Encre, papier, ciseaux

Green and Turquoise Quilt

The starting point of this card was the Merry Monday challenge #267, which calls for green, blue and white/silver/vellum. I was initially not sure what to make of it, but when I pulled out the Christmas Quilt bundle, the ideas started flowing. The design was inspired by CAS(E This Sketch #249. The ideas kept coming as I was putting the card together, but it still took a while to get everything assembled because of the precision required to line up the pieces.

I wanted to put the quilt frame up on Dimensionals, so I traced the shape in pencil on a second piece of Whisper White cardstock and used those pencil lines as a guide to stamp the quilt images in the center and the little flowers in the corner squares. Then, I used the triangles that had been die-cut, ran them through the Big Shot with the Quilt Top embossing folder, and glued them in place on the pattern.

For the bottom, I initially die-cut three flowers out of vellum, thinking I would layer the negative flower over some stamped ones, but after giving it a try, it was not coming out like I was hoping, so I kept the stamped flower on the card front, added silver embossing around them with the stitched shape, and I decided to use a strip of vellum over it to add my sentiment (it's hard to translate because it's a play on word about sewing, but it basically says that Christmas slowly got here), as well as two stamped flowers, which I lined up with the color flowers, and I embossed everything in silver. Pearls were added to the bottom flowers and the corner ones, and a faceted gem to the center of the quilt.

Then, after everything was assembled, it still felt a little bare, so I tried adding a frame die-cut out of Tempting Turquoise cardstock, but it was taking away from the elegance of the card. On a whim, I decided to stamp the stitching pattern around the frame and found it was exactly what the design needed. A little needle die-cut out of silver foil paper was added to the pattern to finish off the card.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: L'étoffe de Noël (Christmas Quilt)
Cardstock: Thick Whisper White, Silver Foil, Vellum
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Lemon Lime Twist, VersaMark
Accessories: Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder, Quilt Builder Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals,
White Medium Envelope, Pearl Basic Jewels, Clear Faceed Gems, Quilt Top Embossing Folder

 

Winter Mugs

I'm nursing a cold this weekend and I taking it easy in front of the computer, watching a craft video with a Christmas card done by AmyR that was simple but packed a punch. At the end of the video, I thought of the Wood Textures Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up! and wonder how it would look with a small image stamped repeatedly on it to create a background. This card evolved from there.

I looked at my stamps and Hug in a Mug jumped out at me, because it had small enough images to create a colored background (and also because any excuse to use this set is a good excuse). I had a look at weekly challenges to see if any of them had colors that could work and spotted the Fab Friday combo #126. It's a fun combo, but it's also quite bright because of the Lemon Lime Twist color, but the fact that I was using a wood-texture paper worked in my favor with this combo because it tamed down the green a bit. I used the three colors from the combo to watercolor tbe mugs with an Aqua Painter brush, and added a bit of Soft Suede for the tree trunk and Whisper White for the whipped cream. (Did you know you can watercolor with Whisper White even though it's a Craft ink? You can!) Touches of Clear Wink of Stella were added to a few details. The Designer Series Paper is not watercolor paper, so watercoloring it with ink without getting blotches is an interesting challenge. I found that adding a bit of clear water to the mug before coming back with ink on my brush helped, but at the same time, I had to be careful not to use too much water because the paper is fine and will warp quickly. It's not perfect, but the look of the stamp set and the card is whimsical, so I could get away with it not being perfect.

Also inspired by Amy's card is the sentiment. We don't have an awful lot of French word dies, but we do have some in the (Sunshine Wishes Thinlits set. To get an ombre look similar to the one Amy did, I drew a Lemon Lime Twist line with a Stampin' Write marker using the brush tip and went back with my Aqua Painter brush to pull the ink towards the bottom, creating a lighter shade of green. Then, I die cut the word "wishes" out of that watercolor paper, and the same word two other times out of Lemon Lime Twist cardstock. I made sure to use pieces of Big Shot adhesive sheets on the back of all three cardstock before die-cutting, to make layering them easier.

I needed to find some words to finish off the sentiment, so I pulled out Holly Jolly Greetings, which allowed me to get "Best wishes to you." I was trying out various ribbons at the bottom and finally landed on Pear Pizzazz shimmer ribbon. Don't forget that because of the ribbons' shine, their colors can often adapt to various hues. This is the case here. Pear Pizzazz is a soft, pastel color but it works really well with the brighter Lemon Lime Twist shade.

This card is also tying in with the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge #278 and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (Anything Goes).

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Hug in a Mug, Souhaits de joie (Holly Jolly Greetings)
Cardstock: Lemon Lime Twist, Real Red, Watercolor Paper
Envelope Paper: 2016-2018 In Color
Designer Series Paper: Wood Textures
Ink: Real Red, Lemon Lime Twist, Emerald Envy, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Accessories: Voeux ensoleillés Thinlits (Sunshine Wishes), Stampin' Dimensionals, White Medium Envelope,
Big Shot Adhesive Sheets, Aqua Painter Brush, Pear Pizzazz 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon, Clear Wink of Stella Brush

 

Wishing You Better Days to Come

This card was inspired by Stamping Bella (Anything Goes), Color Throwdown #470 and CAS(E) This Sketch #248. The sketch was pretty simple, so I decided to stamp an image at the end and play with ink and masking to create a band on the card. I initially planned on stamping directly on the card base, but since I wanted to color my image with alcohol markers and I didn't want it to show inside the card, I decided to cut another white panel and layer it on top to solve that problem.

The masked insert was sponged with Fossilized Amber and Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide inks. I then looked through my sentiment stamps to find something about encouragement and found "Wishing you better days to come" in the Beautiful You stamp set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Resplendissante (Beautiful You - Stampin' Up!), The Chicks Who Couldn't Even (Stamping Bella)
Cardstock: Thick Whisper White
Inks: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Chocolate Chip Classic Ink (Stampin' Up!),
Fossilized Amber and Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide (Ranger)
Accessories: Water Spritzing Bottle (Ranger), Copic Markers,
Large Corner Rounder Punch, White Medium Envelope

 

Holiday Hot Drinks

Inspiration: Create with Connie and Mary #485 and Mojo Monday #493

Hug in a Mug is fast becoming my favorite stamp set from the 2017 Holidays catalogue, as every card I've made with it as turned out pretty fabulous. After finishing my last card, where I was working with a past Mojo Monday sketch, I spotted #493 and I thought I could work the mug images as the two circles in the corner. Then I saw the bright and joyful combo from Create with Connie and Mary and it was not long before the ideas started coming fast. Everything started coming together once I got the idea to work the striped ribbon in my design, and the addition of black and white really made the other three colours pop even more.

To point out a few details, the cute stitched border around the Old Olive cardstock was done using the stitching image that's meant to embellish the large cup. I repeated it several times around my cardstock, and then I overstamped the Marbled background stamp, which to me looks like the foam on a hot drink. I was afraid using the matching ink might make the design too dark, so I used Pear Pizzazz ink to get a softer result.

The sentiment from the Merry Little Labels stamp set reads "Eat, drink and be merry" - perfect with the mug images and it would work for a lot of occasions, not just the holidays. I white-embossed the sentiment on a cute background I created myself by putting six small images from the stamp set on one block and stamping repeatedly on the Bermuda Bay cardstock.

A touch of Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' glitter was added to the whipped cream and the marshmallows. And I used a white gel pen to color the chevron on the olive mug.

 

 

 

  

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Hug in a Mug, Jolies petites étiquettes (Merry Little Labels), Marbled
Cardstock: Berry Burst, Old Olive, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White
Ink: Berry Burst, Old Olive, Bermuda Bay, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: White Stampin' Emboss Powder, 1-1/2" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter, White Medium Envelope, 7/8" Striped Ribbon

 

Retro Wreath

The starting point of this project was The Card Concept #82 inspiration picture. The pastel colours instantly reminded me of the Christmas Wishes paper from KaiserCraft. I pulled out the paper pack, spotted the pine pattern and decided to use the Wondrous Wreath Framelits to due-cut a wreath. I then saw that one of the patterned papers had little ornaments on it, so I hancutted a few and decorated my wreath with it, finishing it off with a few spots of Nuvo Glitter Drops.

The design was inspired by Freshly Made sketch #314. The circle sentiment came from the same paper pack, which includes die-cuts in the back. I added a few spots of Liquid Pearl and Distress Stickles here and there to finish the card off. No stamping on this one!

 

 

 

 

  

 

Supplies
Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder
Patterned Papers: Christmas Wishes (KaiserCraft)
Accessories: Wondrous Wreath Framelits, Platinum Pearl Liquid Pearl, Platinum Distress Stickles,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Dotted Scallop Rectangles Dies (Elizabeth Craft Designs),
White Medium Envelope, Silver Moondust Glitter Drops (Nuvo)

 

Guiding Star

Inspiration: Try Stampin' on Tuesday #349 + ColourQ #66

I hadn't purchased the Star of Light bundle when it came out last year, but when it came back in the annual catalogue this year, I let myself get tempted. This was my first creation with the stamp set and Thinlits, combined with the Sheet Music background stamp to create the Soft Sky stamped piece. There's quite a few steps to create that piece. I first stamped the background in Soft Sky. I then overstamped the swirl in Whisper White ink, but it was not showing up as much as I thought it would, so I cleaned my stamp, inked it in Smoky Slate and overstamped it close to the white. That gave the image a lot of depth while still remaining subtle. I then added a few small and large stars in Soft Sky everywhere, and I added the small star in Whisper White ink in the center of the larger stars. I heat set my inks a bit, then stamped the tiny stars in VersaMark and embossed them in gold. Finally, I added my sentiment in Tuxedo Black Memento ink.

The large star was stamped in VersaMark and embossed in gold on So Saffron cardstock, die-cut and topped with a metallic enamel dot.

 

 

 

 

 

Color Combo: So Saffron + Daffodil Delight + Soft Sky + Basic Black

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Étoile lumineuse (Star of Light)
Cardstock: Basic Black, Soft Sky, So Saffron, Daffodil Delight
Ink: Soft Sky, Whisper White, VersaMark, Tuxedo Black Memento
Accessories: Starlight Thinlits, Stampin' Dimensionals, Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder,
White Medium Envelope, Metallic Enamel Shapes, Gold 1/8" Ribbon, Garden Trellis Embossing Folder

 

Retro Santa 'Stashe

This week's Merry Monday challenge (#266) was Santa Claus. It was a fun theme, so I looked through my stamps and pulled out an old favorite, Santa Stache. I also had the Authentique Retro Christmas papers out, that I thought would look great with this image.

Looking through sentiment options, I found "Don't open before Christmas," which I particularly liked because of the shape, that sort of wrapped around the pompom of the Santa hat. The retro look of the font was also a great fit.

The red tinsel trim that Stampin' Up! currently sells was the perfect retro accent to go with the whole card.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Santa Stache, Hourra pour Noël (Oh What Fun - Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock: Emerald Envy, Very Vanilla
Patterned Papers: Retro Christmas (Authentique)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, VersaMark
Accessories: Vanilla Square Envelope, Circle Nestabilities, Circle Coluzzle, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Red Tinsel Trim, Emerald Envy Ribbon, Silver Jubilee Glitter Accents, White Embossing Powder,
Copic Markers, Mustache Framelits Die

 

A Friendly Thought

This is a pretty card that was born out of another project remnant. I had stamped the Heagon Hive die-cut with the Marbled background stamp and when I saw it had left an impresson on the stamp, rather than clean it right away, I transfered the remaining ink to a piece of vanilla cardstock. I was happy with the result and put it aside to use on another project later.

Paired with past ColourQ #258 and Mojo Monday #388 and the retired Moonlight DSP, I had the chance to ink the new Hello Friend from the Annual Catalogue. I hesitated before getting this set but it was the French sentiments that convinced me to go ahead and get it. That being said, once I started working with the wreath and started adding the pretty flowers, I was impressed with how delicate and dainty it looks. Warning you, though: no Framelits dies to go with this one, my flowers are good ol' fussy cutting. The wreath was die-cut using a Circle Framelits, but I discovered the wreath is not perfectly round, so it's not an exact fit.

There's something very elegant and modern about that color combo. I'd decorate a room in my house with that combo!

 

 

 

   

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Bonjour très chère (Hello Friend)
Cardstock: Blackberry Bliss, So Saffron, Basic Grey, Very Vanilla, Hello Honey
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, So Saffron, Basic Grey, VersaMark, Hello Honey
Accessories: Pearl Basic Jewels, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Circle Framelits Dies,
White Medium Envelope, Bitty Banners Framelits Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Sycamore Street Designer Buttons, Basic Grey Baker's Twine,
Hexagon Hive Thinlits Die, Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder

 

Winter Greetings

When putting away some stencils, I found one that looks like falling snow in the Pattern Party set, and I decided to use it with embossing paste on a piece of patterned paper to create a background. The rest of the card was inspired by the sketch from As You See It challenge #163. The sentiment comes from the Merry Mistletoe stamp set (from Annual Catalogue p. 113). The sentiment from the English set is "Christmas Wishes," but in French it got translated to "Winter Greetings."

This card will be going to one of my downline member to congratulate her on last month's sales.

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Sous le gui (Merry Mistletoe)
Cardstock: Thick Whisper White, Old Olive, Shimmery White
Designer Series Paper: Merry Little Christmas
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Old Olive
Accessories: Layering Ovals Framelits, Stitched Shapes Framelits,
Lots of Labels Framelits, Texture Paste, Pattern Party Decorative Masks,
Envelope Punch Board, Stampin' Dimensionals, Black Mini Sequin Trim

 

Fallen from the Sky

This card was inspired by Hand Stamped Sentiments #277 and Color Throwdown #469. I wanted to make an Stampin' Up!-only card to send a downline member and the sketch was very reminiscent of the border from the Swirly Snowflakes Thinlits set, and the all-blue combo from Color Throwdown was perfect to go with the snowflakes. Even thought I had a clear plan of what I wanted on my card, it still took a little while to put together because there was a lit of little pieces to take out from the die-cuts. I should really remember to use wax paper next time to try and cut down on time with that.

Tip: The silver ribbon was already curling a little bit from being on a bobbin, but I used my scissor blade to curl it even more (like when you curl ribbon on gift packaging). I went delicately so I wouldn't damage the ribbon, but it did give it a nice curl that went well with the snowflake swirls look of the card.

  

 

 

 

 

Color Combo: Denim Dandy + Marina Mist + Silver + Whisper White

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Souhaits en rafales (Snowflake Sentiments)
Cardstock: Denim Dandy, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink: Marina Mist, Denim Dandy, VersaMark
Accessories: Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder, Softly Falling Embossing Folder,
Swirly Snowflakes Thinlits, Silver 1/8" Ribbon, Glitter Enamel Dots, White Medium Envelope

 

Christmas Blessings

I was inspired by The Card Concept challenge #81 and TGIF challenge #133 for my card.  The inspiration picture made me reach for the A Perfect Christmas paper collection, which had the perfect classic feel to go with the inspiration piece.

I first looked at my sentiments to find a long, one-line one that could fit in the section between the two patterned papers as in the sketch. I found what I was looking for ("Christmas Blessings") in the Christmas Pines stamp set, and based off of that, I decided that the ornements at the top of the sketch would be the pine boughs and pinecones from the same stamp set (and the matching dies - Pretty Pines).

The rest was just a quick combinations of those elements. Because the jute twine bow is bulky and the sparkly die-cut bow hangs off the card slightly, I used some Cherry Cobbler cardstock and my envelope punch board to make a slightly larger envelope (A4 format).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Sapins de Noël (Christmas Pines - Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations,
Red Glimmer Paper, Champagne Foil Paper
Patterned Papers: A Perfect Christmas (Echo Park)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Ink, VersaMark, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede
Accessories: Pretty Pines Framelits Dies, Project Life Corner Punch,
Envelope Punch Board, Sparkle & Shine Dies (Papertrey Ink), Jute Twine

 

Light in a Dark Place

The starting point of this card was CAS(E) This Sketch #247 and Create with Connie and Mary #483. Initially, I thought the colour combo could make for a soft Christmas card and I decided to reach for the Brightly Lit Christmas stamp set to fit in the left edge of a big, bold sentiment. Then, when I started digging for current sentiments in my sets, I spotted one in Heartfelt Sympathy that I had not used often up until now because of how big it is. I thought that a sympathy sentiment could actually work well with the lamppost. Something about brightening up a dark spot in someone's life. It was a good opportunity to get a different use of this stamp set and dies as well. From there, the card evolved quickly and easily. I used a paintbrush to create a very soft background using the brick stencil from the Pattern Party Decorative Masks.

The sentiment initially felt a little bare, so I added the bow from the same stamp set, the flourishes from the Christmas Lampost Thinlits dies and little flowers made with a tiny flower die I found in the Quilt Builder Framelits set. I used a paper doily for the oval shape from the set - I haven't purchased the new design from the current catalogue because I want to finish the ones that I have from the past catalogue first, and I topped the bottom scallop with a clear gem­.

The inside of the lights was created with the die for this purpose (if you are wondering what the three trapeze shapes are on the same die, it's to die-cut a little piece of yellow cardstock that will go inside the lights. In this case, I sponged a bit of So Saffron ink on a piece of Whisper White cardstock and covered it with Clear Wink of Stella before die-cutting and adding to the lights.I also ran the Wink of Stella brush around the lampost lights to give a sparkly halo.

 

Tip: There's a lot of small details on the dies I used. I made sure to cover the back of all of my papers and cardstock with a piece of Big Shot adhesive sheet to make my life easier when gluing everything in place on my project. We carry precision glue, but the adhesive sheets are definitely easier and cleaner to use. You just have to remember to use them before running your pieces through the Big Shot.

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Des adieux du fond du coeur (Heartfelt Sympathy),  Pleins feux sur Noël (Brightly Lit Christmas)
Cardstock: Thick Whisper White, Night of Navy, Powder Pink, Pool Party, Silver Foil Paper
Ink: Night of Navy, Powder Pink, Pool Party, So Saffron
Accessories: Quilt Builder Framelits Dies, Christmas Lampost Thinlits Dies, Clear Wink of Stella Brush,
Pattern Party Decorative Masks, Paintbrush, Clear Faceted Gems, Paper Doily, White Medium Envelope,
Sponge Dauber, Big Shot Adhesive Sheets

 

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

This card was inspired by Tuesday Morning Sketch #428 and Lawn Fawnatics #16 (Use your oldest stamp set). I have not been buying Lawn Fawn stamps for a long time, so I looked at my images and tried to figure out which set images might be the oldest. In terms of the first stamp set I bought, I believe it might be the one with the stove but it was a new release at the time, so I figured Flirty Frames might be an older set issued by Lawn Fawn, so I decided to go with that. When looking at something to stamp inside the frame, I decided to pull out Pumpkin Spice, and turn it into hot cocoa for a fun Christmas card. I paired those images with the Oh What Fun papers, which I think are totally adorable. The cardstock sticker sheet had some fun wording on it, and I spotted "Eat, drink and be merry!," a perfect option to pair with the drink image.

I used Frosty Sparkle Kiss to "frost" the sides of my papers for a bit of shimmer. I cut out of border for the top with the Chevron Stripes dies, and added little beads of Bottle Green Crystal Drops from Nuvo on each side. I'm finally getting confident enough to use the bottle directly on my project. So far, I've mostly been making beads on a piece of acetate and transferring them to my projects afterwards using a bit of glue to put them in place. I did notice that the result is not the same when the bead is done directly on the project and when it dries on a piece of acetate first. It changes the shape. That being said, you have to be really sure you like the color and you know where you want to add the detailing if you're going in directly on your finished project. Here I was following the shape of the chevron, so I went for it.

The first frame I made and die-cut, I decided to colour with my Clear Wink of Stella brush but it dripped on the outside of the frame and it made the dye ink I had used the stamp the frame bleed. I didn't want this mistake showing on my card, so I stamped and die-cut a second frame to use. I did decide to use the spare frame to add my signature to the back of the card, though, since I didn't mind the bleeding there as much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Pumpkin Spice, Flirty Frames (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Watermelon Wonder, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Patterned Papers: Oh What Fun (Simple Stories)
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Tuxedo Black Memento
Accessories: Chevron Stripes Dies (My Favorite Things), Bottle Green Crystal Drops (Nuvo),
Very Vanilla Envelope (Stampin' Up!), Pear Pizzazz Shimmer Ribbon (SU!), Copic Markers,
Oh What Fun Cardstock Stickers (Simple Stories), Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!), Frosty Glitter Kiss (Cosmic Shimmer),
Flirty Frames and Pumpkin Spice Dies (Lawn Fawn)

 

Framed Gingerbread House

When I spotted the Merry Monday challenge #264 (kraft and red), I knew it would be a perfect excuse to pull out last year's Candycane Lane Designer Series Papers. For the main image, I simply handcut one of the gingerbread houses from one of the sheets of paper, added an enamel heart of it and popped it up over a die-cut frame. The background Expresso cardstock was embossed with the Softly Falling embossing folder. The stitched frame inspired me to stamp my sentiment around it. I was first thinking I would repeat the same sentiment on all three sides, but then I found in the Festival of Trees stamp set and small sentiment in two parts that was perfect to stamp on two sides - just the perfect look and size.

Inspired by the Fusion sketch, I also handcut lace from another sheet of paper and added little pearls to it, and a stitched ribbon on top. Overall, it was a fairly simple design, but it turned out cute!

 

 

 

 

  

  

Supplies
Stamps: Festival d'arbres (Festival of Trees)
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Early Espresso
Designer Series Paper: Candycane Lane
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Pearl Basic Jewels, Chocolate Chip Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Envelope Punch Board,
Softly Falling Embossing Folder, Small Corner Rounder Punch, Brights Enamel Shapes,
Rectangle Peek-a-Boo Window Die (My Favorite Things), Dotted Scallop Rectangle Dies (Elizabeth Craft Designs)

 

He's Making His List and Checking It Twice...

This card's inspiration was the new Merry Merry collection from Pebbles. I combined one of the die-cut images from the papers (the Ho Ho Ho background) with the Santa die-cut sticker and went from there. For the design, I drew inspiration from the Reverse Confetti sketch #52.

The rest is very simple: a strip of red patterned paper, a bit of gold washi tape, a gingham corner underneath my main image, two wooden snowflakes, an green enamel dot and a bit of clear tinsel trim.

My niece visited today and she spotted this card on my desk. She said she wanted to write something in it and give it to a family member. We had already discussed she and I making Christmas cards for the family the next time I babysit her so her mom reminded her that she'd be making her own cards at that time. I questioned her to know what she liked the most about the card. I thought it would be the Santa, but she told me it was the snowflakes, actually. The good news is that I have some more, so I guess I can share with her when we make her cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Cardstock: Lucky Limeade
Patterned Papers: Merry Merry (Pebbles)
Accessories: Clear Tinsel Trim, Stampin' Dimensionals, Merry Merry Cardstock Stickers (Pebbles),
White Medium Envelope, Washi Tapes, Enamel Dots (Simple Stories), Snowflake Elements (Stampin' Up!)

 

Pumpkin Spice It Up

This card was inspired by a Falliday Fest challenge and the Curtain Call challenge (Cider). The drink theme was a good opportunity to ink up the Pumpkin Spice It Up stamp set that was issued as a collaboration between The Greeting Farm and Simon Says Stamp for this year's Stamptember. I have a soft spot for those adorable Greeting Farm characters and the fall theme was even better.

I had pulled out my Halloween DSP packs to work on candy packaging, but I thought the Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP could work for a fall card, so I paired it with the stamp set. I paper pieced her ensemble for a cute fall outfit, and I colored the rest with markers, including two coffee cups to add around the sentiment.

I wanted to make a French card I could send out for a fall birthday, so I stamped "Just a Note" and embossed it with Smoky Slate powder. It was a great way to stick to the color scheme and to have the sentiment stand out well on the patterned paper. I added a bit of black crochet trim and at the last minute, got the idea to use the leftover sequins die-cut out of Champagne foil paper on the polka dot banner. Enamel shapes were added to the coffee cups.

I never realized how old that Designer Series Paper pack was until I looked up the color of the yellow on the packaging to make my matching card base and saw that it was More Mustard! That colour has been retired for many years now. Time sure flies...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Pumpkin Spice It Up (The Greeting Farm / Simon Says Stamp), Éclosion de pensées (Flourishing Phrases - Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock: More Mustard, Very vanilla
Designer Series Paper: Howlstooth and Scaringbone
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, VersaMark
Accessories: Pumpkin Spice It Up Dies (The Greeting Farm / SSS), Smoky Slate Stampin' Emboss Powder, Black Crochet Trim,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Copic Markers, Enamel Shapes (Brights, Royals), Vanilla Medium Envelope, Triple Banner Punch,
Dotted Scallop Rectangles Dies (Elizabeth Craft Designs), Champagne Foil Paper, Sparkle & Shine Sequins Die (Papertrey Ink)

 

Ready Set Snow!

The starting point of this card was a stamp set called Ready Set Snow! I received as a free gift in a Simon Says Stamp order. I thought it was pretty cute so I paired it with the Freshly Made Sketch #311 to get it inked. I chose the boy image and paired it with the Winter Meadow collection from Photoplay. I saw an opportunity to make a masculine card instead of a Christmas one, so I used the Happy Birthday Gorgeous stamp set (currently sold in Stampin' Up!'s annual catalogue) to stamp "Happy birthday to you." The scarf die I used was another freebie included in my order, from the Warm Wishes dies. I used my markers to color the fringes on each side of the scarf. The little heart comes from the same die set.

After I was done gluing and embellishing, I still felt the card was lacking a little something, so I decided to add stitches on each side of the plaid paper. It totally transformed the card and the added texture made it feel more complete. At the last minute, I decided to add Clear Nuvo Drops on the heart, and then made a few more dots around the card, like falling snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Ready Set Snow! (Simon Says Stamp), Joyeux anniversaire beauté (Happy Birthday Gorgeous - Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White
Patterned Papers: Winter Meadow (Photoplay)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Lost Lagoon (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Paper Piercer, Piercing Template, Needlepoint Thread, Clear Nuvo Drops,
Candy Dots (SU!), Stitched Rectangle Stackables Dies (Lawn Fawn), Copic Markers,
Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!), White Medium Envelope (SU!)