more color mondays – misty moonlight, secret sea and crumb cake

more color mondays – misty moonlight, secret sea and crumb cake

OOHHH!! I love the way this More Color Monday challenge card turned out! Beautiful strong masculine colors with fabulous Glimmer sparkle!

Measurements:
BASE: Crumb Cake CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″, 4″ x 5 1/4″
Misty Moonlight CS: 2″ x 5 1/2″
Secret Sea CS: 3 3/4″ x 4 1/4″
Peaceful Garden Glimmer Paper: 1 3/4″ x 4″,
scrap for the stars
Basic White CS: scrap for die cut

Die cut the larger trees in the Secret Sea CS layer and the smaller trees out of the Misty Moonlight layer.

Place them on top of each other and adhere together.

Emboss the Crumb Cake layer in the Distressed Tile 3D embossing folder.
Place the die cut strips on the embossed layer and cut off the excess on the Misty Moonlight layer. Adhere the small Misty Moonlight pieces cut off on the outside under and slightly above the Secret Sea layer.
Adhere the die cuts to the embossing layer and adhere to the base card.
Adhere the Glimmer Paper layer to the bottom of the card slightly overlapping the tree die cut layer.
Color the light blue Traditional Sparkling Sequins with the brush tip of the Misty Moonlight Stampin’ Blends.
Cut the larger sentiment die cut from the Peaceful Gardens die set and stamp the sentiment from the Light & Wonder stamp set in Secret Sea ink. Adhere to the bottom of the card over the Glimmer layer and the bottom of the tree die cuts.

Place the colored sequins around the sentiment.

I finished the card by die cutting the triple star die in the Secret Sea Glimmer Paper – this Glimmer paper is so pretty and by placing the three stars in the sky above the trees there is sparkles on the bottom as well as the top of the card! It balances it out!

If you do not have some of our Glimmer paper it is one of those great accessories as far as paper goes – a little goes a long way to make your cards next level!

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

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

jolly holly cut out card

jolly holly cut out card

Did you know that the Jolly Holly Online Exclusives bundle contains a hybrid embossing folder that does a PARTIAL die cut on the holly background! This is such a cool technique – you can gently bend the holly leaves up to give the card front extra depth and dimension or tuck a sentiment card in between the holly leaves like I did on this card!

Measurements:
BASE: Cherry Cobbler CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″, scrap for the word die
Garden Green CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″, scrap for the sentiment matte and the holly dies

Hybrid emboss and die cut the Jolly Holly leaves on the Garden Green CS layer.
Stamp two holly clusters in Garden Green ink. Using a Blender Pen pull the green ink inward to color the holly leaves. Using a Cherry Cobbler dark Stampin’ Blends marker color the berries in the holly clusters.

Die cut the White sentiment rectangle from the Jolly Holly die set, two holly leaf bundles and the word joy from the Cheery Cobbler CS.

Pop up the embossed background on Stampin’ Dimensionals onto the Cherry Cobbler card base.

Tuck the white sentiment rectangular die cut into the partially cut holly leaf background. Adhere with a little dab of Multipurpose Glue on the back of the sentiment rectangle and under the holly leaves that go over the rectangle.

Glue the Joy die to the sentiment matte and pop up the colored holly leaf beside the word.

Adhere the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White CS layer to the inside of the card.

I saved the 1/8″ strip I cut from the Garden Green CS and adhered it to the White layer.

Adhere the other colored holly leaf onto the Garden Green strip.

I adhered three red Traditional Sparkling Sequins around the sentiment to finish off this easy and fun Christmas card!

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

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays meets christmas mix and match

more color mondays meets christmas mix and match

Today’s More Color Monday color challenge cards could not get any easier to make with the new Mix and Match series from Stampin’ Up!’s new creativity stepped approach. Starting with this current Annual catalog, the powers that be at Stampin’ Up! devised a creativity system that is stepped and perfect for EVERY TYPE of crafter! Want a very quick and easy option – we got you covered, Want a little but more stepped up – we got that too! WANT IT ALL and want to step it up all the way – WE DEFINITELY GOT THAT!!!
(Speaking of wanting it all – if you are in that category do not miss the current JOIN special – OUR Stampin’ Up! Starter kit is still only $99 but instead of $125 worth of great merchandise of your choice you get to choose $155 worth of merchandise! Have you had your eye on a Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine you can put that on your order! – BUT ONLY until the special runs out on October 31st!)

Here are the images from the current mini catalog of the
1) Gold Dipped Mix and Match Cards and Envelopes. #164108. $12
2) Tags for the Season Mix and Match Ephemera Pack. #164111 $9.50
3) Joyful Images Mix and Match Ephemera Pack. #164110. $9.50
4) Joyful Sayings Mix and Match Ephemera Pack #164109. $9.50

My first color challenge sample is a tag which comes from the Tags for the Season Ephemera pack and combines a sentiment from the Joyful Sayings pack and a pinecone image from the Joyful images pack. I added a little Red and white Baker’s twine and easy peasy!
My second sample is also a tag from the Tags for the Season Ephemera pack and I just added a saying from the joyful Sayings pack and some of the same Baker’s Twine – even simpler!
The next sample is a card made with the Gold Dipped Cards and Envelopes Pack which takes your cards to a whole new level!
I positioned the Gold Dipped card in the horizontal alignment and added a large sentiment from the Joyful Sayings, and a sprig of holly and greens along with a Garden Green strip and an image of gift boxes in hues of Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green and Night of Navy and Gold to tie it all together!
These packs are loaded with sayings and images so using multiple images to build the scene is easy and fun.
I loved this Night of Navy scripted saying “Wishing you a Christmas FULL OF Peace & Wonder” so it became the focal point on my Night of Navy Gold Dipped card and Envelope, after adding a row of evergreens and a blue bow and a Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler ornament on the side!
I added a reindeer image and a pretty single gold-foiled tree along with a pinecone and pine sprig adorned “Christmas Wishes” Gold-folied sentiment to a Garden Green card!
I added a poinsetta image as well as a holly and stocking full of goodies to a Cherry Cobbler card in the portrait position. I also popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals the Merry Christmas banner in the center!
On a Garden Green Portrait card, I added the drum image, a green striped candy cane and Green “Wishing you a wonderful Christmas Season” sentiment popped up in the center.
I love the snow globe effect of the house in snow image with the gold foiled circle enclosing the die cut – I added a lovely blue ribbon and a pinecone along with a blue banner of pool party to compliment the darer blue with the sentiment wonder and a gold striped banner below!
The gold die cut sentiments are striking on the card themselves but adding die cut images of holly, ribbon and a pine wreath set off the words and make an elegant and easy card!
My next card on a Garden Green Gold dipped background uses the Happy Christmas sentiment strip, a bow and three individual ornaments. i popped up the ornaments and drew a black line with a Stampin’ Write marker to the pine boughs adhered above!
My last sample places the Color dipped Gold card to the top of the portrait position and added a blue “Thinking of you this Christmas” sentiment popped up in the center of the card with a star, snowflake and skates as the complimenting images to finish off these lovely and super easy Christmas cards!
Check out these super fun and easy to use Christmas images for your fast and elegant cards with Christmas we are less than 60 days from Christmas now and these are a great way to make lots of great cards!

Current Hostess code until the end of the month is ST2ECEUQ.

Now go get started on creating your great Christmas cards – one stamp at a time or maybe using these great die cuts and no stamping!!

Happy Creating!
Natalie

more color mondays – smoky slate, real red, and basic black

more color mondays – smoky slate, real red, and basic black

I think red and black is a striking combination and today’s card uses Smoky Slate, Real Red and Basic Black to create a fun Sweetest Star Christmas card for this installation of More Color Mondays color challenge!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: 5 1/2: x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
scrap for sentiments and star punch
Real Red CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″

Stamp the santa star from the Sweetest Star stamp set and color the santa suit with Light Real Red Stampin’ Blends marker.
I colored in Dark Real Red Stampin’ Blends marker around/under the beard for shadow and under the belt and around the arm lines and above the belt.
I colored over the image again with the Light Real Red Stampin’ Blends marker to blend the shadowing.
I colored the belt buckle in Smoky Slate and just to the right of the belt flap for shadow differentiation.
I colored the boots in light Basic Black Stampin’ Blends marker and the rest of the belt.
I colored the skin, and hands in the Ivory Stampin’ Blends marker.
And colored in the hats in Light Real Red marker because I forgot those LOL!
I embossed the Real Red Layer with the Forever Plaid 3D embossing folder (a new favorite of mine!) and adhered that to the Basic White card front.
I punched out the santa star from the Sweetest Star punch and popped it up on Stampin’ Dimensionals in the upper center of the card front.
I stamped the holly jolly christmas sentiment in Tuxedo Black Memento ink and cut off the word Christmas from the sentiment on a 1/4″ Basic White strip and adhered it below the star punch.
I stamped the Christmas words from the Peaceful Seasons Stamp set in Real Red ink and die cut with the coordinating dies and adhered to the bottom of the card front.
I adhered the Silver Drusy embellishments around the Christmas sentiment – such a cute Santa and a great Christmas card in striking Real Red and basic Black with a touch of Smoky Slate!

It’s time to start planning for your Christmas cards – if you need any help please feel free to get in touch with me and I can help you design a card or order supplies. Now go out and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

peaceful seasons card – new mini catalog goes live

peaceful seasons card – new mini catalog goes live

Happy New Mini Catalog day! Hope you all got your personal copy in the mail – I will have extra copies with me at my upcoming library classes coming this Monday 9/9 at the Margaret M Schontz Memorial Library in Conneaut Lake from 1-3pm or at the Greenville Area library on 9/17 NOTE the new time I moved the class earlier to accomodate people that do not want to drive home in the dark when we have the time change this Fall so the class will be 3 hours in length and you can come early or whenever you can get there if you work 4:30 – 7:30pm that way everyone will be able to come when they can! I will also be hostessing a September to December Mini Catalog Open House on Friday, September 13th from 12:30pm to 3:30 pm with lots of new samples and mini catalog products available to see. There will be FREE make-n-takes and prizes for all those that RSVP and extra prize drawing entries for those that attend and bring a friend that is new to me!

Today’s card truely shows that the creative process is not always straightforward and linear – LOL – I had an idea in mind for this card and it developed into something more as the card progressed!

Measurements:
BASE: Cherry Cobbler 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
scrap for the tag medallion die and word die
Basic Beige: 4″ x 5 1/4″
scrap for word matte die
DSP: 3″ x 5/14″

I originally started with the tag medallion die being cut from the Basic Beige cardstock but changed my mind.

I embossed the Basic Beige layer with the Distressed Tile 3D embossing folder and mounted it to the Cherry Cobbler base.
I stamped e merry wor dimage from the Peaceful season stamp set in Cherry Cobbler on the Basic Beige tag medallion die.
Then I decided there was not enough contrast and the tag would be lost on the embossed layer so I will save that for another project!
I die cut another tag medallion in the Cherry Cobbler cardstock and stamped the Merry in Versamark ink and sprinkled the gold embossing powder from our metallics embossing powder collection over the wet, sticky ink.
I heat set the powder with my Heat Tool and the heat melts the embossing powder to a shiny brilliant gold embossing!
The slits on the side of the tag lend itself well to looping ribbon through and I cut about an 8 inch piece of the new Cherry Cobbler and Gold satin ribbon and folded it in half and pushed it through the lower slit and behind the tag and through the top slit. I added Stampin’ Dimensionals to the back of the tag and added it to the card front center.
I added three Gold Textured Adhesive-Backed Dots to the card front and this made a sweet simple card but I decided I wanted to add more texture and color.
First I added Ink with a small blending brush and the Cherry Cobbler ink below where the tag medallion was resting on the card front and but the tag back on the card.
I still wanted a little more so I cut a 3″ x 5 1/4″ piece of the Cherry Cobbler Seasons of Elegance Specialty DSP and lifted the tag medallion one more time and added this to the card base.
LOL I pulled up everything one more time and using my Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Blend marker I opened the brush tip marker side and taped the side of the marker on the edge of my bone folder while holding the tip about 2-3 inches above the card. Tap the bone folder on the side of the marker this will cause the marker tip to spray a fine mist of ink over the card surface. Now I am done LOL! Not always a straight line but I am happy with the outcome!
Sometimes adding just a little bit more is the answer if you are not satisfied with the original design. Do not be afraid to experiment and add a little something to your next project! Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie