Linen Thread | Stamping.Cards

Guy Stuff

Posted On: 15. 03. 16

I taught a class recently that was all about the guys we love. Husbands, fathers, boyfriends, sons, grandsons, grandfathers, pastors, nephews, you name them and we created a card for them. LOL We used Guy Greetings, The Wilderness Awaits and Traveler Stamp Sets, to create some great masculine cards.

Here are a few of them.

Guy Greetings Stamp Set in Old Olive and Very Vanilla

The Wilderness Awaits – Watercolouring Technique

Traveler Stamp Set – Distressing and Heat Embossing Background stamping with Timeless Texture Stamp Set

Happy Stamping! Inspire, Create and Share!

Celebrate Today Gift Packaging Ensemble

Posted On: 27. 09. 15

This Celebrate Today gift packaging ensemble was for a very good friend of mine. Her birthday was recently and we celebrated by going out for supper together. It was really fun to make Celebrate Today coordinating items for her gift: the card, wine bottle tag and gift bag tag. I plan on making more of these to sell at up coming craft fairs. It makes for a terrific presentation.

Celebrate Today stamp set is available as a BUNDLE and you know what that means, extra 15% savings for you. Celebrate Today is only available as a photopolymer set, it is totally see through, which makes lining up the images super easy.

You can make birthday cards, wedding cards, baby cards and graduation cards with the Celebrate Today stamp set. It is super versatile and a fantastic value.

To stamp the two tone balloons, you ink the entire stamp with the base colour, then use a sponge dauber along one edge of the stamp (before) stamping to add the second colour of ink to the stamp. Then you stamp the image onto whisper white card stock while both colours of ink are still wet. Be sure to add the shadow/second colour on the same side of both balloons, otherwise, your card will look off balance. You will then heat emboss with gold embossing powder on the top of your balloons. Add a little sweetness with a little linen thread bow attached with a mini glue dot and add a little bling with the gold sequin trim attached with the mini handheld stapler.

The gift tag and the wine bottle tag used the same technique as the card with the use of the Banners framelits for the trendy shape.

I hope you like my Celebrate Today Gift Packaging Ensemble! I do! 🙂 I will be adding these to all my future gifts.

Remember to inspire, create and share. Let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.

Happy Stamping to you all!

Sale-a-bration ~ Big Day Stamp Set

Posted On: 01. 03. 15

I have to give a shout out and credit to the lovely and uber talented, Tamara Overbeek, for the design of this stylish card. I CASED a card of hers that she posted online. 🙂 Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

In fact, I loved it so much I made several, in different colours. Here they are in Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight and Strawberry Slush. To add colour to the line art stamps, I simply coloured them in with the matching markers, II, DD and SS. Isn’t that quick and easy? Designer Series Paper from the All Abloom DSP Stack is cut out with the Top Note Die, for the bottom layer. I always, always, always, use Stampin’ Up Whisper White cardstock to stamp on. Did you know that it used to be called Ultrasmooth white? It has a silky smooth texture and ink dries on it like a dream, quickly and without smearing. My black ink is Memento Tuxedo Black which dries quickly, is fade resistant and acid free.

I punched out the ice cream stamp and a matching tag, layered them and used Linen Thread to tie them to the card. ( Note: the punch I used is now retired but you could easily swap out another punch, like the Scallop Oval or the Decorative Label). As an added bonus, the linen thread coordinates with the Cru mb Cake base layer.

I hope you like these cards. Thanks again to Tamara! Remember to inspire, create and share!

Butterfly Basics 2

Posted On: 03. 02. 15

We created this Butterfly Basics card during my class last week and it was a big hit. I think it may have been the bright, bold, happy colours that everyone enjoyed so much. It helped beat back those Wintery blues. This is a pretty easy card, with only layered stamping as the technique. Colours used are: Melon Mambo: ink & cardstock, Tempting Turquiose ink, Old Olive ink and Daffodil Delight cardstock.

created about 10 more of these and took them to Leadership and used them as some of my general swaps. Swapping cards with other demonstrators is a wonderful way to learn about new styles, techniques and meet new stamping friends. Swapping, is one of the highlights of a Stampin’ Up! home office event for me. It can be for you too, just ask me how you can join my team!

Remember to inspire, create and share!

Watercolour Winter Simply Created Kit – Creative Blog Hop

Posted On: 01. 12. 14

I was nominated by a new stampin’ friend, Jamie Westerhof from www.cardsbyjamie.com, to participate in a creative blog hop! How fun, right! Thank you, Jamie!!!! Well, after reading Jamie’s blog post, I decided that we are crafting soulmates! I too, have been a long time Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, this past August marked my 11 year anniversary with this amazing company. I, also like Jamie, consider myself a CASE-er, as in Copy and Share Everything. When I sit down to create I often look to social media sites like Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration. Why re-invent the wheel after all? It was with this philosophy that I set about to create a card class for 5 lovely ladies who called me up and wanted to stamp a stack of 12 cards (each) in 1 evening. I thought I would be doing myself a tremendous favour by purchasing the Watercolour Winter Card Kit. No designing, no cutting card stock, just follow the directions provided with the kit. Easy Peasey!

This kit contains enough lovely die cuts, envelopes, cards, card fronts, etc. to create 20 cards per kit. Fabulous!!!! I did run into a little hiccup when assembling my demo cards from the kits. Watercolouring is NOT as easy as it seems, plus you are dealing with water…. that means drying time!! Time I did not forsee as making this class go as smoothly as I would like for a group of new customers. So, what to do? Change it up, of course!

After a great tip from a another friend and my upline, Catherine Sanders, who suggested that I should try using Blendabilites instead of watercolouring! WOW! Brilliant! The colours were bright and vibrant and best of all, NO drying time. Happy, Happy, Happy Stamper!

Here is the original “CASE’D” card above and the change it up card below. In the easy peasey change it up card, I coloured the outline of the white card base with Coastal Cabana Blendabilities and stamped the sentiment, instead of watercolouring those itty bitty letters that are featured in the above card.

Here is Set #2:

Both cards, top and bottom, use the Bermuda Bay card base. I was unhappy with the colour intensity of the watercoloured Merry, so this card completely transformed into the bottom version. Same cardbase but that is where the similarities end. I used the negative image from the vellum snowflake and sponged the snowflake into existence, added a couple of gold glimmer trees and sequins and viola. A modern, edgy Christmas card.

Set # 3:

Same card base, sled and vellum snowflake used in both cards. I eliminated the watercolouring in the sled, simplified the sentiment for the change it up card on the right and moved the snowflake up so that it is a bigger focal point. The “Christmas” and “Season’s Greetings” stamp are from the Watercolour Winter Too photopolymer set.

Set # 4:The trees are watercoloured using reinker and a wet paintbrush on the original card. I wasn’t thrilled with the depth of colour I was able to achieve, but over all I liked this one best. Until I changed it up that is! The change it up card is so vibrant and alive, all due to Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive Blendabilities. I coloured the top half of Merry with the dark Cherry Cobbler marker and the bottom half with all three shades of the Old Olive. Both trees were also coloured with Old Olive…love, love,love the easy blending and vibrancy of these markers! What do you think of these changes??? I would love to hear from you, please add comments below.

Blog Hop Questions:

1) What are you working on?

I am currently completing my Christmas cards, two 8 x 8 scrapbooks (presents for Christmas) and planning an Ornament with Matching Card Class for early in the month. I am also making mini paper ornaments to decorate 10 dozen containers of cookies for a cookie exchange that is happening this weekend. Oh, and I made earrings yesterday! My first foray into jewelery making, using Stampin’ Up embellishments, of course!

2) How does your work differ from others in your genre?

A customer said to me recently, “You like pretty, so you would like…” That struck me as being very true. I do tend to make pretty instead of trendy or cute. When I look at my stamp sets, there are wayyyyy more flower sets than any other theme. And if I love it, I never let it leave my ‘stash’ and still use it. I don’t always stick to the ‘if it is retired it is done’ philosophy.

3) Why do you create what you do?

I love it, I love the process. I love the wow factor. When I was in university, 20 years ago, I visited a friend who worked at a stamping kiosk in the local mall. My friend showed me how to heat emboss and I fell in love. I was awed! I bought my first stamps and stamp pads from her, way before I heard of Stampin’ Up and in fact, before they came to Canada! So, when I had my daughter 12 years ago, I was looking for an opportunity that allowed me to generate income and stay at home with her. Stampin’ Up! was the perfect solution. Two more children later and more moves than you want to know about I am still stamping and still loving it.

4) How does your creative process work?

I usually start with a stamp set that I have. I look for a ‘few’ minutes for cards I like on Pinterest or Facebook stamping sites. Pull out card stock and ink and coordinating ribbon and go from there. Whan I CASE, I usually CASE layouts and change up my card as I go, while sticking to the layout of the card that inspired me. Why reinvent the wheel, right?

Well, I think this has been the longest post I have EVER written. 🙂 And now, I would love to nominate two more lovely ladies and stampers to participate in this creative blog hop.

First off, Gloria Kremer. with Girlfriend Originals Facebook Page. Gloria organized a few card swaps at the Kitchener Stampin’ Up! Fall Conference back in October. The conference and swaps were amazing! Check out her page.

Secondly, Cathy Caines, with In the Cat Cave, has agreed to play along with us! I have been following Cathy’s site for a little while now and her work is inspiring! Thanks, Cathy!