Starting next week, the kids in our neck of the woods will be "hitting the books" once again. Just like this little bird from Bird's Eye View in the 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue. So adorable. Wouldn't a teacher love to receive a "welcome to the school year" card or bookmark with this as the focal point? Enjoy!
They're not just for shading the edges of your cardstock...let me show you how to use your Sponge Daubers in unique ways to take your crafting to a new level of fun!
Just a few ways I used them in this week's What's Up Wednesday live:
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One more of my swap cards this time featuring the Regal Reindeer Bundle from the Annual Catalogue - One that I picked up a while back and haven't played with yet. Fun to make Christmas cards early and share with friends across the country through these dog days of summer!
Is there a colour you don't often use? With 50 to choose from, I find I have my faves and then the ones that just don't get pulled out. Here's how I know it's time to use one...it's at the bottom of the colour family stack. Such is the case with Blackberry Bliss. Such a rich and elegant depth of colour and yet it's usually fall when I think of using it. So out it came for tonight's Creative Escape slimline card:
A Christmas Card already? Yup! This is one of my Sep-Dec Mini Catalogue swap cards featuring some brand spankin' new products that you can purchase starting Sept 6th. Welcome the Berry Cute bundle with coordinating snowflake embossing folder, ribbon, glitter gems and patterned paper. Yep I got the whole suite. If you like this bundle (stamp set and punch), I highly recommend you purchase early so you're not disappointed if it sells out.
I received this card in a swap some time before acquiring my own Enjoy the Rhythm stamp set. Perfect for the musicians in your life and particularly great for teenagers to old rockers (like myself). Not that I ever played the drums...but love a good old rock 'n roll song. Have a rockin' Sunday!
Today's card has way more going on that it looks like: Real Red ribbon through the die cut strip, a die cut Real Red flower (Tip: use your adhesive sheets for mess-free application) and a greeting in Real Red ink. Sweet & Simple. Enjoy!
Sending rays of sunshine to everyone saying I'm thinking of you on this day! I'm in Vegas at the Stampin' Up! leader convention we call BackStage with 700+ of my favourite stamping friends. After a few days of enjoying the sights, sounds, pool and luxurious resort, we're off to learn from others. Enjoy this day whatever it brings you.
Oh a little blending here and there....some heat embossing with White Emboss Powder and a few die cuts equals a great result! Today's card is one from my Earthen Textures team tutorial and is probably my favourite in that 4 card set. Lots of texture using blending brushes and ink, torn patterned paper and the embossing. The blue layer was once Basic White! Give your cardstock - either layers or die cuts some extra TLC by sponging or blending coordinating colour on to them. You'll love the result!
As I'm writing this post - a few days ahead of today - I'm enjoying the sunshine and summer breeze in my backyard. While I don't quite have the rocker and balcony shown, it all evokes the same peaceful feeling of a cool drink among nature. Riley is lying beside me on the cool grass. It's always a good day indeed.
The simplicity of this card makes it so elegant and special. Nothing fancy needed...just stamps, inks paper and a few simple embellishments. The stamp comes from the Inked & Tiled stamp set and boasts a watercolour look which fits perfectly with the Lost Lagoon vertical stamp behind it. How was that made? Just press your clean stamping block into your ink pad and transfer to your cardstock. A different look every time! Thanks for checking this one out.
A sweet Happy Birthday card using Zoo Crew Suite Collection: Stamps, dies, patterned paper and coordinating ribbon. So sweet. You know I love the Stylish Shapes dies which were also used here. This time the squares! A great way to spotlight your main attraction on the card being this adorable raccoon holding balloons.
I was drawn to the Scenic Wonders stamp set because of the beautiful background scenes it could make. Then I saw someone pairing it up with Wildlife Wonder (the wolf). Wow! Totally my type of masculine card. Enjoy your Sunday!
Are you going on a trip? Packing your bags to explore a new place? It's time to make memories and the Next Destination Stamp Set will be perfect for memory keeping. I picked this one up for myself to make cards and little bookmarks for my family and friends who love to travel. Here's just my 2nd card made with it!
I hope you learned some tips for using your Sponge Daubers at What's Up Wednesday this week. Here's how I store mine because let's face it, crafting is also about organization!
Sweet Baby card - a swapcard from my Silver Sister Tamara Bertram! Just adorable for bringing new joyful greetings. This is the Little Dreamers stamp set and die bundle with cute images and coordinating dies for the critters, stars and clouds. Enjoy!
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Sneak peek at one of the cards we're making at my Team Stampin' Social in September. I love making cards with others and designing 4 cards for my team is a joy. This one features the Fresh as a Daisy patterned paper with Pretty Peacock matting and an embossed layer broken up into strips. No particular measurement I just took a 3 3/4" x 4 7/8" piece and after embossing, cut it into 4 pieces. Love the Copper Clay with Pretty Peacock. Have a great day!
Isn't this a fun and cheerful card? Who wouldn't want to receive these birthday greetings - perfect for your fun and funky friend, a child, or anyone for that matter! I challenge you to find someone who wouldn't love it. This version done in Tahitian Tide and Parakeet Party.
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Not yet the hottest day of the year...but thinking Christmas already. The Trucking Along stamp set and punch is perfect for your fall and Christmas cards in fact anytime of the year. Thought this was fun with the Merry Melody embossing folder as a backdrop. Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by!
Another round of swaps ready to assemble! This time 20 for an organized mail out swap.
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Why do demonstrators do swaps? Here are my favourite reasons:
Tonight for our Creative Escape, we CASEd this card I made ages ago using the Color & Contour Stamp set and coordinating Scalloped Contour dies.
Here's the original featuring Color & Contour:
This gorgeous 3D paper from the Masterfully Made paper pack just shines as the main ingredient of today's card! My August class goers enjoyed how simply this card came together. A 3" x 5 1/2" strip bordered by coordinating Melon Mambo then adhered to a Lemon Lime Twist card base. I used the new Wanted to Say Dies for the greeting. One die cut the detailed "Happy Birthday" and another the shadow piece in Melon Mambo. Done that quickly!
Got Embossing Folders? Let's build on what we learned Wednesday this week (check this out if you missed it) and try four techniques with your embossing folders!
The Merry Melody embossing folder just goes with the Enjoy the Rhythm stamp set whether you're playing drums, rocking out on a guitar or tinkling the ivories on the keyboard! Enjoy this card I have designed to send to a special friend.
Been playing with the Delightfully Eclectic patterned paper and this design really speaks to me! It's a huge reminder of the swans in the river that runs through Stratford. If you've ever been to see a play or visit this quaint little town, you'll have to stroll along the river with ice cream and keep an eye out for the majestic swans!
Enhance your Embossing Folder experience by first spritzing your cardstock then running it through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine. On both the embossed and de-bossed sides you will see an amazing difference. You may never go without spritzing again!
This is NOT trick photography. The top is regular dry embossing. The bottom photo shows embossing after spritzing with water. Spot the difference?
You might think of this large heart stamp as suitable for Valentine's Day or Anniversaries. It's all in the greeting, though! I "heart" sending these kinds of cards to friends, for birthdays and thinking of you occasions, too. Now this one from Country Bouquet, is a two step stamp where the Mossy Meadow leaf/stem images are on one photopolymer stamp and the flowers on another. It's super easy to see where to place them as the stamps are clear. Finished off with some silver embellishments in elegant trim and basic rhinestones. Enjoy!
I had some fun over our "COVID" weekend a while back making cards with products I haven't used in a while. This is one! Features the Cottage Wreaths stamp set and Country Wreaths dies which was fitting since I was home and unable to go to the cottage we'd planned for that week. The embossing folder is one that hadn't been through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine yet (can you believe it?) and is called Leaf Fall 3D. So pretty. Lost Lagoon and Cherry Cobbler inks to finish it off with a Adhesive Backed Flat Pearl.
For tonight's Facebook Live event, I pulled out a card from my stash to CASE. What is it to CASE? Copy and Share Everything! Basically, remake the card using different products from your supplies.
Here's the original featuring Artistically Inked:
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Fall is around the corner and one of my favourite things to do is eat freshly picked apples. The cooler temps and the sweetness of Honeycrisp, Cortland and Empire apples is a true sign of the change of seasons. Not wishing the summer away yet...but this reminds me of the bounty that is coming our way very soon!
Gorgeous Black Heat embossing with the Berry Harvest background stamp on Blackberry Bliss This makes a statement! Just needs a few simple embellishments and layers upon layers to set it off. Enjoy!
