Cool & Crisp Fall

Hello again friends!  It's one of those high white hazy days in Florida, threatening rain but thankfully a little cooler than it has been recently, and I'm still dreaming of Fall!  

I had made this center-step-fold card base a while back, so when I sat down to stamp this week's project I had a little bit of a head start.  I thought the images and sentiments from our new Fall sets would work well with this layout, so I pulled out an Autumn paper pad and got to work.  

I love the way the gingham and striped papers accentuate the folds of the card.  The color palette from the papers set the stage for the Copic marker colors used for the focal image as well.  

Delicata ink splashes and sparkly accents were applied with diluted ink and a skinny paintbrush.  I wish you could see how pretty it is IRL; unfortunately it is so hard to capture with a camera. And a confession:  that green pearl is there because my ink pads are getting rather old and I ended up with a "canvas ink blob" that begged to be covered up!    

The plaid paper and this leaf from one of our older stamp sets help to bring the color palette from the front to the inside of the card.  It fits nicely in that little niche at the top of the card and draws attention to those little details.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Pumpkins Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Harvest Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Fall Leaves
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Carta Bella Welcome Autumn 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Green

Transformation!

Hi y'all!  It is hotter than heck here in Florida this week...maybe I am just noticing it more after spending several weeks in the U.P.!

Our flight home was delayed so we didn't get in until around 2 in the wee hours on Thursday morning.  I'm not so good with lack of sleep and big schedule changes like that!       

It has taken me all week to try to get back into the groove, so for my card this week, I needed something relatively quick and easy!  I opted for a nearly no coloring card (the acorns do have a tiny bit of Copic marker shading) made with colorful designer paper that represents the changing colors of Fall.

Those die-cut colorful leaves are mounted on dimensional adhesive atop a layer of soft gold from our brand new Stamp Simply COFFEE designer paper!    

I thought this passage at the top of the card's inside was the perfect choice to echo the idea of transformation but on a personal level from a Christian perspective.  

Another quote that ran through my head was "Mighty oaks from little acorns grow!"  Even nature and the seasons follow the pattern of fading away, death, resurrection and renewal which should always remind us to have hope and to expect miracles!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Fall Leaves Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Transformation
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Tag Collection
• Stamp Simply Paper Pads - Coffee or Tea 6x6
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Earth 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Latte
• May Arts 5/8" Faux Linen Canvas Ribbon Sampler - 27 yards

UP Love

Hi y'all!  If you've been here for very long you probably know that I married a Yooper!  His hometown and mine (Westlake, LA) are just about as far apart north-to-south in the central part of the US as you can get!    

Here's the definition of Yooper and yes, it was indeed Patrick's nickname all through his career in the USN.  

For some reason, this designer paper made me think of the Upper Peninsula.  The colors are reminiscent of blue skies and that rusty iron/copper color that is so often seen in the water and rocks up there, so maybe that's why!

Patrick has an orange cap that has this map shape embroidered on it.  People always do a double take, expecting it to refer to Florida or Tennessee football.  Only a handful of people have recognized it as the outline of Michigan's U.P.  

The U.P. is also referred to as the 906 because that's their area code, so I had to stamp a 906 and some Yooper Love on the inside!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Yooper) Bu...
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Craft Consortium Patina 6x6
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Postale
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Aqua
• distress oxide inks (various turquoises and browns

Christmas Joy

Hello again!  Last week I shared a card using our new vintage Christmas background and images.  Today's card uses the image set alone with a very different color palette.  Still traditional, but much brighter and maybe even bordering on "Grinchy" but I love this palette, even with a vintage image!

Here's a closer look at the sentiment on the left side of this Joy fold card.  

And here is a peek at the inside, with a die-cut holly branch from Tim Holtz's Holiday Greens mini.  Coordinates so very well!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Christmas Images Bundle
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Holiday Greens Mini
• Craft Consortium Over the Rainbow 6x6
• Luxury Pearlescent Metallic 105# Cardstock - Gold 6 ct
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Red
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper (splatters)
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• white acrylic paint (splatters)
• Copic markers

Old Fashioned Christmas!

Hello friends!  My project for this week is an old-fashioned Christmas card using some brand new sets from Stamp Simply!  And yes!  It's getting to be about that time!  Time to start thinking about making all the hand-made things for Christmas!  Really, it is never too early!

These images remind me of the Christmases of my childhood and make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside!  I just love them!  

I absolutely ADORE this image of a pair of Christmas ice skates!  I actually bought a pair of children's sized ice skates at a craft fair a couple of years ago to display under our Christmas tree!  

The classic colors, plaid paper and all of the distress inking really give this an old-fashioned feel!  So much fun!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Christmas Background Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Christmas Images Bundle
• Craft Consortium Tartan Plaid 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Copic markers
• Tea dye distress ink

More New Stamps!

Hi everyone!  How's it goin'?!  We're melting down here!  ;)  Last week the heat index was around 109!  I am so ready for Fall, and Stamp Simply's new Boho Fall stamp sets are really accentuating the longing!  

I figured that most of my team mates would use Fall colors, but here in Florida when y'all have Fall colors we still have green leaves, so there ya go!  We do have a few trees that will turn bright colors but usually that is later in the year, closer to Christmas or even after the New Year.

The background for these beautiful leaves was made with a Tim Holtz woodgrain stencil, kraft paper and distress inks.  With these muted colors, this card feels so peaceful and serene!    

Here's the inside.  Really clean and simple, just a stamped sentiment with some distressing and spattering.

  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Fall Leaves Bundle
• Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Woodgrain
• Memento inks
• Copic markers
• distress inks/distress oxide inks (stencil and splatters)
• white acrylic paint (splatters)

Hey Pumpkin!

I'm back this week with a tall card using a set from our new Boho Fall release.  I used printed papers from a couple of pads to construct a barn-yard scene with weathered wood and a rusty tin roof as a background for some lovely pumpkins.  

Coloring these is so easy and fun!  Two or three Copic colors for high-and-low-lights and they look nice and plump and round!  You don't really even have to blend the colors very much if you don't want to.  

I used a Tim Holtz woodgrain stencil to give a little texture to the fishtail banner signs, and even stamped some wee ants on the garden dirt!

And here's the inside, a CAS spattered background with a stamped sentiment.  

I know you'll love these beautiful sets and the way they work so well together!  Be sure to visit the Stamp Simply blog to see more ideas for using them from my design team mates!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Pumpkins Bundle
• wee ants from Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Peony
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6
• Kaisercraft Under the Gum Leaves - 6.5x6.5
• Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Woodgrain
• Twill ribbon
• Memento inks
• Copic markers
• distress inks/distress oxide inks (stencil and splatters)
• white acrylic paint (splatters)
• button from stash

Hello Dear Friend

Hello dear friends!  :)  I'm here with a very CAS card that was actually made while spending Zoom time with my dear spinning friends (from the Jenkins group on Ravelry)!  I usually spin too while we chat, but I really needed to stamp and so I made two cards while listening to the conversation.  This is a really quick and easy card anyway, but wow!  How time flies when you're having fun!  It felt like it only took 5 minutes!  

I used a Tim Holtz die to cut the black honeycomb, glued it directly to the card front, and then colored the openings with a gradient of yellow hues of Copic markers.  Even with heavier card stock for a base, the markers bled through so...

...this was a quick, cute, fun, and easy solution!  This paper just screams Summer and those tiny bees are so darling!  I love it!  Of course I have a thing for bees because my name, Deborah, means bee in Hebrew and Greek.   🐝   ❤️

A flat, no-frills card is perfect for mailing, but I thought it would be fun to have a dressed up version so I added a black twill bow, some "dripping honey" beads, and a layered button to mimic the black and yellow of those wee bee bodies.  So this is probably quite literally a 10 minute card!  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Peony Bundle
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Mixed Media #1
• Echo Park My Favorite Spring 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Copic markers

Add-ons

• May Arts Vintage Sampler - On Fire with Orange & Yellow
• May Arts 5/8" Twill - 10 Yard Bundle - Black
• gold cord
• buttons from stash

New Release Stamp Sets!

Hello friends!  Have you seen the newest stamp sets released by Stamp Simply?  They are SO beautiful and so simply, absolutely elegant!  

My card is a traditional card with a transparent window that allows that lovely peony on the inside to show through against a background of dark green.  It would have been quite easy to make into a shaker card if I'd only had the right "sprinkles" for the job!  (I need to replenish my stash!).

The window opening is cut with the die that coordinates with the Vintage Seed Packet stamp, and the Vintage Peony set has a coordinating die as well.  That made this a really fast and easy project.  

When opened, the entire flower is revealed along with a label and greeting with still enough remaining white space for a note and signature.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Peony Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Vintage Seed Packet Bundle
• craft-consortium-ink-drops-organic-6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle (stamped off)
• May Arts 1/4" Variegated Silk - 54 yard spools - Pink/Champagne
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• Tea dye distress ink
• Copic markers
• button from stash

Happy Independence Day!

 

Hello everyone, and Happy Independence Day to my American friends!  I hope you are enjoying a safe, happy holiday!  

I'm here with another project using a few stamps from the sets of our Patriotic series!  I had so much fun making this one and I think it really captures the spirit of the typical 4th of July celebration!  

It all started with our new patriotic background stamp, an older 4th of July stamp and a sheet of designer paper printed with pinwheels.  I stamped the 4th of July stamp in gold ink and then placed a "mask" over it to stamp the patriotic background over the top in black.  The background was then colored with Copic markers.   

Those cute little pinwheels (pictured below on the inside of the card) gave me the idea to make one to adorn the card front.  It's made from a die-cut square of paper, snipped from each corner to just shy of center.  The corners are folded toward the center point and held through all the layers with a star brad from "very deep stash!"  I tied some pretty ribbon and gold cord to a toothpick and then adhered the pinwheel to the top.  It is so cute and sparkly!  (However, because it is adhered with a glue dot in this instance, it no longer turns.)  The sheer ribbon and wispy streamers definitely give it a sparkler/fireworks kind of vibe.  (Do you remember having those sheer plastic pinwheels to play with when you were little?!)

Here's the inside, with the addition of a star and sentiment.  

Stay safe as you celebrate (be careful on the water or the road, or with those fireworks!) and remember as you celebrate that our freedom is not free!  God bless America!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Patriotic Background
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Old Glory
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Patriotic Sentiments
• Echo Park Let Freedom Ring 6x6
• Spellbinders Classic Square Dies-Small (for pinwheel)
• May Arts 1.5" Sheer Glitter Dots - 30 yard spool - Gold
• Copic markers
• gold distress oxide ink 
• thin gold metallic cord
• a very old tiny star brad! 
• a toothpick