Saturday, August 20, 2011

Operation Write Home Make-One, Take-One Card Event

In remembrance of 9/11, I will be hosting a make-one, take-one card making event to support Operation Write Home. See the link at the bottom for more information about this wonderful project that supports our troops by providing them with blank cards to send home to their loved ones. At my event, you will get to make one card for OWH and one card for yourself for FREE.

Please help me send a huge box of cards to our troops! No experience in stamping is necessary and the card will be quick and easy to make. Start time is rolling, but I plan to start right after school so all my teacher friends can stop by on their way home from work. Ending time will be whenever every one is gone, or bedtime! Bring a friend, just RSVP so I can have enough materials prepared.

http://operationwritehome.org/

Friday, August 19, 2011

Flight of the butterfly

Flight of the Butterfly is a wonderful stamp set with several different verses that are appropriate for various occasions.  I choose the "thank you so very much" for this card.  I used the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder and the Butterfly Punch to make this card.  I love bling, so of course I added some jewels for the sparkle. 

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Blossom Bouquet Triple Punch with New In Colors

For this card, I used the Blossom Bouquet Triple Punch and the new in colors.  They are so easy to mix together and get great results.  The new punch is a fun one to use--I highly recommend it!  The "thinking of you" was stamped from the Swirls and Curls Verses stamp set.  This card was inspired by one of the projects on my Stampin' Up! page...take a look!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Embossed Aluminum Foil Card 1

I've been wanting to try this technique and finally found the time to!  I used aluminum foil straight from my kitchen and ran it through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder to get this look.  (If you want to try this technique, I did put a layer of cardstock behind the aluminum foil to make it sturdier and easier to work with.)  I added the tag using the Four Frames and Petite Pairs stamp sets and easily punched them out with the Decorative Label punch.  Watch tomorrow for another version of this card!

Flower Fest with Sponge Daubers

I'm so glad the Flower Fest stamp set carried over from the Summer Mini Catalog into the Idea Book & Catalog.  I actually stamped the flowers to use for a different card, but had enough background left to make this card.  The sentiment comes from the stamp set Word Play.  I stamped the flowers and leaves, then used sponge daubers in coordinating ink to fill them in.  So easy, and I love the finished product!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

My Friend in Wisteria Wonder

This card combines Wisteria Wonder and Elegant Eggplant colors.  I used the My Friend stamp set for the greeting and for the watermarked flowers in the background.  The punched butterfly is decorated with 3 jewels for just the right amount of sparkle.  This is quickly becoming one of my favorite stamp sets from the new catalog. 

Friday, August 12, 2011

Postage Thanks and Color Coach

The Color Coach is a great tool for coming up with color combinations you might not normally use.  For this card, I used the suggestion for the creative combination of Cajun Craze, Old Olive and Baja Breeze.  Definitely not colors I would normally combine, but they work!  I also used the Pretty Postage stamp set and coordinating punch available in the Summer Mini.  The Color Coach 120148 is available from the Idea Book & Catalog on page 174. 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Come to Bethlehem

The final card made at my Christmas in July class featured the Come to Bethlehem stamp set.  We first double embossed the Night of Navy cardstock to form the oval shape.  Then we stamped in Versamark ink and used silver embossing powder.  We layered onto some Silver Paper and added some Whisper White Organza ribbon at the top. 

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Northern Flurry and Tags Til Christmas

We made this card at my Christmas in July class.  We used the new Northern Flurry embossing folder, which gives such a deep and beautiful embossing of the snowflakes.  We then used the Tags Til Christmas stamp set with the Decorative Label Punch, making it easy to stamp and punch the image. 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Stampin' Success Flower Card

When I saw the current issue of Stampin' Success (the magazine mailed monthly to Stampin' Up! demonstrators), I just had to try the technique shared by demonstrator Kerry Schwenneker.  The flower is made by using the 1 3/8" circle punch and Designer Series Paper.  I love how each flower looks different, just by using different sides of the same paper!  The sentiment "friend" comes from the stamp set Fabulous Phrases.  This was so fun and easy to create; I can see myself making more of these in the future. 

Monday, August 8, 2011

Stampin' Up! Owl Demonstrator

For this card, I used the owl punch to make a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, complete with apron and rubber stamp on wing.  I also used the Four Frames and Petite Pairs stamp sets.  The tree branch is from the retired DSP Woodland Walk.  Thanks again to Lynn Pratt for inspiring this little gal  I hope my upline and downlines enjoyed their cards!  :)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Changing Wood Mount Stamps to Clear Mount

This is what one of my cabinets looked like with all of the shell cases for the wood mount stamps.  I decided to change most of them over to clear mount, and am sharing the process. 
 Here is your basic wood-mounted stamp.  You can see the layers--rubber, foam, wood. 
CAREFULLY peel the foam and rubber from the wood.  You want to do this slowly and carefully.  Occasionally the rubber will rip or separate from the rubber.  However, in all the stamp sets I've unmounted so far, I have only ripped 3, and they have been repairable. 
Here is what you will have after you are finished separating the foam from the rubber.  Place the rubber side down on a flat surface.  Any ideas on what to do with all of the sticky wood blocks?
Next, and also very carefully, peel the sticker from the front of the wood block. 
Lay it on top of the foam.  You may want to flip the stamp over and align the sticker image with the rubber image. 
Trim off the excess. 
Add a thin layer of Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue. 
 Let the glue dry overnight. 
When dry, the stamp will be tacky and stick to a clear block.  I am still deep in the process of unmounting the stamps!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Paper Daisies

I love the color combination on this card.  The background is Wild Wasabi, embossed with the Big Shot.  The tag is punched with the Decorative Label Punch, after being stamped with one of the tags from the Four Frames stamp set.  The middle was stamped with "welcome, baby," from the Petite Pairs stamp set in Daffodil Delight.  I used the sponge daubers on the paper daisies with Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight inks. 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Wellness Wishes

My daughter helped me make this card for a teacher and fellow co-worker who broke her foot this summer.  We used some retired Ice Cream Parlor DSP and ribbon for the card and the band-aid from the Wellness Wishes set.  I'm sure you'll be better in time for school, Andrea! 

Monday, August 1, 2011

Did you think I was done with the Pennant Parade set?  Not quite!  Here is another example of how to use the stamp set to make another birthday ice cream cone.  I also used the Create a Cupcake stamp set and punch for the scoops of ice cream.  The paper is the new Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper.  I also used the 3/16" corner punch, which is different to use than our other punches, but I'm finding it just as fabulous once you figure out how it works!  Fellow demonstrator Mary Fish inspired me to make this card.