Tuesday Ideas {hi there!}

Hello! I'm over on the Precious Remembrance Shop Blog with another Tuesday Ideas installment.  I'm using the newly released Little Things stamp set! I wanted to try something a little bit different than the bright, bold card I made during the release, which you can see HERE. 

I paired the Little Things stamp set with the Fall Colors stamp set. It is one that I haven't used yet, and I don't think that I can wait until Fall, so I used it today! I used a trio of green inks to stamp the three different leaf images for a summer "hello" card! I just love how it turned out! I also added one of the "splatter" images in grey here and there for some added detail.

The grid and sentiment border are both from the Fall Colors set and I stamped them in grey ink for a subdued look.The "hi there" sentiment is from the Fall Colors set as well, but I stamped it in black to make it pop! The other two images are from the "Little Things" set and are stamped in black as well.

I  like how adding layers of images can really give the card dimension without any bulky layers. I did add a few Seaside Buttons for some added color, which I love!

I trimmed the white layer down a little bit so that I could stamp the polka dot image along the side of the Kraft A2 card base. Once that was done, I added the white panel using foam squares. I hope that you will use some of your seasonal stamps in an unexpected way! Thanks for fluttering by!

Tons of Love!

 I've been busily working on getting all of the Halloween decorations up in my home as well as outside! I've been sick for two weeks and if it wasn't for my sweet little kids counting on me to decorate, I can't say it would have gotten done! I am still putting the finishing touches on everything, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share a sweet little set of cards I created over the weekend.

I bought the Happy Hippos stamp set when it was first released and I FINALLY got around to inking it up! I used the coordinating Die Cuts as well.  My inspiration for this first card came from a simple notecard I saw at Papyrus while window shopping a month or so ago. It was an artists sketch of someone on a tight rope and I knew it would work nicely with some stamped images and die cuts as well. Since it is Halloween and all, I thought it would be fun to make a little costume for this sweet little hippo!

 I also used some new-to-me Die Cuts from MFT for the bold sentiment on this second card! I had so much fun putting both of these together. They are both very simple, but both use lots of fun techniques to make them feel special.

To begin, I did some ink blending using Spun Sugar distress ink onto a 4 by 5 1/4 inch piece of Bristol paper for a nice, smooth blend. I used a purple color on the second card in the same manner. They were both spritzed with a generous amount of shimmer spray for added shine. I knew that the tight rope card would be simple in design, so it is always fun to add something like shimmer spray to enhance the design without adding clutter. I chose to color this little hippo pink, since she is just as sweet as can be!

 The silver cord that I used as the tight rope is secured to the back of the white blended panel using scotch tape with just enough "give" that I could add some tension with the die cut. The foam squares on the back of the hippos foot are pressing the cord down to imitate the weight she is adding to the tight rope. I just couldn't resist adding the same effect to the balloons that I created on THIS card. I just love how it looks! Her little tutu is constructed out of a strip of white tulle and then gathered using my sewing machine. It is secured to the back of the die cut using glue dots.  A few iridescent pink sequins finish this design off as well as a silver embossed sentiment that is included in the stamp set. I felt I could use this card for many different reasons with a generic sentiment like this.

 This second design uses the same techniques as in the first. The "smile" sentiment is die cut 4 times and then glued together. Each letter is given the same treatment as the balloons and you can read about how I did it in the link I added above from a card I made back in September.

 These two hippos are colored gray for a more traditional look and I used an assortment of Prismacolor and Copic markers. I added a few of the fun accessories that are included in the stamp set to create a fun scene as well as some added interest. 

I heat embossed the "It's your day" sentiment onto a strip of pool cardstock and added it to the front using foam squares. Both card fronts are adhered to A2 card bases using lots of foam squares. Thanks for fluttering by!

Done in Love

What do you do when you get brand new stamps in the mail? Reach for your old ones, of course!😂😂😂 I bought this paper clippings die when it was first released and had loads of fun with it, but then it just got pushed aside for newer things. Obviously this happens all the time, but I felt it needed a little love today!

August is nearly upon us and I'm wondering how that happened so quickly! I took the American flags out of my flower pots, I removed the buntings from the porch as well as the wooden flag on my front door. Everything got a quick refresh for August! I felt this was a good August card, too. 

I still kept everything bright and fresh, just like Summer should be! I diecut the quote out of white paper as well as the coordinating die accessories. I stamped the flowers and leaves in a coral/blush and blue combination; warm meets cool.I added them to the card using foam squares and liquid glue. 

The entire heart piece was adhered to a "Not Quite Navy" panel. I then added that to a white A2 card base. I placed a few white Nuvo drops here and there as well as a few rainbow sparkle jewels. Sweet and simple! Thanks for fluttering by!

Always thinking of you!

Thanks for visiting today...I have a sweet little design to share with you! As I have mentioned lately, I am trying to ink up my under-utilized stamp sets that I have had for YEARS.

When I made THIS card, I wasn't ready to put this set away, so I quickly stamped another design. I really liked the colors that I chose for the larger blooms, but decided to switch things up and bring in a cooling grayish blue. I just love the feeling that it created!

Rather than using multiple ink pads for the larger blooms, I just stamped the larger image off once before stamping on my focal panel and then used the 2nd step at full ink strength. This is one of those basic stamp tricks that I learned when I first began stamping, but it's one that never loses its pertinence. The leaves are stamped with Mint Julep ink and the shadow image is stamped in Vintage Jadeite for a great dimensional quality.

The sentiment is stamped in Palette Black ink. This is my favorite black ink because I can also use Copic markers and it won't bleed. Is there a better black ink out there that I am unaware of? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. I stamped the "thinking of you" portion onto a strip of blue paper and then cut a swallow tail on the end and adhered it with foam squares. 

I added a small black dot to the center of each of the blue flowers to tie in more of the black and to ground them as well. They feel empty to me without something in the center. I also added some clear Nuvo drops on the flowers and leaves to represent some dew and to create some additional shine.

I also added some Sparkling Clear sequins in varying sizes for even MORE shine! And...if that wasn't enough, I added some Wink of Stella here and there because I just couldn't resist!

The finishing touch, which I think really adds to the design, is the simple bow of Baker's Twine The entire focal panel is adhered to a piece of blue card stock and then adhered to the white card base with Scor-tape. These are the type of cards that I like having on hand, because you usually end up needing them when you least expect it. Thanks for fluttering by!

Blessed beyond measure!

 I told you I wouldn't be able to resist using Round Repeats again! I actually made this right after I put together the mini card and tag from my Secret Sister gifts. I really liked the way the Hawaiian Shores ink looked full strength and then stamped off once. I decided to leave the design with only the two impressions so that I could play around with some of the other elements included in the set.

The second color I brought in is Limeade Ice. Blue and green are so lovely together.....one of my favorite color combinations; so refreshing and calming. I added the center element in a bold black to give it some added interest; I really like how it looks. I also added an additional sentiment to the inside of the card using black ink.

 The card base is created using Limeade Ice card stock to pull in more of the lesser used color. I toyed around with a Hawaiian Shores base, but ultimately, Limeade Ice was the perfect choice. I really like the softness it brings to the project without adding any heaviness.

 Black is the perfect choice for the sentiment to really pop against the lighter background. It also helps balance the black medallions in the middle of the pattern. The  word Blessed was die cut 4 times out of black card stock and then layered on top of each other using Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive. 

 The stamped portion of the sentiment is from the Inspired: Blessed mini stamp set and it has been only used once as well. So shameful! LOL! I stamped the "beyond measure" portion onto a strip of black card stock using Versamark Ink and heat embossed white powder over the top for a striking and bold look.  

These elements are adhered to a vellum card stock panel using Scor Tape directly under the black sentiment piece to hide any adhesive marks. I love using vellum because of the softness it creates, but sometimes getting it adhered to the project in a sightly manner can cause some trouble. I really like how it looks and I do feel that it is secure enough. I also added a trio of Sparkling Clear sequins for some shine and added dimension. Such a simple card, but it gave me a chance to play around with this fun set. My husband's birthday is Sunday and I am hoping to try it out in a masculine design since I am already done with Father's Day cards. Go me! Ha ha! Thanks for fluttering by!