July 20, 2012

Reason To Smile Butterfly Art Card & Blog Candy!

The Beautiful Butterflies Die makes this Reason to Smile friend card extra, extra special. In fact, I’m planning to make another and put it in this black 5″ x 5″ frame from Amazon. The Christmas card on page 202 of Stampin’ Up! catalog inspired the layout for my card.

This card is so pretty in person, I want to send it to someone, so I’m offering the following blog candy!

This blog candy package includes the Reason to Smile Butterfly card, two spools of 10 yards each of 1/8′ ribbon and a package of 12 vintage tags. To enter the drawing, leave a comment and tell me what you like about this friend card (so I can make sure it goes to a good home LOL). The blog candy drawing will happen at noon on Tuesday, July 24th, so comment today!

I cut the Rich Razzleberry and First Edition butterflies with Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die and the Big Shot Die-cutting Machine. Because it’s a Bigz die it will cut through multiple layers, chipboard, fabrics, and lots more too!

I stamped the smaller butterfly with the small flower outline in Pacific Point ink. I love the look of stamped pattern paper and the neutral First Edition Designer Series Paper is perfect for this technique.

After I cut the large Rich Razzleberry butterfly I ran it back through the Big Shot in the Fancy Fan Embossing Folder. All that texture is fabulous!

For additional texture a row of pearls were added down the middle. The vellum ‘Friend’ tag is from the Sweet Essentials stamp set punched with the Word Window Punch and snipped shorter to fit. The tag was poped up on a tad bit of a dimensional.

The smallest Vintage Faceted Designer Button was used at the head with a double bow of linen thread and adhered to the top of the tag with a glue dot. Curling the edges of the wings with my bone folder created a 3D butterfly ready for flight.

The raised, stamped Wild Wasabi frame in the background measures 4″ x 4″ with a 3″ x 3″ square cut from the middle popped up with dimensionals.

The Reason to Smile stamp set is only available until July 31st. Have you checked your wish list lately? So now is the time to send in that order and purchase this beautiful set for only $5 with a $50 product purchase.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Reason to Smile w-# 131274 c-# 131275 , Sweet Essentials w-#126455 c-#126457

Ink: Wild Wasabi #126959, Pacific Point #126951, Rich Razzleberry #126950

Paper: First Edition #121878, Wild Wasabi #108641, Rich Razzleberry #115316, Vellum #101856

Extras: Beautiful Butterflies Die #114507, Big Shot Die-cutting Machine #113439, Basic Pearl Jewels #119247, Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons #127555, Linen Thread #104199, Word Window Punch #119857, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder #127751, Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430

Enjoy, Julie

July 19, 2012

Another Easy Reason to Smile Birthday Wish

This birthday tag card using the Reason to Smile stamp set (that can be purchased this month only for $5 with a $50 product purchase) was inspired by the very simple note card bundle shown at the top of page 141 in the Stampin’ Up! catalog. Don’t have a catalog? Ask for one today! I used the colors and the layout of the note card to create the tag and attached the tag to a full card.

Technique: Multi-color stamping – I used the paint brush end of the Tangerine Tango and the Certainly Celery markers to ink the flower and stem outline. When you use this technique, don’t forget to huff or breath on the inked rubber before you stamp. This remoistens the ink for good stamp coverage. Also, I always ink the rubber with the lightest color first, that way I don’t contaminate my lighter markers with darker inks.

When you use an outline stamp and a solid stamp of the same image for layering, it’s called two-step stamping. Using both creates depth in your stamped art.

After I stamped the two-tone flower outline, I then inked only the top of the matching solid flower and stem with Daffodil Delight. If I had wanted to ink the solid flower AND the complete stem, I would have definitely used the stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the stem. Not having the flower and flower outline lined up exactly is OK and, in fact, adds to the charm. Not having the stems lined up – not OK.

I just really love the look of the solo flower and the pop of the Marina Mist greeting. So sweet and simple.

Do you like what you see? Please share your favorite projects on facebook and like us at #/StampingJulie .

Order your Reason to Smile stamp set today and don’t miss out on this great opportunity to purchase this great set for only $5 with a $50 product purchase. Click the Order Now, place $50 of your favorite products in your cart, then add #131274 for the wood-mount set or #131275 for the clear-mount set.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Reason to Smile w-#131274 c-#131275, Sweet Essentials w-#126455 c-#126457

Ink: Brights Stampin’ Write Markers #119702, Daffodil Delight #126944, Marina Mist #126962

Paper: International Bazaar Designer Series Paper #126920, Whisper White #100730

Extras: Brights Designer Buttons #119747, Linen Thread #104199, Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430

Enjoy, Julie

July 18, 2012

Color Inspiration for your Paper Crafting

Color inspiration for your paper crafting can come from many different places. Some of my favorites are the Stampin’ Up! catalogs, designer series paper, and the color coach. These are obvious places to be inspired by Stampin’ Up! colors, but have you looked around you?

Do you have a favorite dress you love to wear or a favorite picture hanging in your home? Have you noticed the colors used in a magazine article or ad? How can you use these inspirations to create your next favorite birthday card, party favor or wall decor?

Design Seeds takes color inspiration to a whole new level. Check out this picture below and notice the colors the designer has pulled from this picture. Can you convert this great color combination into Stampin’ Up! colors?

(Picture source: http://design-seeds.com/index.php/home/entry/ladybug-hues)

Here’s the SU! colors I picked from this: Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black and Tangerine Tango. Are these the colors you would have chosen?

Here’s a VERY simple birthday gift card made with this color inspiration. It took me just a few minutes to make this card because I already had a color palette. Actually, it took me soooo little time to make this, I wish I had timed myself. Probably 10-15 from beginning to end. It took longer to take and edit the picture than to make it! LOL

This card measures 2-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ I chose to stamp this card on Glossy White. This glossy paper creates such a great effect. I wish you could see it in person. This paper has a similar surface as you would find on a store-bought card but a much nicer, richer-feeling paper weight. The first time I saw a card stamped on Glossy White I didn’t believe it was hand stamped. It was a floral card also and it was just beautiful. The colors are so rich and vibrant stamped on this paper.

Technique: You’re probably noticing that it looks like I used two different blues. Not so – all the flowers are stamped in Baha Breeze! The lighter color is a second-generation stamped image, meaning I stamped off on a scrap piece of paper first before stamping on my card front. The darker Baha Breeze is full-strength color. Stamping-off or second-generation stamping is an easy way to get even more variety out of your ink pads.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Summer Silhouettes w-#126445 c-#126447, Itty Bitty Banners w-#126255 c-#126257

Ink: Certainly Celery #126958, Wild Wasabi #126959, Baja Breeze #126960, Tangerine Tango #126946, Basic Black #126980

Paper: Glossy White #102599, Basic Black #121045

Extras: Bitty Banner Framelits #129267, Big Shot Die-cutting Machine #113439

I hope you enjoyed this color inspiration post and the easy birthday gift card! Order a pack of designer series paper today to inspire your color choices or request your FREE copy of the Stampin’ Up! Catalog today!

Enjoy! Julie

July 17, 2012

For the Birds Thinking of You Card

This “For The Birds” thinking of you card was inspired by the sample on pg. 35 of the current Stampin’ Up! catalog. If you don’t have your copy, send me a note today with your address and I’ll make sure you get your copy.

I changed the stamp and the colors and made some other minor design changes, but the basic layout is the same. The colors in my card are inspired by the colors in the Birds of a Feather designer series paper.

The scallop that surrounds the focal image is from the Perfect Pennants die. I die cut the scallop circle with the Big Shot Die-cutting Machine then used the 1-3/4″ circle punch to punch out the center. To do this, attach a strip of light weight card stock such as Whisper White card stock to the scallop circle to create a handle and center it in the circle punch.

The same circle punch was used to punch the card stock strip and then the scallop was adhered around the opening.

This adorable little bird in the nest was painted using an aqua painter and the ink from the stamp pads. The image was stamped with StazOn Ink on Natural White card stock. StazOn Ink is permanent ink that will allow you to paint without smearing.

To paint with ink from your classic stamp pad, close the lid, then squeeze the pad. When you squeeze the lid, it will pick up ink from the pad, so when you open up the pad you’ll notice a little pool of ink on the lid. The lid makes a great palette and you can paint directly from the lid.

I trimmed narrow strips of pattern paper and cut the edges on the top tag. The flag end was created with the corner of the 1″ square punch. The baker’s twine was threaded through the clear bitty button and adhered with a glue dot. The heart was punched and added to the tag.

Below is the card recipe for this card. By clicking on the hyperlinks you can look at the particulars on the products used. If you have questions about placing an online order you can view the video found on the “how to order” page.

Remember with a $50 product order this month you can purchase the Reason To Smile stamp set for only $5! Order your favorite products today.

Enjoy! Julie

Card Recipe:

Stamps: For The Birds w-#126405 c-#126407

Ink: Black StazOn #101406

Paper: Natural White #102316, Birds Of A Feather Designer Series Paper #126899, Primrose Petals #126841

Extras: Bitty Buttons #118761, 1-3/4″ Circle Punch #119850, Perfect Pennants Die #123126, Big Shot Die-cutting Machine #113439, Aqua Painters #103954, Island Indigo Baker’s Twine #125575, Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430, Glue Dots #103683

July 16, 2012

Friendly Butterfly Card

I love these butterflies from the Papillon Potpourri stamp set with the new butterfly punch. A perfect combo for making this “WOW, you’re the best” friend card! This tag card was inspired by a Christmas tag featured in the July Stampin’ Success magazine, a magazine for Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators. When you join Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator you’ll start getting your copy!

Here’s a close up of this fun butterfly with the rhinestones. Stamp the butterfly, then turn your butterfly punch over, line it up and punch. I use my Paper-Piercing Tool to pick up the rhinestones and place them just where I want them.

I punched a circle from the left corner of the tag and backed it with Whisper White card stock to highlight and mount the butterfly.

I stamped the tag over and over again with the phrase and I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to line it all up, and it was faster and easier than you would think. I also used the stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the antennae too.

To create the top of the tag, I slipped the top under the Labels Collection Framelit and ran it through the Big Shot Die-cutting Machine just until the top is cut, then backed it out. Would you like to see a video on how that’s done?

I consulted my Color Coach to select my colors. I used two of the new In Colors: Raspberry Ripple and Summer Starfruit. Which are your favorite Stampin’ Up! colors, those colors you go to over and over again? Leave a comment and let us know.

Card Recipe:

Stamp Set: Papillon Potpourri w-#123757 c-#123759, Friendly Phrases w-#126149 c-#126151

Ink: Raspberry Ripple #126859, Summer Starfruit #126991

Paper: Whisper White #100730, Summer Starfruit #126839, Basic Gray #121044

Extras: Rhinestones #119246, Basic Gray Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon #126879, 1-1/4″ Circle Punch #119861, Elegant Butterfly Punch #127526, White Baker’s Twine #124262, Stamp-a-ma-jig #101049 , Labels Collection Framelits #125598, Big Shot Die-cutting Machine #113439