more color mondays – lost lagoon, flirty flamingo and darling duckling

more color mondays – lost lagoon, flirty flamingo and darling duckling

Well this third Product of the Month release is a hit! This Designer Series Paper is beautiful and the inspiration fort todays’ More Color Mondays color challenge card! Painted Illusions is the February release in the Product of the Month category and this DSP is fabulous if I could buy it more than once I would. the first few photos are the different sides of the paper included in the packet.

Measurement:
BASE: Lost Lagoon CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″, scraps for dies
DSP: 4″ square and 2″scrap strip for dies
Vellum CS: 4″ square

Emboss the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer with the Soft Waves 3D embossing folder and adhere to the Lost Lagoon card base.
Take the empty circle die from the Springtime Scenes awesome die set collection die cut the Painted Illusions Product of the Month DSP and save both the inner circle and the outer ring – we will be using both!

Die cut the vellum layer with the leaf circle.

Glue the DSP outer circle to the outer portion of the vellum leaf circle die.

Glue the inner DSP circle die to the upper middle of the card front onto the embossed Basic White layer.
Add glue to the vellum layer only under where the DSP ring is. Attach over the circle ont he card front.
Take two blending brushes and Flirty Flamingo and Darling Duckling ink and color a scrap piece of Basic White CS.
Stamp the lady bug image from the Springtime Scenes stamp set and die cut them out.
Blend another Basic White scrap and die cut the sentiment image and stamp the sentiment “Sweet springtime” in Tuxedo Black memento ink on the die cut.

Pop up the three lady bugs around the vellum circle.

Adhere the sentiment on the lower right hand side of the card front.
I added the new embellishments Pearlized Faceted circles – I love these new sparkles!

I wanted to add a little more Lost Lagoon so I die cut some leaf dies!

I added the leaf die images to the card for more color balance!

Don’t be afraid to add to a card that you had planned out if it seems out of balance – you will grow better at design elements of a card and if you are thinking something is missing or off sometimes it is. Try adding something with out gluing it down you can always remove it then if you decide it was better in the original format.
Experiment that is how you get better at designing!

Now it’s your turn to go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

PS: remember that the Springtime Scenes is an Online Exclusive March Release so it will not appear in the photo links below because it is only available as a pre-order for demonstrators or new recruits in the starter kit!

sunshine vibes valentine’s card

sunshine vibes valentine’s card

Today’s card is a simple straight forward card because it’s been a crazy week. Don’t we all have those LOL.

Reminder tomorrow is my New Catalog Open House – if you would like to stop and get a catalog, do some free projects, sign in for a chance to win last month’s Product of the Month or just visit with other paper crafters for a few minutes stop by at the studio between 10-12 tomorrow!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″, scraps for
the rainbow base and arches
Real Red CS: scraps for die cut hearts

yep that’s it told you this one is super easy!

Die cut all of the parts and pieces.
Stamp Happy Valentine’s Day sentiment from the Bee My Valentine stamp set in Real Red on the inside panel of the card.
With a Blending Brush and the Real Red ink blend a diagonal stripe onto the card front.

Stamp the “love you” sentiment from the Bee My Valentine stamp set in real Red ink at the bottom center of the card front.

Adhere the three Real Red die cut hearts above the “love you” sentiment on the card front.

Adhere all of the arches to the rainbow base. Pop up the base on Stampin’ Dimensionals and place in the middle of the card front above the heart die cuts.

I applied three white Pearls of Beauty embellishments to finish off the card!

Hope you like this quick and simple card and that you get to stamp today and make some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Hope to see you all tomorrow at the Open House!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays – pretty peacock, melon mambo and poppy parade

more color mondays – pretty peacock, melon mambo and poppy parade

Today’s More Color Mondays color challenge features Pretty Peacock, Melon mambo and Poppy Parade.

There are a couple of fun techniques to this card and a SNEAK PEAK of the Boardwalk Fun Bundle.

Measurements:
BASE: Melon Mambo CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Poppy Parade CS: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″, scraps for dies
Basic White CS: (2) 4″ x 5 1/4″
Pretty Peacock CS: scraps for dies
Melon mambo CS: scrap for dies

Adhere the Poppy Parade CS to the Melon Mambo CS base.
Color the bottom of one of the Basic White CS layers with a blending brush with Pretty Peacock ink.
Using another blending brush color the top of the Basic White layer with the Melon Mambo ink.
Color the top of the Basic White layer with a blending brush and Poppy Parade ink.
Spray the glass surface with water and pat the Basic White layer over the water covered glass and mix the watercolor onto the blended color surface.
Dry the layer with a heat tool.

Using the edge of a Versamark ink pad, swipe in lines over the top of the layer and concentrated in a small squiggle down at the bottom.

Sprinkle gold embossing powder over the versamark ink.

Heat with a heat tool until embossing powder melts.
Adhere the watercolored layer onto the card base.
Stamp Happy Birthday in Pretty Peacock ink on the second Basic White layer.

Color over the Basic White layer with the Melon Mambo and Poppy Parade blending brushes.

Die a small palm tree from the Boardwalk Fun die set from Pretty Peacock cardstock. Adhere the palm tree die to the right of the stamped sentiment.

Adhere the layer to the inside of the card.

Die cut the ferris wheel and the taller palm tree in Pretty Peacock CS.

Adhere to the middle of the colored layer on the card front. Pop up the ferris wheel on Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Die cut the ferris wheel carts in Poppy Parade and Melon Mambo cardstock.

Adhere the carts onto the ferris wheel in alternating colors.

Die cut the ticket die in Melon Mambo cardstock.

Stamp the Enjoy the Ride in Melon Mambo ink onto the ticket die.

Pop up the ticket onto the card front on the lower left hand corner at the base of the Ferris Wheel dies.

I love the way this background turned out – try this watercolor and heat embossing technique.

Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time.

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Reminder this card is a SNEAK PEAK of an upcoming stamp bundle – the photo links for the sneak peak items will not be included below until they are available.

card sketch #114 – hope, love & joy card

card sketch #114 – hope, love & joy card

Today’s card uses a simple card sketch and is a very simple Designer Series Paper card – super easy to put together and CASE!

Measurements:
BASE: Blueberry Bushel CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″ and scrap for
sentiment and die
DSP: 4″ x 5 1/4″

I am going to spend my time explaining a tip and trick for getting a die centered correctly.
I actually wanted to use a different circle die than the one that came with the Hope, Love & Joy Bundle because I wanted to use the small circle from the Spotlight on Nature dies with the lined edges – I imagined it would look like the lines were radiating out from the earth so I wanted to try this circle rather than the one in the coordinating die set!

Because it is not coordinating a slightly bigger I wanted to show you the steps I took to center the image with this die.

Place the desired die on a scrap piece of Basic White CS and trace around the outside with a pencil.

Stamp in Tuxedo Black Memento ink the desired image in the center of the penciled circle.
Color the water areas of the Earth with Balmy Blue light Stampin’ Blends then outline with Blueberry Bushel Light then go over the entire water are with the Balmy Blue Light again to blend the alcohol markers.

Color the land areas with Crumb Cake Light first then outline the area with the Dark Stampin’ Blends marker then blend the entire land area with the Light marker.

I used a scrap of Basic White to stamp the outside sentiment from the scrapbooking set Exploring Nature in Blueberry Bushel ink and fussy cut around the letters then blended the edges with a blending brush and Blueberry Bushel ink.

I die cut the Earth.

I stamped the inside layer with the “stay wild & free from the Exploring Nature set and adhered it to the inside of the card base.

Adhere the DSP layer to the card front then I adhered the fussy cut sentiment to the lower third of the card front.
I popped up the Earth die cut above the sentiment and added Basic Rhinestones to finish off this lovely and simple card!

Try this centering technique or my sketch and go and create some art of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

REMINDER: this is another sneak peak so the photo links below will not reflect the SNEAK PEAK items.
These will be available to customers on January 6th and are available right now to demonstrators and in starter kits!

snowflake kisses – work smarter not harder!

snowflake kisses – work smarter not harder!

Today is all about working smarter not harde!

Let’s make two cards for the price of one!

The gorgeous background die from the Snowflake Kisses bundle is the perfect way to get two cards with little extra effort!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: (2) 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″, 4″ x 5 1/4″
Azure Afternoon CS: scraps for cutting
sentiment piece and snowflakes

Die cut the round circle die and the three larger snowflakes and the cluster of smaller snowflakes from the Azure Afternoon scraps.

Die cut the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer with the background snowflake die.

Hold or temporarily adhere the background snowflake die to a Basic White card front.

Using light pressure as to not bend the die we are using as a mask, brush with Azure Afternoon ink and a blending brush over the entire surface of the mask and the card front.

You will create the base for card #2 and color the die to attach to Card #1 at the same time!

Adhere the die to card #1 Basic White card base.
Stamp in Azure Afternoon ink Be Warm and Well sentiment to the center of the Azure Afternoon circle die.

Pop up on Stampin’ Dimensionals and add to the center opening of the die.

Adhere the 4 snowflakes from the small snowflake die cluster to the centers of some of the snowflakes in the background die.
Add silver embellishments to the card front such as Drusy Adhesive-Backed embellishments.
Stamp sending warm hugs in the center of card #2 and add the three larger Azure Afternoon snowflake dies around the sentiment.
Adhere three pearls like the Antique pearls currently available or look forward to these gorgeous sneak peak Pearls of Beauty which are available November 1st which will coordinate with the upcoming Brushed with Beauty suite!

With little more effort than making the first card you get the second BONUS card too!
Try this technique whenever you decide to color your large dies and use them as a mask to make a background for a second card!

Hope you try this technique soon and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie