busy day – quick card

busy day – quick card

If you have followed me for a while you know we have spent the last year in remodeling our forever home on the lake and today was a busy one finishing up lots of unfinished little odds and ends. We are blessed with the best contractor in the area and I was excited to get all the items on our punch list completed. The most exciting of the little jobs left was our kitchen backsplash – we debated whether to do one at all so it was a last minute add in and not completed in the initial pass through – but today they finished it and it is gorgeous!
Here is a peak at that project and the quick card I made today in the midst of all that busyness! It’s a lovely glass subway tile in pearlescent whites, grays and beige- I LOVE IT!!!
The card is also set in a background of white, this time with 1/4″ scrap strips. I placed half of them consecutively in the 3D embossing folder Timeworn Type. Then I adhered alternating strips of embossed and plain strips down a 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of Basic Thick White cardstock scored in half at 5 1/2″. I then stamped the larger floral image in Smoky Slate on a Stylish Shapes circle die and the sentiment in Tuxedo Black Memento ink (both from the Fitting Florets stamp set). I used a die from the same bundle Framed Florets in Silver Foil for the accent pieces and used the upcoming NEW embellishments – Opaque Adhesive-backed Gems (SNEAK PEAK) for the matching bling! I finished it off with the Gray Granite ribbon and there you have a quick and easy card for a busy day!
Hope you can sneak in a quick and easy card on your busy days because there is a great sense of accomplishment when you create your own art – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

easy designer series paper scrap note cards

easy designer series paper scrap note cards

I wanted to use up some retired designer series paper – the Simply Marbelous DSP pack came FREE last month for Sale-a-bration. I needed to send some a packet of thank you cards as a surprise gift for my cousin who is in Memphis with her daughter that I spoke about last blog post – SHHHH!! it’s a surprise! She will need lots of thank you cards! These were so easy!

I used the notecards and envelopes for the Simply Marbelous DSP – this ws a 6″ square pack so I cut it in half and then in one inch strips or you can use different width scraps of any coordinating DSP.

Layer them evenly spaced across the note card or use 4″ high strips for a regular card as the one I made using Pattern Party scraps.

happy thanksgiving – celebrating with a scrap creative day

happy thanksgiving – celebrating with a scrap creative day

There are times in a crafty girl’s life when the scrap piles just get too big and need to be dealt with!!! LOL!!! I have tried to make this a monthly (sometimes weekly thing!) and make it a fun day! Instead of sorting and putting away the scraps I try to make as many cute fun and creative cards as I can stretching my creative funny bone and exercising that right sided brain power!
This card base was leftover from a previous class or blog post and I had left over embellishment pieces and DSP from the Gingerbread and Peppermint Suite available until the end of December.
Below is the photograph of the inside of this card – love the way this opens!
Are you just starting out or do not have a large collection – who says you have to use a holiday image for a holiday card? All you need is a versatile sentiment set with a few Holiday sentiments and you can combine with almost anything. I used the Artistic Dies (flowers) and the “warm Christmas wishes” sentiment from the Encircled in Warmth Stamp set, a bit of left over Real Red cardstock base, some cardstock strips for a faux ribbon effect at the card’s bottom section and finish it off with some Basic Rhinestone Jewels!
The DSP pieces were lecft over from the OnStage@Home virtual conference I attended this past weekend and I added the hello sentiment from Biggest Wish stamp set, some left over ribbon and a few Holiday Rhinestones.
This cardstock was from my last class and I re-imagined a different card with virtually the same ingredients as my card class example but this one looks totally different even though most of the supplies are very similar! I used the background stamp to create the alcohol ink background without all the mess for the diagonal focal piece on the card front and the white strip on the inside of the card!
Leftover DSP and die cuts make a lovely birthday card with the addition of some Black Glittered Organdy ribbon and some Matte Black Dots!
Leftover Poppy Parade base card and strips of CS and DSP add color contrasting interest to the beautiful image from the upcoming catalogs new set called In the Moment (Love this set!) Hand Colored with Stampin’ Blends! I love the way this one turned out! Don;t you?
I used the negative space of some dies I used for another card and left over Balmy Blue scraps from one of my son’s school projects – (yes they love my craft room for all their school projects!) Added sentiments from the Snowflake Wishes stamp set and Artistry Blooms Adhesive backed sequins to finish them off!
I finished off my blue artistry Blooms sequins on this card while I still had Snowflake Wishes set out on my craft table!
This is another re-imagined Card class card added the leaves die from the Artistic Dies and a different sentiment and some metallic pearls for a fun new card!
Leftover pieces from some Eden’s Garden cards made the perfect accents for this Hello card. I used that background stamp from ArtArtistically Inked for a tone on tone background and for the strips of Basic White cardstock and die cut on the Basic Black circle. Added some Matte Black Dots and I love when you can turn scraps into an elegant card!
Sometimes forcing yourself to use the scraps on your desk leads to exciting new color combinations! Leftover Poppy Parade cardstock base paired with Crushed Curry DSP! Looks awesome and I used the Eden’s Garden left over dies and some ribbon and yellow Holiday Rhinestones to accent this In the Moment image colored with coordinating Stampin’ Blends!
I have seen this technique used many times and I love the way it uses up scraps! I gathered coordinating colors and cut varying widths of 2 inch strips of cardstock and adhered them in a row to the left hand side of the card. I colored the In the Moment stamped image in coordinating Stampin’ Blends, added some Fresh Freesia Open Weave ribbon and a lovely card is made!
We used Gold Glimmer Vellum in our last Card Class and I had a strip left over – I die cut with the Intricate Leaves dies and added two leftover Stitched Rectangle dies for the sentiment, moutned on Soft Suede and Basic White Cardstock base and finished it off with Wonderful Gems and the sparkly Gold Shimmer Ribbon both from the current July to December 2021 mini catalog.
Using some more of that left over Balmy Blue from Matthew’s School project I stamped the Angels of Peace in Balmy Blue ink for a tone on tone look, added Wink of Stella to her wings and a little Water Painter lightly to the dress fold lines. Dyed the Fresh Fressia Open Weave ribbon to Balmy Blue to match and added some Holiday Rhinestones.
Scraps of DSP and dies work well together to create this simple Christmas card!
I used the negative card stock piece from a previous card making session and adhered it to a Basic White CS piece, stamped the matching stamp inside the negative space with matching Cinnamon Cider ink added it to Real Red base and added Wonderful Gems and a few stamps to complete the card!
This last card is one of my favorites! I love to watercolor – all kinds of watercoloring this is the smossh technique and I die cut the Artistic Die flower from a piece of this watercolor Smoosh paper and used the background piece as well added a punched sentiment and some colored Holiday rhinestones (used my Blends marker in Poppy Parade to color the yellow rhinestones to match the card stock!
Well my pile of scraps has diminished – not totally disappeared but I have 18 new cards and my creativity is flowing!! I successfully turned a job I used to dread into a fun day of creativity by challenging myself to make cards from the pieces I found on my stamp table!

Get inspiration from your scraps and challenge yourself to clean out those scrap bins and make some card using the pieces in this hidden away places! Now go and create your own art – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’

Natalie

interlocking gate fold

interlocking gate fold

Today is the last day for the Seasonal Sale so if you need or want any colors of cardstock, inks or have been wishing for a special die set today is the day! Or tell you husband to call me so we can get you those supplies as a “surprise” Christmas gift – just send me a list before he calls!! LOL The Seasonal Sale is 10% off Cardstock, 15% off inks and 20% off dies.

Today’s tutorial is another gate fold the base is similar to Monday’s card but this card has two opposing “arms” attached to the card to help open up the gates on this fold. It is a fun alternative gatefold card.

Measurements:

Misty Moonlight bas: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ scored at 2 1/8″ and fold the other end in to meet the edge in the card center.
Balmy Blue: (2) 2″ x 5 3/8″
Basic White 4″ x 5 1/4″ for the inside

Side Flaps:
Misty Moonlight: (2) 1 5/8″ x 4″
Basic White (2) 1 1/2″ x 3 7/8″

Cut the side flaps and I die cut the snowflake “cookie” from the Frosted Gingerbread stamp set in the Blue Glitter Ombre paper x2 for the card front embellishments.
Stamp the sentiment on the top flap and stamp the snowflake in Balmy Blue (second generation over the sentiment and full strength on the bottom flap.
Stamp the Balmy Blue front panels with Balmy Blue ink and the snowflakes from the Sparkle of the season stamp set. Adhere to the front panels.
Adhere the flaps after stamping the background images and the sentiment.
Pop up the snowflakes from the Frosted Gingerbread stamp set – the solid snowflake cookie die in the blue piece of Glitter Ombre paper and the “frosting” part of the snowflake die in Basic White. Adhere with Tombo glue and allow to dry before placing on the card.
Add Rhinestone for some bling on the card front and ! How about you!

I hope that you are able to get a little crafting done today – take time to do a little something you love and go out and creat some art of your own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’

Natalie