Fall Cards Sneak Peek from the 2015 Holiday Catalogue

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Fall Cards Sneak Peek

Today, I am sharing fall cards and I do know that it is a bit early for fall.  But I couldn’t wait.

As a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator, I am able to pre-order new products a month earlier than the live dates for the catalogues.  One of the perks of a Stampin’ Up! demo.

So when I received my order, I knew I had to try out some of the new stamps and other products.

So, I decided to ink up the Among the Branches stamp set.  The other stamp set I decided to use on this card is the Vintage Leaves from the Annual Catalogue.

Fall CardsAutumn Wishes Recipe

Stamps: Among The Branches, Vintage Leaves.

Ink/Markers: Tangelo Twist, Rich Razzleberry, Delightful Dijon, Mossy Meadow.

Paper: Whisper White, Mossy Meadow, Crumb Cake, Into The Woods DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Banners Framelits, Circle Framelits, Leaflets Framelits, Woodland Embossing Folder, 2” Circle Punch, 5/8” Natural Chevron Ribbon, Linen Thread, Gold & White 3/8” Glitter Ribbon.

I love the colours on fall cards.  I am so fortunate to live in an area where we can see the fall colours and enjoy the beautiful fall leaves.

Some items of interest on this card:

  •  The card base if made using the thick Whisper White card stock.  This is available in the Annual Catalogue and it is 100# paper as compared to the regular Whisper White at 80#.  I absolutely love this paper.
  • The small leaves were randomly stamped on the card base using Tangelo Twist, Mossy Meadow and Delight Dijon.  Some of the leaves were stamped off and some were stamped at full strength.
  • The small leaves from the Vintage Leaves stamp set were stamped in Rich Razzleberry and sponged with Delightful Dijon and Mossy Meadow and tied together with Linen Thread to act as an embellishment.
  • The White 3/8″ Glitter Ribbon was coloured on the wrong side of the ribbon with a Tangelo Twist marker.  Remember to let the ribbon dry before you apply to the card.
  • Did you notice the new embossing folder?  It’s the Woodland Embossing Folder and it will be put to lots of use as it can be used for so many scenes besides fall cards.

I hope that you enjoyed the Fall cards sneak peek.  Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite season is.

 

Wedding Card in a Bag and with a Matching Gift Card

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 Wedding Card In A Bag

Have you ever given a wedding card in a bag?  I thought I would create something different for an up coming wedding.

This year, Stampin’ Up! introduced the Glassine Sheets.  Glassine sheets are translucent with a wax paper-like feeling.  They are resistant to grease, air and water, which makes them an excellent choice for paper crafting.

This was my first time using the glassine sheets to create a project. I was quite pleased that the sheets were easy to work with.

Wedding Card in a BagWedding Card in a BagRecipe

Stamps: For the New Two.

Ink/Markers: Stazon Black, Watermelon, Soft Sky, Old Olive.

Paper: Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Sahara Sand, 2015-17 In Color DSP Stack (watermelon floral), Fancy Foil Designer Vellum, White Vellum Cardstock, Gold Foil, Glassine Sheets.

Accessories: Big Shot, Lovely Lace Embossing Folder, Gift Card Envelope & Trim Thinlits, Mini Treat Bag Thinlit, Lots of Labels Thinlits, Gold Metallic Thread, Calypso Coral Seam Binding Ribbon, Whisper White Baker’s Twine, Sahara Sand 7/8” Lace Trim, 1/8” Gold Trim, Mini Metallic Clothespins.

The wedding card in a bag was die cut using the Mini Treat Bag Thinlit and then constructed normally.  For adhesive, I used Mini-Glue Dots.  After the treat bag/envelope was together, I embossed the whole thing with the Lovely Lace Embossing Folder.

How did I do the wedding card in a bag once I had the bag together.

I placed a piece of Sahara Sand card stock in the wedding card bag to write a message to the happy couple.  This also helps to make the bag less transparent. The bag is wrapped with a piece of Calypso Coral Seam Binding Ribbon and Sahara Sand Lace Trim.

To make the tag, a piece of the Watermelon flowered designer paper from the 2015-17 In Color Designer Paper Stack was die cut with the Lots of Labels Thinlits and squared off at the bottom. A piece of Fancy Foil Velum (gold hearts) paper was die cut the same size.  The sentiment, flowers and leaves were stamped in Black Stazon ink.  The flowers were coloured with Soft Sky and Calypso Coral markers and the leaves coloured with Old Olive markers. These were fussy cut and placed onto the tag.  A Gold Foil heart was die cut with the heart from the Mini Treat Bag Thinlit. Finally, a length of the Gold Metallic Thread was looped and placed behind the heart.

The gift card holder was made using the same DSP as the tag and cut with the Gift Card Envelope & Trim Thinlits.  This can be tucked into the wedding card in a bag and the bag held closed with the Mini Metallic Clothespin.

Would you make a Wedding card in a bag as a gift and card for a couple that are getting married? For a more traditional wedding card, see this POST.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

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Craft Ideas- Join the Simply Said with Karen Email List

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Do You Need Craft Ideas?

Sometimes craft ideas are hard to come to mind.  How often do you search the internet for a project, only to come up with no ideas?  Now you can have beautiful craft ideas delivered to your email inbox on a monthly basis.

Your first thought is likely, more email?  But hold on and I will tell you a little about the Simply Said with Karen email list.

Each month I send out the Simply Said with Karen newsletter with beautiful craft ideas for you to create.

craft ideasIn a year that means you will get 12 – 36 ideas.  That’s not bad.  However you will also get valuable information in the way of answers to questions that you may have, techniques to try out and tips for various tools.  Often tools have more uses that for what they were intended.  Bonus!

There is more!  From time to time, I send out other craft ideas during the year.  And yes, these ideas have a list of supplies and detailed instructions, and they are also exclusive!.  You will not see these craft ideas posted on my blog, facebook or twitter.

Signing up for the Simply Said with Karen email list is so easy. Here are a few different ways you can sign up.

  • If you are new visitor to my blog, a form will appear when you land on my page.  Fill it out and you are on the list! Easy.
  • You can sign up for my email list by filling in the form on the upper right hand side of my blog.  Easy!
  • Use this link to add your name and email address to my list

Sign Up Form

Here is what happens when you complete the form.

  1. You will receive an opt in response requesting that you verify that you did sign up.
  2. You will receive an email which will Thank You for signing up and it will also have the links to your thank you gift.
  3. You will receive an email with a link to the latest Simply Said with Karen newsletter.

What are waiting for?  Get craft ideas delivered right to your inbox.  Sign up now!

 

Handmade Happy Birthday Tree with Red Apples

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Handmade Happy Birthday Tree

A handmade happy birthday tree with bright red apples is sure to please the most difficult to please.  We all know someone like that.  No matter what you do, it just isn’t the right thing.

Even if they don’t celebrate birthdays, this card can be turned into a “hello” card or a “thank you” card.  It will still be handmade.  Besides, if you purchase the Sprinkles of Life stamp set, you are helping out Ronald MacDonald House Charities.  A portion of every stamp sold goes to the charities to make life a little more pleasant for families who are going through tough medical issues and can’t be at home.

I love this cute stamp set.  It has so many possibilities with the different images and sentiments.  It seems to be my go to stamp at the moment.

Handmade Happy BirthdayRecipe

Stamps: Sprinkles of Life, Tin of Cards.

Ink/Markers: Cucumber Crush, Real Red, Watermelon Wonder, Tip Top Taupe.

Paper: Whisper White, Whisper White Thick, Watermelon Wonder, Cucumber Crush, Real Red, Crumb Cake, Cherry On Top DSP Stack.

Accessories: Big Shot, Circles Collection Framelits, Tree Builder Punch, Sprinkles on Top Washi Tape, Rhinestone Jewels.

I am lovin’ this font in the Tin of Cards stamp set.  I will likely be using the large sentiment stamps over and over again.  If you have a look at the stamp set, you will see why I say that this handmade happy birthday can become any type of card you want to give.  Even the hardest to please will certainly have a grin at the cheery colours.

The matching punch for the Sprinkles of Life stamp set has the punch outs for the tree (trunk and leaves), apples (or cherries if you prefer), the bird, and the flower.

Have fun with these 2 stamp sets and see what you can create.  Maybe a handmade happy birthday tree?

Perpetual Calendar – Create one for You. Create One for a Friend

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Perpetual Calendar Makes Your Life Easier

The perpetual calendar is mainly used to calculate the day of the week that any given date will fall.  The calculations are complicated (at least as I can tell), so won’t be going into here.  But, if you would like to see the calculations, they are out there.

If you have a watch with a dial that contains dates or days of the week, that is a perpetual calendar.

Actually, the perpetual calendar is a handy little device and you can make your own using the Stampin’ Up! Perpetual Birthday Calendar Project Kit.  It’s just not for birthdays.  You can use for anniversaries, baptisms, christenings so that you will not forget those events that mean so much to family and friends. Because the dates are not tied to any particular day, you can use the Perpetual Calendar for a very long time.  All you need to do is record the birthday on the pages with the month and date.  You will not have to write all those events on a calendar. It’s a time saver.

The kit comes loaded with papers and embellishments.  The only thing you need to supply is the stamp set, ink, scissors and adhesive.  I held a class last month where we used the kit to make the calendar and some other supplies.

Here is August for an example.

Perpetual Calendar

Stampin’ Up!’s kits always have supplies left over. We created a couple of cards using these supplies.

Both of these cards are made using the Note cards and Envelopes.  Great to have on hand if you want to make a quick card.

Friendship Card

Perpetual CalendarStamps: Perpetual Birthday Calendar, Choose Happiness.

Ink/Markers: Mint Macaron, Tip Top Taupe, Delightful Dijon.

Paper: Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Note Cards and Envelopes.

Accessories: Big Shot, Elegant Dots Embossing Folder, Mint Macaron 1” Dotted Lace, Whisper White 1/4” Cotton Ribbon, Pearl Jewels.

I cut the ribbon in half so that it wasn’t as wide as normal and layered the Whisper White Cotton Ribbon over the cut edge.

Encouragement Card

Perpetual CalendarStamps: Perpetual Birthday Calendar, Be The Star.

Ink/Markers: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Tuxedo Black.

Paper: Whisper White, Lost Lagoon, Note Cards and Envelopes.

Accessories: Big Shot, Lucky Stars, Gold Sequins.

Now you can create a Perpetual Calendar for yourself and one for a friend.  That is a great way for your friend to remember your Birthday.

Ice Cream Summer Treat – What Could Be Better?

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Ice Cream Summer Treat

What is better than an Ice Cream Summer Treat.  Why not use it for a handmade Birthday Card.  Besides, July is ice cream month and the ice cream cone had a birthday on July 23rd.

Ice Cream Summer TreatRecipe

Stamps: Sprinkles of Life, You’ve Got This.

Ink/Markers: Pink Pirouette, Rich Razzleberry, Tip Top Taupe, Tuxedo Black.

Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Crumb Cake, Hello Honey, Tip Top Taupe, Bohemian DSP, Shimmery White.

Accessories: Big Shot, Lots of Labels Framelits, Boho Chic Embossing Folder, Gold Glitter, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Aqua Pen, Tree Builder Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Shaving Cream, Bohemian Designer Washi Tape.

Shaving Cream Technique

You can make your ice cream seem real by using the shaving cream technique.  This technique is quite fun to do, a little messy, but fun.

This is how you do it.

  1. You will need a can of foamy shaving cream, a stir stick, and a paper plate.
  2. Shake up your shaving cream and squirt some on your paper plate.  Now add a few drops of reinker to your shaving cream.  I used Pink Pirouette and Rich Razzleberry.  Be careful though, a little bit of reinker goes a long way.  The ice cream looks a bit like Black Cherry.  What do you think?
  3. Now swirl your toothpick through the shaving cream, being careful not to mix so much that your colour becomes muddy.
  4. When you have achieved the desired colour, put your paper face down into the shaving cream.  Make sure that your paper is covered.  Remove the paper and wipe the excess shaving cream off the paper.  To speed up the drying process you can use a heat too.  I used Shimmery White card stock as it is a little heavier than the regular Whisper White card stock.
  5. Stamp 3 ice cream scoops in Tuxedo Black.

How to get the Gold Glitter on your Ice Cream Summer Treat.

  1. Mix a few drops of Multipurpose Liquid Glue with water from your Aqua Painter.
  2. Take your Aqua Painter and flick it on your Ice Cream Scoops.  Try not to get the splotches to big
  3. Before the splotches dry, sprinkled Gold Glitter over your scoops.

Voila! you now have glittery ice cream.

Here is one more tip to get some texture to your card.  Attach the Washi Tape to your card stock and use the embossing folder to add a pattern.

Happy Birthday to the Ice Cream Cone.  Now it’s your turn to make yourself an Ice Cream Summer Treat.  I will leave it up to you to decide if it’s a card or the real thing.

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Keep Your Ink Pads Fresh -Your Images Will be Crisp

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Keep Your Ink Pads Fresh

Keep your ink pads fresh!  This is an important tip for stampers.  How many times have you inked up a stamp image and stamped it only to find that it is missing some parts of the image?  Do you find that your stamped images are not crisp. Or have you inked your stamped and then when you stamp, the image is not the colour you thought it would be.

The reasons for these issues is because your ink pads are not fresh.

So, how do you keep your ink pads fresh?

  1. Make sure that you have reinkers on hand to match your ink pads.  The best way to insure this is to purchase a reinker at the same time you purchase the ink pad.
  2. The first sign that your ink pad is running low on ink is a faded image.  Now you are prepared because you purchased the reinker at the same time as you purchased the ink pad.  Right?
  3. It’s not time to refresh your ink pad by adding ink from the reinker.  The reinker usually comes in a squeeze bottle with a nib.  Turn the reinker up side down and swirl it across your ink pad.  You may have to use a spoon or a palette to press the ink down into the pad.  Now when you ink up your stamp and stamp your image it will be a clear, crisp image.
  4. Make sure that you store your ink pads so that the ink flows to the top of the ink pad.  This will also help keep your ink pads fresh.  Stampin’ Up! ink pads close so that the ink pad is automatically upside down. If you don’t use Stampin’ Up! inks, make sure that when you store the ink pad, it is upside down.
  5. Do not cross-contaminate your inks.  Cross contamination occurs when you ink up a stamp with one colour and do not clean the stamp before you ink up the stamp with another colour ink.  Cross contamination is not cool because often you cannot undo the cross contamination.

Steps to Reink Ink Pads

Keep your ink pads freshKeep Your Ink Pads FreshKeep Your Ink Pads Fresh

 

Handmade Sympathy Card – Sharing in Your Sorrow

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Handmade Sympathy Card

Expressing your sympathy with a handmade sympathy card is a sincere gesture for those that are grieving.  It is a way for you to share in the sorrow and express your grief.  It is important to grieve and knowing that there is someone who is going through the same feelings is comforting.

 Handmade Sympathy CardRecipe

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic, Thoughts and Prayers.

Ink/Markers: Tuxedo Black, VersaMark.

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Everyday Chic DSP.

Accessories: Silver Embossing Powder, Black Embossing Powder, Project Life Corner Rounding Punch, White 1-1/4” Jute Ribbon, Silver 1/8” Ribbon, Rhinestone Jewels.

Yes, I did fussy cutting for this handmade sympathy card as I wanted to create some dimension to the focal image.  It took a bit of time to fussy card, but I like the effect.  What do you think?  Stampin’ Up!’s Paper Snips are great for fussy cutting because they have very pointy tips.

The dragon fly has a legend behind it. Walter Dudley Cavert told the story about the dragon fly rising from the bottom of a lily pond and it’s journey to a new life.

Read More Here

I have made too many handmade sympathy cards lately, and I hope that this card will be the last one for a while.

This card is special because it was for my BFF’s husband.  I choose black, white and polka dots because these3 design elements were her favorites.

What is your go to stamp set for a handmade sympathy card?  Leave a comment and let me know.

 

Double Pocket Birthday Card With A Tag

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Double Pocket Birthday Card

Today’s project is a double pocket birthday card with a tag for my SIL.  Lots of work, however, I sure did have fun creating it.  Word of caution: I likely would not do this type of card at a class.  If you do, then I would do a stepped down version.  Just sayin’.

I was inspired by a card by Castle Park Designs.  She has a tutorial on how to create the folds for this card.

Double Pocket Birthday Card

Front With Tag Inserted

Recipe

Stamps: Watercolor Wings, Butterfly Basics, Happy Birthday, Everyone.

Ink/Markers: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, Tip Top Taupe, Delightful Dijon, Hello Honey, Night of Navy, Old Olive, VersaMark Daffodil Delight.

Paper: Whisper White Hello Honey, Tip Top Taupe, English Garden DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Fluttering Embossing Folder, Bold Butterfly Framelits, Butterflies Thinlets, Lots of Labels Framelits, Bitty Butterfly Punch, 1/4” Circle Hand Held Punch, Pearl Jewels, Tip Top Taupe 1” Dotted Lace Trim, Whisper White 1/4” Cotton Ribbon, Whisper White Baker’s Twine, Tea Lace Paper Doily, Heat and Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Pearl Jewels, Classy Designer Buttons.

The fold is a bit complicated and because it is a 12″ x 12″, it tended to be a bit unwieldy.  One the first try, I followed the instructions to the letter, but I just wasn’t happy with the results.  So I did it again, and did not fold and score.  I tried to do as much scoring as I could with a single layer.

Here are more views of the card.

Double Pocket Birthday Card

Close Up of Tag

  • The flowers are coloured using Daffodil Delight, Delightful Dijon and Hello Honey markers.
  • The leaves are coloured using Old Olive and Mossy Meadow markers.
  • The small butterfly is covered with VersaMark, Heat and Stick powder is applied, heated with Heat Tool and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds glitter.
  • The Tip Top Taupe Lace Ribbon is gathered and attached with Tear and Tape Adhesive and then the Whisper White cotton ribbon applied over top.
Double Pocket Birthday Card

Back Side

The greeting is also a tag with the sentiment stamped.  There is room to write a greeting on the back of the tag.

Double Pocket Birthday

Close Up of Tag

Finally, I made a box for the Double Pocket Birthday Card because of its size and thickness.  It was covered in the English Garden DSP which matches the card.  Thank goodness for 2 sets of DSP in the package.

Double Pocket Birthday Card

 

Minecraft Birthday Card with a Shaker Surprise

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Minecraft Birthday Card

I created a Minecraft birthday card for my Grandson who is turning 7.  He adores anything Minecraft, so why not a birthday card.  For an extra added twist, I added a shaker surprise.

Minecraft Birthday CardRecipe

Paper: Cucumber Crush, Smokey Slate, Basic Grey, Basic Black, Whisper White, Window Sheets, Silver Glimmer Paper.

Accessories: Big Shot, Elegant Dots Embossing Folder, Squares Collections Framelits, 1” Square Punch, Silver Sequin Trim, Metallics Sequin Assortment.

Details:

  • The Minecraft was crafted by using Cucumber Crush and the 1″Square Punch.  His body was a rectangle which is adhered to the black background .
  • The face is small pieces of Basic Black squares and 1 square was cut in 1/2 for his mouth.
  • Because the background is black and looks like night, the moon was created from cutting down a piece of Silver Glimmer paper that was die cut using the smallest square framelit.
  • The window was made using Window Sheets and the 4th smallest framelit.
  • To make frame, the 4th smallest framelit and the 3rd smallest framelit were used.
  • Attach the Window Sheet to the frame using Glue Dots and then layer narrow pieces of foam tape along the edges of the frame.  I used Scots 1/2″ Foam Tape and cut it into 4 lengths.
  • Pile your sequins in the center, remove the backing from the Foam Tape and place the window in the center of the card.  Voila! You now have a shaker frame.

For the sentiment for this Minecraft Birthday card, I went looking on the internet for a Minecraft font.  I found one HERE. 

All you have to do is download the font, click on the download, click on the .zip file and install.  Your Minecraft font will now be stored on your computer for another Minecraft Birthday card.

The embossed panel was turned over so that the deboss side shows.  This sort of looks like the font.

This card was inspired by Sarah Wills.

 

 

Thoughts and Prayers Sympathy Card Helps to Sooth The Soul

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Thoughts and Prayers Sympathy

The Thoughts and Prayers stamp set from Stampin’ Up! is ideal for sympathy cards.  Not that we want to have to be sending those types of cards, but at some time it will be needed.

I lost a very dear friend who leaves behind a son and daughter-in-law.  My friend was family and I miss her dearly.  We called her the instigator of many fun things. I went on my first cruise with her, my first trip to Mexico, first limo ride, first time us girls rented a cabin at the lake.  She was always up for doing most things.  She had a bubbly personality and attracted people to her.

My friend loved to travel and had been to so many places around the world.  Her last big trip was on her bucket list, traveling in a motor home across Canada.  She got to do that last summer with her husband.   Even though she had been so sick for a long time, she always made plans for the next trip.  They had planned to go to Haida Qwaii which is located off the west coast for Canada.  Haida Qwaii was previously called the Queen Charlotte Islands.

But this time, it was not meant to be.

Thoughts and PrayersThis is the thoughts and prayers sympathy card that I created for her DS and DDL.

Recipe

Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers.

Ink/Markers: Mossy Meadow, Blushing Bride, Old Olive.

Paper: Whisper White Thick, Mint Macaron, English Garden DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Lovely Lace Embossing Folder, Oval Collections Framelits, Envelope Liners Framelits, Pearl Jewels, 5/8” Organza Ribbon, White 1-1/4” Jute Ribbon.

I wanted this card to be light, airy and soft, so I used the Mint Macaron and Blushing Bride to set the tone.  The white accents lend themselves to the card’s simplicity.  The flowers and the branches were coloured with the markers and stamped and finally Pearl Jewels were randomly placed on the flowers.

I will miss my friend and I will keep her and her family in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully this card gives them a bit of peace.

 

Fabulous Butterflies, Beautiful Colors

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Fabulous Butterflies

What do you feel when you see fabulous butterflies?  Do you feel a sense of peace?  To me, butterflies appear to float. They meander, land on flowers, trees or even sometimes sit on my railing.

Why do I say that they are fabulous?  It’s their beautiful colours.  My favorite butterfly is the monarch, also known as the king of the butterflies.

The monarch butterfly goes through 4 stages and there are 4 generations each year.  In the spring the monarch migrates north to lay their eggs which eventually emerge as the Monarch Butterfly. This is the 1st generation.  Unfortunately, this beautiful creature dies after laying their eggs. The next 3 generations go through the exact same process.  However the 4th generation does not die but migrates south for the winter and returns in the spring to start the process over again.

In the 2015/16 Annual catalogue, a new stamp emerged, the Watercolor Wings stamp set.  You can make fabulous butterflies with this set.  It is a 3-step stamp and you can use many combination of inks to create your butterflies.

In addition, there are the matching framelits so you don’t have to fussy cut anything.

 Fabulous ButterfliesRecipe

Stamps: Watercolor Wings, Butterfly Basics.

Ink/Markers: So Saffron, Hello Honey, Delightful Dijon, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive.

Paper: Whisper White Thick, Whisper White, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Old Olive, English Garden DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Elegant Dots Embossing Folder, Bold Butterfly Framelits, 2-1/2” Circle Punch, 2” Circle Punch, 1-1/4” Burlap Ribbon, Hello Honey 3/8” Stitched Satin Ribbon.

The Butterfly Basics stamp set, coordinates very nicely with the Watercolor Wings set.  The smaller butterfly from the Watercolor Wings set can be die cut with the Butterflies Thinlits Die which coordinates with the Butterfly Basic stamp set.

For my butterfly, I used the Hello Honey and the Delightful Dijon inks.

You can bundle the Watercolor Wings and the Bold Butterfly Framelits for a saving of 15%.

What are you most favorite fabulous butterflies?  Leave me a comment.

 

Beginner Card Maker – Where Do I Start

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Beginner Card Maker

Are you a beginner card maker and don’t know where to start.  Do you see beautiful handmade cards and wonder “could I do this”?  The answer is a simple, yes you can.

Half the battle for a beginner card marker is talking themselves out of the craft because they see all these intricate and beautiful cards and think to themselves, “I am not crafty or artistic”.  One of the most important things to remember is that you have to decide you what to learn.

That is why I am here –  to get you started and help you along the way.

You don’t have to start with the most fancy card you have ever seen.  Make is clean and simple.  Actually, that is a phrase which is often used even when seasoned card makers create their cards.  When surfing through the internet or Pinterest, you may have seen CAS card.  Simply put, clean and simple.

What is clean and simple card making.  A clean and simple card usually consists of 1 layer, 1 or 2 stamped images and minimal embellishments.  Just because the card is 1 layer, doesn’t mean it won’t be beautiful.

What type of supplies do you need to to get started?  When you are starting out, you don’t need to purchase a ton of supplies and break the bank.  For example, Stampin’ Up! has a number of kits available in the annual catalogue which would be perfect for a beginner card maker.

Here is one of those kits – the Watercolor Wishes Card Kit.

Beginner Card Maker

The Watercolor Wishes Card Kit comes complete with everything you need to become a card maker.

  • The kit includes preprinted cards for the perfect artistic look without the mess, supplies for 20 unique cards in 3 sizes and an exclusive stamp set. Make one when you need it, or make them all and use them later.You provide the adhesive; the kit will provide the rest, including the stamp set, clear stamp block, and ink.* 20 cards total
    * Folded card sizes: 4″ x 4″, 3-1/2″ x 5″, 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″
    * 12-piece photopolymer stamp set
    * 20 card bases
    * Die-cut accents
    * Cardstock flag stickers
    * Night of Navy and Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin’ Spots (ink)
    * Washi tape
    * Giftable Kraft box
    * 50 sequins
    * Wood die cuts
    * Stampin’ Dimensionals
    *Acrylic stamp block

Your family and friends would adore receiving a handmade card from you.  Do you know that more people keep their handmade cards than store bought cards.  That’s because they treasure them.  You made it for them.

Not only that, but I am as close as your telephone or your email if you have any questions on how to put the cards together.  Once you have finished all the cards in the kit, you can consider yourself to be a card maker and not a beginner card maker.

Email me if you have questions.  Or order the Watercolor Wishes Card Kit from my online store

 

Sharpen Up Your Framelits and Thinlits

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Sharpen Up!

You can sharpen up your framelits and thinlits and breathe new life into them.  Do you notice that sometimes when you run your card stock through the Big Shot with a framelit or thinlit, that the paper is not cut all the way through?  This will happen to a thinlit more than a framelit due to the intricacies of the thinlit.

Sharpen UpRecipe

Stamps: Butterfly Basics, Another Thank You.

Ink/Markers: Perfect Plum.

Paper: Perfect Plum, Hello Honey, Fancy Foil Designer Vellum.

Accessories: Big Shot, Filigree Frame Embossing Folder, Butterflies Thinlits, Oval Collections Framelits, Pearl Jewels, Hello Honey 3/8” Stitched Satin Ribbon, Gold 1/8” Ribbon, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch

The Butterflies Thinlits are an example of an intricate die.  The tiny cutouts for the butterfly wings, may over time, become dull and will not cut your card stock completely.  It then becomes a hassle to get those cutouts to separate from the main die cut.

So, sharpen up!

I would love to say that I have an app for that, however I do have a video for that.

This video tells you the type of sandwich you need to make so you can get those framelits/thinlits cutting properly.

Did you know that you can also sharpen up your punches?  Punch an image several times using tinfoil.  This little tip will also get your punches to punch sharply.

 

Copy and Share Everything For Great Ideas – CASE

Simply Said With Karen Posted on by

Copy and Share Everything

Copy and share everything, simply put CASE, makes creating your hand crafted projects so much easier.

Have you ever lost your mojo, or had a brain freeze when you go to create a card?  Well, there is an answer for these dilemmas.  It’s called CASE, or copy and share everything.  Stampin’ Up!’s annual catalogue has so many ideas that you couldn’t possibly create everything that is shown.  For some people, their creative juices flow freely, for others not so freely.

Just turn the pages in Stampin’ Up!’s catalogues and there is sure to be something that draws you in.  It may be the stamp set, the colours, and/or the embellishments that intrigue you.  There is no shame when you have to copy and share everything.

That is exactly what happened to me when I came to use the Awesomely Artistic stamp set.  When I saw this stamp set in the new catalogue, I just had to add it to my collection.  When I opened it and got to creating with it, I didn’t know what to do with it.  Yes, creative brain freeze set in.

Sol my next step was to open the catalogue to page 125 where I knew something on that page would help me out.  And sure enough there was something on that page.

I was happy, I had found something to help cure the creative brain freeze.

copy and shareRecipe

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic.

Ink/Markers: Melon Mambo, Cucumber Crush, Mint Macaron, Tuxedo Black, VersaMark.

Paper: Whisper White Thick, Whisper White, English Garden DSP, Typeset Specialty DSP.

Accessories: Big Shot, Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits, Gold Embossing Powder, Linen Thread, 2015-2017 In Colour Blossom Accents.

Now, if you go to page 125, you will find that my card is not an exact replica of the card that is shown.  However, I got the idea and changed up some of the elements on the card.  The big difference is that I included the English Garden DSP as a background for the stamped images and changed up some of the colours.  When you copy and share everything, there is nothing that says you have to do it exactly. You are free to add your own flare.

Do you have the 2015/16 Annual Catalogue?  If you live in Canada and do not already have a Stamping Up demonstrator, I would love to be yours.  Fill in the Catalogue Request Form and I will send one out to you.