Masculine Birthday with Serene Scenery HSS245

Pin It Now! Time for a new challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments!  This week's challenge is an inspiration collage.

There's so much in this inspiration grouping to choose from, you're sure to be inspired!  I picked out the wooded scene, as well as the colorful background behind the deer in the postage stamp image.  I created a sweet and simple masculine birthday card - I never seem to have a man card when I need one in a pinch! 

I was going to create a watercolored background with several colored ink pads and a blender brush, but then came across this pretty colored background paper from the Serene Scenery 6x6 DSP pad.  It's a water / seashore scene, but the muted colors did well with the color combo I was looking for.  Fast and easy! 

Head on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and check out the design team samples and our fellow participants!

Honeycomb Happiness Birthday Celebration HSS232

Pin It Now! I went searching for a birthday card last week for a girlfriend - specifically a pink birthday card.  And can you even fathom that I have NO pink birthday cards? For real? I fixed it with this sweet and simple little watercolored balloon card using Honeycomb Happiness from our current Sale-A-Bration.

I incorporated our current sketch at Hand Stamped Sentiments - it's a good one!

I kept the card simple, as I plan to mail more cards this year than I probably have over all my cardmaking years combined.  This is the year that I bless people with a greeting.  It doesn't have to be fancy.  It just has to get done.

Inside...from Birthday Blooms.  I love how it matches the cursive wood embellishment on the front.

Thanks for stopping by!
SUPPLIES:
STAMPS: Honeycomb Happiness, Birthday Blooms
INK: Memento Black, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Blushing Bride
PAPER:  Birthday Bouquet DSP, Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Corrugated Paper
EMBELLISHMENTS:  Expressions Natural Elements, Gold Sequin Trim, Metallic Gold Thread,

Sweet Stack-A Banner Birthday Card HSS224

Pin It Now! Hey crafty friend!  Sharing a golden birthday card with you today, using the latest color challenge from Hand Stamped Sentiments. This one was so easy! The colors really go together so well.  I have to admit, I CASE'd a combination of two cards from the catalog!  That's always a great place for inspiration when you're in a pinch.

I love the stamps in this set, Sweet Stack. It's meant for creating little cake boxes, but I think they're all great for cards, too!  The pennant above is meant for the top of the cake box.  

Here's the color combo challenge - click the pic to visit our site!

Inside...

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Sweet Stack

INK: Mossy Meadow, Blackberry Bliss, Delightful Dijon, Basic Black

Celebrate! With Birthday Wishes HSS218

Pin It Now! I'm working my way through my new supplies, and it's taking a while, since I have had so little time to do crafty things lately.  Late summer brings veggie canning, outdoor projects, and back to school prep!

I've been looking forward to using this fun set, Birthday Wishes!  It's a photopolymer set, which means layering couldn't be easier!  So, using our latest color challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments, here's a cake that's cute as can be!

The colors:

I love the colors!  They're great for guys or girls.

And how about that metallic thread? And the corrugated paper! The little details make all the difference.  I think it'll be SO cool when the birthday person sees the little golden sparkle on this card.  

Inside, one of the cake layers is stamped with the included sentiment in Pool Party.

Have a blessed and creative day!  ~erika

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Birthday Wishes

INK: Tangerine Tango, Lost Lagoon, Basic Black, Pool Party

PAPER: Tangerine Tango, Pool Party DSP (retired pattern), Corrugated Paper, Whisper White, Basic Black

EMBELLISHMENTS: Expressions Natural Elements, Gold Metallic Thread, Decorative Dots TIEF

Butterfly Basics Birthday HSSSC206

Pin It Now! I thoroughly enjoyed myself making today's card!  I love layers, and these are subtle, but there are plenty of them.

The sentiment panel is made up of several stamps from Butterfly Basics, then spritzed, then pierced with the coordinating piercing template.  The butterfly is a leftover wax paper layer that I used so that all the little bits don't stick in the thinlit!  I love how it's so very thin and translucent, but doesn't add bulk. I also added a sponged layer of roses stenciled with a paper laser cut sheet from this spring's Artisan Embellishment Kit.  

The sketch we are offering at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week is a great one. 

Inside, just a couple of DSP strips to complement the front.  

SUPPLIES: 

STAMPS: Butterfly Basics

INK: Mossy Meadow, Daffodil Delight, Blushing Bride, Lost Lagoon, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White Craft

PAPER: All Abloom DSP Stack, Crumb Cake, Whisper White

EMBELLISHMENTS: Artisan Embellishment Kit Spring 2015 (pearl), 

BIG SHOT: Framelits Labels, Large Polka Dot TIEF, Butterfly Thinlits

OTHER: Piercing Pack, wax paper, Spritzing Tool

Oh, Happy Day! Cascading Birthday Card

Pin It Now! Today my first born is 14!  Where does the time go?  I know it's sappy, but wow!  He's officially taller than me, and very nearly smarter, too.

I made him a dude card.  He loves the mechanical cards that I make - cards with fancy folds, flips, etc.  More than just folded in half! This one is a cascade card, and wasn't at all hard to make after watching Dawn's video here.

Embellished with Typeset DSP, Starburst Sayings, and a little gold trim.  We'll see if it's manly enough!

I love this card fold, it's interesting, and shows off the tons of DSP that some of us are hoarding!

The back...

The "HAPPY" is dotted with Crystal Effects and sprinkled with glitter.  It reminds me of a lit up Vegas sign!

It's a bit oversized (standard A6), so a handmade envelope was in order.  

Check out the snack & soda "cake" I made for him last night!  A great way to use up old ribbons and such.  I love making basket cakes :)  You can find a how-to here.

Have a blessed and creative day!  ~ Erika

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Starburst Sayings, Chalk Talk, Something to Say

INK:  Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER:  Vintage Typeset Specialty, Basic Black, Very Vanilla

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Gold Sequin Trim, Gold 5/8" Satin ribbon, gold glitter, Crystal Effects

BIG SHOT:  Starburst Framelits, Chalk Talk Framelits

New Year's Eve Party Favors - Crackers & Blowers

Pin It Now! Who's in the mood to celebrate?  Has it been a banner year for you, or are you glad to see the new one coming?  Either way, you really ought to have some festive party favors to wave bye to the old or ring in the new.

Here are some easy favors.  I made these for my church friends and some family that I'll be celebrating with.

The party blowers are too cute, and were easy to make. And YES! They do curl back up when you blow them out!  Yay!  I learned to make them from good ol' Martha Stewart here.  I used her measurements.  But I did a few things differently which are:

* I used  paper straws purchased at Target dollar spot.  Didn't cover them with vellum as they suggest.  I wrapped mine with washi tape.  The glittered ones are first wrapped with Sticky Strip, then rolled in glitter.  (You probably don't want to blow on these.  I don't personally mind glitter lips, but that's just me.)

* I used washi tape instead of clear scotch tape to adhere the patterned paper into the long strip.

*  I used Sticky Strip to insert the straw into the paper curl.  NO drying time!

One great tip I learned was to keep them rubber banded tightly curled for 24 hours.  They'll definitely keep their curl better.  I used the tiny Rainbow Loom bands, and they looked kind of cute while I waited.

Then the party crackers!  I love these, they turned out rather elegant.  They'd make a nice 50, 60, etc. birthday party, man's party, or wedding favor. 

Want some measurements?

Inside roll of Typeset Specialty DSP 3-1/4" x 3-3/4"

Outer ring of DSP: 1-1/2" x 4"

Tissue paper - plain white. 10" x 3-3/4"

Fringe cut the edges with fringe scissors.

Ribbon trim 4"

Baker's twine 3" each side

The tag was cut from the circle flip card Framelits set, and the "Happy New Year" comes from retired Christmas Messages which is still available as a digital download!

Have a wonderful, safe, blessed New Year's.  I hope you're surrounded by people you love!

Masculine Birthday with Chalk Talk

Pin It Now! Here's a manly card using Chalk Talk, featuring Typeset Specialty DSP, and some luscious gold ribbon from the SU catty.  I seriously need to make pajamas out of this stuff - gorgeous satin!

...anyway!  This is for my dad's b'day, and features the colors from his favorite football team, the Baltimore Ravens.  Or, as some folks call them, Basic Black and Blackberry Bliss.

A pretty simple layout, and Chalk Talk is so easy to use if you stamp it the way it was created - as a chalkboard accent!

Here, you can see my embossing (large polka dot TIEF), the pretty ribbon, some spattered gold paint.  And my gold "frizzles" created by peeling the gold baker's twine apart.  I think it looks like sparklers - very celebratory!

Inside, from retired You're Amazing.

I'm playing with the sketch from Techno Stamper. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a blessed and creative day!

SUPPLY LIST:

STAMPS:  Chalk Talk, Dictonary, You're Amazing (Ret.)

INK:  Black Staz On, Crumb Cake

PAPER:  Typeset Specialty DSP, Confetti White, Blackberry Bliss, Basic Black

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Gold Baker's Twine, In Color Sequins, Gold 5/8" Satin ribbon, Large Polka Dot TIEF, Chalk Talk Framelits, Smooch Gold (ret)

Starburst / Sunburst Cards - Birthday & Thank You

Pin It Now! What's a prettier way to show off patterned paper than in this lovely starburst pattern?

This birthday card is done using the All Abloom DSP stack.  It's perfectly sized to make the triangles for the starburst; mine are 4-1/2" x 1-1/4".  The cute sentiment is from Something to Say.

I just love these colors!

And how about a couple of shiny sequins?

Here's my first sample - I used retired Afternoon Tea DSP to experiment with.  Love these, too!  I sent this one to my mom!

Have a great day!  

Seize the Cake! Happy Birthday, LeAnne!

Pin It Now! Merry Mondays Challenge is celebrating the birthday of a very sweet and talented cardmaker, LeAnne Pugliese.  Here's my birthday card for you, LeAnne!

A quick and easy card to make, great for beginning card makers.  We let the patterned paper do most of the work, and use Stampin' Write markers to color the layers of the cake, making it look fabulously fancy!  The mini banner at the bottom is simply punched. 

Here, you can see the little row of pearls to gussy it up.

So, I hope you had a wonderful birthday!  It is so nice to visit with you in Blogland, you are very personable, and I'm sure everyone that receives comments from you knows that you took time to really look and appreciate their work.  You make everyone feel special, because YOU are truly special!  (((hugs)))

Click the graphic above to visit Merry Mondays, check out all the lovely birthday cards, and say Happy Birthday!

You can visit LeAnne's blog here.

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Embellished Events, Something to Say

INK:  Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Basic Grey

PAPER:  Birthday Basics DSP, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Basic Pearls

Another Great Year - Birthday Greetings!

Pin It Now! I have had a fascination with this stamp set since I first set eyes on it!  Then it sat...and sat.  I wasn't sure what to do with it.  I love the scripty font, the festive banners, and the vintage feel it has.  This week's Hand Stamped Sentiments Inspiration Challenge gave me the jump start I needed, with the cute retro mixer in aqua & silver.

I went with the silver and aqua theme, with a touch of purple from the other photos.

I saw a cute sponge dauber polka dot card by Teneale Williams, and thought this was just the technique to use with this festive birthday stamp! Sponge daubers dabbed in Coastal Cabana, Certainly Celery, and Wisteria Wonder. The birthday sentiment is heat embossed with silver, colored with Coastal Cabana, and a few sequins are added.  

I used this trendy tilted layered look, and I like the way it adds interest to the dotty panel, with plenty of patterned paper peeking through.  

Inside, a greeting and a cupcake!

I'll definitely be turning out a few of these.  Super easy and really darned cute! 

Hop on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and check out the DT samples - and please join in the fun!  

Check out Teneale's card here, with the dauber technique!

Have a blessed and creative day!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Another Great Year

INK:  Coastal Cabana, Wisteria Wonder, Certainly Celery, Silver Stampin' Emboss, So Saffron, Blushing Bride

PAPER:  Coastal Cabana DSP from In Color Stack, Watercolor Paper, Smoky Slate, Very Vanilla

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Coastal Cabana Thick Twine, silver sequins, glimmer paper

Butterfly & Blooms Birthday Card

Pin It Now! Hey crafty friend!  Today I'm sharing the birthday card I'll be making for my church ladies' July birthdays.

The fresh new patterned paper pack, All Abloom, is full of pretty patterns.  I layered two of them for the card base, and punched 4 different patterns with the butterfly punch and layered them, securing with a linen thread wrap.  

The vintage newsprint is awesome! It's Typeset Specialty DSP, and I used it for the "Happy Birthday" strip as well. 

I scrunched and bunched a knot full of Pink Pirouette seam binding ribbon for a bit of a shabby look because none of the fancy bows I made seemed to complement the card. 

The burlap ribbon did a nice job of warming up an otherwise sherbet-y card.  I like the way the butterfly stack turned out!

Inside:

I'm playing with these two fun card challenges.   Click on the pictures to visit them and join in the fun!

Who doesn't love choices in a challenge??  I picked a diagonal tic-tac-toe of BIRTHDAY, PATTERNED PAPER, & ANY SHADE OF PINK. Fun!

And this sketch is going into my permanent go-to file.  I flipped it upside down.  

Have a blessed and creative day! ~ Erika

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  From My Heart

INK:  Mossy Meadow

PAPER:  All Abloom DSP, Typeset Specialty DSP, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Pink Pirouette seam binding ribbon, In Color Sequin Assortment, Linen Thread, Burlap ribbon 1-1/4"