Camellia Build-A-Flower Birthday Card

Sometimes I pick up a product to play with and just struggle deciding how to use it.  Not the case today!  Youtube has wonderful videos and Jennifer McGuire Ink's Stamp Layering video inspired me.  Strongly suggest you check her out!!!  

Using Camellia Build-A-Flower Stamp and Die set (Altenew), on Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb card stock I stamped the flower with Tropical Raspberry (Ranger), Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide and Candied Apple Distress Oxide inks. Then stamping the leaves with Twisted Citron Distress Oxide, Green Leaf (Simon Says Stamps) and Moss (Hero Arts) ink.  Using my Mini Misti made stamping multiples super easy.  Next I die cut flowers and leaves with the corresponding dies in my Big Shot

Hobby Lobby recently had clearance dies and todays card uses one.  Decorative Curved Squares (Spellbinders) was easy to release from the die since I used a sheet of wax paper between the cardstock and die.  I then inked the edges and adhered to my base.  The flower was then raised with foam mounting tape and leaves tucked under.

Final touches include a Happy die cut and Birthday stamp from Happy Stamp and Cut (Hero Arts).  Versafine Black ink and Clear Embossing Powder helped the sentiment pop.  Multi Medium Matte adhesive works great for gluing those tiny bits down.  Finally, Sheer Creations ribbon (Michaels) is tied in a bow.  

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

Cup of Cozy - Four Ways

Todays cards challenged me a bit.  I stepped outside my comfort zone to try something new.  We all fall into that "do what I do best" or "I've got a formula that I like".  This stamp set from Concord & 9th was a gift with purchase.  

First I stamped the mug from Cup of Cozy with versafine ink on to  Bristol Smooth cardstock.  Some time ago, I bit the bullet and bought the whole 96 set of Tombow Markers-time to color!  I watered those down by using a palette and water brush.  

This one has a background stamped with the coffee beans in AI's Hot Java Momma in Vintage Photo Distress Oxide ink.  Then I used Stitched Rectangles from Stamps of Life for the dark brown and stamped the sentiment with Versa Mark ink and covered with Ranger Seafoam White embossing powder and heated.  Then I stamped the steam with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and swiped Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen for shine.  Finally I wrapped some crochet thread around the side and attached a button and tied a bow and added Glossy Accents to the liquid in the mug.

For this card I ran my Kraft paper through the Sizzix Big Shot in an Alterations embossing folder.  This time I inked the edges with the vintage photo distress oxide ink.  Stamped and heat embossed the sentiment on the cup with Ranger Gold Embossing Powder and added the tea bag.

The next two cards is when my comfort zone was challenged.  I used Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors on Strathmore Mixed Media, for the background.  I only used one color but I did add several coats after drying.  The steam was stamped with Fog ink from Stamps of Life and swiped with sparkle pen.  One has ribbon from Recollections Sheer Creations.

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

Shake Shake Shake that Shaker Box

I'm really enjoying mixing up my stamps and dies from my stash!  Today's card uses products from many brands.

First comes the coloring - I stamped with donuts from Lawn Fawn Donut Worry Stamp Set using Versafine ink on to Bristol Smooth cardstock.  Then I used Tombow Markers to color my donuts adding a wet brush to smooth.  Since I didn't purchase the coordinating dies, I used what I had to cut them out.  EK Success 1 1/4 inch Punch cuts the donut perfectly, for the inside I used my Crop-A-Dile II and set the hole punch to 3/16.  Then I stamped the sprinkles with Hero Arts Passion flower Ink.  Setting those aside, I started stamping on Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock, my background with Sprinkles Turnabout from Concord & 9th.  Ink colors are:  Hero Arts Bubble Gum, Memento Lulu Lavender, The Stamps of Life Pixie and Ranger Sea Shell Pink all in the Tim Holtz Stamp Platform.  Next I created a donut box by using my Sizzix Big Shot to die cut a "frame" by using Squares and Stitched Square dies from The Stamps of Life.  One look at the "donut box" and I thought - shaker box!  So I grabbed some transparencies and cut a 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 square and used Scor-Tape to adhere.  For lift, I used two layers of foam tape all along the edges.  I placed my donuts on a scrap piece of cardstock, glued them down and placed some sequins in my "box" and secured them with the donuts piece. Next I wrapped my donut box with bakers twine from my stash.  

To pull my card together I used Recollection from Michaels Cardstock for my base.  For my sentiment, I stamped with Versamark Ink and sprinkled Hero Arts Pink Prisma Embossing Powder (that came in My Monthly Hero kit) and heat embossed.  Using Hearts in a Row Vertical Die Set from My Favorite Things I die cut the sentiments and adhered them down.  Used Scor-Tape to really hold my Donut Box down and my Stardust Gelly Roll Pen to embellish the edges.

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

#heroarts #thestampsoflife #memento #cardmaking #mftstamps #concord&9 #sizzix

One Stamp-Three Cards with Three Color Combos

Today's post is about taking one stamp/die set and trying it out with different color combinations.  Below are three examples using the Dahlia Turnabout Stamp and Die Set from Concord & 9th.

This stamp set is a turnabout, which means you stamp four times, turning your template one time after each stamp.  Here is a video showing how.  I used the Tim Holtz Stamp Platform as you really do need a stamp positioner for turnabout stamps.

Bazzill Guacamole Cardstock is the base for this one.  First I stamped Strawberry, Butter Bar, Just Rust and Feather ink from Hero Arts onto Neenah Solar White 110 lb cardstock.  Then I die cut with Stitched Square Die Set and then die cut brown cardstock with Square Die Set both from The Stamps of Life.  

That bow is made with Snug Hug Seam Binding in Chalk White.  A wonderfully talented lady named Becca Feeken runs the blog Amazing Paper Grace.  It was one of her early tutorials that I learned how to make this.  I highly suggest following her!

This card uses Rich Cocoa and Potters Clay inks from Memento and Butter Bar and Nest inks from Hero Arts.  It's put together just like the first card with Kraft Cardstock from Michaels.  The sentiment is stamped in Versa Mark Ink and heat embossed with Ranger Gold Embossing Powder.  Thin twine from my stash is wrapped three times and tied with a knot.

This time I used Hero Arts Sapphire and Aqua and Memento's Summer Sky inks.  Using my Big Shot I die cut the stamped image with the Dahlia Die and then The Stamps of Life Stitched Circles and Lacey Circles from Spellbinders.  The sentiment is heat embossed with Stampin Up's Silver Embossing Powder.  For a final element I scored the edges of the base with my Martha Stewart Score Board.

If you look closely at the first card - the center is all lined up and as you look through the other two, they aren't - practice makes perfect and the first card I made is the blue one.  Special care to make sure everything is tight against the stamp positioner with insure better results.

Have a great day and keep crafting!

Affiliate links are used at no cost to you.  Opinions are my own and products were purchased by me.

Cupcake Day Card 4 Ways

My Favorite Things has the most adorable little girl stamps called Pure Innocence and they are easy to color and personalize.  Todays cards are made with PI Cupcake Day Stamp and Die set.  

Both of these cards use Full of Heart Die from MFT.  Both the negative and positive were used.  First I laid the positive piece down and taped down.  Then I put Multi Medium Matte Glue in the heart holes and topped with negative hearts - this really didn't take long at all.  Carefully pulled up the positive piece and adhered it with Scor-Tape to my second card base.  Tadaaa - two card bases with one pass thru my Sizzix Big Shot.

Our little PI Cupcake Day girl was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Solar White 110 lb card stock and colored with Copic Markers.  To get the polka-dot effect, the copic colorless blender was pressed on to the dress.  She's got Glossy Accents on her bow and shoes.  Her hand has slit cut with an xacto blade, additionally, the balloon string has a notch cut so it appears her hand is wrapped around the string when put together.  Her cupcake has Sparkle pen on the icing.

Both cards have the sentiment stamped with Versa Mark and heat embossed with Ranger White Embossing Powder, then cut out using Heart Infinity Dies from Hero Arts.   One card has Sheer Shimmer Spritz over the background - so much sparkle!

Here's our girl in blue.  I used the same background die only this time I used a cushion mat from Spellbinders and the correct platform for making an impression in my Big Shot.  She's got Celebrations Sheer Creations Ribbon and sequins.

This card base is from Sizzix Happy Birthday Step Up die set.  Our poor girl looks like she has alien eyes...I tried using a Black Pearl Pen and used a pencil tip dipped into a bit and dotted her eyes - waaaaay to big.  Next time I'll try a smaller tool, but really - I had to laugh at her.

All products were purchased by me.  Affiliate links used at no cost to you.

Have a great day and keep crafting!
#heroarts #mftstamps #sizzix

Starry Night Wedding Card Using My Monthly Hero Kits

Today's card is for a special wedding we went to last night - couldn't share until now.  The Bride chose a starry night theme so I mimicked her invitation.  Thanks to My Monthly Hero subscription, I did not have to buy anything new - just looked through previous kits.  Found what I needed in the August 2017 and January 2018 kits!

Starting with Neenah Solar White 110 lb Cardstock, I stamped swirling stars from the August 2017 My Monthly Hero Kit with Versa Mark Ink and sprinkled Ranger White Embossing Powder then used my Marvy Embossing Heat Tool.  Next, I applied Salty Ocean, Broken China and Faded Jeans Distress Ink, blending well.  To add shimmer I sprayed Sheer Shimmer Spritz.  Now for my favorite part - die cutting!  The Stamps of Life Stitched Rectangles die for the base, the & is from the January My Monthly Hero Kit and the mr and mrs is cut 3 times and stacked with Bold Alphabet from Altenew. Next I inked the edges of & with Tumbled Glass distress ink, the back ground with Black Soot distress oxide ink and outlined the mr and mrs with Gelly Roll Stardust Pen.

To pull it together, I mounted the background onto fun foam with Scor-Tape, adhered to card base, placed glued my elements in place and added star sequins that came in the August 2017 kit with Multi Matt Medium.  Inside I used a sentiment from Justrite Stamps - Elegant Celebrations.

Have a great day and keep crafting!
#mymonthlyhero #heroarts #altenew #distressinks #sizzix #boldalphabet

You're Super Birthday Card for that Super Girl in your life

I have been coloring my heart out with comic markers!  I chose the You're Super Stamp and Die set from My Favorite Things and went to town.  If I'm taking the time to color an image, I might as well color many and once I'm finished, all the extras go back into the storage envelope for future projects.  

This card came together with several products that I love, using a Sizzix Gift Card Flip-Its for the base and Black & White Stripes paper pack from MFT (see above) and Little Boys & their Toys paper pad from The Paper Studio.  A card without using my Sizzix Big Shot is like Lemonade with no sugar - can't do it.   I inked the edges with Candied Apple and Black Soot Distress Oxide.  The sentiment was stamped with Versa Mark Ink and Ranger White Embossing Powder using my Marvy Embossing Heat Tooll. 

The city skyline is from the stamp set and I used Hero Arts Gray to Black Ombre Pad so the base would be darker than the top.  Then using Radiating Rays Stencil from MFT, Silver Pigment Ink from Hero Arts and a stencil brush to add more interest - she is a "Super Girl" after all.

Back to the coloring - Neenah Solar White 110 lb  cardstock is working wonderfully with Copic Markers and Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad.  I used C2, B23, B26, R29, RV02, Y0000, Y11, Y15, E00, E01 and E21.  Also used a Signo Gold Uniball Pen pen and a Micron 03 Pen pen for details.  Her mask sparkles because of Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen.

I hope you are inspired to use the products you love and pair them with new favorites!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  All products were purchased by myself.

Have a great day and keep crafting!

January My Monthly Hero Kit - 2 More Cards

So I'm back with two more cards to share with you from the January My Monthly Hero Kit.  Amazingly, it is still available!  The first card is made with the dies included in the kit.

The dies were cut out of the white and backed with red card stock.  I popped the die back in and added all the bits back using the die cut for a guide.   I just love the look of red and white - so clean!  The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamps You Matter with white embossing powder on My Favorite Things Die-namics Hearts in a Row - Vertical banner.  Those tiny lines require a very steady hand when gluing - Mine have tremors so if you look closely you can see my oops.

The next card uses the same kit, same sentiment stamp set, same banner die set along with a few other items from the kit.  Like the Love sentiment that's stamped in versa mark on the back ground.  Along with the pink ribbon that was wrapped around the kit (always such a nice touch in packaging!).  I used the Hero Arts Nesting Heart Infinity Dies in red to back the white heart die.  A tiny pearl and Lawn Fawn's Just For You teeny heart to stamp in the background.  A Gelly Roll Stardust Pen added sparkle to those teeny hearts.

Let me know what you think below.  Have a great day and keep crafting!

You & Me Card with My Monthly Hero Kit

I've been receiving the My Monthly Hero Kit for nearly a year now and absolutely recommend joining!  Hero Arts offers it and you receive product nearly doubling the fee.  It also sells out Fast!  

Todays card uses the January 2018 kit and I had some fun playing!

Isn't that & really cool?  It came in the kit.  The Festive Bauble Bold Print background stamp and Mulled Wine Ink is also from Hero Arts.  Shimmer is added with Sheer Shimmer Spritz all over the background.  Letters u and me are Altenew's Bold Alphabet Die Set and inked with Hero Arts Bubble Gum ink.