CASEing the Catalog

I wasn't feeling particularly creative this week, so I looked through my Occasions catalog and just fell in love with a couple of their samples for Painted Petals. I didn't buy the coordinating DSP, so I created my own with my stamps!

I cut a panel and sponged it with Daffodil Delight making sure to let the color vary in places. After sponging, I used a stamp in the same color to add the flower detail. I cut a smaller panel and added the flowers and the sentiment. This is such an easy way to create your own DSP!

 

For this card, I wanted a striped DSP, but again, I didn't buy the paper! I used the stripe from the Work of Art set and my stamp-a-ma-jig to line up each stripe. I then cut out my tags and added my flowers and sentiment. Again, another great way to create your own DSP!

This card was essentially a copy of the one from the catalog. The only real difference is that I rounded the corners. I just loved this card the way it was.

Supplies
Stamps: Painted Petals, Work of Art
Ink: Crumb Cake, Blackberry Bliss, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso
Paper: Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss
Other: Baker's Twine

Flighty Friday

Today's post is a mixed bag of cards I've been working on. For starters, a wedding card featuring the Your Perfect Day stamp set.

Stampin' Up's website had posted a card similar to this one, but it was in tones of pink and green. I'm not a huge fan of pink, so I decided to create a similar card using my favorite color combo, grey and yellow. I heat embossed the sentiment using a champagne colored embossing powder (I thought gold just looked too flashy with the muted tones).

Supplies:
Stamps: Your Perfect Day
Ink: Smoky Slate, So Saffron, Versamark
Paper: Smoky Slate, So Saffron, Whisper White
Other: Champagne Embossing Powder (Recollections)

Next up is a birthday card using Four Feathers (one of my favs!)

 

I wanted to be able to use this card for either a man or a woman, so I chose neutral tones for the images and sentiment.

Supplies:
Stamps: Four Feathers, Guy Greetings
Ink: Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand
Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Other: Feather Dies

And last, but not least, is a card that was created with a set that is not a Stampin' Up product (what?!). This beautiful set is from WPlus9 and is called Lucky Stars. It has some humorous sentiments for the inside of your cards, but I actually chose a serious one for it.

I sponged the panel on the front with blushing bride and then used a paintbrush to dribble a little perfect pearls (gold and pearl) mixed with water on the panel. (It's a little hard to see in the picture.) Then I heat embossed the shooting stars. On a piece of vellum, I heat embossed the sentiment and the moon image and attached it to my panel. Attach the panel to a card base and add a few sequins and you're done! (I did stamp a sentiment inside - I can always count on you - in black, but I didn't get a picture.)

Supplies:
Stamps: Lucky Stars (WPlus9)
Ink: Blushing Bride, Versamark
Paper: Whisper White
Other: White and Gold embossing powder, Sequins, Perfect Pearls (Pearl, Gold)

Four Feathers

Sometimes I like to sit down with a stamp set and make multiple cards featuring just those images. I try to think of at least 3 different cards I would make with a set before ordering it. (It's my way of justifying a purchase!) I don't like to buy a set and then use it once and put it away, so sitting down and making multiple cards at once makes me feel better about splurging on a set.

Now, I've actually made a bunch of cards with Four Feathers recently, I just didn't take any pictures. I was making cards with a specific purpose in mind and then I sent them as soon as they were made. I felt kind of bad about not posting anything, so I made a couple more "all purpose" kind of cards that I can keep in my stash so I could post something today!

First up is this beautiful card in Blackberry Bliss (probably my all time favorite color!). Incredibly simple, but packs a punch. Smoky Slate for the feathers, Blackberry for the sentiment, and topped off with a little woodgrain embossing, a ribbon, and some rhinestones. Easy-peasy.

Next, I wanted to create a card with some "masculine" colors, just in case. I used Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip, and Smoky Slate for these feathers. A quick stamp and some layering was all that was needed!

I just LOVE this set. It's so versatile and I work it into all sorts of cards. Definitely going to stay in my permanent rotation!

Stamps: Four Feathers, A Dozen Thoughts, Painted Petals
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Smoky Slate, Chocolate Chip, Night of Navy
Paper: Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss, Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip
Other: Blackberry Bliss ribbon, Rhinestones

Dad's Birthday

So my dad's birthday is coming up in a few days and I need to get a card in the mail for him. I looked through my stash and nothing was popping out at me as the "right" card for him, so I sat down and played with the new Big Day stamp set from Sale-A-Bration. I'm seriously loving these stamps!

 

I typically don't use a lot of DSP when I'm working. I don't know why, really. It might be that I like to have the option of recreating a card if I really like it and I can't if I run out of the paper...hmm...interesting insight into my brain...

 

Anyway, I cut a piece of Smoky Slate paper into a 3 1/4 x 2 inch strip, rounded the bottom edges, and used a tag topper to punch the top and repeated this with a Lost Lagoon piece. I then heat embossed the white image on the Smoky Slate and colored in "cake" with a marker. I heat embossed the image again on a scrap of Lost Lagoon and fussy cut around it to give it a little "pop" on celebrate. All that was left was to trim up the DSP and punch a little detail into the sides (I'll admit, I used a push pin because I couldn't find the right tool...). I wasn't liking how bright those circles were, so I attached a piece of vellum to it to soften it up. I tied a piece of baker's twine (not SU) through my tags and attached them to finish it up.

 

I had to stamp something on the inside...I used to leave cards blank because I just didn't have the right images, but this set seems to be perfect for both the inside and the outside of a card! I stamped the cake with StazOn and then used the Smoky Slate Blendabilities on the cake stand. I used a blender pen and my ink pads to add a little Hello Honey and Lost Lagoon to the cake. I like using the blender pen instead of the markers so I can add a little dimension when I'm coloring if I don't have Blendabilities in the colors I want to use.

That's it! I think it's perfect for my daddy and I can't wait to get it in the mail this afternoon!

Stamps: Big Day
Paper: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Whisper White, Vellum
DSP: Moonlight
Ink: Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon, Versamark, StazOn Black
Other: Baker's Twine, Lost Lagoon marker, Smoky Slate Blendabiltiies, White Embossing Powder, Push Pin (paper piercing), Blender Pen