Happy Birthday Ethan
Tomorrow is Ethan’s 5th birthday and he is celebrating today with a party at the Bowling Alley with some of his friends.
I made this card following a tutorial that Madeline Morcelo shared at the Summer Edition of Inkspiration 4U. As usual Madeline’s tutorials are so easy to follow. I love how it stands up like a big tent. I used Sahara Sand cardstock and added pieces of the Hostess Designer Series paper. I cut the largest stars from Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz and Sahara Sand cardstock using the Star die from the Movers & Shapers Punch Windows. I added stars punched from the designer paper using the Star Extra Large punch. I stamped the image from the Bring on the Cake stampset using Concord Crush ink onto Whisper White card and punched it out with the Star Extra-Large punch. I coloured in the 5 using my Concord Crush Stampin’ Write Marker to make it stand out and added a larger Concord Crush star. I attached this star to the card front using dimensionals. To keep the card open correctly I punched 2 1″ circles from an old fridge magnet and attached them to the inside of the card. I punched a small star (retired) from Concord Crush card and attached it to the lower left hand section of the card using a large Clear Rhinestone brad.
I attached designer series paper to the inside left of the card. I stamped the image from Bring on the Cake using Poppy Parade ink onto Whisper White card and punched it out using the Decorative Label Punch. I also punched a Decorative Label from Poppy Parade and cut it in half and added it behind the image before using dimensionals to attach over the designer paper. I cut a triangle to match from Whisper White card to print my message onto. I punched 3 small stars (retired) from Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz and Poppy Parade cardstock.
I hope he likes his card.
Bye for now, Kris.
Are you a Beginner stamper?
Recently I was contacted by a lady who would love to come to my classes but is slightly overwhelmed as she is a brand new stamper. So I have decided to offer One on One Beginner Classes.
The class will cover everything from how to cut the A4 sheet to create your very first card . I think that sometimes we forget to show the basics in classes and that can be quite a challenge for someone who is new to stamping. I will show you how to create your very first card as a simple one layer card and then add a few simple steps to show how you can create something more elaborate quite easily.
I will go over the steps to create mats for images and greetings . The class will probably only last about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I would prefer that these classes are kept to one but could stretch it to two people at a time.
We will discuss the basic tools required to start cardmaking and also what kinds of cardstock will give you a good selection. I will also give you some written information to take away with you so that you can feel confident when you start to make your own cards at home.
After this class you will only need some paper, stamps and ink to make your own gorgeous one-of-a-kind cards.
If you would like to take advantage of this great class, please email me krismac8@bigpond.com so that we can make a time.
Bye for now, Kris.
Sail Away
I waited to buy this single stamp from the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue and I honestly don’t know why. I have been seeing so many fantastic projects using this gorgeous stamp.
The ever so talented Mary Brown posted a couple of cards she made with sponged skys, and at the same time she showed how she got her sails to be white. I cased one of her cards and I have shared it on my Facebook Business Page and was inspired enough to try using my brayer to create this card. I recently watched a video tutorial by Butternut Sage which showed how to brayer without getting lines. I must say that this card has produced some of my best brayering yet.
I stamped the Sail Away image using Black Stazon ink onto Glossy White card. Then I tore a piece of copy paper to create the line for my horizon. I masked the area I wanted for the sea and punched a 1 3/8″ circle from a post-it note and placed it where I wanted the “sun/moon” to be. I started brayering with Daffodil Delight, then Pumpkin Pie and then Tangerine Tango at the very top. I reversed the mask and covered the sky and brayered with Bashful Blue and then Tempting Turquoise. I used the same mask to add some extra colour on the horizon using Tempting Turquoise and also to add some extra colour to the sea. Once I had finished brayering I removed the masks and then I stamped the Sail Away image again on Whisper White card, cut the sails out and then glued them over the brayered image. I added mats of Whisper White and Tempting Turquoise and then attached the image to a Whisper White folded card. I stamped the greeting from the Word Play stampset using Basic Black ink.
I am so impressed with the way this has turned out. I cannot thank Mary Brown and Butternut Sage enough for the fantastic inspiration.
Bye for now, Kris.
No excuses…
but I really have been busy. I have been working on some custom orders for handmade cards and also some wedding invitations.
This is one of the custom cards and I have posted the other one on my Facebook Business Page. I made this card for a gentleman whose granddaughter is getting married. He wanted a card for his son and daughter-in-law to congratulate them on the happy occasion.
My base cardstock is Concord Crush to which I added a layer of Whisper White card. The Whisper White card has been embossed using the Framed Tulips Embossing folder. I stamped the heart and trio of flowers from the Punch Potpourri stampset onto Whisper White card using Concord Crush ink . I punched the pieces with the Heart Extra Large and Boho Blossoms Punches. I added the heart to the card front and them used a combination of Mini Glue dots and dimensionals to add the flowers. I also added some Basic Rhinestones to the centres of the flowers. I stamped congratulations from the Occasional Quotes stampset onto the front of the card using Concord Crush ink.
I decorated the left hand side of the inside of the card using the same heart and flowers stamped onto Whisper White card using Concord Crush ink and punched out. I also added a couple of Basic Rhinestones. On the right hand side of the card I printed the greeting that was requested.
I love making custom cards and would love to make one for you too. Please contact me (krismac8@bigpond.com) so that we can design a special card just for you.
Bye for now, Kris.
Practice your Vocabulary
Madeline Morcelo shared a fabulous tutorial on the Summer Edition of Inkspiration 4U to make a little folder so that your child or grandchild can practice spelling.
I decorated the outside of my folder using Newsprint Designer Series Paper. I thought that the numbers lent themselves to this “learning” folder. The folder is constructed in Basic Black Cardstock and I have added Very Vanilla mats to the Designer Series Paper. I punched 2 Basic Black 1 3/8″ circles and 2 Very Vanilla 1 1/4″ circles and 2 Newspring 3/4″ circles. I used my paper piercing tool to make a hole in the centre of each of the circles. I attached the Very Vanilla circles to the Basic Black using sticky strip. Then I used a Basic Black brad to attached the Newsprint circles. I used Sticky Strip to attach the circles to the flap and front of the folder. I added a length of Hemp Twine to keep the folder closed.
Madeline used magnetic sheets covered with Designer Paper on the inside of her folder and then added magnets to the back of her letters. Unfortunately I couldn’t source these sheets and decided to pleat some Vellum cardstock to make little pockets to hold the alphabet. The empty pockets at the bottom of the folder can be used to practice making words and even short phrases.
I am still going to try and find magnet sheets or even very thin metal that I can place in the folder to make it easier for little fingers to find the letters. In the meantime I think it will be fun to use with the grandchildren to practice their spelling.
Bye for now, Kris.
Faux Mother of Pearl
I have seen this technique around for a while but when Madeline Morcelo shared her tutorial with us at the Summer Edition of Inkspiration 4U she made it seem so easy.
Since it was my first try I used the same colours as Madeline used in the tutorial and also the same layout. However, I did use different stampsets. I used the Extreme Elements stampset in Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze and Pretty in Pink. The images were stamped onto Glossy White card. Once you are happy with the stamped images, you need to get a piece of plastic food wrapping and scrunch it up. Place a drop of Shimmer Paint (I used Champagne Mist) onto a flat surface and dab the plastic wrap into the paint and them dab it onto your glossy card. Once the paint has dried I sponged Crumb Cake ink all over the Glossy card and buffed with a paper towel. I stamped the Extreme Guitar image using Not Quite Navy ink onto Whisper White card, cut it out and added it over the background. I wrapped a piece of Whisper White 5/8″ Satin Ribbon around the bottom and tied a knot. I added a mat of Crumb Cake with a layer of Cajun Craze which has one edge punched using the Scallop Trim Border Punch and added the whole piece to a folded Not Quite Navy card.
It’s a little hard to show in a photograph how shiny and just like Mother of Pearl the background is. You might be able to just see some of the sparkle in this close up.
Bye for now, Kris.
Create with Connie & Mary
I have subscribed to the Summer Edition of Create with Connie and Mary and I am enjoying the tutorials very much. Just need more time to actually get some of them made. If you haven’t joined yet, then you should pop into Create with Connie & Mary and sign up. Anyway I decided to play along with the Sketch Challenge this week.
I used Whisper White as my base cardstock and added a piece of Concord Crush Designer Series paper from the Level 1 Hostess Designer Series Paper Pack. I punched one edge of a piece of Concord Crush card using the Scallop Trim border punch and added it behind the Concord Crush Designer Series Paper. I wrapped this piece with Poppy Parade 1/2″ stitched poly ribbon and tied a bow. I used 2 more pieces of designer paper from the Paper Pack, one in Pear Pizzazz and one in Poppy Parade. I added Concord Crush cardstock mats to the designer paper. I inked my image from the Pocket Silhouettes stampset using Poppy Parade and Pear Pizzazz Stampin’ Write Markers and stamped onto Whisper White card. I added another mat of Concord Crush card and added the image panel to the card front using dimensionals.
Really a clean and simple card – just my style.
Bye for now, Kris.
An 18th birthday present
I am attending an 18th birthday tonight after my class and I thought I would share the packaging and card.
I purchased a necklace and matching earrings with the help of my daughter. I hope that the young lady in question likes them. However, the packaging was very ordinary and I thought I could create something much nicer. I made a basic 3″ square box from Crumb Cake cardstock. The lid has been cut from Crumb Cake cardstock as well and embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. I cut an opening in the lid and covered it with a piece of window sheet on the inside. I cut my flower using Perfect Plum cardstock and the Floral Fusion Sizzlit. I added a small Clear Rhinestone brad in the centre. I punched a couple of leaves from Certainly Celery card using the Two Step Bird Extra Large Punch.
Of course then I had to make a card to match. This time I used Very Vanilla card with a layer of Perfect Plum card which is punched along one edge using the Scallop Trim Border Punch. I added a layer of Crumb Cake which has been embossed using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder. I stamped the greeting from the Bring on the Cake stampset using Perfect Plum ink onto Very Vanilla card. I rounded the corners and sponged with Perfect Plum ink. I added a flower and leaves made the same as the box. I really like the saying – it says “Not just a year older, but a year better”.
The last thing of course is how to package the present. I started with a C5 envelope (165 x 230mm) which I sealed. Then I trimmed down the length of the envelope to about 6 “. I scored in 1” on the two sides and the bottom. Then you need to open the envelope on the score lines and fold up the little triangle at the bottom to make it sit flat. Open the envelope out flat and leave it to one side while you make the covers. Cut your cardstock slightly wider than the distance between the two score lines on the sides and long enough to be able to punch out the handles at the top above the top of the envelope. I used Crumb Cake card which is again embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder. I scored a line just above the embossing and used the Large Oval Punch to make my handles. (NB punch your handle before the cardstock is embossed.) Once you have embossed, then I just use sticky strip on the envelope inside the score lines. Add the front and back covers while the envelope is still flat, then fold up the triangles on the bottom of the envelope and add some adhesive. To decorate I stamped “happy birthday” from the Perfect Punches stampset using Perfect Plum ink onto Very Vanilla cardstock. I cut the mat from Perfect Plum card using one of the dies from the Lots of Tags Sizzlits. The addition of the little flower and some leaves completes the decoration. I cut a piece of Certainly Celery 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon to tie through the handle.
I love making simple gifts like this. It is so nice to be able to co-ordinate everything.
Well, my ladies will be hear for the class any minute now, I’d best be off.
Bye for now, Kris.
Finally some holiday pages
Last year my husband and I took a caravan trip to Cooktown and I have not scrapped any of the photos – of which there are many. Anyway this week two challenges inspired me to start. Late Night Stampers posted a scrapbook challenge – any scrapbook page – so I used the Sketch Challenge at Sudsol this week.
The page is pretty simple really. I have used Crumb Cake as the base for my page and used Basic Black to mat my photos and the title. I used my computer to print my journalling onto Very Vanilla card. I used Marina Mist and the Tasteful Trim Bigz Die to cut my “ric rac” and double sided “ric rac”. The title is cut from Marina Mist card using the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet.
I really wanted to focus on these amazing birds. We didn’t have our camera with us when we saw the first Cassowary so we were very excited to get these photos at a little place called Etty Beach, just south of Innisfail.
Hopefully I will be inspired to scrap some more photos from our holiday.
Bye for now, Kris.
A new way to use brads
My downline Shirley made some fabulous earrings from Stampin’ Up! brads to swap at convention this year. She posted a link to a tutorial on Rachel Ricks blog. It’s a great tutorial, easy to follow and my presentation box was inspired by hers.
I bought the earring hooks and the jump rings at Spotlight here in Australia. They were pretty inexpensive and all I had to do was add the brads to complete the earrings. These are made with lilac Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads – I know they don’t really look lilac in the picture – blame my photography. My granddaughter took one look at these and said can I have some Nan? – so I thought I had better make a small presentation box.
I found a tutorial ages ago by Kirsten Aune which gave directions to make your own matchboxes. I made my match box from Crumb Cake card. I punched a hole in the cover using the Curly Label Extra Large and then embossed it using the Finial Press Embossing Folder. I wrapped the cover with some Pretty in Pink 1/4″ grossgrain ribbon and added a flower which is made using the Boho Bossoms punch – large flower in Whisper White and 6 pointed flower in Pretty in Pink. I added an Antique Pewter brad to the centre and attached the flower over the ribbon using Mini Glue Dots.
I think it looks very professional don’t you?
Bye for now, Kris.
Stamping with Kris 