nests of winter suite card – new mini catalog products

nests of winter suite card – new mini catalog products

Today’s blog features the Nests of Winter Suite of products – one of the coolest things in this suite in my opinion is the frame die of foliage. Today I am using the negative space of that frame die to create a background for the card!

Measurements:
BASE: Pecan Pie 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Mossy Meadow layer 4″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White layer. 3 3/4″ x 5″
scrap for sentiment piece
Basic Beige scrap for birds stamp

Stamp the double birds in Tuxedo Black Memento ink on Basic Beige cardstock.
Using the Cherry Cobbler watercolor pencils – color the berries.
Color the bird with Balmy Blue watercolor pencil.
Color the bird’s belly with the Crushed Curry watercolor pencil.
Color the branches with Pecan Pie watercolor pencil.
Using a water painter color each colored section starting with the lightest color and then brush the water painter until it paints clear and paint the next darkest color until all colors are watercolored.
Die cut the frame from the Nest of Winter and use the negative die space for the mask, place the mask in the center of the Basic White layer and with a blending brush color the outside edges of the Basic White layer over the mask with Mossy Meadow ink.
Turn the mask 180 degrees and without reinking the blending brush brush the remaining color over the edges of the mask which will result in a lighter color bledning over the mask.
Adhere the Mossy Meadow layer onto the Pecan Pie card base.
Adhere the Basic White layer onto the card base slightly tilted.
Die cut the largest circle from the Stylish Shapes die set and stamp the sentiment in Mossy Meadow ink and drag the blending brush across the edges to just give the edges a little color.
Adhere to the lower left hand corner of the card.
Pop the double bird image up onto Stampin’ Dimensionals and layer in the upper right hand corner of the card.
I added two cork embellishments around the sentiment and the card is complete.

Sometimes using the negative space that might easily just get tossed in the trash produces a beautiful unexpected background! Try using those negative die spaces and see what you can create – one die, one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

sketched butterfly bundle in black and red

sketched butterfly bundle in black and red

Last week when I was designing cards in anticipation of move in week I did not realize how significant the butterfly theme would be! I have always loved butterflies and today’s card uses the left over negative space from yesterday’s More Color Challenge card.

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Basic Black: 4″ x 5 1/4″ negative space from
previous project
Real Red: scraps for die cuts

Adhere the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic Black layer that has the negative friend sentiment die cut and heart outline cut into it onto the Basic White card base.
Using glue adhere the Real Red friend die cut sentiment into the negative space on the card front.
Adhere the Real Red butterfly trio over the Heart outline on the card front.
I adhered the Iridescent Adhesive Backed Discs to the card front but decided i needed a few more details – sometimes card making is a fluid process!
I added a single butterfly die cut below the word friend for a little balance.
I stamped the thank you sentiment in Tuxedo Black Memento ink onto a Stylish Shapes banner die and cutting off the left hand edge to match up with the edge of the black cardstock I adhered the sentiment strip over the heart outline to finish off this simply stamped card!
I love being able to make hand made cards – this week there are so many wonderful people doing so many kind things for our family and the way I will thank them all is with a little piece of my heart and a little piece of my art!

Hope you are able to stamp this week in the midst of your life and pass along something beautiful to someone you love – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

changing leaves water color paper negative and left over cards

changing leaves water color paper negative and left over cards

Did you love that watercolor paper we made last week for Friday’s water-colored Friends for Life card? I had lots of extra as I only cut one die from each colored sheet so I cut out as many leaves as i could fit on that paper and saved the negative space and the leaves for another day! Well I loved the extras and just couldn’t wait to create some cards with the dies and negative spaces left so today’s blog post is all about the cards created from the left-overs!

Since the colors of the watercolor paper created were Poppy Parade, Gorgeous Grape, Crushed Curry, Azure Afternoon and Lemon Lime Twist – I cut multiple pieces of those colors of card stock in 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ lengths scored at 4 1/4″ and was ready to start creating!

The first card I used a Lemon Lime Twist case with a Basic White 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer embossed with the Painted Texture 3D embossing folder. Then I adhered one of each of the colored die cuts to the card front and added a sentiment strip with the happy birthday sentiment from the Country Birdhouse stamp set. I added Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins in matching green to finish it off with a lot of sparkle!
I took the five Basic White water-colored layers and created cards with each of them.
The next card I grabbed the Lemon Lime Twist negative space layer added Lemon Lime Twist 6″ x 6″ DSP behind the negative openings and adhered that to a Lemon Lime Twist card base.
I stamped a sentiment in Lemon Lime Twist ink on a Stylish Shapes circle die from the Unbounded love stamp set and added a leaf die cut from that Unbounded love die set. I mounted that circle die onto a Nested Essentials Lemon Lime Twist die and adhered it to the card front and then added the Shiny sequins to finish off this card.
The Poppy Parade negative layer was next and I essentially designed it exactly the same as the last card but added a different sentiment from the Unbounded Love set in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and added Iridescent Discs to match the card color scheme.
For my Crushed Curry version of the negative layer card I used the edge of the water-colored paper as the sentiment scrap for the Country Birdhouse happy birthday sentiment and the shiny sequins.
For the last two negative layer cards I mixed up the background paper and added two colors of DSP in 2″ sections.
The Gorgeous Grape card I changed to a vertical orientation and added a Lemon Lime Twist leaf on the Grape side and the Gorgeous Grape leaf on the Lime side for contrast. A round circle sentiment piece from Unbounded Love stamp set and Stylish Shapes dies sets off the sparkle from the Shiny sequins in green!
For the Azure AFternoon negative layer I added Gorgeous Grape and Azure DSP under the negative openings and did the leaves alternating colors like the last card. I also added alternating shading to the sentiment circle and Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Discs for the sparkle!
I had a bunch of die cut leaves to use up so I took some 6″ x 6″ matching DSP in Regals for the Crushed Curry and Gorgeous Grape.
I cut one piece at 2″ x 5 1/2″ and used the 1/2″ leftover for the banner. I cut the opposite side at 2 1/4″ x 4 1/2″. Layered it to the left of the striped DSP and popped up a sentiment in the middle. I added a Crushed Curry watercolored leaf die under the sentiment circle die and added shiny sequins on the sentiment piece and the banner.
I did a similar Poppy Parade layout with a 1 3/8″ x 5 1/2″ strip of floral DSP down the card and 2 12/” x 4 1/4″ piece of Striped DSP across the card front. I popped up another Stylish Shapes circle die and added a Poppy Parade leaves die and Iridescent discs for the sparkle!
The last two left over cards I literally used the bits and pieces of the DSP and made cards with the remaining leaves.
The first card is on a Lemon Lime Base and features all the scraps from the Poppy Parade, Gorgeous Grape and Lemon Lime DSP. Since there are alot of colors to this card I kept the patterns of the DSP the same and the more neutral stripes as opposed to the busier floral pattern. I added three colors of leaves in Azure Afternoon, Crushed Curry and Lemon Lime Twist and added two smallest circle dies from the Stylish Shapes set. I used the omitting technique and only inked up part of the “little one” stamp inking “little’ first and stamping higher on the small circle and then cleaning the stamp very well and inking just the word “one” and stamping in below. This allows you to stamp a longer horizontal line of words into a smaller space! I added shiny sequins and this card is complete!
The last card in this leftover series LOL is adhered to a Gorgeous Grape base card. I took three strips of Gorgeous Grape, Azure Afternoon and Lemon Lime Twist and adhered them across the card front. I added contrasting leaves and stamped the sentiments Faith, Hope and Love in the remaining circles dies I had left from the Stylish Shapes dies set. I added “makes the world a better place” along the bottom of the card front and added iridescent discs to finish off the card!
It is amazing the lovely cards you can make with extras from other projects and the negative spaces of your die cuts – try this sometime and let me know what treasures you can create!
Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List
Paper Snips
[103579]
$12.00
creating a scene inside a mask

creating a scene inside a mask

Today we are creating a scene inside negative die space with strip scraps torn across the width to represent mountains and sky scenery.

Measurements:
BASE: Basic Gray 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White: layer 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ for die cut
4″ x 5 1/4″ for card front layer
and strip scraps for blending

you will notice in the picture I have two ink pads and blending brushes I switched out the Gray Granite for Smoky Slate ink to make the sky lighter.

Die cut a shape out of the 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ layer in the upper center space of the layer. Place the die cut layer over the 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer for blending.

Tear strip scraps in mountainous shapes and lay each one down over the die space. Blending the mountainous strips with lightly colored Night of Navy ink in a circular motion. Remove the first strip and add another above the first and repeat the blending. Do the same with a different third strip scrap.

Add straighter torn strips for the sky portion. I added strips with Smoky Slate blending then added a little setting sun colors in Crushed Curry and Cameo Coral.
Remove the die layer and add a silhouette stamp from the Magical Meadows stamp set from the new September to December catalog and a sentiment – this one is from the Charming Sentiments stamp set. Wrap the Black and white Gingham ribbon around the bottom of the layer and tie a knot.
Adhere that layer to the Basic Gray base.
I added some Irridescent Pearls to the berries section of the silhouette stamp and the card is complete!

See what dies and scenes you can make with this technique – and go create some art of your own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

using negative die cuts

using negative die cuts

Sometimes using negative die spaces is easy you can visualize a card from the negative cut work. I had two 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ sheets of paper in coordinating colors laying on my desk last week and I happen to shift one over the other and thought this would make a pretty unique card. Happy Accident!

I save my negative die cuts a lot and try to see if I can use them in anyway before tossing them into the circular file!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White 4 1/4″ x 11″ scored at 5 1/2″
Layers: 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ die cut negatives
Scrap white for the sentiment

I die cut four different dies out of the Pool Party cardstock below and it made a nice pattern so I hung onto the piece to see if I could use it.

I was die cutting for a swap last week and this piece was so pretty I decided to use it for a card – I thought it might be a fun mask for a background paper or for a card front. I ended up throwing it on my desk and the two pieces worked well together.
Adhere the two negative pieces together and then adhere to the card base.

I stamped the sentiment piece from the Stylish Shapes dies with Coastal Cabana ink from the Something Fancy stamp set. I popped up the sentiment onto Stampin’ Dimesionals and added to the lower Stylish Shapes negative die space.

I added the Ombre Decorative Dots to the card as a finishing touch and made a lovely card out of recycling the left over pieces.

Try to use the scraps and bits off you stamping area and see what lovely things you can make – go and create some art of your own one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie