Clearly for you

Here's another card using the soon to retire Fifth Ave Floral stamp set.  It was inspired by/cased from a card I saw on this blog post: http://cherylcanstamp.blogspot.ca/2012/03/ink-techniques-stazon-ink-on-acetate.html using white and black Stayzon ink to stamp on our acetate "window sheets".  It is such a simple technique to do, but a stunning result!  I cut my window sheet into a 4x6" size (so I could potentially get 6 card fronts out of one 12x12 sheet), and scored it at one end at the 1/2" mark using my Simply Scored tool -- then attached it to the 4 x 5 1/2" Baja Breeze card stock base using sticky strip.  This card took less than 10 min to create, but has quite a "wow" factor to it.

Of course, those little pearls in the centers of the flowers make the card, as well as the Labels framelits for the front focal point die cut!

This sweet stamp set is retiring on May 31st, so get it now if you must have it! :)
 

Fith Avenue Floral's final days in the spotlight!

If you love to watercolor, this is a lovely stamp set for that!  I recently created this card for my Techniques Club class to show the "watercolor splash" technique, AND the retiring fancy fan letterpress plate (which I believe is still available on the retiring accessories list for $4.70 or something like that!)  Anyways, onto the card!

For the gorgeous "water color splash" rose, emboss the large rose image on shimmery white card stock with Versamark ink and white embossing powder.  Then roughly trim around the image, put it in a plastic tray, and spritzed it liberally with water (if you're wondering whether you've got enough water or not, spritz some more!).  Touch the tip of your aqua painter into a drop of More Mustard re-inker ink and touch it to your (now curled and wet) rose image -- if there's enough water, you will see the ink spread out through the water pooled on the project.  Let it spread around, and help it a little if you like.  Next, dip your painter in Ridinghood Red re-inker and work the color from the outside in, so the darkest is on the outside, and lighter towards the center.  When you're happy with the color, let it dry -- or use your heat tool to speed the process along. Remember, if your color isn't spreading enough, it means you need more water.  Finally, trim closely around your rose and adhere to your project.  You can use any combination of re-inkers you desire -- using a lighter color towards the center, and darker towards the outside.

Now for the fancy fan letterpress plate -- I haven't used this plate much, but the technique is very cool!  Use chocolate chip craft ink to fully ink up your letterpress plate.  Lay chocolate chip card stock panel on top of plate, and put it through the Big Shot using the recommended sandwich:
Multipurpose platform on tab 2
letterpress plate
card stock
cutting pad
card stock shim to create a deeper impression

Craft ink works better than classic ink with the letterpress plates, as it is more opaque and adheres more evenly to the plates.  If you want a white background using the plate, I suggest using watercolor paper as it is thicker and gives you a more defined, textured background than the thinner Whisper White card stock.

Of course, the leaves are the little sizzlitt leaf die, and that lovely pleated satin ribbon was in the last mini catalog. 

I hope you'll try some water color splashing in your craft room this week! :)

4th of July scrap layout

It feels like summer, and my blog has been neglected of late....  BUT I got my garden planted, so now I feel like I can devote a little time to it! 

"4th of July" is the theme for my June scrap booking club, and I had SO much fun coming up with this layout!  I wanted to show the "faux metal" technique, and it worked perfectly for the little metal star.

That cute little banner across the top is made with a (new to me set) -- Pennant Parade -- and the Pennant builder punch.  This set is quite versatile as that little banner piece also makes the cutest little Christmas trees! OR use it for a an ice cream cone as well!

Now for the "faux metal" technique:

To make that adorable little metal star, take a scrap of card stock -- apply Versamark ink directly to the paper, then add silver embossing powder and heat with a heat tool.  Repeat this step four times.  On the fourth layer, quickly stamp your stamp into the embossing powder while it's still melted -- you have to stamp quickly after heating/melting the embossing powder.  AND, if you mess up, no worries -- heat the embossing powder again and re-stamp.  Next, punch out the star with the (now retired) small star punch.  You can use any stamp and just trim around the image -- you don't have to have a punch, of course.  But, as much as I hate to cut, I tend to choose images I have a matching punch for. :)

The colors used on this layout are Night of Navy, Real Red, and Whisper White, and Red Glitter paper -- LOVE that stuff!  It is so sparkly and the sparkles don't fall off.  The framelits featured for the journaling element are the new "Apothecary Framelits" from the new catalog -- available for purchase on June 1st.  That cute "rick rack" along the top is from the Tasteful Trims XL Bigz die.  It is such a great, versatile die for scrap booking especially.  I find myself reaching for it again and again.

That's it for today!  Happy Saturday, Everyone!

"Fox and Friends" film strip birthday card

This little animal stamp set, "Fox and Friends" has got to be one of the cutest we've ever had -- and alas, it's going away at the end of May...  I love this little "film strip" idea (not my original idea, but I love it!) using the retired spiral punch to make the film strip edges.  The card is super simple -- Cajun Craze base embossed with the polka dotted embossing folder, a strip of black punched along the edges with the spiral punch, and the little animals stamped in Cajun Craze, More Mustard, and Soft Suede and punched out with the 1 3/8" square punch.  The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny wishes stamp set, punched out with the large oval and framed with the scallop oval.  Easy Peasy, but oh so CUTE!  Another quick and cute card we are making at my upcoming Going, Going, Gone! card buffet this weekend.

Happy almost Friday to you and yours! and may you have a little time to stamp!

Elegant Wedding Sweet

My much neglected, "Wedding Sweet" stamp set, came out of the closet to make it's final debut before it retires at the end of May.  I think I've used this set one time...  I decided it deserved a little more love before it goes away next month. 

I used a top folded Sahara Sand card base, embossed with the Tulips embossing folder.  I then inked the edges with my Sahara Sand ink pad to make the pattern stand out just a little more.  The lovely scrolly flower image is stamped in the same ink on Vanilla card stock.  I added Basic Pearls to enhance the design, and did some paper piercing in the upper right corner as well as next to the sentiment.  A final brush of my Vanilla card stock across my Sahara Sand ink pad gives the edges a softer, more vintage look.  Of course, a little knot of croquet trim and a little vintage trinket safety pin add that special focal point to the card. 

This is another 10 minutes or less card we will be making at my upcoming Going, Going, Gone card buffet class next weekend.

Happy Monday to you! :) and may you have some time to craft this week!

Sweet Inspired by Nature

Inspired by Nature is one of those classics that will remain in my collection for a long time -- even though it IS retiring at the end of May.  Of course, I love cone flowers and black eyed susans anyways, so this stamp just speaks to me...

For this card, I wanted a more subtle effect, so I used a Confetti White Top Note die cut, and stamped the grasses in Certainly Celery ink.  I then inked up the flowers in Pink Pirroette ink, and dipped a sponge dauber in Rose Red ink, and added ink to the cones of the flowers, and highlighted the edges of the leaves with the inked dauber, and then stamped it over the grasses.  Of course, a little dazzling diamonds glitter added with a two way glue pen to the flower centers makes the card pop.  A little strip of designer paper from the Beau Chateau pack punched along one edge with the eyelet border punch, and some Certainly Celery satin ribbon -- and this card is done!  A ten-minutes-or-less beautiful little card!  We will be making this at my upcoming Going, Going, Gone! card buffet. 

If you simply must have this stamp for YOUR collection of classics, be sure to get it before it retires on May 31st and will no longer be available for purchase -- except maybe on E-bay for crazy prices!

Happy Saturday, and Happy crafting!

Ornate Blosssom kisses Fine Flourish

Some of my very favorite stamp sets are retiring this year, and I just had to give them a final debut before I can't demo with them anymore...  These three a-la-cart stamps -- Ornate Blossom, Fine Flourish, and Dot to dot -- are such versatile little stamps -- especially for the "kissing technique".  What is that you say??? Yes! the stamps "kiss" creating this elegant filigree or polka dotted pattern!  This is how you do it -- pucker up, er.. I mean ink up your solid image stamp (here the Ornate Blossom) in a lighter colored ink -- Marina Mist used here, then ink up your patterned stamp (Dot to dot, or Fine Flourish) with a darker ink -- Early Espresso used here.  Now, "kiss" the stamps together, then stamp your image and you have a unique patterned image that looks like you spent hours cutting it out from a pc of patterned paper.  Isn't that so simple and great?!!! 

We will be making this card at my upcoming Going, Going, Gone! card buffet.  You can either make the polka dotted version, or the filigree one.  I think it is interesting how the polka dotted one gives you a modern feel, whereas the filigree one is softer and maybe more of an elegant feel -- accomplished by just changing out a couple stamps. 

All of the stamps used in these cards are being retired -- I used the "baby ornate blossom" (from the Friends Never Fade stamp set) to stamp the background of Marina Mist A-2 card.  The sentiments are from the Oval All stamp set -- punched out with the Large oval punch, and framed with the scallop oval.  Of course, I used the clear circle and scallop circle Bigz dies for the main stamped focal point.  A little strip of designer paper from the Beau Chateau paper pack along the bottom of the card, and plenty of Basic Pearls and Rhinestones complete the card!

I hope you'll try kissing YOUR stamps together for a whole new look! :)

Happy almost Friday to you!