Inkspiration for Stamping and Scrapbooking

Dahlias on a Carousel

OK - so that title makes just about no sense, doesn't it? Or did it make you want to read more?

Here are the dahlias (the paper folding technique is called the dahlia fold) on the carousel (the Carousel Note Cards found in the Occasions mini):

I used the Soft Sky Prints paper and some Porcelain Prints scraps to make the dahlias. There are very good instructions on how to fold your paper here at SplitCoast. I loved the idea of the buds too, as well as the full blossom.

I used the Baroque Motifs flourish stamp to create a vine for the background. The Mother's Day greeting comes from All Holidays. The circles on the scalloped edge of the card are REALLY simple to do and evenly spaced if you use your 1/8 punch and the Petals Classy Brass Template. A Build a Brad finishes the dahlia centre.

If you cannot access the tutorial I linked to, please let me know and I'll be happy to show you all how to do this paper folding technique. And don't forget, there's a Carousel Notes class coming up, where we'll be making a fabulous purse-shaped mini album with the note cards and envelopes. Will I see you here? It's not too late to sign up.

Happy stampin' and blessings, Ann

All work and no play...

It feels like there's not been much time for stamping lately - I've got lots of writing to do for my other job.

But I wanted to take a minute and show you this. I had a team meeting last week and this was my swap card - our theme was to use a technique, so I chose the chalkboard technique. Isn't the Tart & Tangy set just darling for this technique?

It starts with a Real Red cardbase, onto which I layered Whisper White and stamped with a greeting from Enjoy Life in Staz-On Black. The patterned paper running up the left side is from the Summer Picnic pack. The Basic Black is stamped with the dotted lines stamp from Live Your Dream (Occasions mini). The apple is done by stamping in Whisper White craft ink and then using a sponge dauber to apply chalk over top while it is still wet. If some chalk clings to the black cardstock, use that eraser that comes with the Stampin' Pastels to remove it and clean it up.

This card will go to one of Sarah's teachers in June, I think. I really like how it came out, don't you?

I will be back tomorrow with another fun card that we did at my team meeting. Meantime, leave me a comment letting me know what fun techniques you've been playing with lately. I love hearing from you!

Simple Challenge, Simple Card

I had to miss Sharon's stampin' challenge last week - life was busy. Life's actually no less busy this week, but I just didn't want to miss two weeks in a row. The point of Sharon's challenges is to stamp simply - and it's great to step back and do that sometimes.

This week's theme is colour blocking. I thought it was a great chance to use of some scrap designer paper, so I started with the Ginger Blossom designer paper. I knew already that I wanted this card to evoke a peaceful feeling, so I used pieces with River Rock. Isn't River Rock lovely on Always Artichoke - it takes on a slightly greenish hue and flows quite nicely.

I used the Live Your Dream set because it's been a while. I used WWC on the stamp and slightly dampened it with the Aquapainter before stamping onto the Whisper White. The greeting is from Take Three and I used a Chocolate Chip marker to pull just the sentiment. The ribbon is some retired olive organdy that actually suits the Artichoke quite well. There's just a bit of glitter in the flower centres.

I am off to Hamilton now. My aunt, who is only about 6 years older than me, is in a coma there - she slipped into the coma Wednesday night after being admitted on the weekend with complications arising from her chemo treatments. Aunt Diane was a florist before she got sick and was extremely talented. I'll leave this card there with her that says we are praying for her, her husband and kids. If she should wake up from the coma, she'll know we're there for her. If she passes on, I hope her family finds some small comfort in knowing we love them and are praying for them.

I know this all sounds sad, but really, this is one of the reasons we make cards, isn't it. To share hope with others.

Happy stampin'  and Blessings,

Ann

Tart & Tangy class close up

The Tart & Tangy class was a LOT of fun!

I showed you a group picture of the cards earlier, and now you can see each one up close!

This is the faux postage card, which some of you may have seen before, as I posted it way back when I first announced this class.

Faux postage is really just another masking technique and it creates a really fun effect. We used markers to colour the cherries, and then used a sponge dauber to shade in the background.

This is the faux tile card. There are a few faux tile techniques out there; one involves scoring a grid-like pattern on your card, but I've also seen that called a grid card. This technique involves creating a tile like surface by stamping with classic ink, and then smooshing the cardstock in your Versamark pad and clear embossing.

I know there aren't blue apples, but I love this card, and here's why:

  My dining room is adorned with my Delft collection - yes, there's Dutch blood running through my veins and I love the blue hand-painted porcelain that typifies Dutch artwork - I'll never be able to afford a VanGogh or Rembrandt so these hand-painted beauties will do just nicely.

So I used my Delft  trivets as my inkspiration for the faux tile card.

This next card is a close copy of one in a recent Stampin' Success magazine. For those that don't know, Stampin' Success is the monthly magazine that SU! demonstrators receive free full of business and stampin' ideas.

This technique is called the loaded marker. I like the watercolour-y effect it creates. We loaded the side of a light-coloured brushtip marker with darker-coloured ink and coloured with that. The effect is somewhat subtle, but quite pretty.

This card is a very close copy of Sharon Johnston's card found here. She eventually incorporated her card into a kitchen collection gift set - so cute!

You've heard me talk about Sharon before - I love her simple, elegant style. She posts a stamp simply challenge every Friday, and if you want to play along, you'll find the challenges on her blog.

This card incorporates a template, more than a technique, but I loved it so much I included it in the class! There's a little flap on the inside cover that can hold a favourite cherry recipe that you'd like to share, or a gift card or gift certificate.

This card smells so good!

This is a scratch and sniff card. I mixed unsweetened KoolAid with clear and irridescent ice embossing powders and the whole orange slice is the one that produces that sweet happy smell when scratched.

The 3 slices are embossed with irridescent ice ep and look yummy enough to eat, don't you think? They remind me of candies I'd see at my grandparents - those sugary fruit candies. Anyone know what I mean?

This card is inspired by this  one I saw on SCS - only I eliminated the green - we have enough green cards already, and because I wanted the scratched image to be big enough to get lots of enjoyment out of, I went with the whole orange.

So that was our class - if you missed it, I hope you can make it to another class in the future.

Hope these inspire you to get your stamps out and play - there are so many things you can do with a single set. Next week, I'll show you another Tart & Tangy card I'm dreaming up for my team meeting swap card. Sorry, but you have to wait until they get theirs first.

Happy stampin' and blessings,

Ann

I'm Back with more from last night

Are you just shocked that I've done TWO entries in one day. It's kind of astounding!

OK - I want to show you the rest of the stamping we did at last night's party. By the way, for those of you wondering, I do a few different kinds of parties. There's the total hands-on party, which was what last night was, where I talked the guests through the cards. Guests made 5 projects for just $10 each and they had time to place an order so the hostess got some nice goodies. I do a party that is more of a demonstration style where I demonstrate step by step the cards and then the guests make 2 cards (3 if it's in my studio) and then we have time for ordering and snacks so the hostess gets to tackle her wish list. I also will do a stamp set included party where guests all pre-order the same stamp set and I bring 5 - 6 cards for them to make with their new set. There usually aren't a lot of orders for the hostess, but it is a great night of stamping fun aand guests go home with a lot of ideas.

OK, back to the last 3 cards from last night.

This card was sort of inspired by the one I did with the Stamp Club last week.

I wanted to show last night's group the rub-ons so we used the rounded edged ones from the Perfect day set in the Occasions MIni. These fit the scallop punch perfectly. We rubbed onto the Blue Bayou scrap and then punched it out. I stamped the butterfly from Priceless once on the blue piece to get the antennae, and once on a Whisper White scrap using Wild Wasabi and Blue Bayou and the rock and roll technique. The designer paper is from the Porcelain Prints pack and layered onto the Wild Wasabi. A touch of dazzling diamonds glitter adds a little sparkle to the wings of the butterfly.

The idea for this card came from the gallery at SplitCoast where there are several cards done up in a similar way. I chose this card for a few reasons - one to showcase a Sale-A-Bration set, Birthday Whimsy. Also, because although most of last night's guests were experienced stampers, I knew had 2 newbies so I wanted to do something fairly simple for them. Lastly, I think these colours work for giving the card to a guy or girl. The stamped presents are done using the masking technique, the other "presents" are punched out of the Prints papers and the wide grosgrain is a cheater bow. Fun and easy card to make. Some of last night's guests changed up the design a little to make it a portrait rather than landscape design and that looked great too.

This final card is the first card I made with the Live Your Dream set from the Occasions mini. I cased Sharon at notimetostamp for this one - I adore her classic, elegant style. The card uses Groovey Guava, Garden Green and Chocolate Chip colours. The paper is from the new Afternoon Tea pack also in the Occasions Mini, as is the Chocolate Chip poly twill ribbon. I love the soft feel and flexibility of this ribbon, but you MUST cut it with sharp scissors to avoid fraying. One of the (many) great things I loved about Sharon's card is the focal point on the focal point that she created with the small image. I used the bird stamp in the set and punched it out with the 1 1/4 inch circle punch, layered it onto a 1 3/8 square punch out that has had the corners nicked off with the tag corner punch. Thanks Sharon for your beautiful ideas!

Some of the guests last night flipped the paper and the card looks gorgeous using the reverse sides as well.

Well, that's all for now folks. I may have more for you tomorrow, as we are expecting MORE snow and LOTS of it - the joys of a Canadian winter... it never ends until it's summer! I hope these spring-y cards give you reason for hope.

Happy stampin' and blessings - Ann

Cherries go Postal

Well it is the start of March, and the start of a new mini catalogue. The Occasions mini runs through to the end of May and features lots of great sets for Spring-y stamping projects.

This card features the Tart & Tangy set, a cute little 4 piece stamp set with fruit in solid images. Oh, the things I plan to do with this set! Fun stuff!

This card uses Baroque Burgundy, Garden Green and Almost Apricot along with some Basic Black and Whisper White. The technique is called Faux Postage and if you like this look, you'll have to be sure to sign up for my upcoming Tart & Tangy class. I'm including this card/this technique in that class. It's being held on Wednesday, April 2nd and it is technique oriented. So you'll learn lots of other fun and faux techniques that night! There is a price for set included, and without the set. AND for those of you who can't attend in person, there are the to-go versions too. 

Hope to see you at the class - we always have a ton of fun while we get together for some stamping!

If you haven't got your Occasions mini yet, just let me know.