Daisies in Silhouette

This is project 2 of 3 - from a workshop this past weekend. I LOVE the simplicity of this card with it's WOW factor of the double technique of Heat Embossing and Silhouette.

This is another one of my favorite Stampin' up sets - "Upsy Daisy" - both image and sentiment were stamped in Whisper White Craft Ink, then heat embossed with white embossing powder. The silhouette technique uses a q-tip to apply ink, in this case, Crumb Cake - around the edges of the heat embossed image. When you are satisfied with your silhouette, use a tissue to wipe the excess ink off the heat embossed image. I 'tied up' this design with some Linen Thread and layered punches. I LOVE using white heat embossing on Naturals Ivory card stock - so elegant and striking. ENJOY!

Birthday Design

Who knew being prepared ahead of time would be so relaxing and peaceful? LOL I actually got to stamp along while I hosted a Chat & Challenge over at the demonstrator only site Sudsol!

This is a birthday card for our niece. The original sketch came from PaperCraftPlanet online, from a couple of weeks ago. Can you see the Dazzling Diamonds Glitter around the edge of the Certainly Celery, as well as being the icing on the cupcakes?

My design uses three current SU! stamp sets: Crazy for Cupcakes, Circle Circus & Hugs & Wishes. It also uses Melon Mambo, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery and Whisper White. Accessories: Blender Pen (for watercoloring from the ink pads), Melon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Wide Oval Punch, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Two Way Glue Pen & Dimensionals. ENJOY!

Birthday Punch

I am afraid the pun humor of my husband's family has completely rubbed off on me AND I'm am okay with that! lol (Did you get the post title? that's what I'm talking about - giggle).

This fourth and final design from Alice S.' workshop last week was inspired by the sample shown on page 8 of the Occasions Mini 2009 for the NEW Oval All Stamp Set and Scallop Oval Punch! The Oval All Set not only goes perfectly with the Scallop Oval Punch, but also the Large Oval Punch. I changed it up a bit by making it open at the side, and adding in the Star Punches and adding a subtle tone on tone Happy Birthday background to the Pacific Point base layer.

Stamps: Oval All, God's Blessings
Card Stock: Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, Summer Sun & Whisper White
Ink: Pacific Point
Accessories: Punches: Scallop Edge and Oval, Large and Wide Ovals, 3/4", 1", 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" Circles, Star & Large Star; Tangerine Tango Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and Dimensionals.
ENJOY!

Crazy for Cupcakes & Watercoloring

Here is a second design from Alice S.' workshop last week. Notice the layered Top Note? Nope, it's not a nestabilities! It is the SU! Top Note - layered!

Are you ooo'ing and ahhhh'ing yet? Now for the confession (lol) - it is a faux layer! (Don't you love the word faux?!) It looks like a five layer card, but it is only four layers. HOW? I'm glad you asked! I first saw this when a fellow Sudsol Sister shared a design with the faux layering technique - it's simple! Just trim around the perforated edge of your Top Note die cut - easy peasey, no joke. I then used my Two Way Glue Pen to add some Dazzlng Diamonds Glitter to my faux layer, as well as to the cupcake frosting.

TIP: Did you know you don't *have* to have all the Classic Ink Pads or Ink Refills to be able to watercolor using ink? (Of course, why *wouldn't* you want all the ink pads and their refills, but that is another topic for another day! lol) this is also a good tip for when you are cropping, and don't want to take your whole stamp room with you - just grab your Many Marvelous Markers case and a Blender Pen and you are good to go!

All you need to do is scribble some ink, using the brush tip of your Stampin' Write, onto a stamp case, then pick up the ink using your blender Pen, and apply it to your images!

Here is a close up, though blurry, it does show the pretty Dazzling Diamonds Glitter - which my goal for this picture. (I think I need a special macro lens for my camera.)

Remember - the Top Note die may be used with the Big Shot or other die cutting machines, like the Cuttlebug.


Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes
Card Stock: Bashful blue, Gable Green, Not Quite Navy & Confetti White.
Ink: Basic Gray Classic Pad, Stampin' Writes in Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Gable Green & Rose Red.
Accessories: Top Note Die, Bashful Blue Taffeta Ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Two Way Glue Pen & Mini Glue Dots.
ENJOY!

WANTED: Party Girls

This is the birthday invite I came up with for my daughter's 7th birthday party. She wants a horse theme party - so all the decor has horses on it - most a mother horse and baby foal - she loves baby animals! It's going to be a small gathering with just three girlfriends - who have all had the date on their calendar for over a month because I *knew* I wouldn't get the invites made in time. (The party is a week and a half from today!)

I really like how this design turned out! I especially like the little touches of embellishment - the Rope Twine (retired SU!) is kept in place by a few Mini Glue Dots (I ADORE the mini glue dots!) and the pink rhinestones (self-adhesive, of course, and by KaiserCraft) on the Word Window punches (which are popped up on Dimensionals.) I sponged Chocolate Chip Classic Ink around the edges of the Close to Cocoa base to create a framing efect without adding another layer of card stock. As always, am lovin' my Classic Oval Nestabilities Set! I used the scallop to help keep the feminine touch in the design, same idea for the Loves Me DSP and the pink rhinestone bling. My girl isn't a true "girlie girl", but she isn't a tom boy either. She liked the design - so I guess I did good! :)

How about the horse "galloping" along the inside of the invite? For those who haven't seen this done before - this effect is achieved in a very simple way - stamping off! I stamped the first horse fully inked, then stamped twice more to achieve the 'in motion' effect.

Stamps: Wanted (SU!) and Rough Edges Mini Alphabet(retired SU!)
Card Stock: Close to Cocoa, Regal Rose, Taken with Teal, Whisper White, Loves Me DSP (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip and Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Word Window Punch, Oval Nestabilities, Rope Twine (retired SU!), Rhinestones (Kaiser Craft), Mini Glue Dots and Dimensionals.
ENJOY!

Crazy for Cupcakes AND ....

... MY NEW WATERMARK! I am soooooo excited because I just (literally in the last few minutes!) figured out, all by my lonesome, how to insert my beautiful new watermark onto my project pics in GIMP. GIMP is free software that can do A TON of things I have no clue about - lol, but I use it for photo editing, and NOW for watermark inserting!! Can we say HAPPY DANCE, Happy Dance, happy dance...

Okay - so the card (heehee). I love the look of cupcakes, well, really anything small like that - babies are my favorite! :) I ordered the Crazy for Cupcakes set when it was on sale last year and am finally getting around to using it. Part of my 2009 Papercrafting Resolutions don't ya know?
I also used the SU! Bigz Top Note Die for the first time - very cool! Did you know that a lot of the Sizzix dies, including many of the Stampin' Up! exclusives are not only able to be used in the Big Shot, but the Big Kick, the Cuttlebug and other machines too? How cool is that? don't have any of these fun tools yet? contact me to order your Big Shot Starter Kit today, or check it out online via the Shop Now button on my SU! site.

Here's a second design with the same layout but changed up positioning and colors. For both cards, I water-colored with the Blender Pen and Classic Ink Pads on the cupcake papers, the stand and the candle. The edges of the Top Note and Curly Label Punch ( they are so cute together!) are both sponged with Classic Ink. I used a Quickie Glue Pen to outline the cupcake frosting and Top Note, to fill in the candle flame and to make polka dots on the balloons to hold the Iridescent Ice Glitter. I used a mask on the tone-on-tone balloons, then a Stampin' Dimensional to pop up the center balloon. Add a coordinating 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon bow on a Mini Glue Dot and VOILA - two pretty cards! I lined the inside of each card with a layer of the same color as the outside, then stamped the large cupcake image in the Crazy for Cupcakes set tone-on-tone with the wording from the set in the darker color used.

Tip: Isn't the 'half' a punch cute? Stamp close to the edge of your card stock, then flip your punch over and line up the stamped image/wording where you want it, then punch it out. This is usually much easier than trying to stamp in alignment on a very small, already punched piece.

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes
Cardstock: Confetti White, Rose Red, Barely Banana, Tempting Turquoise & Gable Green
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, rose Red, Barely Banaa, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Gable Green & YoYo Yellow
Accessories: Bigz Top Note Die, Curly Label Punch, Iridescent Ice Glitter, Rose Red & Tempting Turquoise 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots & Stampin' Sponge
ENJOY!