Thursday, May 14, 2020

Color Your World!


If you've visited recently you might remember that our sweet baby great niece was born just a few weeks ago.  This is a gift for her big brother using stamps and supplies from Stamp Simply!  I sometimes wonder if older siblings feel a bit left out while the new baby is getting all kinds of attention, so this is just a little something to make him feel special and maybe to give him something quiet to do while his baby sister is sleeping!  Since right now I can't be there to stamp with him in person, this is the next best thing!


I used our new Stick People set, and you may be wondering why I cut all their little heads off!  As we have been playing with these fun sets, our design team members have all agreed that it's easier to add hair (and a bit more realistic looking, too) when that line across the top is not stamped, unless, of course, you intend for them to be truly bald (and sometimes, you do)! 


It's really easy to stamp them this way.  Just use a stamp positioner, and align a piece of thin copy paper as a mask before inking the stamp.  You can use this same method to combine words of various sentiments to make different phrases as well.  For instance, the "Me" was stamped by masking the rest of "Me(rry Christmas)" in the very same way, as was the "My Friends" (combining My Family and Best Friends).  


Since the primary marker set in this gift bundle did not include a flesh-toned marker, I opted to give big brother a little bit of a head start by coloring their faces, blushing their cheeks, and sponging/coloring in some background to ground the figures.  He can use his new markers to color their hair and clothing, and if he wants to, maybe with help he can even use some scissors to cut and paste them onto a card.  

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Thursday, May 7, 2020

Hugs from Grandma!


We are premiering a brand new bundle of sets this week at Stamp Simply and they are SO much fun to play with!  From the first moment I saw them this idea took shape, and I'm so excited to share it!


Not long ago I started spinning a combination of alpaca, Merino wool, and Corriedale wool on one of my Turkish spindles. Immediately when I saw the adult female of this stamp set, I just knew I had to use some of that wool to make her a grandma!


So I took a little tuft of fiber, folded it in half, tied it into a knot, and voila!  Grandma's bun!


I gave her little bangs a trim and tucked the loose ends of fiber on the sides of her face behind a fussy cut-out of her face and torso. The front of the card has a small floral print that looks a lot like fabric a grandma would wear, so her clothing is also fussy-cut and paper-pieced.

Oval dies form a frame that reveals the white of the mat underneath the floral print, which is where grandma's entire figure was stamped, then the fussy cut part glued right onto it, hiding the ends of the wool.  I love that the oval frame made a little edge that draws even more attention to her bun.  The little alphabet letter names of her grandchildren are strung on burlap string that dangles from a tulle bow tied around the fold of the card.  You can see just a peek of them in the above photo.


Inside, there's a simple I ❤️ U which was inked with black and red distress markers.  Lots of room to write a message or even stamp another figure, maybe of Grandpa!

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Thursday, April 30, 2020

Celebrate Baby!


Our family is so excited to welcome a sweet new baby...a great niece...into the world!  She was born a bit early and is still in NICU, but she is making steady strides and will hopefully be able to go home soon.   


In the past, we might've placed a single long-stemmed rose on the altar at church, but instead in these days and times, here it is on a pretty-in-pink plaid background.  Our theme this week at Stamp Simply is feminine and floral, so sweet baby Milena's card will fit right in!

A little splash of Delicata copper ink tied the colors of this Craft Consortium Watercolour designer paper in with the Copic colors of the flower.  Her card needed to be relatively flat for mailing, but I still wanted it to be pink and girlie with a little bit of sparkle, so the glittery ink splashes and Wink of Stella on the flower helped to accomplish that.  There's even a bow and one tiny rhinestone, but they should travel well enough.  


You can see more of that pretty Watercolour paper on the inside.  This is the flip side of the plaid and it is SO beautiful!  

Both of the sentiment stamps used on this card for baby "Mila" are from Stamp Simply's Farmhouse All Occasion Greetings set.  



Supplies, all from Stamp Simply:
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Thursday, April 23, 2020

Happy Father's Day!


Last week, we at Stamp Simply were featuring Mother's Day cards, and this week, it's Father's Day projects.  Since I have Yooper in-laws who snow-bird to Arizona and MIL's card used our U.P. set, I thought this paper might be fun for an AZ version of a Father's Day card.  

The pretty green background paper underneath the focal image is from Craft Consortium's Dark Grunge paper pad.  It was a great match, and gave the card a more masculine feel.


The sentiment is stamped in gold on a fishtail banner die that was cut from a scrap of blue card stock and matted with the darker green.


For the inside, I used the same grunge paper and a pre-cut scalloped strip from the Kaisercraft pad.  I stamped the sentiment in gold but it needed more "pop" so I used a Copic marker and blending tool to add a "drop shadow" to the edges of the letters.  

Clean and simple, flat for mailing.  



Supplies:
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Thursday, April 16, 2020

Happy Mother's Day!


This week at Stamp Simply we are featuring cards for Mother's Day, which is May 10th.  If you haven't visited the Stamp Simply blog yet, don't miss it!  Lots of beautiful cards and beautiful ideas!


It's a great time to shop for stamps and card-making supplies because we have lots on sale, and there's $1 shipping on all US orders through this Sunday. 

  

My mom has been gone for nearly 6 years, but I am so very blessed to still have my Yooper mother-in-law.  ❤️  When we go for our Summer visit each year, there is almost always a great big bowl of cherries on the counter, so this paper will hopefully make her smile and remember lots of fun times our family has had together.

The UP image was stamped on the reverse print of the cherry designer paper.  I used a couple of Copic markers to add some shading to the roadways to add interest and tie all the colors together.  I used the same markers on the edge of the sentiment banner.  


Inside there is a peek of coordinating designer print of cherry blossoms.  Everything inside and out was splashed with diluted silver Delicata ink.  I love how it adds shimmer and seems to really unify the various papers and colors.   

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Thursday, April 9, 2020

You DID it!



This week Stamp Simply is featuring a tribute to the graduates of 2020, whose ceremonies and celebrations were quite unceremoniously derailed by the world-wide crisis of Covid-19. Graduation is a HUGE deal, and the fact that loved ones can't be together to mark this incredible milestone makes sending a hand-made card that much more important.  We hope to inspire you with card designs that are fun and yet flat for mailing.


This designer paper is actually from a Christmas pad, but I couldn't resist using it.  Of course, to family and friends, every graduate is a Star!  


The diploma and the paper on the inside of the card were made from another designer print in the same paper pad.  I suppose technically it is supposed to represent marble, but it sorta reminded me of the paper some diplomas are printed on.  I used to do calligraphy on paper that had that kind of marbling.


The inside of the card gives a subtle nod to the tradition graduates so exuberantly and joyfully participate in at the end of the ceremony after moving their tassels from one side to the other...launching their caps heavenward.  How exciting to realize that graduation opens the door to infinite possibilities...the sky truly IS the limit!  

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Thursday, April 2, 2020

What Lies Within


It seems that the whole world is holding its breath as the majority of us wait at home hoping to flatten the peak of the Covid-19 contagion.  In yesterday's daily briefing we were cautioned that these next two weeks may be difficult weeks and urged to reach deep within for the hope that is vital to make it through without wavering.  

While we card-makers and crafters are likely to have plenty to keep us happily occupied (and no longer feeling quite so guilty for the stash we've accumulated 😂), that doesn't mean that staying home has been easy.  I did well for the first week and then suddenly started to feel a bit antsy...I miss my friends and our outings together (chorale, textiles guild, lunch)!  I don't think I have ever in my entire life been so thankful for technology like television, telephone, and internet!


One of the things I've been doing to keep my mind and hands occupied is spinning.  I have lots of spindles and several wheels, and a variety of projects going at once to keep things interesting. Here's a photo of my "Spring Quarantine Spin" that inspired the colors for today's Stamp Simply project.


I smeared several colors of distress ink onto a craft mat, blending the edges where they touched with a wet brush, then pressing them onto a dampened sheet of watercolor paper.  (I used Barn Door and Chipped Sapphire to make purple before adding the other colors).  Once the paper was absolutely bone dry, I stamped the sentiment onto it in Memento ink, die cut it with an oval die, and distress inked the edges.  This quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, which is included in our Graduation Sentiments set, provides us with a perfect reminder that we can help miracles happen.   


The quote inside is a reminder that this strength does not come from us alone, but from Christ Jesus.   Through Him, in Him, and with Him, we are able to stand firm and extend grace the world over.

Supplies:
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Thursday, March 26, 2020

Hello from Home Sweet Home!


Two things inspired today's card:  the fact that we are all staying home to try to flatten the curve, missing our loved ones (even if they're just a few blocks away!) and that Stamp Simply currently has free shipping within the US through March 31 for the supplies you need to say "Hello from Home Sweet Home!"


Green, and similar bright happy colors have really been speaking to me during this time at home, so this Craft Consortium paper caught my eye right away.  If you look closely, you'll notice that on top of that beautiful patterned paper and underneath the wide ric rac ribbon, there is a torn strip of packing envelope!  Yep, free-shipping-inspired!  Truth of the matter is that crafters from all over the globe are ordering in now for supplies to help keep their minds and hands occupied...there's been nothing like this in my lifetime.

The sentiment (from our Yooper stamp set) is stamped on a bit of index card that was smeared with ink/paint mixed-media style. Both the envelope and the index card were in my mixed media stash ready and waiting for just such an opportunity.  I added some Wink of Stella in clear to the flower petals, and in gold on the veins and edges of the leaves, just to add a bit of detail and sparkle.  


Here's a peek at the inside.  The sentiment here is from another set, Fruit of the Spirit.  A little strip of that shipping envelope along with splatters of gold and green ink inside and out help to unify the design of the inside to the rest of the card.

Here are the supplies I used:
I've been doing a whole lot of spinning and knitting during my time here at home.  In 2018 I had spun some green fiber from Frabjous Fibers in their "Martini" color way so now I've started a "Quarantini" shawl pattern from Romi Hill using that hand-spun. Here's what it looks like so far, with just a little tiny bit of the lace beginning to show:


One of my other projects is to make fabric surgical masks for my neighbor, a physician, to take to UF Emergency Management.  The cloth masks make wearing the n95 mask more comfortable, and they afford an extra layer of comfort/protection with a surgical mask as well.  Plus they're washable.  :) 

I am praying that you are staying safe and healthy, and that you are able to find a way to recognize the silver-lined blessings in all of the stress and craziness of this pandemic.  Stay well!
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Thursday, March 19, 2020

Be Still and Know...


Since it is Lent with Easter just around the corner, and especially with all that is currently going on in the world (staying home/social distancing) it seemed more appropriate than ever to make a card with the Cross front and center, and with a scripture of encouragement inside.  I loved discovering upon finishing that the way the papers aligned, I had unintentionally created another cross underneath the focal point.



Here's a close-up of the embossed, layered cross, embellished with sparkling jewels.  I just love the rich colors and incredible detail of this designer paper.  Purple is a color often used in Lent  (and Advent) to represent a time of personal reflection, preparation and repentance.  


This is a standard sized card, but with the opening at the center front, held closed by a belly band that easily slides off and on in one piece. 

Supplies, all from Stamp Simply:
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Thursday, March 12, 2020

An Easter Window


Hello again!  Happy Thursday!  

I've been Spring cleaning this week, and in the process of going through my craft studio, came across an earlier card that inspired today's Stamp Simply project.  

These beautiful Craft Consortium Watercolour designer papers remind me so much of a stained glass window.  I wanted to use them for the inside of my card and then used the scraps from that to form the shape of the Cross on the card front.  The sentiment is stamped on a scrap using the other side of the same designer print.  


I used ribbons and flowers in a Trinity of colors that harmonized with the beautiful hues of the paper, with a few rhinestones for a little sparkle.


The inside features a peek-through oval window with the most famous Bible scripture ever, John 3:16.  


There was room for embellishment on the inside, but with the busy-ness of the printed paper, I opted to leave it clean and simple, allowing the scripture to be the center of attention.  


Here's what the card looks like from a bird's-eye point of view.  

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