Fresh Color Challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments HSS116 {how-to}

Pin It Now! This week at Hand Stamped Sentiments, we are challenged to use one of the prettiest color combos I've seen in a while...Pool Party, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Basic Grey.  I can never envision what to do with a color combo until I sit down and start playing.

So, I grabbed a few supplies, a Dollar Tree pack of mini composition books, and got to work.  This ended up being my last project for my Stampin' Buffet at my house yesterday...



I for one, can't wait to tuck this in my purse and whip it out to jot down groceries or cardmaking brainstorms :D I was inspired by a larger spiral bound notebook done by Wendy Cunningham.

These are super easy and cost about 50 cents each to make...below are some basic instructions.  I didn't list measurements, as your notepads might not be the same size as these, mine are about 41/2" x 3-1/2". Just lay the notebook open flat on your cardstock and mark where the top and bottom are, go a little large, and cut and trim...just don't go too small.

BUTTERFLY NOTE PAD

INSTRUCTIONS:

11)      Rub Regal Rose cardstock against edge of table to bend in a curve.

22)      Fold in half to find center.

33)      Stamp randomly with Artistic Etchings stamps and Versamark Ink.

44)      Adhere Basic Grey ribbon down spine and trim excess.

55)      Adhere Regal Rose cardstock to notebook with Tombo Multi glue, and corner round edges.

66)      Adhere patterned paper strip, trim if necessary.

77)      Punch newsprint oval, sponge and adhere.

88)      Tie ribbon around bottom of Pink Pirouette rectangle.

99)      Ticket Corner Punch top to corners, adhere with dimensionals to notepad.

110)  Apply pearls to butterfly, and adhere with dimensionals.

As it so happens, my notepad fits well with the Friday Mashup challenge this week too...to use text or print in a project.  

Hope you decide to play along with the gorgeous springy challenge colors at Hand Stamped Sentiments!

SUPPLY LIST:
STAMPS:  Artistic Etchings
INK: Pink Pirouette, Versamark
PAPER:  Attic Boutique DSP, First Edition DSP, Regal Rose CS, Pink Pirouette CS
ACCESSORIES: Basic Grey 5/8" satin ribbon, Decorative Frames embossing folder, Beautiful Wings embosslits, Basic Pearls, Ticket Corner Punch, Corner Round punch, Sponge
OTHER:




Have a blessed & creative day! Erika.

Summer Smooches Joy Fold Card

Pin It Now! Here's a bright, pretty card I offered at my Stampin' Buffet yesterday, with a matching Petite Purse, all from the new Summer Smooches collection.


I love the special fold of this card, it looks very "wow" without any fuss. Perfect for beginner cardmaking.  You can see a tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers here.  You can see another sample that inspired this card here on Jennifer Timko's blog.


Lots of these were made at the party yesterday, and the matching purses make a great gift topper!


Have a blessed & creative day! Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

Spring Chevron Layout HSS115 {how to make Chevron}

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This week at Hand Stamped Sentiments, it's all about SPRING!  Anything goes, with all the wonders of Spring as your springboard.  

When I think Spring, I think Love...and when I think Love, I think hubby...and Chevron....do you see where I'm going with this?!

This 12 x 12 layout features a handmade and zigzag stitched chevron background made from Attic Boutique DSP, and is embellished with Attic Boutique Side Notes.

Here's the Hand Stamped Sentiments #115 challenge inspiration...please play along!  Who couldn't use a little Spring in their day this week?

 Here are some of the details and tips....

 The little rosette was made with a scrap of White Waffle Paper spritzed with Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz that was laying on my desk.  Add a little second rosette of Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon and an Antique Brad.  Then a bunch of ribbon strips at the bottom to finish it off.

 The Chevron background is wrapped three times in Linen Thread, then I added a bow under my bouquet and a Trinket Heart lock to give it a 3D effect.

I matted the photo on Pool Party DSP and then onto ivory muslin, and frayed the edges.

 Want to make some Chevron??  Here are the basics!

Cut a bunch of strips like so, in different but complementary patterns.





Hold 2 pieces together at a 90 degree angle corner to corner, and snip them on the diagonal.  This will ensure a clean cut look, instead of simply overlapping them, but either is o.k.  Lay them out in rows on a scrap piece of cardstock.




When you like the way it looks, adhere them down. Cut your cardstock backing to size, and you will only see the chevron strips at this point.

Stitch them together, if desired.  I used a zigzag stitch, I like the quilted look it gives.





I created a spattered look by pouring some Frost White Shimmer Paint on a stiff paintbrush and flicking it onto my cardstock.  I have to mess it up just a little!





SUPPLY LIST:STAMPS:  NoneINK: Soft suede, Pool PartyDSP: Attic BoutiqueCARDSTOCK: Sahara SandACCESSORIES: Attic Boutique Side Notes, Basic Pearls, Waffle paper, Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Pool Party and Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Crochet trim, Antique Brad, Heart Trinket, Linen Thread, Muslin (from craft store)
Have a blessed & creative day! Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

A Few Cuties From My Upcoming Buffet

Pin It Now! Here are a few cards we'll be making at my house this Sunday!

This one uses the new stencils offered in the new prelease from the 2012 Idea Book, from the Summer Smooches Collection. It was designed by Patty Bennett.


This one is a super cute peek-a-boo card featuring the soon to retire Furry Folk.  I learned this pocket style card at an upline meeting last week.  Love new info and ideas!

oh. my. gosh. that little guy is cute, no?  what is that, a hedgehog or a porcupine?

And how about this cutie? This was featured in the latest issue of Stampin' Success as an Art Contest Pick. I can't wait for someone to have a baby girl now!


If you would like any of these cards either as a kit, or complete, please email me. Each completed card is $2 and each kit style card without the stamping is $1.

Have a blessed & creative day!
Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

Summer Smooches Sketch Swap

Pin It Now! I whipped up a dozen of these bright pretties for my local monthly card swap in record time!  Two hours!!!  
Thank you, Keurig!  Coffee helps with productivity :)



This month's swap theme was this sketch! Yay!  I love a sketch, and this one's clean and simple.



Each vase of Bright Blossoms is topped with a luscious Designer Fabric Brad. They're big and beautiful!
A little bling on the patterned paper circles, some polka dot embossing, punched sentiment, and some grosgrain ribbon.



The inside is simple, but done.

Blossoms In Motion! {Card Project}

Pin It Now! Hello Friends!  Wow, I have been so busy creating another card set with COOL MOVES for Ustamp With Dawn & Friends!! Cards With Cool Moves 2012!

This is my third and final project for this round, and it might just be my favorite!  

This set is called Blossoms In Motion, and there are flowers everywhere!  They include:

A blossom pinwheel card that actually spins!  My son is always wondering why my pinwheel cards don't spin, soooooo.... 

A center easel card that pops up a medallion emblazoned with pretty layered blossoms.

A 3" x 6" card with a big bloomin' banner across the front.

The medallion card includes a bonus tutorial for a pizza box holder to present it in style!

To get this and more than 40 other full color tutorials on cards that pop, slide, explode, twist, spin and more, check out Ustamp With Dawn and Friends!! here.   You'll love being a member here!  There are live chats twice a week, prizes, gallery, new projects posted every day, and a community of wonderful people like you who LOVE to step it up a notch!  

Have a blessed and creative day!  Erika

Hand Stamped Sentiments #114 {Black Magic Technique}

Pin It Now! I have to tell you, crafty friends, that this week's HSS Challenge was way, way out of my comfort zone!  Yow!  But that's what a challenge is all about, right?!  Here's the finished product, but the road to get here was a comedy of errors!

The challenge is Black Magic, for which there are plenty of tutorials and samples out there.  I'd never heard of it!

I decided that I would incorporate it into a card I would normally do, to add the Black Magic portion as a step along the way.  Turns out, no matter what you do, this technique takes center stage!  I used layers, frames, die cuts, doilies, ribbon, brads, pleating, sponging, punching.  And yet there it still is!  Haha!

But I digress.  My black magic technique was a little different from many of the samples I looked at.  First, I didn't want to use black, so I used Rich Razzleberry.  Second, I had no colored pencils, as I'm away this week (Have Stash Will Travel), so I used Watercolor Wonder Crayons.  Third, my gel pen is being a brat, so I used Frost White Shimmer Paint and a toothpick.  Here's my process:

 Stamp the image onto dark cardstock with Whisper White Craft Ink.  Set with a hair dryer because you may not have a heat embossing gun :). Color the image with Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Pretty in Pink and Baja Breeze used here.

 Here is where the "magic" occurs.  Apply gel pen or (in this case) Shimmer Paint around edge of stamped and colored image, which makes the image really "pop". I admit, it is a striking technique, and my 2 sons graded it an A Plus.  But they are certainly buttering me up.

Then came the layering, embossing, etc.  Tucked underneath the three layers of Edgelits is a Doily die cut, which I shimmed the wrong way, and none of the die cut pieces completely cut through.  But I loved the way it came out in one piece, so on it went, as the very bottom layer.  You can see it in the second photo, where the card is standing upright.  Then many other layers, listed from bottom to top:

- Edgelits

- Lucky Limeade embossed with Vintage Wallpaper

- Rich Razzleberry punched with Scallop Edge Border punch

- First Edition, cut 12" x 1-1/2", pleated and adhered

- Lucky Limeade 1/8" Organdy ribbon, wrapped 4 times around, and knotted with Lucky Limeade Bakers             Twine and Linen Thread.

- Designer Fabric Brad from Summer Smooches

- Finally, the bird, cut from Rich Razzleberry and Pretty In Pink, embossed, sponged, and layered.  Her eye is a Linen Thread knot.  

So there it is, come what may!  

I hope you will try this technique out for yourself, there are so many ways to use it!  Link up your creations at Hand Stamped Sentiments, and check out all the other samples for inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST:

STAMPS:  Printed Petals, Fabulous Phrases

INK: White Craft Ink

CARDSTOCK: Pretty In Pink, Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade

DSP: First Edition, Summer Smooches

ACCESSORIES:  Edgelits, Edgelits embossing folders, Doily die, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Scallop Edge Border Punch, 1/8" Lucky Limeade Organdy ribbon, Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine, Linen Thread, Elegant Bird Bigz die, Summer Smooches Designer Fabric Brad, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Basic Rhinestones, Tag punch.

Layered Butterfly {Thanks for Your Kindness}

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Hi crafty friends!  

Today I should be painting. My soon-to-be craft room.  But Oh, Lord, I hate to paint walls.

So I thought about it, and felt properly guilty, and dodged my husband who IS working hard, and made a card.

Kindness Matters!  The butterfly is die cut layers of patterned paper and punched cardstock.  I placed a Hat Pin down the center of the butterfly, and looped Organdy ribbon onto it...I think it looks like ribbon candy!  Rhinestones are doubled up along the top and bottom, back to back.

Here's a closer look at the ribbon candy body with the bling.

 ...And the inside, a simple thanks with the technique taught in the latest issue of Stampin' Success, called Tap Dancing.  You tap-tap-tap with Stampin' Write markers onto the stamp, giving it a pretty mottled look.

My color combo was from Colour Q, truly a challenge, as I had to pick from three packs of DSP and make my own Pumpkin Pie paper with a punch, a Stampin' Write Marker and a sponge!  I am all over the place with this supply list!

And the sketch is from Freshly Made.  It was a great choice, as the colors are bright and busy, and this sketch helped me to keep it simple.

 SUPPLY LIST:
STAMPS:  Kindness Matters
INK:   Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
CARDSTOCK:  Whisper White, Lucky Limeade
DSP:  Attic Boutique (Poppy Parade pattern), Mocha Morninig (Basic Black flocked pattern), Summer Smooches (Lucky Limeade pattern)
ACCESSORIES: Beautiful Butterfly Bigz Die, Stripes embossing folder, Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Scallop Edge Border punch, Hat Pin, Basic Rhinestones, 1/8" Lucky Limeade Organdy ribbon.

Wonderful Mother Floating Twist Card HSSTC113

Pin It Now! Hi Friends!  I'm SO excited this week to be playing with Hand Stamped Sentiments' Weekly Challenge, more even than usual because they have chosen me to be a NEW Design Team Member!!!  I have been a huge cheerleader for them for some time now, and I'm so honored to be part of the inspiration that I've enjoyed.  :)

This week's challenge is All About Mom!






I decided to try a new fancy fold technique this week, because if your momma doesn't deserve something special, then who does?!  It's a Floating Inset Twist Card, and I learned this technique from Ustamp With Dawn and Friends Cards With Cool Moves Event. It is a very impressive fold!  I have to say, it's tedious at first, but once you realize which end is up (LOL) it goes together quite easily.  It's hinged in the middle so it pops out when opened.






Here's the bird's eye view of the opened card.






...And here is the back view.





This is the front of the card when closed.  I used that sweet tree image from Forever Young, I just love the little girl sitting on the swing.  Stamped with Marina Mist, and dotted with pink rhinestones from the Blossom Builder Designer Printed Kit (#125410) from the Spring Occasions Mini.  This die cut kit is worth the purchase just for the bling, and it's only available till the end of April!  I know somebody who has another kit coming from the UPS man this week!

After the tree image is stamped and blinged, it's tied with a length of Whisper White Organza Ribbon, and a Heart Trinket is tied on with a single strand of Linen Thread.  I like to pull the layers apart when the project is more delicate looking, like this one.

The sentiment banners are from Delightful Dozen.





Here is the back of the card, when closed.  The same tree from Forever Young is used, just stamped around the edge of the Top Note die.  Then a bunch of Whisper White butterflies cut from the Beautiful Butterflies Embosslit, and my last three tiny pink rhinestones!






Some close up detail of the front and back.  I really love the pink "blossoms" on the tree.






I hope you've enjoyed my first DT card!  Please play along with HSS this week, so I can leave you blog love!

SUPPLIES:
STAMPS: Forever Young, Delightful Dozen
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Marina Mist
DSP: Beau Chateau
INK: Marina Mist, Soft Suedes
ACCESSORIES: Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Top Note Die, Big Shot, Simply Scored Tool, Clear Window Sheet, bling from Blossom Builders Designer Printed Kit, Linen Thread, Heart Trinket, Sticky Strip

Here's my sweet mother, with me on the beach, circa 1970-something! 

Have a blessed & creative day!