Celebrating Birthdays!

I needed to make a few birthday cards for some close friends and colleagues and decided to grab a set I've owned for awhile but still haven't tried, and a new set I had to have the minute I saw it. I played around for a few minutes and tried something new that I found surprisingly helpful in my design process. I first found the papers and colors I wanted to use and then I took the clear stamps that I wanted to use and actually laid them on the card base so I could see how they would fit and flow with the design I had in mind. I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before, but being a very visual person, I found this really helped me actually "see" what my mind's eye was imagining. Try it next time you are playing with your stamps. It may just give you the creative confidence you need to make your own designs. Here are the cards I came up with.

This fun little set is Just Saying, with the Word Bubble thinlits. This is the set that I've had for awhile, but had yet to crack open. Once I finally did, along with the Typeset DSP I had been hoarding because it is so pretty, the design just made itself. I used a very vanilla card base with a square of Typeset DSP and a narrow strip of the backside of that sheet. Since this was a fun card, I added a sassy sentiment on the inside from the Age Awareness stamp set, just like the ladies I will be sending this card to.

So now I have to share this beautiful set, which was love at first sight for me. It starts with the Butterfly Basics stamp set and the Butterflies Thinlits.

I just love the intricate die cut butterfly that I can recreate in any quantity and color I want. I used a piece of scrap printed paper, matched it with some Baked Brown Sugar, Smokey Slate and Pistacio Pudding card stock. I stamped the honeycomb, Sentiment and the leaves in Hello Honey and Baked Brown Sugar on a Whisper White cardstock card base. 

I just love how the card turned out. It is so pretty and elegant. Just like the ladies I'm sending a couple to this week.

 

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Another Season of Love

The new year is full of promise and as we leave one season of love and joy, we turn to yet another season focused on love, Valentine's Day! I don't know about you, but this is such a fun time for me. I've always loved making and giving valentines, so it's no surprise that' I'm all in as soon as the tree is put away. The heart wreath is on the door, and I've begun crafting special greetings to send to people I love. Of course, my husband, kids, and mother are at the top of my list, but I also like to surprise at least one friend that has been on my mind with a card. Valentine's Day is a great reason to let someone know how special they are to you.

Here are four designs that I crafted for this year.

This little one was featured on page 4 of the Occasions catalog. First I cut a sheet of whisper white cardstock in half on the long (11") side at 5 1/2" and scored one of the pieces in the middle at 4 1/4" to make a card base. Then I took some pieces of the Stacked with Love DSP at various widths and lengths (mine measure 3/4" by 3 1/4", the ribbon is 3 1/2" long, and 1" by 3 1/4"). I used a scrap of black cardstock (1 3/4" by 4") and stamped the sentiment using Whisper White Craft Ink. I clipped the ends into banners, sewed the four pieces together and adhered them to the front of the card base using snail adhesive. I added the heart scatter stamp in Calypso Coral at the top, and the arrow heart in basic black at the bottom. I added a little rhinestone to give it a little shine.

This card is based on a sketch found on Mary Brown's StamperCamper.com site. I made the card base using Real Red cardstock (5 1/2 by 8 1/2, scored at 4 1/4). Using the Stacked with Love DSP, I layered a 5" by 2 1/4" piece, with rounded corners. Before adhering, I wrapped some twine around the bottom and tied a bow. I added a 3 1/4" by 2 1/4" piece of a contrasting design, also with rounded corner. I stamped the greeting on Whisper White cardstock and cut it with a Starburst framelit. Finally, I added some rhinestones, loving that sparkle today.

This card was so easy. I started by making the card base by cutting an 8 1/2" by 11" Whisper White cardstock on the long side at 4 1/4". This will make the card base 4 1/4" by 11", then score it at 5 1/2 to make the fold edge along the top of the card instead of the side. Then I stamped the greeting in Real Red. I cut a 2" by 4" scrap of black cardstock at punched it with the Confetti Heart Border Punch, and layered a 2" by 4" scrap of Real Red cardstock underneath to provide the contrast. I wrapped and tied a scrap of red ribbon and added a red doily, folded in half, under the heart border.

This final card is a regular side fold 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card base using Whisper White and I stamped the greeting using Basic Black (confession time: I trimmed the hearts off of my Be Mine stamp) eight times along the right side of the card. I then stamped the greeting on a scrap of white in Real Red, trimmed it into a banner, and adhered it with a stamping dimensional over the final Be Mine sentiment (though you could place it over any of them). I added a 2" by 5 1/2" strip of DSP wrapped in a scrap of black ribbon. Finally, I added a stamped red heart, punched with a heart punch, and also popped with a stamping dimensional adhesive.

You can recreate these designs using the products featured below. The stamp set, DSP stack and heart punch are available in the Occasions catalog which becomes available on Tuesday, January 6 through the Spring. There a so many other beautiful and fun items in that catalog that I can't wait to share. And every $50 you spend, in either the Occasions or Annual Catalog, you can choose an exclusive Sale-A-Bration item absolutely free!


 
Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog