Candy Cane Fun....

I bought the Stocking Accents from the Holiday Mini and have had so much fun playing with it. Here is a cute candy cane card I made using the die.  We made this card in class and my customers thought it was a bit of work, but you can make these while you watch TV one evening.

Let's talk about the background on this one.  One day when friend Judy and I were stamping, we used some non-Stampin' Up! paper to "try" this card.  I had this designer paper on hand and used it.  But for class I wanted to use Stampin' Up! paper.  So for this card, first I stamped the little red images on Baja Breeze paper from the Subtles Patterns DSP Stack using the French Foliage set.  Then I ran it though the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and then I sanded it with a sanding block.  Look closely at these two cards.  Doesn't the "created" paper give the same effect as the original designer paper?

Here is a close-up of the sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.

Now here is the candy cane.  For it, you need to cut both a red and a white one using the die and Big Shot.  Then cut off every one white one and glue it onto the red one.  That's what I meant about doing this while you watch TV or some other activity.  I tied a Baja Breeze seam tape ribbon around it.

Some might not think the Baja Breeze is a "traditional" Christmas color, but I like this card!! 

Well, more later.  Have a great day and come back soon!!  Smiles, Laura

French Foliage...

The card I have for you today uses the French Foliage stampset.  The card is Always Artichoke, layered with Riding Hood Red and More Mustard on top of that.  I used some striped designer paper with these colors (not Stampin' Up! designer paper). (Sorry the lighting isn't really great on these pictures; I took them in the dimmed hospital room on hubby's bed.)

 Here is a close-up shot of the circles at the bottom of the front.  I punched 3/4" circles out of the mustard cardstock.  I layered that onto Artichoke cardstock and punched holes from it using the 1/2" circle punch.  Then I glued the striped paper behind both and layered it all onto Riding Hood Red.

Look at the leaf.  I punched the circle out using a 2-1/4" die.  Onto that I stamped the French words in this set using Olive ink.  Then I stamped the leaf over that with More Mustard.  I sponged the edges using Riding Hood Red.

 I stacked the circle with the leaf onto a circle cut from the striped paper and another cut from Artichoke.  I put dimensionals in between each layer to make them really show up.

Other layers of this card front have sponging, too, because it gives it depth and makes for a better card, I think.

I hope you like this one.  It was just a fun play on circles!  Smiles, Laura

Zoo Review...

Hi!  It's so good to be back to my blog again this week.  I hope to make it a regular thing now.  Things are mucb better at our house.  My husband is home from the hospital and starting to feel more like himself.  He has some residual vision problems and is weak from so many days in the hospital and bed, but he is improving each day.  Praise the Lord!! And thanks all of you who have sent well wishes our way and lifted up prayers for us.  We are still having to give him medication every 4 hours around the clock, but this will pass.  We are just glad to be home and getting back to normal.  I've even gotten to stamp some! 

The sample I'm sharing today is one my friend Judy and I made the day before Frank's hemorrhage.  I just didn't get to share it with you!  This one uses the Zoo Review set.  I love all the animals in this one and can't wait to play with them.

I used Soft Suede for this card, layered with Basic Black cardstock.  The designer paper is not from Stampin' Up.   I stamped the giraffe on white cardstock I had cut with a Spellbinder die and layered that onto a black one that was one size larger.  If left the white paper in the die and sponged around it with mustard ink to give it a little more of a Serengeti look.  I colored the giraffe with my mustard marker and the spots with the Chocolate Chip marker.

 These leaves are from the French Foliage set.  I love to use that set in the fall---and yes, it is about fall.  I stamped one leaf on Mustard cardstock using Soft Suede ink.  I stamped the other two on white cardstock, using Black ink and sponged mustard over them.  I kind of like how they turned out in those colors.  I attached them to the card using linen thread.
                                    

I think this would be a great card for a man.  Judy kidded me because I kept asking what "words" will we put on the front.  She is fine with no sentiment on the front of a card, so I left it blank.  Oh, well, all the sentiment is inside.  Ha!   Thanks for stopping by today!! See you again!! Smiles, Laura

More French Foliage

You know that I can't resist using this stamp set.  I just love the leaves in it.  For this sample, I used Marina Mist for the card itself and layered So Saffron under the vanilla top layer.  On half of the top layer, I stamped the one leaf in three colors on the right side (Marina Mist, So Saffron, and Crumb Cake).  I topped that with the stamp that has french wording from this same set.  On the left side, I stamped the little "splatter" stamp from the set in Crumb Cake--with a few of those splatters on the right side, too. 

I added a Marina Mist satin ribbon down the center to show all the pretty blue color.

Here is a close-up of the sentiment tag on the card.  I stamped the sentiment from the Grateful Greetings set--I have used that one so many times!  I put some leaves in the same three colors around the sentiment.  I punched some tabs using the Word Window punch to add some dimension and shine to the card.  You can see I put a gold brad through the two tabs I added. 

This card would be suitable for many occasions.  Who wouldn't like these colors--man or woman!! 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Smiles, Laura

French Foliage.....

Here is another birthday card I made recently for my friend Sandy. She is another of the girls who celebrated her birthday this month.  I used Marina Mist and Crumb Cake for this card.  I stamped the oak leaf from the French Foliage stamp set (from the Holiday mini) in both Marina Mist and Crumb Cake and cut them out.  I embossed the Crumb Cake background using the Finial Press embossing folder.  I mounted the leaves onto a piece of vanilla cardstock backed with Marina Mist.  I stamped a few "splatters" on the vanilla, too, and stamped the sentiment from the Sincere Salutations.

                           

 Here is a close-up of the leaves.  I used  the 1-1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon in Marina Mist (see an earlier post about how much I LOVE this ribbon) at the base of the leaves.  I put one of the Glimmer Brads in the center of the ribbon.  I love that effect.

Of the birthday cards I've made this month, this is one of my very favorites!  Hope you like it, too!

Smiles, Laura

More French Foliage....

I have been having fun with my new French Foliage stamp set.  Here is another card I've made:

I like all the leaves in this stamp set, but especially this leaf.  First I stamped the "french writing" on the vanilla using Crumb Cake.  Then I stamped some leaves in More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Old Olive and Crumb Cake on top of that, down the right hand side of the card. 

I stamped individual leaves, too, and punched them out with my Scallop Square punch.  Those individual leaves are backed by scallop squares cut with the new Scallop Square Duo Die from the Holiday Mini.  I love how those two layer!  Here is a close up of them. 

Notice I have the "French writing" on them, too.  Finally, I tied an Old Olive satin ribbon around the vanilla and mounted it on a Crumb Cake card.  I think this is another pretty fall one!

Thanks for stopping by today!! Smiles, Laura

French Foliage....

Hello!  I recently bought the French Foliage stamp set and could not wait to play with it. I had seen alot of cards made using this set and just had to purchase it myself.   Here is my first card I made. 

                         

The leaves on the white are stamped using Old Olive, More Mustard, and Cajun Craze ink.  Then I ran the white through the Top Note die and mounted it on Cajun Craze cardstock.  The card itself is Old Olive.  I used the new Victoria Crochet Trim behind the sentiment.  The sentiment itself is from the Grateful Greetings stamp set.

The sentiment is stamped on a piece cut with the new Decorative Label punch.  I punched a Large Oval from Mustard and a Designer Label from Olive and cut them in half to back the Decorative Label.  I like the effect.

Here is a close up of the two leaves I stamped and cut out to put on the sentiment.  This first one was stamped with Cajun on Mustard paper.

This leaf was stamped with Olive on Mustard cardstock.  Both were cut out and then popped up with dimensionals.  I think they add alot to the card and sentiment.

After I had punched out the Top Note, I had a neat piece of cardstock left that I thought would outline the inside of my card, so I added it inside. I added white in the middle of it for my message when I write it.   Here is the card's inside.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.  I always love having you stop in.  Smiles, Laura