Sketched Birthday ... Take 3

Here is my third (and final) card using Sketched Birthday ...

I wanted to do a more traditional 'blackboard technique' for this one but also bring in a couple of our new In-Colours: Crisp Cantaloupe and Coastal Cabana.  I also had cut and offset the stamped image to add some dimension.

I have a little tip for you on how to use the Paper Piercing Template.  I find that sometimes it wriggles just slightly by the time I make it all around the pattern.  A simple solution is to lay your cardstock down on the Paper Piercing Mat and line up the template over the top, then use a couple of thumb tacks to secure it in place.  I found that putting them in diagonally opposite corners worked best. 

Finally
Happy Stamping

Sketched Birthday Take 2

I hope you liked my last birthday card made with the Sketched Birthday stamp set.  I decided to take the colour coach and use a very different colour combo including two of the new refresh colours*: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry* and Bermuda Bay*.

This is a much brighter card!  I decided to use some White Embossing Powder on the stamped image and replaced the ribbon with a strip stamped using the new Tape It stamp set.  I must say I overlooked this set on my first couple of browses through the catalogue, but having been lucky enough to have a play with it (my friend Cathy won a set as part of Prize Patrol at Convention) I can really see a lot of different applications, and it is now on my wish list! 

I have one more sample using Sketched Birthday and this layout, so pop back tomorrow to check it out.

Happy Stamping

Sketched Birthday

Have you ever been stuck for ideas about what colour combo to use?  I am quite often, and today was no different, I was just back from my trip to Sydney and wanted to get busy creating but not sure where to start with colours.  I decided to pick up my new Colour Coach and pick a combo that included at least one of our new colours from the colour refresh.  I chose one of the combos on the back of the Wisteria Wonder colour card which was Wisteria Wonder, Soft Sky (new) and Sahara Sand.

I was really happy with how this card turned out, I used Sahara Sand for the base card and added the party hats and balloons from the Sketched Birthday stamped in Versamark for the background.  The ribbon is the Organza coloured with Soft Sky then heated with the heat tool to both set the colour and to gently wrinkle the ribbon.  I added some Dazzling Diamonds to the icing, you can see it better in the next picture.

The main image was actually reasonably small and felt a bit lost on the front of the card, so I stamped it in different colours (StazOn, Wisteria Wonder and Soft Sky). I coloured and then cut the cupcake by hand and raised it on a dimensional, cut the centre circle using my 1 1/4" circle punch, then the Soft Sky layer with the scallop circle punch.  By layering different the stamp like this, then mounting the whole thing onto the Window Frames shape it makes a great main image.   I used my paper piercing template and Wisteria Wonder Stampin' Write Marker to add the detail around the window frame.

I think I might go and try another colour combo from my Colour Coach ... 

Happy Stamping

Dynamic 411

This weekend I had the time and mojo needed to make a couple of cards and join in a couple of challenges! Great achievement all things considered!  The two cards I made I will post next week as they are birthday cards for my mum and niece, and as mum checks my blog I don't want to spoil the surprise. I joined in two challenges with this card Stamping 411 and Dynamic Duos, Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive were two of my favourite colours when I first joined Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator but I don't use them as much as I used to, and certainly not together.

I tipped the 411 layout onto its side and added the sentiment window - the window is cut from the DSP and the sentiment is stamped onto the base card stock. I have used the Fun Flowers Die for the bottom two layers of the flower, one in card stock and the other in Newsprint DSP stamped with Creative Elements.  The top layer of the flower is stamped with the flower from Button Buddies embossed in white.  I am totally loving white embossing powder and the crisp bright white effect it gives you.  The base layer of DSP is actually from the Christmas papers Letters to Santa. 

Happy Stamping

18th Birthday

Today I want to show you the second card I made for my daughter's weekend of birthday celebrations.  This one is for a lovely young lady who is turning 18 this week, they had a sleepover on Saturday night, and surprisingly actually got some sleep!  

Because I was on a purple roll I decided to make this card with Wisteria Wonder and Island Indigo. Because the birthday girl is a fun loving girl I wanted to make a fun sort of card for her, and wanted to use Mixed Bunch stamp set in some way.  I punched one of the flowers out of the front layer of DSP and embossed one of the flower stamps with White Embossing Powder, I just love how the white gives a project real 'pop'.  The flower I punched out made a backing for another Wisteria Wonder flower embellished with a White Jumbo Brad.  The other flowers all have a rhinestone in the centre for a bit of bling.

Here is a look at the inside of the card, you can see there is a middle panel that has a hole in it and you can see the second part of the sentiment through it.  Petite Pairs stamp set is just perfect for this style of card, and I can see me making a few more with this design.  I added a lovely sparkly "18" with my Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies, I just love these, especially teamed with glimmer paper!

Here is the centre of the card photographed at a different angle.  I also wanted to point out that the paper the card is sitting on to be photographed is a personalised matching wrapping paper that I made using an A3 sheet of photocopy paper that I have stamped on in Wisteria Wonder and Island Indigo using stamps that matched the card.  I also added some light sponging.  It looked so cute together when the gift was wrapped, and of course I stamped on the envelope to match.

Here is the video from Dawn, it is well done with clear instructions and has all the measurements up on screen to make it easy to follow.  You can also find more of Dawn's samples on her blog Dawn's Stamping Thoughts.

Happy Stamping

Trick or Treat

For the last two weeks I have been working with a different team and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with them, and getting to know them all.  Next week it is back to my usual job, and back to part time work, which will leave more time for crafting!  Tonight I decided to have a look at my fav challenge blogs, with the thought of planning a card to make tomorrow, that was until I came across The Friday Mashup and was totally inspired by this week's challenge.  This week was a colour and theme challenge, and I decided to do both, creating a Halloween themed card using Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Lucky Limeade and Concord Crush.

Now in Australia we don't really celebrate Halloween, certainly not to the extent that it is celebrated in the US or UK, this is reflected in the limited Halloween products in our IB&C. However I did not want to let that get me down, and I think it was the little owl in the Warmest Wishes set that FMU are giving away this week. 

I used the owl punch and added some bat wings to give him more of a Halloween look, and a little green vest to match the new Lucky Limeade ruffle ribbon on the card.  I decided to use my new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch (boy that is a mouthful!!) and used two strips of it under the ruffle ribbon, I think the two of them go very well together. Can you spot the little bit of extra ruffled ribbon I have used to framed the Concord Crush circle? I cut a piece of ribbon in half lengthwise and then attached it to the back of the circle using SNAIL.

I did learn an important lesson on this card ... Use your black glitter before you add the letters to a multi-layered, embossed card! Boy does that stuff get everywhere!

Stamps: none!
Paper: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Lucky Limeade, Concord Crush and Naturals Ivory; Lucky Limeade DSP Stack
Other: 2-step Owl Punch, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet die, black super fine glitter.


Happy Stamping

A Different Kind of Challenge

Today my 'baby' turns 16 ... a challenge on so many levels!  

She is a great girl, and in herself not that much of a challenge, I am so proud of the young lady she is growing into.  The challenging part comes from the age and all that it brings - social expectations, a relaxing of rules while still maintaining boundaries, learning to drive (though that will primarily be hubby's challenge lol), and just the support needed for 16 year olds these days - maintaining that balance between mother and friend.  

Here is the card I made for her.  I used some of her favourite products, firstly the rose image from Fifth Avenue Floral, she loves this stamp set, particularly the rose.  Her other favourite on the card is the new In-Colour Island Indigo, which I paired with Pool Party, lastly is glitter - what girl doesn't like glitter!!!  I used my new alphabet die to cut out the letters and numbers and embossed them into the extended bookmark with the square lattice die.  The "16" I cut out of adhesive sheet and applied super fine glitter, ideally I would have used the new Sticky Sheets as they would have held the glitter better, but sadly had none on hand!  I hope she likes it and has a wonderful 16th Birthday.

Happy Stamping

We Stamp (Cupcakes) For Lara

I have joined up the We Stamp For Lara, a great cause for a great little girl.  Please head over to Madonna Dunn's Blog for more information.

One of the challenges over there is to make a cupcake card because this month its Lara's 2nd birthday.  There was a lovely picture of Lara posted up on the website and I used her dress as the inspiration behind this card.

I hope you enjoy, and consider joining in for the month.  Each day there is a tutorial and challenges and a daily lucky door prize.  At the end of the month all participants will go into the draw for a Big Shot, yep you heard it right, a Big Shot!  All of this for only $25.  If you are interested in joining pop over to Madonna's blog for details, there are some issues with Pay Pal not releasing funds, so Madonna has made other arrangements for payment.  Its a great cause.