Power Card Making

Hello all,

On Monday afternoon, I saw a Facebook post from a fellow demonstrator on the island. She desperately needed four wedding cards. (Since she is in the middle of renovations all her Stampin' Up! supplies are packed.) I sent her a few photos of about a dozen or so cards I had on hand, but none of them were quite right. After sending messages back and forth, we figured out 3 custom designs (one was being used twice) and colours. Luckily for me, I had previously designed and made 3 of the 4 cards recently. This meant they were still fresh in my head - thank goodness. (Although, they're also on this blog so I could have looked back...lol.) Here are the finished cards.

The big challenge here was time. I would need to get the cards into the mail the NEXT DAY! Yikes. So this lead me to an evening of power card making. I grabbed everything I needed and made all the bases. Next I cut up all the layers and embossed the ones that needed embossing.

Another quick message to her to check on what greetings she wanted. For this, I sent her photos of all the stamp sets I owned with "appropriate" greetings. Happily, and making my job much easier, she picked the same one for all four cards. Since I was clear embossing two of them, I set the greeting up on my Stamparatus. I was almost done and it wasn't even 9pm yet. The greeting on the outside of the card, "Marriage is a Journey" comes from the Flourishing Phrases. On the inside, "Wishes for a Lifetime of Happiness" comes from Dandelion Wishes. I fussy cut the birds & flowers and then punched out all the leaves and sprigs. I was doing great and packed everything away. Then I realized I had forgot to do the greeting for the inside of the love birds card - doh!

Normally, when I'm making several different cards, I make one. I then finish it off and start the next one. This was a change in my process and I have to admit, it worked. (Other than forgetting to stamp that one greeting.) I also think it saved time so I'm going to put it to the test again soon.

Tips: When doing greetings on the inside, I recommend stamping them on a separate piece of Whisper White (or Very Vanilla.) In addition to adding a more finished look to the inside of the card, if anything goes wrong, you're not remaking an entire card - just the one piece. If you're a frequent card maker, save some time by cutting out a bunch of bases and layers. Then when you need to make a card, they're ready and waiting. (I usually only do this with Whisper White and Very Vanilla but have friends who do it with every colour.)

Directions for the cards with the Tufted Embossing Folder are on my July 18th post . The adorable love birds, which uses the fabulous Bird Ballad Suite, can be found on my July 26th blog hop. In this post, I'll give you the directions for the beautiful white on white card, which I LOVE. Many thanks to my friend, MiRan, for the inspiration on this card. (You can see her version on this month's blog hop.) All supplies and their order number, excluding adhesives and tools, will be listed at the end of my post. If you need anything, my shop is here.

The base is Whisper White, cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored half way at the 4 1/4" mark. The next layers are Vellum Cardstock, measuring 4" x 5 1/4" and Whisper White at 3 3/4" x 5". This last layer is embossed the the lovely Country Floral 3D Embossing Folder.

Trim a vellum strip to 3 3/4" x 1 1/2". Use the Banner Triple Punch on one end. On about a 3" x 3" piece of vellum, use your Embossing Buddy and then stamp your greeting with Versa Mark. Cover it with the Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder, pouring the excess back into the jar. Heat emboss it carefully - vellum is delicate and can burn. Cut out your finished greeting, from the vellum, using the 2 1/8" die from the Layering Circles Dies. Underneath this piece, you'll need a 2 largest circle from the Stitched Framelit Dies in Whisper White. For assembly I used the Multipurpose Liquid Glue to attach the vellum to the embossed Whisper White. I used Tear & Tape to attach this piece to the card base. Mini Glue Dots were used to attach the banner to the front of the card and the greeting to the Whisper White circle. Tip: When attaching Vellum to cardstock, try to place your adhesive where it won't be seen. In this case, I covered those spots with Pearl Basic Jewels.

And I'm excited to say, the cards were in the mail the next day, as promised. *happy, happy*

My shop is here. Remember to use this months host code on orders under 200. It can be found under the picture of the catalogue, to the right of this post. If your order is around 100, this is an amazing time to join the fun! Right now, for only 135, you can choose 205 worth of product. And then next month, you'll get a coupon code for 14. Heck of a deal! Feel free to contact me with any questions. (This offer expires on August 31, 2019 and is available only in Canada.)

See you next Wednesday at 9:00 am.

Happy Creating & Cheers,
Adrienne

Supplies:  Flourishing Phrases #151407; Dandelion Wishes (not shown) #151345; Whisper White Cardstock #100730; Vellum Cardstock #101856; Country Floral 3D Embossing Folder #151823; VersaMark #102283; Gold Stampin' Emboss Power #109129; Banner Triple Punch #138292; Layering Circle Dies #141705; Stitched Shapes Dies #145372; and Pearl Basic Jewels #144219.

Seashore Stampers July Blog Hop - Weddings

Hello wonderful people,

Welcome to the Seashore Stampers monthly blog hop! We gather here on the 4th Saturday, of every month, to share a fabulous themed project. My regular blog will be back on Wednseday at 9 am.

Summer brings us so many delights: BBQs, fresh flowers, warmer weather, holidays and weddings! This month's blog hop is dedicated to all things wedding. Since the two birds reminded me of love birds, I was inspired to make this into a wedding card.

Although there are a few extra items I used, this card was mostly created from the amazing Bird Ballad Suite on page 91 of the new annual catalogue. Other than adhesive and tools, all items will be listed with their order numbers at the end of this post.

I started with one of the adorable Laser-Cut Cards* in Very Vanilla. (Adding to the elegance, the coordinating envelopes are beautifully scalloped.) Also, have you seen this tin? Adorable, right? (I know people who have bought these cards just for the tin.)

Next I selected Pool Party Cardstock to go underneath the lacy looking card base. I cut it 1/8" smaller than the base at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8". To attach it, I used the ever forgiving Multipurpose Liquid Glue. Be sure to apply a very thin line at the outer edge of your coloured cardstock and attach it to the underside of the laser cut part of the card.

From the Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper*, I cut out two of the "love birds" and a bunch of flowers. I feel fussy cutting is like the bagpipes, either you love it or you hate it - there isn't much middle ground. For me it's like therapy and I get lost in it. I also have a bit of a weird technique. Generally I slowly work my way down to the line I actually want rather than going there straight away. Optional Tip: If you want cut out the white space between the bird's feet, rather than trying to squeeze your scissors in there, I recommend snipping through the bottom of one foot of each bird for easier access. For the space between the two birds, do the same technique, cutting up through the edge of one of the flowers beneath their feet.

With the Stitched Nesting Labels Dies* and your Big Shot, cut out pieces of Very Vanilla Cardstock (3 3/4" wide) and Vellum Cardstock (3 1/4" wide). Before stamping your sentiment with Versa Mark, on the vellum, use your Embossing Buddy to reduce the static. Sprinkle Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder over the entire greeting and pour the excess back into the jar. With your Heat Tool, you will make the magic happen. Tip - vellum is delicate, always be careful not to over heat it.

Using a couple Mini Glue Dots, on spaces you'll be covering with the bird and flowers, attach the vellum to Very Vanilla banner. With the Leaf Punch, punch out 3 leaves from the Old Olive  Perennial Essence Vellum. For variety, I trimmed of one of the leaves. Create a bow from the delightful 3/8" Scalloped Lace Trim*. Tip - to avoid wastage or cutting too little, I make my bows while still attached to the spool.

I used Multipurpose Liquid Glue to attach the banner to the laser cut card base. Tip - whenever you're attaching a layer that is anything other than smooth paper, use the this glue (or the Tear & Tape) rather than the Snail Adhesive. Attach the 3 leaves to the card base using a glue dot at the end of the stem. Adhere the bird the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals. To create some layering, the extra flowers were attached with a mix of glue and the Mini Dimensionals. Finally attach the lace bow using several glue dots, under the centre knot.

For all your Stampin' needs, my shop is here. On orders under 200 please use this month's host code, found to the right of this post under the photo of the catalogue. If your order is around the 100 dollar mark, consider joining the fun! Right now Stampin' Up! has a brilliant offer. For 135, you get to choose 205 worth of product! (This offer is only good in Canada and expires August 31, 2019)

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Until next time,
Adrienne

List of supplies: All items marked with an asterisk are part of the *Bird Ballad Suite #152190; Pool Party Cardstock #122924; Very Vanilla Cardstock #101650; Well Said Stamp Set #148796; Vellum Cardstock #101856; Versa Mark #102283; Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder #109129; Leaf Punch #144667 and Perennial Essence Vellum #149101.

Seaside Notions & Peacock Foil

Hello lovely stampers, dedicated followers and all my random lurkers,

Welcome to my Wednesday blog. Every Wednesday, at 9:00 am, I will have a new project waiting here for you to try. I always list the supplies and their order numbers at the end of my post (other than tools & adhesives.) If you have any questions, please let me know. I'm happy to help.

Since I've always loved seahorses the Seaside Notions, from the new catalogue, was a shoo-in to my collection. In this post, I'm going to do something a little different - I'm going to go through my creative process while explaining how to make the card. To start, all I knew was I just wanted to use this particular stamp set. (For me, this is how it often begins.)

After looking at the set for a couple minutes, I knew I wanted to feature the stunning new Noble Peacock Foil in my project. It comes in 3 incredible colours: Old Olive, Blueberry Bushel and Pretty Peacock - also know as the colour of happiness in my world. And what's better than a stunning foil? One that looks even more incredible once it's embossed. For that, I used the new High Seas 3D Embossing Folder. (The foil measured 4" x 5 1/4".) I was on a roll. Once I had this piece, I decided on a scored Whisper White card base (8 1/2" x 4 1/4".) I did try the foil against the Pretty Peacock cardstock but preferred the contrast with the Whisper White.

Since the foil was Pretty Peacock, I stamped my first seahorse in that colour (onto a scrap of Whisper White Cardstock.) Here, I used my Stamparatus, because I then heat embossed them with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder. Tip - using your Stamparatus takes out any guess work when double stamping. Stamp with your ink. Leave the stamp in the same position on your Stamparatus, clean it with the Simply Shammy, then stamp again in VersaMark. Remember to use your Embossing Buddy.) I cleaned the stamp, and then tried it with Bermuda Bay, which appears closer in tone to the foil. Hmm. Which to choose? What to do? Then it struck me - ombré! I grabbed my Coastal Cabana and created a third seahorse. (All embossed with clear. My reason for this is the foil is so bright I want my images to to stick out as well.)

Again, using my Stamparatus, I stamped the greeting in Bermuda Bay (the middle colour in my ombré colour scheme). I actually tried it on Vellum first but didn't like the look. Trial and error is part of the creative process. But having the Vellum Cardstock out on the table gave me another idea. I wanted a ribbon underneath the sentiment and none of mine seemed to work so I cut a thin vellum strip  and ta-da! (It measures 3/8" x 4 3/4") I folded it over the edges of the foil and attached it with a small piece of cello tape. I used the Stitched Shapes Dies (2 1/4") to cut out the greeting. Now that all that was ready, it was time for the fussy cutting frenzy. (My monthly Blog Hop, this coming Saturday, explains how I feel about fussy cutting.) Three seahorses later, I was ready and no seahorses were harmed in the process.

Assembly was a breeze (or not). I used my "go to" Multipurpose Liquid Glue to attach the embossed foil to the card base. Disaster! The glue showed through. I've never had this happen before but may have just been lucky. After a few carefully chosen expletives escaped my mouth and my crafting cat provided solace, I cut out another piece of the precious foil.

 This time I used the Tear & Tape around the edges of the foil and that worked like a charm. Whew! I won't make that mistake again.

I tried several different scenarios for the seahorses: 3 across and even, the outside ones up with the middle one down, the middle one down with the outside ones up, ascending or descending. After much humming and hawing, and deep discussion with my crafting cat, I decided I like them in descending order. I did try light to dark but liked the dark to light better. The sea horses were attached using Mini Stampin' Dimensionals. The weren't quite mini enough in some places so I cut them even smaller. I attached the Pretty Peacock one first and then the Coastal Cabana one. The middle was was saved for last to ensure it fit nicely in between the 2 others. The greeting was attached with the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals as well and I added a large Basic Rhinestone Jewel in the centre. And there you have it. 

If you need any supplies, my store is here.

On orders under 100, be sure to use this month's host code. It's located to the right of this post under the image of the catalogue. If your order is around the 100 dollar mark, we currently have an incredible new promotion. For 135, you get to pick 205 worth of Stampin' Up! product of your choice! And then, the following month you will receive 14 dollar coupon code. This offer is available until August 31, 2019. As long as you're in Canada, you too can JOIN THE FUN!

Until next time.

Cheers,

Adrienne

Supplies: Seaside Notions Stamp Set #149278; Noble Peacock Foil #149495; High Seas 3D Embossing Folder #149577; Vellum Cardstock #101856; Whisper White Cardstock #100730; Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin' Pad #150083; Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad #147096; Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad #147097; VersaMark #102283; Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder #109130; Stitched Shaped Dies #145372; and Basic Rhinestone Jewels #144220.

 

Thank You

Hello all,

I am super excited to welcome my fabulous new team member, R. 👏 This card is for you! (Other than equipment and adhesives, all items needed to make this card will be listed at the end of this post with their order numbers. My shop is here.

R. signed up under our incredible new promotion. (For 135, you get to pick 205 worth of Stampin' Up! product of your choice. And if that's not enough, the following month you will receive 14 dollar coupon code. This offer is available until August 31, 2019.) As a thank you, in addition to the card, I've also created a wee care package for her. (I can't tell you what's inside because she might read this and then it wouldn't be a surprise.) As long as you're in Canada, you too can JOIN THE FUN!

Using the lovely Highland Heather Cardstock, I made a standard card base, measuring 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored down the middle, at the 4 1/4" mark. With your Bone Folder, folder the card in half, lining up the edges, burnishing along the fold. The next layer is from Whisper White Cardstock, trimmed down to 4" x 5 1/4", but don't attach it to the base just yet. The 3rd layer, is again Highland Heather, at 3 3/4" x 5" embossed with the stunning Tufted 3D Embossing Folder. Attach the embossed piece to the Whisper White using your Multipurpose Liquid Glue.

Stamp your greeting, from the Love What You Do Stamp Set, on a scrap of Whisper White. After it's dry, use your Embossing Buddy, and stamp it again, this time with Versa Mark. Sprinkle it with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, pouring the excess back into the jar. Using your Heat Tool, heat it until is becomes shiny. On your Big Shot, use the 2 3/4" Stitched Oval Die, from the Stitched Shapes Framelit Dies, to cut out your greeting. Set it aside.

With the Leaf Punch, punch out 3 sets of leaves from the Vellum Cardstock. Using the Sprig Punch, punch out 2 sets of sprigs from the Silver Foil Sheets. To keep the card from looking too symmetric I cut off one of the sprigs. Attach the leaves with glue dots at the base of their stems. Then attach the sprigs. Using the Silver Metallic Thread, loop 3-4 loops around your four of fingers, in a figure 8 pattern. Tips: The twist in the middle of the thread makes it easier to handle. Tip: I had several glue dots ready and waiting, in the centre of the card, before I started to handle the thread. As soon as your loops are ready, stick the to the embossed 2 layer card.

Cut a 5 1/2" piece of the 3/8" Metallic Edge Silver Ribbon and wrap it around the centre of the embossed 2 layer piece. Using cello tape, attach it to the back. Tip: Some people wrap ribbon all the way around but you can save on ribbon by only going over the edge, about 3/4" on each side. With your Snail Adhesive, attach the decorated, embossed piece to your actual card base. Attach the greeting with Dimensionals. And last but not least, apply a Rhinestone Basic Jewel.

We'll see you next Wednesday with another exciting project. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Cheers,
Adrienne

Supply List: Love What You Do Stamp Set #148042; Stitched Shapes Framelit Dies #145372; Tufted Embossing Folder #151785; Leaf Punch #144667; Sprig Punch #148012; Whisper White Cardstock #100730; Highland Heather Cardstock #146986; Silver Foil Sheets #132178; Vellum Cardstock #101856; Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Pad #147103; Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder #109130; 3/8" Metallic Edge Silver Ribbon#144213; Silver Metallic Thread #138402; and Rhinestones Basic Jewels #144220

My First Explosion Box Card!

Hello lovely stampers, amazing followers and my precious lurkers,

For my daughter's 25th birthday, I decided to finally give the explosion box a go. Creating the box is actually way easier than it looks. I have included instructions for just the box. The time consuming bit comes with the decorations, which can be as easy or complex as you like. Since it was being personalized to reflect my daughter's passions, I had to do a whole lot of fussy cutting for the all images I printed. The box itself was created with the Old Olive (her favourite colour) and Soft Suede Cardstocks. The lovely paper comes from the Come Sail Away Designer Series. I chose it because she loves old timey things and spent half her life on Vancouver Island. The "25" is from the Perennial Essence Vellum. I also used the retired Large Numbers dies. Some of the decorations are attached directly to the box and for others I used the Window Sheets to raise them up a bit. The greetings come from the Well Said Stamp Set and the Well Written Dies. I often use two different coloured layers with this die to create visual interest and dimension. (Also it looks cool.) The pearls were coloured with the Light Soft Suede Blends. If you want to use a standard envelope, be sure to keep all the decorations within that size.

Start with a 4" x 11" piece of cardstock. Score at 3 1/2",  5 1/2" and 9".  Then score lengthwise, down the middle, at 2".

Burnish all the score lines with your Bone Folder. Using your Paper Snips, cut up one set of the short score lines to the midpoint, where they intersect the long score line.

Trim 2 pieces of cardstock to 1" x 5". Score each short end at 3/4" and burnish. Next cut a scrap of cardstock to 1" x 2" and score lengthwise down the middle. Trim the ends up to create a point at each end. Now you're ready for assembly.

Apply your Tear & Tape to each 3/4" end of the 1" x 5" strips. Be sure to have it close to the scored edge. (In the photo I've only done one side.)

Put the 4" x 11" piece up in front of you, in the landscape position, with the snipped bits closest to you. On the inside of the box, adhere the first 1" x 5" strip at the first 3 1/2" x 2" intersection (where the score lines meet.) Once the first strip is firmly on, attach the second strip right behind the first strip.

 Fold the little top ends to the left on both of the strips you just attached (as illustrated above.) Peel the back off the tear & tape and hold them flat. Carefully fold the right end of card base over to meet the tape.

Apply the tear & tape to the final little 1" x 2" piece. Make sure you get it up against or over the score line. Attach one half of it to the inside of one of the open edges. Flatten the box and line up the unattached edge with the exposed sticky bit of the little piece. Press down. And just like that, you're done! You did it!

Ta-da!

My shop is here. On orders under 200, please be sure to use the current host code (underneath the picture of the catalogue.) If your order is near 135, Join the Fun to receive 205 worth of products for only 135, including shipping. This offer is open to Canadians and expires Aug 31/19.) Contact me for more information.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you give this fun project a go. Feel free to contact me with any questions. 

Cheers,

Adrienne