Make These Cards For Free at Tomorrow's Open House!

That's right! My Open House is tomorrow, and I am very excited to give you a first peek of Stampin' Up's new In Colors, new Color Collection colors, and even a few new stamp sets!

I also have many gently used retired stamp sets for sale - discounted!

The cards that you will get to make are shown above!

Most importantly, grab a catalog, have a comfortable seat, relax for a little while & browse through our new Idea book & catalog!

So, stop on by between 4pm & 7:30pm tomorrow! If you are on my mailing list yet have never been to my studio (in Strongsville, Ohio), feel free to email me at lahinks@gmail.com.

Linda :)

Tuesday Tips - The Bunny Is Not Only For Easter

Do you remember the Chocolate Bunny stamp from the Spring Mini catalog?  Well, this bunny stamp is paired with a stamp from the Animal Crackers stamp set to create today's card.  I love finding other uses for a stamp besides the obvious one.  This stamp does make a cute chocolate or white chocolate bunny, but today this is an ordinary fluffy bunny. :)

If you want to make this card, here are the supplies you will need:

cs:  Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Blue Bayou or Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Early Espresso (this new In Color is making its debut this week!)
inks:  Stampin' Write markers - Soft Suede & Early Espresso
stamp sets:  Chocolate Bunny, Animal Crackers
punches:  Eyelet border, 1/2" and 3/4" circle, Fancy Flower
other:  Epoxy Sending Love Chocolate Chip Brads, dimensionals, paper snips to make grass

How to make this card:

1.  Color the bunny stamp directly onto the rubber with a Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker.

2.  Use the "thumping" technique to add dark brown to the bunny image.  Take the brush end of an Early Espresso Stampin' Write marker & tap it repeatedly all over the colored rubber, similar to the way one would use a drum stick to bang a drum.  The color from the marker will be transferred to the rubber and result in a feathery multi-colored realistic looking image.  By the way, you can get your hands on an Early Espresso Stampin' Write marker beginning July 1st when the new catalog is introduced!!!!!  This is a beautiful rich dark brown color.

3.  Huff onto the rubber & stamp the bunny onto Whisper White cs, then cut it out with paper snips. Set aside the bunny.

4.  Trim off approximately 1/2" to 1" from across the bottom of the card so the size drops from 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" to 4 1/4" x 4 3/4" or  4 1/4" x 5".  No measuring needed - just make a quick cut.

5.  Punch across a 2" x 4 1/4" Blue Bayou (or Baja Breeze) cs with an Eyelet Border punch. Apply adhesive to only the top portion of this strip & adhere it so it overlaps the bottom edge of the card.

6.  Cut a thin strip of Early Espresso cs & adhere it onto the blue border strip.  Trim the edges of both strips if necessary.

7.  Cut a small rectangle of Old Olive cs & then make tiny slits into it all the way across so it looks like grass.

8.  Tuck the "grass" bottom edge under the card's blue border strip.

9.  Adhere the bunny with dimensionals, hiding his feet slightly under the grass.

10.  Use the bunny stamp from the Animal Crackers stamp set.  Color the message only (omit the bunny) with an Early Espresso Stampin' Write marker onto Whisper White cs.

11.  Center the message "ears wishing you a happy day" inside the Fancy Flower punch & punch a flower.

12.  Punch a 3/4" circle from Blue Bayou cs and a 1/2" circle from Old Olive cs.

13.  Layer the small circles over the flower, pierce a hole in the center & insert the brad.

14.  Adhere the fancy flower with dimensionals.

 15.  Tie a pretty ribbon around the bottom of the card!

Anybody else hungry for chocolate now?

Linda

Map It Monday - A Map within a Map

Today's map is sort of a map within a map.  I created a framed piece and adhered it with dimensionals to the card.

The white framed element on the card is created using a paper trimmer and Whisper White cs.  I used a ruler to draw two squares, one inside the other, and then lined up and cut both squares on my paper trimmer with the cutting blade.  A frame such as this can also be cut with a paper crafter's knife, such as an Exacto knife.

Next, I cut a square of the Sending Love Specialty dsp to adhere behind the frame.  Then, I decorated the frame with a punched heart and "for you" stamped image from the Elements of Style stamp set.  The one inch circle punch is used for the "for you".  Both embellishments are adhered with dimensionals.

I adhered Pretty in Pink cs to the Whisper White card, cutting the pink cs to be slightly smaller than the card.  A scallop trim border punch creates a decorative edge to another piece of Sending Love Specialty dsp and it is also adhered to the card front.

The last thing I did was to adhere the entire framed piece with dimensionals to the card front.

Friday's Open House - Stop By !!!

COME TO MY

OPEN HOUSE

& Gently Used Stamp Sale
2010-2011 Idea

Book & Catalog Launch!!!
Thursday, July 1

4pm until 7:30pm

·         FREE Make & Takes

·         Free new idea book/catalog with any order placed 7/1

·         Browse thru Gently Used Discounted Stamp Sale

·         See my Stamping Studio

·         View upcoming camp projects

·         Win door prizes & get door prize entries for:  Attending, Bringing a Friend, Signing up for future stamping events, Booking a Workshop,   Placing Order

·         See the new “in colors” and “color collections”

·         RSVPs are appreciated  but not required

Fast Friday - Quick Heart Card

Fast Friday is here again.  I pulled some scraps from my designer paper scraps files, cut around one of the heart shapes and saved it to use as an embellishment.

I adhered the dsp to the bottom half of the card, pierced some holes into a matching solid cs for a belly band & adhered it.

I cut a thin wedge into the fold of the card, through which I inserted and tied black & white gingham check ribbon into a double knot.

I punched a black circle with the 1 3/4" circle punch & adhered it above the ribbon knot with dimensionals, then adhered that heart I had saved with dimensionals.

I also trimmed the upper corners of the card to round them off.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend and that it doesn't seem as fast as this card did.

Linda

Think About Color Thursday - Regal Rose and Mellow Moss

The color combination for this week is Regal Rose and Mellow Moss.

The Whisper White cs is run through a diecutting machine (Stampin' Up Big Shot or Cuttlebug) with the Scallop Square Stampin' Up! Clear Bigz Die.  The Upsy Daisy daisy image is stamped & heat embossed & adhered to the Mellow Moss card.


The scallop edge punch fancies up the Regal Rose cs strips.  Coordinating designer paper and the punched Regal Rose strips are adhered to the card.


Lastly, a message from the Upsy Daisy stamp set is stamped in Regal Rose and punched with the modern label punch.  Dimensionals give the message a "pop".


Linda

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Whatever Wednesday - Fancy Heart Bookmark

I made this beautiful bookmark today.  I've been doing a lot of reading this summer and thought I could use a very pretty page keeper.

The stamp sets that I used are I Heart Hearts and the Spring Mini set called Tiny Tags.  Tiny Tags coordinates with the Jewelry Tag Punch!

I stamped the solid tiny tag in Certainly Celery ink onto Whisper White cs & then added the "love" message in Soft Suede ink.   The tag is then punched with the wee little jewelry tag punch.

The pretty leafy heart from the I Heart Hearts set is stamped three times - in Baja Blue, Soft Suede, and finally Certainly Celery.  Certainly Celery cs is adhered on both sides of the white bookmark at the top with sticky strip.  A hole is punched with a Crop-o-Dile so I could insert coordinating Certainly Celery ribbon.

The "love" tag is adhered to the bottom stamped heart.  In addition, I punched a very tiny heart from Baja Breeze cs using the 3 Heart Punch.  That tiny heart is also adhered to the bookmark.

I hope you take some time to make this beautiful bookmark!

Linda

Tuesday Tips - Watercoloring with an Aqua Painter

The tip for this week is about how to watercolor with an Aqua Painter.

This card utilizes a birthday-themed Stampin' Around wheel (it's fun to use these wheels & is a nice change of pace).  The Pun Fun stamp set bird-day image is stamped in Black Stazon ink onto Stampin' Up watercolor paper and the image is watercolored with an Aqua Painter.  I have added eyelets (non S U) with a Crop-o-Dile.

Rich Razzleberry is blended with Real Red for the bird's belly.  There is no solid Rich Razzleberry on the card.  Do you notice how the bird isn't solidly colored throughout?  Notice the natural lighting/shading.  I will explain how that look is achieved.

Here's how I colored this image:

1.  Color beak and legs with a Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write marker.

2.  Outline bird image with a Real Red Stampin' Write marker.

3. Here's the most fun part of coloring the bird (sorry that this photo happened to be the one that came out fuzzy, but I think you can still see what I did).  With an Aqua painter, drag the color from one area to another, blending as you go.  The outline areas will be darker than the interior areas, providing a natural look with shading and it looks more like an object in natural light.  This dragging, or pulling, of color from the heaviest-colored areas to the uncolored areas of the image is how color is applied to those white areas.  No marker is used on the interior of the bird.  Isn't that cool?  Try it - it's fun!

4.  For the bird's belly, pick up color from the Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad with an Aqua Painter.  If you haven't done this before, it's easy - just give the closed inkpad a few squeezes in the center of the case - just wrap your hands around it & squeeze.  Doing that will smear some of the ink onto the underside of the lid.  Open the inkpad & touch the Aqua Painter to those smears in order to pick up the color onto the brush.  Now paint away!

5.  After painting some Rich Razzleberry onto the belly, I dragged in and blended some of the Real Red from the bird onto the belly.  If you give this technique a try, you might find some interesting blended color combinations.

6. This is the finished colored bird image.

Here, again, is the finished card.

Linda

Map It Monday - Stripes and Bow

The card map and the card for today:

It's time to use 4 different patterns from a package of coordinating designer series paper!  Cut & adhere 4 strips of dsp, tie a ribbon around a piece of dsp cut slightly smaller than the card.

Stamp a simple, little message.  That's all!

The card today is created from Bashful Blue cs.

Linda

Fast Friday - Ruby Thanks

Who thinks we cannot paint an image with an Aqua Painter and Watercolor Wonder Crayons for a card when making a quick card? This card was made in less than ten minutes! The trick is to use a small image. The tank image and saying is from the Words by Wilson stamp set,retired.

Images are simply layered onto Close to Cocoa cs and adhered to a Ruby Red card. The tank is stamped in Black Stazon Ink onto watercolor paper. I pierced some decorative holes to finish this card off!

Have a nice weekend!

Linda

Think About Color Thursday - Certainly Celery, Pixie Pink, Lovely Lilac

Lovely Lilac, Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery - what a summer blend!

Supplies:
cs: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White
dsp: Spring Fling dsp (Spring/Summer 2008 IB&C)
Stamp set: Elements of Style
ink: Classic Stampin' Pad - Basic Black
punches: Scallop Trim Border
other: Flower Folds Stampin' Up Bigz XL, jumbo white brad

I bought a new toy. Love it! Stampin' Up's Flower Folds Bigz XL die. I can cut cs AND other materials such as fabric!

How to Make this Card:

1. Punch bottom edge of card with scallop trim border punch.
2. Adhere polka dot dsp strip.
3. Die cut 3 flowers through Big Shot or Cuttlebug.
4. Fold petals up on flowers, alternate petals when stacking layers of flowers.
5. Punch a small flower with either the Boho Blossoms Punch or 3 flower punch & stack atop the Lovely Lilac flowers. Pierce center of flower stack.
6. Insert jumbo brad into flower.
7. Stamp message from Elements of Style stamp set in Basic Black ink onto Pretty in Pink small rectangle.
8. Adhere pink cs onto card front, then adhere flower with dimensionals.

Have a fantastic day!

Linda

Whatever Wednesday - Slider Card Instructions

Have you tried making a slider card?  Today I am posting instructions for a slider card.

Begin with cs 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", with the long edge along the top of a paper trimmer.  Score at 4" and 8".

Cut:  With long edge of cs along the top of paper trimmer, line up the top edge of the cs
at 7 1/4".

Make a cut from 5/8" to 4 3/4".

Move paper to 4 3/4".  Cut from 5/8" to 4 3/4" (exact same cut as before).

Next, get a different color cs measuring 4 3/4" x 3 7/8".  You will be creating the pull-out piece.  With the longest edge at the top of the paper trimmer, line it up at 2".  Cut all the way down
to 3 5/8" (almost all the way down).

To make the front piece for the card, cut a white piece of cs measuring 2 3/8" x 4".  Stamp two different images, one onto the right and another onto the left halves of the white cs (avoid stamping along the center of the cs).

Punch a half circle on the end of the large cs piece to create the grip area - center the punch between the two slits that you cut.  Apply sticky strip along the bottom edge of cs.

Adhere the white stamped cs to this piece with the half-circle grip, centering it between the two slit lines.

Now insert the pullout into the cut lines.  The easiest way to do this is to turn the card over.  Line up the half punched circle end of the base with the largest end of the slit piece of cs (the smaller half of the small piece of cs should be on the left side, and the largest half of it should be directly above the half punched circle).  Simply weave the smallest side of the little cs piece into the card slit and back out again. 

The second photo shows what it will look like from the back.  Use regular Scotch type to tape the slit closed so it stays together.

  
 

Turn the card so it is right side up again and use a bone folder to give a nice crease on the score lines.

Remove sticky strip and seal the card together.

Stamp a greeting on the card front, then add a greeting onto the left square panel.

The left panel can be white cs measuring 1 1/2" x 2" and layered on a contrasting color cs measuring 1 3/4" x 2 1/8".

Punch a hole into the grip area of the pull insert, centering the hole within the punched half circle.

  

Linda

Tuesday Tips - Create Textured Stripes

Look how cute!  That Animal Crackers stamp set quacks me up.  I simply stamped this ducky stamp onto Whisper White cs with Basic Black ink and colored him in with Stampin' Write markers.  I punched out the duck with a circle punch & set it aside.

The card is a Whisper White card that has been dry embossed on a texture plate.

I layered Bermuda Bay cs onto Wild Wasabi cs.  Prior to layering, I created textured stripes onto the Bermuda Bay cs.  A stylus is drawn across the cutting channel on a paper trimmer over the cs at every 1/4".

Once the card is layered, adhere the circle with dimensionals.

Linda

Fast Friday - Fresh Cut Flower & Ladybugs

This week's Fast Friday card is this:

I created this simple card with a Fresh Cuts card.  These die cut cards from our Big Idea Book & Catalog have the flower precut into the card.  All you need to do is remove the petals, just like paper dolls.

I adhered a small piece of Cameo Coral cs on the inside of the card front, then adhered cs the same size as the card front over the Cameo Coral cs.  So, on the inside of the card you only see white.

The Picnic Parade Level 2 stamp set from the Occasions Mini Catalog (retired) has this teeny weeny ladybug that I stamped in Basic Black ink and punched out with a 1/2" circle punch.  I colored the ladybugs with Cameo Coral and Basic Black Stampin' Write Markers.  The "thanks" image is also stamped in black ink and is from the same stamp set.


The little circles are adhered with dimensionals.

The Fresh Cuts diecut cards are sophisticated, though the little ladybugs turn it into something very sweet and fun!

Linda

Think About Color Thursday - Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White

The Animal Crackers stamp set is showcased today with this absolutely darling "you quack me up" stamp.

The supplies I used for this card are:
stamp sets:  Sprinkles, Animal Crackers
inks:  Classic Stampin' Pad - Basic Black; Stampin' Write markers - Yoyo Yellow, Pretty in Pink, Garden Green, Pumpkin Pie
cs:  Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi (welcome back, Wasabi!)
dsp:  Wild Wasabi Patterns (it is retired, but we're bringing it back to life!)
Punches:  Circle - 1 3/8" & 1 3/4", scallop circle, key tag, horizontal slot
other:  Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon

Here's how to make this card:

1.  Stamp the "quack me up" image onto Whisper White cs.  Stamp Sprinkles stamp around the duck, stamping off the paper. The little sprinkles are where I will add the colors of the week - the focal point doesn't necessarily have to carry a color combination.

2.  Punch out the duck image with the 1 3/8" circle punch.  Layer it onto a punched Pretty in Pink scallop circle, and then onto a Wild Wasabi 1 3/4" punched circle.

3.  Now you may be wondering about the large white circle that lies just behind the Wild Wasabi layer.  It is actually created from 4 key tags punched from Whisper White cs and then adhered as a circle layer.  Here's how it is done:

I hope you can see in this photo the overlapping of the four key tag punched pieces.  When this key tag circle is stacked in a layer, it looks sort of 3D!

4.  Cut Pretty in Pink cs 1/4" smaller than the card front & adhere it onto the Whisper White card.

5.  Layer a strip of Wild Wasabi Patterns prints dsp down the middle of the card front.

6.  Punch a horizontal slot into the fold of the card - just slide the punch not even halfway into the fold & punch.  Since the ribbon I used is a bit wider than the slot punch, slide the punch over on the fold & punch again, aligning the punch with the slot you already punched.  The slot will be almost double the width!  It gives you a slot into which you can now insert the ribbon & tie it around the card.  Make sure you leave space to get the duck situated.

7.  The last thing to do is adhere the duck piece with dimensionals.

Have a great day!

Linda

Whatever Wednesday - Window Pear

I used a window sheet for today's card.  For this card, you will want to cut 3 pieces of dsp and one light colored piece of cs to be exact same size.  The light colored cs will be the inside of the card that you'll eventually write on to sign your name to the card.

I cut different patterned papers from the Holiday Lounge dsp and adhered two of them back to back onto the folded window sheet - one piece is adhered to front of the card and the other dsp is adhered to the inside of the card front.  When lined up exactly, you will not see the adhesive.  When the card is closed & turned over, adhere that additional cs onto the back surface of the card so it is exactly alligned with the other pieces.


Open up the card and adhere the light colored cs directly atop of the dsp that shows through the window sheet from the back of the card.  This will ensure that everything is lined up.  Stamp a message inside the card onto the light colored cs.

A strip of Sahara Sand cs and a Taken with Teal punched "curly label" are adhered to the card front and a message is stamped.

Linda

Tuesday Tips - Reflection Technique

Today I created this card using the "reflection technique":

Here's how the "reflection technique" works so you can give it a try!

1.  Stamp image onto cs.  Leave room on the cs for another identical image just below what you stamped.
 

2.  Stamp the image again, but this time onto a window sheet.

3.  Lay the stamped window sheet upside down so it lines up exactly with the image on the cs - it should be like a reflection of the card stock image!  Hold the window sheet firmly so it doesn't move & rub over the image to transfer the ink from the window sheet to the cs.

4.  Here is what your finished reflection image will look like!

5.  Use the reflection image on a card!

This is a really fun technique, isn't messy, and doesn't take very long to do!

Linda