Stamper's Ten Make & Take Cards

Last night was Joanne's Stamper's Ten Make and Take evening and she had two designs for us to make using the Sweet Summer Sale-A-Bration set.  My cards differ from Joanne's slightly 'cos the stamping gods weren't smiling on me last night - or today - and I kept messing things up! 

This first card uses the sprig stamp from the set, we coloured the leaves and berries with markers, drew lines and then added punched hearts with rhinestones and linen thread to one corner.  We spritzed the Crumb Cake panel with the Color Spritzer tool and used the crimper to just crimp one portion of the panel.  Joanne used the 'for you' stamp from the Fresh Cuts set but I finished my card off at home and made it an anniversary card. The image panel is popped up.

We decorated the inside with a Crumb Cake panel with three punched hearts in one corner.

For the second card, Joanne used the Scallop Trim border and matching corner punches on the saffron panel.  Well, I just couldn't get my corners and borders lined up, I tried a couple of times but I gave up!  I used the Eyelet Border punch on just one edge - much easier and far less frustrating!   We coloured the flowers with markers scribbled on a tile and picked up the colour with a waterbrush.  Then we cut out the flowers and popped them up.  I coloured my sprig images for both cards in one go and got carried away - I carried on colouring the berries red when for this card I should have used the Marina Mist marker.   So I've applied blue gems to cover up the red.  The sprig was stamped in Marina Mist ink down the right side of the card and then we used a VersaMarker to colour in the images.

We decorated inside the card too.  Joanne used the Scallop Trim punches again but I stuck with my Eyelet Border punch and added a saffron strip to the right side.  I stamped my clear Hero Arts sentiment in Marina Mist ink - and then dropped the acrylic block on the white panel which resulted in some inky smudges * sigh *  So I added some punched flowers to the bottom part of the panel.  I really hate it when it's the very last thing on a card that goes wrong!  Mind you I messed up on this one from the get go!

Supplies for anniversary card:
Stamps: SU! Sweet Summer set, sentiment from Stampendous
CS: SU! Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler & black marker pens
Tools: Crimper, Color Spritzer tool, SU! Heart to Heart punch, SU! Small Heart punch
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Linen Thread, SU! Basic Rhinestones, 3d foam tape

Supplies for birthday card:
Stamps: SU! Sweet Summer & Cheer & Wishes sets, Hero Arts Sending Smiles Messages clear set
CS: SU! Marina Mist, So Saffron & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Basic Black, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi marker pen, VersaMarker pen
Tools: SU! Eyelet Border punch, X Cut mini flower punch, waterbrush
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Whisper White organza ribbon, SU! Dimensionals, Anita's gem wheel

Leafy Just For You Card For Mo

My friend Mo has just had a stay in hospital so I sent her this card to wish her well following her operation.  I just can't get enough of the gorgeous silhouette stamp from the Just Believe set and I love it used with a soothing green colour palette.  I wonder what it is that makes you fall in love with an image so?  All I know is that it makes me happy to use it, the whole set is destined to be a firm favourite!

This card is a version of the card we made at our last card group.  The card is a top folding portrait A6 size made with Certainly Celery CS.  I've embossed the front with a leafy embossing folder and added some brown ribbon.  I stamped the image in celery ink first and then in Memento Bamboo Leaves.  The 'just for you' was stamped in pearlescent chocolate ink on a strip of vellum  that was wrapped round and taped to the back of the white panel.  The image panel is popped up.  To finish the card front I added a large punched photo corner and green gems.

Then I decorated the inside of the card.

The last thing was to stamp the envelope.  I love stamping the leafy frame on the front of envelopes - that's where I write the recipient's name.

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Just Believe & Sweet Little Sentiments sets
CS: SU! Certainly Celery & Whisper White, Core'dinations Amazon
Ink: SU! Certainly Celery, Memento Bamboo Leaves, Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate
Tools: Leafy Branch Cuttlebug embossing folder, rectangle Nestabilities dies, SU! Photo Corners punch
Embellishments & accessories: brown ribbon, Doodlebug Limeade gems, 3d foam pads

UStamp Swap Cards

Some of the designers for the UStamp with Dawn & Friends Year End Blow Out event took part in a card swap.  Swappers had to make three cards using current SU! products.  I've not taken part in a swap before and as there were only three cards involved I decided I'd do it.  I generally don't make multiples of cards but three cards the same I can manage.  How people make 50+ cards the same I'll never know, it would drive me barmy!  We had to send two of the cards to Dawn (she keeps one and the others will be offered as a prize to a lucky winner) and then we had to send the third to our selected swap buddy. 

These are my cards using a few of my fave SU! products and colours.  I made side opening A6 landscape cards.  The colour combo is Rich Razzleberry, Marina Mist, Old Olive and Whisper White.  I used the Vintage Vogue set, the co-ordinating Very Vintage jumbo wheel and the sentiment is from the Fresh Cuts set.  Other well loved products used are the plain and scalloped oval punches, the Eyelet Border punch, the Little Leaves Sizzlits die and clear rhinestone brads.

I inked the flowers, stamped off once and then rock and rolled the edges.  You get a nice gradation of colour that way.  The flowers are popped up.  For the sentiment, I stamped the Vintage Vogue flourish in olive ink after stamping off a couple of times before stamping the 'for you' and punching out. 

Here's a pic of the front of just one card.

Of course, I had to stamp the envelopes and the insides of the cards too!

My swap buddy was the lovely Nancy.  Here's the beautiful sympathy card she sent to me all the way from Idaho.  Nancy chose two of my fave SU! colours - my old fave Rose Red and my new fave Pear Pizzazz - and I love the addition of some Baja Breeze in there.  In fact, I liked the colours so much I had to make a card with these colours right away!  I love the layout and adore the ruffled ribbon and tiny pearls!  Nancy has used a new set called 'Thanks for Caring' from the USA mini catalogue.

Here's the inside of Nancy's card.  What a perfect sentiment for a sympathy card.

Supplies for my swap cards:
Stamps: SU! Vintage Vogue & Fresh Cuts sets, Very Vintage wheel
CS: SU! Rich Razzleberry, Marina Mist, Old OLive & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Rich Razzleberry, Marina Mist & Old
Tools: SU! Eyelet Border punch, SU! plain & scalloped oval punches, SU! Sizzix Little Leaves Sizzlits die, sponge daubers
Embellishments & accessories: SU! clear rhinestone brads, SU! Dimensionals

Winter Owl Candle Jar Wrap

Our friends Debbie and Mike gave us this lovely scented candle in a jar before Christmas.  It's scented with cherry and almond fragrance - yummy, it makes me want Bakewell tart each time I light it LOL!  It's a big candle and will last us a long time, it has a 100 hour burn time.  We used it over Christmas and before I lit it I decided to make a wrap for it.  I made it a winter themed wrap as opposed to a specific Christmassy one so I could keep it out after Christmas.

I wrapped olive snowflake paper around the body of the jar.  Nothing is adhered to the glass so that I can easily swap out the wrap if I want to.  I used Labels Four Nestability dies for the image and mat layers.  I punched holes in the olive mat and tied it onto the jar with vanilla ribbon.  I embossed the cherry mat with the Victorian Fleur embossing folder and popped it up.  After stamping the owl and die cutting the label shape, I edged the shape with olive ink and added an olive crystal to the centre of the large snowflake.  I've also popped up the owl layer.

For the lid, I die cut cherry and olive circles.  I stamped a large snowflake on vanilla CS, die cut it into a circle, edged the circle with ink and put an olive crystal in the centre.  The olive and snowflake layers are popped up.

Supplies:
Stamps: Inkadinkado Winter Birds clear set, My Cute Stamps Let It Snow clear set
CS: SU! Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla
Patterned paper: SU! Merry Moments Designer Series Paper pack
Ink: Memento ink in Rich Cocoa & Rhubarb Stalk
Tools: Labels Four & circle Nestabilities dies, PaperMania Victorian Fleur embossing folder, Crop-A-Dile
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon, olive crystals, 3d foam pads

Thank You Card & Gift Box

This thank you card went to Jan and Alan to say thanks for our Christmas gifts.  I bought Jan a stamp as a 'just because' gift as she's such a sweet friend.  The gift box for the stamp was based on the packaging that some Waitrose chocolates came in.  I carefully took the chocolate box apart to find out how I could make one myself. 

For the card, I made a So Saffron side opening A6 size card and trimmed 1/2" off the right hand side.  I then glued a strip of Melon Mambo CS inside the card.  I stamped the foliage stamp 3 times across the card front in So Saffron ink and added the ribbons.  I stamped the frame twice, once in olive and once in turquoise.  I stamped the sentiment in melon on the turquoise frame and cut just the rectangle portion out and glued it over the top of the olive frame.  The frame was popped up.  I stamped the flowery circle in turquoise, melon and olive, punched them out, matted them on white circles and edged each white circle with melon ink.  The circles overlap the trimmed off card edge.

Then I stamped the inside of the card and the envelope.  I inked the edges of the white panel and stamped the lovely leafy image 3 times, stamping off for the first two images and stamping full strength for the third.

For the box top, I cut So Saffron CS measuring 24.5 x 12 cms and scored at 3.2, 11.4, 14.6 and 22.8 cms, then I turned the CS and scored at 3 cms. For the bottom of the box, I cut Melon Mambo CS measuring 23.5 x 15 cms, scored at 3, 11, 14 and 22 cms and then turned the CS and scored at 3cms. You can make this style box to whatever size you like but I came to realise you need to add 2mms to each of the 4 sides of the box top in order for it to fit - my first attempt wasn't a success! I stamped and decorated the box top while it was still flat.  I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch a hole in the top for the ribbon loop, I put a length of ribbon through the hole and tied a knot inside.  I think this is a very nice style of gift box, quite easy to make and it looks really striking if you use 2 contrasting colours of CS.

EDITED TO ADD:  I was contacted by someone at Splitcoast Stampers who wanted imperial measurements so here they are.
For the box bottom, cut CS 9 1/2" x 6" and score at 1 1/4", 4 1/2", 5 3/4" and 9".  Turn the CS and score at 1 1/4".
For the box top, cut CS 10" x 4 3/4" and score at 1 5/16", 4 5/8", 5 15/16" and 9 1/4".  Turn the CS and score at 1 1/4".

You could easily adjust the measurements to make this box a different size but you must add 1/16" to each of the 4 sides of the box top so it fits over the bottom.

This photo shows the top and bottom of the box separately. The top slides over the bottom.  I put a clear  round wrap seal sticker on each side to keep the lid on after I'd put the stamp in the box.

 

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Just Believe set
CS: SU! So Saffron, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise & Whisper White
Ink: SU! So Saffron, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise & Old Olive
Tools: Metric Scor-Pal, circle punches, Crop-A-Dile
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, SU! Tempting Turquoise 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, 3d foam pads

CAS Snowman Card

I checked today's CAS challenge on Splitcoast Stampers and saw that it was titled a Day in the Snow.  I thought that was the perfect nudge for me to ink up my new Basic Grey set of snowman stamps.  Well, I did ink them up and then promptly wished I hadn't!  Oh dear, that set was an unwise purchase for sure.  Anyway, plan B was to dig out a favourite, oldie but goodie, reliable snowman stamp.

I made an A6 size Real Red card which has the fold at the top.  I embossed most of the front with the Cuttlebug Snowflakes folder and added gingham ribbon above the embossing.  I stamped the snowman and coloured him with Copic markers.  I've applied  Stickles to the holly berries, the nose, the star and the line of snow at the bottom.  I used oval Nellie Multiframe dies for the sentiment and added red brads.  The sentiment oval is popped up.

I always edit my photos in Picasa and I noticed a new feature where you can further edit your photos in Picnik.  I checked it out and saw you could add frames so I gave it a go - I rather like it!

This photo shows how I decorated the inside.  I stamped snowflakes and the sentiment and then used the oval dies and red brads again.  I also added a blue snowflake embossed strip. 

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Penny Black Brush Snowman, Personal Impressions Christmas Messages set, PSX Snowflakes Medley, Penny Black Each Friend
CS: SU! Real Red, black CS, Bazzill orange peel textured Teal CS, Craftwork Cards Digital CS
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Onyx Black, ColorBox Robins Egg, Copic markers
Tools: Oval Nellie Multiframe dies, Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder
Embellishments & accessories: black & white gingham ribbon, red brads, Stickles in Xmas Red, Orange Peel, Yellow & Star Dust, 3d foam pads

Thank You Card For Debbie & Mike

We spent Christmas day with our fabulous friends Debbie and Mike.  We had a wonderful, relaxing day with delicious food and lovely gifts.  This is the thank you card I made for them.  I used my fab new SU! set I got from the USA as a gift for designing for the UStamp Year End Blow Out event.  The set is called Day of Gratitude, it's a Thanksgiving set not available from the UK catalogue.  I absolutely fell in love with the images in the set - how cute is that little acorn?!  Debbie loves leaves so I know she'll like this set too. 

I made a side opening A6 landscape card in Chocolate Chip CS. The embossed panel is Really Rust and the bottom panel is Pear Pizzazz and I added a strip of Very Vanilla ribbon. I stamped the medallion in pear ink, cut it out and I've added a gorgeous Antique brad to the centre - another fab UStamp gift I received. I stamped the acorns in Choc Chip and the leaves in Crumb Cake, Old Olive and Really Rust and cut them out. The medallion, one acorn on the medallion and the acorn on the sentiment are all popped up.

For the inside of the card, I used various stamps from the Elzybells 'Thank you for' sentiment set.  The image on the circle is from the Day of Gratitude set - I inked it using marker pens so I could get three different colours.  I put the same element on the flap of the envelope.

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Day of Gratitude set, Elzybells Thank you for clear set
CS: SU! Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Pear Pizzazz & very Vanilla
Ink: SU! Pear Pizzazz, Really Rust, Crumb Cake, Old Olive & Chocolate Chip
Tools: Victoria Cuttlebug embossing folder, Spellbinders Labels Trio die
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon, SU! Antique brad, sponge daubers, 3d foam pads