No Time To Stamp?

This is a little 4.25″ square card using a set I love by Crafty Secrets, called Bird Notes.  This set, as well as other Crafty Secrets products, is available at Sassy and Sweet Crafts.  All other products used on this card, unless otherwise noted, are by SU!.

In honor of World Card Making Day (Sat., Oct 6), I am holding classes this week “Just for Fun”.  Rather than using all SU product that I typically use at a class, we will be using stamps by Crafty Secrets, Gina K, and Flourishes.  This is the Crafty Secrets card my class attendees will be making!!!  I hope they like it — it was a fun one to make!!!  I love this smaller, square format — fun!!!

The main image (love that bird!) is stamped in Black Stazon on watercolor paper (head masked to stamp the crown)  and watercolored with an aquapainter and reinkers, then the edges are distressed with the distressing tool on the cutter kit (a favorite tool of mine).   His belly area has a little white craft rubbed on with a Q-tip.  His little crown is  highlighted in gold with a Sakura Gelly Roll Pen.  The frame around the sentiment is copper embossed, and the brads are copper as well.  Main image is on mounting tape and the sentiment is on pop dots.  That about covers it!

• Stamps:  Bird Notes by Crafty Secrets
• Paper:  Really Rust, Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Watercolor, Fall Flowers DP
• Ink:  Black Stazon, White Craft, Versa Mark.  Reinkers in Groovy Guava, Soft Sky and Sahara Sand.  Sakura Gelly Roll Pen in a yellow-ish gold.
• Accessories:  Aquapainter, 5/8″ Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Groovy Guava Double Stitched Ribbon, Copper EP, Vintage Brads, Crafter’s Tool Kit, Distressing Tool on Cutter Kit, Pop Dots, Mini Glue Dots, Mounting Tape

Measurements:

• Card:  4.25″ square
• Lower DP:  4 x 1.5
• Upper DP:  4 x 2.5
• Watercolor Panel:  2.25 square

Hi everyone!  Here’s our 2nd challenge – and remember, these challenges will all be to make cards that are simple, don’t take a ton of time, but are still lovely.  Quick, easy and simple is the main focus for this challenge.  I’ll plan to post one every Friday evening (or earlier, depending on my schedule).  Thanks so much to all who played last week — I had so much fun looking at all your cards!!!

Challenge No. 2 - Keyword SSnotime02 (stands for Stamp Simply notimetostamp No. 2)  There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload your card at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all!  You can play as many times as you like!!!  The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!!  Please link back here.

Challenge suggestions:

• Use a Wheel!!! or 2 or 3 or whatever!  I LOVE my wheels as they make creating so very quick and easy!!!!  Today’s challenge is to have your wheeled image be the primary focus of the card.  Your wheeled image may be on the background panel or a main image panel, just try to make it the predominant image when one glances at your card.
• If you don’t have a wheel — that’s OK — you can still play.  Just chose a stamp and create what would resemble a wheeled image — either an all over image or an image in a strip — I think you know what I mean — so it looks like you could have done it with a wheel.
• You are permitted to use other stamps as well if you so desire, just don’t hide your wheeled image behind a ton of stuff.
• Use as few pieces of paper as possible.  There is no specific limit, but we are just focusing on quick and simple.  A card with 15 layers and 1″ thick is not quick and simple!
• You are encouraged to use any tools and any and all embellishments you wish.  Tools (punches, piercer, crimper, heat gun, Crop-a-dile, etc.) make life quick and easy, and embellishments add a lot of pizzazz without much effort!
• You are welcome to copy my layout or use your own — the layout doesn’t matter.
• My sample is shown below.

That’s it — create away!!!  I hope you “wheely” have fun!!!

Remember when you upload to use the keyword above, followed by a comma.  Please come back here to post (as a comment) that you’ve played, provide a link so I can check out your card right away, and give your thoughts on the challenge,  ask any questions, or share your own ideas and thoughts on making quick and easy cards!!!  I’d LOVE to hear everyone’s ideas — who knows what we might all learn!!! Please check out everyone else’s work and, if you have time, leave some comments!!!  Make someone’s day!!!   You can find all cards uploaded for this challenge by clicking Gallery Submissions Here.

Some wanting to play said they have never uploaded before.  If that’s you and you need help uploading,  just go to my Challenge No. 1 and instructions are there.

This is my sample called “Baby a la Carte”.  I used one of my favorite wheels, Leaves a la Carte.  The edge is done with the Martha Stewart Lace Punch (love that, too).  I then punched another piece of pink to set behind the white lace.  It just makes it pop a lot more!!!    The tag is stamped with the leaf stamp from Carte Postale that matches the wheel, and “baby” is from Noteworthy, an old little set that surely is a keeper!  The white tag and white edge of the card are lightly sponged.

I’ve used 3 different ribbons.  The wide gingham is from Wal-mart, the narrow gingham is SU, and the knotted satin is from JoAnn’s.  I bought that satin (wired) in all the colors they had when our local JoAnns went out of business.  The colors were so pretty, but I’ve never really used that ribbon as I just don’t like it.  It is unusually stiff, which I didn’t realize when I bought so much of it (but, it was really a deal — LOL)!!!  It worked perfectly well for the knotting on this card, so now I have discovered a new use for all this ribbon that I have and don’t like — LOL!!!

That’s about it — thanks much for looking!

• Stamps:  Carte Postale, Leaves a la Carte Jumbo Wheel, Noteworthy
• Paper:  Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
• Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Black Stazon
• Accesories: Ribbon, Small and Large Tag Punches (SU), Lace Punch by Martha Stewart, Eyelet and Brads (SU), Crafter’s Tool Kit, Sponge, Dimensionals and Mini Glue Dots, all by SU

This is a Christmas card made with a set soon to be released by Flourishes, called Flourished Christmas.  It features this gorgeous reindeer with the flourished antlers and the flourished Christmas tree I posted yesterday, 2 posts down.  I LOVE this set!!!  These are such beautiful images.  It also has 6 sentiment stamps, 2 of which are on this card.  One thing I really love about the stamp sets from Flourishes are the gorgeous words they include in every set!!!

This card was made for today’s sketch challenge at SCS.  I thought it was a fun layout.  All the paper, ribbons and punches are from SU.  The reindeer is black embossed.  The sentiments are Black Stazon. 

• Stamps:  Flourished Christmas by Flourishes
• Paper:  Soft Sky, Basic Black, Whisper White, Wintergreen DP
• Ink:  Versa Mark, Black Stazon.  Markers in Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, Sahara Sand.  Signo White Gel Pen.
• Accessories:  Black Detail EP, 1 1/4″ and 1 3/8″ punches, Ribbons, Mounting Tape, Pop Dot

Measurements:

• Card:  5.5 square
• Large DP Panel:  5.25 square (black 1/8″ larger)
• Small DP Panel:  2.5 x 4.25 (black 1/8″ larger)
• White Main Image Panel:  3.25 x 4.25 (black 1/8″ larger)

I have always loved large images, and I just can’t seem to get enough of this large Peace stamp from a set by the same name, made by Flourishes.  These cards make up so quickly with this stamp, another reason to love it!!!  And check out my white satin ribbon — it is by May Arts and is the same ribbon as the Chocolate and Purely Pomegranate offered by SU.  I couldn’t wait to try it out, in it’s pure white beauty!!!  Although it is not quite yet available for sale, it will be real soon, from Flourishes, along with other colors as well.  I’ll be keeping my eyes open for it, believe me!!!  I’ll let you all know when it is there!!!

The peace image is stamped in Handsome Hunter.  I then traced it with the fine tipped Quickie Glue Pen by Sakura and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds.  It is so sparkly and gorgeous IRL.   Photos never seem to do justice to sparkles!!!  I machine stitched around the DP panel, just with a straight stitch to carry through the straight stitching that is on the ribbon.  That’s about it — I’ll give measurements below.  Thanks much for looking!!!

• Stamps:  Peace by Flourishes
• Paper:  Whisper White, Handsome Hunter, DP by Making Memories from Flourishes
• Ink:  Handsome Hunter
• Accessories:  White Satin Ribbon, Silver Elastic Cord, Silver Brads, Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Sewing Machine and Thread, Mini Glue Dots

Measurements:

• Card:  5.5 high x 5.75 wide (I use 6″ envelopes)
• Hunter Panel:  4 x 4
• DP Panel:  3.75 x 4.5
• Peace Panel:  3 x 4.75
• Hunter Corner:  1.5 square, cut on diagonal

This is a sneak peek at one of the three new sets due out on 10/03 by Flourishes.  This set is called Flourished Christmas and I just fell in love with it immediately.  It has this gorgeous Flourished tree as well as a similar sized reindeer with the most gorgeous flourished antlers you have ever seen!!!  Just can’t wait to play with him!!!  It is a set of 8 stamps, which include several of the beautiful flourished style words for Christmas.

Both stamped images are embossed in detail Gold EP and the edges of the main panel were dragged in the Versa Mark pad and embossed.  I took advantage of the pretty flourishes on the Brocade Background DP by SU and used it as my background.  This was for today’s color challenge at SCS, Old Olive, Bashful Blue and More Mustard.  I also used River Rock as my neutral.  The fun gold ribbon is by May Arts, also available at Flourishes.  This was a fun, quick and easy card, using one main image and one sentiment, so it also fits well with my Stamp Simply Challenge of last Friday to use only 1 stamp and sentiment.

• Stamps:  Flourished Christmas by Flourishes
• Paper:  Old Olive, Bashful Blue, More Mustard, River Rock, Brocade Background DP
• Ink:  Versa Mark
• Accessories:  May Arts ribbon available at Flourishes, Gold Detail EP, Ticket Corner Punch, Mounting Tape, Dimensionals
• Measurements:  Card is standard A-2 size, 5.5 x 4.25, main image panel is 3.5 x 4.5

I’ll have more cards by Flourishes over the next few days!  Thanks much for looking!!!

This is a card using the Cracked Glass Technique that we’ll do at our hostess club this week.   The Cracked Glass tutorial from SCS written by Beate can be seen here.  In the tutorial she gives an option of either applying the 2nd and 3rd coat of Glassy Glaze Enamel, or Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (UTEE), all the same, while the first coat is still hot or applying another coat of Versa Mark.  I have never been able to get a good result by merely applying another coat when still hot.  I always feel I get a better result by appling another coat of Versa Mark for each layer embossed.  Most often you will see the Cracked Glass sponged on the edges and the cracks filled in with dark ink.  I chose not to do that here as I wanted the image to be brighter and POP a bit!!! 

Other than the Cracked Glass, my card is pretty much just layers.  The card base and each Purely Pomegranate frame are stamped, tone on tone, with the ferny type stamp from Garden Silhouettes — love that stamp! All layers are sponged.

The layer with the DP (Holiday Harmony) is what I call my *wall*.  I always do my silly wallpaper technique.  I know many of you have read it before, but here it goes again just in case someone out there might be interested.  When I create cards, I often view them as a wall, and then I proceed to decorate the wall — like hang my wallpaper, put up my chair rail, and then hang a picture on my wall.  Can you see it?  The upper wallpaper is striped, the lower is the brocade type design (not much shows) and my chair rail is the satin ribbon.  I then hung my picture on it, complete with cracked glass — LOL!!!  I used the gold brads to anchor my picture to the wall.  I love this silly little way I have of looking at things — it just brings it all together for me so very easily!!!  Try it — it’s fun!!!  Hey, maybe that could be one of our challenges one day — good idea!!!

The card top is wrapped in the new Gold Elastic Cording — love it!!!  Much easier to work with than the old stiffer cording it replaced.  Then to hide the knot in the elastic I just tied on a piece of my favorite ribbon — the wide Pomegranate Satin!!!  Edges of the sentiment oval are just run on top of the pad to give some definition to the edges.

• Stamps:  Heartfelt Thanks, Garden Silhouettes, Sincere Salutations
• Paper:  River Rock, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White, Holiday Harmony DP
• Ink:  Purely Pomegranate, River Rock, Black Stazon, Versa Mark.  Marker in Old Olive (for stems).  White Signo Gel Pen (for dots on flowers)
• Accessories:  Satin Ribbon, Gold Elastic Cording, Gold Brads, Piercer and Mat Pack, Large Oval Punch, Sponges, Glassy Glaze Enamel EP.

Measurements:

• Card - Standard A-2, 5.5 x 4.25
• Purely Pomegranate Frame for Wall - 3.5 x 4.5
• Purely Pomegrante Frame for Cracked Glass - 2.5 x 3.5
• Cracked Glass Panel:  2.25 x 3.25

That’s it!  Thanks much for looking!!!  Hope the Biddies like it — LOL!!!

Good morning everyone!!!  Thanks so much to all who played the Stamp Simply Challenge this weekend.  Remember, you can play anytime at all — it is listed 2 posts down.  One of our players is a first time uploader at SCS, so THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! for taking the time to play and learn to upload.  I know you’ll have a ton of fun!!!  I’ve received some emails and I know there are a few more newbies out there still planning to upload.  Directions for newbies are included in my challenge post, but if you have questions, just ask!  To see the uploads to this challenge so far, just click here.

Today I’ll be working on a Cracked Glass card for my hostess club this week — affectionately known as “Biddies”.  In trying to come up with a name for their group a year or so ago, just to identify THAT night from other get together nights, they decided to go with Biddies, since that is what they were called already by my DH.  Every week he would ask me, “When are those biddies going to show up again?”  They thought it was rather humorous, so they went with it!!!!  So Biddies they are!!!

I’m also anxiously awaiting 3 new release sets from Flourishes!!!  They should be here any day now, so I’ll get some sneak peaks out as soon as they come!!! Can’t wait!!!

Well, off to crack some glass — be back soon!!!  Hope you all had a great weekend!!!

We had a ladies function at our church today and I had to make the name tags.  The theme was missions, and our decorations/meal were Mexican.  I was told to make name tags with flowers and bright colors, so this is what I came up with, making them, of course, in the middle of the night last night!!!  I did 40, and they were quite simple.  The only stamping was the “Hello” which is from Fantasy Floral Garden by Flourishes.  The rest of the tag was made with punches.  They were made to hang on your neck.  The tag base is a 2″ x 3″ piece with all 4 corners rounded.  The round tab punch was attached at  the top of the tag with brads and the ribbon run through it.  And the really good thing is the ribbon, 3/8″ black satin, was from the $ Store, 100 yards for $1.00 — yes, you read that right — 100 yards!!!!  And it was a very nice, soft satin ribbon!!!  No adhesive was used — only brads. They really were fun to make!

• Stamps:  Fantasy Floral Garden by Flourishes
• Paper:  Basic Black, Green Galore, Office Max Yellow, Office Max Pink
• Ink:  Basic Black
• Accessories:  Ribbon, Brads, Paper Piercer and Mat Pack (to punch holes for brads)
• Marvy Punches:  Large and Small Flower
• SU Punches:  Round Tab, Corner Rounder, Scallop Circle

Thanks much for looking!

OK, everyone — this is our first challenge.  And remember, these challenges will all be to make cards that are simple, don’t take a ton of time, but are still lovely.  Quick, easy and simple is the main focus for this challenge.  I’ll plan to post one every Friday evening!

Challenge No. 1 - Keyword SSnotime01 (stands for Stamp Simply notimetostamp No. 1)  There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload your card at Splitcoast and/or your Blog, anytime at all!  You can play as many times as you like!!!  The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!!

Challenge suggestions:

• Use only 1 stamp per card – one STAMP, not one SET!  You can do it!!!  Less to think about, less to clean!   Unless you just love to color, avoid stamps that require a lot of time to color — but if you love to color, then that’s OK!  I love to use solid image stamps for quick cards!
• You are permitted to use a 2nd stamp for a sentiment if you so desire.  I often leave the sentiment off until I know what I will use the card for — your choice!
• Use as few pieces of paper as possible — at least 3 pieces recommended (card, main image, and accent or frame).  Spend less time cutting and measuring with less paper.
• You are encouraged to use any tools and any and all embellishments you wish.  Tools (punches, piercer, crimper, heat gun, Crop-a-dile, etc.) make life quick and easy, and embellishments add a lot of pizzazz without much effort!
• You are welcome to copy my layouts or use your own — the layout doesn’t matter.
• My samples (I have 2 for this) are shown below!

That’s it — create away!!!  Remember, a fabulous card doesn’t have to take hours to make.   And we’re going to prove it!!!  Can’t wait to see what you all come up with!!!

Remember when you upload to use the keyword above, followed by a comma.  Please come back here to post (as a comment) that you’ve played, provide a link so I can check out your card right away, and give your thoughts on the challenge,  ask any questions, or share your own ideas and thoughts on making quick and easy cards!!!  I’d LOVE to hear everyone’s ideas — who knows what we might all learn!!! Please check out everyone else’s work and, if you have time, leave some comments!!!  Make someone’s day!!!   You can find all cards uploaded for this challenge by doing a search from the main gallery page by typing in SSnotime01 or by clicking Gallery Submissions Here.

Some wanting to play said they have never uploaded before.  Do you have a username at Splitcoast?  You need that first, click register here.  Then you’ll need to get a photo or scan of your card.  You’ll also need a little note (I make my note before I leave my workspace) of the all supplies used:  stamps, paper, ink and accessories.  Then go to Upload Photo, click here.  All of this is also available on the left hand side of Splitcoast’s Home Page under Quick Clicks .  Then just fill in all the information.  Make sure your username is listed.  The most confusing part at first is finding the proper category.  Click on the arrow and a dropdown appears.  If you are using a SU set, scroll down until you find the alphabetical listings, get to your set and click.  If it is a non-SU stamp, then you just upload it to Member Gallery.  To get your photo there, just click on Browse.  Then when in your photo program, just click on the photo you want and the address to it will appear in the Browse space!  Then select a title for your project,  describe your project, then scroll down and click Upload/Submit.  This may take a few minutes, be patient. When it is done a new page pops up to fill in all the supplies.  Make sure to include the code above (SSnotime01) followed by a comma, in your keywords section. Then click the Submit button again (I think it says submit), wait until it says you’re OK, and then you can see your photo in the gallery.  It’ll be in your personal gallery and in the gallery for that stamp set and should also be on the main gallery page as a recent upload.  That’s it!!! The first time is the hardest — piece of cake after that!

Some hints for fast and fabulous cards:

• Use color combinations that really POP!!!
• Use gorgeous ribbon that catches the eye!
• Add a little element of sparkle to dress up your work!
• Plan a layout that is somewhat askew — it takes time to frame panels perfectly — skip the perfect framing and layer/frame off-kilter intentionally.
• When stamping your main image, stamp a few extras to have on hand for that day you need a card quickly!   Since you are only using 1 stamp, it will hardly take any extra time!!!
• Using designer paper can add a lot of interest to a quick and simple card!
• Distressing, sponging  and piercing can also add a lot of interest without much effort!

This is Sample No. 1.  I used a stamp from a tried and true set, Heartfelt Thanks.  The flower part of the stamp was inked on the pad and the stem was colored with marker and stamped 3 times (reinked each time) on white paper.  I then took the fine tip of the brown marker and made those little dots on each little bud in the flower — can you see it — that one small thing made a HUGE difference in how these flowers looked!!!  It is framed, askew, with brown, and wrapped with knotted ribbon.  The card base is stamped, tone on  tone, with the same stamp.  Super quick and easy!!!  And it was so simple, but I love it!!!

• Stamps:  Heartfelt Thanks
• Paper:  Groovy Guava, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White.
• Ink: Groovy Guava.  Marker in Chocolate Chip.
• Accessories:  Wide Chocolate Satin Ribbon from Theater Ribbon Originals.
• Card:  Standard A-2 Size, 5.5″ x 4.25″
• Floral Panel:  2.75″ x 3.75″

This is Sample No. 2.  For this card I used another solid image stamp, the large one from Fabulous Flowers.  I love the huge impact this one large flower makes!!!  I used a little more paper on this card, but it is still all easy layering and cutting.  The flower is first stamped in Groovy Guava onto Blush Blossom cardstock.  I then stamped it again, right on top of the first image, but offset a bit (intentionally) in Really Rust.  Stamping it offset a bit gives it a more layered, deeper look, very easily!!!  No SAMJ, no fussing, just a quick stamp, peeking to make sure I was off!  And since this flower image is so large, I only wanted a portion of it on my panel.  I actually stamped the entire flower on a larger panel, and then after it was stamped I cut my panel down to the size I wanted, allowing me to cut it so the flower was exactly where I wanted it.  After distressing the edges with the distressing tool on my cutter kit, I quickly outlined the petals with a glue pen and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds for instant appeal!!!  Who doesn’t love DD?  I then layered a dark gray behind it and mounted it onto the card with mounting tape.  Using mounting tape, or dimensionals, adds depth to the card front, making it more appealing, in my opinion.   I used Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware.  I like to attach those little hangy tab things at the top of a card and let the hanger part hang down so I can tie a ribbon to it.  That’s it.  Took a bit more than the first card, still in all, very quick and easy!!!  The designer paper adds a lot of interest on this one, as well as the sparkly, large flower!!!

• Stamps:  Fabulous Flower, Warm Words
• Paper:  Really Rust, Blush Blossom, Going Gray, Basic Gray, Fall Flowers Designer Paper
• Ink:  Groovy Guava, Really Rust, Basic Gray
• Accessories:  Pewter HPH, Groovy Guava Double Stitched Ribbon, Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Distressing Tool on Cutter Kit, Mounting Tape, Mini Glue Dots
• Card:  Standard A-2 size, 5.5″ x 4.25″
• Blush Blossom Main Image Panel:  2.75″ x 3.25″
• DP:  2.25″ x 5.5″
• Going Gray:  Cut 1″ x 5.5″ — only .25″ exposed

Hint:  If you have unruly ribbon tails, you can easily position them wherever/however you want with Mini Glue Dots — now you know my ribbon secret — LOL!!!

 Hope you all  have fun playing!!!

My challenge upload is almost ready!  It’ll be posted at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time today.  It was a fun one for me — it is wonderful to HAVE to think simple — so often we force ourselves to try to get that *over the top* look — we forget how lovely simple can be!!!

We’re having thunderstorms with heavy, heavy winds predicted all day – hoping we don’t have a power outage.  If for some reason I don’t post at 4:00 p.m. — that would be the only reason to stop me.  Keeping my fingers crossed!!!  See you all later!!!