Essence of Love Card card -Chalkboard Technique

This card features the Essence of Love stamp set found in the Ocassions Mini. The chalkboard technique was used to color the images. This technique is a great way to gets bold color onto dark cardstock (thus the name chalkboard technique since it looks like colored chalks on a chalkboard).

To make this card, stamp your images in the Whisper White craft ink (pigment ink) on Elegant Envy card stock. Then take a sponge dauber and pick up a color from the Stampin' Pastels (chalks). While the white craft ink is still wet, dab or ponce (rubbing will smear the image) the stamped image with the dauber. The chalk will stick to the white craft ink. I used three daubers and the pastel colors of Summer Sun, Garden Green, and Orchid Opulence. To get a little finer detail on the stamped butterfly I used the pastel applicators instead of the daubers but still dabbed the pastel colors on the image in the same way.

After applying the chalks you will have excess chalk on the card stock making it look a little messy. You can clean up your image by brushing off the chalked image and surround area with a tissue. This will brush all the excess chalk away while leaving the chalk on the stamped image.

I layered the chalked image layer onto Summer Sun card stock. Summer Sun isn't a color I use a lot, but I really liked how it made the yellow flowers pop. If this is too bold for you, you could pick a less "loud" color like So Saffron or Barely Banana for both the chalking of the image and the layering.

The Word Window punch was used for the Think of You sentiment from the same Essence of Love stamp set. The Elegant Eggplant grosgrain ribbon was used to embellish the card.

I love this technique and it really is fun to see the image come alive with color! Give this technique a try. Bold images stamped on dark card stock work best.

Have fun!
Theresa

Some useful links:

Free Wheelin' Special (order by end of April)

Hostess Special (extra $25 in hostess money for $350 party)

Wild Wasabi card stock special (only $3.95 for pre-cut/scored textured card stock)

Occasions Mini catalog

Spring/Summer Big Catalog

Two punch shapes from one punch!

The two cards above are my rendition and the original that I copied! Jenny Walker created the Certainly Celery card (another swap card that I loved and had to steal the idea)!

The cards contain a punched medallion shape you might not recognize at first glance. These cards show how you can use your scallop punch to get a medallion shape from it too! You can use the same technique and get two shapes from the 5-petal punch (my Groovy Guava card uses both shapes from the 5-petal punch). You can similarly get 2 shapes from the small and large star punches as well!

Here's how to get the medallion shape:

1. Punch a scallop using the Stampin' Up! scalloped Circle punch as you normally would. Attach a slip of paper to the back of the scallop (a piece of a post it note works well for this).

2. Using the post-it note "handle" on the scallop, reinsert it into the scallop punch. Use the "handle" to rotate the scalloped circle by half of a scallop turn (the top crest of each scallop of the punched card stock will have the low of each scallop of the punch in its center). Punch and remove any remaining post-it on the back.

3. You end up with a shape that has the edges of a medallion.

Using the same technique, you can get additional shapes from punches like the 5-petal punch.

1. Below are two flowers punched from the Fall Flowers double-sided designer paper (same sheet, the patterns on each of the two sides).
2. After attaching the post-it handle, re-insert the flower into the punch and rotate the petals by a half-petal turn.

3. Shown below are the original flower shape and the resulting new shape after doing the repunching with the half-petal turn.
4. For my card below, the original flower shape and the repunched flower shape were layered on the medallion shape. A circle obtained using the Stampin' Up! 1/2" circle punch was placed in the center with an Old Olive brad (from the Earth Elements brads). The leaves on the cards were obtained by cutting apart a few of the petals of an Old Olive 5-petal punched flower. A scoring blade was used to get the vein down the center of the leaves.

I hope you find this useful to getting even more use from some of your punches!
Theresa

Isn't it supposed to be Spring? One of a Kind card

OK, tomorrow is April 1st and it is snowing again! How can this be spring? Well, at least these cards are perfect for spring!

I am posting two very similar cards for this stamp set. I got the one in a swap with other demos (Laura Palmer's card is the Bashful Blue with Apricot Appeal). The other is my very slightly altered version (Sage Shadow, Blush Blossom, and Cameo Coral). I just changed the colors, stamped the biggest image several times as a subtle background, used eyelets instead of brads on the flowers, and I changed the scalloped bottom slightly. I really loved Laura's card so much, there wasn't much I could change!

These cards use the Boho Blossoms punch that coordinates with the One of a Kind stamp set. The One of a Kind stamp set (page 109 of the Spring/Summer Idea Book) has an image of three flowers grouped together that after stamping the image, it can be punched with the Boho Blossoms punch (page 180). The stamped images and the punch created all the flowers along the center of the cards.

The rounded corners of the layered sentiment and the scalloped lower edge of the card were both created using the 3/16" corner rounder punch. If you'd like to see a tutorial of how to create the scalloped edge using the corner punch refer back to my August 29, 2007 posting where I showed how to make a scalloped circle. The same procedure is used here but along the edge to make it scalloped.

I hope you enjoy!

Theresa

Don't Forget:

Free Wheelin' Promotion (free jumbo wheel with purchase of certain stamp sets)

112848 - page 91 Wonderful You stamp set and FREE Stems & Silhouettes jumbo wheel $33.95

112851 - page 80 Life's a Breeze stamp set and FREE Something Fishy jumbo wheel $29.95

112850 - page 66 Pun Fun stamp set and FREE Sweet Stars jumbo wheel $30.95

112847 - page 60 Year after Year stamp set and FREE See You Around jumbo wheel $30.95

112849 - page 83 Stitched Exotics stamp set and FREE It's Beautiful jumbo wheel $33.95

112853 - page 51 Enjoy Every Moment stamp set and FREE Daisy Dash jumbo wheel $29.95

Adorable Easter basket from Designer Paper

I was going to post pictures of the swaps I got Monday night, but I just had to post this today in case you want to make some of these for Easter. I came across this idea when I was looking for a fun project for the kids in the 4th grade religion class Tom and I teach. These baskets were perfect.

And best of all, the project was simple and the kids loved it.

So here is the procedure to make these cute little baskets:

Step 1: You will need a square piece of double-sided designer paper (this piece is from the Designer Series Paper - Flowers for You). For this basket I used 6" x 6" piece of designer paper, but for a bigger basket 9" x 9" or 12" x 12" would work well too. A coordinating strip of card stock or designer paper (tempting turquiose in this sample, 1" x 8.5") will be used for the handle of the basket. Stamped and punched flowers (in this sample the One of a Kind Stamp Set and the Boho Blossoms Punch and the 5-Petal Punch) and brads (the Bold Bright brads in this sample) are used to embellish the basket.

Step 2: The square piece of designer paper is scored into thirds in each direction. So for this 6"x 6" piece of paper, you score at 2" and 4" and then turn the paper a quarter turn and score again at 2" and 4". You end up with the paper sectioned into 9 equal squares as shown below (the Lovely Lilac patterned paper is the reverse side of the same double-sided designer paper shown above). Fold inward along all the score lines.

Step 3: Cut along the scored lines only to the intersecting score lines on two of the opposing sides as shown below.

Step 4: Glue the coordinating strip of card stock as shown below to form the handle of the basket.

Step 5: On each side fold the basket side sections upward and glue the flaps to the area where the handle was glued.
Step 6: To finish off the basket, just embellish with punched flowers and the brads.

I hope you enjoy this project. Give it a try if you have time before Easter. But if you don't have time now, I have seen this type of basket made in a picnic theme using the new Summer Picnic Designer Paper and the Tart and Tangy stamp set, both in the Occasions Mini.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Theresa

Some new Stampin' Up! specials

I just want to let you know about some new promotions that are starting today!

The first one involves getting FREE Jumbo wheels with the purchase of the coordinating stamp set! There are six different stamp set/jumbo wheel packages from which to chose. Here is a list of the stamp sets and wheels that are part of this special. The price listed for the bundle is the price of the stamp set - the wheel is included for free. If you would like to see the stamp set or wheel in the on-line catalog, just click on the names.

112848 - page 91
Wonderful You stamp set and FREE Stems & Silhouettes jumbo wheel $33.95

112851 - page 80
Life's a Breeze stamp set and FREE Something Fishy jumbo wheel $29.95

112850 - page 66
Pun Fun stamp set and FREE Sweet Stars jumbo wheel $30.95

112847 - page 60
Year after Year stamp set and FREE See You Around jumbo wheel $30.95

112849 - page 83
Stitched Exotics stamp set and FREE It's Beautiful jumbo wheel $33.95

112853 - page 51
Enjoy Every Moment stamp set and FREE Daisy Dash jumbo wheel $29.95

Also going on right now is a special on Wild Wasabi Tectured cardstock. If you haven't had a chance to try some of the textured card stock, this is a great way to get some to play with! From now through April 30, you can purchase a specially-priced Wild Wasabi card stock pack for only $3.95 - that’s 16 sheets of pre-cut (4-1/2 x 11-1/2) and pre-scored (at 1-1/8 and 5-5/8) Wild Wasabi textured card stock that can be used to make all kinds of fun and easy cards and projects! Here are some PROJECT IDEAS for using this pre-cut and pre-scored Wild Wasabi card stock.

Finally there is one more promotion, this one is for hostesses! If you have been thinking of getting some friends together and having a workshop (you can hold it at my house or yours), this is the time to do it. If you hold a workshop and the merchandise sales total $350 or above, you get an additional $25 in hostess dollars. That is $25 on top of the regular hostess benefits. Here are more details of the Hostess Promotion.

Some useful links:

Spring/Summer Collection (the big idea book/catalog)

Occasions Mini Catalog (items available 3/1-5/31/08)

Theresa

Love & Happiness Rub Ons - Wow!

Stampin' Up! introduced Rub Ons to the new Summer/Spring Collection (the big catalog) in January. If you have not yet tried these new Rub Ons, you really have to!

I love how this jar turned out. And it was so easy! The Rub Ons I used on this jar are from the free Sale-a-bration set of Rub Ons, Love & Happiness. This particular set of rub ons comes with 4 sheets, one of each of black, white, old olive, and chocolate chip, with LOTS of images and sentiments on each sheet. There are other sets of rub ons in the Spring/Summer big catalog (see the Rub Ons page 182) and the Occasions Mini (see the Rub Ons on page 15) as well.

Rub ons can be used on all kinds of surfaces - paper, glass, plastic, even on wax candles, for example, the candle shown here (I used the same set of Sale-a-bration rub ons, Love & Happiness).

To apply the rub ons you just select the image or images from the sheet and cut it out. Remove the white protective backing and position the rub on where you want to apply it. Take the included stick (basically a popsicle stick) and rub the surface of the plastic sheeting. Slowly peel back the plastic sheeting and check that the rub on has transferred (if there is anything that hasn't transfer just put sheet back in place and rub a little more). This is so easy and fast. The above jar (size is about 4 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches high) took me less than 30 seconds -really!

Since trying these, I find myself looking around the house for items to which I can apply rub ons!

One final reminder, Sale-a-bration ends on March 17th. To ensure your order gets processed in time, contact me by March 15th.

You can order from the big catalog as well as the Occasions mini now and have those orders qualify for the free Sale-a-bration items.

Here are some useful links:
Spring/Summer Big Idea Book
Occasions Mini Collection
Sale-a-bration Mini (see the free items you can get for each $50 of your order)

Theresa

Embrace Life using Faux Silk technique

At one of our monthly demo meetings, the make and take (by Sheila Selinsky) involved the Faux Silk Technique. I was so impressed and loved the way it looked! I copied her card for the most part changing the size and colors slightly and adding ribbon. I love the way it turned out. I hope you can see in the picture how the white background portion of this card has a wrinkled silk fabric look to it.

All that is required for this technique is some tissue paper, the type you use in gift packaging. You will want to cut the tissue paper so it is about an inch wider and an inch longer than the final measurements that you want it to be on the card. Just stamp on the tissue and watercolor the images. For this card, we used blender pens dipped in the puddled ink that you get when squeezing the ink pad. You don't need to spend much time with the watercoloring. I spent less than 2 minutes total just dabbing Groovy Guava on each flower and then adding a few Purely Pomegranate highlights to each.

Once you have colored the images, just wrinkle up the tissue paper. That's right just wad it up real well! Take a piece of whisper white card stock (5" x 3.75" for this card) and apply gluestick to the entire surface. Place the tissue onto the card stock and smooth it onto the glued surface. Don't smooth too well though. You want some of those wrinkles to remain. Miter the corners of the tissue (cut diagonally at each corner), and wrap the excess tissue to the back of the white card stock and glue to the back.

That is all there is to the faux silk technique! It adds wonderful texture and dimension to the card especially with the stamp set used with this card, Embrace Life.

The main image (the large flower from Embrace Life) was stamped with Versamark Ink and then embossed with the black embossing powder. It was watercolored using the aqua painter and again ink from the Groovy Guava and Purely Pomegranate ink pads. Ink from the Always Artichoke ink pad was used to shadow the flower and to sponge the edges.

The remainder to the card is just layering and adding the punched corners and double-stitched Purely Pomegranate embellishments.

I hope you enjoy!

Theresa

P.S. Another reminder: there isn't much more time before Sale-a-bration ends (order before March 15th to meet the deadline). And you can order from the big catalog as well as the Occasions mini now and have those orders qualify for the free Sale-a-bration items.

Here are some useful links:

Spring/Summer Big Idea Book

Occasions Mini Collection

Sale-a-bration Mini (see the free items you can get for each $50 of your order)