Summer Vacation and a Stamp Party

So imagine, a family of 9 boarding a flight.  Dad, 7 kids and Mom bringing up the rear.  Oh and add to the fact that 10 days prior Mom had emergency surgery and wasn't aloud to lift or carry anything over 10 pounds, including the 25 pound 14 month old. It was a comedy show that is for sure.
That was the beginning of our family vacation.  :P We got to visit my hubby's whole family of 7 children, his parents, and his 99 year old grandfather.  We also got to visit my entire family, including my grandparents that are in their mid 80's.  Because we live on the east coast and our families are out west, this is a rare occurrence.
Also rare was the opportunity to have a workshop hosted out side my area.  My mom graciously agreed to host for me and it was actually quite successful.  This is the make and take we created that night.

We stared with an Old Olive card base stamped with the Flowering Flourishes stamp set in Old Olive ink, some full strength, some stamped off.  We used store bought tags, simply because it was easier.  Washi tape was a huge HIT!  The bottom of the card is wrapped in Gingham Garden Washi tape, and then stamped with flower  and the sentiment with the Kind & Cozy stamp set.  We colored the flower with Stamp and Write markers in Old Olive, Island Indigo, and Daffodil Delight.  The sentiment is in Old Olive.  The flower is punched with Mellon Mambo with the flower from the Itty Bitty Punch pack and a pearl is added to the center. We added some Mellon Mambo ribbon to the tag and adhered the tag to the card front to finish it off.

Layered Wedding

Four layers, some textured impressions embossing folders add, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock and a wedding card is created.  

The embossing folders I used are the Snow Burst, Striped, and Perfect Polka Dots.  The sentiment is from an old Simply Sent kit and the flower is from my stash.  The little tag is from the Tiny Tags stamp set and punch. 

Thanks for looking! 

Hippo birthday

In my last post I made a card using a retired birthday set, Look Who's Talking.  I used the same stamp set and the sketch I used for my little girls birthday for this card for my nephew.  

It began with an Early Espresso card base and a layer from retired DSP.  The hippo is stamped in Marina Mist.  I used the 1 inch and 3/4 inch circle punches to choose the number.  I added some ribbon for banners and it makes a card fit for a little boy.

Pink Flamingos

Flamingos are cute.  I know they are kind of smelly and are probably cuter in drawing than real life but they make cute kid cards.  One of the 1st stamp sets I bought when I found Stampin' Up! was the Look Who's Turning set.  I've used it a lot this month.

It began with a Smoky Slate card base and Island Indigo layer. I have an Embossing Folder from before my Stampin' Up! days that I love so I used it here on a card made for a niece I love. I stamped the Flamingo in Mellon Mambo and Island Indigo, using the stamp a ma jig to get the party hat just right.  Then I punched it out with the Modern Label punch and layered it on some Domestic Goddess DSP.  Add some Melon Mambo dotted ribbon and a Basic Grey button and a sentiment flag and it's ready to mail to my cutie pie niece. Oh, and the google eyes and Dazzling Details are the icing on the cake.

Masculine birthday cards are hard

I create mental blocks when it's time to create cards for the men in my family.  Boys aren't to bad, teenagers and men are another story entirely.  I think it might be all in my head sometimes and the situation gets even cloudier after I have been looking at Pinterest and other blogs. I love banners and use them often. Such a small thing with a big effect. I wondered what would happen if the card was a banner.

I started with a Crumb Cake card base them found a piece of left over DSP from last years holiday paper stack.  Island Indigo is one of my favorites so that became the banner.  I used Marina Mist and the Apothecary accents framelits for the layer and the Modern Label punch for the sentiment from the Birthday Bash stamp set.  And to top it off Candy Dots! My new favorite accessory! The look of brads with out the bulk.  Great for mailing!

cupcakes and tags

A couple weeks ago I participated in a challenge where the main element was a tag.  I like the way the first one turned out so much, I used the sketch again for another birthday card.

I used and oldie but goodie stamp set, Build a Cupcake and instead of a traditional tag, I used Labels framelit. To make the hole, I punched a hole with a 1/16th inch circle punch, then used the 1/2 inch circle punch to make the outline. I added some sparkle to the cupcake and candle and bakers twine to the tag and the used the Eyelet border punch for a pop of color.

Thanks for looking!

card stock:           Pink Pirouette  So Saffron, Tangerine tango, Whisper White, Birthday Bash                                   DSP
ink:                        Pink Pirouette, Early Espresso, So Saffron 
tools:                    Cupcake builder punch, Eyelet border punch, Labels framelit, 1/2 inch circle                                   punch, 1/16th inch circle punch
embellishments:   Bakers twine, stickles

Block Stamping

Sorry up front;  this is a photo heavy post. I have seen this technique around Pinterest and blogs that I follow.  I'm not sure what the real name is so I'm calling it "block stamping".  The idea is to place your clear mount block directly into the ink, spray it with water or alcohol,  and, using it as a stamp, stamp your paper. I thought since I was doing it, I'd try Whisper White card stock and water color paper at the same time.

This is the 1st step. I used Crisp Cantaloupe, Strawberry Slush, and Coastal Cabana. The left as you look at it is water color paper, the Whisper White.

 After it dried, which wasn't long because I used alcohol, I stamped the image from Simply Soft in Smoky Slate. 

These are the finished products, the top is water color paper, the bottom, Whisper White.

 The card base in Smoky Slate. I wrapped the panel with Pool Party bakers twine.
Thanks for watching!

cardstock: Smoky Slate, whisper White, water color paper
ink:             Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Smoky Slate
stamps:     Simply Soft, Tiny Tags
tools:          Clear mount block, Pool Party bakers twine, Tiny Tag Punch

Pretty, Pink, and More Baby Showers

My husband and I have been blessed with 7 children. The first 5 were girls, and the last two were boys.  So I guess it makes sense that girls things come easier to me.  I'm working on the boy stuff, and there are some really cute, handsome, whichever, boy things going on right now. Lucky for me, I get to make another girly baby shower card.

I liked the idea of not rounding all the corners.  Something new to shake up the creative juices :)

It's a little less baby than the one posted earlier, but still very girly, I think.

Thanks for looking!

Product:

card stock:     Very Vanilla, Primrose Petals, So Saffron, Baja Breeze

DSP:              the retired Prints Poetry Stack

ink:                 Primrose Petals, Soft Suede

stamps:         Baby Prints, Live, Laugh & Love

tools:             Corner rounder, flower die from Perfectly Preserved Framelits, Itty Bitty shapes                              flower, candy dots

Graduations, Wedding, and Babies, Oh My!

Already this summer, I have been to one baby shower, with another in a couple weeks.  I liked a couple cards I've seen for showers, with baby clothes on a clothes line.  Here is my take on it.

My first swim in card making was with my electronic die cut machine. And I love it, still.  I combined my Stampin' Up! products with a cute cut and came up with this adorable (if I do say so my self) card.  One thing that is hard to see in the photos is the white twine holding the booties over the ribbon clothes line. If you want to know where I found the die cuts, email me at, designswithpaper@gmail.com.

Thanks for looking!

Products:  

cardstock:      River Rock, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Certainly Celery, Perfect Plumb,                           Whisper White

ink:                  River Rock, Wisteria Wonder

DSP:               Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade

stamps:           Biitty Banners

RIbbon:           Whisper White stitched grossgrain, Whisper White bakers twine

tools:               Framed Tulip textured impressions embossing folder, mini Clothespins, Itty Bitty                           shapes flower punch

Midnight Muse wedding

I have a good friend getting married this month. And even though I cannot be there, I wanted to make something that was kind of her. She has never been too flashy, and she likes bold color. in fact, she inspired my red wall.

I chose Midnight Muse for the card base and embossed it with the Stripes embossing folder. I stamped the image on Very Vanilla from the Apothecary Accents with versamark and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I used the labels frameletts to cut it out. After it was cool, I sponged it with Midnight Muse ink. I made the banner from Very Vanilla and stamped it in Midnight Muse with the stamp set Love & Laughter. 

Manly Banner Birthday

There are trends that come and go and trends that take hold.  Not every one shares the love for the same trends.  I love banners, chevrons, dots, stripes, the Tool Shed stamp, and currently adding them all together.  I hope that my current obsession doesn't make all my cards redundant.  Especially manly cards.  They are hard enough to make without over thinking them, which I am also guilty of.

I hope the men in my life don't mind my banner obsession.

Thanks for looking!

Prodcts:

card stock:     some old craft from my stash, don't know where I bought it

DSP:               Well Worn, Sycamore Street

ink:                   Crumb Cake, Early Espresso

tools:                Banner Builder Punch, 

stamp sets:     Happiest Birthday Wishes, Tool Shed

My baby girl's birthday

My youngest daughter is turning 7 this week.  She likes watching card videos with me and had been watching me make cards for out family this month, telling me which ones she like and how she wants her own card to look.  She is a funny girl.  The Freshly Made Sketches challenge this week was perfect.  It has all the things she requested.

The card base is Wisteria Wonder.  The DSP is an old Stampin' Up! I used the Build a Cupcake punch and stamp set and retired ribbon in Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzaz.  The butterfly is from the Beautiful Wings embosslit.

Circles of Circles

Random is hard!  I've seen more than one card with images laid out in random colors, or patterns, or worse, both!  I tried my hand at random and discovered that it's hard for me!  I guess my brain is busy enough with daily stuff, that adding random on purpose is just, well, hard.  I'm going to keep trying thought, and hopefully I get better as I go.

The idea here is to stick all the circles to the card base, then, emboss them together.  It's called Embedded Embossing. And it looks pretty cool. The trick is to use an embossing folder with a close pattern. You could do the same card in pinks and purples too.

Thanks for looking!

Products
cardstock:     Pacific Point, Real Red, Daffodil, Delight, Garden Green, Whisper White
ink:                 Early Espresso
stamp sets:   Look How's Turning
Tools:             Circle Punches, Snow Burst embossing folder