Making Spirits Bright At Christmas Time

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Making Spirits Bright

Making spirits bright is something that I like to do at Christmas.  This is not to say that I don’t try to make spirits bright all year. The holiday season can be really a tough time for some people and it is uplifting to be able to provide a bit of cheer for them.

In Canada, we start the Holiday season in October with Thanksgiving, followed by Halloween, Christmas and New Years.  These holidays are normally spent with family and friends, however, there are many people that are alone.

We, that have so much, need to share with those that do not. Here are some ways that we can go about making spirits bright:

  • Volunteer at one of the dinners that various organizations put together for those that have no place to go for a warm, hearty meal.
  • Donate to a charity that assists people who need the help around the holidays.
  • Support you local food bank.

Making Spirits BrightRecipe

Stamps: Among the Branches, Jingles All the Way.

Ink/Markers: Real Red, Garden Green, Versamark.

Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party, Home for Christmas DSP..

Accessories: Big Shot, Banner Framelits, Clear Embossing Powder, 2-1/2” Circle Punch, Silver Sequin Trim, Silver Thread, and Metallic Foil Doilies.

The creation of this card is very easy.  To emboss the focal image, I first inked the image in VersaMark and then inked with Real Red ink and stamped the image.  Heat emboss your image   with Clear Embossing powder.  Using this technique is an easy way to emboss your images in any colour.

Making spirits bright for others will make your spirit bright as well.  What will you do this holiday season to get this feeling? Leave a comment to tell me about your commitment to help others.

Stamp Out Breast Cancer – Subscribe to Paper Pumpkin

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Stamp Out Breast Cancer

Help stamp out Breast Cancer by subscribing to Paper Pumpkin.  Yes, Stampin’  Up! has announced a campaign to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Stamp Out Breast Cancer

Did you know that Breast cancer is a complex disease that will affect 1 in 9 Canadian women during their lifetime?

According to the latest statistics, it is estimated that 25,000 women and 220 men in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and that 5,000 women and 60 men will die from the disease in 2015.

How can you help to stamp out breast cancer?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Paper Pumpkin is going PINK . . . or at least the October boxes are! And because we know that subscribers to Paper Pumpkin want to share the love too, Stampin’ Up! will be making a donation on your behalf to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

Stampin’ Up! will donate

  • $1 for every active Paper Pumpkin subscriber.
  • Plus, an additional $1 for every new subscriber.

Together, we can make a difference!

Here’s how you can help:

  1. Subscribe! If you’re new to Paper Pumpkin, click HERE to get started. Your first kit will arrive in a limited-edition pink box that you’ll want to hold onto forever-and we’ll donate $2 because you’re new!
  2. Stay active if you’re a subscriberStampin’ Up! will donate $1 for you. Only those who receive the October shipment will be counted for the donation.
  3. Spread the word! Every current subscriber adds $1 and for new subscribers it’s doubled, so let’s get the word out and raise as much as possible.

Stamp out breast cancer by subscribing to the October Paper Pumpkin kit and you will be donating to a good cause and getting a one-time only, pretty pink Paper Pumpkin box!

You won’t want to miss it!!!!

More About BCRF

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) advances the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer. Founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993, BCRF has raised more than $550 million to fuel discoveries in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, survivorship and metastasis, making it one of the largest non-governmental funders of breast cancer research in the world. This year BCRF has invested $58.6 million in research, to support over 235 researchers at leading medical institutions across six continents, including $11.6 million to the international Evelyn H. Lauder Founder’s Fund focused on metastasis. By spending 91 cents of every dollar on research and public awareness programs, BCRF remains one of the nation’s most fiscally responsible nonprofits. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization with an “A+” from CharityWatch, and has been awarded Charity Navigator’s highest rating of four stars 13 times since 2002. For more information, please visit: www.bcrfcure.org.

Additional Details: 

  • New subscribers are those who signed up between September 11 and October 10, 2015 and have not been a Paper Pumpkin subscriber at any time in the past.
  • Mini spoiler alert! The October project inside the pink box is just as awesome as always, but we should probably let you know that it is not a pink project.

Don’t miss out on this worthy fundraiser to stamp out breast cancer.  Subscribe now to Paper Pumpkin.

Christmas Wish Made Simple – You Can Make It

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Christmas Wish

Giving someone a Christmas wish during the holidays can be quite heart warming for you and the person receiving the wish. This Christmas Wish handmade card is very easy to create with a few products.  It’s easy but still elegant.

Christmas WishesRecipe

Stamps: Cozy Christmas.

Ink/Markers: Real Red, Versamark.

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Red Foil, Gold Glimmer, Home for Christmas DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Tags and Labels Framelits, Delicate Ornament Thinlits, Gold & White 3/8” Glitter Ribbon, Gold Embossing Powder, Precision Plate.

This card would also be great if you were to create several at a time for everyone on your Christmas card lit.  You could do an assembly line.

Here are a few features of the Christmas Wish card that I would like to point out to you.

  • The bells from the Cozy Christmas stamp set were randomly stamped on the Real Red card base using Real Red ink.  This is an easy way to create a unique background for your card.  The image looks like a watermark.
  • The sentiment “Christmas Wishes” was stamped using VersaMark on Whisper White card stock and then heat embossed using Gold Embossing Powder and the Heat Gun.
  • The sentiment was die cut using the Tags and Labels Framelits and then the next large die was used to cut a frame from Real Red card stock and then the two were layered together.
  • The Gold Glimmer Ornament was cut from Gold Glimmer paper using the round ornament from the Delicate Ornaments Thinlits die.  Here is a tip: turn the Gold Glimmer paper over so the you are die cutting through the white side of the paper.  This make the bits and pieces easier to remove from the ornament.  There is a waxy paper between the glimmer and the white backing that often will not cut if you layer the glimmer paper gold side up.
  • Using  the Precision Cutting plate (new product) to cut delicate and intricate dies also helps. When using the Precision Cutting plate, use with the regular platform, do not use with Magnetic Plate.
  • For the remainder of the card, all you have to do is layer and adhere the pieces together.

If you need any of the items to create this Christmas Wish card, contact me through EMAIL or shop my ONLINE STORE.

 

Happy Wedding Day Using Monochromatic Colours

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Happy Wedding Day

A Happy Wedding Day is something that the bride and groom look forward to for their big day.  It’s a day that can be filled with excitement and joy.  However, the little slip up can become a source of frustration for the day.  While we try to plan for each and every event, sometimes things just slip through the cracks.

Because the wedding day is filled with hopes and dreams, the happy couple want everything to go perfect and according to the plan.

The happy wedding day is most about controlling the nerves.  To help with that day, I made a monochromatic colour wedding card.  Monochromatic colours can be soothing and so I choose to use Whisper White and Sahara Sand with a touch of gold.

Happy Wedding DayHappy Wedding DayRecipe for the Happy Wedding Day card

Stamps: Beautiful Bunch, Flower Shop, Petite Petals, For the New Two, Kinda Eclectic.

Ink/Markers: Sahara Sand, Versamark.

Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Gold Glitter, Something Borrowed DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Lots of Labels Framelits, Elegant Dots Embossing Folder, Fun Flower Punch, Pansy Punch, Petite Labels Punch, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, White Jute 1-1/4” Jute Ribbon, Gold Metallic Baker’s Twine, Sahara Sand 7/8” Lace Trim, Watercolor Wonder Washi Tape, Gold Embossing Powder, Metallic Foil Doilies, Pearl Jewels.

I had so much fun making this Happy Wedding Day Pop Up Card.

Click on the link below for a tutorial to make the cuts for the cake:

2015-09-09 Pop Up Card

To finish the cake, I cut pieces of Whisper White card stock the same size as the cake layers.  Emboss these pieces with the Elegant Dots Embossing Fold and decorate with Gold Glitter hearts.

For the front of the card:

Stamp the leaves from Kinda Eclectic on the Whisper White card stock using Sahara Sand.  I stamped off once before stamping on the card stock.

Stamp the flowers using Sahara Sand ink and punch using the matching punch.  Curl up the petals a bit before layering together with Dimensionals.

Place a small Metallic Foil Doily behind the flower using Glue Dots.

Pull strands from the Jute Ribbon to create the whispies behind the flower.  Attach using Multipurpose Liquid Glue.  Loop a length of Metallic Gold Baker’s Twine and attach over the Jute Ribbon. Place a length of Tear and Tape tape to hold the ribbon and the twine and attach the flower using glue dots.

The last step was to create the sentiment:

Stamp with Versa Mark and emboss with Gold Emboss Powder on Whisper White card stock. Die cut using the Lots of Labels Framelits.  I trimmed off the top and bottom of the framelit to make the sentiment a little smaller.  Finally, attach the flower to the bottom of sentiment and add Pearl Jewel.

What do you think of this Happy Wedding Day card?  Leave me a comment. I welcome all comments – good, bad and the ugly.

I was inspired by “creative stamping” to make this card.

 

12 Weeks of Christmas Coming to A Newsletter Near You

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12 Weeks of Christmas

12 Weeks of Christmas?  What is that?  Well, the 12 Weeks of Christmas newsletters are only for the subscribers to the Simply Said with Karen email list.  If you are not on the email list, you are unable to receive the cute projects that are delivered to your In Box for the 12 weeks prior to Christmas. These projects include a supply list and details instructions on how to create the project.  All the projects in the 12 Weeks of Christmas newsletters are exclusive and you will not find them on my blog, facebook, Pinterest and/or twitter.

How do I make sure that I receive the 12 emails with Christmas projects?  The only thing you need to do is sign up for my mailing list.  One form is located on the top right hand side of this blog post, or if you are new to my blog, a pop-up sign up form likely appeared for you to fill in.

Once you have confirmed your sign up, you will receive the link to my free gift, a link to an opportunity to save $s on a video tutorial that takes you through all the steps of making a cute card, and a link to the latest newsletter.

Read more about the advantages of becoming a subscriber to the Simply Said with Karen email list HERE.

Here is an example of a Christmas greeting card made with products from the 2015 Holiday Catalogue.

12 Weeks of ChristmasRecipe

Stamps: Jingle All the Way.

Ink/Markers: Basic Black.

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pool Party, Garden Green, Winter Woodland DSP, Gold Glimmer Paper.

Accessories: Big Shot, Sleigh Ride Edgelit Dies, Circle Collection Framelits, 1/2″ Circle Punch,  Snowflake Elements, Gold Cording Trim, White Perfect Accents, Gold Glitter, Fine Tip Glue Pen.

I had so much fun creating this card.  I managed to use all 3 of the Sleigh Ride Edgelit Dies and yes, it did take some scratching of the head to get them to look like I wanted.

The rest of the card was fairly simple.  To make like easier, I adhered the DSP to a piece of WHisper White cardstock and then die cut the circle.  I started of with the piece of Pool Party card stock and worked my way down  placing the edgelits where i want them to appear.  Once I had the circle cut, I went about placing the die cuts.

To frame the image, a border circle was die cut from Gold Glimmer paper using the same die as the original circle was cut and then the next one up.

Finally I add the Gold Glitter to the art image using the Fine Tip Glue Pen.

Sign up for the Simply Said with Karen email list and you are sure to receive the 12 Weeks of Christmas newsletters.

Spooky Halloween Nights with Ghosts and Goblins

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Spooky Halloween Nights

Spooky Halloween nights arrive October 31st.  You can sense the ghosts and goblins in the sky and hiding out behind the trees in the forest.  Wait! I see white eyes and I think I see a ghost!

Spooky Halloween NightsSpooky Halloween NightsRecipe

Stamps: Among The Branches.

Ink/Markers: Stazon White, Whisper White Craft, Basic Black.

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black.

Accessories: Big Shot, Woodland Embossing Folder, Little Letters Thinlit Die,  2” Circle Punch, Owl Builder Punch.

Create this Spooky Halloween Nights card with just a few items.  This one I created for one of my grandchildren which will help create that spooky feeling.

The Woodland embossing folder created the spooky woods on Basic Black cardstock. To make the trees stand out in the blackness (is that a word?), I sponged White Stazon ink on the tree trunk and branches.

To add the ghosts and goblins among the trees, I stamped the eyes randomly on the Basic Black with Whisper White Craft ink. The Ghost was created using the Owl Builder punch.  I simply cut the feet from the body and turned it upside down.  The ravens and crow were stamped with Basic Black ink, cut out and put on the branches.

On the inside of the card, I created the word “BOO” using the Little Letters Thinlit dies.  If the “O” looks a little weird because I had to alter the “Q” to look like an “O”.  I know that “O” is around somewhere, I just need to do some digging around.

Who would you create a Spooky Halloween Nights card for?  Leave a comments and let me know.

 

Thinking of You with Thoughts and Prayers

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Thinking Of You

Thinking of You cards usually mean that someone is going through a tough time in their life.  It seems that I have made a few of these types of cards this year.

However, it is a time of reflection on the life of the person and those close to them.

Both the Watercolor Wings and the Butterfly Basic stamp sets are perfect for these types of cards.  By changing up the colours, you can make the card peaceful, calming or joyful and vibrant. Of course, the colour choice always depends on the occasion and who the card is for.

Thinking of YouRecipe

Stamps: Watercolor Wings, Butterfly Basics, Thoughts and Prayers, Petite Petals.

Ink/Markers: Mint Macaron, Lost Lagoon, Bermuda Bay, Rose Red, Daffodil Delight, Sahara Sand, Tip Top Taupe.

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Mint Macaron, Pear Pizzazz.

Accessories: Big Shot, Bold Butterfly Framelits, Butterflies Thinlits, Lots of Labels Framelits, Brick Wall Emboss Folder, Pansy Punch, Bird Builder Punch, Tea Lace Paper Doily, Pearl Jewels.

This is the first card that I created using the Brick Wall Embossing Folder and it is the perfect backdrop to this thinking of you card.  To achieve the effect of the ferns and border on the wall, these images were stamped prior to embossing with the folder. After embossing, I took a sponge and Sahara Sand ink and went over the wall.

To provide some bright colour, the flowers were stamped in Rose Red and Daffodil Delight ink and punched. The leaves were punched from Pear Pizzazz card stock and sponged lightly with Tip Top Taupe. The flowers and the leaves were added to a piece of Tea Lace Doily.

I stamped the ” Thinking of You ” sentiment on Whisper White and die cut it and a piece of Mint Macaron using the Lots of Labels Framelits.The Mint Macaron label was cut in half lengthwise and added to the Whisper White for a border.

If you have need for a thinking of you card, the stamp sets that I used for this card would be a great place to start your creation.

Click on the picture links below and you will be taken right to my online store if any products are needed.

Supply List

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Monarch Butterfly For An Anniversary Wish

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Monarch Butterfly Wishes

The Monarch butterfly is so beautiful and comes in so many different colours.  As we move into Fall, I decided that this monarch butterfly needed to fly the fall colours.

Monarch ButterflyRecipe

Stamps: Watercolor Wings, Celebrate.

Ink/Markers: Tangelo Twist, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral.

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Tangelo Twist, Typeset DSP, Irresistibly Yours DSP, Vellum.

Accessories: Big Shot, Bold Butterfly Framelits, Butterflies Thinlits, Fluttering Emboss Folder, Tea Lace Paper Doily, Banners Framelits, 1-1/4” Burlap Ribbon, Pearl Jewels.

The Irresistibly Yours paper is sponged using Tangelo Twist, Daffodil Delight and Calypso Coral inks.  The velum is embossed using the Fluttering Emboss Folder and adhered to the top of the Irresistibly Yours paper. This causes the bright colours to be softened.

To create the Monarch butterfly:

  • Stamp the bottom layer in Daffodil Delight, stamp the second layer in Calypso Coral and stamp the top layer in Tangelo Twist.  Die cut the image with the large Bold Butterfly framelit.
  • Using the Butterflies framelits, die cut an intricate butterfly from Basic Black.  Attach the cutout to the solid butterfly using the Fine Tip Glue Pen which is available from the 2015 Holiday Catalogue. It’s great for adhering small embellishments and paper cutouts to projects.

The sentiment is stamped on Whisper White using Tangelo Twist ink.  A strip of Tangelo Twist card stock forms a contrast to the white sentiment.

Cut a  piece of Basic Black card stock and Typeset DSP using the Banners Framelits.  Attach the two flag and mount on a flagged piece of Burlap Ribbon.

The monarch butterfly is now winging it’s way to wish a happy couple anniversary wishes.

Do you want to create this project and are missing some of the products?  Shop my Online store

Supply List

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

Cozy Christmas Eve – Oh, What Fun For Family

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A Cozy Christmas Eve

Oh, a cozy Christmas Eve.  It’s something that a lot of us think about as the big day gets closer.  A cozy Christmas eve sitting by a warm fire, the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, soft snow falling, the soft glow of the neighbour’s lights, is something we all think about for Christmas eve.

Cozy ChristmasRecipe

Stamps: Cozy Christmas.

Ink/Markers: Basic Grey, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Night of Navy.

Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Red Foil, Window Sheets, Trim The Tree DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Hearth and Home Framelits, Dazzling Diamonds, Real Red 1/4” Cotton Ribbon, 1/4” Handheld Circle Punch, Silhouette Pine Boughs, Chalk Pen.

This stamp set is so cute and with it’s 8 stamps, you can create endless cards, tags, scrapbook pages and gift bags.  Of course, the matching embellishments (enamel dots and buttons), Designer Series Paper, Pompom trim and the stripped ribbon, all add to the pretty and cute items that you can create.

I love the new Hearth and Home framelits and they can be used for so many different scenes.

Before stamping the image, the sky was sponged using a Sponge Dauber and Night of Navy ink.  Heavy sponging was done at the top and then a lighter touch used as I brought the colour done.  Santa in his sleigh was stamped across the sky and finally, snow flakes were created using the Chalk Pen.

The image was stamped in Basic Grey on Whisper White car stock.   I added some colour in the windows with a Daffodil marker.  The snow on the roof and below the house was created using 2-Way Glue and Dazzling Diamond glitter.  Such an easy way to add the touch of snow.

Once I had the cozy Christmas scene created, I mounted the Window Sheet and the framelits.  Finally, I die cut the Old Olive boughs with my Silhouette, attached them below the window, punched a few berries from Red Foil and attached them to the boughs.

You can find another scene with the Home and Hearth framelits here.

What have you made using the Hearth and Home framelits?  Do you need any of the supplies to create this card?  You can email me or order directly from my ONLINE store.

The new Stampin’ Up! holiday catalogue goes live September 1st.  Wah Woo!

 

Christmas Delicate Ornaments – Hang Them On A Card

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Christmas Delicate Ornaments

The Christmas Delicate Ornaments stamp set is new to the 2015 Stampin’ Up! Holiday catalogue.  This stamp set will create many possibilities for your Christmas card making.  The best part is the matching Delicate Ornament Thinlits Dies to cut out the ornaments.

Three of the dies have very intricate cuts, so Stampin’ Up! has introduced a new product to help with removing the bits after the ornaments are die cut.  It’s the Precision Base Plate.  This is not magnetic and you will need to use the Multipurpose Platform that comes with your Big Shot. The plate is steel and will provide greater performance when cutting intricate dies.

One word of caution: Do Not Use This Plate with The Magnetic Platform as you may pinch your fingers.  Ouch!

There may be a few bits that you will have to coax out of the cuts.  This is easily done using a stiff paint brush that you can find at the Dollar Store.

You can mix and match the die cuts with the Christmas delicate ornaments.  You are able to stamp the ornaments and then cut them out with the solid thinlits or layer the die cuts over solid cardstock as I did with the Olive Green ornament.

Christmas Delicate OrnamentsRecipe

Stamps: Embellished Ornaments.

Ink/Markers: VersaMark.

Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Real Red, Gold Foil, Red Foil, Neutrals Colour Collection DSP Stack (Gold Stripes).

Accessories: Big Shot, Delicate Ornament Thinlit Dies, Softly Falling Embossing Folder, Banner Triple Punch, Gold Embossing Powder, Real Red Ribbon, Gold Cording Trim.

There are a couple of additional new products used on this card.  It’s the Red Foil paper and the Gold Cording Trim. These 2 new products give you lots of options for making your fall and holiday cards.

So, have you started creating Christmas delicate ornaments in your head?  Are you creative juices starting to flow? Remember you can order from my Online Store on September 1, 2015.

 

Christmas Birch Tree Limbs Display Their Ornaments

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Christmas Birch Tree

A Christmas birch tree with ornaments makes a beautiful Christmas Card.  It is so serene and elegant…and very simple to recreate.

There are a couple of 2015 Holiday Catalogue sneak peeks on this Christmas Birch tree card.  Can you see them?  Actually the majority of the products used on this card are new!.  I can’t wait until September 1st so that you can order from this catalogue.

Christmas Birch TreeChristmas Birch Tree Recipe

Stamps: Among the Branches.

Ink/Markers: Smokey Slate, VersaMark.

Paper: Whisper White, Smokey Slate, Wonderland Specialty DSP, Silver Glimmer.

Accessories: Big Shot, Circles Collection Framelits, Woodland Embossing Folder 2-1/2” Circle Punch, Silver Embossing Powder, Silver Thread.

So how did I create this card?

The card base is the new Whisper White thick card stock.  This new card stock is the cat’s meow for card bases.  It is heavier and more substantial than the normal Whisper White card stock. Well, actually 20#s heavier.

The Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder is also new in the catalogue.  You will notice that the size of the new embossing folders are larger.  They are 6″ x 6″.  Stampin’ Up! went to this new format to accommodate the international market which uses different measures when creating cards.  These need the Big Shot with the platform and are too large for the Textured Embossing machine.  Boo-hoo.  The Textured Embossing Machine was so handy.

The branch is stamped in Smokey Slate ink on Whisper White paper.  The two ornaments are stamped in Versamark and embossed with Silver Embossing.  This stamp set is made of photopolymar and you can see through them.  So it was easy to line up both the ornament stamps on the clear block.  Just position your stamps where you would like them making sure that the smooth side of the stamp is up.  Now place your block over the stamps.  Wherever you want to stamp, you will get perfect placement.

The image was punched using the 2-1/2″ Circle Punch and mounted on the piece of Winter Woodland DSP which was cut using Circles Collection Framelits.

The Among the Branches stamp set will give you all sorts of reasons to create a Christmas Birch Tree card.  Leave me a comments and let me know what you think of this card.

 

Poinsettia Handmade Card For Christmas

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Poinsettia Handmade Card

A poinsettia handmade card just says Christmas. Yes, it’s a sneak peek from Stampin’ Up!’s 2015 Holiday Catalogue. Poinsettias come in many colours, however, I prefer the red ones.  Every year I purchase a poinsettia plant before Christmas and I consider myself lucky if I can get it to last until New Years.  I don’t have a green thumb.

This is a very pretty stamp set and it has many different options for you.  First, you can purchase the Reason for the Season stamp set and the Festive Flower Builder Punch as a bundle.  By purchasing as a bundle, you will save yourself 15% on each product.  Such as deal!!

Using the punch and the several of the stamps, you can build your own poinsettia.  You can also punch out a flower center in the colour of your choice.

The other option is the 2-step stamping.  Stamp the line image (flower and leaves) in Basic Black (the new archival Basic Black).  Then stamp the petals in Real Red and the leaves in Cucumber Crush.  Both the flower petals and the leaves stamps have a guide for easy line up. Voila, you have your flower to mount on your Poinsettia Handmade Card. Of course, to mount the flower on the card front, you will have to fussy cut it.

Poinsettia Handmade CardRecipe For Poinsettia Handmade Card

Stamps: Reason for the Season.

Ink/Markers: Basic Black, Real Red Cucumber Crush, Pool Party, VersaMark.

Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party Wonderland Specialty DSP, Gold Foil.

Accessories: Big Shot, Circles Collection Framelits, Dots and Stripes Decorative Mask, White Tea Lace Paper Doily, Gold Thread, Gold Embossing Powder.

The background panel was made using the stripe mask from the Dots and Stripes Decorative Masks.  You can make interesting backgrounds by sponging, brayering, or spraying your inks on your cardstock with the mask held in place with removable adhesives.

The strip of white and gold Winter Wonderland DSP, along with the Gold Foil Frame add to the elegance of this poinsettia handmade card.  To even go further with the elegance, loop some of the Gold Thread behind the sentiment.

Don’t forget to add 1/2 of a Paper Tea Lace Doily.

Check back to my blog often, as I will be blogging some more Sneak Peeks.

 

Christmas Card Ideas – Gently Falling In the Forest

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Christmas Card Ideas

It’s a bit early for Christmas card ideas. However, the time sneaks up on us and it’s time to start planning and designing your Christmas cards.

There is nothing more serene than a tree in the forest and the snow coming down.  Sometimes the view can just take your breath away.

Yes, the new Stampin’ Up! catalogue is here and there are lots of Christmas card ideas to choose from.  Today, I am sharing a card that I cased from the catalogue.  There are a few changes from the original picture, but it’s very close.

Christmas Card IdeasRecipe

Stamps: Lovely As A Tree, Jingle All The Way.

Ink/Markers: Basic Black, Versamark.

Paper: Whisper White, Vellum, Winter Wonderland Specialty DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Softly Falling EF, Gold Cording Trim, Snowflake Elements, Gold Embossing Powder.

As you can see, I used the Lovely As A Tree as my stamp for the forest.  This stamp set as been around for a very long time and it is so versatile.  It’s one of those stamps that you need to have in your stamp collection.

The trees were stamped 3 times on Whisper White cardstock with the new Archival Basic Black ink. In addition, before reinking, I stamped more trees.  This gave me my forest.

Then, I stamped my forest again on Vellum card stock, matching the original forest as close as possible.  This provides an appearance of depth to the forest.

Before embossing the panel, the “Silent Night” sentiment from the Jingle All the Way stamp set was stamped in Versamark and embossed with Gold Embossing Powder.  When everything dried, the vellum panel was put through the Big Shot using the Gently Fall Embossing Folder.

The vellum panel was attached to the card base using Glue Dots.  When attaching vellum, try and put your adhesive in spots where it won’t show.

Finally, strips of the gold striped paper from the Winter Wonderland Specialty DSP was added at the top and bottom.  In the corner, I wrapped loops of the Gold Cording trim and adhered it to the panel and placed a snow flake from the Snowflakes Elements on top of the loops.

These products will be available to order starting September 1st.

If you have the catalogue, now is the time to start looking for Christmas card ideas.  I am sure that you will find a few that you would like to recreate.

If you don’t have a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator and live in Canada, please contact me to receive your 2015 Holiday Catalogue. Get your Christmas card ideas flowing.

 

 

Pumpkin Harvest – Handmade Fall Greeting Card

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Pumpkin Harvest Card – Sneak Peek

The pumpkin harvest has started.  As we head into September, we will see a lot of pumpkins from our windows.

The Happy Scenes stamp set is perfect for making different scenes as we go into the fall season.  I can be used for Christmas, Halloween, Winter and Fall.  The best thing though, is the matching Hearth & Home thinlit dies which as a perfect match for this stamp set.  You can create you own window to view the different happy scenes.

These scenes can be switched out for many different cards depending upon the sentiment you attach to your card.  A few of the images like the trees can be used for male birthday cards.

For now, I have decided to go with the pumpkin harvest scene.

Pumpkin HarvestRecipe

Stamps: Happy Scenes.

Ink/Markers: Soft Sky, Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso, Mossy Meadow Marker, Tangelo Twist Marker.

Paper: Whisper White, Tangelo Twist, Window Sheet, Into the Woods DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Hearth and Home Thinlits, Pear Pizzazz 1/4” Cotton Ribbon, Paper Tea Lace Doily.

This card is quite straight forward to make.  I did use some colour wash in the background after stamping the image. Using a sponge, the sky is sponged in Soft Sky ink and the ground is sponged in Pear Pizzazz.

The leaves and pumpkins were coloured in with the markers.

Finally to make the window, a piece of Window Sheet was cut to the same size as the stamped image panel.  The stamped image panel was cut and trimmed using the window from the Hearth & Home thinlits as a guide.

The window was attached to the stamped image panel and the window frame using Mini Glue Dots.

Finally the work “Grateful” was coloured with Early Espresso ink.  I picked out this word from the full sentiment – “Thinking of You….with a Grateful Heart”.  You can make up your own sentiments.

So what will your pumpkin harvest be?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Watercolor On Paper With the You’ve Got This Stamp Set

Simply Said With Karen Posted on by

Watercolor On Paper

Have you tried the watercolor on paper technique?  Watercoloring is making a resurgence and adults have started to color images on different types of medium.

Why is this technique making a comeback?  It’s like everything else in life, what is old, is new again.  Many people find that to watercolor on paper is a way to relax especially in these days of go, go, go.

Most people when they think about watercoloring, think about a painting on canvas.  Did you know that can also watercolor on paper? There are many techniques and tools to help you out with this process.

My card share today uses markers and the blender pen from Stampin’ Up!.

watercolor on paperRecipe

Stamps: You’ve Got This.

Ink/Markers: Marina Mist, Soft Sky Delightful Dijon, Cucumber Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Basic Grey Archival Ink, Basic Black Archival Ink.

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Grey, Soft Sky, Neutrals DSP Stack (Basic Grey Script Sheet).

Accessories: Big Shot, Lots of Labels Framelits, 1/4” Circle Punch, 5/8” Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Blender Pens, Clear Block.

Steps to create this card:

  • The  flower was stamped on Whisper White using the Basic Black Archival ink.
  • To color the flower, the Marina Mist and the Soft Sky markers were scribbled onto a clear block.  This becomes your pallet for picking up the colors. Using a Blender Pen, pick up some of the Marina Mist and start coloring.  Leave some white space on the flower petals.  Now pick up some of the Soft Sky ink off the clear block.  Start to shade the petals and again leaving some white space.  This will allow the look of shading.  THe leave were done in the same manner using Cucumber Crush and Pear Pizzazz
  • The large background stamp is stamped on Basic Grey card stock using the new Archival Basic Grey ink.  This product will be available to order when the Holiday Catalogue goes live on September 1st. This panel was die cut using the Lots of Labels Framelits, holes punched in each end with the 1/2″ Circle punch.
  • Before attaching the die cut panels, string the Satin Ribbon through the punched holes and tie in a know.  Don’t forget to trim your ends.

Try the watercolor on paper technique and enjoy the sense of relaxation.

Let me know how you did and I would love to see your project.  Email it to me and I will post on my blog.   Of course you will receive credit for your beautiful creation.