Inspiration Ink

RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour - Christmas Cards

Welcome to Day 7 of the RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour, the last day.  I hope you've enjoyed the tour and will be sure to join us next time we do a Blog Tour.

There really isn't a unifying theme to today's projects.  I wasn't sure what to do, so I just started web surfing some of my favorite blogs.  When a card caught my eye, I used it as a starting point.  It might have been the color scheme, the layout, the use of an accessory, or just something undefinable that attracted my attention.  I didn't copy a single-card exactly, I almost never do.  It's okay to do that, but I like to put my own twist on things.  Admittedly, my mind works in a strange way some times, but mostly I like what I come up with.  Of course, a card often turns out looking nothing like the original idea in my head as I change it as I go.  That's the fun of creating!  I hope you'll take some of the ideas you've seen on the Blog Tour and will use them to jump start your creativity!

I used Stampin' Pastels to color the trees and wheeled image on this card.  Really, I did!  I know some of my regular customers don't believe me because I usually avoid the Pastels.  I hate the feel of chalkiness!  But, the Pastels gave the soft look I wanted for the greens on this card so that the red would really pop!

Uses Paisley Prints Set, Occasional Quotes Hostess Level 3 Clear-Mount Set, and Paisley Party Wheel plus Clear-Mount Block B, Stampin' Around Handle, Crumb Cake Card Stock, Real Red Card Stock, Garden Green Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Woodland Walk Designer Series Paper, Real Red Stampin' Write Marker, VersaMark Pad, Stampin' Pastels (Wild Wasabi and Garden Green), Sponge Daubers, 1" Circle Medium Punch, Designer Label Large Punch, Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Glimmer Brights Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, and dry Swiffer cloth (to wipe off excess Pastels).

I inked up the dove image with a Sponge Dauber and Shimmer Paint and stamped it on a scrap of white card stock.  Then, I cut it out and adhered it to the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals.  My ribbon looks better in real life, the satin is so shiny it doesn't always scan well and the ribbon gets flattened in the scanner.

Uses Peaceful Season Hostess Level 2 Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block C, Perfect Plum Card Stock, Concord Crush Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Lap of Luxury Designer Series Paper, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Basic Pearls Jewels, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Decorative Strip Spacer Platform, Decorative Strip Cutting Pads, Join in the Cheer Decorative Strip Die, 2-Way Glue Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Sticky Strip.

I inked up the bird and branch image with markers and then lightly daubed on some Shimmer Paint with a Sponge Dauber before stamping.  So, there is a little shimmer and shine on the bird and branch as well as edging the card stock of the main image.

Uses Silhouette Sentiments Hostess Level 1 Set and Many Merry Messages Set plus Baja Breeze Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker, Baja Breeze Stampin' Write Marker, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Very Vanilla 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Pearls Jewels, Sticky Strip, and Mini Glue Dots.

I got the color scheme for this card from the Candy Cane Christmas Specialty Designer Paper, but I actually don't own that paper!  So, I had to substitute Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper instead!

Uses Serene Snowflakes Set and Four the Holidays Set plus Blushing Bride Card Stock, Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper, Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad, Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad, Basic Rhinestones Jewels, Real Red 5/8" Satin Ribbon, 3/16" Corner Small Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Decorative Strip Spacer Platform, Decorative Strip Cutting Pads, Northern Frost Decorative Strip Die, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

I hand cut the wreath out after stamping it.  I did use the 1" Circle Punch to punch out the center first so that I could easily get my Paper Snips in there.

Uses Welcome Christmas Set plus Cherry Cobbler Card Stock, Certainly Celery Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper, Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Marker, Old Olive Stampin' Write Marker, 1" Circle Punch, Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Regals Designer Buttons, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, and Mini Glue Dots.

Please leave me a comment if you'd like!  I'd love to hear which one of my projects from the whole tour you like best!

The Blog Tour does end today, but you are most welcome to come back anytime.  You can subscribe to my blog by filling out the box above in the center column, then you won't miss anything!

Enjoy the rest of the Holiday Madness Blog Tour.  Just click on the icon below to go to Jan Wakeland's blog for her last post of the tour.

RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour - More Than a Background

Welcome to Day 6 of the RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour.  The tour ends soon, so be sure to check all your favorite blogs and subscribe to them.

For today's projects, I decided to focus on the Christmas Collage background stamp in the Holiday Mini (page 20).  This gorgeous stamp is more than just a background stamp though.  You can also use small parts of it to add fun touches to your projects.  Enjoy!

For the first card, I did use it just as a regular old background stamp and added a vintage looking tag.  To get the stained edges on the tag and the Crumb Cake card itself, I pressed Clear-Mount Block D directly into the Crumb Cake Ink Pad and then lightly pressed it randomly all over the tag edges and the edges of the card itself.  See, even our Clear-Mount Blocks can be used in different ways than their intended purpose!

Uses Christmas Collage background stamp and Bells & Boughs Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block C, Clear-Mount Block D, Crumb Cake Card Stock, Always Artichoke Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Always Artichoke Classic Stampin' Pad, Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad, Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad, Brayer, Blender Pens, Cutter Kit, Ticket Corner Small Punch, Antique Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Always Artichoke 1/2" Seam Binding, and Chantilly 1/2" Crochet Trim.

I only used a small portion (the number 25) on this next card.  I just inked it up with a Marker and then punched it out.  The way-cool ribbon flower framing the number is a new technique called "Melted Ribbon Flowers" that I learned at Diva Day (an incentive event my upline offers) last weekend.  Just cut a piece of ribbon with our Tasteful Trim Bigz XL Die and then heat the edges with the Heat Tool until they start to melt and curl.  Then adhere the ribbon to a circle cut from our Sticky Pages.  How cool is that!?

Uses Grateful Greetings Set, Full Calendar Set, and Christmas Collage background stamp plus Old Olive Card Stock, Real Red Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad, Old Olive Stampin' Write Marker, Real Red Stampin' Write Marker, 1-3/4" Circle Extra-Large Punch, Glimmer Brights Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Real Red 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Heat Tool, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Extended Cutting Pads, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL Die, Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Sticky Pages, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

I just inked up a small portion of the stamp with VersaMark Ink and then embossed it before rubbing on Always Artichoke Ink for this next card.

Uses Christmas Collage background stamp plus Always Artichoke Card Stock, Cherry Cobbler Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper, VersaMark Pad, Always Artichoke Classic Stampin' Pad, Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder, Powder Pals, Heat Tool, Stamping Sponges, Alway Artichoke 1/2" Seam Binding, 5-Petal Flower Extra-Large Punch, Glimmer Basic Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Sticky Strip, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Again, I only used a portion of the stamp on this next card.  I inked up the scroll work framing the empty box with a Marker and then stamped it and trimmed it out.  It's hard to tell in the scan, but I did add a light shimmer to the various layers with Shimmer Paint and a Sponge Dauber.

Uses Four the Holidays Set and Christmas Collage background stamp plus Crumb Cake Card Stock, Always Artichoke Card Stock, Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad, Always Artichoke Stampin' Write Marker, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, Bone Folder, Deck the Halls Designer Fabric, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Texturz Silicone Rubber, Standard Texturz Impressions Pad, Perfect Details Texturz Plates, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Here's one tip for using this stamp - before you mount it to the wood block, find your Craft & Rubber Scissors and cut out some of the excess rubber around the number 25 and in the open rectangle.  Now when you ink up your stamp, you won't get a big blob of ink in those flat spaces that might show up on your stamped image.  Of course, the easiest, fastest way to ink up a background stamp is to roll an inked up Brayer across it a few times!

Please leave a comment if you are so inclined.  I love to hear what you think of my work.

Enjoy the rest of the Holiday Madness Blog Tour by clicking on the icon below to go to Jan Wakeland's blog. 

RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour - Waffle Paper

Welcome to Day 5 of the RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour.  I'm having so much fun creating projects for this Blog Tour.  I hope you are enjoying them too!

For today's projects I decided to focus on Waffle Paper.  This stuff is so much fun to use as there are tons of ways you can use it - stamp on it, die cut it, dry emboss it, twist it, pleat it, tear it, heat emboss it, etc.  And you get so much of it!

Here's a very simple hostess gift or favor for fall parties.  I'm giving one to each of my Club Hostesses this month and the first to get their orders to me for each Club as a thank you.

Uses Paisley Prints Set and Tiny Tags Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block A, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Waffle Paper Assortment 1, Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad, Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad, Jewelry Tag Medium Punch, Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, and Mini Glue Dots.

I simply cut leaves out of Waffle Paper with my Leaves #2 Die and the Big Shot for this card.  You can't really tell in the scan, but I also lightly rubbed some Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint on the embossed card stock so it has a nice shimmer and shine in real life.

Uses Cajun Craze Card Stock, So Saffron Card Stock, Waffle Paper Assortment 1, Waffle Paper Assortment 2, Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad, Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, Linen Thread, Regals Designer Buttons, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Leaves #2 Originals Die, Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, and Mini Glue Dots.

I dry embossed a piece of Silver Waffle Paper with an Embossing Folder and the Big Shot for this next card.

Uses Dasher a la carte stamp and Teeny Tiny Wishes Set plus Marina Mist Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Waffle Paper Assortment 1, Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad, Platinum Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, Word Window Large Punch, Modern Label Extra-Large Punch, Basic Rhinestones Jewels, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, and Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

I got the puffy ornament idea from another Demonstrator during our Team Meeting last weekend.  She used a different punch and fabric, but it is the same general idea.  The silver ornament puffs out from the card front because there is a cotton ball under the Waffle Paper.  The hangers for the ornaments are just tightly twisted strips of Waffle Paper.

Uses All Holidays Set plus Bashful Blue Card Stock, Marina Mist Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Waffle Paper Assortment 1, Bashful Blue Classic Stampin' Pad, Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad, Stamping Sponges, Ornament Extra-Large Punch, Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, and cotton ball.

I stamped the angel on a piece of Waffle Paper and colored it with Markers.  I then blotted off the excess ink which puddles on the shiny surface.  A little of the ink remained behind to stain the image though and give it a little color.

Uses Angelic Joy Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block G, Clear-Mount Block I, Bravo Burgundy Card Stock, Always Artichoke Card Stock, Waffle Paper Assortment 1, Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad, Blush Blossom Stampin' Write Marker, River Rock Stampin' Write Marker, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker, Bravo Burgundy Stampin' Write Marker, Petal Card Extra-Large Double Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Square Lattice Textured Embossing Folder, and Sticky Strip.

I heat embossed the poinsettias in gold on a piece of the Gold Waffle Paper and then tore it out.  I did adhere the torn piece to a small piece of Very Vanilla Card Stock to give it some more stability and to make it easier to see the embossed image.

Uses Bells & Boughs Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block C, Clear-Mount Block E, Cherry Cobbler Card Stock, Always Artichoke Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper, Waffle Paper Assortment 1, Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad, River Rock Classic Stampin' Pad, VersaMark Pad, Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder, Powder Pals, Heat Tool, Cutter Kit, Bone Folder, Antique Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Always Artichoke 1/2" Seam Binding, Chantilly 1/2" Crochet Trim, and Mini Glue Dots.

Please leave me a comment if you'd like.  I love hearing from everyone!  Don't forget to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss anything.

Enjoy the rest of the Holiday Madness Blog Tour.  Just click on the icon below to move on to Jan Wakeland's blog and see what she has in store for today!

RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour - Weekly Inspiration

Welcome to Day 4 of the RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour.  Are you making a list of all the things you now have to order?  I know I am!

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, then you know that the Wednesday post is always called Weekly Inspiration.  In a Weekly Inspiration post, I give a complete supply list and step-by-step directions.  So, here is today's post - a Weekly Inspiration featuring the Serigraph technique and Waffle Paper snowflakes!  Enjoy!

Supplies

- Welcome Christmas, page 37, Clear - $19.95, Wood - $27.95

- Serene Snowflakes, page 42, $20.95

- Not Quite Navy 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 168, $6.95

- Whisper White 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 169, $8.50

- Brushed Silver 8-1/2" x 11" Card Stock, page 170, $7.95

- Waffle Paper Assortment 1, page 21 of Holiday Mini, $9.95

- Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad, page 167, $5.95

- Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad, page 169, $5.95

- Not Quite Navy Classic Stampin' Pad, page 168, $5.95

- VersaMark Pad, page 195, $7.50

- Platinum Shimmer Paint, page 195, $5.95

- Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz, page 195, $4.95

- Brayer, page 195, $12.50

- Embossing Buddy, page 196, $5.95

- Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, page 196, $4.75

- Powder Pals, page 196, $19.95

- Heat Tool, page 196, $29.95

- Sponge Daubers, page 195, $10.95

- Color Catcher, page 195, $5.95

- Basic Rhinestones Jewels, page 188, $4.95

- Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, page 204, $99.95

- Decorative Strip Spacer Platform, page 205, $9.95

- Decorative Strip Cutting Pads, page 205, $7.95

- Northern Frost Decorative Strip, page 38 of Holiday Mini, $21.95

- damp paper towel or wet wipe

- tissue or paper towel

- scissors

- adhesive

Directions

1)  Cut a piece of Not Quite Navy Card Stock to 5 1/2 x 8 1/2".  Score and fold in half to make card.

2)  Cut a piece of Whisper White Card Stock to 3 7/8 x 5 1/8".

3)  Ink up the Brayer by rolling it across the open Baja Breeze Ink Pad in one direction only.  Roll the inked up Brayer across the white rectangle randomly.  Leave some white space.

4)  Clean the Brayer by rolling repeatedly across scratch paper until no more color is coming off.

5)  Repeat step 3 using Basic Gray Ink.  Let the two colors of ink overlap some and still leave some white spaces.

6)  Clean the Brayer with a damp paper towel or wet wipe.

7)  Rub the Embossing Buddy all over the inked up white rectangle.

8)  Ink up the snowflake image from the Serene Snowflakes Set with VersaMark Ink and stamp randomly all over the inked up white card stock.  Remember to re-ink the stamp each time.

9)  Sprinkle Clear Embossing Powder on the images and tap off excess.

10)  Heat the snowflakes until the embossing powder is completely melted and shiny.

11)  Ink up the Brayer with the Not Quite Navy Ink by rolling it across the open ink pad in one direction.  Roll the inked up Brayer across the embossed card stock until the entire piece is covered in ink.

12)  Use a paper towel or tissue to wipe the excess ink off of the embossed images.

13)  Cut a piece of Brushed Silver Card Stock to 4 x 5 1/4".

14)  Mat the embossed, inked up card stock on the silver rectangle and then to the front of the Not Quite Navy card.

15)  Cut a strip of Not Quite Navy Card Stock to 1 1/4 x 5 1/8".

16)  Ink up the word "Joy" from the Welcome Christmas Set using Not Quite Navy Ink and stamp it on the left side of the Not Quite Navy strip.

17)  Shake the bottle of Platinum Shimmer Paint really well.  Remove the lid.  Use a Sponge Dauber to pick up the shimmer paint from the inside of the lid and then dab it onto the sledders image from the Welcome Christmas Set.

18)  Stamp the sledders on the right side of the Not Quite Navy strip.  Allow to dry.

19)  Cut a strip of Brushed Silver Card Stock to 1 3/8 x 5 1/8".

20)  Adhere the stamped Not Quite Navy strip to the silver strip and then to the front of the card.

21)  Place the card inside the Color Catcher and spritz the entire card front with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz.  Allow to dry.

22)  Cut a piece of silver Waffle Paper to 2 1/4 x 8".  Notice that one side of the paper is a little shinier than the other.

23)  Build a sandwich of Decorative Strip Spacer Platform, one Decorative Strip Cutting Pad, Northern Frost Decorative Strip facing up, piece of Waffle Paper with shinier side facing down so it covers 5 of the snowflake images, and other Decorative Strip Cutting Pad.  Run the sandwich through the Big Shot.

24)  Carefully remove the die cut snowflakes.  The Waffle Paper is tissue thin so be gentle!

25)  Put a small dot of SNAIL or a Mini Glue Dot on the back of each snowflake and adhere them to the card front.

26)  Adhere Basic Rhinestones Jewels to the center of each snowflake.

Tips

Make sure you roll the Brayer across the open ink pad in one direction only.  When you've reached one side of the ink pad, pick it up and return it to the other side and roll again.  If you roll back and forth, you will only ink up a small portion of the Brayer.

I'm usually too lazy to bother with the Embossing Buddy, but you definitely want to use it when doing the Serigraph technique.  Otherwise the embossing powder will stick to the wet ink all over your card stock and you'll get a blotchy look.

When you are completely done using the Brayer, you can clean it by running water over it in the sink.  Then just allow it to air dry.

Try to store your Brayer with the roller facing up.  Otherwise you can get a flat spot on Brayer over time where it is resting on the surface below it.

Clean your Sponge Dauber by running water over it in the sink.  Allow to air dry.

You really want to use a Color Catcher when working with Smooch Spritz.  Otherwise you will get spritz everywhere!

When using Smooch Spritz, remember to "commit to the smooch!"  If you press down too lightly on the nozzle, it can jam.

When you first open your Waffle Paper roll, it can be very difficult to get the loose edge unglued.  They use a really, really strong glue!  Heat the seam for a few seconds with your Heat Tool to soften the glue and it will be much easier to pull the loose edge free.

Try to vary the side of the Decorative Strip Cutting Pad you have facing down and vary which pad goes on the bottom and which on the top of your sandwich.  It is normal for these pads to start warping.  If you vary the direction and order of them as you use them, this will cut down some on the warping.

You can uses tweezers, toothpicks, the tips of scissors, or your fingernails to pull the Basic Rhinestones Jewels off the backing paper and place them on the card.

 

If you aren't a regular visitor to my blog, I hope you will consider becoming one.  The easiest way not to miss anything I post is to subscribe.  Just fill out the box in the center column above and then follow directions.  Once you are subscribed, you'll receive an e-mail once a day with all the posts I've added since the previous day.

Please remember to visit again tomorrow for some more ideas on using the Waffle Paper.

Enjoy the rest of the Holiday Madness Blog Tour.  Just click on the icon below to move along!

RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour - Full of Gratitude

Welcome to Day 3 of the RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour!  I hope you are enjoying the Tour!  Please don't forget to leave me a comment if you like my projects or have a question about any of them.

Today's projects all feature the versatile Day of Gratitude Set.  I just got this Set the other day because I was chosen to be a helper at the Baltimore Regionals this coming weekend.  I can hardly wait!  Since one of my duties will be helping with the Make and Take projects featuring this Set, I had to get my Set and supplies early so I could put them together beforehand.  I won't be showing you the Regionals Make and Take projects; you'll have to come back after October 3 to see those.  I hope you will still enjoy these projects though.

This first one is super simple, fits the Just Add Ink 36 Challenge, and uses a fun technique called "thumping."  Just ink up your stamp with a light colored ink and then randomly tap the brush tip of a couple of Markers all over the stamp before pressing the rubber stamp to card stock.  Give it a try and see what you think!  Just remember to clean your stamp before inking it up again or you'll mess up your ink pad.

Uses Day of Gratitude Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block B, Clear-Mount Block G, Always Artichoke Card Stock, So Saffron Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, River Rock Classic Stampin' Pad, Always Artichoke Classic Stampin' Pad, Always Artichoke Stampin' Write Marker, Cajun Craze Stampin' Write Marker, Always Artichoke 1/2" Seam Binding, Sticky Strip, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

I used the "thumping" technique again on this next card, but in a different way.  This time I thumped the Marker tips all over inside the Embossing Folder before running my card stock through the Big Shot.  I love the mottled appearance I got on the So Saffron strip as a result.  This card fits the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge 61.

Uses Day of Gratitude Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block B, Clear-Mount Block C, Always Artichoke Card Stock, Cajun Craze Card Stock, So Saffron Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Always Artichoke Classic Stampin' Pad, So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad, Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad, Always Artichoke Stampin' Write Marker, Cajun Craze Stampin' Write Marker, Gold Glow Smooch Spritz, Color Catcher, Always Artichoke 1/2" Seam Binding, Glimmer Basics Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, 3/16" Corner Small Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Sticky Strip, and Post-It Notes (for masking).

I did a little emboss resist on the next two cards.

Uses Day of Gratitude Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block A, Clear-Mount Block G, Cajun Craze Card Stock, So Saffron Card Stock, Newsprint Designer Series Paper, VersaMark Pad, Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad, Always Artichoke Classic Stampin' Pad, Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Powder Pals, Heat Tool, Stamping Sponges, Modern Label Extra-Large Punch, Word Window Large Punch, Always Artichoke 1/2" Seam Binding, Linen Thread, Subtles Designer Buttons, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Sticky Strip, and Mini Glue Dots.

Uses Day of Gratitude Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Mount Block B, Clear-Mount Block E, Cajun Craze Card Stock, River Rock Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Newsprint Designer Series Paper, VersaMark Pad, Always Artichoke Classic Stampin' Pad, Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad, River Rock Classic Stampin' Pad, Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Powder Pals, Heat Tool, Stamping Sponges, Always Artichoke 1/2" Seam Binding, Linen Thread, Deck the Halls Big Designer Buttons, Decorative Label Extra-Large Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Standard Cutting Pads, Top Note Bigz Die, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Mini Glue Dots.

Enjoy the rest of the Holiday Madness Blog Tour and don't forget to come back tomorrow!  Just click on the icon below to go to the next stop.  Have fun!

RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour - Letterpress Holidays

Welcome to Day 2 of the RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour!  Haven't the projects been wonderful so far?!

My projects for today have little or no traditional stamping.  Instead, I focused on using the fun new Letterpress Plates in the Holiday Mini.

On this first card, I inked up the plate with VersaMark and then ran it through the Big Shot with a piece of Old Olive Card Stock.  I then used Sponge Daubers to add color to the slightly sticky image with Stampin' Pastels.  I think it came out very cool!

Uses Trick or Treat Letterpress Plate, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pad, Rich Razzleberry Card Stock, Old Olive Card Stock, Wicked Fun Specialty Designer Series Paper, VersaMark Pad, Stampin' Pastels (Rich Razzleberry and Cajun Craze), Sponge Daubers, Raven 1/2" Lace Trim, Sticky Strip, and dry Swiffer cloth (to wipe off excess pastels).

I inked up the plate for this next card with an Always Artichoke and Bashful Blue Craft Stampin' Spot and Sponge Daubers.  I didn't think the Bashful Blue was dark enough though, so after removing the embossed image from the Big Shot, I went over the Bashful Blue areas with the fine tip of my Marina Mist Marker.  Much better!

Uses Joyful Season Letterpress Plate, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pad, Always Artichoke Card Stock, Marina Mist Card Stock, Watercolor Paper, Regals Craft Stampin' Spots (Always Artichoke), Marina Mist Stampin' Write Marker, Sponge Daubers, Always Artichoke 1/2" Seam Binding, Subtles Designer Buttons, and Sticky Strip.

Stampin' Up! says that you should use Craft Inks to ink up the plates.  However, I've found that if you live in a humid area (like Maryland), you can use Classic Ink as long as you work quickly.  I used Markers to ink up the images on the plate for this next card.

Uses Sincere Salutations Set plus Real Red Card Stock, Old Olive Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Brights Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack, Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad, Old Olive Stampin' Write Marker, Real Red Stampin' Write Marker, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Square Ice Rhinestone Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pad, Northern Trim Letterpress Plate, and Sticky Strip.

If you use Classic Ink on the plates, you will sometimes get a blotchy image because the Classic Ink puddles on the plastic.  However, I thought it looked good on the image for this next card since it gave an antique look.

Uses Lots of Love Letterpress Plate, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pad, Real Red Card Stock, Crumb Cake Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad, Real Red Stampin' Write Marker, Stamping Sponges, Chantilly 1/2" Crochet Trim, Paper Daisies, Antique Brads, Neutrals Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, and Sticky Strip.

A couple of tips for you when using the Letterpress Plates:

- Keep a baby wipe or damp paper towel handy to wipe excess ink off the plate before running it through the Big Shot.

- Use a new or very lightly used Standard Cutting Pad.  Otherwise the fine scratches on the plate might show up on your embossed image.

- Textured Card Stock and Watercolor Paper actually make the deepest impressions because they already have weakened fibers or are more porous.

Please leave me a comment if you'd like.  I love to hear what everyone thinks of my work.  You can also subscribe to my blog by filling in the box at the top of the center column.  Then, you'll receive an e-mail each time I create a new post and you won't miss anything!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the Holiday Madness Blog Tour.  Just click on the icon below to continue.

RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour - Holiday Owls

Welcome to the first day of the RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour.  I hope you are ready to be amazed and inspired by tons of great ideas for projects for the coming holidays!

I just adore the Two-Step Owl Extra-Large Punch.  It is so much fun to create this little owl and so easy.  Of course, you don't have to use it as just an owl!  You can also create some "out of the box" ideas with this punch.  Here are some ideas for holiday "owl" cards.  Enjoy!

Uses Grateful Greetings Set plus Rich Razzleberry Card Stock, Old Olive Card Stock Card Stock, Basic Gray Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Wicked Fun Specialty Designer Series Paper, Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad, Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad, Two-Step Owl Extra-Large Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Cutter Kit, Mini Library Clips, Rich Razzleberry 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, and 2-Way Glue Pen.

Uses Grateful Greetings Set plus Rich Razzleberry Card Stock, Basic Black Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Wicked Fun Specialty Designer Series Paper, Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Write Marker, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker, Two-Step Owl Extra-Large Punch, Bitty Bat Large Punch, 1-1/4" Square Large Punch, Raven 1/2" Lace Trim, 2-Way Glue Pen, Sticky Strip, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Uses Grateful Greetings Set plus Tangerine Tango Card Stock, More Mustard Card Stock, Soft Suede Card Stock, Pumpkin Pie Card Stock, So Saffron Card Stock, Nursery Suite Specialty Designer Series Paper, Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad, Two-Step Owl Extra-Large Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Extra-Large Punch, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Extra-Large Punch, 1-1/4" Square Large Punch, Metallic Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Scallop Circle Bigz Die, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, and 2-Way Glue Pen.

Uses Tags Til Christmas Set plus Old Olive Card Stock, Cherry Cobbler Card Stock, Early Espresso Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper, Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad, Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Marker, White uni-ball Signo Gel Pen, Two-Step Owl Extra-Large Punch, 1-3/8" x 5/8" Oval Large Punch (formerly Small Oval Punch), 1-3/4" x 7/8" Oval Large Punch (formerly Large Oval Punch), Decorative Label Extra-Large Punch, Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Brights Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals, and 2-Way Glue Pen.

Uses Jolly Jingles Stampin' Around Jumbo Wheel plus Stampin' Around Jumbo Handle, Baja Breeze Card Stock, Basic Gray Card Stock, More Mustard Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad, Basic Gray Stampin' Write Marker, Baja Breeze Stampin' Write Marker, Brayer, Two-Step Owl Extra-Large Punch, 3/4" x 15/16" Oval Medium Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 2-Way Glue Pen, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Uses Grateful Greetings Set and Teeny Tiny Wishes Set plus Melon Mambo Card Stock, Pacific Point Card Stock, Pumpkin Pie Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Sweet & Sour Specialty Designer Series Paper, Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad, Two-Step Owl Extra-Large Punch, 3/4" x 15/16" Oval Medium Punch, 1/2" Circle Small Punch, Word Window Large Punch, Modern Label Extra-Large Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Texturz Impressions Pad, Standard Texturz Silicone Rubber, Perfect Details Texturz Plates, and 2-Way Glue Pen.

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Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy the rest of the Holiday Madness Blog Tour by clicking on the icon below.

 

RemARKable Holiday Madness Blog Tour Coming Soon

Mark your calendars and get ready to be overwhelmed with great ideas for decorating, gift-giving, card-making, scrapbooking, gift-wrapping, and more for the holidays.  I hope you'll join us!

RemARKable New Catalog Blog Tour - Sucker for Punches

Welcome to the last day of the RemARKable New Catalog Blog Tour.  I hope you've gotten lots of ideas and are ready for a few more!

I'm a sucker for punches!  I just have to have every punch that Stampin' Up! creates.  They make creating so much fun and so easy because there are thousands of ways you can use them.  So, when I saw the new stamp set, Perfect Punches, I knew I had to have it.  The images in this set coordinate beautifully with several punches and make the perfect finishing touch or focal point.  I used this set in all of today's creations.  Enjoy!

- Perfect Punches Set, page 131, Clear - $17.95, Wood - $24.95

One of the stamps in this set fits perfectly with the Round Tab Extra-Large Punch.  I used it to make a tab for pulling an insert out of a little pouch I made using the Scallop Envelope Bigz Die.  I also used the Scallop Edge Border Punch to make some faux rick-rack for the bottom of the pouch.

Uses Friends Never Fade Set, Teeny Tiny Wishes Set, Perfect Punches Set, and Occasional Quotes Hostess Level 3 Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Block B, Peach Parfait Card Stock, Pear Pizzazz Card Stock, Concord Crush Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, VersaMark Pad, Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad, Peach Parfait Classic Stampin' Pad, Concord Crush Classic Stampin' Pad, In Color Stampin' Write Markers (Pear Pizzazz, Concord Crush, and Peach Parfait), Blender Pens, Round Tab Extra-Large Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Scallop Envelope Bigz Die, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Sticky Strip, and 2-Way Glue Pen.

I used some of the lovely Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper on this next card.  I just sponged on a little Sahara Sand Ink to give it a light color.  I used the Scallop Edge Border Punch to punch just a tiny bit off each corner of the Whisper White rectangle yielding an elegant design.  The Perfect Punches stamp gave the finishing touch to a pretty card for a wedding, anniversary, or bridal shower.

Uses Fast & Fabulous Hostess Level 2 Clear-Mount Set and Perfect Punches Set plus Clear-Block H, Pink Pirouette Card Stock, Always Artichoke Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper, Always Artichoke Classic Stampin' Pad, Pink Pirouette Classic Stampin' Pad, Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad, Sahara Sand Stampin' Write Marker, Always Artichoke Stampin' Write Marker, Stamping Sponges, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Modern Label Extra-Large Punch, Very Vanilla 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

The Perfect Punches stamp is the center of attention on this fun Christmas card.  I dyed the Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon with the Cherry Cobbler Marker.  I lightly sponge-daubed some Shimmer Paint onto the texturized card stock to add some sparkle.

Uses Perfect Punches Set plus Old Olive Card Stock, Cherry Cobbler Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad, Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad, Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Marker, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Sponge Daubers, Boho Blossoms Extra-Large Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Extra-Large Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Extra-Large Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Large Punch, 1/16" Circle Handheld Punch, Gold Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Sticky Strip, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Time for something a little more masculine!  This fast and easy card features one of the stamps in the Perfect Punches Set.  I colored in the inside of the letters in the word "friend" with the VersaMarker so they stand out a little more.  The Curly Label Extra-Large Punch was used to punch out the sentiment, mat the sentiment, and to create the fancy border beside the strip of Designer Series Paper.

Uses Perfect Punches Set plus Crumb Cake Card Stock, Garden Green Card Stock, Bashful Blue Card Stock, Travel Journal Designer Series Paper, Night of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad, VersaMarker, Curly Label Extra-Large Punch, Crop-A-Dile, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Metallic Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

Here's a bright, tropical birthday card featuring one of the Perfect Punches stamps.  I used two of the pointy oval bits from the Lattice Die cut-out as leaves on the small flower near the sentiment.  I also cut the bound edge off of pieces of Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon with my Craft & Paper Scissors and tied the thin strips through the Bitty Buttons.

Uses Perfect Punches Set plus Tempting Turquoise Card Stock, Old Olive Card Stock, So Saffron Card Stock, Island Oasis Designer Series Paper, Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad, Scallop Edge Border Punch, 2" x 1-3/8" Oval Extra-Large Punch (formerly the Wide Oval Punch), 5-Petal Flower Extra-Large Punch, Boho Blossoms Extra-Large Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Bitty Buttons, Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Craft & Paper Scissors, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Standard Cutting Pads, Lattice Bigz Die, 2-Way Glue Pen, Sticky Strip, and Mini Glue Dots.

My last card for the tour features some emboss resist.  I embossed the En Francais background in clear on white and then colored over it with my Wild Wasabi Marker and blended everything with a Stamping Sponge.  The jewel in the center of the button was pried out of a large, green Circle Ice Rhinestone Brad with the Paper-Piercing Tool and stuck on with a Mini Glue Dot.

Uses Perfect Punches Set and En Francais background stamp plus Wild Wasabi Card Stock, Garden Green Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, VersaMark Pad, Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad, Wild Wasabi Stampin' Write Marker, Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Powder Pals, Heat Tool, Stamping Sponges, Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Scallop Oval Extra-Large Punch, Neutrals Designer Buttons, Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Sticky Strip.

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I hope you enjoyed the New Catalog Blog Tour and will come back to visit my blog often.  If you'd like to receive an e-mail each time I post something new, please subscribe by filling in your e-mail address in the box to the right.

Continue your tour by going on to Jan Wakeland's blog.

Thanks for visiting!  Come back soon!

RemARKable New Catalog Blog Tour - All the Newsprint

Welcome back to day two of the RemARKable New Catalog Blog Tour!  I hope you got lots of great ideas yesterday and had fun starting your Wish Lists!  Are you ready for more?

Stampin' Up! has all new Designer Series Papers in the new catalog.  Each one is gorgeous in its own way.  One of my favorites though is the Newsprint Designer Series Paper.  I've used it in each of my cards today along with new and old stamp sets and accessories.  Enjoy!

- Newsprint Designer Series Paper, page 175, $9.95

This first card is just clean and simple so it will be soothing for someone going through a rough time.  I dyed the ribbon by coloring it with the brush tip of the marker and then setting it aside to let it dry while working on the rest of the card.  The hydrangea is just stamped in Very Vanilla Craft Ink and then embossed in Clear.  I thought about sponging some Baja Breeze Ink over it, but decided to leave it plain.  The flower image works beautifully with the sheet of Newsprint Designer Series Paper that looks like it came out of a gardening dictionary.

Uses Because I Care Hostess Level 1 Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Block B, Clear-Block E, Baja Breeze Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Newsprint Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla Craft Stampin' Pad, Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad, Baja Breeze Stampin' Write Marker, Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Powder Pals, Heat Tool, Stamping Sponges, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Designer Label Large Punch, Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Very Vanilla 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, and Mini Glue Dots.

The Puns from the Past Set works beautifully with the vintage look of the Newsprint Designer Series Paper so I created two cards using it.  This first one pairs the sewing machine with an ad cut from the paper for dress patterns.  I added some faux stitching with the marker to tie it all together!

Uses Puns from the Past and Artistic Etchings Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Block C, Cherry Cobbler Card Stock, Basic Black Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Newsprint Designer Series Paper, VersaMark Pad, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker, Black Stampin' Emboss Powder, Powder Pals, Heat Tool, Cutter Kit, Word Window Large Punch, Heart to Heart Extra-Large Punch, Bitty Buttons, Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Mat Pack, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Sticky Strip.

The Mini Vintage Tags reminded me of typewriter keys so I created this second card featuring the Puns from the Past Set.  I don't have a tiny alphabet set, so I inked up the letters on the "thanks" stamp from the Fundamental Phrases Set one at a time using the marker and stamped them on the tags.

Uses Fundamental Phrases Set and Puns from the Past Set plus Very Vanilla Card Stock, Basic Black Card Stock, Newsprint Designer Series Paper, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker, Color Spritzer Tool, Cutter Kit, Mini Vintage Tags, Metallic Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, and Stampin' Dimensionals.

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true..."  Do you remember that old song?  I was singing it to myself the whole time I was working on this card featuring a bicycle-built-for-two.  I love the contrast of the Daffodil Delight with the Basic Black.  The new Scallop Rectangle Clearlits Die is so easy to use.  I edged the scallop rectangle and the vanilla matchbox tag with Basic Black by running the edge of the brush tip of the marker around the edges.  I did cut two tags using the Matchbox Bigz XL Die - one in Very Vanilla and one in Daffodil Delight.  I cut the daffodil one in half and adhered it behind the vanilla one so just the edges showed on either side.

Uses Pedaling Past Clear-Mount Set and Occasional Quotes Hostess Level 3 Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Block C, Daffodil Delight Card Stock, Basic Black Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Newsprint Designer Series Paper, Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad, Daffodil Delight Stampin' Write Marker, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker, Basic Black 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Neutrals Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Multipurpose Platform, Standard Cutting Pads, Extended Cutting Pads, Matchbox Bigz XL Die, Scallop Rectangle Clearlits Die, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Sticky Strip.

I love the vintage map paper in the Newsprint Designer Series Paper.  It will make some fabulous masculine cards, especially for the members of my family who love to travel.  I crumpled the piece of paper this time and then sponged on some More Mustard Ink to give it an aged look.  The sentiment banner is bowed up just a bit in the center.

Uses Sentimental Journey Set and Pedaling Past Clear-Mount Set plus Clear-Block G, More Mustard Card Stock, Cajun Craze Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, Newsprint Designer Series Paper, More Mustard Classic Stampin' Pad, Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad, Stamping Sponges, 1" Circle Medium Punch, Metallic Brads, Paper-Piercing Tool, and Mat Pack.

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Please leave a comment if you liked my projects.  I enjoy hearing from everyone.

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address in the box to the right.  You'll get an e-mail every time I post something new.

Continue your tour by going on to Jan Wakeland's blog. 

Come back tomorrow for more inspiration!