Kraft & White Hennah Elements Birthday Card

Back in 2014 I saw this lovely card made by Anja and the stamp set she'd used, 'Hennah Elements' from Altenew, went on my wish list immediately.  I was very lucky to receive some birthday gift money last month and I treated myself to some new crafty goodies - including the 'Hennah Elements' set.  It's rare for me to wait to order from my wish list but there was an upside to waiting 'cos I discovered Altenew also sell matching dies for this stamp set now.  So naturally I ordered the stamps and dies together!

I love a kraft and white colour combo and I'm sure that has a lot to do with why I found Anja's card so appealing.  I've CASEd Anja's card pretty closely but there are a few little differences.  I used a lighter shade of kraft (SU! Crumb Cake) and I chose to pop up some die cut flower and leaf shapes over the stamped images as I love dimension - plus I wanted to use the stamps AND the dies!  I also used pearls to embellish the card.  When I came to make the card I was surprised to find that I'd recently bought the same Hero Arts sentiment set that Anja had used.  I definitely didn't realise when I bought it though - there must have been a subtle recognition operating in the subconscious level of my brain!

Here's the inside and the envelope - the images look fab stamped in Crumb Cake ink too!

Supplies:
Stamps: Altenew 'Hennah Elements' set, Hero Arts 'Messages With Flourish' set
CS: PaperMania A6 white card blank, SU! Crumb Cake & Whisper White
Ink: VersaMark, SU! Crumb Cake
Tools: Altenew 'Hennah Elements' die set, heat tool, flower shaping tool & moulding mat
Embellishments & accessories: white embossing powder, SU! pearl jewels, Dimensionals

50th Birthday Pivoting Labels Accordion Card

It was our friend Brett's 50th birthday a little while ago and I decided to use my new dies to make a special card to mark the occasion - a pivoting labels accordion card.  I bought the Elizabeth Craft Designs 'Accordion Fancy Label' Pop It Ups die set plus the matching 'Fancy Frame Edges' die set.  It took me a couple of attempts to get it right but once I'd realised where I was going wrong it was all fine!  The Pop It Ups dies are designed by Karen Burniston for Elizabeth Craft Designs and Karen's YouTube videos are fab and so helpful!

I used SU! Chocolate Chip CS plus Authentique 'Grateful' papers.  The '50' was made from two MDF shapes which I painted with Walnut Stain Distress Paint and then I spritzed both numbers with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist.  I stamped the wording using a PaperMania alphabet set and I cut out each letter with a circle punch.  I decorated the panels with punched stars and gold nailheads.  To add some dimension I glued each patterned paper punched shape to a stack of three punched CS shapes so that the letters and stars look like chipboard elements.

Here's a view of the card from above so you can see the mechanics.  The labels pivot within the accordion card and the card folds flat to go inside an envelope.  You can add as many pages as you like but I was perfectly happy using just three pages!  

Here's a closer view of the first panel.

The central panel.

The third panel.

I used two of the patterned papers to decorate the envelope.

Definitely a time consuming card but Brett was very impressed with the card and made sure it took pride of place so it was well worth the effort!

Supplies:
Stamps: PaperMania Typewriter Alphabet cling set
CS: SU! Chocolate Chip & Whisper White
Patterned paper: Authentique 'Grateful' 6" x 6" paper pad
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip
Tools: Elizabeth Craft Designs 'Accordion Fancy Label' & 'Fancy Frame Edges' die sets from the Pop It Ups collection, star punches, circle punch
Embellishments & accessories: MDF '50' numbers, Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Paint, Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist, gold nailheads

Three Shaped Cards For Glitter Pot Class

I love using dies to make shaped card bases and on Thursday afternoon I ran a 'Better Shape Up' shaped cards class at the Glitter Pot.  I have a class next week but I'm very sad and extremely disappointed that I won't be running any more classes there as the retail shop is closing down and the Glitter Pot will become an online store only.  Ahh well, it was wonderful while it lasted!

You can use any shaped dies to create shaped cards - you make a regular single fold card base, keep that closed and die cut the fancy shape ensuring that the spine of the card is below the cutting edge of the die.   Because you are cutting through two layers of CS to create a card base you can only use a medium weight CS and if the die has an intricate design you may need to add a shim or two when die cutting.  Another way to make shaped card bases is to cut two separate shapes, score a line on the shape that will go on the back to create a spine and glue the front shape to the spine.

This first card uses the gorgeous Sue Wilson 'Ornate Pierced Designs' die set from the Noble Collection.  I've written a tutorial on how to create this shaped card, here's the LINK TO THE TUTORIAL if you'd like to view it.  I decorated my card with die cut flowers, a sentiment and two punched butterflies.  I die cut two lots of words and offset the white ones over the top of the purple ones in order to get a shadow effect.  A sprinkling of gems completed the card.

The next card was also made using the 'Ornate Pierced Designs' die set.  I covered the entire card front with the pretty blue paper, glued the yellow mat layer down and popped up the pierced blue label.  I stamped the butterfly onto the yellow paper in blue ink, fussy cut it, popped the wings up and applied Star Dust Stickles all over the wings.  I added some white and yellow pearls to finish. 

The last card is a flower shaped card made using the X Cut 'Bloom' Nesting Die set and some pretty Echo Park papers.  I adhered the green paper flower flat to the front of the card base but with the three other flower layers I snipped between each petal and shaped each flower so that the card had some dimension.  I punched a few white 1/2" circles plus a green paper circle, glued the stack together and applied Glossy Accents over the top followed by a gem.  I also applied gems to the aqua flower petals.  

Supplies for 'Best Wishes card:
Stamps: None
CS: Glitter Pot Medium White CS, Bazzill 'Peacock', 'Pansy' & 'Parakeet'
Patterned paper: Core'dinations Core Basics 'Purple Swirl'
Ink: None
Tools: Sue Wilson Creative Expressions 'Ornate Pierced Designs' die set from the 'Noble' collection, Spellbinders 'Flower Play' die set, Spellbinders D-Lites 'Sentiments 1' die set, Crafts Too 7" x 5" 'Lattice' embossing folder, Woodware Large 'Butterfly 2' punch
Embellishments & accessories: white satin stripe organza ribbon, Marianne Designs Light Blue & Blue adhesive gems, PaperMania 3mm Silver adhesive stones, 3D foam tape

Supplies for butterfly card:
Stamps: Penny Black 'Social Butterfly' set
CS: Glitter Pot Medium White CS
Patterned paper: Echo Park - I Love Sunshine 'Splish Splash' & 'Yellow/Blue'
Ink: Memento Nautical Blue
Tools: Sue Wilson Creative Expressions 'Ornate Pierced Designs' die set from the 'Noble' collection
Embellishments & accessories: Star Dust Stickles, white & yellow pearls, 3D foam tape 

Supplies for flower shaped card:
Stamps: None
CS: Glitter Pot Medium White CS
Patterned paper: Echo Park - I Love Sunshine '3" x 4" Journaling Cards', 'Sun Beams' & 'Sunny Days'
Ink: None
Tools: X Cut 'Bloom' Nesting Dies set, flower shaping tool & moulding mat
Embellishments & accessories: Ranger Glossy Accents, PaperMania 5mm Silver adhesive stones

Regal Striplet Background Dragonfly Best Wishes Card

I completely forgot to take a birthday card for Monica when I went to card group - I was mortified!  I made this card for her a couple of days later and as I'd missed her birthday I made it a best wishes card.  Hope Monica liked it!

I've used one of my new purchases - a Sue Wilson 'Regal' Striplet die - and it's a beautiful die set I have to say!  There are two dies in the set, the fancy inner piece and then a rectangular frame die.  You can use both dies at once by nesting the fancy die inside the frame die before cutting.  Alternatively, you can use the fancy die on its own to cut out a design from a panel of CS which is what I've done for this card.  I die cut the fancy Striplet design twice from a piece of Bazzill Bling 'Glitz' CS, trimmed the piece to size, popped it up with 3D foam pads over the top of a piece of Bazzill Bling 'Sparkle' CS and glued the whole panel to the front of a 7" x 5" white card base.  I didn't want to cover up too much of the pretty background design so I cut a simple strip of Bazzill 'Diamond' CS as a place for the die cut dragonfly and sentiment.  I die cut the 'Best Wishes' twice and offset the paler blue words over the darker blue ones - I love the shadow effect that gives.  I layered the two dragonfly die cut shapes, glued the body flat to the white strip and popped the wings up.  To complete the card front I sprinkled on quite a few rhinestone gems.    

Here's the inside of the card and the envelope - using yet more die cuts to decorate and embellish!  I'll always primarily be a stamper but I do love my die cutting too and I enjoy combining stamping and die cutting when creating cards.  I may make more die cut only cards in future though as I seem to have acquired lots of new additions to my die stash recently!  

Supplies:
Stamps: None
CS: PaperMania 7" x 5" white card blank, Bazzill Bling 'Glitz', 'Sparkle' & 'Diamond'
Ink: None
Tools: Sue Wilson Creative Expressions 'Regal' Striplet die set, Spellbinders D-Lites 'Dragon Delight' & 'Sentiments 1' sets, Spellbinders Shapeabilities 'Fancy Framed Tags Two' set, Sweet Dixie 'Daisy Set' dies
Embellishments & accessories: SU! rhinestone jewels, Dimensionals

Dotty Daisy Thank You Card & Matching Gift Bag

This is a card and matching gift bag ensemble I made to give to a sweet friend.  I loved the 'Dotty Daisy' stamp set as soon as I saw it but I didn't succumb straight away - but inevitably it made its way into my stash as part of my ever growing collection of flower stamps!

The plaid paper is from the Core'dinations Core Basics range of patterned paper.  The papers are single sided, textured and there are fab colours and designs, I love them!    I covered the whole front of the 5 1/4" square white card base with the paper and popped up the die cut square over the top after stamping the sentiment.  I stamped, fussy cut and popped up the leaves and flower.  I punched a Pear Pizzazz flower to go in the centre and topped that with a candy dot adhered to a small plaid patterned paper punched circle.   I added four more candy dots to complete the card front.

Here's the inside of the card and the envelope.  The sentiment is actually just one stamp in the set but I masked and stamped twice so that I could have part of the sentiment on the front of the card and the remainder of the sentiment on the inside.  I popped up the sentiment oval over the top of the fancy 'Pierced Delight' die cut label shape.

For the gift bag I echoed the design of the card front but used rectangular panels rather than squares.  I added a pretty die cut ribbon and bow to finish.  

Supplies:
Stamps: Personal Impressions 'Dotty Daisy' set, 'to you from me' from SU! 'Best Yet' set
CS: PaperMania square white card blank, SU! Rose Red, Pear Pizzazz & Whisper White, kraft gift bag
Patterned paper: Core'dinations Core Basics 'Light Pink Plaid'
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black
Tools: Memory Box 'Stitched Square Layers' & 'Cross Stitched Frame Borders' die sets, Spellbinders D-Lites 'Pierced Delight' die set, Sue Wilson Finishing Touches 'Classic 3D Bow' & 'Dotty 3D Bow' die sets, Woodware flower punch, small circle punch
Embellishments & accessories: Pebbles Raspberry Candy Dots, 3D foam tape & pads

Glitter Pot Distress Ink Class Cards

Last Saturday I ran an all day Distress Inks class at the Glitter Pot.  Originally, I was going to be using the new Cosmic Shimmer Colour Cloud blending inks but due to a delay with their release the class became all about Distress Inks instead.

This first card combines some simple stencilling and stamping using Black Soot ink.  I used a Smoothie ink blending sponge to apply the ink through the 'Gradient' stencil onto white CS, I cut the panel to size, stamped the 'Daisy Striplet' image, cut that panel to size and mounted both panels onto a mat layer of black CS.   I punched five white daisies, inked the edges of the petals with Spun Sugar ink and stacked the layers together.  Using sponge daubers I applied some Mustard Seed, Wild Honey and Brushed Corduroy inks to a piece of white CS and I then punched out a 1/2" circle for the daisy centre.  I popped up the daisy onto a square of black CS to finish.

There's more stencilling on this card, but this time I applied two colours of ink (Wild Honey and Picked Raspberry) through the 'Scribbles' stencil with Smoothie ink blending sponges.  I just love how easy it is to stencil with the Smoothie egg sponges!  I think 'Scribbles' as a name for this stencil really doesn't do it justice - it looks just like an art deco rose design to me!  I cut the stencilled panel apart, stamped the sentiment and popped up the stencilled panels.  I completed the card with three paper roses and a gingham ribbon bow.

The wax paper resist technique is such fun so I just had to include that on the class!  I have a tutorial for this technique on my Tutorials page which can be found HERE.  One of the fab things about this technique is that you get two panels to play with so I made two cards to the same design but used different colours and sentiments.  The background of the 'just a note card' was made with Squeezed Lemonade and Tumbled Glass inks.  The background for the 'hello' card was made using Worn Lipstick and Spiced Marmalade inks.  The butterflies and the sentiments were cut using dies.

This next card combines another resist technique, emboss resist, with watercolouring.  I stamped the 'Daisy Striplet' image onto watercolour paper using VersaMark ink and embossed with white embossing powder.  I patted Broken China, Seedless Preserves and Dusty Concord inks onto a ceramic tile, spritzed the watercolour paper panel with water and using a waterbrush applied the inks as a wash over the panel.  I  patted the panel dry with a piece of kitchen roll - I didn't want to dry the piece with a heat tool as that would have melted the embossing powder I'd applied earlier.  I cut the panel apart, mounted the two pieces onto Dusty Concord Distress CS mat layers, stamped the sentiment and popped up the two panels.  Hmmm, I'm obviously liking popping up cut apart panels - I also did that on the stencilled Best Wishes card!  I punched two larger and two smaller daisies, stacked them together, popped the flower up and added an aqua pearl to the centre.  To complete the card I rounded the two right hand corners of the card.  

This last card with its vibrant colours and wrinkle distressing technique guaranteed very inky fingers!  I cut a panel of watercolour paper, patted Evergreen Bough ink all over a rectangular acrylic block, spritzed the block with water (liberally, but not so the block was dripping wet) and pressed the block firmly onto the watercolour paper panel.  The ink squidges out around the edges of the block so you get a lovely deckle edged effect.  I dried the panel with a heat tool, cut it to size and stamped a honeycomb background over the green panel with Iced Spruce ink.  I popped up the panel onto an A6 sized card base that I made from watercolour paper and stamped the sentiment.  I punched the flower from watercolour paper, spritzed it with water, scrunched it up a good few times, patted Festive Berries ink over the flower and spritzed it with water so that the ink wicked out and coloured the flower.  I dried the flower with a heat tool and popped it up over the black die cut flourish.  I added a large black gem to the centre of the flower to finish.

Here's a closer look at the wrinkle distressed flower.  I really like how the bright red pops against the bold green background!   

I had a great time making these cards for the class, it made me think I don't play with my Distress Inks enough!  They are so versatile and are really fun to experiment with.  I know you can achieve really grungy and vintage effects with the inks but that style isn't really my thing.  I hoped I showed that you can enjoy using these inks in various ways and that although your fingers end up very inky you can still make cards that have a clean design!  

Supplies for square daisy card:
Stamps: John Lockwood Creative Expressions 'Daisy Striplet' cling stamp
CS: Glitter Pot thick white, thin white & black CS
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Black Soot, Spun Sugar, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey & Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks
Tools: That Special Touch 'Gradient' 6" x 6" mask, Woodware Big 'Daisy' & 1/2" circle punches, sponge daubers
Embellishments & accessories: 3D foam pads

Supplies for stencilled Best Wishes card:
Stamps: Woodware 'Best Wishes' set
CS: Glitter Pot thick white CS
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Ranger Tim Holtz Wild Honey & Picked Raspberry Distress Inks
Tools: Tim Holtz 'Scribbles' Layering Stencil
Embellishments & accessories: PaperMania Petal Elegance, Petal Posy rose flowers, Woodware black & white gingham ribbon, 3D foam tape

Supplies for wax paper resist just a note & hello cards:
Stamps: none
CS: Glitter Pot thick white & black CS, Core'dinations 'Montego Bay', Bazzill 'Flamingo', Ranger Glossy CS, Reynolds Cut-Rite wax paper
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Squeezed Lemonade, Tumbled Glass, Worn Lipstick & Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks
Tools: Spellbinders D-Lites 'Sentiments Five' die set, Memory Box 'Vivienne Butterfly' die, travel iron & ironing mat

Supplies for daisies Happy Birthday card:
Stamps: John Lockwood Creative Expressions 'Daisy Striplet' cling stamp, Woodware 'Happy Birthday' set
CS: Glitter Pot thick white CS & watercolour paper, Tim Holtz 'Dusty Concord' Distressed CS
Ink: VersaMark, Ranger Tim Holtz Broken China, Seedless Preserves & Dusty Concord Distress Inks
Tools: Woodware Big & Large 'Daisy' punches, Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, heat tool, Ranger Mini Mister sprayer bottle, Zig Waterbrush
Embellishments & accessories: white embossing powder, aqua pearl, 3D foam tape 

Supplies for flower & flourish Thinking of You card:
Stamps: Personal Impressions 'Medium Everyday Messages' set, Kaisercraft Texture 'Honeycomb'
CS: Glitter Pot watercolour paper & black CS
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Ranger Tim Holtz Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce & Festive Berries Distress Inks
Tools: MFT Die-Namics 'Fancy Flourish' die, Woodware Super 'Flower' punch, heat tool, Ranger Mini Mister sprayer bottle
Embellishments & accessories: Doodlebug Beetle Black Jewels Assortment, 3D foam pads 

No Spring Chicken On A Spring Card

I have a few cards waiting to be featured on the blog but due to a special request from Lesley I'm sharing this chicken 60th birthday card today.  Lesley wants to know what I've done with the chicken stamp I borrowed from her!  This is the card I made for our friend Mike's 60th birthday.  I loved this chicken stamp when I saw it, there's something just so appealing about it!  I thought it would be ideal for Mike's milestone birthday.  We went out for a delicious Italian meal to celebrate on Saturday night and I gave him the card then - I think he approved even though it did reference how old he was!  I so enjoyed making this card that I've now bought my own chicken stamp set for my stash!  

The chicken is paper pieced and I just had to put the chicken body on a wobble spring!  I made the chicken wire background by stamping the Kaisercraft Texture 'Honeycomb' stamp in SU! Smoky Slate ink.  I inked the edges of the white panel, the 'No spring chicken' sentiment label and all the fussy cut paper pieced elements.  I popped the heart and a few of the eggs up on 3D foam pads.  I glued the white panel to a Real Red CS mat layer, added three screw brads, glued the '60' numbers in place and glued the entire panel to a 7" x 5" white card base.

One of the sentiments in the stamp set is 'No spring chicken but still a tasty dish' and I cut the stamped sentiment apart so I could have part of the sentiment on the front and the rest of it on the inside of the card.  I glued the sentiment to a label cut from patterned paper and added more stamped and fussy cut eggs.

For the envelope I simply stamped this large sentiment onto a piece of patterned paper and glued it to the front of the envelope.

Supplies:
Stamps: Woodware 'No Spring Chicken' & 'Birthdays' sets, Kaisercraft Texture 'Honeycomb' stamp
CS: PaperMania 7" x 5" white card blank, SU! Real Red & Whisper White
Patterned paper: various, most from Penny Black 'Painted Blooms' 6" x 6" pad
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Smoky Slate,  Ranger Tim Holtz Wild Honey, Gathered Twigs & Walnut Stain Distress Inks
Tools: paper piercer, sponge daubers
Embellishments & accessories: Studio Light 'Vintage Line' number toppers, Woodware Action Wobble Spring, screw brads, 3D foam pads

May 2015 Card Group Projects

Phew, the last couple of weeks have been mental!  I demoed at the Glitter Pot on both days of their Spring Spectacular Demo Weekend at the start of the month.  There was a lot of prep beforehand as well as demoing throughout the weekend itself .  The following Thursday was my monthly card group meeting and the Saturday after that I ran an all day class at the Glitter Pot.  It has been full on crafting busyness for me and my blog has been neglected as a result.  Hopefully, now things have calmed down I'll get more time for personal crafting and will have more to share on the blog!

We added another note card to the collection that will go into a box as a set.  The background was made by applying Shabby Shutters and Faded Jeans Distress Inks through an oval mask using ink duster brushes.  A silhouette tree stamp and a sentiment completed the card front.

Here's the inside and the envelope.

The second card was made with the pretty Woodware 'Love Tulips' stamp.  I coloured the image with ProMarkers, fussy cut the panel, added the ribbon and layered the panel onto a Real Red CS mat.  I stamped the tulip flower heads again, coloured them, fussy cut them and popped them up.  I added glossy highlights to the hearts with a clear Gelly Roll Glaze pen.  

I stamped a Hero Arts border stamp in Real Red ink on the inside and on the envelope.

This last card features a lot of die cutting and a lovely teal plaid patterned paper panel.  I popped up the Bermuda Bay die cut square after gluing  the white square to it.  I cut the Poppystamps 'Flower Stack' die from Pool Party CS and glued Bermuda Bay punched flowers behind.  I was chuffed to find I have a punch that cuts flowers that fit behind the die cut as punching three flowers is so much quicker than die cutting three flowers.  Not the perfect size and shape but definitely close enough!  I popped up the 'Flower Stack' shape and gave each flower a different centre - a silver Candi Dot, a clear glazed punched circle and an aqua gem.  I die cut the sentiment, glued that in place and completed the front with a die cut swirl and daisy flower elements.    

Here's the inside and the envelope - more die cut flowers!  

Supplies for Just for You card:
Stamps: Inkylicious 'Northern Pine' set, WaltzingMouse Stamps 'Say It with Style' set
CS: PaperMania white A6 card blank
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters & Faded Jeans Distress Inks
Tools: Petite Oval Nestabilities die, Inkylicious ink duster brushes 

Supplies for tulips card:
Stamps: Woodware 'Love Tulips' set, Hero Arts 'Stencil Art' set
CS: PaperMania white A6 card blank, SU! Real Red & Whisper White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, 'Carnation Pink', 'Cerise', 'Ruby', 'Grass' & 'Pine' ProMarkers, Gelly Roll clear Glaze pen
Embellishments & accessories: black & white gingham ribbon, 3D foam pads, clear rhinestone gems

Supplies for Best Wishes card:
Stamps: none
CS: PaperMania square white card blank, SU! Bermuda Bay, Pool Party & Whisper White
Patterned paper: Core'dinations Core Basics 'Teal Plaid'
Ink: none
Tools: Memory Box 'Stitched Square Layers' die set, Poppystamps 'Flower Stack' die, Sweet Dixie 'Daisy Set' dies, Spellbinders D-Lites 'Sentiments 1' die set, EK Success 'Retro Flower' punch
Embellishments & accessories: Craftwork Cards Regal Silver Card Candi, PaperMania aqua gems, 3D foam pads