned side when I glued the circles down.  I stamped the sentiment and that was the front completed, so quick and easy. 

 

Here's the inside and the envelope.  The flower image is from the SU! 'Painted Seasons' stamp set which co-ordinates with the patterned paper I used to punch out the circles for the card front.  I stamped in Poppy Parade ink, full strength for the envelope flap but stamped off twice for inside the card.

 

Sometimes a flat design is needed if you want to pop something in the post and none of the four cards have popped up elements.  Of course, all four cards can be stepped up and made more dimensional and fancy - the beauty of a basic simple design is that it is a stepping off point!  

Supplies for butterflies card:
Stamps: SU! 'Positive Thoughts' & 'A Wish for Everything' sets
CS: SU! Lovely Lipstick & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Lovely Lipstick
Tools: SU! 'Stitched Rectangles' die set

Supplies for blooms card:
Stamps: SU! 'Thoughtful Blooms' & 'Sending You Thoughts' sets
CS: SU! Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Bermuda Bay, Pool Party & Smoky Slate
Tools: SU! 'Small Bloom' punch
Embellishments & accessories: SU! rhinestone jewels

Supplies for palms & cars card:
Stamps: SU! 'Timeless Tropical' set, Stampendous 'Sending Wishes' stamp
CS: SU! Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz & Whisper White
Patterned paper: SU! 'Tropical Oasis' DSP
Ink: SU! Early Espresso & Pear Pizzazz 
Tools: SU! 'Coastal Weave' embossing folder, M&C Boutique stitched rectangle die

Supplies for punched circles card:
Stamps: SU! 'Painted Seasons' & 'Perennial Birthday' sets
CS: SU! Whisper White thick 
Patterned paper: SU! 'Painted Seasons' DSP
Ink: SU! Early Espresso & Poppy Parade
Tools: SU! 1" circle punch
Ruth

Bees Circles Thank You Card

Each month I participate in Dena Rekow's Facebook Class where Dena records live videos showcasing various card layouts.  During January Dena made cards using a layout that featured eight 1" circles of patterned paper.  Whilst watching the live video an idea for the layout popped into my head and I just had to make the card the next day!

Instead of featuring 1" circles of patterned paper on my card I've chosen to use 1" circles of CS with a stamped and die cut bee popped up on each circle.  I thought the retired SU! 'Honeycomb' embossing folder was the perfect choice to make a background panel! I adhered the embossed panel to a black mat layer, added the black baker's twine tied in a bow and adhered that to the front of an A6 sized card made with SU! Whisper White Thick CS.  I then glued down the eight punched circles and got busy stamping and die cutting the bees.  I coloured each bee with a Dark Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends pen and added shimmer to the wings with a Wink of Stella pen.  I shaped the bee wings a bit and popped each bee up.  I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark, embossed it with white embossing powder and cut a label using a die from the 'Stitched So Sweetly' die set and I popped the label up and added a rhinestone jewel to finish the front.

I used some of the gorgeous 'Golden Honey' Specialty patterned paper to decorate the inside of the card and the envelope flap.  I coloured the bee stripes with a Dark Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends pen.  What a fun card to make!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Honey Bee' set
CS: SU! Daffodil Delight, Basic Black & Whisper White
Patterned paper: SU! 'Golden Honey' Specialty DSP
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark, Dark Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends pen, clear Wink of Stella pen
Tools: SU! 'Detailed Bee' & 'Stitched So Sweetly' die sets, 'Honeycomb' embossing folder, 1" circle punch
Embellishments & accessories: SU! black baker's twine, white embossing powder, rhinestone jewel, Dimensionals
Ruth

Hearts Happy Valentine's Day Card

Dena Rekow from the Creativity Cave has issued a fun challenge to her January 2020 Facebook Class participants which is to use one of her January card layouts to make a Valentine card.  The layout I've chosen to work with is great for using patterned papers and I definitely could use help with using my stash of papers up! 

My card base is A6 sized made with SU! Whisper White Thick CS.  I used a sponge dauber to apply Poppy Parade ink to the patterned paper piece I glued at the top of the card and to the flowery heart.  I glued a strip of Basic Black CS across the join where the two papers meet.  To make the flowery heart I stamped the hydrangea image from the 'Beautiful Friendship' stamp set in Poppy Parade ink and cut the shape using a heart die from the 'Mini Treat Bag' die set.  I cut a plain Poppy Parade CS heart shape which I glued to a die cut Basic Black CS square, I popped up the square and then popped up the sentiment strip and the flowery heart.  To complete the card front I added a few Gold Faceted Gems.

 

Here's the inside and the envelope.  The 'with much love' sentiment comes from the SU! 'Tropical Chic' stamp set.  The full sentiment reads 'with much love and thanks' but I performed stamp surgery and cut the stamp apart to get versatility with the words.  I added small hearts to the sentiment label using the long ago retired SU! 'Heart to Heart' punch.

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Beautiful Friendship', 'A Wish for Everything' & 'Tropical Chic' sets
CS: SU! Basic Black, Poppy Parade & Whisper White Thick
Patterned paper: SU! 'See a Silhouette' DSP pack
Ink: SU! Poppy Parade, Memento Tuxedo Black
Tools: SU! 'Layering Squares', 'Mini Treat Bag' & 'Stitched Rectangles' die sets, SU! 'Heart to Heart' punch, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Gold Faceted Gems, Dimensionals
Ruth

Morning Glories Happy Birthday Card

Dena Rekow from the Creativity Cave ran an online 'Sale-A-Bration Celebration' event that I took part in.  It was really inspiring and a lot of fun too!  Dena set us a few games and challenges and one of them was a Scavenger Hunt.  Dena provided a list of items and we had to assemble them all and take a photo.  One of the items on the Scavenger Hunt list was 'a Stampin' Up! card that features, or the actual stamp set from 2004 or EARLIER'.  I included a stamp set released in 1999 in my photo - the 'Marvelous Morning Glory' stamp set.

I had quite a collection of SU! wood mounted two-step floral stamp sets, I really loved them.  Over the years I've purged lots from my stash but I still have a few and I chose the Morning Glory set.  I suggested on the event Facebook page that it would be a fun idea to make a card using the old stamp sets that we included in our photos. Well, I liked the idea so I made a card!

I was in the mood for a pink card and a Google search confirmed that pink Morning Glories actually exist so I was good to go!  My colour combo is Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, Granny Apple Green and Whisper White.  I applied a panel of gingham patterned paper to the front of the A6 sized card and I glued the Melon Mambo Stitched Rectangle die cut shape over the top at an angle.  I stamped the stem, curly tendril and sentiment onto a piece of Whisper White CS and then cut it out using a Stitched Rectangle die.  I then got busy with my two-step stamping and fussy cutting.  I glued on the leaves and flowers, popping up a couple of the flowers, added a loop of Granny Apple Green ribbon behind the panel and popped the whole panel up.  To complete the front I added a few rhinestone jewels.

 

Here's the inside and the envelope.  I did a bit of masking with two sentiment stamps to get the sentiment I wanted for the inside.  The name label on the front of the envelope is popped up on Dimensionals.

 

It was great fun to combine this oldie but goodie stamp set with newer supplies and to give my neglected Stamp-A-Ma-Jig a workout!  I had such a happy time in my craft room making this card!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Marvelous Morning Glory' & 'Sending You Thoughts' sets
CS: SU! Melon Mambo, Granny Apple Green & Whisper White
Patterned paper: SU! 'Gingham Gala' 6"x6" DSP stack
Ink: SU! Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo & Granny Apple Green
Tools: SU! 'Stitched Rectangles' die set, labels from Sizzix 'Card, Fancy Frame Flip-its #2' die set, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Granny Apple Green Textured Weave Ribbon, rhinestone jewels, Dimensionals
Ruth