Lotus Blossom

My favorite stamp set from the 2015 Sale-A-Bration catalog is the Lotus Blossom set.   This set is actually a three-step stamp set.  Each of the blossom stamp is numbered and marked to make it easier to line up the three images.

I couldn't wait to try different colors and color combinations.  The first card I made was stamped with only one ink - cherry cobbler.  To achieve the three color variation, I stamped off twice to get the lightest color and stamped off once for the medium shade and the full on color for the darkest shade. Obviously, this technique works better with dark color than light color inks.  The washi tape is from the Stacked with Love Designer Washi Tape collection.

On the next card I used hello honey, daffodil delight and crushed curry inks for the flowers and old olive for the stems.  My preference in using the three colors is to start with the lightest color (#3 stamp), then the medium (#2 stamp) and finally the darkest color (#1 stamp) which, I think is the reverse order.  Based on the numbering on the stamps, I think they were meant to be stamped in numeric order or dark, medium then light. Either way works.  The card base is hello honey and the paper is from Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper.

On the next card I used pink pirouette, strawberry slush and rich razzlebery.  For the stems, I used pistachio pudding and old olive inks.  Pink pirouette is so light you almost don't notice it.

On the last card I used crisp cantaloupe, calypso coral and  tangelo twist inks.  The stems were stamped with pistachio pudding and old olive inks.  Love how this layout turned out.  After I stamped the flowers, I drew a straight line at an angle across the card stock with a pencil which I erased after I finished cutting around the flowers.  You'll see what I mean with the picture below.

 

I mounted the cut panel on a white card stock.  I stamped the sentiment on a scrap white card stock and punched it with the scallop oval punch.  Before adding the sentiment label to the card, I stamped the stems on the punched label making sure they lined up with the main image.

I stopped after fours cards but I want to make more, a blue one perhaps, I just love blue flowers!!! Hope you enjoy my take on the Lotus Blossoms, everyone's favorite set in the 2015 SAB catalog.

Cheers!!!


irene


MY SUPPLY LIST:

Make A Wish

Recently, I saw one of the ladies at my local Paper Source demonstrate this technique.   I've also seen it on various websites.  I wondered why I haven't tried it before, then I remembered that I thought it would be messy and I would not like the clean-up.  But no, it wasn't messy at all and clean up was a breeze with baby wipes!

Start by rubbing the ink pad directly on your embossing folder, insert card stock and run it on your machine.  On this card, I embossed the black card stock using Stampin'Up's Woodgrain Texture Impressions Embossing Folder inked with Gold Encore Metallic Ink.  The result is a subtle metallic look, very nice in person but hard to capture on my little camera.

I stamped the sentiment, from Perfect Pennants stamp set, with black ink and die cut the banner using Banners framelits dies.  I stamped the starbursts in crumb cake ink and die cut using the Starburst framelits dies.  Added the candy dots and it's done.  I was going for a masculine card.

For supply details, please click the links below.

Cheers!!!

irene

Supplies List:

Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.95

Banners Framelits Dies

$26.95

Starburst Framelits Dies

$26.95

Gold Metallic Encore Pad

$9.95

Perfect Pennants Clear-mount Stamp Set

$21.95

Brights Candy Dots

$5.95

Starburst Sayings Clear Stamp Set

$18.95

Bloom with Hope Swap Birthday Card

Today I'm sharing the swap card I made for our group meeting in May.  I didn't plan on posting it because, in hindsight, I thought it looked uninspired and plain.  The thing that gets me every time I do these swaps is the "under 10-minute rule".  Majority of the cards I make takes more than ten minutes.  I struggle when I'm forced to stay within the time limit.  Afterwards, every time I see the extra ones on my work table, I hear this little voice in my head screaming "fix me!, do something!, embellish!!".

I finally did something!  First thing I changed is the card base - from shimmery white card stock to blackberry bliss.  Then I punched a couple of butterflies from vellum card stock and colored them with the new blendabilities.  I also colored the pearls with blendabilities.  Love how the flowers look like magnolias!  And I'm much happier with the stepped up version.  What do you think?

This whole exercise reminded me of a Steven Wright quote, "Everything is walking distance, if you have the time."  It's all about the time!  My day job revolves around deadlines that's why I like to take my sweet time when I sit down to decompress and make a card.

Cheers!!!

irene

You can get all the supplies and tools I used here.

Bloom With Hope Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$17.00

Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack

$6.95

Blackberry Bliss 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$6.95

Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Hello Honey 3/8" Satin Stitched Ribbon

$8.95

Pearl Basic Jewels Embellishments

$4.95

Shimmery White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$7.95

Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.50

Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Rich Razzleberry Assortment

$11.95

Clean and Simple - Negative Die Cut

Here's a quick and easy card I made recently, in between all the cards with lots of coloring and sponging.

The base card is island indigo (retired) card stock.  I die cut the tulips using the retired Backyard Basics Thinlit Dies.  I scored two horizontal lines on the top and bottom of the main panel then added the baker's twine and the birthday sentiment.  Done!

I'm off to check out my die collection to see what other negative die cut I can use for more quick and easy cards.

Until next time...........

Cheers everyone!!!

irene

Bloom With Hope Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$17.00

Twine Baker's Early Espresso

$2.95

Card in a Box - Birthday Balloons

Today I'm sharing the card I made for my son's fifteenth birthday.  Up until his 10th birthday, I used to sneak in his bedroom the night before his birthday and fill his room with balloons.  He would wake up with balloons floating everywhere.  A couple of weeks ago he asked me if he was getting balloons on his birthday.  This year though I just got him a balloon bouquet and set them up in the living room with his birthday presents.  He was still surprised and he ate his breakfast surrounded by balloons.  It warms my heart that at fifteen he has fond memories of  his childhood birthdays and still want to have that experience.  That leads us to this card in a box exploding with balloons, I stopped at fifteen balloons and he loves it!

The "happy" banner and the gold and sliver balloons are leftovers from a project I made years ago that I have been saving for just the right card.  They came in real handy for this card.  I die cut scrap card stocks using Papertrey Ink's balloon dies.  The sentiments are from Stampin'Up's Itty Bitty Banners, Really Good Greetings and Yippee Skippee stamp sets.  The patterned papers are from the retired Color Collection Designer Series Paper Stack.

This is a collage I made in MDS, Stampin'Up's digital studio, to memorialize his growth in fifteen years.  I printed it but haven't found a 12 x 12 frame that I like.

I thank you for stopping by today, until next time......

Cheers!!!

irene

Itty Bitty Banners Clear Stamp Set

$11.95

Really Good Greetings Clear Stamp Set

$14.95

Yippee-Skippee Clear Stamp Set

$14.95

Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack

$16.95

Card in a Box with Petite Petals and Flower Shop

I finally got around to doing my own card in a box.  I really like the idea of a bouquet of flowers exploding out of the box.  I have so many flower dies and flower punches, that it took me a while to settle on which one to use.  For my first try, I settled on using punches to keep it manageable.

I originally intended this for a Mother's Day card but my indecision made me missed the occasion completely!

Closed Card

Halfway Closed Card

The card base is basic gray.  The patterned papers are from the new Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack which will be available on June 2nd.  The inks I used are from the new In Color, also available on June 2nd, blackberry bliss and hello honey.  I used the Pansy and Petite Petals punches along with their coordinating stamp sets.  The leaves were punched using the Bird Builder punch. The two mini flowers accenting the sentiment were punched with the new Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack.

I followed the tutorial from Splitcoast Stampers found HERE in case you want to give this a try.  Stay tuned for the next one, it will have balloons ..... lots and lots of balloons!!!

Until next time....

Cheers!!!

irene

Supply List:

Petite Petals

$11.95

Flower Shop

$17.95

Petite Petals Punch

$12.95

Pansy Punch

$15.95

Bird Punch

$16.95

Bloom with Hope and Blendabilities

I'm having a lot of fun playing with all my new toys from the new Stampin'Up catalog rolling out on June 2nd.  New colors, new stamp sets, new tools and new accessories!!  Right away I was drawn to the new colors blackberry bliss and hello honey, hence my color palette today.

 On this card, I started by stamping the flower stamp, from the Bloom with Hope set, three times using tuxedo black Memento ink, the recommended ink to use with blendabilities markers, on a white card stock.  Then I colored the flowers using medium rich razzleberry, medium pumpkin pie and light old olive   blendabilities markers.  No shading, just straight up coloring the images. Then I sponged marina mist and wild wasabi ink on the background.  I was pleasantly surprised that the sponged inks didn't affect the coloring of the flowers.  I added the Stitched Satin Ribbon in hello honey.  I colored the pearls with dark rich razzleberry markers.  I stamped the sentiment using blackberry bliss ink.  I used vellum card stock for the butterfly and colored it with light rich razzleberry blendabilities markers.  Love how that turned out!

This card used the same stamp set and ribbon.  The card base is hello honey card stock.  The flowers and stems were colored with dark daffodil delight and light old olive blendabilities markers  I added the linen thread over the stitched ribbon.  I punched two butterflies from vellum card stock and colored them with light and medium daffodil delight blendabilties markers.  The two main difference between coloring vellum with Stampin Write markers and blendabilities are drying time and color saturation.  Blendabilties are absorb instantly and the color spreads out evenly, none of the streaking or color lines you get with the regular markers.

I'm having a great time coloring with blendabilities markers.  The key to nice crisp image is to stamp with Memento Ink, the recommended base ink.  I tried jet black Archival Ink by Ranger and black StazOn ink and found that neither worked well with these markers.  Even though they're waterproof and permanent, they bled with the color and muddied the images.

Stay tuned for more new products preview this week.

Cheers!!!

irene