DIY cards

Make It Mine In Black & White

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This week’s Make-It-Mine card is black and white with a little bit of gray on it.  Monochromatic is the technical term.  Monochromatic means: “of, relating to, or having tones of one color in addition to the ground hue”.

There’s something about a black and white card that always catches my eye.  Black and white together is simple and it’s stunning.  I like these types of cards so much that I’m sharing them all week on my blog, Facebook and even in my newsletter.  Be sure to check them all out!  (If you don’t get my newsletter yet, just fill out the info in the box to the right.)

I used Stampin’ Up!’s Artfully Layered stamp set on today’s card.  I was inspired by Tess Rollin’s card.  As you can see, I stuck pretty close to Tess’s card and only added a few extra leaves. 

This card is quite simple.  All stamping except the sentiment is done directly on the card base.  The two leaves on the upper portion of the card were stamped first.  Then I used a piece of scrap paper to cover them so I could stamp just a portion of the leaves on the lower section of the card.  The sentiment is layered on black cardstock and adhered to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Easy Peasy!

I tried using embellishments of some sort on my card like Tess did but they seemed to distract from the simplicity of the card.  I like Tess’s use of embellishments but I just couldn’t make them work.  Sometimes simple is better.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bridge Fun Fold Card

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Bridge Fun Fold Card

How can you not sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow while looking at this fun fold card?  So many rainbows!  I’m going to be sad when Sale-a-bration is over on February 28th and I won’t be able to get any more of the fun Sunshine & Rainbows Designer Series Paper. The paper coordinates perfectly with the Rainbow of Happiness Bundle of products from Stampin’ Up!’s January – June Mini Catalog. I’ve used the Rainbow of Happiness stamp set, the Brilliant Rainbow dies and the Cloud Punch on my card.

Bridge Fun Fold Card

This second picture gives you a top view so you can see all of the panels a little better.

This fun fold is pretty easy. Start with a card base that is 4 1/4″ x 8″. Make sure the length is 8″, not 8-1/2″. I made that error the first time around and couldn’t figure out why my “bridge” piece wouldn’t fit! Sheesh!

With the long edge of the card base at the top of your Simply Scored scoring board score the cardstock at 1 1/4″, 2 1/2″, 5 1/2″ and 6 3/4″. Fold the two outside score lines into mountain folds and the two inside score lines into valley folds. The “bridge” piece of cardstock is 5 1/2″ x 1″. The width of the “bridge” piece of cardstock can be any dimension that works for your design. The key is to make sure the length is 5 1/2″.

The four designer paper panels measure 4″ x 1″. The designer paper piece on the “bridge” measures 5 1/4″ x 3/4″. The Basic White piece of cardstock in the center of the card measures 4″ x 2 3/4″.

To adhere the “bridge” to the card you want to fold the card like in this picture. The sections on one side of the center piece of the card base should be “open” and the sections on the other side should be folded closed.

Make sure to put adhesive only on the areas of the “bridge” that will be adhered to the two outside panels.

The way the card is folded in this last photo is also the way you will fold it to slide it into an envelope.

Let me know if you have any questions on this fun fold. Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Purple Marble Sketch Card

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Pretty in Purple (Marble).  Stampin’ Up!’s  Simply Marbelous designer paper is gorgeous and I love it more each time I use it.  It’s the perfect background paper with the soft designs on both sides.  Best of all, you can get it for FREE during Sale-a-bration with a purchase of $50 or more.  Don’t wait!  Sale-a-bration is ending soon on February 28th!

Back to this lovely card.  Besides the Simply Marbelous Designer Series Paper I used the Meadow Dies for the flowers.  I am loving these silhouette-type dies!  The Meadow Dies can be found in the Annual Catalog or here in my online store.  The dies coordinate with the Quite Meadow stamp set.  These items can be purchased separately or together as a bundle saving 10%. 

Any of the colors of designer paper would have worked well with this design.  Blues, pinks, grays, yellows, greens or purples.  I can’t remember why I chose purple but it may have been because I had ribbon that matched the card.  That’s how I make design decisions sometimes.  😊

The sketch to the left here is the one that I used today. As you can see, I stayed pretty true to the sketch again. I have both the horizontal and the vertical piece even though my vertical piece doesn’t go all the way to the bottom of the card. I did add a piece of ribbon to my card for a little added interest.

This card was quite simple yet can be used for almost any occasion. Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Make It Mine Monday: Hexagons

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This card with all the hexagons is so cute! I just had to try it for myself. The hexagon die is from the new Beautiful Shapes die set which coordinates with the Hello Beautiful stamp set. The dies set has all sorts of fun shapes. Tarabeth used designer paper from a few different paper sets on her card. The main colors on her card are the new In Colors this year, Fresh Freesia and Polished Pink.

I was going to stick to the same color scheme as Larabeth but I didn’t seem to have all the designer papers so I had to start from scratch. After perusing my stash of design paper I finally went with the Abstract Beauty pack. This fun package of designer paper is a new size. It’s 4″ x 6″ and many of the sheets have accents of gold foil.

I’m pretty tickled with the way my card turned out. I may have to make a few more of them. The only part I would change would be the gold cord. I would rather have used a thin gold ribbon but Stampin’ Up! doesn’t have any right now.

If you compare the cards, you can see that I have a few more hexagons on my card than the one that inspired me. I just kept gluing them down! Ha!

You’ll notice that my focal point piece with the hexagons is also smaller than the card I copied. I did start with basically the same size as the original but when I had all of the hexagons adhered there was still a little space along the bottom. I was too lazy to die cut any more so I just trimmed down the Basic White card stock. I actually like the smaller focal point better than the larger one so it all worked out fine. 🙂

I used a gold foil layer and the gold cord on my card to pick up the gold on some of the pieces of designer paper. The sentiment, from the Positive Thoughts stamp set, is heat embossed with gold embossing powder.

The finishing touches on my card are the adorable little butterflies. They are Brushed Brass Butterflies (#158136 $10) from Stampin’ Up!’s January – June Mini Catalog. I liked them so much on the outside of the card that I put them on the inside of the card too!

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

A Fun Fold and Stamped Ribbon

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It’s Fun Fold Friday!  Not only do I have a fun fold card for you but it’s a swap card as well.  This fun fold is very similar to one I showed you back in October.  You can view that post here.  I called that fun fold in October the Side Flap Fun Fold.  This card is the same idea but the flap is a different size and in a different location on the card.

The image on the front of the card is from the Amazing Silhouettes stamp set in Stampin’ Up!’s January – June Mini catalog. The “thanks” is from the Biggest Wish stamp set in the Annual Catalog.

I have to tell you that my favorite part of Melissa’s card is that she stamped the sentiment directly on the ribbon! I have never done that. Have you? I’m especially impressed because this ribbon is very textured.

I was going to tell you that you should probably use StazOn ink when stamping on ribbon but then I thought I’d give it a try with regular Stampin’ Up! ink. Guess what? It worked just fine! Check out the second photo.

Stamping On Ribbon

I didn’t expect it to turn out so well! When I placed the inked stamp on the ribbon I held it in place for a few seconds and then lifted the stamp straight up. No problems at all! Hmm…I may have to try this on one of my own cards!

If you’re wondering, this ribbon is the White Frayed Ribbon (#158138 $7.50) found on page 33 of Stampin’ Up!’s January – June Mini Catalog.

Here’s a photo of the inside of Melissa’s card. I like the way she used the Sale-a-bration paper, Daffodil Afternoon, to add a little something extra to the inside of the card.

No naked envelopes and no naked insides of your cards! If you’re going to the trouble of making a special card, make the envelope and the inside of the card special too.

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

A Leafy Card Sketch

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After you’ve chosen a card sketch what’s the next step? Do you first choose colors, stamp set or embellishments? For me, it depends on what first comes to mind.

With this card sketch I knew it needed designer paper for at least one of the layers. Of course I then had to decide which package of designer paper and from there which pattern.

Luckily I happened to have the new All Together package of designer paper right next to me so I started flipping through all of the patterns. The fun part of this package of paper is that it’s all in black and white and there are tons of patterns to choose from. I came a cross a leafy pattern and thought that was a good place to start.

The next step was finding a single stamp for the stamped image. I didn’t want anything too large or too busy. A branch of leaves would be perfect. Then it was off to my stamp shelf!

This image from the Forever Fern stamp was perfect! Not only is it a beautiful image but it was similar to the branches on the designer paper!

I thought about using another piece of designer paper to layer my leaf on but it got too busy. Maybe if the leaf stamp wasn’t so detailed that might have worked. The plain black layer works perfectly!

Did you notice how well I did following the card sketch? I only added one additional layer! Ha!

Be sure to check out the fun All Together designer series paper. You can find it and the other items in the All Together Collection here.

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Make It Mine Monday: Calming Camellia

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Calming Camellia

It’s Make It Mine Monday! I’ve enjoyed sharing with you some of the swap cards that I’ve received. I hope you’ve enjoyed them too. I’m not done sharing swaps with you but it’s time to switch things up a bit again.

Isn’t the flower stamp on this card gorgeous? It’s from the Sale-a-bration Host Set Calming Camellia. You can choose this stamp set for free when you place a party order or personal order of $300 or more.

Calming Camellia is one of Stampin’ Up!’s DistINKtive stamp sets. Basically, this type of stamp is very realistic looking with lots of dimension and shading. I think they’re gorgeous! What do you think about DistINKtive stamps?

Calming Camellia

The second card here is the card that inspired me. I love how Vicki used the Wild Roses Background stamp on her card. It coordinates so well with the Calming Camellia stamp. Instead of using a gold layer and gold embellishments I only used Gorgeous Grape on my card.

The Basic Rhinestone Jewels on my card are colored with the Dark Highland Heather Stampin’ Blends marker and then of course I had to add ribbon.

Both my card and Vicki’s card are fairly simple. No dies or punches, no fussy cutting and not too many layers. While I had the stamp set out I wanted to try and make the card even more simple.

Calming Camellia

Check out the third photo. It’s just the stamped image and a coordinating layer adhered to the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Simple, yet stunning. It really shows off the floral image.

This simple card would be perfect for any occasion. Just add a sentiment to the inside.

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Artfully Layered Tropics

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Artfully Layered Fun Fold

Tropics are definitely on the brain this week.  With two days of snow this week I’m ready for a tropical vacation.  Since I don’t have one scheduled, I’ll just look at this lovely tropical card and imagine a Mai Tai in my hand and the sandy beach under my toes!

It’s Friday today and I usually do Fun Folds on Friday.  This swap is perfect to share today.  My downline Karen created this card for our Mini Catalog Swap.  Didn’t she do a nice job?  The Fun Fold may look familiar.  I shared it with back in September.  It’s funny how different the fold can look when you use different products.  You can view the original post on this Overlapping Flap Fun Fold card here.  The original post will give you dimensions as well as a quick video on how the fun fold was made.

Artfully Layered Fun Fold

One fun feature that Karen added to her fun fold was the Velcro-type fastener to hold the top flap closed.  Sometimes with a lot of layers things don’t stay closed like you want.  Another option that would have worked would be tiny, thin magnets to hold things closed.  The nice thing about magnets is that you can hide them under cardstock.  I like the fasteners that Karen used because they’re almost clear.  You can hardly tell that they’re there.

Karen used some of the products from the Artfully Composed Suite in Stampin’ Up!’s new Mini Catalog on her card. So much fun to be had with Artfully Layered stamp set, the Tropical Layers dies and the gorgeous and fun Artfully Composed Designer Series Paper! I love the soft colors and bold designs of the paper and can’t wait to play with it.

Are you itching for a tropical vacation after seeing Karen’s card? I sure am! Have a great day. Take care and Happy Stamping!

Simply Marbleous!

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Simply Marbleous Designer Series Paper

If you’re looking for a versatile Level 1 Sale-a-bration choice, then the Simply Marbleous Designer Series Paper is the choice for you!  This marbled paper is so fun!  So many colors too!  There are 8 sheets each of 6 double-sided designs. Purples, pinks, blues, greens, grays and yellows!

I love this paper because the designs are simple and can be used in so many different ways. What comes to mind when you see these designs? I will admit that when I see the lighter gray piece I think “countertop”. Ha!

Awesome Otters & Simply Marbleous Paper

From this card you can see that the blue and green designs are perfect for creating water for the ADORABLE Awesome Otters. TSC! Too Stinkin’ Cute!

This is another swap card that I received. Rose-Ellen used the less busy side of the paper for her card and show how this side is perfect for stamping on. It could be pretty difficult to see stamping on the busy side depending on the color of paper and ink you were using.

I had to smile when I first saw Natalie’s swap card using the Simply Marbleous paper. Of course it’s absolutely perfect for scoops of ice cream! I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have come up with this use of the paper on my own. That’s why I love participating in swaps. I get so many great ideas to use and share!

With these cards you’ve seen two totally different ways to use the fun Simply Marbelous Designer Series Paper. What ideas do you have for using it? Let me know. I’d love to hear your ideas!

I hope your day is Simply Marbleous! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Who’s Feeling Island Vibes?

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Island Vibes stamp set

Island Vibes.  What a perfect name for a stamp set with a tropical feel.  What says tropical better than a pineapple and palm fronds?  The Island Vibes stamp set is one of Stampin’ Up!’s Level 1 Sale-a-bration items which means that you can choose it for free when spending $50 in my online store.

The two cards I’m sharing with you today are from another swap that I participated in with fellow demonstrators.  Both of these cards were made using the Island Vibes stamp set.  I have to admit that the stamp set didn’t do a whole lot for me when I first saw it in Stampin’ Up!’s Sale-a-bration brochure.  Of course, now that I’ve seen these two lovely cards, as well as many samples online, I’m going to have to put it on my next order

What I love about these two cards is how similar, yet different they are.  Both Katherine and Janet used the palm fronds in similar positions on their cards as well as using jewel embellishments to complete their card designs. Beyond those similarities their own styles take over. So fun!

There’s only a little over a month left of Sale-a-bration so don’t miss out! Put that order together!

We’re suppose to get snow here in Colorado tomorrow so I just may be thinking about that tropical sandy beach and umbrella drink. How about you?

Have a great day. Take care and Happy Stamping!

Valentines You’ve Got To Love

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Awesome Otters Valentine

How can you not love a valentine made with this adorable Sale-a-bration otter? This little critter is TSC! Too Stinkin’ Cute! I think I’m in love. 🙂

This card is another one that I made for a swap and it’s one of my favorites. This little critter’s outstretched hands are just crying to hold a string of hearts (or any other small item you may want on your card). The fun heart-filled designer paper from the Sweet Talk pack is the perfect compliment to this little valentine otter.

The Awesome Otters stamp set is a Level 1 Sale-a-bration award. When you spend $50 during Sale-a-bration (now through February 28) this is one of the items that you can choose. This cute stamp set was actually the first Sale-a-bration item that I chose.

Awesome Otters Valentine

When you’re making any type of card you don’t want to forget the inside. On my card I found the perfect way to include another otter from the stamp set. Since it’s a valentine card I used the Heart Punch Pack to punch out my second otter for the inside of the card.

“You make my heart happy” is the perfect sentiment for these little otters and their valentine. It’s from the Catching Butterflies stamp set which is another Level 1 Sale-a-bration item. It’s so fun to mix and match products on your project.

This post is about stinkin’ cute valentines and as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I can’t get enough of the Nuts & Bolts robots! Like the otters, they’re adorable!

This cute valentine is a swap card I received and was made by Natalie Travis. She used the same Sweet Talk designer paper on her card. The fun little tag was die cut using the Tailor Made Tags dies. The sentiment and the robot fit on the tag perfectly! It’s hard to tell from the photo but the stamped robot is heat embossed with silver embossing powder before it was colored.

Have you started making valentines for your friends and family? I know I’ve given you some fun ideas recently. Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

My Blog is Being Hijacked!

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My blog is being hijacked….by me! I’ve recently participated in three different swaps and I’ve received (or will be receiving) lots of fun samples of many of the new products in the new January – June Mini Catalog and the Sale-a-bration Brochure. I’m going to enjoy looking at them all but I think you may enjoy seeing them too! Therefore, I am hijacking my usual weekly posts to share these swaps with you. I’ve been inspired by the ones I received so far and I should receive more this week. I want you to be inspired too!

Sweet Talk Valentine Card

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up pretty darn fast I thought I’d share a couple of Valentine cards with you today.

This first card is made using the fun Sweet Talk Suite of products. Carn used the Sweet Talk Designer Paper along with the Sweet Conversations Bundle. Look at all the different sizes of hearts that you can die cut with the Sweet Heart Dies! If you like Valentines, this suite of products is definitely for you. You can view all of the products included in this suite here in my online store.

Nuts & Bolts Valentine Card

The second card I want to share with you today is made with the adorable Nuts & Bolts stamp set. How can you not love these little robots! This one comes with it’s own valentine heart!

Mindy’s card uses a few new products. The stamp set is new as are the little hexagon embellishments. These are part of the Abstract Beauty Suite of products (which I just purchased and can’t wait to play with!). They come in Basic Black, Just Jade and Blushing Bride. The designer paper that Mindy used is the Simply Marbleous paper and is a Level 1 Sale-a-bration item that you can choose with a $50 purchase. Gotta love Sale-a-bration! 🙂

I hoped you’ve enjoyed these cards that I didn’t make. Check back later this week for some other great samples! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Pocket Fun Fold ValentineCard

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I love Fun Fold cards and the easier, the better! The complicated ones can be amazing but it’s so much easier to duplicate the easier ones. Last week’s fun fold was very simple and this week’s Pocket Card comes pretty darn close.

This fun fold makes a really cute valentine but just change up the stamp set, dies and designer paper and you can make any type of card. I’ve used this design for a sympathy card.

The pocket portion of this card is only one piece of cardstock!  4 1/4” x 11” scored at 1 ¼” and 5 ½”.  The insert for the pocket is 5” x 3 ¼” and you can choose to put a “handle” to grab on the top or leave it off. 

If you’d like to recreate this project you can view my step-by-step instructions for this Pocket Card Fun Fold here.  These instructions also include a complete supply list.

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

Amazing Silhouettes Card Sketch

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I love the simplicity of today’s card sketch and how easy it was to work with.  I didn’t even have to add a layer although I did shift the focal point to the side. 🙂

I’ve been wanting to use the Amazing Silhouettes stamp set and this card sketch was perfect for it!  I’ve had this stamp set since this fall.  I either received it with my On Stage event registration or with the registration add-on that I purchased.  That’s the great thing about being a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.  You’re able to get your hands on products ahead of their release!  (If you’ve ever considered becoming a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator please contact me so I can give you the whole scoop!)

The Amazing Silhouettes stamp set is one of Stampin’ Up!’s DistINKitive stamp sets.  DistINKtive stamps create different opacities in a single stamped image.  So beautiful!  The sentiment is from the Quiet Meadow stamp set.  I stamped it on the Mossy Meadow cardstock with the White Craft Ink and then heat embossed it with White Embossing Powder.  A little tip for you when heat embossing:  rub a dryer sheet over the cardstock before stamping the image.  This way the embossing powder will only stick to the inked image.  

I really like this quick and easy card.  I may have to make more of them!  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Make-It-Mine: Awesome Otters Birthday

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I’m in love with Stampin’ Up!’s Awesome Otters Sale-a-bration stamp set!  These little critters are adorable!  This stamp set was one of my first Sale-a-bration choices. 

I was so excited when I saw this birthday card to copy.  Not only did it have the Awesome Otters Sale-a-bration item it but the designer paper, Simply Marbelous, is also a Sale-a-bration choice!  Thank you, Monika, for the inspiration!

As much as I loved Monika’s card, I just couldn’t get the angled cardstock to work for me.  I can’t do random and I’m not good at angles either.  I decided to go with my strength which is lots of layers (that line up).  Ha!

On Monika’s card it looks like she stamped the hat on the otter’s head before cutting it out.  I didn’t want to try to line up the hat on the head since the Awesome Otters is a cling stamp set.  I took the easier way out.  I stamped and colored the otter and hat separately, cut them out and lined them up when I put them on the card.

Either one of these cards will be perfect for the next birthday on your calendar, especially if you like to color and fussy cut! Remember that you don’t have to do all of the fancy shading with your Stampin’ Blends if you don’t want to or don’t have the time. You can see that Monika did a much better job of shading on her otter than I did but that’s ok.

If you like my card you can click here for step-by-step instructions.

Now go get that Stampin’ Wish List started so you can choose both the Awesome Otters and the Simply Marbelous Designer Paper Sale-a-bration items on your next order! Have a great day. Take care and Happy Stamping!