A Second Gift Card set

** another looooooong post, lots of pics again! :)*

Here's a second gift card set that I've made for my children's school teachers. This time, I chose to use my new Ketto images (from Stamping Bella), and you can see each of the ones I bought, because I haven't had a chance to use any of them twice! Again, I chose a different package of retired Designer Series Paper that has be languishing in my retired stash: Hawaii Papaya. I LOVE these colours together, so bright yet not bold.

I used a different sketch challenge for each of the cards as well as the cover of the box! The sketch for the cover is from Taylored Expressions, an older sketch that I wanted to still play with but didn't have time that week!

Stamps: Maisy Ketto (Stamping Bella)
Paper: Kiwi Kiss Textured Card Stock, Whisper White, Real Red, Hawaii Papaya DSP (retired)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink
Accessories: Copic Markers, Crystal Effects™, Gelly Roll Glitter Pen, Prima Flowers, Filigree Decorative Brads, Real Red Grosgrain, Eyelet Border Punch, Dimensionals®

This picture on the left shows you what the box looks like inside. I made two pockets, one thicker than the other, to hold both the envelopes and three cards. The pocket holding the envelopes is about a 1/4" thick whereas the pocket holding the three fairly thick cards is 3/4" thick! I decorated the inside panels behind the pockets with a little bit of designer series paper and whisper white card stock.

The rest of the box is pretty simple, just a flap with two scores in the centre to create a "spine", and then a buckle type closure that has a Velcro circle to attach it to the front to keep the box closed.

Here are the cards in closer detail. Each of the Ketto images are coated in crystal effects and the wings have a bit of glitter on them!

Sketch from AmyR

Stamps: Phoebe Ketto (Stamping Bella), Absolutely Fabulous (Stampin' Up!®)
Paper: Whisper White, Taken With Teal, Hawaii Papaya DSP (retired)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink
Accessories: Copic Markers, Crystal Effects™, Gelly Roll Glitter Pen, Corner Rounder, Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain, Turquoise Brads, Eyelet Border Punch, Dimensionals®


Sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You (Laura)

Stamps: Margarita Ketto (Stamping Bella), Absolutely Fabulous (Stampin' Up!®)
Paper: Kiwi Kiss Card Stock, Whisper White, Apricot Appeal, Hawaii Papaya DSP (retired)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink
Accessories: Copic Markers, Crystal Effects™, Gelly Roll Glitter Pen, Prima Flowers, Flower Decorative Brads, White Satin Ribbon, Eyelet Border Punch, Pink Brads, Dimensionals®, Circle Nestabilities


Sketch from Mojo Monday (83)

Stamps: Agnes Ketto (Stamping Bella), Absolutely Fabulous (Stampin' Up!®)
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Hawaii Papaya DSP (retired)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink
Accessories: Copic Markers, Crystal Effects™, Gelly Roll Glitter Pen, Prima Flowers, Designer Bouquet Buttons, Eyelet Border Punch, Dimensionals®, Linen Thread, Dotted White Organdy, Green Brad

Hope you like this gift set as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by today!

For You

I love how this card finally turned out! I think I made about four partial cards while trying to come up with something using Kristina Werner's Colour Inspiration ... You know, the colours looked easy enough to put together but I could not for the life of me come up with something I liked :(. Go figure. I blame it on my lack of mojo or the weather. The weather has been absolutely nuts for the past week. It's the end of April and it's snowing off and on everyday! Thankfully, when the sun decides to pop out, it all melts. But still ... the heat has been on. I've even read other blogs saying something about air conditioning. Just come here instead and you'll have no need for air con! Anywho, I digress ... the card. Well, I kept strictly within the colours, as Kristina specified. The butterflies may look pink, but they're not. I inked them up with Riding Hood Red, stamped them off twice, and then stamped the third time on my Whisper White card stock. The dots were added with Real Red ink.

I used the sketch from Taylored Expressions. An interesting sketch with no main image panel, or at least that's what it felt like for me!

I hope you like it!

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Great Friend, Sanded
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Rockabilly DSP
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Real Red, Taken with Teal, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Crystal Effects™, Eyelet Border Punch, Saffron Wide Grosgrain (SAB '09)

All supplies from Stampin' Up!®, available 24-7 through my Demonstrator Website!!

Love You Much

I'm feeling totally mojo-less, which is funny, considering this sketch is from Mojo Monday! A really really simple card ... yet it looks not bad, eh?

I had bought two of the Neighbourhood Jumbo Wheel: one I left as a wheel, and the other I took the rubber off of the wheel (really simple, just pulls off quite easily), cut apart the houses and mounted them on thin EZ Mount ™ foam to use with acrylic blocks. Sooooooooo, I stamped the one house on Whisper White card stock, coloured it and cut it out. The clouds are a fun touch, also stamped and cut out. The fun part, you ask? Well, the sketch had called for three things on the left of that panel, so I put the clouds there! Okay, maybe not so fun, but still, it looks cute!

Anyways, the rest you can figure out, right?! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know what you think!

Stamps: Neighbourhood Jumbo Wheel, Family Phrases
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Summer Picnic DSP (retired?), Bashful Blue, Real Red
Ink: Stazon™, various for colouring
Accessories: Dimensionals®, Scallop Circle Punch, 1-1/4" and 1-3/8" Circle Punches, Real Red Grosgrain

All Supplies from Stampin' Up!®, available 24-7 through my Demonstrator Website!!

Angels Gift Set

*warning, long post!! Lots of pics!*

I've been a busy girl this weekend! My in-laws came up to visit and help me out for the weekend. It was a wonderful weekend. Now, they're early-to-bed and early-to-rise type people and I am so the opposite ... But, they generally stay at a hotel nearby (their choice) so I don't have to worry about disturbing their rest by puttering about in my stamp room! So, I had plenty of time in the evenings to create.

I thought I'd get a head start on the teacher's gifts this year. I have 5 teachers to make things for and this time, I want them all to be different. This is the first set! Each set will have three cards along with a matching case of some sort.

This box is a simple acetate box, sized to fit normal gift cards (4-1/4" x 5-1/2"). It's 3/4" thick. Pretty simple, although I made two before finally getting it right the third time ... :) With each gift set, I'm picking out one package of retired Designer Series Paper as a way to use it all and create something that matches. In this case, I used the retired Bali Breeze Designer Series Paper and combined it with the "Angels Everywhere" set from CC Designs and two different sentiment sets by AmyR Stamps ("Wardrobe Sentiments" and "Boutique Sentiments"). These stamps have been sadly neglected yet I so loved them and still do!

Here's a closer up pic of all three cards. All the angels are coated in Crystal Effects, an effect I really really like. The wings also have glitter on them, thanks to a Gelly Roll pen. I also used three different sketch challenges!

sketch from Card Patterns

sketch from Jen del Muro

sketch from the Weekend Sketch Challenge

Thanks for looking and wading through all these pics!

Box
Stamps: Angels Everywhere
Paper: Bali Breeze DSP, Taken With Teal, Acetate, Rose Red, GinaK 120lb Pure Luxury CS
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
Accessories: Copic Markers, Gelly Roll Pen, Crystal Effects™, Dimensionals®

Card #1
Stamps: Angels Everywhere, Boutique Sentiments
Paper: Bali Breeze DSP, GinaK 120lb Pure Luxury CS, Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Rose Red
Accessories: Copic Markers, Gelly Roll Pen, Crystal Effects™, Circle Nestabilities, Dimensionals®, Colour Me Flower (CC Desings), dollar store brad, Scallop Edge Punch

Card #2
Stamps: Angels Everywhere, Wardrobe Sentiments
Paper: Bali Breeze DSP, GinaK 120lb Pure Luxury CS, Taken with Teal
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
Accessories: Copic Markers, Gelly Roll Pen, Crystal Effects™, Circle Nestabilities, Prima Flowers, Old Olive Grosgrain, Jumbo Eyelet

Card #3
Stamps: Angels Everywhere, Sugarplums Scenery, Wardrobe Sentiments
Paper: Bali Breeze DSP, GinaK 120lb Pure Luxury CS, Rose Red, Pink Pirouette
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Baja Breeze, Old Olive
Accessories: Copic Markers, Gelly Roll Pen, Crystal Effects™, Dimensionals®, Rectangle Nestabilities, flowers (source ?), pink grosgrain, Scallop Edge Punch

SCS Sketch Challenge

All right, well, this is a little bit of a yucky pic, but I don't have the card anymore to retake a picture! I made this one for last week's sketch challenge on SplitCoast Stampers using a new image from Stamping Bella, called "Ivy" (Ketto stamp line). Isn't it the most adorable image? I actually bought 5 or 6 of the Ketto's, so be prepared to see some more cards made with them!!

I watercoloured the image with an Aquapainter and the ink on my stamp pad lid. Hope you like it!

Stamps: Ivy Ketto (Stamping Bella); So Many Sayings (Stampin' Up!®; retired)
Paper: Whisper White, Watercolour Paper, Basic Black, Urban Oasis DSP, Pink Flamingo DSP
Ink: Stazon™, various for colouring
Accessories: Black Organdy, Dimensionals®, Prima Flower, Dollar Store brad, Aquapainter™

P.S. I heard you all loud and clear about the liquid appliqué tutorial! I'll see what I can do and get back to you later in the week with a tutorial!!

Stamp Club: Technique

This was our April stamp club technique project. I taught them how to make their own liquid appliqué! The beauty of creating your own is that you can make it any colour your heart desires. It doesn't quite look exactly the same as the store-bought stuff, but it still puffs up :). I didn't want to do another sheep, so I bent my mind around it and decided to make a fluffy flower to add texture. Hope you like it!

Stamps: Inspired by Nature, One of a Kind
Paper: Barely Banana, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, SAB Designer Series Paper, Whisper White
Ink: Old Olive, Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Designer Label Punch, Dimensionals®, Eyelet Border Punch, Celery Twill (SAB '09)

I've got some more family up this weekend, so my posting may be a little sporadic this weekend! Hope you have a good weekend!

Stamp Club: JBIW!

This was the last stamp club JBIW card (Just Because I Wanna). I love love love how these colours pulled together and the overall feel of this card. Hope you like it too!

Stamps: Inspired by Nature, Flight of the Butterfly, Sweet Sentiments
Paper: Baja Breeze, Bella Rose DSP, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Ink: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Dimensionals®, Chocolate Chip Stitched Grosgrain, Corner Rounder, Sponge Daubers

I have been honoured to receive this blog award from two fellow bloggers! How cool is that?! I received it from Beth (from Big Sky Paper and Design) and LoloDesigns! I know I'm supposed to pass this award on to 10 other blogs, but there are so many fabulous bloggers out there that 10 is simply not enough. Just visit my blog links at the bottom of my blog to see some of them. Thanks for awarding me, ladies! I appreciate it!

Stamp Club: Swap/Challenge

It's that time of the month again! Stamp club, that is!! We had our usual club swap except we've changed it up a bit. Instead of swapping, right now we are just making the one card with the same challenge: to make a card with the layout of the last month's JBIW or to use the technique from last month. We're getting into spring and many of us are spending our time outdoors!

So, the card above was my challenge card. I'd chosen to use the layout with some fun bright colours! I spiced up the butterflies with some half-back pearls from the Pretties Kit and I LOVE how they look! I had embossed the Whisper White piece using the Texturz backgrounds, but then ended up covering most of it. You can probably get a glimpse if you clicked on the pic! I made the inside pretty too.

Stamps: Great Friend
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Rose Red, Whisper White, Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper
Ink: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Summer Sun, Stazon™
Accessories: Pretties Kit, Dimensionals®, Designer Button Bouquet, Texturz Backgrounds I

and, here are my club members' cards!

Ang, Trish

Michelle, Gill

Thanks for visiting and letting me and my club members know what you think of our cards!!

Live ... the inside!

Remember this card from a little while ago? I had made it for the last SCS sketch challenge. Now, what I didn't show you then was what I had done to the inside! With my stamp club, each month I show a new 3D project or 3D technique. This month, the 3D technique was a spring card!! Here's a pic of the inside:

Isn't it fun?!! So cute and pretty all at the same time. I love how well Flight of the Butterfly and Inspired by Nature go together. A spring card is really simple to make, it just takes time and patience. Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by today!

Stamps: Inspired by Nature, Flight of the Butterfly
Paper: Kraft, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze Patterns Designer Series Paper, Whisper White
Ink: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Regal Rose, Stazon™
Accessories: 1-3/4" Circle Punch

FS115 - Treat Yourself!

I made this card yesterday for the Featured Stamper challenge (FS115 - Jamie/jaymerz) over at SplitCoast Stampers. I chose to case THIS card of hers. I'm a layout girl, so that's what I kept but changed everything else!

I had fun with this main image panel. It wasn't a lot of work, but it took a bit longer than most. I stamped all the images on the whisper white first, without bothering to mask anything. Then, I stamped both the wagon and the duck on pieces of Designer Series paper, cut them out, and then adhered them. Then, I iced the cupcake with some more homemade liquid appliqué (see the instructions HERE). The duck and the wagon are coated with crystal effects as well.

The sentiment was stamped on a scrap piece of Whisper White cardstock. I notched the ends with a square punch (using the corner to create the "flag") and then made it wavy with a little adhesive and force :)!

Hope you like it! Have a fabulous day!

Stamps: Wagon Full of Fun
Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Kiwi Kiss Patterns DSP, Pink Flamingo DSP, Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP
Ink: Stazon™, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Soft Subtles Brads, Regal Rose Grosgrain, Crystal Effects™, Dimensionals®, Sponge Dauber

Wild About You

How on earth do people come up with creative titles for their blog posts?! Well, I usually just name it by the sentiment or stamp set ... not so creative that way :) Anyways, here's a fun card I made using the set "Wild About You". I am loving these little animals! Soooooooo, the details: well, I created faux grass by painstakingly snipping little snips into a strip of designer series paper (DSP). I wish I had my sister's fringer (she has one for paper quilling). She offered to fringe a whack of paper for me but I don't do well with pre-done stuff, it doesn't get touched! I also used the Texturz Backgrounds to emboss the white cardstock that the elephant is on.

Hope you like it!

all Stampin' Up!®
Stamps: Wild About You
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper, Urban Garden Designer Series Paper
Ink: Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Stazon™

Accessories: Texturz Backgrounds I, Kiwi Kiss/Vanilla Satin Ribbon

Sketch Challenge!

I made this one for Jen's latest sketch. An interesting layout with all those squares/circles! I thought about keeping the images simple so as not to overwhelm the card. Each of the tree tops are coated in crystal effects and popped up with dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Trendy Trees
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Urban Garden DSP, Baja Breeze
Ink: Basic Grey, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Old Olive Wide Grosgrain, Crystal Effects™, Dimensionals®, 1-3/8" & 1-1/4" Circle Punches

Live ...

I made this one for this week's sketch challenge over at SplitCoast Stampers. I love the big main panel!! I pulled out Inspired by Nature stamp set as I hadn't used it in a while. I do so love this set. I hope it comes off of the Dormant List and back into the main catalogue!!

So, the card layout is pretty simple, I just added some layers and had fun with it. The main flowers were inked up with sponge daubers and then I coated it with Crystal Effects after it was stamped.

The Baja Breeze layer was embossed using the Texturz Backgrounds plates. Love that!!

Anyways, hope you like it and have a fabulous day!!

Stamps: Inspired by Nature
Paper: Kraft, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Walk in the Park DSP
Ink: Regal Rose, Close to Cocoa, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Stazon™
Accessories: Crystal Effects, Kraft & Kiwi Corduroy Buttons, Dimensionals®, Texturz Backgrounds

P.S. I've updated my "For Sale" page, and I'd really love to see these stamps go to another home!!

P.P.S. My friend Jessie (Funked Up Crafts) is having a blog candy drawing celebrating the grand opening of her new online craft store!! Just check it out HERE!!

Treat Yourself

I'd shown you the card my mum made yesterday and this is the card I'd made. I played with the sketch from Karen Giron and had fun with it. Nice simple, clean lines. The main image (from the Occasions Mini!) was stamped twice and watercoloured. Then I cut out a couple different parts to layer it for more dimension: a new fav technique at the moment! Both the Real Red and Whisper White layers were dry embossed, using the Texturz Backgrounds (exclusive patterns to Stampin Up!), just to add some fun texture! Super easy to use, too. I did find that to get the best texture, you need to add a shim (like a double layer of CS or a thin piece of chipboard - like a cereal box) under the texturz plate, then lightly spritz your piece to be embossed with water, and then roll through the Big Shot. Fabulous results every time!

Of course, I just had to use the Rockabilly DSP for this one. I LOVE the gloss! I took a side pic so you can see the gloss on this piece. Both designs are actually part of the same paper, I just used both sides!! To see it even better, just click on the pic to make it bigger.

So, hope you like it and thanks for stopping by today!

Stamps: Wagon Full of Fun (Occasions Mini '09)
Paper: Rockabilly DSP, Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, Watercolour Paper
Ink: Stazon™, various for colouring
Accessories: Dimensionals®, Aquapainter™, Texturz Backgrounds, Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain, Vintage Brads

To order any of these supplies, please visit my Demonstrator Website! Online ordering is available 24/7!!

A Card made by my Mum!

Well, this Easter weekend has been a busy one ... I had two of my sisters here and my parents were here as well. Add my five kids and you have one busy household! We had a marvellous time all together and I was sad to see one of my sisters and my parents leave. Thankfully, I still have the company of my other sister for a few more days!

My Mum and I took some time to make a card and this is hers. Isn't it gorgeous?

After doodling on some paper, she had a great idea for a card so I suggested we sneak into the stamp room to make it! This is what she came up with. She wanted to make a card using the same colours I'd used on THIS card. She used Baroque Motifs and added a few extra hand-drawn swirls along the sides to add a bit more flair. I love how it turned out! Make sure you let her know how much you like this card!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Old Olive, Baja Breeze
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Basic Black
Accessories: Texturz Backgrounds, Scallop Edge Scissors, Silver Brads

Trendy Trees in Pink!

This was my card for last week's sketch challenge over at SplitCoast Stampers. Fun, simple sketch and I kept it pretty simple too. This pic on the side shows a little of the dimension the card has.

I have no chit chat for you today ... I'm tired and I have a bunch of family up! So, forgive me if my posting is a little sporadic over the next few days ... Have a great Easter!

Stamps: Trendy Trees
Paper: Whisper White, Urban Garden DSP, Pink Flamingo DSP, Basic black
Ink: Pink Passion, Kiwi Kiss, Stazon™
Accessories: Texturz Backgrounds, Dimensionals®, Scallop Edge Punch, Black Grosgrain, Vintage Brads