Too Spring for Fall

Yes, I know this card is much too spring for a fall card but I was just in this kind of mood. Besides, what's wrong with using bright colors in the fall. Some one can call the color police on me! lol

Materials needed:
 Raining Flowers stamp set (122767)
Polka Dot Parade patterned paper (#126902)
Pear Pizzazz or Certainly Celery card stock
Gumball Green In Color ink
Pear Pizzazz In Color ink
Primrose Petals In Color ink
Strawberry Slush In Color ink
3/16" Corner Punch (#119871)
Primrose Petals 3/8" Satin Stitched ribbon (#126844)
Pretty Print Textured Impressions embossing folder (132175)
Big Shot Machine

1. Cut a piece of Certainly Celery card stock 4 x 5 1/4." Place it in the embossing folder and run through the Big Shot Machine. Round the corners with your corner punch.
2. From your patterned paper, you will need to cut two pieces. Cut one 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" and the other  2 1/2 x 2 1/2." Round the corners of the smaller piece. If you are using the Polka Dot Parade paper, you will notice that this is 2 sided. Use the side with the larger dots for the larger piece. The smaller white dots use for the 2 1/2" square piece.
3.  Stamp the images. This set is a two step stamping set. Stamp the solid image with the lighter color first. Then stamp the darker color with the hollow image over the first image. This may not be exact but it will give you a nice look if you line it up carefully. Trim them out with your scissors.
4. Adhere the flower and leaf images to the top of the square small dot paper. Adhere this to the left hand side of the Certainly Celery card stock.
5. Tie a piece of ribbon about 10-12" long around the embossed card stock. Angle the ends.
6. Adhere the embossed card stock to the larger  piece of patterned paper with the larger dots side showing over the edges. The card stock should fit with about a 1/8" border all the way around.
7. Adhere the card front to a card base and add your greeting or note inside.
These bright springy colors should brighten up someone's dreary fall day!
I'll try to use some fall colors for my next card!

Baby Best Wishes

This is for a soon to be born baby named Olivia Joy. I know she will be beautiful just like the rest of her family.

Materials needed:
Flirtatious Specialty patterned paper (#122360, retired) 2 x 3 1/4"
Crushed Curry card stock   4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Whisper White card stock 2 x 3"
Animal Stories stamp set (SU retired)
Cross My Heart stamp set (#126582)
Strawberry Slush In Color ink
Regals Candy Dots (#130932)
Candy Dots Brad Bases (#132293)
Stripes Textured Impessions embossing folder (#123128)
Hung Up Cute Clips (#129389)
Brights Collection Designer Buttons (#119747)
Glue Dots (#103683)
Stampin' Trimmer (#126889)
Big Shot

1. Place your Crushed Curry card stock into the Stripes embossing folder. Run it through your Big Shot machine.
2. Stamp the giraffe in Strawberry Slush ink (if you want a card for a boy, Bermuda Bay would be a great color) on the Whisper White card stock. Carefully place the giraffe image in your trimmer. Cut vertically at 1" and horizontally at 1" and 2." This will give you 6 one inch squares. Arrange the giraffe image in the correct order so as not to be confused later. (At least, I would be!) Place a glue dot on the back of each piece. Line them up about 1/4" apart, using the embossed stripes to help keep them even. Press down.
3. Stamp your greeting on white card stock. Trim around the edges. Adhere it to the patterned paper.
4. Place a clip on the top left hand corner. Adhere the entire piece to the right hand side.
5. Add a Candy Dots brad to the top left corner and an Olive Green button to the bottom right side. Adding the greens helps to tone down all the warm colors.
6. Adhere this to a card base and place your greeting or note inside.
Be sure you add your name or initials to some place on the back. Remember, an artist always signs her work!

Missed You Card

I bought this set of photopolymer stamps a few months ago but this is the first time I've actually used them. It was really easy to place the letters in each flag because you can see exactly where you are placing them. SU! now has several of these polymer stamp sets.

Materials needed:
Designer Typeset Photopolymer stamps (#132956)
Greeting Card Kids stamp set (#120633)
Soho Subway patterned paper (#130140)
Daffodil Delight marker
Blush Blossom marker
Strawberry Slush marker
Midnight Muse ink
Aqua Painter (#103954)
Staz On Black ink
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1. Cut the "map" look paper to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2." Use the reverse side of this same paper for the blue to stamp your greeting and arrow. Cut them out. Adhere to the top  of the patterned paper.
2. Stamp the child on watercolor paper using Staz on Black ink.
3. Use the markers and the Aqua Painter brush to color your child image. Be light with the Aqua Painter brush and wipe the brush on a paper towel between uses. Give it a few minutes to dry. Then cut out the child image.
4. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the child image. Place her on the map. The image that I chose was holding a heart. As you can see, I cut the heart off. I think she has a bit of a lost look with her finger on her cheek. Stamp or write a note on the inside.
5. Place the card front on a card base.
This card will go to a friend who missed our TOPS meeting this week.

Braided and Folded Chevron

For today's card, I'm giving you a link to another blog. This is My Thoughts Exactly Stamps. Last week, she had a how to on braiding. I took her tutorial and did some braiding. Here is her link. You'll want to follow her directions on the braiding.

 

I put these braids on a gate fold card. Go to my gate fold link for those directions. Sorry I'm having you click on so many links today.

Materials needed:

Rich Razzleberry card stock

Daffodil Delight card stock

International Bazaar patterned paper (#126920)

Whisper White card stock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2"

1. Cut 2 pieces of the colored card stock at 1/2 x 6" for each of the 2 colors. Follow the directions for braiding found on the link for My Thoughts Exactly Stamps.

2. Fold and score the white card stock and make the gate fold card according to the directions for the gate fold link.

3. Cut 2 pieces of the patterned paper 2 1/8 x 5 1/2" each. Adhere these on the front side of the gate fold card.

4. Adhere the braided chevrons to the 2 sides of the gate fold card. Be sure to put lots of adhesive on these as they are a bit heavier than we usually place on our cards.

5. Add your greeting to the inside.

Do this in black and orange and you can use it for a Halloween card!

It takes a little bit more time folding the chevrons than some other cards but it gives us a different look. It's something you might want to try.

God Bless You Gatefold Card

This is a card I made to send to a friend who is having too many problems in her life right now. I know that God will bless her even through these difficult times.

Here is the card laying down and then standing up so you can see how it opens.

Materials needed:
Summer Smooches patterned paper (retired) 2 pieces 2 1/8 x 5 1/2"
Whisper White cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2"
Mixed Bunch stamp set (#125537)
Crosses of Hope stamp set (#1205647)
Trust God stamp set (#126702)
Chalk Talk Framelits Dies (#129983)
Midnight Muse ink
Sponge Daubers (#102892)
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1.  Make a gate fold card following the directions here from last Friday's card.
2. Adhere the patterned paper cut at 2 1/8 x 5 1/2" to both of the front sides.
3. Stamp the medallion and the greeting from the stamp sets on Whisper White cardstock using Midnight Muse ink. Cut out the medallion with scissors. Punch out the greeting with a die from the framelits dies set.
4. Use a sponge dauber to ink the edges of the rectangle cut out.
5. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the left side of the medallion and the right side of the greeting. Place those as shown on the card picture.
6. Add an appropriate greeting or note on the inside of the card. I used the "trust in the Lord" scripture that is included in the Trust God stamp set.

Birthday Flowers Gate Fold card

Don't you love to get flowers for your birthday? I do. In fact, I love to get flowers any time of the year for any occasion or for no occasion at all. Here are some flowers to put on your birthday card. I also like to include some flowers on the envelope to give the receiver a sneek peek.

Materials needed:
Raspberry Ripple cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2"
Old Olive Polka Dot Parade patterned paper (#126902) 2 pieces 1 7/8 x 5 1/4", 1 piece 2 5/8 x 4"
Whisper White cardstock 2 1/2 x 3 3/4", extra for stamped images
Flower Shop stamp set (#130942)
Raspberry Ripple 3/8" Satin Stitched Ribbon (#126845)
Raspberry Ripple In Color ink
Pansy punch (#130698)
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1. Cut your papers to the dimensions listed above. Lay aside.
2. Stamp 4 flower images with Raspberry Ripple ink using a stamp from Flower Shop stamp set. Punch each of these out with the Pansy punch. Lay aside.
3.Score and fold your Raspberry Ripple cardstock at 4 1/4". You can score your cardstock for the side folds but I get a better fit when I fold each side to the center fold and crease. Fold the side to touch the center fold and crease. Do this on both sides.

 

4. Cut 2 pieces of ribbon 3" each. Place adhesive on the back and adhere to the Old Olive patterned paper about 1" from the bottom. Wrap the ends around to the back.

5.Place adhesive on the backs of the patterned paper and center on each of the side folds. You will have a Raspberry Ripple border all the way around each piece.

 

6. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on no more than 2 petals of each of 3 flowers. Peel the paper backing off and place so that the dimensionals are only on one side of the card fold.

 

Place a flower on the top and bottom on the left side. Place the third flower in the center of the right side. Refer to the picture to see how it should be. The flowers will not be adhered all the way across the card. You want to allow it to open in the center.
7. Now you can decorate the inside of the card. When you use a dark cardstock for your base card, it is difficult for a  stamped greeting to be read. On this card I cut a piece of Old Olive Polka Dot paper 2 5/8 x 4" and a piece of white cardstock 2 1/2 x 3 3/4". Layer the white on the patterned paper. Stamp your greeting on the white and adhere the patterned paper to the inside of the card. This also helps to cover up the fold that you created when you made the gate fold of the card.

I added the fourth flower image to the bottom right of the greeting. This still gives you plenty of room for a personal note and your signature.
8. I love to have my envelopes look pretty too so I often stamp on the front or back of the envie with a stamp from the set that I'm using. I stamp 2 or 3 times on the bottom left of the envie and once on the bottom right. Sometimes I'll stamp on the back flap also. Be sure to leave plenty of room in the envie for the address and postage.

Naughty or Nice

Here is another Christmas card for you. You could put a cute note inside this one about who's naughty or nice and why. Have fun with it.

Materials needed:

Very Merry Tags stamp set (#130402)
Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder (#132174)
Framelits Labels Collection (#125598)
Decorative Label punch (#120907)
Raspberry Ripple cardstock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Whisper White cardstock 2 x 3"
Old Olive patterned paper--this is from a retired pack from a year or two ago
Old Olive 3/8" Striped Organdy Ribbons (#129291)
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)
Raspberry Ripple In Color ink
Big Shot

1. Run your Raspberry Ripple cardstock through your Big Shot with it inserted into the Stylish Stripes embossing folder.
2. Cut out a 3 1/2" label from the framelits labels collection dies. 
3. Use Raspberry Ripple ink to stamp your naughty/nice greeting on white cardstock. Punch this out with the Decorative Label punch.
4. Wrap a 5" piece of Old Olive ribbon around the bottom of the card about 1 inch from the bottom. Adhere.
5. Adhere the naughty/nice label onto the Old Olive patterned paper decorative label.  Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the decorative label and adhere to the center of the card near the top.
6. Adhere the card front to your card base and have fun.