Sympathy Card

Hello

While this isn't the first sympathy card I've made, it was the first sympathy card I've had to write in and send.  I thought making sympathy cards was hard but I certainly struggled more with what to say inside.  I find it is a delicate balance between 'soft and meaningful' and 'pretty and elegant' when making sympathy cards but writing in them requires significant thought and a careful selection of words.

Materials used:

• Purple card base, purple and white card, brown patterned with flowers paper
• 'With Sympathy' stamp (Rosie's Studio)
• Purple ink
• Distress inks in dusty concord, spun sugar and shaded lilac
• Pink sequins and self adhesive pearls
• Sliver shimmer spray

I began by painting over the flowers on the patterned paper with a small amount of the shimmer spray to give them a subtle shine.  While that was drying I smooshed the distress inks on a block and painted them onto a strip of white card.  After it was dry I stamped the sentiment in a purple pigment ink and created a banner end.

I cut a strip of purple card and also gave it a banner end.  I adhered the patterned paper to the card base then both the strips over the top.  The final touch was adding the sequins with multi medium matte.

There you have it, one sympathy card.

Till next time,
Stacey

Sending sunshine and smiles

Hello

I made this card to send to my Nana.  She likes the colour green and I had this lovely patterned paper in my stash that I have no idea where it came from that I knew she would like.  It happened to be a bit of a cloudy and wet day when I was making it so naturally I chose the sentiment that said 'sending sunshine and smiles'.

Materials used:

• Yellow card base, green and brown patterned papers, pearl shimmer paper
• 'sending sunshine and smiles' stamp (Rosie's Studio)
• Green ink (Archival Library Green)
• Nesting circle dies (Couture Creations)
• Green sequins and self adhesive pearls

I first die cut the pearl and brown patterned papers and stamped the sentiment onto the pearl paper.  I cut the green paper 1cm shorter in length and width than the card base.  I trimmed a strip of the brown paper to a width of 2cm.

I assembled the card by adhering the green paper flat to the base then the brown strip and circle.  The sentiment was adhered with foam tape and the sequins added with multi medium in matte.

I've added this card to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "All things bright and beautiful".

That's it for today's card.
Till next time.
Stacey

I love you Valentine card

Hello

This is going to be my last Valentine card for the year.  I brought a lovely stamp set by Kaisercraft called 'XO' last weekend.  I've got so many ideas for cards from it but I've limited myself to just one more Valentine (though there is plenty of ways to use the stamp set for non-Valentine cards).  I pulled out my water colours and created a rather satisfying card.

Materials used:

• White card base, white card
• Water colours in red, red/orange and white
• XO stamp set
• Versamark ink
• Clear embossing powder (Ranger)
• Stencil (Memory Box)
• Homemade texture paste coloured dark grey
• Corner rounding punch (Fiskars)

I first stamped the 'I love you' sentiment and the hearts on to a piece of white card and heat embossed them.  I took my water colours and mixed them with a small amount of water so that the colour would be quite vibrant.  I covered the piece with clean water and then taking the colours I made a diagonal stripe through the middle with one colour then added another on either side and a third to cover the corners.

While I let the water colour piece dry I took my stencil and texture paste and applied it to the card base making sure to mask off the back of the card.  Once everything was dry I rounded the corners of the water colour piece and adhered it on top with foam tape.

This card has been added to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes".

That's it for today's card.

Till next time,

Stacey.

I love you today and everyday

Hello

After my last Valentine that was deliberately avoiding pink and hearts, I've done the complete opposite for today's card.  A lovely pink gradient, embossed heart and pink sequins makes this card quite eye-catching.

Materials used:

• White card base, white card and pink paper
• Distress inks in spun sugar, picked raspberry and seedless preserves
• Sliver shimmer spray
• Patterned heart stamp (Rosie's Studio) and 'I love you today and everyday' sentiment stamp
• Pink pigment ink (Rosie's Studio) and black ink (Stazon)
• Clear embossing powder (Ranger)
• Pink and clear sequins

I created the pink gradient background first by sponging on the distress inks starting with the lightest over the whole piece, then the next lightest over 2/3rds and the darkest over 1/3rd.  I sprayed the piece lightly with the shimmer spray and mixed some of the picked raspberry colour with a bit of the shimmer spray to flick on top.

I hand cut a slope from a piece of white card and stamped the sentiment on the lower right corner.  For the heart, I stamped it on to the pink paper with the pigment ink and clear embossed it before trimming it out leaving a decent border.

I used foam tape behind the white piece and the heart and double sided tape to adhered the whole panel to the card base.  For the sequins I used multi medium in matte.

I really like how the pink gradient turned out.  Think I'm starting to get better with distress inks.  I've added this card to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge 'Have a Heart'.

Till next time

Stacey

Valentine Card - Purple and Gold

Hello

It bothers me that almost every Valentine you see has a heart and are coloured pink/red.  Don't get me wrong, I do like hearts, and pink and red, but when everyone is using the same few things then I find all the cards start to look the same.  So to add some variety in to my Valentine mix this year I've made a card that doesn't have any hearts or use pink and red.

Materials used:

• Black card base, gold foil paper, black card and a purple patterned paper.
• Medallion stamp and 'Happy Valentines Day' stamp
• Versamark ink
• Gold embossing powder (Ranger)

I began by creating my card base and the gold and purple layers.  Then it was a matter of embossing the medallion and the sentiment on to black card.  I trimmed out the sentiment into a strip and created v shaped ends.  I trimmed out the medallion leaving a small border.

Assembling the card was simple, the gold and purple layers were adhered with double sided tape. The sentiment banner and medallion were adhered with foam tape.

This card turned out surprising easy.  It is also quite striking and refreshingly not pink.

Till next time.
Stacey

Valentine Card - Heart Shaker

Hello

I thought seeing as Valentines Day is just around the corner that I best make some cards for the occasion.  Lately I've seen a few people creating shaker cards with less dimension by creating more of a pocket rather than a shallow shadow box.  I like this idea because I'm forever battling with my foam tape because of its intense love to stick to everything but what I want it to.

Materials used:

• White card base and a pink patterned paper and clear plastic packaging
• Two washi tapes, pink hearts and pink stripes
• Heart shape nesting die (Couture Creations)
• Various sequins and confetti shapes in pink, red and gold
• 'I Love You' sentiment stamp (Rosie's Studio)
• Pink ink

I began by die cutting the heart from the card base.  I then took my washi tapes and wrapped the edges around the card and the inside of the heart so it looks like they were cut with the die.  To complete the front I stamped the sentiment below the washi tape.

For the shaker piece, I used a bit of plastic packaging to create a window behind the heart.  I then trimmed my piece of pink patterned paper to be slightly smaller than the inside of my card.  Before placing the sequins and gems on to the plastic I put down strips of double sided tape around the heart and also around the edges of the patterned side of the paper.  After I added all the shaker pieces I adhered the patterned paper pattern side down so that it shows through the window.

So yes it shakes, but not so much as a normal shaker card.  My only regret was leaving such a big gap around the heart when I was placing the double sided tape as the shaker pieces seem to have become a bit shy and hide behind the white card.

Till next time.
Stacey

Inspired by..... Card 2

Hello

This is the second card in my inspired by mini series.  I used this picture that I found on pinterest for inspiration.  You can check out my boards on pinterest here.

Materials used:

• Blue card base, navy and white card
• Distress inks in salty ocean, mustard seed and ripe persimmon 
• Black Stazon ink
• 'Oh Happy Day' stamp and solid flowers/leaves stamps (Rosie's Studio)
• Yellow gems
• Red gel pen
• Corner rounding punch (Fiskars)

I began by creating the background piece with the distress inks and sponges.  Once I got it blended to my satisfaction, I stamped the floral images around the edges and the sentiment in the center.  I then rounded the corners, coloured in the little heart on the sentiment and added the yellow gems.

Then it was just a matter of layering the piece on the navy card with foam tape and adhering it all to the card base.

That's all for today, come back on Tuesday for a Valentine card.
Till then,
Stacey