Swallowtail Celebration

The vibrant colors of the Blendabilities markers make this butterfly look so lifelike.

For something different on the card front I trimmed the butterfly along the right edge.  Because the markers do bleed through to the other side, I added a second full layer of Whisper White cardstock on the inside that is trimmed just a smidgeon smaller than the original layer.  This also made the card a nice heavier weight as just a single layer of Whisper White is fairly thin.

The sentiment is stamped on the inside layer.  I was looking for a birthday-type sentiment with a pretty font and I came up with one from the long retired Send A Celebration set.   This set has some line images that would be great colored with the Blendabilities so you may be seeing some more cards from this set in the future.

This is the back of the card.  It is a bit easier to see the cut away from this view.

Supplies:
Stamps: Swallowtail, Send A Celebration (retired)
Paper: Whisper White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Blendabilities (Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight assortments)

Stamp Review Crew: Wetlands Edition

  

Welcome to the latest Stamp Review Crew Blog Hop.  At each stop you will see ideas using the Wetlands stamp set.  We have our blogs permamently linked in a circle but if you encounter any difficulties just click on the banner above to be taken to a complete list of Stamp Review Crew members and blog links.

For my project I paired the nature-themed Wetlands stamp set with two NEW In-Colors, paper from a NEW Designer Series Paper Stack, a NEW stamp set and a NEW Big Shot die all of which will be available beginning June 1 in the NEW catalog.

Blackberry Bliss and Hello Honey are two of the five new In-Colors. Blackberry Bliss is a dark purple that depending on the color it is with can look very masculine or distinctly feminine.  Coupled with Hello Honey and Sahara Sand it works well for a desk set that would be great for Father's Day (even with the pink notepads!)

On the first three items below, the swashes of Sahara Sand are stamped with the wonderful new Work of Art stamp set.  I can tell already that the brush stroke images of this set will be ones that I reach for many times.

6-1/2" X 10-1/2" paper,  scored at 1 and 5-1/2" on short side,  2-1/2",  3-1/2" and 9-1/2" on long side.

Just a tiny bit of the new Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack can be seen peeking out behind the goose on the pencil cup.  Oh and I almost forgot-- the satin Hello Honey ribbon is NEW too!  

This little paper clip holder is made with the new Hamburger Box Die.   I have been having great fun with this die and just learned a fantastic tip for assembling it from Jackie Susnik.  Instead of making the "V" fold pleats at the corners,  use a scissors to clip one side of the "V" and treat it as a tab.  Then it is very quick to fold on the remaining scorelines and adhere the tabs.  It cuts the assembly time WAY down and the tabs hold it securely.  That little tip just took this up a notch in my book!

I added a very simple post-it note holder to round out the set.

3-1/2" X 11" paper, scored at 1", 4-1/2" and 8"

Thanks for stopping by!  Please click on the "Next Blog" button to continue on to see Jill's beautiful creations or the "Previous Blog" button to view Cindy's.

 

  

 

Hamburger Box Critters - Set Three

The critter collection continues to grow!

First we have a little lady moose with dreamy blue eyes and and pouty lips.  The soft colors and tiny hearts on the new Lullaby DSP are a whimsical addition to the herd.

Next is a not-so-scary bat.  Those little fangs couldn't hurt anyone could they?

And last to the picnic is a ladybug.  The body is made with the red-checked Maritime DSP which reminds me of a picnic tablecloth.

Here are a few tips for creating each:
Moose:
For the eyelashes snip partway into a one inch wide strip of black cardstock with the Fringe Scissors.  Roll around the barrel of a pen to curl.  Glue to eyelids which are circles cut in half.

To make the lips,  use tip of the Mosaic punch to make the upper and lower lip indentions.  Use a scissors to round off the sharp edges.  Cut in half lengthwise.

Bat:
For the wings, use the largest smooth Circle Framelit.  Cut the circle in half.  Score 1/2" from the end.   Starting at the scoreline,  punch the upper wing with the Large Oval Punch and the lower wing with 1-1-1/4" Circle Punch.

LadyBug: 
The black wing section is the "leftover" piece when the largest Circle Framelit is used to cut two circles that almost overlap.  You could also use the 2-1/2" Circle Punch to make this.

Moose Punches Etc:
Eyes: Small Oval, 1/4" Circle,  1/8" Handheld
Eyelid: 1" Circle
Eyelashes: Fringe Scissors
Lips: Large Oval, Mosaic
Antlers: Autumn Accents Die

(Cardstock colors: Lullaby DSP, Rose Red, Whisper White, Basic Black, Sahara Sand)

Bat Punches Etc:
Eyes: 3/4 Circle, 1/2" Circle, 1/8" Handheld
Fangs: Petite Pennants Builder
Eyes: Small Oval, 1/4" Circle
Wings: Largest Circle Collection Framelit (cut in half), Large Oval, 1-1/4" Circle
(Cardstock: Basic Black,  Whisper White, Rose Red)

Lady Bug Punches Etc:
Head: Second smallest Ovals Collection Framelit
Eyes:  Small Oval (cut in half), 1/4" Circle (cut in half) 3/4 Circle, Owl Builder Punch (middle circle for pupil)
Mouth: Extra Large Oval
Cheeks: 1/8" Handheld
Spots: 1/4" Circle
Wing section: Largest Circle Collection Framelits.  (Could also use 2-1/2" punch)
Antennae:  Modern Label ( cut in half lengthwise), Boho Blossom
(Cardstock: Maritime DSP, Basic Black, Whisper White, So Saffron, Pool Party)

Blackberry Bliss and Rich Razzleberry Wedding Card

Blackberry Bliss is one of the new In-Colors and oh is it rich and wonderful!  Just the name sounds decadent doesn't it?    It is darker than Rich Razzelberry which is one of the main 40 colors in the Stampin' Up palette.

For this wedding card I used the Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities to color the image and added a touch of satin Blackberry Bliss ribbon at the side.   The darkest marker shade is very similar to Blackberry Bliss making the shading really pop.

The roses are made by twisting the ribbon and coiling it on a large glue dot.

Supplies:
Stamps: Apothecary Art, This Day Forward
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive Blendabilities
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive
Punches: Bird Builder
Big Shot: Labels Collection Framelits, Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder
Accessories: Basic Pearls, Blackberry Bliss 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon

Traveler Graduation Card

This flip style graduation card pairs Maritime Designer Series Paper with the Traveler stamp set.  I was going to add more embellishments to the outside but decided I liked the crisp clean look of just the knot patterned DSP.

The right panel folds out to reveal a pocket for a gift card or cash and the circle flips over to display a second image.

Small strips of the nautical flag paper frame the sentiment.  The sentiment is from the retired Word Play set.  I always seem to go back to this one for graduation cards.

Sandi Maciver has a great video with directions for making the flip card.  It can be found HERE.

Supplies:
Stamps: Traveler, Word Play
Ink: Night of Navy
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Maritime Designer Series Paper
Punches: 2-1/2" Circle
Big Shot: Circle Card Thinlits

Mother's Day Flower Shop Card

I was wondering why everyone was so excited that Stampin' Up will be carrying Memento Tuxedo Black Ink in the upcoming catalog.  Now I know!  It stamps a beautiful clean crisp image.   The color is true black on both dark and light cardstock.  And because it is water-base it does not smear when using the Blendabilites which are alcohol-base markers.

The intricate details of the stamp show up and stay just perfectly when colored over with the markers.        These flowers have all three shades of the Coastal Cabana markers.  Even with the darkest shade of marker the black ink still shows through a deep rich black.

 

Supplies:
Stamps: Flower Shop, My Mother
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Coastal Cabana Blendabilities
Paper: Whisper White, Indigo Island, Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper
Punches: Pansy
Big Shot: Deco Labels Framelits
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones, Soft Sky Seam Binding

More Hamburger Box Critters

Thanks everyone who commented on Stampin' Connection and Splitcoast Stampers where I posted yesterdays Hamburger Box Critters or here on my blog.  These are really so fun to make.   I tell ya they are addicting.  The more I make the more ideas pop in my head!  I started a list of possible ideas and it just keeps growing.

These are the three I make today:

 This guy doesn't look very crabby, in fact he looks pretty darn pleased to be here!

 But Mr Zebra has a bit of an attitude sticking out his tongue!

And the sweet little Giraffe looks a bit concerned by all the commotion.

The personalities emerge as I create them-- it is often a surprise as I keep changing my mind as I go!

Most of the shapes are pretty self explanatory but there a few little tricks for each animal.
Crab:
For the pincers, punch the Extra Large Oval piece first.  Then use the tip of Triangle Punch to take a little bite out of it.

Zebra: 
The nostrils are the leaves on the branch of the Bird Builder punch.  Trim off the single leaf at the end of the branch.

Giraffe:
I thought this idea was pretty cool!  The head knobs and ears are diecut with the safety pin framelit from the new Baby's First Steps collection (available June 1).    Cut two yellow and two brown pieces.  Cut the brown pieces in two and glue the tip on the yellow diecut.

The bottom brown piece becomes the inside of the ear.  The outer ear is trimmed from the largest Floral Frames framelit.

Floral Frames diecut trimmed to form the outer ears

Bottom half of the safety pin layered on the Floral Frames piece.

Also: A tip for adhering the little "pleats" at the corners.  A really strong adhesive is required.  I was having a bit of trouble yesterday with the corners staying stuck together but today I had much better luck by trimming the Sticky Strip at an angle.  It really didn't take long once I got the pattern down.

As time allows I will post more critters!  Thanks for stopping by and I really do appreciate those who take time comment!

Crab Punches:
Eyes: 1-3/8" Circle (cut in half), 1-1/4" Circle, 3/4" Circle
Mouth: 1-3/4" Circle
Legs: 2-1/2" Circle
Pinchers: Modern Label, Extra Large Oval, Triangle

(Cardstock colors: Rose Red, Whisper White, Basic Black)

Zebra Punches:
Eyes: Small Oval, 1/4" Circle
Tongue:  Extra Large Oval
Ears: Extra Large Oval, Large Oval
Nose: Extra Large Oval
Nostrils: Bird Builder Punch (clip the end leaf)
(Cardstock: Kaleidoscope DSP, Basic Black, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Rose Red)

Giraffe Punches:
Eyes: Small Oval, 1/8" Handheld
Eyebrows:  Bird Builder (piece of the stem of the leave spray)
Ears:  Floral Frames Collection Framelit (largest framelit), Baby's First Framelits (safety pin)
Head Knobs: Baby's First Framelits (safety pin)
Nostrils: 3/4" Circle
(Cardstock: So Saffron, Basic Black, Whisper White, Early Espresso)

Hamburger Box Critters

It is looking a bit like a zoo in my craft room (and a bit of mess)!  No pics of the post-creation craft room whirlwind (believe me you do NOT want to see that!) but I do have cutie pie animal pics.

This menagerie is made with the new Stampin' Up Hamburger Box Bigz XL die.

Mr Alligator was the first critter to join the zoo.  Love the teeth on all three sides!  They are made with the 1" Square Punch set on an angle.

Then came Mr Horse:

I was going for a monkey but once I had the base assembled I thought the Baked Brown Sugar looked more equine.  His teeth are also made with the 1" Square Punch cut in half to form rectangles.  The forelock is made with the tail piece of the bird from the Bird Builder Punch.

So I tried again for a monkey with a Chocolate Chip colored Hamburger Box.  Guess what?   It turned in to a bear!

I think this guy looks like Baloo the Bear from Jungle Book.

And last a hippopotamus joined the crowd:

I have ideas for a few more critters so hopefully tomorrow I can get time to make some more!  Playing with the die has given me some ideas for ways to modify the box into other things so keep a look out for those too!

Below is a list of all the punches and framelits for each animal.  I think they are pretty easy to figure out from the pictures but let me know if you have any questions!

Alligator Punches:
Eyes: Extra Large Oval, Small Oval and 1/2" Circle
Nostrils: 3/4" Circle
Teeth: 1" Square

Horse Punches:
Eyes: Small Oval, 1/2" Circle
Ears: Extra Large Oval, Large Oval
Forelock: Bird Builder
Nostrils: 1/8" Handheld
Teeth: 1" Square- cut in half

Bear Punches:
Head: Largest smooth Circle Framelit, Third Largest smooth Ovals Framelit
Ears: 1-3/8" Circle, 1" Circle
Eyes: 3/4" Circle, 1/2" Circle
Nose: Small Oval

Hippo Punches: 
Eyes: 1-1/2" Circle, 1-1/4" Circle, 3/4" Circle
Nostrils: 3/4" Circle
Teeth: 1" Square- cut in half

Blended Dahlia

My preorder arrived today with new products from the upcoming Stampin' Up catalog.  The first thing I chose to experiment with was the new Blendabilities Markers.  Are they ever nifty!

The markers come in packs of three with dark, medium and light shades of the same color. That makes shading so easy!   I used the Daffodil Delight Assortment on the Regarding Dahlias stamp.

I did discover a few things working with the markers:

1)  It is best to work in small sections and blend each little area as the colors are most workable while the ink is still wet.

2) The Color Lifter pen dampens the paper and pushes the ink in front of it.  You can get different effects if you go over the area first with Color Lifter and then work on the wet surface.  Or you can use the Color Lifter after using the markers to blend the shades together.

3) Some colors are very intense and require a very light touch.  This seemed especially true of the Cherry Cobbler markers.

4) Also be sure to protect your work surface as the markers can bleed through to the underside especially as you add more color layers and use the Color Lifter.

I added the faintest touch  (a tiny, tiny touch with the tip of the marker!) of red to the center of the flower with the lightest Cherry Cobbler marker then went over it several times with the Color Lifter pen to dilute and blend the color.  When blended the color looked more like the Tangerine Tango in the Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper that is the background of the card.

The Blendabilites Markers will be available starting June 1.

Supplies:
Stamps: Regarding Dahlias, My Mother
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Basic Gray for the card base, Whisper White for stamping and coloring with Blendabilities,  Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper
Tools: Blendabilites Mardkers: Daffodil Delight Assortment, Color Lifter
Accessories: Basic Black Chevron Ribbon, Brights Candy Dots

Smoky State Watercolor

Stamping on patterned paper can add a unexpected element to a card.  For this card I stamped the flowers on the softly dotted Watercolor Wonder DSP then added a touch of ink using a cotton swab.

The splotches on the background are stamped with Smoky Slate Classic Ink, the upper one full strength and the lower one stamped off once.   Lots of silvery details to finish it out.  

This also is my first time joining the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge.  

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Watercolor
Ink: Smoky Slate, Blushing Bride
Paper: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper, Silver Fancy Foil Designer Vellum
Punches: Bitty Butterfly
Accessories: Silver 1/8" Ribbon, Basic Metal Buttons, Basic Rhinestones

First Retro Sketches Challenge

This is my first time joining the Retro Sketches Challenge.  It only seemed appropriate to pick the Retro Fresh DSP to make it!

For the balloon, I stamped the image from the Big Wish set with Versa Mark ink on the patterned paper.  That made the balloon show up just enough to cut it out by hand.  Then I shaped it slightly and coated it with Crystal Effects to give a nice shiny 3d look.

Here is the sketch I started with:

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Big Wish

Cardstock: Tangerine Tango, Retro Fresh DSP

Ink: Versamark

Accessories: Coastal Cabana Thick Bake's Twine, Crystal Effects, Brights Candy Dots, Tangerine Tango Embossing Powder

Big Shot: On Film Framelits

Geometrical Mini Card Set

The very first stamping supplies I ever bought were a pack of Stampin' Up Brights collection markers, a pack of Whisper White paper, a pack of Basic Black paper and a stamp set.  The colors in this card set remind of the fun I had discovering stamping!   Bold, bright and fun!

These little 3" X 3" cards each have a base of black cardstock dressed up with Kaleidoscope designer series paper and the Geometrical stamp set.   The box is made with the Envelope Punch Board.

Little accents make each one cheerful:

Strips of 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon and Brights Candy Dots

Rhinestones on the sentiment

Hearts punched with the Owl Builder Punch