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Friday, July 30, 2010

Fast Friday - Red Riding Hood Fleur

Oh, how I love bringing back Riding Hood Red!  Better yet, we now have an even deeper cherry red to play with called Cherry Cobbler!  The new Stampin' Up color collections are awesome!

So, today Riding Hood Red reigns.   Begin this card by adhering a thin strip of Riding Hood Red cs vertically onto a RHR (Riding Hood Red) card.  Then, stamp two images separately, either on Crumb Cake or on Sahara Sand cs.  I have stamped the fleur de lis from the Friends 24-7 stamp set and the "for you" from the Elements of Style stamp set.

Over lap the stamped images to adhere.

Fast enough for you?

Linda

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Think About Color Thursday - So Saffron, Melon Mambo, Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White

My color combination this week is:

So Saffron, Melon Mambo, Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White


The stamp set is called "It's the Thought".   It is a Level 1 Hostess Set from the Summer Mini Catalog.   Let me know if you would like to hostess a stamping event & you could maybe earn this stamp set for yourself with hostess rewards!

The "long time, no see" is stamped in Early Espresso ink, which is one of the new core Neutrals collection colors.  An Early Espresso cs strip is adhered across the top of the card.  I mixed two shades of brown on this card, adding a Chocolate Chip epoxy brad and laying a length of Chocolate Chip 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon across the giraffe piece.  This same ribbon is now available in the big catalog in Early Espresso and several other new gorgeous colors !

A Top Note shape is die cut from So Saffron cs and adhered to the Whisper White card front.
The last thing I did to decorate this card was to give it an unexpected pop.  Some Fancy Flower punched Melon Mambo flowers get the job done.

Linda

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Whatever Wednesday - Fancy Robin

I see pretty little cardinals every time I visit my friend Lynne's home.  So, I made this little red bird card in her honor.  :)

If you read my blog regularly, then you will notice that I tend to find a new favorite stamp set very often.  This stamp set, called Friends 24-7, is on my long list of favorites!  I admired it for quite a long time before I purchased it!  Now I sure am glad that I own it!

Card Stock Colors:  Basic Gray, Real Red, Crumb Cake

Inks:  Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad, Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad, Basic Gray Stampin' Write Marker

Stamping and layering, that's all.   Stamp the Basic Gray card front with the swirly stamp and stamp the Real Red cs with the fleur de lis stamp.  Stamp the Crumb Cake cs with Real Red ink - clean the stamp and turn it in the other direction so the design is going the opposite direction.  Layer cs pieces onto the Basic Gray card.

Ink the bird stamp with Real Red classic ink, then use a cotton swab to "erase" the red ink from the branch portion of the rubber.  Color the rubber with a Basic Gray Stampin' Write marker only on the branch where you want it to be gray on the finished image.  Remoisten the rubber with your breath and stamp the bird onto Crumb Cake cs.

Layer the bird onto Basic Gray cs and then adhere it to the card.

Linda

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tuesday Tips - Softening the Color of Stampin' Write Markers

The Tuesday Tip this week is for using Stampin' Write markers.  If you have ever colored an image with markers, yet you wished the colors were toned down a bit, this tip is for you.  Let's take a look at two cards I made today.  Both cards are decorated with a cute spaceship stamp from the Pun Fun stamp set in the 2010/2011 Idea Book & Catalog.  I am so happy this stamp set has not retired yet.....each stamp is so cute & makes me chuckle. 

The card that has the little white brad is colored with Stampin' Write markers.  I just colored in the spaceship as I would color with crayons.  Actually, I color in circular strokes.  I stamped the spaceship image with Black Stazon ink onto watercolor paper.   I like using watercolor paper and Stazon ink when I am going to be watercoloring because I know the colors will not smear or run.  The Stazon/watercolor paper combo is a great duo for blender pens as well.

Now, notice the difference between the first spaceship image and the one with the ribbon and clippie.....no, this is not one of those games where you find the differences between the two pictures.  (hee hee)  Just notice the coloring of the spaceship.  The reason the coloring looks different is because the second card is colored with blender pens that are inked from a color palette created with Stampin' Write markers, instead of coloring directly onto the paper with the Stampin' Write markers.

It's easy.........

Color a few strokes of your Stampin' Write marker onto either the plastic cover of an inkpad, a clear-mount acrylic block (you'll need to make sure you damp-wipe it when you're done), the lid of a Stampin' Up plastic stamp set case, or even a plastic plate.  Here's a picture of my color palette for this card, which I scribbled with Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, and Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Write markers onto a stamp set case.
Now, load the blender pen with your color of choice......scribble a few strokes with the blender pen directly into the puddle of color on your color palette to pick up or "load" the color.






Now, rather than coloring with the Stampin' Write marker, color with the blender pen, onto your stamped image.  The color will be soft and pale, unlike the vibrant color when using a Stampin' Write marker directly onto cs.

You will find that the color will disappear from the blender pen tip very rapidly, so you will need to reload the blender pen quite often.

One more tip - make sure you scribble the blender pen tip onto scrap paper until it draws clear, uncolored lines, every time you change colors, in order to get  true Stampin' Up color.

Have a great day!

Linda

Monday, July 26, 2010

Map It Monday - Olive Fleurs and Herringbone

The Map It Monday post for this week is this bright & handsome card that would be a nice greeting card to give either a man or a woman.  Isn't it a smart look?  The herringbone tweed designer series paper is from the Spring Mini Catalog's Sweet Pea Designer Paper Stack (sorry, it's retired, but look at the new Idea Book & Catalog for some equally cute designer papers!).  I love those Sweet Pea papers so much that I keep saving them instead of using them.  Finally I asked myself, "Self.....what good are those sweet papers if you don't use them?"  Hopefully you bought that paper stack too!

This map utilizes a Top Note Diecut in Whisper White cs.  Stamp a little design from the Tiny Tags stamp set on page 130 of the Idea Book & Catalog in Old Olive Classic Ink.   Stamp "praying for you" from the Thoughts and Prayers stamp set with either a Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad or White Stazon Ink.  Punch the message with an oval punch, then layer onto Old Olive cs & adhere to card.

Let me know if you try this map & how it looks!


Linda

Friday, July 23, 2010

Fast Friday - Bermuda Suede Leaves

OK, I know that I am posting quite a few cards using recently retired colors.  I have a stack of cards that I've made recently & still want to post for you.  The new Stampin' Up colors will be coming along in between!

Do you remember the Thoughts & Prayers stamp set that I really love?  Though it is generally intended to be used for sympathy, get well, and prolonged illness cards, I have used part of the tree stamp for a masculine birthday card!  I really like the way it turned out.

A few interesting punched edges & a decorative ribbon dress it up.  The colors are Soft Suede, Old Olive, and Bermuda Bay.

Best of all, this card is a fairly quick one to make!


Linda

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Think About Color Thursday - Poppy Parade, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede

I love this color combination.  It combines some of the Stampin' Up new "In Colors" and new core colors.  These new colors are beginning to win my heart.


Remember this card that was a freebie to make at my New Catalog Open House?  The card happens to be the same colors as my colors of the week, so here it is!

Supplies:

card: Whisper White
other cs:  Marina Mist, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede
featured stamp set:  Long Fellows (Level 3 Hostess Set)
inks:  Soft Suede, Marina Mist
other:  1 3/4" circle punch, Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon, dimensionals

This card is mostly adhering layers of card stock - easy peasy.  The only two layers that are adhered with dimensionals are the Poppy parade circle and the Marina Mist strip.  The ribbon is looped & adhered underneath the Pear Pizzazz cs layer.

The "happy birthday" is stamped in Soft Suede ink.  The whale is stamped in Marina Mist.

Linda