Stained Glass Easter -- "Indescribable Gift" stamp set

Happy Monday, Everyone!

I have been playing around with the stained glass technique lately, and wanted to share this card we will be making at my next club.  Note: this card was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest, by Teneale Williams -- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/497507090062226749/.  I loved the springy look of it, and the white embossing gives such a soft look.  I did my own twist on it, but the inspiration came from there.

This technique is really pretty simple: choose a stamp image that you can color in, stamp your image in Versamark ink on vellum card stock and emboss with your choice of embossing powder color.  Here, in the first card, I used white embossing powder, because I wanted a soft look, and in the second one, I used black embossing powder for a bolder, more modern look.  Once you have embossed the image, color the images in on the back side of your vellum using the Blendabilities markers.  They dry more quickly on the vellum than some other mediums.  You won't get a blended look necessarily, and that is ok -- I think the contrast adds to the final result.  What do you think????  The vellum front panel is adhered to a Whisper White card stock panel that is the same size, using glue dots in the corners, and then placing rhinestones over top to conceal the glue dots that want to show through the vellum.

Other products used on the first card: Calypso coral card base, whisper white card stock, Early Espresso card stock, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, and Calypso Coral Blendabilities markers, Calypso Coral chevron ribbon, and Basic rhinestones.

 This card, features the Blended Bloom stamp set and the little Valentines paper stack from the Occasions catalog.  I wanted to create a more modern, chick look with this one.

During the month of March, four NEW Sale-a-bration freebies have been added! -- a cute vellum paper stack, two stamp sets, and a set of In Color twine and button pack.  I'm excited about all of them.  Really great new options!  check them out by clicking the link below to my website.

Happy (almost) Spring!

The days are getting warmer, the snow is melting, and ski lessons are over for the year.  Yeah!  We get Saturdays back again.  Yippeee Skippeee!

Here is a little spring card inspired by one I saw on Jackie Toppa's blog.  We are making this at my stampers' club this month.

To make that little basket, start by cutting out an oval (from Baked Brown Sugar card stock) with the largest non-scalloped oval in the oval framelits set.  Next, use the next smallest oval framelit and center it on top of the larger one (use your magnetic platform to minimize shifting of the pieces) -- making sure to put the framelit vertically into your Big Shot.  Place your top cutting pad such that the bottom EDGE of your cutting plate is right where you want the TOP edge of your basket to be.  When you run it through your Big Shot, only the "handle" part of your basket will be cut out.  You can then trim off the excess oval flap to create that top edge of the basket.  Emboss your basket with the square lattice embossing folder, and sponge with Baked Brown Sugar ink.  Adhere some Coastal Cabana ruffled stretch ribbon to the front edge.  To make the folded oval card, take a 4 1/4" by 11" strip of Whisper White card stock -- scored at 5 1/2".  Fold on the score line, and cut the scalloped card by placing the scalloped oval framelit on top of the folded white strip, so that the top edge of the framelit hangs over the folded end by about a 1/4 ".  Run through the Big shot and you now have a folded scalloped oval card.

To make the glittery Easter eggs, I adhered Big Shot multipurpose adhesive sheets to some designer paper (from the Fresh Prints little paper pack in the Occasions catalog).  I then punched out little ovals using the small oval punch.  You then carefully peel off the adhesive liner, and you have a "sticky egg" that you can now dump glitter on.  For the flowers in the spring card, I first stamped the little flowers from the Petite Petals stamp set (also in the Occasions catalog) in Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, and Crisp Cantalope inks.  You then punch out the flowers using the coordinating Petite Petals Punch, and again, carefully peel off the adhesive layer to create a sticky flower.  Dump glitter over, shake off excess, burnish upside down on scratch paper to get the glitter to stick really well -- and Ta Dah! you have a lovely glittery flower to add to your project.  I used the same little punch to make the leaves -- simply punch out some green flowers, then cut the petals apart to make little leaves.

Ok! That's it for today.  Don't forget -- Sale-a-bration ends on March 31st.  If you want to get in on all the freebies, place your orders before March 31st -- get a FREE Sale-a-bration product with every $50 purchase.  Visit my website to see the SAB brochure if you don't have one.

Island Floral Easter Lilly

One of my goals for this year is to use crafty treasures that haven't seen much (if any -- gasp!) stampin' love.  I was working on an Easter card idea, and immediately thought of the large flower in the Island Floral die -- which I think I have used only one time.  So, here it is!  I cut out two Whisper White flowers with the Island Floral die, and used a sponge dauber to add Certainly Celery ink to the centers of the petals.  I then spritzed the flower centers using a Pear Pizzazz marker and the Color Spritzer tool. I curled the petals a bit with my bone folder, and then spritzed the flowers liberally with my Champagne shimmer mist (Champagne shimmer paint with alcohol).  I doubled a length of yellow embroidery floss, then doubled it again (so there were 4 strands) and threaded that through the hole in the flower center, secured the floss on the back side, then snipped the loop on the front side and separated the strands to look like flower stamens.  If you wanted to take the project up one more notch :), you could add some little yellow or pale green beads to the tips of the strands, but I didn't have either one on hand, so alas, no beads!

The Medallion background stamp was the perfect backdrop on my Pear Pizzazz panel, stamped in Certainly Celery ink.  I then embossed the oval design in the lower right corner, using the Textured Frames embossing folders -- a free item during Sale-a-bration! and stamped Happy Easter from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set on a scrap of Whisper White, and punched it out with the Wide Oval punch -- the perfect size to fit in the oval textured frames.  Of course, a couple of the little butterflies from the Beautiful Wings embosslit adds that perfect touch. And don't forget the Basic Pearls!

I punched the long skinny, leaves using the Blossom Petals punch and Always Artchoke card stock -- another sadly neglected color in my stamp room.  I sponged the leaves with Always Artichoke ink, to make them a little darker. 

Colors used: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Always Artichoke, Pear Pizzazz
Inks: Certainly Celery, Basic Black, Pear Pizzazz marker
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Medallion
Accessories: Wide Oval punch, Island Floral Bigz die, color spritzer tool, beautiful wings embosslit, textured frames embossing folders, stampin' dimensionals, embroidery floss

This is one of the cards we will be making at my upcoming Card Buffet on March 18th.  I hope you can come!

Feel inspired to give some stampin' love to neglected treasures in YOUR stamp room!

Happy Easter!

Happy Almost Easter!  I've been playing around with the "embossed frame" technique some more.  (You can see details of how to do this technique in a previous post.)  This time I made a reverse mask -- i.e. cut a 3" circle (the same size as the chipboard frame), out of a piece of scratch paper -- laid that over the embossed frame, and sponged ink around the edges to make the edges of the frame stand out.  Once again, I've used the "Easter Blossoms" stamp set from the Occasions Mini catalog.  I sooo love this set -- and hope very much it will be in the new big catalog in July.  Pretty Please!!!

I also used the new "sneak peak" set -- "Four Frames" -- that is available to purchase during the month of April -- see the promotion on the sidebar of my blog.  I always have to buy any set that matches a punch, because,.... I HATE to cut stuff out by hand!  -- and, the Decorative Label punch is one of my faves, so this set was an absolute for me! :)

The colors used in this design, is Early Espresso, Whisper White, and Marina Mist.  Not your traditional Easter colors, but I liked how these colors work together.

Happy Stamping!