little inklings

Organically Happy

 I think one of my favorite times of the year is fall. I love all the beautiful colors that come out in the trees, but I also love how life seems to settle into a groove. For me, fall also means the start of another Stamp Club. I have the most wonderful and supportive group of ladies that attend my classes, and I'm always excited to share my projects with them. This was among the projects we completed at our first workshop. It was originally a card I made for a recent Great Swap Girls swap that featured a new stamp set from the SU! Fall & Winter Catty, but I loved the retro feel of this card so much, I had to share it at my class too.

Here’s how I made it: Starting with the large white panel, I stamped the solid image first in Pink Pirouette then stamped the outline image in Close to Cocoa randomly over top. I sponged the four edges with Chocolate Chip ink then adhered the panel to the right side of the Chocolate Chip panel. I paper pierced down the left side of the Chocolate Chip panel, then tied the striped ribbon around the two layers. I heat embossed the sentiment with Chocolate Chip craft ink & clear embossing powder on a piece of scrap Pink Pirouette paper, punched it out with my large oval punch, edges sponged in Chocolate Chip and matted to a circle I punched from a scrap Chocolate Chip CS using my 1 ¾” circle punch. I then assembled the sentiment and the stacked layers with dimensionals.

Here’s the supplies I used: 

Stamps: Organic Outlines 

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Ink: Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip Craft 

Extras: Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain, Large Oval & Wide Oval Punches, Sponge Daubers, Clear Embossing Powder 

Measurements: Base: 5 ½” x 8 ½” Pink Pirouette Layers: 5 ¼” x 4” & scrap pieces of Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette scraps. Image: 5”x 3 Whisper White

Sweets in Sour

Ok - first, I must apologize for inflicting on you my knack for terribly bad, cheesy play on words, like the one I used for this title. But second, you must try this super fun project!! This was the 'Anything but a card' project we did at my last club meeting, and they are great. I'm not exactly sure why they're called 'Sour Cream' containers, but regardless.. FUN! There is a tutorial on Splitcoast found here, in the event that my instructions below aren't totally clear. Check it out!

Here’s how I made it: Starting with a 4 ¼” by 5 ½” piece of Berry Bliss Designer Series Paper (DSP) (DSP is easier to work with - vs. Cardstock, since its just a bit thinner), Sticky Strip was added along one short edge, then half way along the long top side, forming an upside down ‘L’ with the first strip. An additional sticky strip was added to the long bottom edge, this time, right in the middle Removing the sticky strip backing on the upside down ‘L’, carefully roll the rectangle into a tube, then squeeze the bottom of the tube together. Fill the tube with candy or other treats (the pre-wrapped ones like Werthers work best), then peel the backing off the remaining centered sticky strip. Squeeze that end together in the opposite direction. Run each end thru 2-3 clicks of a paper crimper. Hand punch two rectangle squares on the bottom. Thread Chocolate Chip narrow grosgrain ribbon thru the holes, and tie in a bow. Last, create the scalloped sentiment, punching the scallop with the Scallop Punch, then stamping the sentiment on a scrap piece of Pretty in Pink CS with Chocolate Chip craft, sprinkle with clear embossing powder, heat to set then punch out with a 1 ¼” circle punch. 

Here’s the supplies I used: 

Stamps: All Holidays Paper: Berry Bliss, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink 

Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic & Craft 

Extras: Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Scallop & 1 ¼” Circle Punches, Hand Held Rectangle Punch, Chocolate Chip narrow grosgrain ribbon, Crimper 

Technique: 3D - Sour Cream Container

For an 'Old' Friend

 I was walking to an appointment a while back, when I noticed a display case with a tapestry of some sort in the window. It had this color combo. Isn't it striking? I love the Old Olive, Black and white together.
This is a really quick card, and another project we did at my last club meeting that featured the Thumping Technique. And it would seem that Thumping has some theraputic benefits! You get to 'stamp' out all your frustrations. But just don't get too carried away.. those markers can only stand so much! :)

Here’s how I made it: The card base is a 4 ¼” x 8 ½” piece of Basic Black Cardstock (CS) folded in half. On the next layer, I used the Thumping technique on the Whisper White 3 ¾” square, inking up the Pretty Petals Background stamp with Old Olive ink and thumping with a Basic Black marker. The edges were sponged with Old Olive and the Whisper White square then matted to a 4” Old Olive square. Next the photo corner and silver brads were added to the top left hand corner, and a double ribbon of wide Old Olive and Black grosgrain tied around the middle. The sentiment was stamped on a scrap piece of Whisper White using Old Olive craft ink, sprinkled with clear Embossing Powder, heated to set, punched out with the Large Oval punch then sponged in Old Olive around the edges. Two Large Ovals were punched in Basic Black, adhered together at the middle, then used as a matte for the sentiment, and added to the card front using Dimensionals.

Here’s the supplies I used:
Stamps: Pretty Petals Background Stamp, Carte Postale
Paper: Basic Black, Old Olive, Whisper White
Ink: Old Olive Classic & Craft, Basic Black Marker
Extras: Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon, Black Gingham Ribbon, Dimensionals, Photo Corner & Large Oval Punch, Clear Embossing Powder, Silver Brads
Technique: Thumping

Amazing Father

I featured the Stamping with Bleach technique at my last card club. This technique is really fun and if you haven't tried it yet, Splitcoast has a great tutorial found here. I had it in my head that this stamp set would work perfectly with the technique, and with Dad's day coming up, it all fit! And isn't this sentiment the truth, about our parents getting smarter the older we get? I certainly think so. Anyway, I liked the end result.. and hope you do too!

Here’s how I made it: The card base is a 5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of Chocolate Chip Card stock (CS) folded in half. The next layer is a 5 ¼” x 4” piece of Blue Bayou CS stamped with the paisley image using the Bleach technique, then set aside to dry.  The horse image was stamped full strength in Chocolate Chip, then stamped off twice on a 3 ½” x 2” piece of Very Vanilla CS. The top and bottom paper pierced, all the edges sponged. The image was then adhered to a 5” x 2 ¼” strip of Ruby Red CS that had first been stamped with the Weathered background stamp and edges sponged, both using Chocolate Chip ink.  The tab was made by stamping the sentiment on a scrap piece of Chocolate Chip CS in matching Craft ink, clear embossing powder sprinkled, heated to set, then punched out using the Tab punch. The tab was then adhered to the Ruby Red strip and secured with an antique brad. 

Going back to the Blue Bayou matte - after the bleach dried, the edges were sponged with Chocolate Chip Ink, the sentiment was added to the bottom, using Chocolate Chip craft ink, clear embossing powder & heated to set. Then all the layers were assembled using snail adhesive.

Here’s the supplies I used:
Stamps: Wanted, Dad’s Day, Weathered Background Stamp
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Blue Bayou, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic & Craft
Extras: Dimensionals, Clear Embossing Powder, Tab Punch, Paper Piercer, Antique Brads
Technique: Stamping with Bleach

Sweet Matchbox Treats

I wanted to share with you, another one of the projects we made at my last club meeting. Aren't these little matchbox's adorable? I didn't find them all that tricky to put together either. I made them to coordinate with the 'For All You Do' card for a sweet little Mom's day gift set.

Here's how I made it: I used the instructions posted on Splitcoast here to create the box. The box base is Soft Sky Cardstock (CS) and the slider cover is Chocolate Chip.  After I assembled the box and cover I added the Soft Sky Designer Series Paper accent around the Chocolate Chip Cover (the strip measured 1" x 6"). I tied the Whisper White Tafetta Ribbon around the DSP, and secured it with a glue dot. I built the Little tag using the 3/4" and 1" circle punches, stamping the leaf on a scrap piece of paper in Soft Sky, then the sentiment in Purely Pomegranate, punching it out and adhering it to a Chocolate Chip matte. I punched a hole at the top of the tag using my 1/16" hand held circle punch, and threaded Linen Thread thru, tying it to the tafetta ribbon. I added a little loop of Chocolate Chip ribbon at the back of the box as well, to make it easy to open, cutting a strip of Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, adding a bit of adhesive to the ends and sticking one end to the inside of the box, folding it over and adhering the other end to the outside. I secured it with an antique brad.
Finally, I stamped three 5160 Avery Mailing Labels with the leaf pattern and outline in Soft Sky and Chocolate Chip, and wrapped Hershey's nuggets with them. Who wouldn't want to get one of these? Too Sweet!

Here's the supplies I used:
Stamps: Stitched Exotics, Everyday Flexible Phrases
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky & Whisper White Cardstock, Soft Sky Designer Series Paper
Ink: Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, Purely Pomegranate
Extras: Linen Thread, White Tafetta Ribbon, Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Antique Brads, 3/4", 1" & 1/16" circle punches, Sticky Strip ( a must for this project), Hershey Chocolate Nuggets, 5160 Avery Labels.

You're Sweet!

I sure 'stink' you're all so sweet for leaving such NICE comments on my blog. Thank you SO MUCH!

This is one of the projects we made at this month's club meeting.  Did you noticed I'm SOO in love with the Pun Fun set? It's so cute. I love all those little creatures! Also, this 4 1/4" square card, and layout seems to work really well. Hope you all like it!.

Here's how I made it: I started by stamping that adorable little skunk twice - once on a 2" x 2 1/4" piece of Whisper White cardstock, and another on a white scrap piece, both using Basic Black Craft ink, sprinkling clear embossing powder over while the ink was still wet, then heating to set. Now, if you've been reading most of my previous posts, you'll notice this is a bit of a theme on most of my cards. I just find it gives the card such a professional look, and in this case, makes it SOO EASY to color in, since the embossed ridges help guide you inside the lines. Anyway, after I had the two images, I colored them both in with my blender pens and the classic inks, then I cut out the body of the skunk and adhered it over top of the other with dimensionals. I then matted it to a 2 1/4" x 2 1/2" piece of Basic Black cardstock and set it aside. I adhered a 3 3/4" square piece of Rose Red DSP to a 4" square piece of Basic Black, tied the Black Gingham Ribbon around it, Added the photo corners and Silver Brads, then adhered the main matted skunk image to the card front. And the final step was to adhere the combined pieces to my 4 1/4" Purely Pomegranate cardbase.

Here's the supplies I used: (All Stampin' Up! unless noted)

Stamps: Pun Fun Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black, Whisper White, Rose Red Designer Series Paper Ink: Basic Grey, Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black Craft Extras: Clear Embossing Powder, Black Gingham Ribbon, Photo Corner Punch, Silver Brads