It is the third Monday of the month, so that means it is time for another edition of the Stamp Review Crew! This time we are featuring the fun floral set, Mixed Bunch. Ah, flowers. The snowflakes of summer :)
If you are following along in order, you just came from Holly Krautkremer's blog. Wow, right!
As always, if you get lost along the way, you can always find the right links on the official Stamp Review blog, and click here for the post for this hop. If you have missed any of the past hops, be sure to go to the official Stamp Review Crew site and catch up!
I was suddenly inspired to create a card by one of my favorite mugs the other day. I got the mug when I visited Pike Place Market while I was in Seattle in September of 2011. I love this mug. And I think this card turned out pretty cool too :)
There was sponging and water spritzing, heat tooling, and water dropping involved along with stamping and heat embossing right over the watercolor effect.
The inside needs some love too :)
One of my favorite inks to use with watercoloring is the Pear Pizzazz ink. It bleeds out into so many shades of green and brown and has this incredible earthy feel to it. The flowers were stamped right over the dried watercoloring in Pear Pizzazz ink.
Then heat set one more time and wiped really well with the Embossing buddy, and wet embossed the "hello".
So, I know I should have posted this last month. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I made these cards and some coasters that I was going to take to a local bar as an awareness moment. They will have to go next year.... But I was having a month of creativity without feeding the blog monster. That's what I affectionately say when I create stuff just to make some posts on my blog. Or is that just an excuse to spend time crafting? ;)
All of the stamps and the embossing powder I used are retired. But just because SU doesn't sell them anymore does not mean that they don't still work! Just that I can't sell them to you :) Unless I wanted to sell mine, which I don't :)
This card started sometime in September when I made about 6 different panels with watercolor paper and different watercolor techniques. I went a little wild with it. I am still quite enamored with this whole watercolor thing :) Beware! Then the panels all sat there for a while, as I admired their beauty and did not have the heart to cut them up or cover any of it up. Silly, I know.
In late October, I finally decided I have savored these panels long enough and started making some cards with them. I cut this panel in half and made 2 cards that are almost identical.
To create the panel, I first embossed the ribbon in Melon Mambo embossing powder all over. Then I sponged stripes of color onto the panel, alternating shades of pink (Pink Pirouette, Strawberry Slush, and Melon Mambo) with Smoky Slate. Then I took a mixture of water and Pearl colored Perfect Pearls and spritzed the whole panel, and dried it with the heat tool. Fantastic shimmer results!
The ribbon was stamped with Pink Pirouette, then Courage was embossed in Silver embossing powder. Diecut and paper pierce the oval, diecut a 2¼" circle, and one of the banners from the Project Life framelits set in Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper.
I stamped all over the Pink Pirouette panel with the words in Pink Pirouette.
Inside, the ribbon is stamped in Pink Pirouette and then Hero is stamped in Silver Encore. I outline the inside panel with the white gel pen.
Then I decided to put the second one on a white card base. I think I like this one better.
This one got outlined with the Silver Dazzle marker on the inside.
Stamps: Ribbon of Hope (retired), Words of Courage (retired)
Other: Big Shot with Ovals, Circles, and PL Cards and Labels framelits, Silver and Melon Mambo embossing powder, Silver Dazzle marker, Signo white gel pen, Occasions Paper Piercing Pack and Paper Piercer, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, dimensionals
SO, after doing only 2 videos in the career of my blog, I am trying again :) I have to say, this was the easiest one so far, despite the fact that I had an absolutely ridiculous set-up involving my cell phone, a goose neck lamp, a piece of MDF, and Painter's Tape, lol!
So here it is, a tutorial on making the votive candle box I made for the Amazing Birthday edition of the Stamp Review Crew. I hope you enjoy it. (Yes, I needed to use my inhaler-the scented candles in the box were setting me off, sorry about all of the throat clearing and sniffling. Just be glad I didn't start coughing during that take of the video, lol)
Measurements for the Box:
8½" square of cardstock
Score at ¾", 2¾", 5¾", 7¾"
Turn 90 degrees
Repeat the above scoring.
Measurements for the Slider:
3"x11"
Option one: tighter lid using the Paper Trimmer to score
Score at 3-1/16", 5-1/8", 8-3/16", 10-1/4"
Option two: slighter looser lid using Simply Scored Board
Score at 3-1/8", 5-1/4", 8-3/8", and 10-1/2"
I went ahead and made up some more boxes with all the materials I used in the video. Waste not, want not you know!
You see the tops of all three in the banner at the top of this post, here are the sides of all of the boxes. I only stamped on the 2 sides that show when the slider sleeve is in place. Sometimes before I assemble boxes, I stamp a message in the bottom, but not this time.
For this one I stuck with the oak theme with the leaves and the acorns. I was surprised at how dark the Tangelo Twist turned out on the Naturals Ivory cardstock. But in a good way :)
I did manage to stamp these on the assembled box. It was a bit of a challenge, but that just makes life interesting, right!
This one is very simple. The most challenging thing was fussy cutting the banner.
I love how the Gold Encore ink looks on the Hello Honey banners. There is some 2nd and 3rd generation stamping here too.
I pretty much just repeated the pattern of the first box here, but with the branch. The "thanks" is part of a larger sentiment, I just inked up the word with a Versamarker and embossed with Gold embossing powder. I have had that Versamarker for years and have only used it a couple of times. It is still super juicy. I will be using it more :)
Just some simple stamping on the side of this one.
So, tell me what you think of the video, please! I can take constructive criticism and suggestions for improved video techniques and ways to edit, so please. Don't hold back :)
Here we are again, with another edition of the Stamp Review Crew! This time we are featuring a mostly words stamp set. Those can be a bit challenging, but I think you will "amazed" by the goodness that we create with it :)
If you are following along the hop in order you just came from Kerry Willard Bray's blog. Lovely, right! If you started here, have no fear, the hop goes full circle and you won't miss a thing. If you ever get lost along the way, you can find the full "map" on the Stamp Review Crew blog, just click on the banner at the top of this post. While you are there, be sure to catch up on any of the previous hops you may have missed :)
OK, now on to my projects!
Let's start with this slightly different take on the oh-so-popular right now technique, Bokeh! I do really love the Bokeh effect and there are lots of videos out there on how to achieve it. Most will have you sponging the circles in varying intensity with a stencil and sponge or dauber. I had a faster method :) I have saved all of those circles of rubber that we pop out of our rubber stamps. I know I got at least two from the Daydream Medallions stamp set and I have a couple more that I can't remember where I got. I have them all in a stamp case labeled "Solid Circles".
A peek inside, and a side view to show you the popped up front panel.
For this card, I sponged Strawberry Slush and Tangelo Twist all over a 3½"x4¾"panel of Whisper White in a random pattern.
Then I just started stamping a variety of sizes of circles in Whisper White. As you stamp and over lap the circles, the overlapping parts are a more opaque white.
For the last layer of white circles, I used the Cake Circle and the It's For You Circle stamps from Amazing birthday. Heat set the white ink.
Wipe panel with Embossing Buddy, stamp sentiment with Versamark, and sprinkle with Black embossing powder, then heat with Heat Tool.
Using a panel of Strawberry Slush that is about 4½"x5¾", diecut a scalloped edge along the right side, then trim to 4"x5¼". By using a larger piece to begin with, you can adjust for a crooked diecut edge :)
Stitch stamped panel to the scalloped mat.
Inside a white card base, stamp the Cake Circle and the It's For You Circle stamps in Strawberry Slush and Tangelo Twist along the right side, stamping off once for each image.
Use LOTS of dimensionals to adhere panel to a white card base.
Punch out some stars with Star Confetti punch from Glimmer paper. Adhere stars and Sequins using Crystal Effects. Done!
Then I decided to make a little box to hold some votive candles. I tried with the Gift Box punch board, but the sizes didn't match the candles well enough, so I went with a pattern I have come up with myself a couple of years ago. I thought I had posted it, but I can't find it now... I guess I will be doing a tutorial soon! This box holds 4 votive candles, and has a sleeve that slides on and off. The sleeve was sponged and stamped. The tag is embossed with three colors. ETA: There is now a video tutorial for this here!
You can see the sleeve and box a little better in this view. I went a bit crazy with the sequins and stars, huh :)
I made a matching bag tag for this little box too, but left off the sequins and stars. As I put together the list of supplies below, I realized that two of the colors of embossing powder I used are no longer available, the Melon Mambo and the Tangerine Tango. So sorry about that. However, if you have been buying SU stuff for a while, I bet you have them in your stash ;)
We at the Stamp Review are pleased to feature the fabulous stamp set Kinda Eclectic for you this round! I love that it has so many great individual stamps. They all work very well together, and when used separately, and with other stamp sets. It truly is an eclectic set :)
As always, if you get lost along the way, you can always find the right links on the official Stamp Review blog, and click here for the post for this hop. If you have missed any of the past hops, be sure to go to the official Stamp Review Crew site and catch up!
If you are following along in order, then you just came from Wendy Weixler's blog. Isn't she amazing?!
I am #6 on this hop, so let's go see what I came up with :)
How about a wreath of greens is some slightly funky colors. I wanted to try it in mints and aquas as those seem to be quite popular right now. The pearls are colored with the darkest Old Olive Blenda. For the mint color I used Pistachio Pudding, and the aqua is Pool Party. The sentiment is stamped in Mossy Meadow.
I added a couple of the branches of leaves on the inside of the card, and some more white gel pen, of course!
These 2 purples just called to me when I was making this card. I have had a little idea paper taped to my stamping area for this card for about a month now and I finally made this card just hours before the deadline before this hop! You can just make out the sentiment in the picture here, but it is much more visible in real life.
I added a couple of butterflies to the inside also.
I just love this card. I ended up giving it to a sweet young lady who agreed to watch our pet rabbit for a week on short notice. I had completely forgot to make arrangements for little miss Chai Tea Leaf while we stayed at a cabin on vacation! Yes, my bohemian daughter named this rabbit. The cat she got a couple years later got named Rasta Punkin.... The bunny sitter told me it was the most beautiful card she had every received and immediately hung it on her fridge :) And no, she isn't a stamper, lol!
Here we again with another edition of the Stamp Review Crew. We are featuring Serene Silhouettes this time, and I am so excited! This set is by no means a new set, it has been around for at least 2-3
years, but it is a wonderfully easy set to work with. You can change the
mood easily just with color choices, and get all kinds of projects from
it, everything from Halloween and Sympathy, to birthdays and Spring,
and Christmas! There are masculine and feminine features too :)
I hope you are enjoying all of the creations we are sharing. We sure enjoy pulling out some of our favorite sets to share with you :) If you have missed any of the past hops, be sure to go to the official Stamp Review Crew site and catch up!
You may have just arrived from Nancy Smith's blog, love her stuff! Or maybe you are jumping around. If you are on this hop and get lost at any time, you can get reoriented here.
For my first project, I made an over the hill card. I thought about making it a Halloween card but I don't really send many of those out :) I do have a co-worker who is turning 30 next weekend and she keeps going on about how she is feeling old now, lol! We all keep telling her she is still just a puppy :) She has a great sense of humor and would get a kick out of this card, so she is who is getting this card.
I took a 3"x5" piece of watercolor paper and sponged it with Cajun Craze and Basic Gray ink, then sprayed with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz. Then I die cut it with the large label from Apothecary Accents framelits, then paper pierced and outlined with the white gel pen.
The banner is a 1" wide strip of Cajun Craze that I embossed with Black embossing powder and this great sentiment from the photopolymer set Bombs Away.
This one is with the same image, but with a completely different feel. A lovely soft Christmas card. First I embossed the birds and tree branches image in White embossing powder on watercolor paper, then I used an Aquapainter to add the Soft Sky background. Then Ovals framelits were used to cut out the focal point. The background panel is a Very Vanilla piece with Hardwood BG stamp stamped off once then on the Very Vanilla panel in Soft Sky ink.
I originally intended to emboss the sentiment with Gold embossing powder, but I apparently didn't swipe well enough with the Embossing Buddy because I had a finger shaped blob right next the sentiment that I couldn't stop getting embossing powder on. SO, I used some Gold Perfect Pearls instead.
Inside, I used Versamark again with Gold Perfect Pearls on the rest of the sentiment, so it matches the front.
I have been obsessed with watercolor paper, wet embossing, and spritzing lately! I have been having so much fun creating my own patterns and playing with techniques, sometimes it is hard to cut into them or cover any part of then up :) Well, this one was the easiest to cut into, so I started here.
When I started this card, I had no idea what I was going to make with it, just something with a starry night sky. I also have discovered Perfect Pearls. I know, I know. Not a Stampin' Up! product, but what can I say. I have been using Pearlized Water a lot lately when spritzing watercolor stuff. I have a 3 oz travel size spray bottle I filled with water and put about ¼-½ tsp of Pearl color Perfect Pearls into, awesome stuff! Here is how I made this card:
Take a 4"x5¼" panel of watercolor paper and sponge all over it with Night of Navy and Island Indigo. Spritz liberally with Pearlized Water (or plain water). Set aside to dry. When it was close to dry I did hit it with the heat tool, but not until all the puddles had been absorbed.
Take a 3¾" square of Crumb Cake and emboss with the Lucky Stars embossing folder.
Use the Stars mask and sponge stars all over the watercolor panel with Silver Encore ink. Sponge the inside corner of the card base with stars also.
Die cut a Stars framelit out of the watercolor panel. Pierce around it with the Eclectic Paper Piercing Pack, then go back with white gel pen.Outline the whole panel with white gel pen.
Die cut a smaller star in Whisper White, paper pierce 2 sizes of stars on it.
Lay the watercolor panel on card front and trace the star on the panel, then adhere the embossed Crumb Cake panel to the card so that it will cover the star and not stick out past the edges of the watercolor panel.
Put LOTS of dimensionals on the back of the watercolor panel and adhere to the card front.
Glue the white star in the center of the star cut out.
Take a ½"x4" strip of Crumb Cake and emboss with the "Birthday Wishes" sentiment in white embossing powder. Dovetail the ends with 1" Square punch. Outline with white gel pen. Adhere to the card front.
Done!
And here are those stars on the inside. I will be showing more of the watercolor adventures I have been having soon :)
Are you ready to see a bunch of projects featuring the Winter stamps from the Holiday Mini? Well then, you are definitely in the right place! A group of us from Stampin' Addicts have come together to bring you an astounding number of ideas :) You can check out the full blog roll, and stop to chat, on the official SA thread for this hop.
If you are following in order, then you just arrived from Debra Burgin's blog where she featured Ornamental Pine. Fantastic stuff, right?!
Today, I am using the quirky, fun, adult set: Visions of Santa. I kept saying how much I like this set during the pre-order month, and then when it was time to pick our sets for this hop, I figured I better put my money where my mouth was, lol!
This first card is pretty simple. I just stamped the different Santas in Early Espresso on Naturals Ivory paper and colored them with a Blender Pen and Cherry Cobbler and Mossy Meadow inks. The sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso on Cherry Cobbler and is matted on a piece of Mossy Meadow cardstock. I outlined with white gel pen, of course. This is a pretty plain jane card. I think I am going to go back and color the skin areas with Crisp Cantaloupe and add some white chalk marker to the hair and beards. That should jazz it up a bit, don't you think?
Next up is another card featuring that dancing Santa! This time I decided we need to highlight Santa's star qualities ;) There are stars embossed on the Old Olive panel, the star behind Santa has one of the stars from Bright and Beautiful stamped in Gold Encore ink. Santa is embossed in Early Espresso on watercolor paper, then colored with an Aquapainter and Old Olive and Crisp Cantaloupe ink. I colored his hair and beard with the Chalk marker too. The sentiment is from Good Greetings and is stamped on a scrap of watercolor paper with Gold Encore ink also.
This time I featured the moose, again on watercolor paper, embossed with Early Espresso, and watercolored with Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, and Cherry Cobbler. The Old Olive panel is embossed with the On Point embossing folder, which looks like trees to me :) The coordinating Washi tape looks fab on this card, and the Gold Bakers Twine has a few knots tied in it to give some more interest.
Here is another moose card. I think I like the other one better, but it isn't horrible, lol! I stamped the moose several times in Tuxedo Black ink on Mossy Meadow cardstock, then used a blender pen to color some, and Blendas to color the one with the white accents. I have to admit, it was much easier to color this on the watercolor paper and with the image embossed. The Crumb Cake panel is embossed with On Point again, and stamped with the snow flurry image from this set. The Washi tape makes a great addition above and below the Mossy meadow.
And I did another moose on the inside, colored with Blender pens. More Washi, and the "Tis the season to be fancy" sentiment.
This particular Santa makes me think of the "dad" or "mom" look. You know the one. The one that will make you tell all your secrets. And I think it goes perfectly with the Nice, Naughty, or Fabulous check list. It is like he is daring you to be truthful, lol! More stars here, and more Washi, and apparently I am into embossing right now. LOVE the silver sponged stars from the Hearts and Stars Decorative Masks! You can see the little check list much better in real life, and it is embossed in silver. This Santa is watercolored in Island Indigo, and the fur trim down his shirt front is the Silver Dazzle marker.
OK, I know that was a whole bunch of cards, but I hope you found at least one that you liked, and that I convinced you that this is not the "creapy Santa" set, but the "fun and quirky" Santa set!
Now it is time to go on over to Rhonda Griffin's blog to see what she has dreamed up with Get Your Santa On!
