Stitched Sunshine!

I took advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon to make a few cards; one for an upcoming birthday and one to say thanks! The Stitched Sentiments stamp set was my starting point and then all of the other "stitched" details fell in to place! These were so fun to work on, using bits and pieces from this and that to create these cards to pop in the mail!

This is the perfect sentiment for a birthday in May and with all of the beautiful flowers beginning to bloom, the Stitching Garden stamp set was a natural choice! It complements the other stitched details so nicely.  To begin, I used the In Stitches Die Collection to die cut the banner and the embroidery hoop. I heat embossed the metal portion at the top to give it a more realistic look. Once that was done, I stamped the hoop portion using Classic Kraft ink for a light wood feel.

I used the Cross Stitched Mini Stamp set using Soft Stone ink on the center portion of the hoop. Once that was done, I stamped the "You" and "May" sentiments using Raspberry Fizz ink with the heart stamped in Aqua Mist ink. I set these pieces aside to work on the flowers.

I actually made three cards in total; one like this one shown here and 2 of the "You" design. I stamped enough flowers and leaves from the Stitching Garden Stamp Set for each card and then used the Stitching Garden die set to die cut each of the stamped images.

Each of the embroidery hoops is mounted onto one of the images from the Stitch In Time Borders that is stamped in Raspberry Fizz. On the card that I didn't photograph, I stamped it in Aqua Mist ink for a different look. I ended up by liking the Raspberry Fizz much better for balance!

I cut a 4 by 5 1/4 inch piece of white cardstock and stamped the vine image, which is from the Stitched Sentiments Stamp Set, using my mini MISTI. It worked out perfectly to just rotate the paper to get the second impression. I used one of the little flowers included in the set to add the yellow, aqua, and blush flowers.

I added the pierced detail around the edge once I was done stamping using the Nesting Basics: Pierced Rectangles. After that was done, I was able to add the embroidery hoop layered onto the stitched border to the white panel using additional foam squares. I had fun adding the flowers and tucking things here and there!

The Stitched Sentiments stamp set comes with a banner image, but I opted to just do some simple sponging around the edges to give it some definition. I stamped the "make the world a better place" portion of the sentiment using black ink. I added it to the hoop using foam squares. The entire focal panel is added to a top folding Raspberry Fizz card base! A few sparkling clear sequins and a spritz or two of Shimmer Spray finish off these designs! I had a lot of fun putting these together; a perfect way to spend the afternoon! Thanks for fluttering by!

Home is where the heart is!

Happy Saturday, friends! I'm just popping in with a fun little "welcome to the neighborhood" ensemble I've been working on this week!  A new family moved in a few weeks ago and I have been meaning to put something "COVID-19" appropriate together to drop off at their house! As much as I wanted to do some baking, I opted for a handmade card, a little house filled with Werther's soft caramels, two packages of microwaveable popcorn, and 5 Redbox codes, and a hand sewn key wristlet for their new house key!

I pulled out all of the "old school" stops for this ensemble; felt, ribbon, buttons, dies, stamp set, etc. LOL! It really feels like a blast from the past, but there are some stamps and supplies that I will never part with, because I need them for times like this! How about you? Do you keep old stamp sets, and older supplies? You all know I'm a crafty hoarder so the answer is yes for me! I have gotten rid of a lot of older SU! sets, but don't ask me how many I STILL have! LOL! 

Of course I had to make a little house to include in the welcome basket! These houses are so cute and are always well received! To begin, I die cut the Tiny Town Basic Die out of Happy Spots pattern paper and all of the shutters and window frames from white cardstock. I also die cut the Tiny Town: Scallop Shingles and little handle for the top out of white as well. Once that was done, I got to work assembling the house. 

The finishing touch is a tag tied up with ribbon and twine. I even went super old school with an eyelet! ha ha! The tag is die cut using the Charming Tags 1 die, which is back in stock, out of white cardstock and then I stamped the stems and flowers from the Love Lives Here stamp set, which has been retired. The house is die cut and then stamped using my mini MISTI and popped up with foam squares. I'm loving the Banner Builder Basics die lately and use it ALL the time! They are the perfect addition to each of today's projects!

The banner is die cut from Sweet Blush cardstock and then I bent the sentiment to fit the arc of the banner! One of my favorite things to do with these houses is to add a small battery operated tea light, but I decided since it was going to an entire family, they'd probably rather have it full of caramels! ha ha!

The card uses the same tag as the house, but with a few additions, including the new Nifty Plaid background stamp. I love it so much and have used it quite bit during the release! 

The tag with the house and flowers is the medium size tag, so I die cut the largest one out of the same Happy Spots paper as the house. I layered them together using foam squares for dimension. I also included a larger banner with a different sentiment. The Nifty Plaid background is stamped onto a panel of white cardstock that has been die cut using the Love to Layer Notched die. I added the entire panel to a top folding Berry Sorbet card base.

I wasn't planning on putting this card in an envelope so I didn't worry too much about how long the tails were on the banner. If you are mailing your card, you might want to keep the banner a little bit smaller so that it can fit in an envelope better.

I bought 5 Redbox codes for BluRays and printed them out onto cardstock and then die cut it using the smallest of the notched die and tucked it inside of this custom made Essential Pillow Box Die. It is die cut from the Happy Spots pattern paper and then tied up with ribbon.

 I added a banner as you can see, to keep the entire project cohesive. I die cut some felt flowers and glued them together using Tombow Mono Multi glue. The oval is die cut using the Limitless Layers: 2 1/4 inch oval die and then stamped with the Nifty Plaid background stamp. I gussied it up with the butterfly, banner, and felt flower.

You can see everything in the basket ready to go! I wrapped up the popcorn in the same pattern paper for aesthetics and presentation. This will be easy to just pop on the porch. I wrote a nice greeting inside the card and we can't wait to actually meet them properly! Thanks for fluttering by!

Ink to Paper May Release Countdown Day 4 {To an Amazing Dad}

Welcome to the 4th and final day of the Ink to Paper May release countdown! Everything will be available for purchase at 10 pm EST on May 15th! We're continuing the Father's Day festivities with a bunch of fun new stamps and dies!

I've been sharing peeks of the new Nifty Plaid all week, but it is officially being showcased today! I had so much fun using the new In Stitches: Back Pocket die the other day, I decided to use it again to create a fun gift card holder for Father's Day. I actually made two, but didn't like the second one as well, but I did include a photo of both of them together at the bottom of the post!

This project consists of the pocket and then a small "card" of sorts to slip the gift card into. I like having things like this really secure, but it also adds some extra detailing and a way to use even more of the fabulous sentiments!

I die cut the two different sizes of pockets, stamped the Nifty Plaid background on the smaller pocket and then added the silver rivets using foam squares. The two pockets are secured together using a double thickness of foam squares to allow the gift card folder to slide easily inside. Make sure you move the foam squares as far as you can to the edge to ensure that the gift card will actually fit! Ask me how I know! LOL! I realized that I wanted to add a tag like the "hero" one here on my pocket card the other day, so I made sure to remedy that on this gift card! The Dad sentiment and this Hero sentiment are both from the new Just Sentiments: Father's Day.

Once the pocket was all put together, I die cut the new To Die For Sentiments: Father's Day twice out of Kraft cardstock and glued them together with liquid glue. I added some Cocoa Bean ink around the edges of the die cut sentiment to add some definition. Once that was done, I used small portion of foam squares to add it to the pocket. 

You can see the second pocket here. It is just too busy looking for me, which goes to show how important our color choices are. LOL! It's just not balanced right, but I do plan on gifting it this year because most of the time, dads just don't care! ha ha!

Next up is a CAS card and gift bag ensemble using the new Border Bling: Diamonds paired with the Just Sentiments: Father's Day. One thing that I do like about store bought Father's Day cards is the simple designs that you can find. That was the direction I was headed in with this duo!

It's so easy to gussy up one of the fabulous Kraft Coffee Bags with a tag like I did here! These bags have a wax coating on the inside which is perfect for handmade treats so they don't soil the bag. There's nothing worse than unsightly grease marks seeping through handmade packaging! LOL!

I die cut two of everything; one for the card, one for the bag. I used the largest tag from the Charming Tags 1 die and die cut it out of Ocean Tides cardstock. I stamped it with the Nifty Plaid background {surprise, surprise} and then added the silver gromet from the In Stitches: Back Pocket Die to the top using foam squares.

The diamond portion is from the Border Bling: Diamonds and is die cut using Ripe Avocado cardstock. I used the Just Sentiments: Father's Day to add the "For my amazing Dad". I used my mini MISTI for the placement.

As I mentioned earlier, I made two tags, so it was a breeze just to add it to the dry embossed panel. My brain kept wanting to add "just a little something" but I resisted to keep it CAS, like I was aiming for! LOL!

This will be perfect for Father's Day gift giving! Treats are always involved, so this bag will be the perfect thing! My FIL is in a care facility so we haven't been able to see him since all of the craziness began! Who knows what Father's Day will bring, but we will remain hopeful! Thanks for fluttering by!

Ink to Paper May Release Countdown Day 3 {Owl Always Love You, Dad}

Welcome to day 3 of the Ink to Paper May release countdown! Today we're switching gears to all things "Father's Day"! It will be here before we know it and it's always fun to make fun projects for all of the special dads in our lives! There are so many fun new products being showcased today and tomorrow!

I've created a little duo for you today that consists of a card and a treat pouch/gift card holder using the new Owl Always Love You stamp set and the new His stamp set. I also threw in some more of the Nifty Plaid background which will be officially showcased tomorrow! I just love it and couldn't resist using it all week! LOL!

The team is also introducing a fabulous new addition to the Border Bling family. This one is called Border Bling: Twigs! I love it so much and know it will be used on all kinds of projects!  You'll also notice that this card uses the new Inside Greetings: Father's Day sentiment set as well. I have been having so much fun using it on the inside and outside of all of these projects!

To begin this card, I die cut the Twigs border twice out of Kraft cardstock and glued them together using liquid glue. I also die cut the center portion out of Ocean Tides cardstock and then stamped it with the Nifty Plaid background using Ocean Tides ink. I love the cute backdrop that it gives to this design! The Twigs border also consists of a variety of leaves, which I die cut and added some Olive Twist ink to give them dimension.

I stamped and cut the log, sentiment, and owl using the Owl Always Love You die collection. This particular set has Father's Day sentiments, but it also includes everyday sentiments to make it very versatile! The owls eyes are popped up using foam squares and then I added a coat of Crystal Glaze for some added detail and whimsy.

My next project is a coordinating gift pouch that could be used for Dad's favorite treats, or a gift card! I die cut the Tent Style Packaging out of Ocean Tides cardstock and then stamped the Nifty Plaid background over the top. The Border Bling: Twigs die comes with the cute oval twig shape as well, which is die cut three times and glued together using liquid glue. I added the leaves like I did on the card.

I used the His stamp set for the "Daddy" sentiment at the bottom which is stamped in black ink. I love how the "Happy Father's Day" sentiment has a coordinating die so it adds just the right touch to the top of the owl!

I was thrilled to find a brown button in my stash that had the appearance of woodgrain on the back side! I tied it up with some button twine. The entire package uses a small velcro dot to secure it so the button is merely decorative! Men don't seem to do well with fussy packaging, so this route is probably best! LOL!

I used lots of foam squares to really give these projects lots of dimension! I had so much fun working on these! Thanks for fluttering by!

Taylored Expressions {Somewhere over the Rainbow Kit}

I'm so excited to be here today helping my good friend Taylor from Taylored Expressions, launch the fabulous new Somewhere Over the Rainbow Kit! I had such a fabulous time creating all of these fun cards to share with you today! The kit is available for purchase now and includes everything that you see in the photo below!

It comes packaged in this fabulous zippered mesh bag so you can store all of the components in one convenient place!

I'll be sharing two different sets of cards today; one uses the die cuts and one uses the stencils which provide different and unique results that are perfect for you own personal style of card making!

To begin these two cards, I used the AMAZING Masking Stencils Rectangles paired with the Set the Scene-Clouds Stencil set. I ALWAYS use Pixie Spray when using the masking stencils so they don't move and I get a nice, crisp edge! I also added some ink splatter before I removed the masking stencil. Once that was done, I die cut the rainbow strips and colored them using ink and TE Blender Brushes. Once that was done, I added the patterns over the top using the included stamp set. I placed the top of the rainbow without any glue so I could get the sentiments that are at the top of the cards in the right spot. I used my mini MISTI to get them stamped crisply.  I added the rainbow to the panel using foam squares. 

There are two different styles of clouds, but I used the less detailed ones for these two cards. I stamped the word "smile" and the adorable face image that is included in the stamp set. I added some Crystal Glaze over the top of the heart under the rainbow. Each panel is mounted onto a colorful card base using foam squares. A few sparkling clear sequins finish off these two designs!

Up next are the cards using the stencils, but before I dive into that, you'll notice the cute envelopes and seals in this photo. The kit includes 6 envelopes and seals to coordinate with the card inside! I love that sweet detail!

These two cards are relatively simple in design, but took some careful planning to make sure I did things thoughtfully to make it all work out in the end. To begin, I used the first stencil with the pink and yellow stripes. I added the ink and then added the pattern images over the top. Once that was done,I stamped the top sentiments and then I was able to move onto the second stencil which has the orange and greenish blue parts. I knew I wanted to add Nuvo shimmer paste over the top, so that is why I did all of the stamping on the previous colors so as to not interfere with the paste.

If I can use Nuvo paste with a stencil, I DO! LOL! I love the texture, sparkle, and shine that it adds to projects like this! You can also see the detail of these clouds. I added some ink blending around the edges and then stamped the sentiment and face.

I stamped the cluster of hearts and the purple heart in the center. A few dew drops glued here and there give the card some added detail.

I'm completely head over heels in love with this amazing new kit! I love the bag that it comes in so it's all in one place, which is always helpful for me! LOL! I hope you've enjoyed today's projects and head to the shop to get yours before they're gone! Thanks for fluttering by!

Ink to Paper May Release Countdown Day 2 {Thinking of you Always}

Thanks for joining me for day 2 of the Ink to Paper May Release Countdown! I'm sharing something a little bit different for my style today, but I was itching to see how the new "In Stitches Back Pocket Dies" would look with a denim style design! 

These dies are so much fun and I can't wait to create with them again! I originally envisioned a yellow plaid pocket bursting with flowers, but couldn't get the desire to create denim out of my head! LOL! To begin, I die cut all of the pieces out of Blueberry Sky cardstock  to experiment with what worked, etc. I knew I wanted to start with a lighter color of cardstock so I could add in the darker ink (Dark Indigo) blending around the edges to give it a realistic denim look.

I also stamped the "hello" sentiment, which is new and is included in the Floral Delicacies stamp set as well as the blue flowers on the background and upper pocket. The "thinking of you always" sentiment is included as well. 

The thinking of you sentiment is stamped in Vintage Photo Distress Ink onto Kraft cardstock and then I stitched it to the top of the main panel to make it look like a real leather label from a pair of jeans.

The grommets are die cut from gold specialty paper for a realistic look. I added a few flowers from the previously released Birthday Bouquet stamp set for some extra country charm! Join me tomorrow for day 3 of the release! Thanks for fluttering by!