Autumn Leaves

Here's my card for today's SCS sketch challenge. I used some polished stone leaves I had left over from an earlier project to bring this card together pretty quickly.

The leaves are from Melanie's A Year of Leaves set from Gina K Designs. I used some fall colored reinkers and gold metallic mixative for the polished stone pieces. The leaves are set on squares of Sahara Sand cardstock using dimensionals. I added a twill tape tab underneath each panel as a simple, rustic accent.

The leaves are paired with a piece of dotted paper from the retired SU! Fall Flowers pack (I still have lots of this left over!) and some coordinating rust cardstock. After considering other options like adding ribbon or leaving an embellishment off altogether, I added a pair of wooden buttons, threaded with twine, at the top of the panel. I decided to leave off a sentiment--I figure I can stamp one inside when I go to use the card.

Materials Used:

A Year of Leaves stamp set (Gina K Designs); More Mustard, Really Rust, and Pumpkin Pie reinkers, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, and Glossy White cardstock, Fall Flowers designer paper, scallop edge punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); gold metallic mixative (Ranger); wooden buttons, twine (Papertrey Ink); twill tape (Martha Stewart)

Just Sittin' Here

I made this card using the colors from Dawn's latest Raspberry Suite color challenge. You know I can't resist anything with kraft! Here, kraft is paired with red, aqua, dark brown and cream for a great color combination.

I used images from the On My Couch and On My Couch Additions set from Papertrey Ink for my card. I don't know what it is about these couch images, but I really like them . . . The couch image was stamped in (my newly reinked!) Pure Poppy ink on an Aqua Mist scrap, then carefully cut out and attached over the rug using a dimensional. I added a square pillow in Aqua Mist to break up the red just a little.

I added a red panel with some faux stitching along the bottom to the cardfront, then layered on the circle with the couch image. The panel with the couch looked a little bare, so I added a button-embellished satin bow to one edge. The sentiment is stamped in Dark Chocolate ink, just above the faux stitching. I attached a pair of silver brads along the edge of the red panel, kind of alongside the couch panel to complete the card. I have a hard time photographing things with a lot of red--I promise this card looks so much better IRL!

Materials Used:

On My Couch and On My Couch Additions stamp sets, Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist, and Dark Chocolate inks, Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream, and Kraft cardstock, Aqua Mist satin ribbon, Pure Poppy button, twine (Papertrey Ink); mat pack and paper piercing tool, white gel pen, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); circle dies (Nestabilities); silver brads (Making Memories)

Fall Polka Dot Paradise Project

***Scroll down to see my Chicken Girl Designs project posted earlier today.***

Here’s my card for the latest challenge at Embellish Magazine, called Polka Dot Paradise. The challenge was to use cream, light orange, orange, and burgundy along with polka dots. These colors had a fall feel to me, so I came up with a card featuring a leaf as the focal image.

The leaf is die cut using a Nestabilities die. I stamped a polka dot pattern over the leaf in cream ink using one of the polka dot stamps from Papertrey Ink’s Polka Dot Basics set. I spritzed some bronze Glimmer Mist over the leaf for a shimmery look—so pretty IRL!

I added some more polka dots to the design on the orange panel that the leaf is layered on. This time, I stamped the open dots tone on tone on an orange panel. I added a sentiment from the Vintage Picnic Additions set, stamped in Scarlet Jewel ink on a cream panel and accented with a wooden button.

Materials Used:
Polka Dot Basics and Vintage Picnic Additions stamp sets, Orange Zest, Scarlet Jewel, and Vintage Cream inks, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Scarlet Jewel, and Vintage Cream cardstock, wooden button, twine (Papertrey Ink); maple leaf and circle dies (Nestabilities); scallop edge punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Bronze Glimmer Mist

Monster Match

Here's an idea for a fun way to use the Chicken Girl Designs Silly Monsters stamp set from i {heart} papers. I altered a plain CD tin to be "home" to a Monster Match game, a version of the classic Memory game that's perfect for playing at home with your little monster fans .

I covered a simple metal tin with some fun patterned paper from the October Afternoon Night Light collection kit (it's on sale now!). These papers are a great match for the monster images! I used the a different piece of patterned paper and some of the stickers included in the collection kit to make a label for the outside of the container. I added a button embellished bow made from some light blue faux suede ribbon for a little dimension and interest.

I stamped each of the monsters twice on white cardstock circles cut with Nestabilities dies. The monsters are colored with Copic markers and layered on a pair of scalloped circles, one solid and one from another piece of patterned paper from the Night Light line. The two layers of cardstock make the game pieces pretty sturdy.

The playing pieces are kept inside the tin when not in use. I used more of the patterned paper and some stickers and die cut pieces from the collection kit to decorate the inside to coordinate with the colors and patterns on the playing pieces.

This is a quick and easy project that can be adapted for use with lots of different stamp sets and themes. I can't wait to try it out with a little monster-loving friend!

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Silly Monsters stamp set, October Afternoon Night Light Collection Kit, May Arts light blue faux suede ribbon, Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies

other: white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pacific Point cardstock (Stampin' Up!); cream button, twine (Papertrey Ink)

Clean and Simple Winter Wishes

***Scroll down to the post below to see my Kitchen Sink Monday post.***

Here's my quick (less than 5 minute) card for today's SCS clean and simple challenge. The challenge was a color challenge using shades of pink, blue, and green along with white.

I came up with this very simple winter holiday card. I started with a white base made from Papertrey Ink's sturdy white cardstock. The trio of snowflakes are from Verve's Snowflake Splendor set. I stamped each one in a different color ink. The "winter wishes" sentiment from Verve's Snow Wonderful set is stamped in blue ink.

In keeping with the simple design of the card, I kept the embellishments light. I added a tiny rhinestone to the center of each snowflake and a soft pink satin ribbon knotted around the top of the card. Simple, elegant, and easy to reproduce--maybe this should be my holiday card this year . . .

Materials Used:

Snow Wonderful and Snowflake Splendor stamp sets (Verve Stamps); white cardstock, Spring Moss and Sweet Blush inks (Papertrey Ink); Bashful Blue Classic ink (Stampin' Up!); tiny twinkles (Taylored Expressions); pink satin ribbon (Target)

Kitchen Sink Monday: New Fall Stamps

It's time for another Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday. Today all of the KSS Crew will be showcasing projects using the 5 newest additions to the kitchen.

Since I was short on time this weekend, I used this week's challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges for the inspiration for my card's layout. This card features images from the new set. These images are so easy to combine to create scenes! Here, I paired the branch and owl images with the large moon image for the large panel on my cardfront. The owl and branch are stamped in shades of brown, the moon in shades of yellow with just a bit of orange thrown in for contrast. I masked the moon with a sticky note, then rubbed on some blue ink to get the night sky effect.

The cardfront is covered with some designer paper from a fall DCWV stack. I added a panel with the "happy Halloween" sentiment from Ready 4 Any Holiday, stamped in coordinating orange ink. The only other embellishments are a matching orange ribbon with a wooden button. The wood button kind of goes with the woodsy, outdoors feel of the scene on the card.

Materials Used:

MultiStep Owl & Autumn Moon, Ready 4 Any Holiday stamp sets (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Barely Banana, Brocade Blue, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Soft Suede, Creamy Caramel, and Pumpkin Pie Classic inks, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla, and Whisper White cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Lemon Tart and Summer Sunrise inks, wooden button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Tuscan Tan Vivid ink (Gina K Designs); designer paper (DCWV's Indian Summer Fall Stack); orange grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

And, here's one more sample made with a new addition to the KSS lineup. This release includes a multistep mini set. This mini set is the perfect way to try out the unique multistep stamps that KSS is known for. And, to make it even easier to get started, this set even includes color recipes so you're ready to go right away.

I used the latest Taylored Expressions sketch challenge for this card. I switched it up just a bit to make the layout a 4 1/4" square card instead of a standard size. The peach is stamped following the recipe from the set's insert. I varied the suggested colors a bit for the leaves since I didn't have all of the suggested inks.

I paired the peach image with some patterned paper from the Bloom & Grow collection from My Mind's Eye. The polka dot pattern on the paper was continued on the embossed dotted panel that runs the length of the cardfront and on the dotted satin ribbon, too. I added the set's "just peachy" sentiment in the bottom corner of the card in Bamboo Leaves ink, stamped twice so it would stand out just a little bit from the pattern.

Be sure to visit the rest of the Kitchen Sink Crew For more Kitchen Sink inspiration using the new releases, you can visit the rest of the Kitchen Sink Crew. Here’s where you can find them:
Angela Knopf
Connie McCotter
Dee Jackson
Julie Masse
Lisa Somerville
Lynn McAuley
Makiko Jones
Maria Colosimo, owner

You still have a few more days to take advantage of the specials to celebrate the new releases and KSS's 2nd birthday. You can find all of the details on the specials here on the KSS site. And, don’t forget that you can use the code LORI10KSS for a 10% discount on your KSS purchases!

Materials Used:

Multi-step Peach stamp set, Memento Dandelion, Tangelo, Rhubarb Stalk, Bamboo Leaves, and London Fog inks (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Summer Sunrise and Spring Moss cardstock, Spring Moss dotted satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); white cardstock, scallop edge punch, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); circle dies (Nestabilities); designer paper (My Mind's Eye); Polka Dot embossing folder (QuicKutz); Platinum Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

Sunflowers for a Happy Day

Here's a look at another one of the five brand new sets just released at Kitchen Sink Stamps. I used the new MultiStep Sunflowers set to make this card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this cheerful card. When I saw the flowers in the vase on the card, I thought I could make my own similar version using images from the new set.

I kept the layout pretty much the same, but altered it to fit the watering can and sunflower images from the set I used. The watering can is stamped in shades of gray and black, then carefully cut out so it can be attached to the image panel with dimensionals. I stamped a single sunflower in shades of yellow and brown inks. There was enough room along the left side of the panel to fit the "have a happy day" sentiment from Never a Loss 4 Words, accented with a single yellow button.

The images are on a Nestabilities Labels One panel. I inked around the edges with some Summer Sunrise ink to give the panel a little definition. The panel is layered on another Labels One cut out that's the same size but offset just slightly to create a different looking border. I embossed a Barely Banana panel with the Moroccan Lace embossing folder, then added the stamped panel to finish the card.

I'll be back in the morning for Kitchen Sink Monday with sample featuring another one of the new KSS sets.

Materials Used:
MultiStep Sunflowers and Never a Loss 4 Words stamp sets, Memento London Fog ink, Brilliance Graphite Black ink (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Summer Sun, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, and Basic Gray Classic inks, Barely Banana, Old Olive, and Whisper White cardstock, Old Olive poly twill, sponge dauber, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Lemon Tart ink, Lemon Tart button (Papertrey Ink); Moroccan Lace embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Labels One die (Nestabilities)

Birthday "Count"down

I love how these DoodleFactory Costume Party characters from Starving Artistamps can be used for all sorts of occasions. Here, I made a child's birthday card, inspired by the Count character from Sesame Street and this week's arithmetic challenge from Three Clovers Thursday.

I stamped the Count image and colored it with Copic markers, then carefully cut it out. It's layered on a portion of a Ballet Blue circle that serves as a night sky background. The panel is attached to a light blue panel with a tone on tone polka dot stamped background.

A trio of foam number stickers counts out the birthday child's age--Count-style, of course! I added a happy birthday sentiment from the Fairy Tale sentiments set underneath the Count to complete the card. What a fun birthday card for a Sesame Street fan!

Don’t forget you can get these stamps and other DoodleFactory and Starving Artistamps stamps for 10% off by using the discount code: savetenLT.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Costume Party, Fairy Tale Sentiments, and Polka Dot background stamp sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Bashful Blue and Ballet Blue Classic inks, Bashful Blue and Ballet Blue cardstock, silver brad, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); circle die (Nestabilities); foam stickers (Target dollar spot)

For Mom and More

I have three cards to share tonight, all for this month's Viva la Verve challenges. I've been working on them throughout the month and I'm finally finished with all five. Here are the last three for the month.

I gave this card to my mom for her birthday earlier this month. I had a hard time with this one. I knew right away what images I wanted to use, but I had a difficult time getting them to fit in the sketch.

After going back and forth for a long time about what patterned paper and color combination to go with, I finally settled on pairing some My Mind’s Eye Bloom & Grow designer papers with Papertrey Ink’s Aqua Mist and Spring Moss cardstock. I stamped the flower image from Verve’s Because of You in those colors, omitting one of the flowers so I could fit the sentiment on the panel. The sentiment is stamped in gray instead of black to better match the soft color scheme of the card. Since my image panel was large, I ended up sponging some green ink on the edges of the panel instead of matting it on an additional layer.

I had a Ripe Avocado button-embellished bow left over from another project, so I ended up working it in as an embellishment here. I added it to the dotted panel. The darker green is a nice contrast to the pale colors on the card. It looks like such a simple card for all the time I spent on it!

Materials Used:
Because of You stamp set (Verve); Aqua Mist and Spring Moss inks, Aqua Mist and Spring Moss cardstock, Ripe Avocado satin ribbon, Spring Moss button, twine (Papertrey Ink);London Fog ink (Memento); Very Vanilla cardstock, sponge (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (My Mind’s Eye-Bloom & Grow line); circle die (Nestabilities)

Here’s my card for last week’s sketch with the twist of black and white only. That was hard—I wanted to add just a bit of another color, but I managed to hold off on that.

I used one of the sentiments from Verve’s Hundred Hearts set for my focal image. I embellished the panel with a clear heart and a black button. The button is attached to the heart with a glue dot and hides the dimensional that I used to attach the heart to the cardfront.

I embossed a strip of black cardstock with a heart patterned embossing folder, then lightly rubbed a shimmery white ink over the raised portions. I used a piece of black and white patterned paper from a Papertrey Ink collection for the large panel on the cardfront, then arranged all of the pieces on a black mat and white card base. I wrapped the panels with a pair of layered ribbons with soft textures-velvet and satin.

Materials Used:
Hundred Hearts stamp set (Verve); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Moonlight White ink (Brilliance); Basic Black and Whisper White cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Black and White Basics designer paper, black button (Papertrey Ink); Heart Blocks embossing folder (Cuttlebug); ghost heart (Heidi Swapp); black stitched velvet ribbon (Michaels); white satin ribbon (Target)

And, here's my final card for this month's challenges. The twist for this sketch was to use fancy papers. I used some flocked paper I got forever ago at Target in the scrapbooking aisle to cover most of the Soft Suede card base here.

I paired the flocked paper with the new Happiness Found stamp set. Since the flocked paper pattern is kind of busy, I used just the sentiment on the card. The two circular patterns behind the sentiment are plain, old solid cardstock pieces.

I added a little more elegance with some pretty cream ribbon. A coordinating cream button, "threaded" with a very narrow strip of Soft Suede cardstock, finished the card.

Materials Used:

Happiness Found stamp set (Verve); Soft Suede Classic ink, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, and Kraft cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, sponge dauber (Stampin' Up!); cream button (Papertrey Ink); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); ribbon (?)

Pumpkin Patch Greetings

This morning I'm headed out to a shoebox swap with some local stamping friends. I designed this SU! only card for the swap. Since there will be 30 people stamping the day away, I kept my card pretty simple and easy to complete.

I used the sketch for this week's SCS clean and simple challenge for the card's layout. The image panel features a pair of pumpkins from the new Pumpkin Patch stamp set. The smaller, circle shaped pumpkin is punched out with my 1" circle punch. The 1 1/4" circle punch left too much of a border around the image for my liking, so I went just a little smaller than the image with the 1" punch. The sentiment is stamped in Old Olive ink to match the card base.

I layered a strip of designer paper from the Tall Tales package across the card base before attaching the image panel. The final touch is a small piece of knotted Rich Razzleberry dotted grosgrain ribbon. The deep purplish color is a nice contrast to the orange and green on the rest of the card.

Materials Used (all from Stampin' Up!):
Pumpkin Patch stamp set, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, and Basic Black Classic inks, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, and Very Vanilla cardstock, Tall Tales designer series paper, Rich Razzleberry dotted grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

Papertrey Ink September Blog Hop: Going Green

For this month’s Papertrey Ink blog hop, the challenge was to recycle something from your Papertrey packaging for your project. Not only did I recycle something from my newly arrived package (white tissue paper), I recycled my idea from the previous recycling challenge, too.

I revisited faux silk, this time with a seasonally appropriate fall and country slant. I stamped one of the pretty multi-step floral images from Garden of Life repeatedly on a piece of the tissue that my new stamps were wrapped in. After letting the inks dry, I crinkled the tissue paper up pretty well, then smoothed it out and wrapped it around a cream cardstock panel.

The panel is layered on a mat that’s stamped with one of the images from the new Vintage Labels set. I used the new Orange Zest cardstock and matching ink here. I cut out the mat with the coordinating die after stamping. A simple button-embellished ribbon is attached to the top corner of the stamped image panel. I used a piece of plaid patterned paper from the Autumn Abundance pack for the panel on the bottom section of the card. It’s hard to see, but I did some machine stitching along the bottom of the panel. I added a sentiment from the Vintage Picnic Additions set and a copper brad to finish the card.

Materials Used:
Garden of Life, Vintage Labels, and Vintage Picnic Additions stamp sets, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, and Dark Chocolate inks, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream, and Kraft cardstock, Orange Zest grosgrain ribbon, Dark Chocolate button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Labels One die (Nestabilities); corner rounder (Stampin’ Up!); copper brad (Making Memories); sewing machine; white tissue paper

Blogger Challenge: Week 118

This week’s blogger challenge was to highlight designer paper. My project doesn’t use any special technique with designer paper, but it’s a big part of the card’s design.

I paired my designer paper with one of the five new sets releasing today from Kitchen Sink Stamps. It’s KSS’s second birthday today and to celebrate, we have some special deals from the Kitchen, good today (September 25) through October 1:
· All orders $50 and over will receive free shipping (international orders will receive free shipping on orders $60 and over--stamps only)
· Buy all 5 new sets and get a FREE mystery stamp set/s (value of $30)
· The first 5 orders will receive a free special limited edition Kitchen Sink tote bag (retail value $15).
And, you can use the code LORI10KSS for an extra 10% discount on your KSS purchases!

I’ve had this shimmery paper in my collection for a while now and I’ve only used a little bit of it. It’s got a perfect combination of Halloween colors—the black background with dots of white, purple, green, and orange.

My card features images from the new Multi-step Pumpkins set—perfect for projects for all kinds of fall events! I stamped the small multi-step pumpkin in different shades of orange and brown ink on a shimmery white circle. I added one of the jack-o-lantern faces and the stem to complete the panel. I found some orange grosgrain ribbon and cut a triangular notch in one end, then stamped the “boo!” sentiment from Ready 4 Any Holiday in Palette ink directly on the ribbon.

I cut the patterned paper using the Top Note die and my Big Shot. The curves and points in the Top Note shape add more interest than if I’d used just a large rectangular panel. The pumpkin is layered over the Top Note using dimensionals. I threaded the ribbon beneath it, setting it so that it extends slightly beyond the right side of the card.

For more projects showing off designer papers, you can visit the rest of the challenge players. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Multi-Step Pumpkins and Ready 4 Any Holiday stamp sets (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, and Close to Cocoa Classic inks, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, and Shimmery White cardstock, Top Note die, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Summer Sunrise and Orange Zest inks (Papertrey Ink); London Fog and Tuxedo Black inks (Memento); Noir Black ink (Palette); designer paper (Reminisce-Along Came a Spider); Polka Dots embossing folder (QuicKutz); circle dies (Nestabilities); orange ribbon (Michaels)

Bellarific Thursday?

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday sketch from Stamping Bella--yes, on Thursday (but pretty close to Friday--yay!). I went with the pretty charm image on this one—reminds me that I should wear my own bracelet like this more often. I used to wear it every day, but it gets in the way sometimes when I’m working at the computer, so I haven’t pulled it out lately.

Anyway, here’s the card. The bracelet was stamped in Versamark, then heat embossed in silver for a true-to-life, shiny look. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the placement for the charm. Since the font on the sentiment inside the charm is so tiny, I decided to stamp it in plain gray ink instead of attempting to heat emboss it and being annoyed because I couldn’t read the sentiment easily.

I used an Amy Butler damask patterned paper panel on the cardfront—a little out of the ordinary for me, but it seemed to work nicely with the bracelet image. I added a solid gray panel, kind of picking up the silver in the bracelet, along the bottom of the card and a pretty, girlie pink bow.

Materials Used:
Bracelet image (Stamping Bella); London Fog ink (Memento); Pretty in Pink, Riding Hood Red, Basic Gray, and Whisper White cardstock, silver embossing powder (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (k & Company-Amy Butler Lotus); circle dies (Nestabilities); pink ribbon (Michaels); Sweet Blush button, twine (Papertrey Ink)

Trick or Treat Surprise

So, after I made my first wiper card recently and realized how easy these are to make, I noted here that you’d be seeing some more of them. And now I’m making good on that promise by sharing another wiper card, this time using images from the new Chicken Girl Designs Happy Halloween stamp set from i {heart} papers.

I colored the trio of happy trick or treaters using Copic markers. My picture doesn’t show it well, but I added some sparkle with a few Spica pens, too. The image is cut out using the Labels Two die.

I used some mostly orange Basic Grey Lime Rickey paper to cover the cardfront and side panels. A piece of sparkly yellow glimmer ribbon is tied around the cardfront to bring in a bit more yellow. The pop up piece features the “trick or treat” sentiment, highlighted with a black sparkly brad. So cute!

Materials Used:
From i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Happy Halloween stamp set, Basic Grey Lime Rickey designer paper, orange and mint Spica pens; Nestabilities Labels Two dies; Creative Impressions yellow glimmer ribbon; Stemma Silver Wedding glitter brad

Other: white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pumpkin Pie and Yoyo Yellow cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!)

This Monster's Wild About You

The images in the DoodleFactory Costume Party set from Starving Artistamps aren't just for Halloween. Check out this card I made for this week's SCS sketch challenge using the monster image to see how this can work.

The monster image is colored with Copic markers to coordinate with the colros in the strip of designer paper along the left edge of the card. I used some sparkly flock on the top of its head for some sparkle and texture.

When I first saw the monster, I thought of the classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are. In a roundabout way, that led me to this idea. To turn this card into a "love note," I added a felt heart to the monster's outstretched hands. The "wild about you" sentiment from the Country sentiments set #2completes the sweet scene.

Don’t forget you can get these stamps and other DoodleFactory and Starving Artistamps stamps for 10% off by using the discount code: savetenLT.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Costume Party set and Country Set #2 sentiments (Starving Artistamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Riding Hood Red Classic ink, Riding Hood Red, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, and Creamy Caramel cardstock (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (We R Memory Keepers-Precious Metals line); Polka Dots embossing folder (QuicKutz); felt heart (American Crafts); brown Sparkly Fluff (Our Craft Lounge)

Unity Addicts Challenge: Fall Inspiration

Here’s my card for this week’s Unity Addicts challenge. Maria provided us with an inspiration photo from a Pier1 advertisement to use for our projects.

I used just a tiny piece of the image for my inspiration—the leaves at the corner of the photo. I used the three different sized leaf images from the new September Stampin’ Store Kit for my image panel. This kit isn't available at Unity, but you can find it at some retail stores--I got mine from i {heart} papers. The leaves are stamped in autumn-like colors—rust, brown, and mustard—on a cream panel. I sponged around the edges of the panel a bit, too.

I tied a piece of bold orange silk ribbon around the panel. I threaded a piece of twine through the knot, taking inspiration from the raffia wraps around the candles in the inspiration photo. The panel is layered on a mustard card base and accented with paper piercing around one corner. I layered the “thankful” sentiment over a portion of the image panel, embellished with a single wooden button.

Materials Used:
Everything Extraordinary- Unity Stamp Co. September Stampin’ Store Kit, orange silk ribbon (i {heart} papers); More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa, and Creamy Caramel Classic inks, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, and Very Vanilla cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool (Stampin’ Up!); wood button, twine (Papertrey Ink)

Costume Party Count and Cat

Here are two more cards featuring images from the DoodleFactory Costume Party set from Starving Artistamps. I used a pair of blogger sketch challenges for these.

This one uses Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 36. I had a hard time with the pair of slanted panels! I ended up coloring the Count image with Copic markers, cutting it out, and placing it on a shimmery dark blue background using dimensionals. The moon is made from a scrap of embossed cardstock, made into a crescent shape with a circle punch.

I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the words in the sentiment on the light blue panel. I arranged the slanted panels on a light blue mat embossed with a spooky spider web pattern. I found a star shape in a collection of epoxy shapes, added a ribbon to the center and backed it with a circle before adding it to the cardfront.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Costume Party and Witch's Brew sentiment sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Night of Navy Classic ink, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, and Barely Banana cardstock, 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches, blue grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); shimmery blue cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Spider Web and Swiss Dot embossing folders (Cuttlebug); epoxy shape (Making Memories-Animal Crackers line)

This card is based on this week's sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges. I ended up reversing the placement of the long vertical panel (left side of the card instead of the right) but I think it still follows the sketch for the most part . . .

I used the solid black cat from the Costume Party set and added a few details with Copic markers. The cat is cut out and set on the scene with dimensionals. The fence from the DoodleFactory Into the Woods set is stamped along the bottom of the scene. I masked it, then used different ink pads and a sponge to create my sunset sky.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Costume Party and Into the Woods stamp sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Old Olive, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, and Really Rust Classic ink, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, and Basic Black cardstock, 1 1/4" circle punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, white gel pen, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); black brads (Making Memories); black button, twine (Papertrey Ink); orange grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

Two Holidays Defined

I made these two holiday cards using images from the new Holiday Defined II set from the recent Playtime Collection release at Clear & Simple Stamps. This set includes a block definition for holidays plus some smaller images to pair with the definition.

Here's one for Halloween. I stamped the definition block on a cream panel with a spiral notebook style punched edge. The word "Halloween" is highlighted with some chalk to help it stand out just a bit. I wrapped a piece of matching orange ribbon around the panel, then layered the panel on slightly larger olive and black panels before attaching it to the cardfront.

I stamped the small bat image three times surrounding the sentiment panel. It's hard to tell in the photo, but I added a small (and I mean small!) black pom pom to the center of each bat image. It's a fun and easy detail that adds a little dimension and texture to the card.

Materials Used:

Holiday Defined II stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Pumpkin Pie, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black, and Very Vanilla cardstock, spiral punch, Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon (Stampin’ Up!); orange shimmery chalk (Pebbles inc); small black pom poms (Michaels)

This card is for Hanukkah--still a little while away, but it's never too early to get ready for the holiday season! I made the definition the focal image again here. On this card, it's stamped in navy ink and punched out with a circle punch. I layered the definition on a coordinating navy circle mat so it would stand out a bit on the cardfront.

The small Star of David image is heat embossed in silver on the silver circle panel. The silver on silver is so elegant IRL! I maintained the blue and silver scheme on the rest of the card. I added a navy panel, edged with a narrow silver strip and a trio of sparkly blue self-adhesive rhinestones to complete my design.

Materials Used:

Holiday Defined II stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Night of Navy Classic ink, Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, and Whisper White cardstock, 1 ¾” circle punch, silver embossing powder, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Versamark (Tsukineko); silver paper (Target); 1 ½”circle punch (EK Success); silver ribbon (Michaels); blue self-adhesive rhinestones (Studio 18)

High Flying Fun

***Scroll down to see my Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday post.***

Here's my card for today's clean and simple challenge on SCS. It came together quickly following the sketch provided and using just a few elements.

I used the paper airplane image from the Oh Boy set from Clear & Simple Stamps as my focal image. I stamped the plane on the blue background panel, then again on a scrap of white cardstock. I cut out the white image and attached it to the image panel with a dimensional. The puffs below the plane are filled in with some sparkly Stickles.

I added the sentiment in red ink for a little pop. I used red elements, including a red mat for the image, a strip of red patterned paper, and a red button, to finish the card. So cute--and perfect for a little boy, too!

I'll have some more Clear & Simple Stamps goodies to share with you in the morning, so be sure to stop back.

Materials Used:

Oh Boy stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Riding Hood Red Classic ink, Riding Hood Red, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, and Whisper White cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (October Afternoon-Night Light line); Pure Poppy button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Crystal Stickles (Ranger)

Kitchen Sink Monday: Bear-ing a Gift

I have a fun project to share for this week's Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday. I made a quick and easy gift card holder based on the layout from Weekend Sketch Challenge 98. When I first looked at the sketch, I started thinking that it might work well as a gatefold card. Then, I thought a little more and decided it could actually be a gatefold gift card holder--so that's what I did.

I started with the sweet, cuddly bear image from the 3 Step Get Well Teddy set. The bear is stamped in shades of brown ink on a cream panel, then layered on a rose mat. I added a cream button, tied with a coordinating rose ribbon, to the edge of the panel as a simple embellishment.

The gatefolded card base is made with Bermuda Bay cardstock, scored with the help of my ScorPal. I added a panel of Basic Grey's Lemonade designer paper on the top portion of the card. The designer paper is machine stitched to a rose mat to make it a little sturdier. The image panel is layered on the patterned paper. Both the patterned paper panel and the image panel extend below the edge of the top portion of the gatefolded card, making it easy to see that they can be lifted to open the card. The "hang in there!" sentiment just fit in the lower right corner of the cardfront.

The top section of the card flips up to reveal a pocket for a gift card. The sides of the pocket are adhered with some Sticky Strip. The pocket is lined with more of the same patterned paper as on the cardfront. I added a rose cardstock strip punched with my eyelet lace border punch to break up the blue a bit.

For more inspiration from the Kitchen, be sure to visit the rest of the Kitchen Sink Crew. Here's where you can find them:

Angela Knopf
Connie McCotter
Dee Jackson
Julie Masse
Lisa Somerville
Lynn McAuley
Makiko Jones
Maria Colosimo, owner

It's almost time for a new release--and for KSS's second birthday! Keep an eye out for sneak peeks at the end of the week . . .

Materials Used:

3 Step Get Well Teddy stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, and Bermuda Bay Classic inks, Bermuda Bay, Rose Red, and Very Vanilla cardstock, Rose Red grosgrain ribbon, eyelet lace border punch, Sticky Strip (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (Basic Grey-Lemonade line); button (Papertrey Ink); rectangle dies (Nestabilities); sewing machine

Go Ahead

***Scroll down to see my post from earlier today.***

Here's my clean and simple card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's inspired by this adorable card.

I made my card a standard sized card, giving me a little more room to work with. Instead of using a square scallop edged chipboard frame, I used my Big Shot and Nestabilities dies to make my frame from a scrap of "chipboard." The frame is coated with Ballet Blue craft ink, then attached to the card base with dimensionals.

The "go ahead wish" sentiment from Unity's September Kit of the Month is stamped in matching Ballet Blue classic ink. I centered the panel inside the frame and attached it directly to the card base. I arranged the embellishments on the frame a little differently on my version of the card. I used a bow instead of a knotted piece of ribbon and placed a punched out star on the opposite side of the frame, instead of underneath the ribbon. This filled in my "white space" a little more and kept everything from being crowded on one side. What a great layout! I think I'll probably use this one again . . .

Materials Used:

September 09 Kit of the Month (Unity Stamp Co.); Ballet Blue Craft ink, Ballet Blue Classic ink, Bashful Blue, Crushed Curry, and Whisper White cardstock, large star punch, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); rectangle and scalloped rectangle dies (Nestabilities); gold ribbon (?)

Mega Monster Hugs

Here's a monster mosaic based on this week's sketch challenge at Taylored Expressions. I arranged three of the monster images from the Chicken Girl Designs Silly Monsters set from i {heart} papers in the grid-like layout for this fun 5 1/2"square card.

The monsters are colored with Copic markers, then punched out with a 1 3/8" square punch. Each monster has some sparkly embellishment, courtesy of Stickles and Spica glitter pens.

I layered each monster on a slightly larger solid cardstock square, then on a piece of striped October Afternoon designer paper. The stripes in the pattern helped me to keep the pieces lined up pretty straight, which is usually somewhat of a challenge for me--LOL!

I stamped the "monster hugs" sentiment from the set in red ink for the center panel. I placed it on layered circles and added a red twill tab before attaching it to the card with dimensionals.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Silly Monsters stamp set, October Afternoon Night Light Collection Kit, May Arts red twill; Copic Turquoise and Silver Spica glitter pens, Ranger Ruby Slippers Glitz Stickles

other: white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red Classic ink, Real Red and Bahama Bay cardstock, 1 3/8" square punch, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); 1 1/2" circle punch (EK Success)

Meet The Petal Press

The Petal Press, a new line of stamps designed by Tracy Schultz, debuted earlier this week exclusively at i {heart} papers. The line's first set, Happy Harvest, is just perfect for cards for this time of year.

Here's my first card using these pretty images. I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch as the basis for my card. I thought the large circle panel would showcase the images nicely. I combined the pumpkin and one of the floral images here. The images are colored with Copic markers. I stamped the "give thanks" sentiment in coordinating rust ink.

I chose the colors for the card from the warm colors in the Upsy Daisy patterned paper panel I used on the cardfront. The colors in this paper (and this entire line) are great for fall. The strips across the card are made from pieces of sage faux suede ribbon--love how this feels! I added a trio of brads as a simple embellishment to complete the card.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: The Petal Press Happy Harvest stamp set, Upsy Daisy A Walk in the Park-Beautiful designer paper, May Arts sage faux suede ribbon, Nestabilities circle dies

other: cream cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Really Rust Classic ink, Really Rust and More Mustard cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); brads (Making Memories)

Give Me the Candy!

Kim is our host for this week's Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge. I played along using an image from the new DoodleFactory Costume Party stamp set from Starving Artistamps.

I stamped the cowboy image on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. It's hard to see in the photo, but I added some silver gel pen accents to the cowboy's buttons and stars. I used my colorless blender pen to make the contrasting white stripes on the cowboy's bandana.

The panels behind the cowboy are squares cut from a piece of Memory Box patterned paper. They're layered on red mats to set them off from the caramel card base. I stamped the sentiment from the Witch's Brew set beneath the 4 squares in slightly darker brown ink. I added a red felt star, embellished with a star brad, as a simple accent for the sentiment.

If you play along with this week's sketch challenge, upload your project to the PCP gallery using the keyword sk091909. And, don't forget about our ongoing Stampendous Back to Basics series. We're on week 3 this week, focusing on gift packaging. Check out this week's challenge and the great prize package, too.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Costume Party and Witch's Brew sentiments sets (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Close to Cocoa Classic ink, Real Red, Bashful Blue, and Creamy Caramel cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (Memory Box-Homespun Collection); oval dies (Nestabilities); felt star (American Crafts); star brad (Making Memories)

Bellarific Friday with Atty-TUDE

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday sketch from Stamping Bella. I used Atty-TUDE, another of the recent additions to my Bella collection for this one.

I took my color combination for the bright, cheery card from the fun colors in the patterned paper I used to cover most of the cardfront. Atty-TUDE is colored with Copic markers to match the paper. I added some fun details that are hard to see in the photo. Her glasses and shoes are colored with Spica glitter pens. I also used some sparkly fluff on her “wrap” and some Liquid Pearls on her earrings.

Atty-TUDE is layered on a coordinating scalloped oval and layered on the card with dimensionals. I attached a scallop edged strip across the bottom of the card, just wide enough for stamping the “diva”sentiment. Each little scallop is accented with a small dot of Liquid Pearls. I figured I'd go all out on the pearly and sparkly details here, since Atty-TUDE is a diva and it seemed to come together pretty well.

Materials Used:
Atty-TUDE image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers, clear and pink Spica glitter pens (Copic); Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry cardstock, scallop edge punch, mat pack and paper piercing tool, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (DCWV’s The Sorbet Stack); oval and scalloped oval dies (Nestabilities); Petal Pink Liquid Pearls (Ranger); Sugar sparkly fluff (Our Craft Lounge)

Blogger Challenge: Week 117

This week’s blogger challenge was a color challenge using Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, and a neutral.

Here’s what I came up with. I used my Everyday Button Bits set from Papertrey Ink—minus the buttons! The bird image was stamped in Chocolate Chip ink on a white panel. I replaced the button with a circle punched from a scrap of textured Crushed Curry cardstock. Works great! I added a teeny, tiny pink rhinestone as an eye to finish off my cute little circle bird.

I added a few more circle elements to my design. The panel beneath the bird is a scrap of dotted patterned paper from PTI’s Bitty Dot Basics papers. I also embossed a Melon Mambo panel with a polka dotted embossing folder. The “hey there, chickadee” sentiment fit nicely alongside the panel and really pops against the Crushed Curry cardfront.

For more projects using this color combination, you can visit the rest of the challenge players. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
Everyday Button Bits, Bitty Dot Basics paper (Papertrey Ink); Chocolate Chip and Melon Mambo Classic inks, Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, and Whisper White cardstock, Crushed Curry textured cardstock, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); 7/8” circle punch (EK Success); Polka Dots embossing folder (QuicKutz)

Verve Stars and Stripes

It has been a *long* week and I’m so glad that Friday’s almost here. I managed to finish the last two cards for this week’s Verve release challenges. So I could get everything done, I kept these cards pretty simple.

This one is for the distressing challenge. Distressing and vintage-y looking stuff is not my usual thing, but I gave it a shot on this masculine card. I paired sentiments from Verve’s Father Figure with one of the background strips from Bountiful Backgrounds for my simple layout. The background stamp is stamped directly on the Sahara Sand panel in matching ink. I sponged around the panel with a combination of Sahara Sand and Mellow Moss inks.

The sentiments are stamped in Mellow Moss ink on a cream panel. I distressed the edges of an Always Artichoke panel with my distressing tool and layered the sentiment panel on this before attaching it to the cardfront with dimensionals. I added a pair of copper brads and a sage twill tab to finish the card.

Materials Used:
Father Figure and Bountiful Backgrounds stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Mellow Moss and Sahara Sand Classic inks, Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, and Very Vanilla cardstock, sponge, distressing tool, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); copper brads (Making Memories); sage twill tape (Martha Stewart)

This one is for the sparkly challenge. Sparkly=stars in my mind, so I turned to my Polka Stars set for this one (looking forward to seeing the new Verve star set on Friday night . . .).

Two of the star images are stamped in gold ink on a light blue panel. Usually when I use metallics, I use silver and not gold, so this was a nice change for me. I stamped one of the large stars on a scrap of blue cardstock and punched it out with a star punch, then layered it on the card with a dimensional.

Other than the pops of gold, I kept the rest of the card monochromatic with additional shades of blue. I stamped the “superstar” sentiment from Great Expectations on a narrow blue panel and added a coordinating gold star brad before positioning the panel with dimensionals.

Materials Used:
Polka Stars and Great Expectations stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Night of Navy Classic ink, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, and Brocade Blue cardstock, Encore Gold ink, large star punch, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); star brad (Making Memories); gold paper (Target)

Unity Addicts Challenge Returns

It’s back! The weekly Unity Addicts challenge has started up once again. Lisa provided us with our first challenge: make a holiday card using blue, red, pink, and kraft.

I don’t have many Unity holiday stamps, so I went more on the wintery side here. I stamped a mitten image from last December’s Kit of the Month in white ink on red cardstock and cut the image out. I added some sparkle to the mitten cuffs and a piece of twine to “attach” the mittens (remember how we used to have homemade mittens attached on a long piece of yard, threaded through our jacket sleeves so we wouldn’t lose our mittens . . .), then layered them on a pink scalloped circle.

I used a soft blue polka dotted scrap of patterned paper across the kraft cardbase. It’s bordered at the bottom with a snowflake punched/embossed pink strip. I found a matching piece of blue satin ribbon to wrap around the patterned paper strip before I attached it to the cardfront. Since I didn’t have any holiday sentiments, I went with “warm & toasty” from the Jolly Little Winter kit, stamped in red just above the patterned paper strip.

Materials Used:
December ‘08 Kit of the Month, Jolly Little Winter kit (Unity Stamp Co.); Pure Poppy and Fresh Snow ink, twine (Papertrey Ink); Pink Pirouette, Real Red, and Kraft cardstock, Dazzling Diamonds, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (BoBunny-Tis the Season Treasure); blue satin ribbon (Target); scalloped circle die (Nestabilities); border punch (Martha Stewart); Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions)

And, my new Unity September Stampin' Store Kit just arrived from i {heart} papers. If you're a Unity addict like me, you'll have to have these kits in your collection, too. Kate will be carrying this exclusive to stores kit each month, so be sure to check out IHP if you want to get your hands on it. Here's my first card with the September kit using a combination of this week's SCS sketch challenge and color challenge.

I used pinks and browns to color in the collection of vases and jars on the shelf. It's hard to see in the picture, but I added some Cotton Candy Stickles as an accent on parts of the image. I realized that the "relax, enjoy the day" sentiment from the kit fit exactly under the shelf, so I stamped it in pink ink with the help of my Stamp-a-ma-jig.

The image is paired with both patterns from a piece of My Mind's Eye designer paper in the challenge colors (Soft Suede and Pretty in Pink). I added a piece of pink satin ribbon as my only embellishment before layering on the colored image using dimensionals.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Unity September Stampin' Store Kit-Everything Extraordinary; My Mind's Eye Penny Lane designer paper-"Pirouette" Twinkling Circles; Cotton Candy Stickles; May Arts pink/light pink reversible satin ribbon

other: white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pretty in Pink Classic ink, Pretty in Pink and Soft Suede cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

Chicken Girl Designs Release Day

There’s lots going on today at i {heart} papers. Today’s the official release of the two latest Chicken Girl Designs stamp sets, available exclusively at IHP. The first set from the new The Petal Press line will be available today, too.

Here’s your first look at the two sets. Here’s the Happy Halloween set, available here.

And, here’s a look at the Silly Monster stamp set, available here.


While you’re here, I thought I should show you a card, too. As soon as I saw this sentiment in the Silly Monster set, I knew just what I wanted to do with it—make a “gobbled up” card, of course!

And, here it is. I stamped one of the monster images on white cardstock, colored it with Copic markers, and cut it out. It’s attached to a pair of circle panels that have been “gobbled” with the help of a scallop edged circle punch. After securing the monster in place, I added some sparkly Stickles to its belly for some fun.

I used a piece of My Mind’s Eye designer paper with coordinating colors to cover the front of my tent topper style card. A row of zig zag stitches joins the two pieces of paper. To keep the attention on the creature at the top, I kept the rest of my card simple. I stamped the sentiment in coordinating ink and attached it to the cardfront with a dimensional. I added a faux suede ribbon tab to finish the card.

Be sure to stop by and visit the rest of the Chicken Girl Designs DT to see more of these great new sets over the coming weeks:
Merry * Natasha * Shelly * Kate

And, be sure to check out our guest DT, too:
Judith * Kendra * Loretta * Shannon * Tammy

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Silly Monster stamp set; My Mind’s Eye "Beauty" Charmed Stripes designer paper; Stardust Stickles; May Arts sage faux suede ribbon; Nestabilities circle dies

other: white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Bermuda Bay Classic ink, Bermuda Bay and Old Olive cardstock, scallop circle punch, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); sewing machine

Back to Basics: Lesson 3

Have you been following along with the Stampendous Back to Basics series on Paper Craft Planet? If you haven't, stop by to check it out. Paper Craft Planet is partnering with Stampendous, Creative Impressions, and Tsukineko to offer a 12 week series featuring a variety of stamping techniques. Each week brings a new lesson, a new challenge for you to participate in, and a fabulous prize package, too. You can find this week's lesson and challenge here.

This post gives you a tiny preview of what you'll find in this week's lesson. Our theme is handmade gift wraps using stamps and stickers. Here's one gift packaging idea I made using a clear pail and a variety of fun Halloween stickers. I arranged the various stickers to create a spooky scene around the outside of the pail.

And, here is a gift wrapped up in homemade wrapping paper. So quick and easy--and really pretty too. I simply stamped the images repeatedly on some brown kraft wrapping paper using gold metallic ink. It's so sparkly IRL! I added some festive ribbon to complete the package.

Hope you'll join us and share your own ideas for handmade gift wraps--and just in time for the upcoming holiday season, too . . . Upload your projects to the PCP gallery with the keyword b2b3 so I can add them to the gallery. A winner will be randomly selected next Wednesday to win an assortment of items used in the lesson.

Verve Trio

***Check out the Playtime Collection from Clear & Simple Stamps in the post below.***

I’ve been working my way through the latest Verve Stamps release challenges. I have three completed—just two more to go! I loved last month’s release (Express Yourself and Bountiful Backgrounds are among my Verve favorites), so I’m looking forward to checking out the latest stuff on Friday.

Here’s my card for the sketch challenge. I haven’t used SU!’s Rich Razzleberry or the coordinating Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper a lot since I got them over the summer, so I pulled them out for this card. I paired two of the paper’s patterns to cover the card base, then stamped the polka dot background tone on tone on some more Rich Razzleberry for the cardfront’s large panel.

I stamped the purse image from Express Yourself in Rich Razzleberry on white cardstock and cut it out before attaching it to the card with a dimensional. A bright pink rhinestone adds a little sparkle and pop to the handbag. I paired the image with the “you’re so fabulous” sentiment from the background set, set on a scalloped panel. A strip of dotted Melon Mambo ribbon finishes off the design.

Materials Used:
Express Yourself and Bountiful Backgrounds stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Rich Razzleberry Classic ink, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, and Whisper White cardstock, Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper, Melon Mambo dotted grosgrain ribbon, 1 ¾” circle punch, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); scalloped circle die (Nestabilities); self-adhesive rhinestone (Darice)

The next two cards are for the color challenges. I used two of my other favorites—Hello Pumpkin and Tall Oaks—on these. I love these sets for fall cards and they’re lots of fun to color, too. For this card, I found some sparkly designer paper from a DCWV mat stack that incorporated all of the challenge colors-deep purple, olive, burnt orange, and teal. How great is that? I used it to make 4 squares for the cardfront using this week’s sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges as a guide. I layered the squares on a teal panel, then on the purple card base.

I colored the cutie pumpkin image with Copic markers and added the matching “hello pumpkin” sentiment alongside the image in orange ink. The image was matted on two layers of cardstock before I added it to the card with dimensionals. I added a matching orange button, threaded with some twine, as a simple embellishment. So cute!

Materials Used:
Hello Pumpkin stamp set (Verve); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Pumpkin Pie Classic ink, Taken with Teal, Rich Razzleberry, and Pumpkin Pie cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (DCWV’s Indian Summer Fall Stack); Summer Sunrise button, twine (Papertrey Ink); rectangle die (Nestabilities); orange grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

And, here’s my second color challenge card using orange yellow, cream, deep brown, and gray green. I used a pair of circle panels to highlight the small acorn image from the Tall Oaks set. Again, I found some patterned paper to pick up most of the challenge colors. I used it for the larger circle panel, which I stitched with my sewing machine for some added interest. I did not do a fabulous job of stitching in a circle. Fortunately, the oak panel covers the worst of it—LOL! I added a simple twill bow as an embellishment and stamped the sentiment along the bottom of the card.

Materials Used:
Tall Oaks stamp set (Verve Stamps); cream cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa inks (Memento); markers (Copic); Dark Chocolate and Mellow Moss cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (BoBunny-U Bug Me! Stripe); cream button, twine (Papertrey Ink); circle dies (Nestabilities); twill (?); sewing machine

Playtime Collection Release at Clear and Simple Stamps

Today marks the release of the Playtime Collection from Clear & Simple Stamps. You’ll find a great selection of stamp sets in this collection. Quite a few of them are great for making cards for little boys, something that I’ve had a hard time finding just the right stamps to do. If you've gotta have them all, CSS has made it easy for you with this Want It All link.

Here’s another card using the fun robot themed Get in Gear set, perfect for little boy cards. As the Stamp of the Month, you can use the code DTBlog909 to get a $1 discount on your purchase of this set. I couldn’t resist pairing one of the robot images with this gear patterned paper from Scenic Route.

The robot is colored with Copic markers and layered on a mat to coordinate with the colors in the paper. I attached a panel of the patterned paper to the cardbase, then layered on a strip of twill tape, backed by a piece of cardstock, for the sentiment. I find that twill is a great alternative to ribbon on cards for men and boys. It’s a way to add that embellishment without being too feminine. Here, I stamped the sentiment directly on the twill using Palette ink. I’ve had the most success with stamping on ribbon and similar surfaces when using this type of ink.

Materials Used:
Get in Gear stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Riding Hood Red, Night of Navy, and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, silver brad, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Scenic Route-Appleton line); Noir Black ink (Palette); oval dies (Nestabilities); twill tape (Martha Stewart)

And, this release also includes some sets that are perfect for holidays. With Halloween coming up, I have a difficult decision to make—Cosmo the crazy dog’s Halloween costume. Every year I dress him up to help me answer the door. Despite what you might be thinking, I promise that this isn’t torture for him. He absolutely loves the admiration from the crowds at our door. He thinks it’s Happy Cosmo Day and that everyone’s coming to the house to see him. Must be nice to live in his world . . .

Anyway, here’s an 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" scrapbook page I made featuring one of his past costumes. He was Batdog a few years ago and the bat image from Holiday Defined II worked perfectly with this photo. I’m definitely not a scrapper, so I turned to one of the experts for inspiration. I based my page on one of CSS DT member Jen’s past Paper Craft Planet Scrappy Sunday challenges (she hosts a scrapping challenge every Sunday—if you’re a scrapper, be sure to check it out!). The bat is stamped on yellow and gray cardstock squares that I arranged at the bottom of the page. This is a pretty trendy color combination, a little out of my comfort zone, but it worked nicely with the colors in my photo.

I used some foam letter stickers for my “bat dog” title and added some handwritten journaling underneath the bat tiles. The date and event are noted on the word window punch piece at the top of the page. I added the block definition from the Holiday Defined II set over a portion of my photo, being careful to not cover up any Cosmo cuteness.

Be sure to visit the rest of the Clear & Simple Stamps DT for more samples using the newest releases. Here’s where you can find them:
CSS Blog
Beth Matson
Jen Tapler
Kim Howard
Maria Levine
Neva McMullen
Robyn Weatherspoon
Sue Berker
Millie Dawson-Hardy, guest designer

Materials Used:
Holiday Defined II stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Yoyo Yellow, Basic Gray, and Basic Black cardstock, word window punch, 1 ¼” square punch, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Smokey Shadow Palette ink, Smokey Shadow cardstock, black button, twine (Papertrey Ink); black foam letters (Queen & Co.)

3D Tuesday Challenge-I Burn for You, Part 2

For this week’s 3-D Tuesday at Paper Craft Planet, we’re following up Susanna’s fabulous candle project from last week with a little more candlemaking fun. Today, I’m going to share with you how to make a fabulous gift box that will hold 4 small tea lights. This makes a great little gift to bring to a hostess or give to a friend to brighten their day.

The process for stamping on tea lights is pretty similar to the one for stamping on regular candles. You need to be sure to find an image that will fit the small surface of the tea light. I prefer using solid images on these candles since the working surface is pretty small. Here, I used one of the round images from Papertrey Ink's 2009 Autumn Tags sets. I stamped the image on tissue paper, then punched it out with a 1 3/8" circle punch. I found that it was easier to put a piece of plain copy paper behind my tissue paper before punching--the tissue paper is so delicate and the copy paper gives it a little more body. Next, I punched a hole in the center using a 1/8" handheld circle punch. This allows you to thread the candle’s wick through it so the tissue will lie flat on the candle's surface.

Now you’re ready to melt the image on to the candle. Just place the image on to the candle’s surface and heat with a heat tool. The top layer of wax will melt and coat the stamped image. The outside rim of the tea lights will get hot (spoken from experience), so you may want to hold the stamped tissue paper in place with a tweezers or other tool that’s heat safe.

I decorated the metal rim of the tea lights with small strips of designer paper (1/2" by 5"). A little bit of Mono Multi held the paper on well. You could also tie ribbon around the base, too.

The pattern for the box is found here (on the PCP Ning site). It’s basically a nugget box, adjusted in size just a little bit to accommodate the candles. You can decorate the box with stamped images that coordinate with your candles or some coordinating designer paper and add a tag to finish off the gift set. UPDATE: I have a slightly different box template linked in this post. It also holds 4 tealights, but has a flip top instead of a slide opening.

I hope you'll play along with the challenge this week. If you do, please upload your project to the PCP gallery with the keyword 3d29 so I can add it to the gallery for everyone to admire.

Materials Used:
2009 Autumn Tags stamp set, Pure Poppy and Summer Sunrise inks, Pure Poppy, Summer Sunrise, and Vintage Cream cardstock, Autumn Abundance patterned paper, Summer Sunrise satin ribbon, twine (Papertrey Ink); 1 3/8", 1 3/4", and 1/8" circle punches (Stampin' Up!); scalloped circle die (Nestabilities); ScorTape and ScorPal; tea lights