You're A Blast!!!

(Click on picture to enlarge for detail.) Ahhh...I had SO much fun making this one. It's my first Tent Card, and I learned a lot! I made many mistakes, but next time I make one, I will know! I couldn't get a good side shot, and I tried a zillion times:) The is a standard A2 card, however instead of being open at the bottom, it's actually attached to the back with a step/valley accordian piece to give the card a sturdy base, and depth. Messages would be attached to the back. This card could have been so much more, but I realized a lot of things too late. I will be making more!
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The inside of the card is the 'sky' background for the rockets trip! It's SPONGED (can you believe it? LOL!), then the sun/moon is heavily sponged, and twisted to get the haze around it. I used Itty Bitty Backgrounds for the stars. I ran some scrap paper through the Big Shot with Stars #2 die, and detached the sentiment from the rocket image. The rocket is not tied or jump ringed like the other tent cards I have seen. I wanted the actual illusion of flying, so it's attached with acetate.

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I also used some Styled Silver HPH, retired Silver Cording. There's Crystal Effects on the lights and window of the rocket, which didn't show in the pic. All the stars also have a touch of CE on the tips.

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Colors: Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie

Stamps: Pun Fun, Itty Bitty Backgrounds

Dies/Punches: Stars #2, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Word Window Punch

Accessories: Sponges, HPH, Cording, Crystal Effects

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As usual...SUO. I can't wait to try another one and post for you to see that I can do this better...I think:)

Make Your Own DSP with Collage Stamping! (Tutorial)

This little beauty is another card I designed for my Hostess Club for our July meeting. It's another one of the 4x8 cards I just recently starting making with a 2" pocket inside. Aside from the ribbon, all product is current SU, the ribbon retired:( My other card using this fold was posted on 7/3, check it out if you didn't see it! What I love about this one, is I decided to make my own DSP! (SU's term...Designer Series Paper). I have stamped my own patterned paper before, but not as quickly or as easily as this. Keep reading!

Here's the inside of the card showing the pocket with the insert pulled out. I left my flowers colorless on the inside, but had some club members color theirs! It was pretty both ways. I love the way this DSP uses the colors I wanted, I didn't have to work around a pre-printed paper! Now, don't get me wrong, I love DSP as much as the next stamper, but sometimes I want it in exact colors, that's where this comes in!

This set is new to the 2010-2011 IBC, it's called Awash With Flowers, and I purchased it Clear Mount. The Block in the picture is 'E'. This set comes in two DVD boxes, one for the outlines, one for the solid images. I took the flowers from the outline case and arranged them on the clear block. I am showing the example on a 2.5x8" strip. This is quicker to do on a full sheet, then cut it down, I am thinking OSW!!! (One Sheet Wonder) Once you have the stamps arranged to your liking, ink them up all at once, here using Basic Gray), and stamp away! So quick! It's easy to continually stamp an exact pattern! No randomness unless you want it!

Once the paper is stamped, I then took each individual solid and inked the colors! I will definitely be making more of my own paper with this set! It would be wonderful to sit down and do a few sheets of Whisper White CS with the outlines and fill in with color when you were ready for it! Talk about a great use of the Clear Blocks and the stamp sets!

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I hope you'll all try out this method of Collage Stamping!!! It's fun, easy, and what better way to get the most bang for your buck!

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This card uses:

CS---Whisper White, Basic Gray, Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight

Ink --- Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi and Marina Mist

Stamps---Awash With Flowers, clear block 'E', and A-D

Scallop Trim Border Punch, Melon Mambo Dotted Ribbon

SUO!

Money for the Party Animal!!!

I sat down a couple nights ago with an idea! I have seen people make long cards (tall cards, however you look at it...LOL!), but I don't like to make them. However, I wanted one I could mail in a standard business envelope. They are cheap, and I had plenty around! This card measures 4"x8". There is a 2 inch pocket. So, I cut CS to 8x10. Left it 8" wide, and scored at 4 & 8 down the 10" side. That gave me two 4" parts for front and back, and a 2" pocket. The cute animals are from SU's Fox & Friends set. I really like how this turned out and I have never seen anyone use this exact fold, and it's SO simple! Keep going to see this pics of what makes it REALLY cool!

Above you see the card from the insert comes out, and is double sided. Keep going to see each side. The Happy Birthday sentiment is also SU, the set is All Holidays. And you gotta love how I am still using up paper from two years ago! This is Ski Slope DSP, but this particular pattern works well for birthdays, too!

And this is what you see when you pull out the insert. Nothing too fancy, just some lightly stamped animals. I know, I know, I am getting to what is actually cool about this card!

It holds money for your party animal!!!! I used the Slit Punch and some eyeballed measurements (who needs rulers?), to make it perfect for holding money in place. AND under the money is blank, with plenty of room for a message. I didn't have anything larger than a $1 for the pic, sorry. I am taking donations for $20's or $50's if anyone has one to spare:)

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Paper is Choc Chip, Real Red, Whisper White, Ski Slope DSP

Ink is: Choc Chip, Real Red, Old Olive, Baja Breeze

Stamps: Fox & Friends, All Holidays

Punches: Ticket Corner, Scalloped Edge, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, Slit Punch

Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Buttons are SU except the brown one...but it's close in color, and all I had! So, it doesn't count...LOL!

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Ok. I will be out of town next week. My floors are FINALLY going to get cut up, replaced, and the other rooms sanded and stained. We will be visiting family and friend out of state. I will be sure to get a post or two on delay to post while I am gone!

Bella Rose Tri-Fold Shutter...

Well, I gave this Tri-Fold Shutter card another try. This one still took a while, but not as long as my Christmas one I posted earlier. I like this one a lot! This card is so thick that I cannot get a picture of it closed without me holding it together, so please pardon my hand in the pic below.

My Big Shot really got a workout on this card! I used several dies on here, SU Little Leaves, SU Birds & Blooms, SU Top Note Die, Architectural Elements. The only stamp set used is Friends 24-7 and the word WISH from Small Script. DSP is Bella Rose, Cardstock is Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette (textured), Kiwi Kiss (textured), a touch of Chocolate Chip and Whisper White. All buttons are SU from Button Bouquet (retired), flowers are Kaiser and unknown. Pearl is Mark Richards, and red crystal is from Hero Arts.

I need to buy a Scor-Pal, then this fold would be easier. Hope you like this one!

My FIRST Christmas card this year!

It doesn't look like much from this pic, I know. But, if you have never seen a Tri-Fold Shutter card, keep going with this post and see it open! I am NOT one of those stampers who gets her Christmas cards done throughout the year. I wait until Thanksgiving, then spit out Christmas cards in a stress-induced maniacal frenzy. But, hey that works for me. It's just something about stamping in the cold weather, with the fire going, and bundled up that gets me in the mood to make my holiday cards. But this year, I am trying to start now. Here is the pic of my card open all the way.

You can click on the pics to see them full-screen, and for this pic, that is not a bad idea. There is added texture and tons of detail all over this cute Christmas card. It took me two nights of stamping to complete, mostly because there is half a bottle of Stickles on this bad boy and it had to dry before I could do the other panels. I may never do one of these again, but I love how this one turned out. I don't think all of my paper piercing shows up, but it's there, there are Rhinestone brads, Red Crystals, and so much more on this card. I didn't skimp on the blingy's which I normally do! All of the felt snowflakes and mittens were sent to me from the one and only, amazingly talented, Siobhan in Japan!!! Thanks, girl, I love them! Let me know what you all think of this one. I am happy with it! Now, if I can get 2 or 3 Christmas cards done a week I will be close to ready in time for Christmas. I have to save some for stamping while the fire burns!

I can't name all I used here, I just can't remember. But the card itself is Baja Breeze Textured CS, the DSP is Ski Slope, the main stamp sets are The More The Merrier (current Level 3 Hostess), and Perfect Presentation (retired).

Fabulous Friend Flower Pot

So, I sat down last night determined to get some much needed stamp time in. I began by making my coffee, and straightening my craft area just enough to have room to work. Then my craft light fell off of it's stand, crashed into my coffee cup, which poured everywhere! It soaked through 2 brand new packs of cardstock that I just got in, and was getting ready to file, ruining almost every piece! I was livid, yelling at the coffee cup, trying to kill the lamp, and screaming for Jim to bring me some paper towels. You would have thought it was a 'real' emergency with how angry I was! So, that's how my night of stamping began. However, it ended on a much better note. I finally made the Flower Pot card, which is currently a featured tutorial on SCS. I may never make another one, but I love this one! It took me well over an hour, and after all my ruined paper, I was just not feeling it anymore. Maybe if I tried again, I could pull one together much quicker. Below is a shot of the insert pulled out.

Paper: Melon Mambo CS, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, and Rich Razzleberry CS

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Oval All, and The More the Merrier (new Level 3 Hostess)

Punches: 5-Petal Flower, Scalloped Oval, 1" Circle, Boho Blossom, Eyelet Border, Large Oval

Die Cuts: Big Shot by Sizzix for SU, Little Leaves SU die, Birds&Blooms SU die

Accessories: Sq Fire Rhinestone Brad, Melon Mambo Ribbon, Frosted Lace Stickles, Sponges

My Best Friends Birthday Card...

I am SO lucky to have a wonderful friend who just celebrated her 30th birthday. You know that friend, who I hope everyone has, who is the only one you can tell everything? Well, this is her birthday card from me, and I hope she loved it! This is a pic of the card as well as the tags that fill the two pockets. Below is the card put together and a description of the card and supplies...

I used SU Fall Flowers DSP. The colors in this paper are Soft Sky and Old Olive, I didn't have any Soft Sky, so I used Bashful Blue instead. This card is made using an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of DSP folded and cut to make this double pocket card. Instead of using Sticky Strip to tape the edges together like I normally do, I stuck the sides in my Bind It All, then threaded ribbon through the holes. The flowers on the front are SU Die Cut Blooms, which I LOVE!!! Stamp set is Inspired by Nature for the grass and the flower, Flight of the Butterfly, and the sentiment is from It's Your Birthday. I wrote the personal message on the back of the larger tag.

All items SU except ribbon (source unknown) and pearl on front from Mark Richards. I also used the Round Tab punch (SU) for the top of the first tag. I really like how this turned out, and my friend loved it, so all is well. I hope I still have her in my life 30 more years from now!

Stacked Thanksgiving

Well, this is one of those cards that you see one way in your head, then you try your very best to put on paper and you are unhappy with the finished result. I saw a tutorial on SCS for a step card and really wanted to give it a try. The fold is definitely easy enough, I just had trouble decorating it! As you can see, this card involved lots of watercoloring and LOTS of cutting. Suprisingly, it only took me about 30 minutes or so without stopping. I really don't think I like it very much, and would love to know what you all think about it. Is it too much, too little??? I used a SU set called Autumn Harvest, and Holiday Wishes. The folded part is Kraft cardstock, and I used a little bit of Chocolate Chip, the sentiment and images are on Naturals White, colored with WWC and blender pens.

This is a side view of the card so you can see how it's made. On a piece of cardstock cut down to 10.5x5, the folds are at 1.25, 2.5, 4.25, 6,& 8.25". I used retired In Color River Rock to stamp leaves all over the paper before folding it.

All Supplies are SU! I think I am about done with Thanksgiving cards, soon on to Christmas!!!