Thursday, February 27, 2014

Asters and Poppies

Hi everyone!  I have a fun birthday card to share which uses one of the Die D-Lite flowers sets called Asters and Poppies.  I'll admit, I didn't know what Asters looked like so I Googled them and found out they are a gorgeous purple color with yellow centers! 

To make the flowers, I first die cut it in green for the base and trimmed down the bloom to a small circle.  Then I die cut just the bloom part in the purple.  Lastly I glued the purple bloom on top of the green part which gives it some stability.  Here is the view from the back.
 I used the A2 Curved Matting Basics A and B sets to die cut the card base and to make the frame.  The frame is made by Basics A die #7 and Basics B #4 (with die #1 being the smallest) and I popped it up on foam squares.  Note: You could have easily made this frame using only 1 of the Matting sets, I had them mixed up and accidentally grabbed 1 from each set.
I popped up the Aster blooms on foam squares as well and glued the stems down to the paper to give it a cool illusion.  A little stickles in the flower centers and around the frame gives it that extra sparkle.
The sentiment was embossed in white on vellum cardstock.  This is a fun technique which is really popular right now!

Here are the Asters and Poppies dies
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!
Card Deets: 
Spellbinder dies: S3-206 Asters and Poppies Shapeabilities®,S5-171  A2 Curved Matting Basics A and S5-172 A2 Curved Matting Basics B Nestabilities®
Stamps - Gina K Designs, Vogue Vases 2
Paper: Gina K Designs, White cardstock; My Mind's Eye On The Bright Side Two 6x6 pad
Embellishments - Stamp Simply Ribbon Store: Bazzill Vellum cardstock; Black and white baker's twine; White embossing powder

Adhesive - Tombow USA Mono Multi liquid glue; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Squares  

NOTE: You can also find Spellbinders Die Templates at the The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store. 

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Sunday, February 23, 2014

Spellbinders Labels cards

Hi everyone!  Label shaped dies.  We all love them and they are EVERY WHERE!  Spellbinders was one of the first, remember way back when they first came out with Labels One?  I thought I died and gone to Heaven!  Well, if you can believe it, Spellbinders now has 38 Label shapes - see them all in this category!!

I have a couple cards to share today.  One using one of the new shapes and one using my old favorite. Labels add a big punch to your card with very little effort!  First up is a card using one of my favorite all time shapes - Labels 18!!  I used the Die D-Lite Blossoms Two for the accent flowers, the smaller is die cut from gold mirror cardstock.  I added more pops of gold with some cord and pearls and there is a touch of gold shimmer in the chevron ribbon.
Next up is a card using the new Labels 36.  This is a new label shape and will start shipping March 1st.  I used some MME Tangerine paper and I accented it with some Prima Abbey flowers.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!
Card Deets: 
Spellbinder dies: S2-045 Blooms Two Shapeabilities®,S4-418 Labels Thirty-Six and S4-310 Labels Eighteen Nestabilities®
Note: Labels 36 is on pre-order with shipping beginning in March 
Stamps - JustRite Papercrafts, Welcome Spring; Clearly Besotted Stamps, It's Your Day 
Paper: Gina K Designs, White cardstock; Basic Grey, Fresh Cut 6x6 pad and My Mind's Eye Tangerine 6x6 pad; Gold Mirror cardstock 
Embellishments - Stamp Simply Ribbon Store: Gold String, white cording, chevron grosgrain ribbon, Prima Abbey flowers in Coral 
Adhesive - Tombow USA Mono Multi liquid glue; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Squares  
NOTE: You can also find Spellbinders Die Templates at the The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store. 
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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Folk Filigree -thanks a bunch

Hi everyone!  I have another card to share using the Gina K newly released Folk Filigree stamp set. I just love the variety of flowers and centers in this set, the possibilities are endless!  With this card, I've adhered a strip of pattern paper down the left, cut out a couple flowers and branches and added some sequin accents.  This card measures 4 3/4 x 3 3/4".
I get asked all the time where I buy my sequins, check out Cartwright's Sequins (link on my right side bar) OR you can add them to your cart when shopping for ribbons, dies and other goodies from the Stamp Simply Ribbon store.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!  Here's a close up of the flower blossoms.

Card Deets:
Stamps - Folk Filigree
Ink - GKD Color Companion's ink in Ocean Mist/Blue Raspberry, Sweet Corn/Honey Mustard, Sweet Mango/Tomato Soup, and Grass Green

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Gina K February release inspiration blog hop: Day 3



Hi everyone!  Welcome to the final day of the Gina K Designs DT Inspiration Blog Hop where we hope to inspire you with many beautiful ideas for the sets released in February! As you hop through the blogs, make sure to leave a comment on each because we will choose a few random commenters and they will win a grab bag of Gina's products!! To see the full list of winners check the Big News forum at Stamp TV a couple of days after the hops.

Today we are spotlighting the new stamp set Just a Note, Illustrated by Rupa

First up is a fun note card using like most of my cards this release, this one measures 4 1/4" x 3 1/2".  I stamped the instrument with In the Navy GKD Color Companions ink and hightlighted it lightly with a mint colored copic marker.  I added a few enamel dots and 1 tiny yellow rhinestone for accents.
Next up is a coordinating 3x3 mini card using the same papers and ink.  I added 2 tiny yellow rhinestones to the musical notes.  So cute!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Gina K February release inspiration blog hop: Day 2

Hi everyone!  Welcome to Day 2 of the Gina K Designs DT Inspiration Blog Hop where we hope to inspire you with many beautiful ideas for the sets released in February! As you hop through the blogs, make sure to leave a comment on each because we will choose a few random commenters and they will win a grab bag of Gina's products!! To see the full list of winners check the Big News forum at Stamp TV a couple of days after the hops.

Today we are spotlighting the new stamp set Signs of Spring, Illustrated by Theresa
Folk Filligree, illustrated by Becky
First up is a fun mini 3x3 card using Signs of Spring.  I stamped the leaf flourish in Grass Green GKD Color Companions ink and love it's perfect crisp results!  I cut it out and accented it with a couple flower sequins with a tiny rhinestone center.
Next up is a thank you card using Folk Filigree.  I had some fun with this one.  I stamped the flowers in various colors experimenting with the center style and colors all using GKD Color Companions ink. After I cut out the flowers and leaves, I played around until I found a look I liked.
The bottom was made with a stencil and some lightweight modeling paste!  Look at me getting all "technique-y" again!  lol!
Ready for the hop?  Check out all the amazing designs and inspiration:
Theresa Momber- Illustrator of Signs of Spring
Becky Oehlers- Folk Filigree
Guest Designers

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the hop!
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Monday, February 17, 2014

Gina K February release inspiration blog hop: Day 1

Hi everyone!  Welcome to Day 1 of the Gina K Designs DT Inspiration Blog Hop where we hope to inspire you with many beautiful ideas for the sets released in February! As you hop through the blogs, make sure to leave a comment on each because we will choose a few random commenters and they will win a grab bag of Gina's products!! To see the full list of winners check the Big News forum at Stamp TV a couple of days after the hops.

Today we are spotlighting the new stamp set Lots of Washi, Illustrated by Beth
Stately Flowers 8, illustrated by Melanie
First up is a fun card using Lots of Washi.  This is one of my "go to" layouts for washi tape, so why not for washi tape stamps?!? -lol!  I used the Black Onyx, Sweet Corn and Pink Passion GKD Color Companions ink and love it's perfect crisp results!  Just a couple Color Companions buttons as accents and done!
I ran out of time to use this next piece on a card, but look how cute it is to stamp the zig-zag washi pattern and use the accent stamp in a different colors?
Next up is a birthday card using Stately Flowers 8.  I was inspired by my blogging friend Alice Wertz' lovely angled cards when I made this.  My sister-n-law's birthday was last week and I needed a fun card that was flat and easy to mail.  I stamped the flowers, colored them simply with copic markers.  A few sequins and some ribbon as accents.
 Ready for the hop?  Check out all the amazing designs and inspiration:

Beth Silaika- Illustrator of Lots Of Washi
Melanie Muenchinger- Stately Flowers 8

Guest Designers

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the hop!
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Sunday, February 16, 2014

Spellbinders Designabilities Blog Hop


Hi everyone!  Welcome to the Designabilities Blog Hop!   Every other month the Spellbinders® Blog Team gets together for a blog hop -this hop is just for fun and not sponsored by Spellbinders.  Not all of us could participate today, but I encourage you to visit everyone's blogs.  You will find amazing projects from everyone!

A few weeks ago I took a stenciled class and now have been experimenting with using stencils with embossing paste.  So after buying 4 or 5 stencils I realized I have the POTENTIAL FOR ENDLESS STENCILS USING MY EXISTING Spellbinders dies!!  Talk about an "ah-ha" moment -lol!
My card uses the Expandables Fancy Lattice die for my the stencil, Classic Hearts nested to make heart "rings", and Celebration from the new In'spire line.
 Here is how I placed the stencil.  I die cut the Fancy Lattice into a thick cardstock, I used Gina K's Pure Luxury base weight white cardstock.  Then I taped it down using washi tape and selectively applied paste to my stencil.
 This is what the paste looks like.  I found this at Michaels in the art supply section.  They had quite a few embossing paste options.  I chose the light weight tub and was glad I did, it is the perfect consistency for spreading over my stencil.  This is an 8oz tub and was $13 (I used my 40% coupon).
 After applying the paste to the stencil and spreading it smooth, I immediately removed the stencil.  At this time you can do some quick clean up if you had some rouge paste land somewhere.  Set it aside to dry for about 30 minutes and proceed with your card. 

As designers we are always inspired by each other and we hope to inspire you too. 
Enjoy the hop!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!  Here is a close up of the details. 
Card Deets: 
Spellbinder dies: S5-152 Expandables Fancy Lattice and IN-012 Celebration Shapeabilities®,S4-136 Classic Hearts Nestabilities®
Note: Celebration is on pre-order with shipping beginning in March
Paper: Gina K Designs, White and Black cardstock; Basic Grey, Fresh Cut 6x6 pad
Embellishments - Cartwright's Sequins, 4mm 5mm and 6mm sequins; Stamp Simply Ribbon Store, burlap string; Liquitex light weight modeling paste
Adhesive - Tombow USA Mono Multi liquid glue; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Squares 
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Friday, February 7, 2014

Get well soon

Hi everyone!  Today I took a break from our rare snow event to make this quick and easy Get Well card.  I used the darling mini set from Taylored Expressions called Tea-riffic and some basic die shapes from Spellbinders.  This card is flat and easy to mail!

I get asked often what are my favorite dies from Spellbinders.  There are so many beautiful shapes, flowers, labels, accents, borders, etc to chose from and don't get me wrong- I have my favorites in each category.  But I find that I get the most use out of my basic core shapes like my circles, squares and rectangles!  I find they are timeless, never go out of style, and easy to embellish with other dies and embellishments.
 My card uses pattern paper from My Mind's Eye, but it is the Michael's repackaged paper pads.  Have you noticed Michael's sells MME, but they are repackaged with different names and are usually older designs?  Anyway, when I was there the other day I was surprised to find a pad I did NOT already have and bought it.  I paper pieced the tea cup with a matching pattern and used some stickles and sequins as accents.  I love the offsetting squares with the teacup popped up in the center of the circle.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Card Deets: 
Spellbinder dies:  S4-128 Classic Squares SM, S4-116 Standard Circles SM Nestabilities®  
Stamps: Taylored Expressions, Tea-riffic
Cardstock: PTI White 
Ink: Tsukineko, Memento Tuxedo Black 
Embellishments - Cartwright's Sequins, 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm sequins; Stickles; copic markers 
Adhesive - Tombow USA Mono Multi liquid glue; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Tabs 

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Sunday, February 2, 2014

Sponging, flowers with a dash of washi

Hi everyone!  I finally took the plunge and bought some stencil templates and took an online stencil class.  I finished day 1 and they taught us to stencil with ink.  Yes, I have been stenciling ink with my Spellbinders dies for years, but I have never used a full blown stencil template before.  The next lesson is using paste with stencils and I am excited to give that a try as well!

So I used that technique for the background and made a fun set of cards.  I just love the Blooms Three and the leaf branch from the Sprigs from Spellbinders  Die D-Lites™ line.  I've used them together before on this post, so it's no surprise I used them together again!

My first card uses some fun washi tape from Stampin' Up and a sentiment from Reverse Confetti
 My next card uses washi from My Mind's Eye, Chalk Studio and sentiment from JustRite, Buntings and Banners.
 My last card uses some washi I had on hand and sentiment from JustRite, Birthday Vintage Labels Four.
Here are the dies I used:


Aren't these flowers fun?!?  I love the de-bossed detail on the petal tips!  For the leaves, I die cut the sprig, cut it apart and tucked the ends under the flowers.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Card Deets: 
Spellbinder dies: S2-046 Blooms Three, S2-048 Sprigs Shapeabilities® 
Stamps: Stamp Simply Ribbon Store: JustRite Papercrafts, Buntings and Banners
Cardstock: Combo of Gina K Designs and Stampin' Up
Ink: Tsukineko, Versafine Black Onyx; Distress Inks for sponging in Vintage Photo, Spun Sugar and Fine Linen
Embellishments - Stamp Simply Ribbon Store: MME Washi Tape, Chalk Studio and Kaisercraft clear rhinestones; Chickydoddle Etsy store, washi tape
Adhesive - Tombow USA Mono Multi liquid glue; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Foam Tabs 

NOTE: You can also find Spellbinders Die Templates at the The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store.  
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