Male Thinking of You
I needed to make a card for a male friend of ours who has just undergone surgery. I find it hard to make cards for males generally and especially because they are unwell.
I started by embossing Whisper White card with the Softly Falling Embossing Folder and attached it to Crumb Cake card. I attached a square of Crumb Cake paper from the Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack to Early Expresso card and then the card front.
I inked the single tree image from the Lovely As a Tree Stamp set using Early Expresso, Old Olive and Garden Green Stampin’ Write Markers and then stamped onto Whisper White card. 
To get the shading on the foliage of the tree, I covered the whole of the foliage with the Old Olive Stampin’ Write Marker and then tapped over with the Garden Green Stampin’ Write Marker, which adds some depth and dimension to the image. The image is also attached to Early Expresso card and then the card front using dimensionals.
I decorated the inside by stamping the tree image once more onto the bottom left hand corner of Whisper White card.
This is an extremely simple card but I think it works for this occasion. How about you, what do you think?
Bye for now,
Kris
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Flowers and Sympathy
This is the kind of card that no-one ever wants to make, however, there are times when it is necessary. A friend of ours recently passed away and this is the card that I made for his wife and family.
I stamped “Thinking of You” from the Sassy Salutations stamp set onto the top right hand corner of Whisper White card using Wisteria Wonder ink and then embossed the card using the Softly Falling Embossing Folder. The embossed card is attached to scored and folded Wisteria Wonder card. I cut the leaf border from the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies from Wild Wasabi card and trimmed it down so that it resembled a stem of leaves and attached it to the card front.. I also cut three of the “ferny” leaves from Wild Wasabi card using the framelit from the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies and attached them over the bottom the “stem of leaves”. Using the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies I cut a large double flower and a small single flower from Wisteria Wonder card. 
I also cut the smaller double flower from Elegant Eggplant card. I painted the centre of each of the double flowers using the Clear Wink of Stella as well as the whole of the small flower. I used my bone folder to curl the petals of each flower and then attached them to the card front using Glue Dots. The flower centres are cut from Elegant Eggplant card and attached to the large and small flowers also using Glue Dots. I added Basic Pearls to the centre of each of the flowers as a finishing touch.
To decorate the inside of the card I embossed Whisper White card using the Softly Falling Embossing Folder and then cut the top edge using the leaf border from the Botanicals Builder Framelits Dies and trimmed off the “overhanging leaves”. I cut Wild Wasabi card using the same border and attached it behind the embossed card. The panel is attached to Whisper White card. I inlaid the green petals once the panel was attached to the inside of the card.
I absolutely adore the Botanical Gardens collection and love using them. I do hope they carry over to next year’s catalogue! I am pleased with the way this card turned out. I’d love to hear what you think.
Bye for now,
Kris
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Happy Birthday Ava
My youngest granddaughter Ava is celebrating her 6th birthday today so I thought I would share her card with you. I was inspired by this gorgeous card on Pinterest by Jo Blackman. I used two different papers from the It’s My Party Designer Series Paper Stack to attach to Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock. I cut a length of Whisper White card and punched one end with the Scallop Tag Topper Punch. I created a banner from Basic Black card and Whisper White Card using the Triple Banner Punch. 
The greeting is from the Butterfly Basics stamp set and is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I punched 6 cupcakes from Basic Black card using the Party Punch Pack. I punched four cupcakes from Melon Mambo card and two from Mint Macaron card using the same punch. I trimmed the Melon Mambo and Mint Macaron cupcakes and attached the “icing” to each of the Basic Black cupcakes. 
I painted the “icing” with the Clear Wink of Stella and added a small Basic Pearl to the top of each cupcake. I tied a length of the Melon Mambo/Basic Black Bakers Twine from the Bakers Twine Combo Pack through the top of the tag and created a bow. Inside the card I cut the “Hip Hip Hooray” from the Party Pop-Up Thinlits Dies from Melon Mambo card. I attached it to the inside of the card and added a strip of designer series paper from the It’s My Party Designer Series Paper Stack.
I am really happy with this card, it’s bright and cheery and has lots of things going on – perfect for a six year old.
Bye for now,
Kris
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Botanicals Joy Fold
I haven’t made a Joy Fold card in a long time but decided to create this card for my March Class (held in February – it’s a long story). Anyway I followed the basic directions that you can get from Splitcoast Stampers. For the card base I used the Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock and added a layer of Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper to the inside of the folded card and on the front of the small fold. I scored and folded Cajun Craze card and attached it to the section of the folded A4 Thick cardstock with the flowery designer series paper so that the fold was on the right hand side. I added a piece of Whisper White to the inside of the folded Cajun Craze card to give me somewhere to write my message. I also added Whisper White to the front of the card. 
I stamped “thinking of you” from the Sassy Salutations stamp set onto Whisper White card using Cajun Craze ink and punched it out using the Extra Large Oval Punch. I atttached the greeting to a Cajun Craze Decorative Label. I added dimensionals to the back of the Label so that I could slide the front of the folded Cajun Craze card underneath to hold the card closed. To decorate the front I stamped the leaf detail from the Botanical Gardens Stamp set onto Mossy Meadow card using Mossy Meadow ink and used the matching Botanical Builder Framelit Die to cut out two leaves. I also cut two of the “ferny” leaves from Mint Macaron card. The flowers are cut from Cajun Craze, Mint Macaron and Crushed Curry card. 
The flower centres are cut from Whisper White card and each flower has a Basic Rhinestone in its centre. Lastly I added a Botanical Gardens Jewel Embellishment.
I think I am in love with this Botanical Garden Suite of products. Somehow using the co-ordinated products helps to make the card feel more cohesive and just plain “look better”, don’t you think. If you haven’t bought this set, I urge you to have another look. It may not be continued over to the next Annual Catalogue and so will be gone when the Occasions Catalogue retires at the end of May.
Bye for now,
Kris
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Diamond Box
I found this cute box on Pinterest and followed the link back to Stampin’ Up! Apparently a very talented European demonstrator Jessica Winter shared the box and Stampin’ Up! shared the directions for creating it. You need the Gift Bag Punch Board and a little patience but the box is so worth the trouble. I did cheat a little and cut my card the width of our A4 sheets which are 21cm, so my seam is very tiny, however, the box holds together well and a little play in the box, sometimes makes it easier to get the lid on and off.
Anyway I used this box to create our 3d project for my recent card class. The bottom of the box is created using Basic Black card and the lid is created from Whisper White card. Please refer to the link to get the sizes and cutting instructions. The lid is wrapped with one of the Botanical Gardens Designer Washi Tapes, I liked the yellow one but I am sure any of the Washi Tapes would look equally good. The small solid leaf is stamped onto Whisper White card using Mint Macaron ink and then the detail is stamped in Mossy Meadow ink, before cutting them out using the matching Botanical Builder Framelit Die. The larger flower is stamped in Watermelon Wonder ink, which has been stamped onto scrap paper first. 
The small flower is also stamped in Watermelon Wonder ink. Both flowers are cut out using the matching Botanical Builder Framelit Die. I added a little dimension to the flower petals using my bone folder and painted the flowers with the Clear Wink of Stella (OMG I love this stuff). The flower centre is cut from Tip Top Taupe card. The flowers and centre are attached together using Glue Dots and then attached over the leaves, also using a Glue Dot. I stamped the “just for you” from the Teeny Tiny Sentiments stamp set onto Whisper White card using Tip Top Taupe ink and punched it out using the Word Window Punch. The greeting is attached to Tip Top Taupe card punched using the Washi Label Punch. I trimmed the sentiment panel down a little before attaching it beneath the flower, also using a Glue Dot. Lastly I added a large Basic Rhinestone to the centre of the flower.
The ladies were in love with this little box. It is so cute and just the perfect size for a jewellery gift or a chocolate or two. So thank you to Jessica for creating such a cute and, despite having all those angles, really quite a simple box.
Bye for now,
Kris
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Special Anniversary
My youngest daughter celebrated her 10th Wedding Anniversary last week, an event which seems to have come around rather quickly! My card was inspired by this card gorgeous card by Mary Brown. I embossed Basic Black card with the Elegant Dots Embossing folder and wrapped a length of Whisper White 5/8″ Organza Ribbon around the embossed card before attaching to a Basic Black card base. I cut the heart from Pink Pirouette card using the Bloomin’ Hearts Thinlets Die. I stamped the numbers onto Whisper White card using Pink Pirouette ink and cut them out using the matching Large Numbers Framelits Dies. 
I cut the banner from Pink Pirouette card and stamped “anniversary” from the Number of Years stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Lastly I cut Whisper White card using the flag framelit from the Large Numbers Framelits Dies and stamped “th” from the Number of Years stamp set using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.
To decorate the inside of the card I embossed Whisper White card using the Elegant Dots Embossing Folder, added a strip of Basic Black card behind one long edge and attached it the bottom of Whisper White card. I stamped the heart image from the Bloomin’ Love Photopolymer stamp set using Pink Pirouette ink. I love this card and how the Pink and Black work so well together.
Thank you once again to Mary Brown for providing such a beautiful card for me to Case.
Bye for now,
Kris
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Happy Birthday Elyssa
Today my granddaughter Elyssa celebrates her 8th birthday. I can’t celebrate with her today so we had a shopping day last week and lunch out which was rather lovely. She got to shop for her birthday gifts – clothes of course – which she rather enjoyed and so did I.
I made her a centre step card for her birthday and used the Whisper White A4 Thick card for the base. I added a strip of designer paper from the It’s My Party Designer Series Paper Stack and a different paper on each of the side steps. 
I embossed Whisper White card using the Softly Falling Embossing Folder and attached it to Melon Mambo card before attaching to the card base. I stamped the “look who’s turning” from the Number of Years stamp set onto Whisper White card using Mint Macaron ink. I free cut the greeting, attached it to Mint Macaron card and free cut once again before attaching it to the card front. I cut the number from Crushed Curry card using the Large Number Framelits Dies. 
I stamped the banner from the Number of Years stamp set onto Whisper White card using Sahara Sand ink and stamped the greeting from the Boys Will be Boys stamp set onto the banner before cutting it out with the matching Large Number Framelits Die. This is a rather simple card but she loved it because it “stands” all by itself.
I also made an envelope for the card using the It’s My Party Designer Series Paper Stack and the Envelope Punch Board. 
I wanted the envelope to stay shut to I pierced a hole on the envelope flap and also on the envelope just below the opening. I punched two 3/4″ circles from Melon Mambo card, inserted a Mini Silver Brad through the circle and into the holes I punched. I tied a length of Whisper White Baker’s Twine behind the Melon Mambo circle on the envelope and wrapped it in a figure “8” around both circles.
Lastly I decorated a gift bag to match the card. I added a strip of It’s My Party Designer Series Paper to Sahara Sand card. I punched one long edge of Melon Mambo card using the Hearts Border Punch and attached it behind the Sahara Sand before attaching to the front of the bag.
So Happy Birthday Elyssa I hope you have a wonderful day.
Bye for now,
Kris
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Thank You Take 2
This is the second design that I used to make my Thank You cards and I was inspired by this card I found on pinterest by Lyn Starzl.
I cut strips from three different designs from the Botanical Garden Designer Series Paper and then cut them into squares (1-1/4″ square). 
I attached them to the Whisper White card, trying to make sure they were evently spaced(!). I added a strip of the Botanical Gardens Designer Washi Tape across the card below the designer series paper and then stamped the greeting from the Sassy Salutations stamp set using Mossy Meadow ink. I cut the large flower from Whisper White card and added a Cajun Craze centre. The leaf is cut from Mossy Meadow card. I added a small flower in either Cajun Craze or Crushed Curry to the right hand side of the Botanical Gardens Designer Washi Tape. Each flower has a Basic Rhinestone in its centre. The Whisper White card is attached to either Cajun Craze or Crushed Curry card
The inside is decorated like the other Thank You card I shared with you. A strip of Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper with a narrow strip of Cajun Craze or Crushed Curry card behind one long edge. The designer series paper is attached to Whisper White card and the whole panel is attached to the inside of the card.
I love this card, the colours are bright and happy and the layout is perfect. So another big thank you to Lyn for the inspiration.
Bye for now,
Kris
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Thank You Take 1
I recently had occasion to make some thank you cards and decided to use the Botanical Garden suite of products. I selected the leafy piece of designer series paper from the Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper and cut it using the leaf edge in the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies. I attached it to Whisper White card and stamped the greeting from the Sassy Salutations stampset onto the bottom right hand corner using Mossy Meadow ink. I cut the flowers from Whisper White card, Crushed Curry card and Cajun Craze card. The centres of the flowers are cut using Cajun Craze and Crushed Curry. 
I cut the leaves from Mellow Moss card and attached all the pieces across the edge of the designer series paper. Lastly I added Basic Rhinestones to the centres of the flowers.
To decorate the inside, I used a strip of another design from the Botanicals Designer Series Paper, added either a narrow piece of Cajun Craze card or Crushed Curry card behind one long edge and attached the panel to the inside of the card.
Because I had to make a number of these I used Cajun Craze card and Crushed Curry card for card bases. One of the best things about this suite of products is that you can buy the Botanical Blooms Photopolymer Stamp set, the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies and the Botanical Gardens Designer Series Paper as a bundle and save a heap. I just bet you all love a bargain as much as I do.
I love how these cards turned out and hope that the recipients love them too.
Bye for now,
Kris
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Happy Birthday Pop Up
This is the first card I have made using the Party Pop-Up Thinlits Dies even though I have had them on hand for some time. I started by punching the top right hand corner of the Crushed Curry card using the Curvy corner Trio Punch. Once I had punched the card, I embossed it using the Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder. I attached the embossed card to scored and folded Tip Top Taupe card. I cut the Happy Birthday Thinlet from Bermuda Bay card and attached it to a circle of Very Vanilla card and then the card front using dimensionals. I cut the Hip Hip Hooray Thinlet pop up from the centre of scored Very Vanilla card. 
This thinlet has an arrow on the top and the bottom which you need to line up with your score line when you are cutting, then you simply fold the centre of the Hip Hip Hooray so that it is a mountain fold. I attached the pop up to the centre of the card using Tombow Glue which gave me I had a little time to settle it into the right place and to make sure I had it lined up properly with the score line in the card base. I attached a strip of Designer Series paper from the Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Stack to each side of the Very Vanilla card.
While I don’t exactly love this card, I do love these Party Pop-Up Thinlet dies and will have to have a little more of a play to see what I can make.
Bye for now,
Kris
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