april guy swap

april guy swap

I hear from customers that the card ideas they struggle with the most are for guy or masculine cards! At least once a year our demonstrator swap group – shares masculine card ideas as it is one of the most requested types of designs!

Last month we did a card swap for the guys and these are the cards we all came up with!

My first sample swap card is from Lori V and she did a black and white Criss Cross fun fold card featuring the One More Year stamp set (#164777) that is still available on the Last Chance List.

My second swap card features the Layering Leaves stamp set which was on the Last Chance list and is now sold out and the Bough Punch (#157711) which is currently on the Last Chance list but is unavailable but they are asking interested customers to sign up for notification once the punch comes back in stock!
This swap card by Marie W. uses the Mini Corrugated 3D embossing folder on Black cardstock and the Layering Leaves stamped in Old Olive and punched out and popped up on Dimensionals through a window cut out in th embossed layer – so clever!
Carrollann A cased a Rachel Tessman card from Stamp Your Art out .com for this Storybook Moments suite card using the Timeless plaid DSP. The lovely frame die cut on the card front came from the Storybook Friends Dies (#164674) and the Timeless Plaid DSP (#164678) make for a lovely guy themed card!
This next swap card designed by Judith P features the Bistro Burger bundle which are still available on the Last Chance list and discounted!

#163648
BISTRO BURGER CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH)
Last Chance Item
BISTRO BURGER CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH)
discounted price $18.40
original price $23.00

#163649
Last Chance Item
BISTRO BURGER DIES
discount price $16.80
original price $28.00

This waterfall card featuring the Wooded Acres stamp set was desined by Jeanna T.

#165451
WOODED ACRES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET
price $17.00

Carol S’s swap card used Simple Birthday, The Right words and Textured Notes stamp sets.
It also features the Exposed Brick 3D embossing folder and the Timeless plaid DSP for a great masculine Birthday card!
This next swap card features a fun surprise pop up feature on the inside of the card and uses the Country Woods DSP and the Simple Birthday large format single stamp by Lyn L.
Kathi D’s swap card comes in a coordinating envelope using the Textured Notes bundle and the Woven Textures DSP as a lovely neutral background for a fabulous guy card vibe!
Andrea U’s swap card features another Last Chance stamp set called Beside Me that is deep discounted! There is a special origami pop out surprise on the inside of the card when you open it up!

#160780
Last Chance Item
BESIDE ME CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH)
Sale Price $13.00 Original Price $26.00

My last swap card is from our swap hostess and one of my uplines in the company – Denise W.
This card conveys simple elegance with the Country Woods DSP and The Right Words sentiment set on the Modern Oval punch!

I hope these guy cards inspired you and gave you a bunch of ideas for the next card you need to make for those special men in your life! No go out and design a guy card for someone special – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List
Paper Snips
[103579]
$12.00
Bough Punch [ 157711 ]
[157711]
$24.00
masculine textured notes card

masculine textured notes card

I recently participated in a guy card swap and this is the card that I designed for the group that I swap with!

I absolutely love black and white paper I am drawn to it and this Botanical Textures paper from the Botanical Textures Suite is a great one!

This Suite features two Designer Series packages – one that is the black and white paper and one that is neutral colored woven textured paper. According to sales the Woven Textures is the more popular of the two!

The Botanical Textures Suite Collection #165563 includes:

TEXTURED NOTES BUNDLE #165556

TEXTURED NOTES CLING STAMP SET (10% off)
#165548
* 7 cling stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, c, d, h

TEXTURED NOTES DIES (10% off) #165555
* 8 dies
* Largest die: 5-3/16″ x 3-3/16″ (13.2 x 8 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

MINI CORRUGATED 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER
#165559
* 1 folder
* Size: 6″ x 6-1/4″ (15.2 x 15.9 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

BOTANICAL TEXTURES 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER #165545
* 12 sheets of patterned paper: 2 each of 6 double-sided designs
* 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm)
* Acid free
* Lignin free

WOVEN TEXTURES 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER #165560
* 12 sheets of patterned paper: 3 each of 4 double-sided designs
* 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm)
* Acid free
* Lignin free

WHITE 1/4″ (6.4 MM) RIBBON #165562
* Width: 1/4″ (6.4 mm)
* Length: 10 yards (9.1 m)

NEUTRAL MATTE DOTS #165561
* 160 adhesive-backed pieces
* 4 mm, 5 mm
* Basic Beige, black, Pecan Pie, white

Product colors: Basic Beige, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Gray Granite, Pecan Pie, white

I stamped the leaf image in Smoky Slate on Basic White cardstock.

I used Post-it Labeling & Cover-up Tape to three consecutive Textured Notes dies – positioning them evenly.
Position it over the leaf image.
Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
scrap for sentiment die
4″ x 5 1/4″ for the 3 dies
Smoky Slate CS: 2″ x 5 1/2″
4″ x 5 1/4″ for the die (1 above the largest
three dies)
DSP: 2″ x 5 1/2″
Adhere the concentric three dies to the Smoky Slate Textured Notes dies.
Adhere the DSP layer to the left side of the card base.
Run the 2″ x 5 1/2″ Smoky Slate layer through the Mini Corrugated 3D embossing folder.
Adhere the 2″ Smoky Slate embossed layer to the right side of the base card.
Rub the corrugated side with a Blending Brush in Smoky Slate ink.
Place Stampin’ Dimensionals on the back of the Smoky Slate layer.
Place the die cut layers over the DSP and corrugated layer.
Stamp the sentiment in Smoky Slate ink and die cut with the smallest die in the Textured Notes die set.
Adhere the sentiment piece over the die cut layers.
Tap the Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker on a bone folder over the card to make splatter patterns on the card.

Adhere 5 Basic Gray and Smoky Slate pearls to finish the card!

This is a great masculine card! Try making a guy card with your supplies – now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

may online exclusives debut tomorrow

may online exclusives debut tomorrow

Tomorrow the May Online Exclusives debut and there are so many great new items becoming available.

One of my favorites is the Sunrise Sailing hybrid bundle. Today’s card is an easy retirement card.

Measurements:
BASE: Coastal Cabana CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
score at 4 1/4″
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″, scrap for the
sentiment piece and the sailboat image.

Emboss the Basic White cardstock layer with the Sunrise Sailing hybrid embossing folder.
Stamp the sailboat image in Tuxedo Black Memento ink.
Stamp sailing stripes in Coastal Cabana across the sail boat.
Stamp the “HAPPY retirement” in Coastal Cabana ink on the Basic White strip.
Cut a banner edge on the sentiment strip and color the strip with a blending brush.
Adhere the embossing folder on the Coastal Cabana base.

Die cut the sailboat, curve the sails with a bone folder and pop it up over the sailboat on the embossed layer.

Pop up the sentiment piece under the sailboat.
Place three Rainbow Adhesive-backed Dots around the sailboat.

Check out this new bundle as well as others that debut tomorrow! The click-able photos will not contain the new products until they are available tomorrow!

Hope you create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

experimenting in water, ink and stripes with textured notes bundle

experimenting in water, ink and stripes with textured notes bundle

The other day I was playing around with the Painted Stripes background stamp. I wanted to experiment with water and ink and see what the difference would be between applying ink directly to the stamp and spritzing with water or applying the ink directly to the glass mat studio and spraying it down and then dipping the stamp into the inky water?

I got a bunch of 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White sheets and started to play with the ink and water!
First I applied Pool Party onto the Glass Matt and then applied Pretty Peacock ink directly above the Pool Party ink. I sprayed water from a Stampin’ Spritzer until the colors were fluid and started to blend in the middle.

I placed the Painted Stripes background stamp into the inky water and then placed it onto the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer and held it in place while the ink and water soaked into the card stock.
Next I placed the Pool Party ink pad over the cleaned Painted Stripes stamp set and inked about half of the stripes.
Then I inked the top half of the Painted Stripes stamp set with the Pretty Peacock ink pad.
I sprayed water from a spray bottle or Stampin’ Spritzer over the entire surface of the Painted Stripes stamp.
I placed a 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White Cardstock layer over the Painted Stripes stamp that is on the table facing upwards (this way the water does not run but stays in place) and rub the back side of the cardstock holding the paper in place so it does not shift.
I resprayed the stamp surface and placed a second piece of cardstock over the surface this will produce a lighter softer version of the first but still pretty as there is enough ink to do this at least twice!

Allow to dry before using.

I found that the first version turned out lighter than the full strength second version! But the second spraying of the second ink direct to stamp version looked a lot like the first ink on glass version without a lot less mess!
Answer achieved! I liked the second version better but the first one was messy fun!

I cut a few dies from the Textured Notes die set from the prepared watercolor sheets. This die set is a series of concentric rectangles with all different types of embossed edging – so very cool – perfect for cards as well as scrapbooking!
I cut a 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of Basic White cardstock and scored it at 5 1/2″.
I stamped the smaller leaved foliage in Pool Party ink on opposite diagonal ends of the card base and flicked some inked water from a Water Painter over the card base surface.

I stamped the larger leaved foliage on the larger Basic White die in Pretty Peacock ink.

I cut a smaller die with the stripes in the opposite direction from one of the watercolored layers. I stamped the sentiment in Pretty Peacock ink and die cut one die up in Pool Party card stock. I popped the sentiment piece up on Stampin’ Dimensionals and adhered it to the Pool Party die and added it to the middle of the card above the other stamped die piece.
I colored some Iridescent Pearls with the Dark Pretty Peacock Stampin’ Blends marker.
I added the pearls to the card front.
I added some more splatters with a Water Painter and the left over inky water on the glass matte surface.
I thought the card needed a little more color and a die cut one up from the larger Basic White die on the card as it was blending into the card and you could not see the lovely Textured Notes die edging – so I cut the larger die in Pretty Peacock card stock and mounted it under the original rectangle.
This made the first die cut pop and looks so much better I think.

I keep the card in the order I designed it to show you all sometimes you go back at the end and add one thing to make the card even better! Do not hesitate to add and play if you feel the card is missing something – usually your gut is right!

Hope you get a chance to have a play with stamps, ink and paper this week! Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

fractured masculine christmas card

fractured masculine christmas card

This is a stepped up card based on the June 21st post of the DSP four corner card. This starts out with a different shape in the center instead of a square for this card I used the Countryside Corners dies. The shutter or fracture extends from the points of the geometric shapes you decide to use – the possibilities are endless!

Measurements:
BASE: Shaded Spruce 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″ scrap for 2nd largest
Countryside Corners die and 1/8″ strips
Distressed Gold Specialty paper: die cut 3rd
largest Countryside Corners die
Joyful Specialty DSP cut to openings

Die cut the Shaded Spruce scrap with the third largest Countryside Corners die and stamp in Versamark the Peace on Earth and the pine bough from the Christmas Classics stamp set. Sprinkle with Gold embossing powder and heat set until it is shiny with the Heat Tool. I photographed it before heat embossing – it will look granular as you heat it hold the Heat Tool several inches away from the paper so as not to scorch the surface of the paper and move when the powder melts and turns shiny.
Die cut the second largest die from the Countryside Corners die set with the Distressed Gold Specialty paper and pop up the Shaded Spruce die cut on Stampin’ Dimensionals and adhere to the center of the Gold die cut.
Adhere the gold die cut to the center of the card front.
Cut 1/8″ strips of Shaded Spruce cardstock and snip an angle on the end and place at each corner extending to the end of the cardstock front.
Place the Green and Gold foiled piece of Joyful Specialty paper inside the strip sections.
Complete the DSP strips on the card front.
Add embellishments to the card front I chose the gold sequins from the Neutrals Adhesive-Backed sequins which highlights the gold foiling on the Specialty paper!

Love this masculine Christmas card!

Try the fractured card technique soon it is a fun and different way to inset DSP paper strips. Go and create some art of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie