Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Gingham Gala Plaid Alternatives

Woo hoo - having so much fun altering the Gingham Gala 6x6 paper pack that we all received free at the 30th Stampin' Up! Convention this year! This pack comes with 5 different colors and 2 styles of plaids, a large and a small gingham check.

I recently altered the plaid with a broad stoke black line but wanted to see what others creative ways I could come up with to alter the plaids - here is what I did!

~Enjoy


For the first example - I really wanted to see what this would look like as a not so cute grunge technique. I used the new Home to Roost set for the wheat and stamped the small Grapefruit Grove gingham with Cajun Craze (one of my favorite colors), then sponged edged the gingham with Crumb Cake. The horse is also Cajun Craze and stamped with the Country Road set on Very Vanilla cardstock. The sentiment is from the new Humming Along set and the border from Labels to Love in Crushed Curry and punched with the everyday label punch. I corrugated a piece of Crushed Curry & sponged inked the label, the horse & the corrugated piece as well. I additionally scissor edged the horse and the background Cajun Craze piece. Tying to all together is a piece of 3/16" Braided Linen Trim.



I knew I wanted to try one of the samples with a floral overlay & wanted it to be an open flower - well the new Hello Cupcake set came with the perfect little flower. I made sure to not line up the flowers and tried to create a more random pattern for those trying to duplicate this. I stamped Mango Melody on the Daffodil Delight small gingham and paired that with last weeks large gingham alternative of a thin line added to the large plaid. Using the Color Coach - I picked out the combo of Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody and Poppy Parade (not my favorite - but going to run with it). The bouquet is from Beautiful Bouquet with the flower from Hello Cupcake to tie in the background. Birthday Wishes is from Itty Bitty Birthdays set. Topping it off with a little organdy ribbon from Sale-a-Bration and some rhinestone flower centers!



As I was playing with the card above - it started out with a cupcake made out of flowers, but didn't love it so I switched to the bouquet above. But I did like the idea so I thought I would try it with a new color combo. I love Navy and Gray together, so using the techniques above, I applied them to the Balmy Blue gingham paper. I carefully stamped the cupcake paper from the Hello Cupcake set without the trailing shadow. Added a mound of little icing flowers and filled in the blanks with some rhinestones. I added some Silver Glimmer Paper to add some more sparkle - it is for a birthday!!!! Itty Bitty Birthday sentiment and the Navy Gingham check ribbon were the perfect finishing touches.



I knew I wanted more of an allover pattern to the gingham and purple is great for Easter - so I pulled out the Hold on to Hope set & stamped the Heather Highland small gingham with Heather Highland ink & the spray from Hold on to Hope. The cross background is cut from silver glimmer paper & the cross itself is die cut from Blackberry Bliss (even though this picture looks like Elegant Eggplant). The Bunny & sentiment is also stamped with Blackberry Bliss. The bunny from A Good Day set is hand fussy cut and the ears are shaded with a little pink and the purple bow colored with Stampin' Write markers. The background is embossed with Pinewood Planks. Everything is popped up and the cross has a little bow made with the 1/8" Sheer Ribbon.



I really struggled with the background of this card because I knew I wanted to go even more allover. I started with the new Crackle stamp, but it was too much, I had pulled out Handwritten and Marbled, but they weren't singing to me. Then I found the Post Script set - and I love this stamp but have never see a great way to use it & decided to go for it. The result of stamping Lemon Lime Twist on the Lemon Lime gingham was not so overly apparent - it kind of disappears, but decided to plow forward.

Since this was now "postmarked", I decided to make it an across the miles type of card. I found the perfect sentiment in the Abstract Impressions set which now meant I needed flowers on the card. I played with several flower versions from Abstract Impressions but the more I worked with the card, the more I thought of my friend Kim in Seattle (where I just moved from) who loves Green & it is now the beginning of Tulip season, so I started custom creating this for her.

The tulips are from the Beautiful Bouquet set and the little heart in one of the bouquets is from Coffee Cafe. Tulips are stamped with Lemon Lime Twist, Garden Green and Crumb Cake. The little heart is done in Granny Apple Green. The mats are in Soft Suede and the ribbon is the 3/8" Classic Weave Ribbon. The background is sponge inked with Lemon Lime Twist and also edged with Garden Green and then everything is popped up with Dimensionals.

PS - I am not retiring Lemon Lime Twist at the end of the SU year - it will be in my arsenal forever! We need to petition SU to bring it back for another 2 years as a 2019-2021 In Color!



Here is the collection of cards made with the altered small gingham check from the Gingham Gala 6x6 paper pack. Ha - I just noticed the top 3 cards all have titled elements and the bottom ones are straight! 



Here are some other alternates / works in progress from above.





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Sunday, December 23, 2018

Mad for Gingham Gala Plaid

At the 30th Stampin' Up! Convention this year, one of the prizes handed out for Prize Patrol was the Gingham Gala 6x6 paper pack. This pack comes with 5 different colors and 2 styles of plaids, a large and a small gingham check.

I wanted to see what the plaids would look like dressed up a little more so I decided to add some lines in assorted widths and colors to make them a little more robust. Everyone loves a good plaid - here is what I came up with!

~Enjoy


I started off with just a simple complementary color and a fine stroke (bottom set). Those were nice - but I wondered what some black would do, so I started with a fine black line only & still wasn't overly happy with the result - then I decided to add a thick black line & alternate with the thin black line - this is when things started to get interesting!



The first card I made - I was trying to be conservative with the paper since I knew I wanted to use this for a swap - so I cut the 6x6 into 4 equal parts. I used the Amazing Life set that everyone got at convention. I love the mixed fonts sets. I used just the top portion of the 3-tiered cake, Swirls & Curls embossing folder, gold glimmer paper and the black 1/8" cord. I gradient-colored the word Cake with the light and dark Daffodil Delight blender pens as well as the cake.



For my Sale-a-Bration item - I just had to have this roster from the Home to Roost stamp set - I am not sure why - but I thought he would be versatile. For the plaid - it was just too plain when I starting adding it all together so I decided to add some yellow to the Grapefruit Grove. It added just enough color to tie it all together. I did a quick hand coloring of the rooster with blends. The "Thanks" is part of the "Thanks so much" stamp from the Wonderful Moments set.



The moment I saw this set on the big screen, I knew I had to have it, it is such a cute cupcake from the Hello Cupcake stamp set and it was FREE from Sale-a-Bration!!!! (Even thought I have several cupcakes already). I left the Highland Heather plaid with only the black addition and added just enough Lemon Lime Twist to give it a little interest. I shadow stamped the sentiment by stamping the black first, then the green, by hand.



My friend Tracy sent me a card similar to this that I used for inspiration and the Amazing Life stamp set. I added Lemon Lime Twist to the Balmy Blue plaid next to the thick black line. The banner is hand fussy cut and the green stripe is embossed with the Subtle embossing folder. Note the envelope "Brackets" for YAY!. They are made with several small pieces from the Amazing Life set, the corner flourish, the little splash element and the 3 dots, I think that is super cute!



I just can not get over the Lemon Zest stamp set - every card I make with it I just LOVE. My favorite sentiments to use with it are "I couldn't have picked a better friend than you" and "Thanks a bunch", I love the play on words for these 2 sentiments. Both are from the Beautiful Bouquet stamp set.

For the plaid on this one I added yellow next to the fine black line to give it a little more punch.



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Sunday, December 16, 2018

Decorated Envelopes

As we are fastly approaching Christmas - only 8 days left!!!! I want to give you some last minute inspiration. I did not buy the coordinating stamps for this Designer Series Paper, but found that the new Incredible Like You stamp set from the 2019 Occasions Catalog had a perfect leaf set to decorate the front and back flaps of the envelopes! I finished it off and found some clustered dots from my stash to add the holly.

~ Enjoy!


This envelope flap was decorated using the Dashing Deer stamp set for the holly and the Wishing You Well stamp set




Stampin' Up! products used:
  • Incredible Like You Stamp Set
  • Dashing Deer Stamp Set
  • Wishing You Well Stamp Set
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Saturday, December 15, 2018

Instructions - Punch Board Gift Card Holder

Her is yet another cute Gift Card Holder made from a 5 x 5 inch of cardstock, super easy & you can decorate the front many different ways!

~Enjoy




Start with a piece of cardstock (plain or printed - but it must be cardstock weight). Using your envelope punch board punch and score at 3", turn paper clockwise, then punch and score at 2", repeat.


Turn your envelope punch board around & use the corner rounder provided & round all corners of your envelope.


Stamp your solid cardstock


Cut a white piece of cardstock for the message box at 2 x 3.5 inches. Decorate the inside of the envelope as desired. Fold the envelope closed.


Using Swirly Snowflakes Thinlits Dies cut 2 white swirls from White Glimmer Paper and one Snowflake from Silver Glimmer Paper. Cut a belly band from a piece of coordinating paper to match your background. The one shown is only decorated with the small star cluster from Still Night. Punch a navy piece of cardstock with the Everyday Label punch.


Fold the band around the folded envelope. Secure the band with a small piece of Tear-n-tape. Make sure to use a sturdy adhesive because this will be an active piece of the card. Only use adhesive on the part where the band touches itself - do not adhere it to the envelope. This is meant to be able to slide on and off.

Add the punched label to the belly ban making sure to only adhere the 2 items together & do not add adhesive where it will touch the envelope. Add the Glimmer paper accents & some rhinestones for extra bling!




Here are some other designs!








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Decorative Envelope Gift Card Holders #2

Need a last minute gift? My family ONLY wants gift cards - so I can tackle 2 problems with one solution - easy gift card holders from Envelopes! See the full set of instructions here!

Here are some ideas for adding the finishing touches - so easy to do - I made all 6 of these in an hour!

~Enjoy




Talk about simple stamping!!! Just a quick stamp with the Spirited Snowmen set, a little coloring of the heart & the rhinestone with the Real Red Blends marker & a Christmas sentiment from Hung With Care stamp set. Finish it off with some Snowflakes from Still night & you have one easy gift card holder!



The Winter Woods set instantly provides a Christmas Tree farm! Add some colored pearls with Blend markers for a little extra holiday spirit! Season of Joy is from Christmas Pines stamp set.



What a cute was to say Merry Christmas with this rustic tree forest on Crumb Cake. Add a few trees a cute rustic sentiment topped off with a darling candy cane striped bow! Add a few rhinestones for some Christmasy glitz!



Look how easy & quick this card is. A piece of green embossed with Swirls & Curls embossing folder, a strip of Designer Series Paper, "Rudolph: cut from the Detailed Deer die set and Silver Glimmer paper with a cute hand Blends colored rhinestone nose. Add some free from snow drifts and the Seasons Greetings from Wishing You Well.



This one is perfect for the coffee enthusiast in your life, a cup of Christmas Cheer and an elf!! Sentiment is retired Merry Cafe, Coffee cup is from Coffee Cups Framelits Dies and the paper is Festive Farmhouse Designer Series Paper & top it off with the cutest elf from the Santa's Workshop DSP or the Signs of Santa stamp set!



Sometime I do not have a printed paper - but they are so easy to make with a few stamps. This one uses the Snowflake Sentiments for the large 2 snowflakes & the small snowflake cluster from Still Night. Add a navy Everyday Label Punch layered with Glimmer white swirls and a Glimmer silver snowflake and top it off with a few rhinestones - how easy is that?!


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Thursday, November 22, 2018

Paper Pumpkin Alternatives November 2018

Paper Pumpkin Alternatives

The November 2018 Paper Pumpkin was by far the best one yet! The beautiful plaids were very versatile, the envelope plaid was amazing and provided a new perspective from the very vanilla based plaids in the kit. There was also very nice laser cut greenery and you got a LOT! I started out with the basics - have to at least do one of each designed prepared by the designers, but then all bets are off! Alternatives here we come! All in all I was able to create 38 cards with this kit. It is the first time I used the entire kit with only simple scraps left over - which I normally do something with - but life is crazy - you know! Special shout out to Rachel Tessman, some of hers I CASEd below as well as some others for the amazing inspiration!

~Enjoy

The Originals



My Favorites (Originals)!






Other Originals:




CASEd:







Collection:



Additional products used:
  • Wishing You Well Stamp Set (bow)
  • Dashing Deer Stamp Set (holly bough, small deer)
  • Snowflake Sentiments Stamp Set (Wrapped in the Warmth of Christmas)
  • Merry Little Labels Stamp Set (retired, Special Delivery)
  • June 2018 Paper Pumpkin (sparkles)
  • Still Night (snow sparkle and snow dots)
  • Cardstock, Vellum and envelopes
  • Memento Black Ink
  • White Sheer Ribbon colored with Copic marker
  • Gold 1/8" Ribbon (retired)
  • Oh My Stars Embossing Folder
  • Softly Falling Embossing Folder
  • Layered Leaves Embossing Folder
  • Pinewood Planks Embossing Folder
  • Subtle Embossing Folder
  • Corrugated Embossing Folder
  • Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder
  • Rhinestones colored with Blends
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