Floral One Layer Card

Hello,

This week I'm featuring a one layer card.  I don't often make one layer cards as I do find it difficult to use the space with just stamps.  This one was actually easy to create with a bit of masking and some pretty stamps.

Materials:

• White card base
• Flower (MME), leaves (Couture Creations) and 'thinking of you' (Cre8tiv) stamps
• Plum (Ranger archival), black (Stazon) and green ink as well as mowed lawn and seedless preserves distress ink
• Black marker pen
• Pearls and gems
• Corner rounder (Fiskars)

Directions:

1. Mask off an area just below the middle of the card front.  Stamp two of the largest flowers either side of the masked area making sure to overlap the mask a bit.  Stamp one of the smaller flowers below the mask.  Mask off the flowers and stamp the leaf outlines to fill in more space.
2. Remove the mask.  Using a ruler and the marker, create two lines either side of the masked off area.  Stamp the greeting in between the two lines.
3. Using the distress ink, water and a brush, fill in the leaves and any outline flowers with colour.  Once dry, splatter some of the purple distress ink over the card front.
4. Adhere a few gems and pearls and round the top right corner.

I was kind of making this one up as I went with no final vision in mind, I think it turned out well and I managed to hide the small mistakes I made well.  The splatter of ink was to help hide the fact that some of the ink from when I stamped the flowers seeped through the mask and the gems were to cover up a couple of smudges I made.  Just goes to show that little mistakes like that can be covered up and disguised easily to save your card from the rubbish bin!

Till next time

Stacey

Hap-pea Birthday card

Hello

Today's card is a fun one that contains a pun in the sentiment.  I don't often make funny cards so it was nice to change things up a bit.

Materials:

• Green card base, white (Trophee, 240gsm, white linen) and black (Trophee, 210gsm, black) card, green paper
• Pea stamp (Fiskars), alphabet stamps (Cre8tiv) and 'birthday' (Sullivans) stamp
• Green ink and black (Stazon) permanent ink
• Green pen and a green and black gel pen

Directions:

1. Stamp over the card front the pea image several times in green ink.  Stamp the pea image again in black on to the white card.  Stamp out the sentiment using the alphabet stamps and 'birthday' sentiment, use green ink for 'pea' and black for everything else.
2. Colour in the pea image with the pens.  Use the black gel pen to draw a smiling face on one of the peas.
3. Matt the white card with the green paper and then black card.  Adhere to the card base.

I love how this card turned out, I'm going to have to make some more funny cards in the future because this one was so much fun to make and it brings a smile to people's face when the see it.

Till next time

Stacey

Spotlight on Patterned Paper: Elegant Friendship Card

Hello,

Today's card is the final in the patterned paper series.  It is a very simple card and is quick to make so would be easily mass produced.

Materials:

• White card base, black polka dotted paper, green paper and white card
• Friendship stamp (Kaisercraft)
• Black ink (Stazon)
• Black gel pen
• Black embroidery floss
• Green sparkly thread

Directions:

1. Trim the polka dot paper to fit your card front.  Cut a strip of white card large enough to fit your stamp and a bow at the bottom.  Cut a piece of green paper to create a small border for the white piece.
2. Stamp the sentiment on to the white piece.  Using the gel pen create a dash line border around the edge.  Tie a bow with the green and black threads together underneath the sentiment.  Adhere the piece on to the green paper and the panel onto the card front.

See told you it was simple.  Yet it looks good doesn't it?  That is the beauty of patterned paper, it can be used to cut down on the time it takes to create but you still get amazing looking cards!  Prepare yourself for a whole bunch of birthday cards over the next month, I have many friends and family with birthday's in August and I need to make them all a card!

Til next time.

Stacey

P.S. This card has been added to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  Check it out at http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/