Get Well Robots

Grant doesn't typically ask me to make cards for his students because they don't quite appreciate the work that goes into them like adults do, but I've been bugging him to find reasons for me to use the more "kiddish" style stamps I own. So, when he found out one of the students at his school is very sick and will be absent for over one month so he asked me to make a card he could give to this student. This is the card I came up with for the little boy. I wanted to make it bright and fun so I used the fabulous designer paper "island oasis" available in the summer mini. I was inspired by Jen's SFYTT on May 22. I stamped the robots with StazOn ink and coloured them with my stampin' write markers. For the nuts and bolts down the right side I stamped them on white cardstock, cut them out, and glued them on 1/2" tempting turquoise circles!

Stamps: SU Lots of Bots
Ink: SU StazOn jet black, tempting turquoise, rose red, so saffron, pumpkin pie, old olive
Paper: SU ww, tempting turquoise, pumpkin pie, island oasis dp
Punches: SU 1/2" circle punch
Misc: SU stampin dimensionals

Black Magic Birthday Card

This card is a dual challenge card - for technique challenge TLC274 (the black magic technique) and SCS sketch challenge SC282. The black magic technique has been everywhere lately on stamping blogs. Typically, you'll see it done on black cardstock but personally it's too harsh a look for my taste so I gave it a try on basic gray cardstock. I think it turned out quite nicely.

For this technique you stamp your image on dark cardstock with white craft ink and then colour it in with watercolor pencils or prismacolor pencils. I don't own the SU watercolor pencils so I used prismacolor pencil crayons that I have from junior high! I used two shades of pinks and three shades of green to get the added dimension.

Stamps: SU watercolor trio, sweet little sentiments (retired)
Ink: SU ww, versamark
Paper: SU ww, cameo coral, basic gray, walk in the park dp (retired)
Ribbon: SU basic gray taffeta ribbon
Brad: SU basic gray corduroy brad
Misc: SU white embossing powder, prismacolor pencil crayons, white signo gel pen

Sage Watercolor Wishes

For the last while I've been lacking any creativity (which led to a lot of caseing of cards) but I think I'm finally starting to get it back. This is the first card I have made in a long time that I have really liked. There are a total of 12 layers of paper plus ribbon and brad embellishments on this card - no hoarding of supplies on this one! I wanted to add a bit more interest to the brown panel behind the main image without additional stamping so I decided to go for a faux stitch around it and I love the way it turned out. This was my first attempt at faux stitching and I think it looks great - Grant had the card in his hands and thought I had pulled out my sewing machine for it!

The stamp set used for this card is called "watercolor trio" and is available in the summer mini catalogue until August 31, 2010.

Stamps: SU watercolor trio
Ink: SU sage shadow, chocolate chip
Paper: SU ww, sage shadow, chocolate chip, to the nines dp
Ribbon: SU 1/4" sage shadow grosgrain
Brads: SU ww jumbo brad
Misc: SU piercer, white signo gel pen, dimensionals

New Home Congrats!

My sister just moved in to her new house this weekend that she has been building for about a year now. To celebrate her first house purchase I made her this card. This card uses materials from past SAB catalogues and therefore are retired. I wish this "good neighbors" stamp set, in particular, wasn't retired because it is so perfect for housewarming cards or address change notes!

After recently making this 3D house for a housewarming gift and then making this card, it's getting me excited about our new home that we are building - too bad it won't be ready for quite some time!

Stamps: SU good neighbors (retired), congrats (retired)
Ink: SU melon mambo, bermuda bay, crushed curry, versamark
Paper: SU ww, bermuda bay, welcome neighbor dp (retired)
Ribbon: SU bermuda bay polka-dot grosgrain
Misc: SU white embossing powder

Sweet Scoops Celebration

When I first saw the new Summer Mini catalogue I knew I had to have the sweet scoops stamp set! It's just too cute and so versatile! There were a few things I did to make this card just right!

To line up the ice cream cones and have them spaced well, I drew a faint straight line in pencil and made a small mark at the center of the card and 1.5" to either side. I then used my stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the top of the cones with the three marks. Once they were all stamped and the ink dry I erased the line! This way there is no guess work at where to put them and they look great!

To give the ice cream some dimension, I covered them with crystal effects and sprinkled some dazzling diamond glitter in it before it dried! I love the shine it gives and how the sparkle brings out the sparkle on the designer paper!

Stamps: SU sweet scoops
Ink: SU close to cocoa, pretty in pink, chocolate chip
Paper: SU ww, pretty in pink, sending love specialty dp (unavailable), berry bliss dp (retired)
Glitter: SU dazzling diamonds
Ribbon: SU 1/4" pretty in pink grosgrain
Misc: SU crystal effects

Awash with Flowers CASE

I found this stunning card while looking through the SCS gallery and knew I had to CASE it! It uses the Stampin' Up! set "awash with flowers" that will be available in the upcoming catalogue available in July! Of course, I did make a few changes to make this card my own style!
1. I changed the sentiment stamp and it's location.
2. I eliminated one of the flowers
3. I used the rock'n'roll technique to create the shaded effect on the flowers. This is done by inking your stamp in the lighter colour (orchid opulence) then rolling the edges in a darker colour (rich razzleberry).
4. I eliminated the ribbon - I played around with it but couldn't get it to look the way I wanted
5. I changed the brads to old olive
6. I added more layers (probably not that surprising to those who follow my blog)

To get the dimension on the flower petals, I stamped the image on the main panel and then stamped it once more on a spare sheet. On the spare sheet I individually cut out the flower petals and adhered them with dimensionals on the same petal on the main panel.

Hope you enjoy the original card and my take on it!

Stamps: SU Awash with Flowers (available in July), Thank you Kindly
Ink: SU orchid opulence, rich razzleberry, old olive
Paper: SU ww, orchid opulence, rich razzleberry, old olive, cottage wall dp
Brads: SU old olive brads
Misc: SU dimensionals

Dragonfly baby

I've been busy trying to make a bunch of baby cards as there are so many people we know who just had a baby or will be in the near future. I haven't been very successful as I'm just not in the mood to make baby cards but here is one that I made!This isn't the most traditional looking baby card but I think it turned out ok - it's another one of those cards that didn't photograph well either. I made it for a coworker of mine who had a baby boy and has decorated the room in a dragonfly theme.

Stamps: SU Bugs & kisses, A to Z
Ink: SU bashful blue, versamark
Paper: SU ww, bashful blue
Misc: SU white embossing powder, circle punch, dimensionals

First Anniversary Card

Yesterday was Grant and my one year anniversary. Here's the card that I made for him using the new scallop circle sizzix die to create a shaped card. I love the way this card turned out. Unforunately, most of the supplies I used for this card are not currently available from Stampin' Up! The heart image was part of the Occasions Mini catalogue and I'm really hoping that Stampin' Up! Will bring this set back as part of the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalogue being realeased in July!

I wish I had thought to take a picture of the inside of the card before I wrote in it as I had decorated it nicely too! Maybe next time!

Stamps: SU I {heart} hearts (unavailable), teeny tiny wishes
Ink: SU close to cocoa, ridinghood red (retired)
Paper: SU close to cocoa, very vanilla, pink pirhouette (retired but returning in July), candy lane dp (retired)
Ribbon: SU very vanilla taffeta
Brads: sending love epoxy brads (unavailable)
Die-cut: SU scallop circle

Summer Mini Catalogue

The new Stampin' Up! Summer mini catalogue is finally here! All items in the catalogue are available for purchase from May 1, 2010 - August 31, 2010. Click here to view the entire catalogue! Use the link on the sidebar to send me an email if you are interested in purchasing any new items!