Running With Scissors…

Hello!  I have a quick and easy card to share today, made for a baby shower I’m attending this Saturday.  They’re having a little girl, but I’m sure she’ll see plenty of pink on Saturday so I used a yellow and white combo, which is one of my favorites for baby cards.

The stamps are retired Stampin’ Up! Bundle of Joy, colored with Prismacolor markers on Whisper White cardstock.  The card design may be familiar from this card.  I used this design again, not only because it’s so easy and I truly love it, but because I was asked if I might explain how I embossed just the center section of the card front.  While I did answer that question in an email, it reminded me that there are many stampers still very new to this craft who are oftentimes left puzzling over how certain things are accomplished.

One picture is worth a thousand words, but I’ve included a few words, too – somewhat less than a thousand:

• I started with a card base of Flourishes Classic White, which is very sturdy and embosses beautifully with a deep impression.
• I scored the card front 1/2″ from the top and bottom edges to create a guide of sorts for centering my embossing folder.  Scoring was done from the inside of the card so the “bump” would be on the outside.  For this card, I adhered designer paper, top and bottom, outside the score lines.
• The card is opened out flat, with a lengthwise orientation, and inserted into the embossing folder, as shown — “A” plate + “B” plate + card and embossing folder.  Add another “B” plate on top and crank it through.

You may notice that my embossing folder appears to be face down.  Don’t do that!  That was an “oops” which I didn’t notice until after I cranked it through and saw that my Swiss Dots were inverted.  It could be salvaged by turning the inverted dots to the inside, but I chose to start over.  Now you know why it takes me so long to make a card — sheesh!  I did not reshoot the picture, though.  I’ve got to cut corners somewhere!

It’s a very easy way to make a cute layout.  As for the main image, I stamped the giraffe first, then positioned my oval Spellbinders die over it and cut, using the Cuttlebug.  The best instructions I’ve found for cutting and embossing Spellbinders dies in the Cuttlebug are right there on the Spellbinders packaging.  I layered the image on two scalloped mats, added Offray ribbon and a button from my stash, both adhered with a spot of Aleene’s Tacky Glue.

The bow was made with the aid of my Bow Easy from Sharon Johnson.  I found Sharon’s instructions here very easy to follow, but she also gives a link to Jerri Kay’s video tutorial.  It’s like magic, and when I want a really perfect bow, I do reach for my Bow Easy.

Well, I’m off and running again… It’s the end of a busy day as I write this and I’d best get myself ready for work and another busy day tomorrow.  No rest for the weary.  Have a great day! 

Stamps:  SU! Bundle of Joy  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White (card base), Whisper White (main image), PTI Lemon Tart, Daisy d’s designer paper  Ink:  Ranger Distress Walnut Stain, Close to Cocoa, Prismacolor markers (similar to Copics) for coloring  Accessories:  Offray ribbon, button, linen thread, Spellbinders oval and scallop dies, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder

I’ve been on the lookout for a new baby set with images different from anything I already have, so I was very pleased to learn Flourishes has included this set, called Baby Love, with their August releases.

Awwwwww, I love baby cards, and this set has several great images which can be mixed and matched in a number of ways and they all come out just as sweet as can be.  For this card I stamped the rocking chair in Pink Pirouette and did the coloring with soft chalks before I stamped the verse over it in Chocolate Chip.  The Teddy bear was colored with the browns of the Copic Flesh Tones Collection 2.  The papers are all retired Stampin’ Up!

As always, Flourishes is offering you a one day chance to win the set being previewed each day.  For a chance to win Baby Love, just leave a comment on the Baby Love post on the Flourishes Newsletter.  While you’re there, be sure and read up on the details of the release party and the pre-release challenge, too.  There are prizes involved!  For a journey that will tug at your maternal heartstrings, please visit these ladies to see their samples:  Christine, Cindy, Faith, Julie, Latisha, Laura, Stacy, and Nancy.  You’ll be delighted!

There’s more to come tomorrow when I’ll share something I put a little extra work into.  I’ve been having so much fun!  See you soon!

Without a doubt, baby cards are some of my absolute favorite cards to make, so I felt not one moment’s hesitation when my friend asked me to make baby cards for her two daughters.  Yes, two daughters; they’re each expecting in April —  a boy for one and a girl for the other.  How happy could a grandma be?

I decided to use the same set for each card, and paper piece the images for an applique effect.  This is Flourishes’ Rock A Bye set — pure baby sweetness.  I traced the moon’s features and along its edges with a Prismacolor marker in Muted Turquoise, then went over that with the Colorless Blender to soften the color.  It’s a very subtle effect that makes a big difference.  The baby’s head and hands are colored with Pale Peach and blushed with Deco Pink.  I traced the letters of the sentiment, also, but did not use the Colorless Blender on them.  The moon and baby are popped up on foam mounting tape.

To heighten the effect of the Cuttlebug embossed background, I sponged white pigment ink directly from the pad to the paper, and sponged around the edges, as well.

Stamps:  Rock A Bye  Paper:  Brocade Blue, Daisy d’s designer paper  Ink:  Ranger Distress Walnut, Craft White  Accessories:  Ribbon, button, linen thread, tag punch, Spellbinders oval dies, Cuttlebug Diamonds in the Rough embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

This one is all sweet baby girl in pink and white, using SU!’s Candy Lane designer paper.  Since I was paper piecing, I took the opportunity to tilt the moon’s face at a bit of an angle.  As with the first card, I highlighted the moon’s features with a marker, and sponged white on the Swiss dot background.  The scalloped corner punch is something old by McGill.  I’d forgotten about this punch but, gosh, it’s cute and I’m pretty sure I’ll be using it again soon.

Stamps:  Rock-A-Bye  Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Neenah Classic Solar White, SU! Candy Lane DP  Ink:  Ranger Distress Walnut Stain  Accessories:  Ribbon, pearls, button, McGill corner punch, oval punch, lace border punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Computer update: My desktop computer is still not usable, but I now have a notebook set up in my stamp room.  I spent all weekend on this computer stuff and I wish I could say it’s been fun.  Getting used to the feel of the keyboard on this little unit is an adventure in itself.  Everything has been very slow going and I’ve run into a few snags.  I have not yet retrieved any data from my other computer, so I’m starting out brand new.  Someday I hope to get back to my regular routine or, perhaps, a better routine.  Thanks for being such a great support group while I set myself to rights.

If I can get some stamping done, I’ll be back to share that soon.  At any rate, I’m wishing you a very fine day and lots more where that came from!  Take care!

  –  Leslie

 Hello, again!  I’m happy to be posting today because that means I accomplished another one of the projects on my “to-do list”.  A friend’s two daughters are both expecting in April — pretty exciting stuff for a grandma-to-be!  They’ll be home for Thanksgiving, at which time the family is having a double baby shower, and Grandma asked for a card for each of them.

Since the blessed events are a few months in the future I thought it would be nice to focus on the shower occasion and save the “baby congrats” for later.  I selected the only two shower-themed stamps I own and tried to give them the soft, sweet look of “baby”.

My first card uses retired Stampin’ Up! stamps, ProvoCraft designer paper, lots of teensie Offray ribbon and beautiful Kaiser Pearls.  The main image is watercolored and the sentiment circle is embossed.  The top panel of the card is mounted on foam tape and sits like a frame over the picture.  The scalloped sentiment circle is on dimensionals, too.  These cards will be hand delivered so I felt free to add lots of dimension and “bumpy stuff”.

Card #2 is more retired Stampin’ Up! plus a Hero Arts sentiment.  The paper is PTI Aqua Mist and Sweet Blush.  The ribbon and inks are also from PTI’s Perfect Match collection — except the purple ink — that’s a regular Palette ink called Lavender Sachet.

I stamped the backgrounds in Aqua Mist Houndstooth and Sweet Blush Canvas but they don’t show well in the photograph.  They give an illusion of texture more than anything.  I didn’t intend for the cards to come out so similar in color — oops!  At least they’re different in design…  Now it’s up to my friend to choose which daughter gets which card.

I hope this finds you well today.  I’m glad you could stop by for a while and I hope we can do this again soon.  Take care!

• Stamps:  Card #1 — Send a Celebration, Riveting (both retired Stampin’ Up!).  Card #2 — Weather or Not (retired Stampin’ Up!), Canvas, Houndstooth, Hero Arts sentiment.
• Paper:  Card #1 — Barely Banana, watercolor, Whisper White, Almost Amethyst, ProvoCraft Designer paper.  Card #2 — PTI Aqua Mist and Sweet Blush, Neenah Classic Solar White.
• Ink:  Card #1 — Timber Brown Stazon, Barely Banana, Sage Shadow, Almost Amethyst, Bashful Blue, Versamark.  Card #2 — PTI Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush, Ocean Tides, Spring Moss, Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Palette Lavender Sachet and Cognac
• Accessories:  Card #1 — Offray ribbon, Kaiser flat-backed pearls, embossing powder, white Souffle pen, circle and scallop punches, Scotch brand foam mounting tape.  Card #2 — PTI Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon, linen thread, eyelets, ticket corner punch, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

I felt inspired to make a baby card today.  One of my coworkers is expecting her first but, in fact, I was sitting in my chair looking absently at the chair across from me when my gaze gradually focused on its button-tufted back.  Well, you know the rest of the story…straight to my room to make a card.

I tried to keep this gender neutral, using my PTI Perfect Match Lemon Tart cardstock and twill ribbon with buttons in several colors.  In spite of that, the pink seems rather dominant but that’s okay — it’s for a baby, after all.

The teddy bear is watercolored and the heart cut and embossed with Spellbinders dies.  The stitching is real — done by hand with a double strand of embroidery floss.  The buttons are all sewn on, too.

I’ll leave you with the recipe now while I head back to my room to make one more birthday card for this month.  I hope your week is off to a good start!  See you soon!

• Stamps:  Bundle of Joy (retired Stampin’ Up!)
• Paper:  PTI Lemon Tart, SU! textured white, Neenah classic solar white, watercolor, Daisy D’s designer paper
• Ink:  Jet Black Stazon; Timber Brown Stazon; Caramel, Cocoa and Pretty in Pink for watercoloring; Barely Banana marker for little heart in sentiment
• Accessories:  PTI Lemon Tart twill, linen thread, embroidery floss, 1″ circle punch, buttons, Spellbinders heart dies, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Hello again!  Today I’m happy to share the news that I’ve just become a guest designer for the Rubbernecker Stamp Company.  You know what that means — bunches of new images to work with!  They told me to go take a look and pick out some stamps to get me started.  I was like a kid in a candy store!  This is my first rubbernecker card:

I’ve been making a lot of baby cards lately so when I saw this Bear in Carriage stamp I figured it was right up my alley.  He’s so darn cute peeking over the edge of his carriage.  I watercolored the image with inks on watercolor paper and used ProvoCraft designer papers in the background.  The itty bitty Primas on the lace are dotted with Ranger Petal Pink Liquid Pearls.  The sentiment is also by Rubbernecker.  I divided it in half and stamped the rest inside the card.  The last two lines read, “The sweet scent of powder, a kiss on the nose”.  Hmmmm…the photo looks slightly out of focus to me, but we’ll just call it baby soft.

While I was at it I decided to make a second baby card as well.  This one is all baby boy with with the help of DaisyD’s designer papers.  It looks like the blue gingham piece is cut crooked, but it’s just the way the pattern lies.

The ribbon slide is a flying stork carrying a little bundle of joy.  Every once in a while my craft-deprived town will yield a treasure if I look hard enough.  This was in a package of baby-themed ribbon slides I found at Wal-Mart.

That’s it for today!  I’d just like to say I’m honored to be a part of the Rubbernecker team, if only for a little while.  I’m in good company with this very talented group of designers.  But don’t take my word for it — just take a look at any of these folks’ work and you’ll see what I mean:

• Broni Holcombe
• Candy Williams
• Jeanne Streiff (Jeanne S)
• Kittie Caracciolo (Kittie747)
• Shelly Kuck (papermoon04)
• Tosha Leyendekker

There’s another guest designer starting along with me, but I don’t know if she’s posted yet, so I’ll wait and see…  Trust me, she’s amazing!  Have a wonderful day!

Hello!  Is the weekend really over already?  So soon?  Gosh, I was just getting started!  On to another work week…

I’ve finished up my weekend with a few things to share with you this week.  I was asked to make a card for a baby girl so I thought I’d make two different cards rather opposite in style.  I haven’t made the other one yet.  Who knows…maybe I’ll make more than two because I sure enjoyed making this one.  Vintage feminine is one of my favorite stamping styles.  However, I also made something bright and perky and fun this weekend and I had a great time with it.  Oh, heck, I just love to stamp.  It all makes me feel good!

I used two designer papers I’ve been saving just for this card.  Honestly, when I bought these papers I pictured this card exactly.  I always planned to make it whether I needed it or not.  It just happens that I need it now.  The papers are both My Mind’s Eye – the upper panel is Tres Jolie and the lower border is Signature Life.  The dress is from the very beautiful but retired Stampin’ Up! set, Buggies & Booties.  It’s stamped in Timber Brown Stazon on 90# hot press watercolor paper (very smooth) and watercolored with reinkers.  The dress is a very dilute Regal Rose with Blush Blossom trim.  I mounted it on Blush Blossom textured cardstock.

I usually like to add some sort of sentiment or words to the card front but I didn’t want to detract from the delicate papers and image, so I stamped “baby” in Regal Rose vertically alongside the main image mat — just a faint suggestion.  The rest of the sentiment is inside the card and reads “You are the miracle of all creation” – another retired SU! set called That’s Nice. The two snaps match the Sage Shadow middle panel as well as the little bit of sage in the designer paper.  I smudged them with Timber Brown Stazon for aging.  The ribbon is SU!’s pink taffeta.

I think that about sums it up.  Ingredients are listed in their entirety below.  I have to dash off to other things now.  I hope your week starts off good and gets better as it goes along.  See you again soon!

Stamps:  Buggies & Booties, That’s Nice

Paper:  Close to Cocoa, Sage Shadow, Blush Blossom textured, 90# hot press watercolor, My Mind’s Eye designer paper

Ink:  Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Blush Blossom, Regal Rose, Timber Brown Stazon

Accessories:  Ribbon, Making Memories snaps, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

I’d like to take a moment to share a project that’s been occupying my stamping thoughts for quite a little while.  These are a few of the 50 baby shower invitations I’m in the process of making for a friend.  Production stamping is not my strong suit but she asked me so nicely…

This is the same design I used for my Valentine Gift Card Holder which I explained in a recent post, minus the inside pocket.  I traveled a winding road to arrive at this destination.  I was so concerned about providing her with something that would make her not regret she’d asked me yet would also be achievable for me.  I know I overthink things too much but it seemed like there was so much to consider from her perspective and mine.  I began by reminding her of how many very cute invitations she could get at Wal-Mart for a fraction of the cost she was willing to pay me.  This gave her the briefest, almost imperceptible pause but she stood firm and so I set to work.

I hoped, with this fold design, to minimize layering and give the card some “fun appeal”.  I used Hammermill 110 lb. cardstock — a nice, bright white — not the best for stamping but it worked quite well with the soft look of this wheel in Barely Banana.  I wheeled the flap of each envelope, too.  That’s 200 passes with the wheel (yikes!) but still quicker, easier and more cost effective than designer paper.  All the other stamping is done on Whisper White, but the layers underneath are Hammermill.  I’ve made panels of Whisper White stamped with the “date, time, place, rsvp” to line the inside of the card, and stamped the inside of the scalloped border with pink polka dots (SU!’s Itty Bitty Backgrounds).  To add a touch of color to the layers I ran the Pretty In Pink pad along the edges of the pieces which will be on the card front.  I also stamped the back with the Stampin’ Up! copyright and initialed every card.  Finally, I cut card-size panels of Hammermill for placing over each card front in their envelopes for protection in the mail.

All tolled, in addition to the 200 passes with the wheel, I’ve cut 350 pieces of cardstock and designer paper, stamped 350 times, punched 250 times, tied 200 ribbons and cords, made 100 score lines, trimmed 50 scalloped borders, colored 50 images, applied 50 lengths of Sticky Strip, and signed my initials 50 times.  Whew!

I have these pieces yet to assemble and my personal goal was to have them done by the end of this month.  I believe now I’ll deliver them on Monday.  This hasn’t been an arduous or unpleasant task but I’m simply not good at putting everything else aside in favor of one project.  The rest of it will move along quickly, I think.  Still, I’ll have to focus…

I’ll be back with more stamping this week so I’ll see you again soon!  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Greetings Galore, Hugs & Wishes, Leaves & Swirls jumbo wheel, Sweet Spots (all Stampin’ Up)

Paper:  Hammermill white cardstock, Whisper White, Me & My Big Ideas designer paper

Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Barely Banana, markers for coloring

Accessories:  Ribbon, scallop circle punch, 1/2″ circle punch, 1/16″ hand held punch, double rectangle punch, Fiskars scallop edge scissors, Sticky Strip, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

I sure wasn’t going to post another baby card today but everything else I was trying to do was not coming together as planned.  I’m hoping I can pull it out of the bag sometime tomorrow night.

This is a simple card I made with Stampin’ Up!’s Greetings Galore and Provo Craft designer paper.  The main image mat is wheeled both ways with the Rough Texture wheel in Barely Banana for the look of a woven blanket.  The words, which I love for a baby card, are from A Muse.  I dotted the baby’s sleeper with the white gel pen.

I’m sorry to be so brief but I’ve run out of time if I want to get any sleep tonight (I’m posting this on Monday night).  The rest of the details are listed below.  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Greetings Galore, Amuse words, Hero Arts zig zag stitch

Paper:  Sage Shadow, Barely Banana, Whisper White, Provo Craft designer paper

Ink:  Timber Brown Stazon, Barely Banana, markers for coloring

Accessories:  Offray ribbon, scallop circle punch, mat pack and piercer, Scotch brand double sided dimensional tape

I’m almost done with the baby card posts.  This is another one of three I made last weekend and I haven’t stamped another single thing since.  This working girl has been a bit of a vegetable in the evenings all week — a potato, that is (couch variety).  There are all kinds of ideas simmering in my little potato head and hopefully I’ll be able to serve them up within the next few days. 

This card uses some of my new Daisyd’s baby papers.  It makes me think of receiving blankets showing the wear of many washings, passed down from one baby to the next.  The satin ribbon is similar to some I used on gowns I sewed for my own baby boy a long time ago.  The card base is Bordering Blue, a color that doesn’t get a lot of love but it’s one I’ve always liked for a soft, subtle look (even though it’s in the Rich Regals group).

I colored the Teddy bear with my Creamy Caramel marker and dabbed in a little Pretty in Pink, which may not be very evident at first glance but it did alter his look somewhat.  I shaded the edges of the main image panel with Barely Banana and a sponge dauber.  There’s a little Banana shading sponged close to his lower body, too.  Other shading under and around him is done with markers and a blender pen.  The scalloped circle is Whisper White that I sponged with Banana for a look that’s a little softer than the Barely Banana cardstock. 

I hope you have a nice weekend ahead of you.  It looks like mine will be pretty busy but I’m sure I’ll fit in a little stamping, too.  Enjoy!

Stamps:  Bundle of Joy (recently retired Stampin’ Up!)

Paper:  Bordering Blue, Barely Banana, Whisper White, Daisyd’s deisigner paper

Ink:  Timber Brown Stazon, Barely Banana, markers for coloring

Accessories:  Offray ribbon, eyelets, slot punch, ticket corner punch, scallop circle punch, 3/4″ and 1 3/8″ circle punches, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape