Happy Birthday!

 

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper Carolinakathy.

I chose this card as my inspiration:

LIST: Colours (rainbow, black, silver, white), Techniques (die cutting), Elements (Christmas card, snowflakes, black background, silver dots)

INCLUDE: rainbow colours, black, white, dots, 

MODIFY: changed snowflakes to stars, die cuts to stamping, occasion to birthday, put colours on white background with black frames. silver embellishments to dew drops

EXCLUDE: 

SPIN: Negative Frame

This card is the result of even more playing with Altenew's Fancy Star Builder set. I started by stamping the largest star in a rainbow of Catherine Pooler inks, overlapping them as I went.

Then I used two of the dot stamps and Twilight ink to fill in some of the in-between spaces.

I cut the panel with two Essential Rectangles dies - these cut a narrow frame, which I left out when I adhered them to a panel of black cardstock. I used a czdesigns Birthday die for my sentiment.

I added Dew Drops to the grey dots inside the frame for some shine and sparkle.

Trying Again....

 In yesterday's video, I made a birthday card with a rainbow wreath. And I admit that while I love some things about it, overall, it wasn't my favourite.

So I took another shot at it, added more stamping to the design and still didn't love it.

So I trimmed it down with some circle dies, added some black, lots of white and a big hello die cut sentiment. That's better! 

Using New Stamps!

 

This week, my new crafty friend Amy and I challenged each other to finally pull out unused crafty goodies that we just HAD to have when they were released and I'm so glad we did!

If you've got unused goodies in your stash, you'll want to watch both our videos showing ways to get using them TODAY!

Start with my video here:

Thinking of You

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, ME! What a wonderful surprise and honour! 

I went way back to 2012 to choose my inspiration:

LIST: Colours (aqua, blue, green, white, yellow), Technique (ink blending, heat emboss resist), Elements (daisies, yellow dots, white frame, tall green stems)

INCLUDE: Colours (blue, green, white, yellow), ink blending, yellow and white flowers, white frame, tall green stems

MODIFY: inkblending is vertical, rather than horizontal, flowers are tulips, not daisies, die cuts rather than stamped, grouped together rather than spread out. Added a sentiment, heat embossed the sentiment rather than the flowers

EXCLUDE: resist, texture on the background

SPIN: square card, stickles

So in 10 years, I'm happy to say that I think I'm better at inkblending! lol! 

I used my 5 rules for getting a smooth blend:

1) smooth cardstock  I use Hammermill 100lb Digital Color Copy Cover

2) blending brushes (I find these easier than blending foams) 

3) juicy ink pads (Catherine Pooler inks are my go-to!)

4) lots of colours - there are 5 colours on this panel. It's easier to blend colours that are close together

5) lots of layers of ink - this cardstock was quite saturated with ink by the time I was finished!

The tulips and leaves were die cut from white cardstock and coloured simply with Copic markers.

(Click here for Jan 31, 2012 blog post)

Playing with Vellum!

 

Vellum. I bet we all have it in our stash,  but sometimes we forget how versatile it can be! 

In today's video I share how I added colour to vellum with alcohol inks and stencils and two tips for how to adhere it invisibly! 

And you get double the inspiration today because my friend Gerry also has some ideas for using vellum in your cardmaking! There's a link in the end screen and video description so you won't miss it!

Happy Birthday in Circles

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, Marilyn!

I chose this card as my inspiration:

LIST: Colours (green, red, blue, fuschia, silver), Techniques (embossing folder, die cuts), Elements (circles, birthday, white frame, die cut metallic sentiment, rectangle, stripes)

INCLUDE: colours, embossing folder, die cut circles, birthday theme, white frame, die cut sentiment, stripes

MODIFY: stripes on background panel, patterns on circle die cuts, white glitter die cut sentiment

EXCLUDE: metallic

SPIN: jewels, larger white frame with circles going off the edge

This card was so fun to make! I started by using my Stencils 360 tool to create my larger green and blue circles (green with the Helix Flower stencil, blue with the Sacred Lotus stencil). I used a small layering stencil set from Waffle Flower to create the larger pink circle, and the Dot Circle stencil from A Colorful Life Designs for the mid-size green circle. Then I just swinked each of my colours and cut some smaller circles.

I also created a background panel, using two different colours of green for some subtle stripes (which you may not even be able to see!)

Then most of the work came in arranging the circles so I was happy with them. When I was, I glued them in place, and then ran them through my die cutting machine with the Altenew Angled Mosaic embossing folder. I love how this presses them together, so it looks more like a one-layer design (and less like something a 5 year old glued together! lol!). 

I finished it with this bouncy Penny Black Happy Birthday die cut, stacked up with white glitter cardstock on the top. I think it fits the fun celebratory feel of my background!

A NEW TWIST on LIMES

It's an exciting week here - I've got a new in-depth look at my LIMES process, including tips and strategies for each step. And I've created a free, printable worksheet PDF to help you take any inspiration you have and turn it into your own work of art!

Click HERE for your FREE PDF Worksheet!

PLUS I tried 2 experiments - variations on some techniques I've shared previously and THEY WORKED! 

PLUS I reached 20K subscribers on my YouTube channel, so I've got a giveaway over there. 20 lucky commenters (on YouTube!) will win a pack of gorgeous Crafty Meraki gems! Winners will be announced on Thursday, January 20, 2022, on the channel.

Head to my video here for all the details!

Happy Birthday in Blue

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, Leslie!

I chose this card as my inspiration:

LIST: Colours - blues and white, Techniques - stamping and die cutting, Element - layered coloured cardstock-border die cuts with piercing, stamped stars, stamped sentiment along bottom border, Christmas theme, hanging 'ornament'.

INCLUDE: colours - blues and whites

MODIFY: ink-smooshed panel used for border die cuts, curves become diamonds, theme changed to birthday, added heat embossed sentiment on vellum strip, splatter instead of jewel embellishments

EXCLUDE: stars, hanging ornament

SPIN: square card

I started by creating an ink-smooshed panel using Juniper Mist, Skylight, Shea Butter and Rouge inks from Catherine Pooler. I added gold, blue and purple metallic splatter. 

When it was dry, I cut the panel with a Pretty Pink Posh diamond border die. I adhered them all to a white panel and then trimmed it down to a square. I added Juniper Mist ink to the edges of a slightly larger square for my navy mat.

My Ellen Hutson birthday sentiment was stamped and embossed with gold onto Pearlescent vellum from Lawn Fawn.

My 10 all-time favourite craftroom essentials!

 
In today's I reveal my top 10 craftroom essentials and I used them all on this card! Can you guess what they are? 

Watch the video (this is a great resource for cardmaking newbies!) to see how many you got right!

Thought of You Today

Congratulations to this week's Featured Stamper, kellysrose.

I chose this card as my inspiration:

LIST: Colours (peach, purple, black, white), Techniques (die cutting, stamping, watercolour?), Elements (die cut floral background, watercolour stripe background, butterfly, pierced frame around sentiment die cut, thinking of you theme, ribbon, jewel embellishments).

INCLUDE: pastel colours, die cutting, floral background, thinking of you theme

MODIFY: stripes are mutlicolour, floral background is stenciled rather than die cut on top, butterfly is now dragon fly, pierced frame around whole panel, stickles instead of jewels

EXCLUDE: ribbon

SPIN: 4.25" square card, rainbow

I started by die cutting the Cinnamon background die from white cardstock and spraying the back with Pixie Spray. I blended a rainbow of pastel Catherine Pooler inks through, in horizontal stripes, then removed the home made stencil and blended the ink  over for a softer, tone on tone look.  I used EBE Essential Squares for Stitching to create my pierced frame, and backed my panel with a piece of bIack cardstock so that the holes are high-contrast. I created my sentiment from two Catherine Pooler stamp sets, and stamped and die cut the dragonfly onto white cardstock. I coloured it with copics and coated the wings with Star Dust Stickles.